The road ahead became more winding, but the scenery grew even more beautiful. Luke was driving slowly, enjoying the scenery along the way. There were no other vehicles around, so he wasn't worried about accidents.

About an hour passed, Luke had only seen two cars. Though not entirely isolated from society, it felt nearly deserted.

There was a fork ahead, and Luke turned onto a dirt road. After a while, he arrived at a rather open area, which was perfect for camping.

The campsite was surrounded by tall cedar trees. Luke felt that Bear Lake wasn't far away, but since there were no roads, he could only walk.

Luke got out of the car, the air was fresh, and the fragrance of flowers mixed with birdsong made him feel much more relaxed.

He decided to camp here, using the RV as a wall. He opened the awning, and set out chairs and a folding table.

Luke made a pot of coffee, accompanied by cake and nuts, looking at the beautiful scenery around him, enjoying a tranquil afternoon tea.

It was very relaxing.

In this highly developed society, people hustle and bustle. While material life seemed enriched, spiritual life was increasingly scarce.

Take Luke, for instance, his job involved solving cases, dealing with either the dead or suspects, inevitably accumulating some negative emotions, which he needed to vent through other means.

Drinking, enjoying good food, and playing poker were all good ways to do this.

Yet, the most luxurious method was this kind of wilderness camping, a lifestyle only those with money and leisure could enjoy.

This was truly living.

Of course, actually, many people could enjoy this too, if they gave up some unnecessary desires.

Like houses, cars, marriage, comparisons.

But how many could really do that?

After the afternoon tea, while it was still light out, Luke walked around and reached Bear Lake after about a mile.

Luke stood by the lake, the waves glistened. He picked up a stone and skimmed it across the water. The stone floated far away.

Tall cedars reflected in the clear lake, birds flew across the sky, the beautiful surroundings all captured in his view.

As the sun set, the afterglow on the lake seemed to add a layer of gold dust, dazzling…

While it was still light, Luke went back to the RV and started preparing dinner.

Dinner was simple: grilled lamb chops, grilled fish fillets, a vegetable salad, paired with a bottle of champagne.

Luke had intended to dine outside, but it began to drizzle. Although there was an awning, the weather turned cold, and Luke decided to eat inside the RV, enjoying the beautiful scenery outside the window.

Rain was rare in Los Angeles during summer, and Luke quite liked rainy days. Listening to the pitter-patter of raindrops felt very comfortable.

After dinner, Luke cleaned up briefly, made a pot of black tea, turned on his tablet, and started watching a movie.

"Whoosh…"

The rain continued outside.

This was the advantage of staying in an RV. Luke could comfortably drink tea and watch movies without being affected.

If he had been in a tent, it probably would have been swaying in the wind and rain by now.

So, spending money on this was worth it.

"Woo…"

Suddenly, a deep, penetrating animal growl was heard.

The sound was low and forceful.

Although Luke was not familiar with the wilderness, his instincts suggested it could be a black bear.

After all, Bear Lake wasn't named that for nothing; it would be unusual if there were no bears.

However, Luke wasn't too concerned; inside the RV, he didn't need to worry about black bears; it was very safe.

"Woo…"

Another roar, the bear's roar seemed a bit closer.

Could the black bear be approaching because of his RV's lights?

Driven by curiosity, Luke looked out the window and saw a figure in the distance running towards him.

It wasn't a bear.

It looked like a person.

Fuck, how can a person pop up in the wilderness in the middle of the night?

This is scarier than a black bear.

Luke wasn't worried about the bear, but the arrival of the person made him more vigilant, and he instinctively reached for his gun with his right hand.

Was this guy planning to use the bear's plight to trick him into opening his RV?

There's no way my luck is this bad, running into a robber as soon as I leave home.

There have been plenty of similar plots in movies.

If that's the case, they've picked the wrong person.

If one comes, Luke takes one down; if two come, Luke catches a pair.

Luke checked the other windows of the car but didn't see any more figures.

Was he being paranoid?

The figure seemed to notice the light here, and started running towards the RV, shouting as he ran, "Help me!

Save me!

A black bear is chasing me!"

Luke kept his eyes on the figure and the black bear behind him.

The bear's body seemed clumsy but was actually faster than a human and was quickly gaining ground.

If this was a ruse, it was extremely convincing.

Luke was somewhat convinced; he couldn't just watch someone die, but he didn't want to open the door either, so he just turned on the RV's headlights and pressed the horn.

"Beep beep beep…"

The loud sound of the horn made the black bear stand on its hind legs, the bear's eyes fixed on the RV, not daring to come closer but also not wanting to leave.

The man had already run up close, a white man in his sixties, not very tall, very thin, with a backpack and covered in mud, looking quite wretched.

"Thank you... you... saved me." The white man thanked him through the window, breathless.

Luke also stared at the white man through the window, feeling that he looked somewhat familiar. The RV had lights on the sides as well, so he could see the man's face fairly clearly.

Luke opened the RV door, "Come in."

The man was surprised, hesitated a moment, "Thank you, I'm a bit dirty... I might dirty your RV."

"It's alright, just come in." Luke waved his hand.

"Thank you." The man entered the RV and stood at the door, seemingly afraid of dirtying the floor, "Sir, thank you for your help, I'm Walker Corral.

If it weren't for you, I might have already been bear food."

"Judge Walker, you are wet; you'd better dry off," Luke handed him a towel, "How about some hot coffee?"

"Thank you." Walker took the towel, then realizing, looked at Luke with some surprise, "You know me?

Right, you do look familiar.

Let me think... Deputy Chief of the Robbery and Murder Department, Luke Lee."

"That's me." Luke responded, brewing a pot of hot coffee, "Judge Walker, how did you end up being chased by a bear?"

"Er, it's a bit complicated…" Walker paused, "Promise me, please don't tell anyone about this, they'd laugh me to death.

Thank you for your hospitality."

"I haven't agreed to host you yet, why are you out here in the middle of the night?" Although he knew Walker, Luke still maintained his vigilance.

Walker thought for a moment, "I was camping."

Lie.

A clear sign of lying, and one that the man was not good at.

This heightened Luke's caution. A judge with status and position, being chased around by a bear on a rainy night, something definitely felt off here.

Moreover, at yesterday's fishing gathering, Reid also invited Walker, but he declined using the excuse of being on a trip out of town.

A voice in Luke's head echoed, [An adventure experience triggered, adventure card activated, now used.]

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