Chapter 473 - 241: Hand in Hand with Sister Long at the Foot of Zeduo Mountain [Double-Length]
The altitude slowly rises, Liu Li reaches out to touch the car window glass, it’s somewhat chilly.
Approaching the foot of Zeduo Mountain, the road surface becomes steeper, Li Younan slightly increases the throttle, and the Unimog’s power output remains steady.
This is where we must talk about the top-notch driving experience brought by a top-tier off-road vehicle; many people’s understanding of off-road vehicles is just the high chassis, which doesn’t easily scrape the bottom, but the biggest difference between off-road vehicles and ordinary sedans, SUVs is the torque.
Greater torque provides more power when climbing such uphill roads.
Sporadic snow piles appear by the roadside, but it’s clear the local highway bureau staff have dealt with them, mostly piled on the road shoulders without affecting driving.
He needs to be cautious of occasional small stones rolling from the snow pile onto the road; a slight turn of the steering wheel easily avoids them when seen.
On route, they encounter several oncoming sedans, the other drivers voluntarily pull to the roadside, Li Younan also slows down, and as the cars pass each other, he can hear the sound of the opponent’s wheels crushing gravel.
Approaching the mountain’s base, a simple road sign appears along the roadside, reading "Zeduo Mountain upward from here," Li Younan steps on the brake to test it, the brake feedback is solid.
However, at this moment, the navigation displays...upcoming traffic congestion ahead, with an estimated passage time of three hours.
Li Younan furrows his brow, suddenly recalling something, and says to Liu Li beside him, "Set the drone up."
Liu Li asks curiously, "What’s wrong?"
Li Younan just suddenly remembered during a previous crossing that the team leader told him there’s an unpaved shortcut to Zeduo Mountain that can avoid the congested section.
He’s not entirely sure where that road starts, but having traveled this far, he hasn’t found an intersecting road to turn into, so it’s highly likely further ahead, making it the perfect time to send the drone for reconnaissance.
Li Younan briefly explains to Liu Li.
Liu Li immediately comprehends, "Okay."
She skillfully controls the drone to fly out from the cabin, heading forward.
An inspection range of over 20 kilometers gives Li Younan full confidence.
And Liu Li is long familiar with using the drone; now she flies it with remarkable proficiency.
After a while, it becomes obvious that the traffic ahead is increasing significantly, and Liu Li finally completes her task successfully, discovering the shortcut Li Younan mentioned: "Li Younan, it seems to be right here, wait a moment, I’ll fly the drone over to take a look."
The road has been found, but it’s uncertain where this route leads, hence Liu Li still needs to verify and continues to control the drone to fly further and higher.
Li Younan praises this girl for being so thorough and attentive: "Not bad, not bad, worthy of being my navigator."
Proudly raising her head upon receiving the praise, Liu Li says, "Hehe, and it’s my first time too!"
She controls the drone for a while, and with sufficient altitude, she can see further.
Suddenly, she blinks and murmurs, "Huh, there are other cars too?"
Li Younan, while driving, takes a glance at the screen when he has a chance, his expression turns strange—five off-road vehicles are slowly moving on the unpaved road.
Li Younan immediately recognizes that it’s the off-road convoy he encountered yesterday.
At this point, Liu Li also confirms that this is indeed the unpaved shortcut leading to Zeduo Mountain.
However, there’s a considerable amount of snow on this road, which an ordinary sedan certainly wouldn’t be able to pass.
Soon, Li Younan drives to the intersection without any hesitation, and with a quick turn, he enters the road.