Big G, Coffee Machine and Goblin

Chapter 4 Re-entering the Valley
Today is the day we set off.

Ma Li had completed all the preparations and then rested for two days to get his body and mind in top condition, ready for the long journey.

After breakfast, he made himself a coconut latte as usual.

This is also very simple; you just add coconut milk to coffee. Whether it's authentic or not is hard to say, but it tastes pretty good.

Afterwards, he packed the coffee machine, one hundred capsules, and two bags of milk into his backpack, along with a copy of "A Novice Solving a Major Case."

It doesn't have any special meaning; I just grabbed it when I went to the library to pick up an atlas last night, so I wouldn't have anything to do when I can't sleep at night.

Ma Li zipped up his jacket, glancing at the wall clock out of the corner of his eye.

He wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but he felt like the second hand had moved a little. However, upon closer inspection, it seemed like it hadn't.

Since waking up in the hospital, he has discovered that almost every mechanical watch he can find in the city, big or small, is stuck at 11:21.

So strictly speaking, Ma Li doesn't actually know what time it is.

Under the red mist, day and night became indistinguishable, and the light was always in a hazy, indistinct state.

He set the date and time on his phone randomly because it always felt a bit strange not knowing the time, and it was also inconvenient to plan his schedule. He couldn't even be sure if he had stayed up late or eaten on time that day.

After two days of drifting aimlessly, Ma Li made up his mind.

—It still needs to take some time. Regardless of whether it's accurate or not.

8:29. Ma Li finally got into the modified G300p, inserted the key into the ignition switch, and started the engine.

The SUV slowly drove onto the road.

Ma Li drove very slowly because there were motionless cars and electric vehicles everywhere on the roadside.

Occasionally, motorcycles and bicycles would fall over in the middle of the road. In addition, visibility was very low in the red fog, so the engine was barely able to go into second gear. It could only crawl slowly, and it took almost two hours to reach the toll station.

Moreover, even when you get on the highway, the speed doesn't actually increase much.

You still have to be careful to avoid stationary vehicles on the road, but there are far fewer of them than in the city center, and there are no electric bikes or bicycles.

This was only because Ma Li had already cleaned it once with the Seal before; otherwise, if there were several cars parked side by side, he would have had to find a way to tow one of them away.

Fortunately, the newly installed laser fog lights and ARB headlights work very well, increasing visibility by a full two times, from less than ten meters to about twenty-four or twenty-five meters.

By the time Ma Li reached the end of the highway, it was already 3 p.m.

He got out of the car to have lunch first, then filled the fuel tank again with the diesel he had left there before continuing on his way.

From here on, the originally smooth and wide asphalt road seems to have been brutally cut off by some mysterious force, and different structural surfaces can even be seen at the fault.

Further ahead, all the familiar scenery disappeared, replaced by a strange valley filled with black stones.

These oddly shaped rocks, which once hindered the horsepower from continuing to drive, now seem less insurmountable in the face of an off-road vehicle with raised suspension and mud tires.

The G300p slowly drove into the valley.

Ma Li could hear the clattering of stones under the tires, and the car body rose and fell with them, like a ferry in a downpour.

He gripped the steering wheel, staring intently ahead, mentally weighing and calculating how to avoid rocks that were too large or had overly sharp edges.

Occasionally, he would glance down at the tachometer and oil temperature gauges on the dashboard. The man and his car silently traversed the valley until 9:20 PM.

Ma Li stopped the car next to a boulder that was about six or seven meters high.

After entering the valley, he had been driving for more than five hours. Based on his average speed multiplied by the time, he estimated that he had traveled about 60 kilometers, far exceeding the distance he had walked on the previous trip.

I didn't encounter any danger along the way, but I was on edge the whole time and I'm quite tired now.

So I got out of the car and stretched my muscles.

Ma Li regretted not replacing the driver's seat when he modified the car. The original seat was not comfortable. In fact, this car sacrificed too much for reliability and ease of maintenance. Even the windows were manual, so it had nothing to do with comfort.

He didn't understand why anyone would want to drive this kind of car in the city; perhaps wealthy people have rather unique ideas.

Having previously worked illegally at an auto repair shop, Ma Li had seen many stranger cars and owners, so this G300p was considered relatively good in comparison.

Besides, no matter what, he's driving a G-Wagon now, so things are looking up for him.

While trying to console himself, Ma Li tore open a pack of compressed biscuits for dinner. He hesitated for a moment and decided not to include luncheon meat. This was only the first day on the road, and he didn't know how long it would take to get out of the valley. He decided to be frugal.

Today's breakfast and lunch were both good, so the nutrition should be sufficient. Dinner can be a little simpler.

However, the compressed biscuits didn't taste very good. Ma Li didn't even finish them. He frowned, wrapped up the remaining bits, threw them into the glove box, and prepared to go to sleep in the car.

Even with a sleeping bag and tent, he was still hesitant to sleep in the red fog outside, especially after leaving the familiar city.

In contrast, the G300p has a metal and glass cover, which at least gives him some peace of mind.

Silent all night.

Because he went to bed early, Ma Li woke up before 7 a.m. the next day. He opened the car door while rubbing his sore back.

I got out of the car first to check the few simple traps that were set up next to the car.

The three plastic bottles, the matchbox, and the stone he tied with string remained in their original positions.

This also means that no one or no animal should have been in the vicinity last night.

Ma Li didn't know whether to breathe a sigh of relief or be disappointed by this result.

With mixed feelings, he finished washing up, ate breakfast, and embarked on his journey again.

The next day, apart from getting stuck once, everything was normal, and Ma Li easily got out of trouble using a skid plate.

Before going to bed, he read three chapters of "The Novice Solve a Major Case" and found that this detective novel, which he had picked up casually in the library, was quite good. Although it was not as famous as "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes", he felt that it was more interesting to read.

In addition, he checked the fuel gauge, and the needle was almost at the third mark, which meant that about three-quarters of the 96L of diesel in the main fuel tank, or 70L, had been consumed.

Ma Li noted down the number, then opened a can of diesel and filled the tank again.

Just like last night, he also set up traps next to the SUV.

When I got out of the car to check in the morning, I found that the stone hadn't changed much, but the matchbox and plastic bottle were no longer in their original places.

(End of this chapter)