However, dragging the tree directly could cause the tree canopy to get stuck in the cracks of rocks by the roadside, leading to overload of the winch or breakage of the steel cable.
Su Wei's gaze swept quickly between the tree trunks and the surrounding environment.
If you drag it directly backward, the drag coefficient will be at its maximum.
If you use the birch tree on the right front as a fulcrum and change direction using a pulley, you can pull the tree off the road at an angle, following the angle at which it fell.
The optimal stress point is at two-thirds of the way down the trunk.
Su Wei quickly adjusted his position.
He untied the tree-hugging strap from his waist, circled it around the sturdy birch tree that served as an anchor point by the roadside, and attached the pulley system.
The cable passes through the pulley, turns back, and is securely fastened to the fork of a spruce branch.
This forms a triangular traction structure.
Su Wei checked all the connecting clips.
The metal buckle is fully closed, and the tree strap is not twisted.
He turned around and ran back to the front of the car through the wind and snow.
Time passed.
3:48.
Su Wei climbed into the driver's seat without closing the door.
He gripped the winch controller with his left hand and rested his right hand on the steering wheel.
Press the retract button with your thumb.
"Buzz"
The high-frequency current sound of the motor pierced through the howling wind and snow.
The cable taut instantly, bouncing off a layer of snow in mid-air.
The Raptor's front end dipped slightly, and the suspension system emitted a faint squeezing sound.
The heavy spruce tree trembled.
The rustling sound of branches and leaves rubbing against the ground filled the air.
The tree trunk began to move.
Instead of being dragged sideways, it rotated slowly around the base, like a pointer, following the angle designed by Su Wei.
The thick tree canopy swept across the ground, pushing the accumulated snow into a wall of snow.
Su Wei stared intently at the condition of the cable.
Under such high tension, if the cable breaks, the whiplash effect of the rebound can shatter the windshield along with the driver.
The winch groaned laboriously.
The motor temperature is rising.
The tree trunk was wedged into a protruding rock.
Su Wei released the button, and the cable slackened for a moment.
He slammed on the gas pedal, and with the winch tightening again, the Raptor reversed.
It utilizes the combined traction of the vehicle itself and the power of the winch.
"Collapse!"
A muffled thud.
The tree trunk cleared the obstacle and began to slide again.
The enormous body that had been blocking the road finally revealed a gap.
Two meters.
Two and a half meters.
That's enough.
Su Wei immediately released the button.
He jumped off the vehicle, ran to the winch, and retrieved the cable and pulley system.
He haphazardly stuffed the excess cable back into the bumper, without even having time to put the cover back on.
Back in the driver's seat.
The car doors slammed shut.
3:53.
There are seven minutes left until the agreed time.
There are only three kilometers left to reach our destination.
Su Wei shifted into Drive and started with full throttle.
The Raptor's rear wheels kicked up a cloud of snow, and the vehicle slid sideways on the snow before being forcibly corrected by the four-wheel drive system.
The front of the car grazed the spruce tree that hadn't been completely moved as it sped past.
The right-side rearview mirror scraped against the tree bark with a screeching sound.
Su Wei didn't even glance at it.
The vehicle speed was increased to the limit for driving on snow.
The tires rolled over potholes, causing the car to bounce violently.
The phone, which was on the passenger seat, was shaken off and fell onto the floor mat.
Two kilometers.
One kilometer.
The woods ahead began to thin out.
That familiar fork in the road came into view at the edge of the horizon.
The last 500 meters.
Su Wei could see that lonely light.
That was the lamp on the porch of Black Hunter's Lodge, scrutinizing everything in the wind and snow.
3:58.
The Raptor charged up the final ramp.
The tires slipped on the frozen ground, making a sharp sound.
Su Wei kept a firm grip on the steering wheel and did not slow down.
The car sped over the top of the hill, and a small clearing illuminated by lights came into view.
Su Wei slammed on the brakes.
The ABS system intervened aggressively, and the brake pedal bounced violently under my feet.
The Raptor glided across the snow, pushing the snowplow forward.
The front of the car stopped less than half a meter away from the wooden step.
The heat emanating from the hood distorted the view ahead.
The beam of light from the headlights shone directly onto the porch of the wooden house.
Su Wei were put out of service.
The world was plunged into darkness for a moment, then illuminated by the dim, motion-sensor lights on the porch.
The numbers on the dashboard jumped.
3:59.
Su Wei unbuckled his seatbelt, pushed open the door, and got out of the car.
The cold wind was still biting.
He stood by the car, saying nothing and not even adjusting his sweat-soaked collar.
Directly in front of him.
A tall figure stood in the shadows of the porch.
Black was wearing that old, dark gray windbreaker, his hands in his pockets, his face expressionless.
At his feet, five enormous mixed-breed hounds were lined up in a fan shape.
In the center is a black-backed male dog with its huge head bowed; that is Caesar, the alpha dog.
They didn't cry out, nor did they pounce.
Five pairs of eerie green eyes, along with their owner, were fixed intently on Su Wei amidst the wind and snow.
"Looks like your car is good. You pass."