With these two devices, she could monitor Jared Carter’s movements to the greatest extent possible without exposing herself. If it truly turned out to be an accident, she could use the tracker to guide rescue workers to him immediately. But if... it was foul play... then this micro-camera might just record the entire process, providing ironclad evidence to identify the culprit.
Wendy Lynch directly contacted the two sellers and requested same-city express delivery. Having done all this, she let out a long breath, feeling her taut nerves relax slightly.
She wasn’t a police officer, nor was she a savior. The best she could do was to provide a minuscule layer of insurance for a colleague she had never even met, provided her own safety was guaranteed. As for the final outcome, she could only leave it to fate. If he could be saved, it would mean he was blessed with great fortune. If he couldn’t, she wouldn’t blame herself too much, because she had done everything in her power.
Same-city express delivery was highly efficient. In just over an hour, Wendy smoothly received both devices.
They were even more compact than she had imagined. The GPS tracker was only the size of a fingernail, featuring a strong magnetic back. As long as it was near metal, it would latch on firmly with a sharp CLACK. She tested it briefly. The magnetic pull was remarkably strong, and its concealment was excellent. Without looking closely, it was completely unnoticeable.
The DJI micro-action camera impressed her even more. It had a black, square body with a matte finish and a lens so tiny it was almost negligible. Equipped with a back clip, it could easily attach to a backpack strap, a collar, or the edge of a pocket. Most importantly, its standby time was long enough, and it supported remote video monitoring via an app.
However, relying solely on these devices didn’t feel like enough to Wendy. Theory only went so far. She didn’t know the actual environment around Mirror Lake, was unfamiliar with the specific road conditions, and couldn’t possibly predict any potential accidents.
A thought surfaced in her mind, quickly growing clear and resolute. She needed to make a trip to Mount Galen. Right here, right now.
Wendy was a woman of action. Once she made a decision, she couldn’t suppress the urge to carry it out. She glanced at the wall clock. It was one in the afternoon. There were about six hours left until dark—plenty of time. Quickly changing into light sportswear and slip-resistant hiking shoes, she stuffed her phone, a power bank, and a bottle of water into her backpack, then hurried out the door.
Downstairs, she hailed a ride on her phone, setting her destination straight for Galen Forest Park. The driver was a chatty middle-aged man. Seeing her dressed for a hike, he struck up a conversation with a smile.
"Going climbing at Mount Galen, miss? The weather is perfect for it today—not too cold, not too hot. It’s really pleasant."
Wendy figured it was, so she absentmindedly responded to his chatter.
"Which route are you planning to take? Heading toward the barbecue area at the South Gate, or going to see the waterfall by the North Gate?"
Hearing this, Wendy raised an eyebrow. The driver clearly knew his way around Mount Galen. Suddenly energized, she replied, "I plan to take the Sea of Clouds Route."
"Oh boy, that’ll take you the better part of a day," the driver said, glancing at her through the rearview mirror. "Going alone?
"You’d better be careful. There are fewer people on the second half of the trail, and the cell signal isn’t great, either.
"Are you a fast climber? If you aren’t quick, you shouldn’t go past Mirror Lake. Otherwise, you won’t make it down the mountain before dark."
"Thanks for the heads-up. I’ll be careful," Wendy nodded, though her heart sank.
Poor cell signal. That was not good news. It meant that in the event of an emergency, both calling for help and tracking a location would become incredibly difficult.
An hour later, the ride-hailing car pulled up to the South Gate entrance of Galen Forest Park. Contrary to the desolate image she had imagined, the park entrance was bustling with people coming and going. There were young couples, teenagers in sportswear, and quite a few elderly folks as well.
This peaceful and serene scene temporarily diluted the heaviness in Wendy’s heart caused by the emails from the future. For a fleeting moment, she even felt dazed, doubting the authenticity of those emails. But she quickly gathered her thoughts. It was getting late, and she had no time to dilly-dally.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the park, following the team-building route map previously issued by the company’s administrative department in the work chat group.
Just as the internet had described, the first section of the Sea of Clouds Route was impeccably constructed, consisting entirely of stone steps and synthetic walkways. Signboards and resting benches dotted the path, and there was a massive number of tourists.
An hour later, she arrived at the first scenic spot on the route map: Seven Lamps Square. Though called a square, it was essentially just a wide-open platform. Four massive ancient banyan trees stood at its four corners, with stone tables and stools arranged beneath them. Many tourists rested and replenished their energy here.
In the center of the square, a group of seniors practiced Tai Chi and did square dancing. Some were even singing with microphones and speakers. Wendy had no idea how they managed to haul such enormous equipment all the way up. Beside the square were several artificial ponds filled with koi fish.
But from this point on, the path changed. The asphalt road came to an end, replaced by a primitive dirt trail winding upwards. The surface was uneven, littered with loose gravel and sand. After leaving the square, the number of tourists dropped sharply. Some of the older visitors opted not to continue upwards, leaving only younger travelers in the vicinity.
As Wendy ventured deeper, the light grew dimmer. Towering arbors blocked out the sky, slicing the sunlight into mottled fragments that scattered across the damp soil. The air was thick with the unique scent of decaying vegetation mixed with earth, deep and serene.
This stretch of the trail wasn’t particularly difficult. Although it was a primitive dirt path, the overall elevation change was minimal, and Wendy had always been in good physical shape. She navigated the rough terrain with relative ease.
After another half hour of walking, she reached the third scenic spot on the Sea of Clouds Route: Gryphonstone Forest. Ramspire had quite a few karst landscapes, and the area before her was one of them. Bizarre rocks of all shapes and sizes stretched out for over a hundred meters before coming to an end.
Leaving Gryphonstone Forest behind, Wendy found herself stepping into a sea of bamboo. A narrow, winding path had been carved through the thicket. As she walked, the wind stirred the bamboo leaves, creating a soft RUSTLE. The bamboo forest was vast; it took her a full seven or eight minutes to reach its edge.
Without any warning, an expanse of deep blue water appeared at the end of the dense woods.
Mirror Lake.
It was much larger than Wendy had imagined. The lake’s surface resembled a massive sheet of blue silk, so smooth there wasn’t a single ripple, reflecting the dark green mountains and the pale blue sky around it. The water was a bottomless, abyssal blue. From the color alone, it was evident that the lake was at least ten meters deep; otherwise, it could never display such a profound hue.