The five young people continued munching on potato chips and singing songs as they entered the state of Idaho.
About a hundred kilometers north of Salt Lake City, near a town called Ellwood, they changed direction.
Normally, heading straight north would lead to Montana, but they wanted to visit Lake Walcott, so they turned northwest for over 100 kilometers—a detour of about 300 km total.
Just as they were about to reach Lake Walcott, the highway came to a standstill.
Thanks to the high ground clearance of the Dodge Mammoth, Luke—who was driving—could clearly see the long line of cars jammed up ahead.
Without hesitation, Luke exited the highway via a nearby ramp.
Jamie picked up the map, looked at it, and said:
"Luke, this dirt road here can also lead to Lake Walcott, but it's a bit of a detour. We'll need to go under the highway and then head northeast."
Luke pulled the car to the roadside, took the map from Jamie, and glanced at the blocked highway in the distance.
"Alright then. Let's try to get to the lake by noon. I really don't want to eat lunch in the car."
The siblings all agreed, so Luke started the vehicle and drove deeper down the narrow dirt road.
This unpaved path was barely wide enough for two cars—and the Dodge Mammoth took up more than half the road—so Luke drove carefully.
Turning sharply around a bend, they spotted an RV stalled in the middle of the road.
Several young people stood around it—clearly out on a road trip themselves.
But Luke wasn't naive. He knew exactly why some parts of America seemed so sparsely populated.
He quickly swerved around the RV and drove forward about ten more meters before stopping.
He checked the rearview mirror and saw the group approaching, waving.
Luke opened the glove compartment, took out a handgun, and handed it to Jamie.
The others in the car were stunned as Luke pulled out another handgun from under his seat.
He checked the magazine, chambered a round, and tucked it behind his waist.
"Jamie, hold onto it. You know how to use it, right?"
"Y-Yeah… I do…"
"Don't be nervous. When you're out and about, you have to learn to be cautious around strangers."
Having grown up on the ranch, the boys and girls were already pretty fearless, so Luke's warning only calmed them further.
Luke didn't turn off the engine. Before getting out, he reminded them:
"Don't leave the car. You're safest inside."
Everyone nodded—they knew this was an armored vehicle.
They watched as Luke stepped out of the car.
Approaching him was a young woman. When she saw Luke in his classic cowboy look—tall, handsome, stylish—she became visibly nervous.
"Sorry, our car got punctured by some barbed wire on the road. Could you help us out?"
"Hey man, this ride is sweet!"
"I saw you drive right over the barbed wire. Your tires didn't get damaged?"
The only other guy in the group spoke up after the girl.
There were five of them—clearly two couples. Only the first girl to speak to Luke was single.
Luke nodded slightly to the four behind her. Then he subtly pulled his shirt out to cover the handgun at his waist and said:
"Alright, take me to see it. How many tires are punctured?"
The first guy replied:
"Looks like two. One's still leaking, the other's completely flat."
The second guy chimed in again:
"You sure your tires aren't damaged? I saw you drive right over that wire."
Clearly, all four were curious about the Mammoth.
Luke glanced at the second guy and replied:
"My tires are run-flat—custom made."
"Whoa, cool. Must've cost a fortune, huh?"
Luke didn't want to engage much with the two guys—they looked like freshly graduated kids and were way too noisy.
The three girls, however, silently observed Luke.
He was dressed in classic American cowboy style: beige cowboy hat, sunglasses, red-and-black plaid shirt, jeans, hiking boots.
A very common look in the U.S.—but Luke's striking looks and tall frame (1.93m) set him apart.
While his clothes looked normal, they were actually luxury brands—from fashion houses funded by Grandma Qin.
What really caught the girls' eyes was the $48,000 wristwatch on Luke's left hand—also from a brand Grandma Qin had invested in.
As the two guys rambled on about the Dodge Mammoth, the girls' gazes had already shifted.
The two girls in couples were especially struck—comparing their current loudmouthed boyfriends to Luke's calm, handsome demeanor made them silently question their choices in life...
Luke inspected the barbed wire. One tire was badly entangled, the other only had a slight puncture. As long as the wire wasn't removed, the air leak would be slow.
Looking at the group, Luke asked:
"Do you have a tire repair kit?"
The young folks looked at each other in confusion.
Clearly, they had no idea what Luke was talking about.
Luke sighed internally. Total rookies—first time on the road, no doubt.
So Luke had no choice but to say helplessly:
"My tire repair kit doesn't work with your kind of tires. But I can help you call for roadside assistance."
The group looked at each other, then the girl who had first spoken to Luke said:
"We were planning to go to Lake Walcott, but if we call for help now, we probably won't get to enjoy it at all. We also have a schedule to get back, so…"
Luke looked at her and asked:
"So what do you want to do?"
The girl cautiously asked:
"Are you guys heading to Lake Walcott too?"
Luke nodded.
Seeing him nod, the girl said excitedly:
"Then could you help us move the barbed wire and tow our car to the lake? And if we leave together tomorrow, maybe you could help tow us to a repair shop then? Don't worry—we'll pay you for it."
Luke thought for a moment and didn't immediately agree.
"I'll need to check with my group first."
The girl looked a little disappointed and said:
"Alright, we'll wait here. Please help us if you can. We came from really far away. Please…"
Seeing her pleading expression, Luke gave a smile—the kind that had once made countless girls swoon.
"I'll try to convince them."
Then Luke walked back to his vehicle.
Seeing him return, his younger siblings—who had been a little tense—breathed a sigh of relief.
They all looked at him with curiosity, waiting for an explanation.
"That group's tires are completely blown—two of them. No way to fix it without a tow. But they're also heading to Lake Walcott. They want us to help tow them there and then to a repair shop tomorrow when we leave. What do you think?"
The group exchanged looks. It was Beth who spoke first:
"You decide, Luke. We trust your judgment—you've always been the smartest in the family."
The others nodded in agreement.
Luke thought for a bit and said:
"I don't think they're dangerous. Just young people out for a trip. Might even make things more fun."
One by one, they replied:
"Agreed! Sounds great!"