LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 379 - 377 Continue the Challenge
Chapter 379: Chapter 377 Continue the Challenge
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“Looking back at the evolutionary journey of humankind, if our ancestors had not dared to venture and imagine, had not had the courage to innovate and the willingness to make sacrifices—the breadth of chest and grand sentiments—humans would never have taken canoes to surf the seas and explore the boundless mysteries across the oceans.
Human curiosity leads to the impulse for adventure, and human adventure ignites the torch of civilization.
Adventure is not only in the seas and mountains, deserts and swamps of nature but also hidden within the densely populated cities.”
Three drones took off simultaneously, forming a V-shaped formation as they quickly flew toward the dark mountains and pyramid-like snow peaks that loomed ahead. Like falcons sweeping through the sky, they covered everything beneath their lenses, looking up at Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak.
Even if they flew with all their might, they could only reach halfway up the mountainside, where Bi Fang stood at the foot of the mountain range with a bulging backpack on his back. He looked as tiny as an ant yet spoke the most stirring words with the calmest voice.
Countless viewers in front of their screens shouted excitedly; this was adventure, the grand adventure of life. The Ruins City was humanity’s confrontation with disaster, but the natural race of strength was the most awe-inspiring great existence.
The wilderness is an impulse etched in the DNA of life’s very origin, the most yearned for and thrilling drive!
At this moment, how could that familiar voice and introduction not excite the people?
At the airport, Étienne jumped up high from his seat, disregarding the astonished looks from those around him, and shouted at the top of his voice, “Charge! We’re going to the summit!”
Elvan, who was next to him, did not stop him but instead laughed out loud, reminding him of that marvelous and unbelievable hang-gliding trip from last winter.
[Wu Hu! Charge!]
[Master Fang has finally officially started the broadcast!]
[Feels like you’ve been much more diligent lately, are you running out of money at home? (Dog’s head)]
[Although we last met just the last time, it’s been almost two months since I’ve seen the wild wilderness!!!]
“I’m Bi Fang, a professional outdoor explorer. Here, I will show you how to survive in some of the most dangerous places on Earth, where you wouldn’t last a day without specialized skills.”
“This time, I’ve come to Nepal, the region of the Himalayas, and will start from the foot of the world’s highest peak. Relying only on my legs, hands, and an ice axe, and without the assistance of any oxygen supply equipment, I’ll ascend Mount Everest without oxygen!”
Mount Everest—a term that many have heard over and over. For most, the first thing that comes to mind when they hear this term is the world’s highest peak, with its climbing difficulties, altitude sickness, cold, and sheer cliffs.
How difficult is it to climb to the summit without oxygen?
Many people do not know; most even have never climbed a mountain a thousand meters high, let alone experienced the feeling of oxygen deprivation due to high altitudes.
They only have a conception of it as very, very difficult—to the point that only a few in the world can achieve it, difficult to the extent they never even dream they could do it, as if it were a different world altogether.
Possible?
Wang Yongbo and Yao Jun, sitting to the side, suddenly burst out laughing. It seemed inappropriate yet somehow fitting for the moment.
The audience watching saw Bi Fang’s companions laughing behind him and, while annoyed, it was as if they were looking in a mirror and seeing themselves. Right, every time before an adventure, they would all face this question, but Bi Fang always had, and only had, one definite and affirmative answer for everyone. This familiar scene reminded people of the first live broadcast of the man known to his fans as Master Fang.
That tall and slender figure appeared so insignificant at the foot of the mountain range, as if out of reach, yet bathed in daylight, he seemed to radiate brilliance—just like the infinite glow of the Primeval Forest and a similarly seemingly impossible legendary challenge.
No oxygen summit of Mount Everest.
Can Master Fang create a miracle once again?
[Let’s charge!]
[Go for it, Master Fang!]
[I believe in you! To the summit! To the summit! To the summit!]
[To the summit!]
[To the summit!]
[To the summit!]
Tens of thousands of viewers posted their answers on the screen. They all had one collective wish: to witness Bi Fang now and in the future on every journey, to see him undergo one legendary adventure after another.
They believed that Mount Everest would not be a hindrance but another milestone!
Bi Fang laughed out loud. The feeling of being firmly believed in was like a car filled with fuel—burning hot and full of vigor!
Seeing the live chat atmosphere heating up, Bi Fang put his arms around Yao Jun and Wang Yongbo’s shoulders and introduced them to the viewers with a smile, “For this ascent, I will engage in Alpine-style climbing after six thousand meters, which means going alone, but before that, I will have a few teammates. Let me introduce them to you. This skinny one here is Lord Mu, the big brother who has long dominated the top of my live broadcast leaderboard!”
