Chapter 458 - 326: Arrival
’You can say that again. We’ve finally climbed up.’
Just as Feng Mountain breathed a sigh of relief and was about to agree, Lisa unexpectedly added, "We’re at the downhill part of the roller coaster now. Hold on tight, it’s going to be a wild ride."
’Hold on tight again?’
’What kind of damn road is this? Couldn’t they have made it a little smoother?’
The tension that had just left Feng Mountain’s body came rushing back in an instant.
While controlling her speed, Lisa quickly flipped the Jake brake switch on the dashboard.
Feng Mountain, meanwhile, kept his eyes glued to the windshield, peering into the darkness illuminated by the high beams.
At the furthest reach of the headlights, the beams seemed to shoot straight into the night sky. There was no trace of the road, only an endless vortex of darkness and snow.
"Here we go!" Lisa suddenly shouted. Her expression instantly turned grave, her hands gripping the steering wheel like vices, knuckles white with strain.
’Here what comes?’
Feng Mountain was just about to ask.
But he suddenly felt his line of sight plummet, as if he had been standing on a high peak, gazing into the distance.
Then, in the next second, he was unceremoniously yanked downward by an immense force.
The abrupt sensation was intensely nauseating. It felt as if he had instantly lost all balance, and a wave of anxiety washed over him.
The two dim yellow headlights struggled to pierce the darkness, revealing a steep road ahead. The ice covering the ground flashed with a blinding glare as it caught the light.
The sheer steepness of the slope reminded Feng Mountain of the fault scarp at the Melting Ice River in the Crown Territory, where meltwater cascaded like a waterfall into the river below.
And right now, the truck was hurtling down this nearly vertical slope—a scene just as heart-stopping.
The tire chains scraped violently against the road, producing a continuous CLUNKING and grinding as the brakes engaged, and the whole vehicle shuddered intensely.
The onboard Jake brake system was engaged at full power, trying to rein in the tires, but the chassis wouldn’t stop shaking. The entire truck was like a runaway stallion, sliding madly and uncontrollably down the slope.
In moments like these, the driver’s skill was the only thing standing between life and death.
The more critical the situation, the less one could afford to panic. The slightest loss of composure could lead to a fatal mistake with irreversible consequences.
After all, this was a lesson paid for with the lives of more than 400 drivers.
Lisa bit her lip, fine beads of sweat forming on her forehead as she wrestled with the steering wheel. Her gaze darted rapidly between the road ahead and her mirrors.
When she checked her mirrors, she was constantly monitoring the angle of the flatbed trailer.
The moment she detected the slightest drift, she would make a swift micro-adjustment to the steering wheel, correcting the angle to keep the cab and trailer in a straight line and prevent a jackknife.
Sitting in the passenger seat, Feng Mountain didn’t dare to breathe. His eyes were wide as saucers, glued to the view in front of them.
Nash, on the other hand, was sitting in the sleeper cab. Unable to perceive the immediate danger from his position, he wore an indifferent expression, as if all this had nothing to do with him.
CLANG!
The cab gave a violent shudder.
With a tremendous bang, the cab shuddered violently as if it had hit something massive.
Feng Mountain’s heart, already lodged in his throat, gave a lurch and felt as if it had stopped beating entirely.
Just when he didn’t know what to think, he heard Lisa let out a heavy sigh of relief. Wearing the smile of someone who had just survived a catastrophe, she turned to Feng Mountain and spoke.
"Well, partner, we’re through the roller coaster section. How’s that for a thrill?"
’A thrill?’
’You call that a thrill? That was a death wish, plain and simple!’
’That 5,000 US dollars is well-earned on a road like this.’
He thought back on the terrifying descent: the cliff-like slope, the truck sliding out of control, every second spent teetering on the brink of death.
’There’s no way in hell I’d ever dare to drive a route like this myself.’
Feng Mountain pressed his lips together, his eyes filled with admiration. When he looked at Lisa now, there was a newfound respect in his gaze.
’It’s hard to imagine the kind of courage and guts a woman must possess to work as a hauler on the Death Highway.’
Lisa sensed Feng Mountain’s anxiety and tried to lighten the mood, speaking in a deliberately casual tone.
"The next stretch is Atigun Pass. It’s at an elevation of 4,700 feet and has long downhill slopes with grades of 11% and 12%. The biggest risk is an avalanche. If we’re unlucky, one could push the truck right off the mountain."
"How about we say a prayer to God?"
’I’m a foreigner.’
’I don’t believe in God.’
Feng Mountain really wanted to say that, but the mood was already set. Saying it would just hurt Lisa’s morale, so he figured it was better to keep his mouth shut.
Soon, the truck slowed as it entered the mountain road.
Within the range of the headlights, a vast, rolling, snow-covered mountain suddenly appeared before them.
Under the endless polar night, it stood like a colossal giant of snow, silent and immovable between heaven and earth, exuding an awe-inspiring presence.
Its sprawling slopes were blanketed in thick snow that reflected a cold, clear light back at the truck’s headlamps.
"This is Atigun Pass?" Feng Mountain asked, unable to hide his surprise.
Looking at the sight before him, it was hard for him to associate it with his idea of a mountain pass.
Lisa pointed toward the summit and explained, "Of course not. The pass is at the top. We have to take this winding road from the foot of the mountain all the way up, and only after we cross the pass will we have officially entered the Far North Tundra."
Feng Mountain fell silent at her words.
’If a 300-kilometer highway from Sagewang to the Crown Territory has to be built through terrain like this,’ he mused, ’then Chief Welta’s gift is a truly momentous one.’
’The two sections we just passed were already unimaginably difficult. The challenge of actually building a highway here would be incalculable.’
’Old Li said the project could be finished in two months. I’m afraid that might be a little overconfident.’