In many works that portray the Tibetan Area, the impression people usually get is that it’s a backward place with no internet, electricity, or cell signal.

And the herders don’t know how to use any advanced electronic devices.

As soon as you walk into their home, it’s all kinds of Hada and butter tea.

Well, the butter tea part is true.

But the nomads in the Tibetan Area are no longer that backward.

The little girl, Gesang Meiduo, was watching short videos on her phone; her mother, Zhuoma Yangzong, seemed to be watching some kind of online livestream—one of those vet streams where they diagnose animals—while the girl’s grandmother, Tsirin Lhamo, was holding a senior phone and listening to something.

The sound from over there was pretty low; to Chen Wen it sounded like Buddhist scriptures or something of that sort.

After putting the butter tea on to boil, Zhaxi Duntu went outside and started up the generator.

Very modern.

Aside from their clothing still keeping the traditional nomad style, this family was actually more like a modern family out on a camping trip.

Chen Wen couldn’t help sighing over the changes brought by technological development.

Even Zhaxi Duntu’s tent wasn’t the heavy kind sewn from yak hide, but the latest family composite outdoor tent from Lv Guocheng’s outdoor sports brand.

Big, spacious, convenient—and expensive.

While Chen Wen was curiously sizing up the herders’ home, Zhaxi Duntu, frowning slightly, sat down opposite him.

After watching him for a while, Zhaxi Duntu was sure Chen Wen definitely wasn’t a poacher.

Which meant the poachers who’d stolen that horse were definitely still active somewhere around them!

That was a real headache.

If those people didn’t give up and kept stealing his livestock, this nomadic trip was going to lose him money big time!

The losses, actually, he could still accept.

But if they were extremists of the worst kind and launched an attack on his family...

Zhaxi Duntu sighed, mulling over whether changing their route would keep those poachers from finding them.

Across from him.

Chen Wen sensitively picked up on the worry in Zhaxi Duntu’s expression.

He thought for a moment, then asked, "What are you worrying about? Is there anything I can help with?"

Hearing that, Zhaxi Duntu glanced at Chen Wen.

Although Chen Wen looked a bit young, judging from the strength he’d shown when helping them just now, Zhaxi Duntu felt he must have some experience.

So he told him what was troubling him.

When he heard that this family might have been targeted by poachers, Chen Wen frowned as well. "There are still poachers around nowadays?"

"It’s not about whether there are any—it’s that there are a lot!"

Off to the side, Gesang Meiduo put down her phone and chimed in, "I heard Mr. Zhao say before that there are actually even more poaching incidents in the reserve now than a few years ago!"

Mr. Zhao?

Chen Wen looked at Zhaxi Duntu.

Zhaxi Duntu explained, "He’s a patrol captain in the reserve, surname Zhao. We often get help from him."

"But what Gesang said is right, poaching incidents in the reserve really are more frequent than a few years ago."

When poachers came up, a flash of hatred crossed Zhaxi Duntu’s face.

Clearly, he’d had some serious run‑ins with poachers.

Zhaxi Duntu said, "Mr. Chen, when you’re out here surviving, you need to watch out for poachers too. Anyone still poaching now is a real hard case."

Hearing this, Chen Wen nodded.

He understood what Zhaxi Duntu meant.

In the current climate of national crackdowns on poaching, anyone still daring to take the risk was a money‑hungry, death‑defying desperado!

Even if you didn’t provoke them, they might still take the initiative to attack anyone who discovered them.

After all, in the Qiangtang of this world, quite a few people who try to trek across Qiangtang on foot die out in the wilderness every year.

And a lot go missing as well!

In such an environment, if Chen Wen ran into poachers, the danger would absolutely not be low!

The only bit of good news was probably that these people rarely carried hot weapons anymore.

After talking with Zhaxi Duntu for a while.

Chen Wen decided to give his family a hand.

"Here’s the thing: this time I brought a Golden Eagle with me. The Golden Eagle can scout the surroundings. If you need, I can use it to check whether there are any other humans nearby."

Chen Wen went on to explain his approach: "At the same time, I can also have the Golden Eagle look for the horse you lost, as long as you can describe what it looks like."

Hearing this, Zhaxi Duntu actually didn’t quite believe it.

Brought a Golden Eagle?

We people of the Tibetan Race know the law!

Golden Eagles are a national first‑class protected animal!

He’d never heard of anyone being able to go on a survival trip with a national first‑class protected animal.

But very soon, after Chen Wen went back to the valley and called the Golden Eagle over.

Zhaxi Duntu was stunned.

Seeing his expression, Chen Wen knew what he was thinking.

He briefly explained how he’d tamed the Golden Eagle and brought it into the country legally.

Only then did Zhaxi Duntu drop the subject.

But he was very much in favor of Chen Wen using the Golden Eagle to scout the area.

"As long as we can confirm there’s no one around and no tire tracks, we can be sure this place is safe!"

Zhaxi Duntu said.

Chen Wen nodded, and after leaving the valley where Zhaxi Duntu was camped, putting some distance behind him.

He told the Golden Eagle what needed to be checked.

The Golden Eagle didn’t waste time. It beat its wings and took off, using the valley as a center point and beginning to scout the area in widening circles.

...

About half an hour later, the Golden Eagle flew back above the valley.

It called out loudly, reporting what it had seen to Chen Wen: "Didn’t find any other humans, but I did find some tire tracks. Do you want to come take a look?"

Tire tracks!

Zhaxi Duntu’s family hadn’t driven here; they still kept to the traditional way of nomading on horseback.

Chen Wen looked at Zhaxi Duntu and said, "The Golden Eagle found something. I’m planning to go have a look. Want to come?"

Hearing this, Zhaxi Duntu didn’t hesitate. "I’m coming. I’ll lend you a horse—the speed will be faster!"

After mounting a sturdy River Curve Horse, Zhaxi Duntu gave Chen Wen a quick lesson on how to ride. The two of them left the valley at a gallop and, following the Golden Eagle’s directions, arrived at the place where the tire tracks had been found.

The tire tracks were near a patch of wetlands.

The ground here was relatively soft and held a lot of water, but from the outside you couldn’t see much.

So the driver probably hadn’t noticed the conditions and had driven straight over it, leaving very deep tire marks.

Chen Wen dismounted and walked up to the tracks.

He examined them carefully, a flicker of concern in his eyes.

The tire tracks were very fresh; you could still see the snapped stems of the grass that had been crushed inside them. Chen Wen reached out and touched them. The sap had dried a bit, but with a squeeze you could still press some juice out.

"Sigh, these tire tracks are no more than five days old—still very fresh."

Chen Wen straightened up and sighed. "Looks like a vehicle was definitely here. Can you tell whose tracks these might be?"

Zhaxi Duntu walked up to the tire marks and measured them with his hand. "Not from the reserve’s off‑road vehicles. The reserve’s SUVs are all bought in a unified batch. Their tire tracks are a bit smaller than these."

So it really was poachers!

The same thought crossed both their minds as they exchanged a glance.

Once they confirmed that poachers were around, both of them felt their mood grow heavier.

Just then, the Golden Eagle, which had been circling the area, came back again. It cried out loudly to warn Chen Wen: "Chen Wen, I just saw that horse you mentioned. To be precise, I’d seen it before—it’s already been eaten. Do you want to come take a look?"

Hearing this, Chen Wen froze for a moment.

He thought it over, then turned to Zhaxi Duntu. "The Golden Eagle found something else. Should we go take a look?"

"Let’s go!"

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