“And on the other side is my ‘boss,’ Mr. Wang Yongbo. Tell me, doesn’t he look handsome!”
After speaking, Bi Fang even winked at the camera. The savvy viewers immediately understood and showered the two men waving on the screen with exaggerated flattery.
[CEO Wang is explosively handsome!]
[I’ve heard that Wolf Fang was declining, but the heroic CEO Wang miraculously appeared out of nowhere to steer it back on track, and it’s flourishing once again. Now that I see him, indeed, he’s a man of striking appearance!]
[Are you guys serious?]
[Report to Master Fang, I caught an honest man, seriously suspect he’s a spy sent by the enemies, suggest immediate elimination!]
[Shocking, big brother on the leaderboard spends a fortune for a private date with the famous broadcaster, and in the wild they dare to do this!]
[Come to work at the company tomorrow, I’ll pay you triple the salary!]
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After the laughter, Bi Fang pulled over Jerret and his photographer companion, “These two are from the Discovery Channel, the director and photographer from the last ‘Survival in the Wild’ program. They are here to help me control the camera, providing everyone with a better viewing experience.”
Jerret and his companion immediately nodded to the camera and made some remarks to lighten the mood.
After introducing most of the members, Bi Fang finally got to the main event. He straightened his back, approached the last member wearing a black felt hat, cleared his throat, and began speaking in a deep, magnetic English voice, “On the vast African Savanna during the dry season, not a drop of rain falls, and it’s almost like a desert, even catching fire naturally. Then, during the rainy season, the savanna comes back to life, everywhere bursting with vibrancy.”
Sir David Attenborough laughed twice, pushed Bi Fang away, stepped forward, and introduced himself, “My name is David Attenborough. If you have seen me elsewhere, I hope you like my work and I sincerely thank you for your affection. I’ve heard that many viewers in Huaxia have given me a nickname, ‘Sir,’ right?”
As he spoke, Sir David Attenborough looked back at Bi Fang, who nodded vigorously, “That’s right, perhaps many people already saw him last night, but I still have to formally introduce him. This is the most distinguished guest of this mountaineering team, the renowned ‘Sir’ whom I’ve gone to great lengths to bring here!”
Since last night’s live stream started hastily, only a few hundred thousand viewers came to the live room. Today, only tens of thousands in the live room knew about it, and the overwhelming majority of the audience were not yet aware that the famous ‘Sir’ would be joining the climb—a fact that excited many to the point of blushing.
[Holy shit, it’s the ‘Sir’! Old Fang, how did you manage to bring him here?]
[Climbing Mount Everest at such an old age? Aren’t you afraid of throwing out your back?]
[Spring has come, and it’s the season of animal mating again. With the arrival of the wet season, rains batter the parched earth, and all beings start to stir.]
[Sir, Wu Hu! My idol! A legend!]
[To the one in front, you’re mixing up your lines. That’s Mr. Zhao’s line, not Sir’s, what Master Fang just said is the right one, you fake fan!]
[Double fan ecstasy! Double fan ecstasy!]
Almost everyone welcomed Sir’s arrival warmly. People who love Nature are almost invariably fans of Sir. Even if they’re not, they would have heard of or seen this old man before, and childhood or youthful memories flooded back, inciting pure elation.
However, a minority of people expressed their concerns.
“Rest assured, I’ve meticulously reviewed Sir’s medical report. He’s very healthy, and theoretically, there’s absolutely no problem. He could still work for at least twenty years and contribute more than ten documentaries!”
“Ten documentaries?” Sir David Attenborough laughed, “You couldn’t make that many even if you split me into twenty pieces.”
“Anyway, there’s no need to worry. In theory, it’s feasible, and in practice, I’ll be monitoring constantly. You have to believe in my skill!”
After chatting idly for a few moments and briefly mentioning the presence and role of the guide Rob, as well as the necessity to wait for other team members, everyone was relatively at ease.
“Since there are many in the team who have absolutely no mountaineering experience, having a guide will be extremely beneficial for us in terms of cooperation. Once the rest of the team members arrive, we will set off immediately.”
After briefly discussing the situation, Bi Fang then shared some knowledge and introductions with the audience.
“Mount Everest, a place people once looked up to, a mountain that’s now been conquered by humans, lies on the border between Huaxia and Nepal. Its north slope is within the Tibetan Plateau in our country, and the south slope is within Nepal, where we are currently located.”
“Mount Everest has an elevation of 8,844.43 meters and is the main peak of the Himalayas, as well as the highest mountain in the world. ‘Zhumu’ in Tibetan means ‘goddess,’ and ‘Langma’ means ‘third.’ That’s because, near Mount Everest, there are four other peaks, with Everest being the third.
