When Zhang Zian first applied the cooling oil, the elfins would rather go under the car to enjoy the cool air than stay in the car to enjoy the stimulating smell. That was because he didn't just apply it casually. He applied it to the philtrum, forehead, temples, and some suspicious acupuncture points on the neck. He was just short of applying the cooling oil to his face.
Needless to say, after the cooling oil was applied, he immediately felt a trace of coolness seeping into his body through the pores of his skin. The strong peppermint smell flowed through his nose and went straight to his brain. Perhaps even the treasures of heaven and earth in wuxia fantasy novels could not compare to this.
In addition, he also increased the amount of water he drank. Even when he didn't drink water, he would have a mouthful of water in his mouth. This was a trick he learned from Nabari, which could relieve the thirst in his mouth and throat.
At this time, he should be resting quietly, but he really couldn't. He always unconsciously calculated the amount of water consumed, and then became anxious and uneasy.
From the moment he decided to stay here to recuperate, he began to collect his own urine and filter it. He wanted to save as much water as he could — especially emphasizing that it was his own, because cat urine was already concentrated enough. Even if he filtered it, not much could be filtered out.
As Xiao Tianyu complained, the filtered water did have a strange smell, but at this point, there was nothing to be picky about.
Just like that, he stayed here for another day. When the sun rose again the next morning, his heatstroke symptoms had been greatly relieved. It was hard to say whether it was because of the cooling oil or because of his good physical fitness in the past. Maybe it was a combination of both.
Nevertheless, a very serious problem was in front of him — there was not enough water.
After careful calculations, the existing water had been so little that even if he used the lowest standard for survival, he might not be able to get out of the desert. Not to mention, in order to prevent another heatstroke, his body also needed water.
The expedition team must have left the scheduled meeting place. They naturally thought that he was dead, and there was no need to wait any longer.
The expedition team had a satellite phone, but he didn't. He couldn't contact them even if he wanted to.
If he wanted to leave the desert alive, he could only rely on himself.
When he was resting yesterday, his mind was not idle. He had been thinking about all kinds of ways to find water in the desert.
There was a certain chance of digging into wet sand if one dug down in a desert with moss and spleenwort, but there were no green plants nearby. If one randomly dug in a random spot, it would be useless except for wasting energy and drinking water.
People trapped in the desert would sometimes dig a sand pit and lay a plastic sheet over the sand pit so that the water vapor that evaporated in the sand at night would condense on the plastic sheet instead of escaping into the air. This way, some dew might be collected on the bottom of the plastic sheet in the morning. However, the premise of this method was that the sand could not be too dry. Otherwise, it would be like trying to put out a cart of firewood with a cup of water.
Zhang Zian decided that when the night came again, he would use the latter method to try to collect dew. No matter how little it was, it would still be useful.
The elves saw that although he looked better, he was still frowning and guessed that he was worried about drinking water.
They all knew that water was the source of life, especially after the series of events that happened after they entered the desert, which made them deeply understand this point, but there was nothing they could do.
"Quack! I suggest that you use your drone to look for it in the air. Maybe you can find an oasis or something, or you can meet Peter Lee and the others. Maybe they are nearby, and we can borrow some water from them, "Richard said.
Zhang Zian shook his head. "Peter Lee and the others can't be counted on. There are six of them and two cars. They don't even have enough supplies for themselves. Their situation may not be any better than mine. If we really meet them, we have to be careful that our water will be taken away … But, the drone you mentioned reminds me of something."
He remembered that when the pyramids fell, there was a black dot flying over the Devil's Sea. It might have been a falcon or a vulture. Unfortunately, it had been caught in the downdraft and was probably dead.
The point was, where did the falcon or vulture come from?
Birds of prey were different from creatures such as sand cats and fennec foxes. Birds were basically rectal, and they would excrete urine. They would not condense it, so birds of prey could not live in extremely arid deserts. They needed branches and leaves to build their nests, and they could not be dead trees like the ones in the Devil's Sea that had been dry for many years. This meant that where birds of prey could be seen, there was often an oasis within their flight range.
There were also corresponding problems. Large birds of prey like vultures could sometimes fly hundreds of kilometers a day. Falcons could fly shorter distances, but dozens of kilometers was not a problem. The range was too large, and it was difficult to find an oasis where they lived.
In any case, this was a clue.
He told everyone his thoughts and asked them to pay attention to the sky while driving. If they saw a small black dot again, they must remind him.
"Quack! If it weren't for me, you idiot wouldn't have thought of this possibility! "Richard unceremoniously took credit for himself.
If they could find an oasis, all the problems would be solved.
They were now out of the magnetic field interference range of the Devil's Sea. He raised the drone into the sky and let the camera have a 360-degree view of the surroundings. He then asked the elfins to pay attention to the image on the screen of the remote control. If they found any suspicious objects in the air, they would immediately remind him.
He continued to drive, following the connection between this place and the Siwa Oasis, heading north and east.
Around noon, he stopped to rest. He used the old method from yesterday to pile sand on the body of the car to insulate it. He took back the drone to charge the battery, and then continued to set off at three o 'clock in the afternoon.
"Look! Isn't that a black dot? "
While driving, Vladimir suddenly pointed at the screen.
It was very tiring to stare at the screen of the remote control, so the elfins took turns. Now it was Vladimir's turn.
The other elfins, who were resting, heard this and gathered in front of the screen.
In order to save fuel, Zhang Zian did not slam on the brakes. Instead, he let the car slide slowly and stop automatically.
He picked up the remote control and saw the black dot that Vladimir was talking about. He then manipulated the drone to aim the camera in that direction and adjust the focus to the maximum.
What was certain was that it was indeed a bird, but its size, species, and other characteristics could not be seen clearly because it was too far away.
"Can we catch up?" Old Time Tea asked worriedly. "Isn't it too far?"
Birds could fly freely in the air, but they often had to bypass obstacles in the desert. The bird was so far away from them that it was very likely that they would lose it halfway. Besides wasting fuel, there was no point in chasing it.
"I have to try!"
Zhang Zian looked at the sky and roughly estimated the position of the sun. He decisively started the car again and chased after the black dot.
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