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The second theory originates from a tale popular in the XZ Region, recounting the story of the five immortal sisters who, according to legend, resided in the palaces of Mount Everest. As for the third, the coldest places on Earth are Antarctica and the Arctic, but Mount Everest is also frigid, with even the peak’s highest summer temperatures being dozens of degrees below zero. Meteorological observations have recorded the summit’s lowest temperature at minus sixty degrees Celsius, hence Mount Everest is called the ‘Third Pole of the World.’ These three reasons are all sources of the name of Mount Everest, and everyone is free to choose the one they prefer.”
Having finished explaining the origins, Bi Fang gestured towards Mount Everest on the horizon, which seems deceptively close due to its status as the world’s tallest peak. In reality, the true summit route is not merely the eight thousand eight hundred meters one sees, but an arduous journey of dozens of kilometers.
The drone also took off, reinforcing the presence of Mount Everest once again.
“Mount Everest’s massif forms a gigantic pyramidal shape, majestic and soaring into the sky, with extremely perilous terrain and a very complex environment. It is not only towering and grand but also possesses a majestic aura. Within a 20-kilometer radius around it, a multitude of peaks stands tightly packed, one behind the other. Mount Everest is towering and commanding with a unique geographical environment, and the summit’s lowest year-round temperature hovers around minus thirty to forty degrees Celsius.
Some parts of the mountain are perpetually covered in snow, and glaciers, ice slopes, and ice towers can be seen everywhere. The thin air at the summit contains only a quarter of the oxygen found at sea level in the eastern plains, posing a significant challenge for climbers.
The soaring Mount Everest has always been a holy place where humans attempt to prove their climbing prowess. After the first successful ascent on May 29, 1953, many mountaineering enthusiasts from all over the world, including Huaxia, wished to leave their footprint on the summit. Sadly, only one in ten actually succeed, while many others end up with disabilities or even lose their lives.”
“Exactly,” interjected guide Rob beside him, self-absorbed in his own remarks, “That’s why each year, climbing teams generally arrive at Everest Base Camp in February or March to begin acclimatizing, starting at four thousand meters to adapt to high altitudes, then moving to five thousand and six thousand meters, and finally commuting between seven thousand and eight thousand meters to enhance their endurance.
When the weather window emerges, and the meteorological office announces those few days, they will launch an assault, which is why there are traffic jams on Mount Everest. Even though Mr. Bi seems to have made a lot of preparation, I must say that you have arrived a bit late, and none of you has had any high-altitude climbing experience before. Not even coming in February or March is enough; at least a year of training is required.”
Even for a commercial guide, where money talks, Rob is still professional. With a climbing record of eight thousand six hundred meters, he stands merely two hundred and forty meters shy of Everest’s peak, a feat he takes pride in and often boasts about to clients.
Otherwise, the fallout from wealthy clients encountering accidents isn’t something ordinary people could afford to bear, so every time he takes a job, he ensures a thorough understanding of his clients’ physical condition, as well as their climbing history and experience.
In the company records, the present group had not even scaled six thousand meters, let alone eight thousand. Their brazen talk of summiting Everest was downright audacious and ignorant.
Just because they survived a few instances in the wild, some live-streaming entertainers have the nerve to nonchalantly talk about summiting. Do they really think conquering Everest is that simple?
If it weren’t for his benefactor, Rob would hope to make even more money, and such overconfident talk would never have been spoken. He might have rolled his eyes on the spot.
With the commercialization of mountaineering, indeed the difficulty has decreased significantly, and there’s even been gossip about Sherpas carrying people up the mountain.
At eight thousand meters, it’s hard enough to walk, so how could someone carry another? If it were possible, there wouldn’t be so many bodies abandoned along the way, left uncollected. Would the wealthy clients’ families just watch their husband or son’s body left exposed to the elements?
However, the wealthy do have a tremendous advantage; if they can’t be carried, at least their oxygen cylinders can. While others carry four oxygen bottles, the wealthy can afford forty, and the more guides, the better – they don’t have to carry their own gear and can even plaster their bodies with heat packs.
Twenty Sherpa guides, each carrying ten heat packs for their wealthy client… walking sandwiched in between, secured by safety locks – if you have money… you get to do it comfortably. Just pop a bunch of pills, have the physical ability, and scramble up—it’s done.
A physically fit livestreamer, given half a year of advanced training and adaptation to the eight-thousand-meter altitude environment, without attempting any flashy feats like a no-oxygen climb, and spending loads of money, could just possibly summit if the luck was on their side too.
But now, heh.
This livestreamer, utterly foolish.
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