Novel Lived
Chapter 412: 410 1
Chapter 412: Chapter 410 1
A true mountaineer…
Puba’s roar was vivid before his eyes.
Bi Fang’s gaze swept over the permit in his hands with complex emotions—joy, emotion, longing, nervousness—all surged up inside him at once. He had come full circle and could climb once again.
Was there greater joy in life than to regain what was lost?
What he thought he could never pursue again had suddenly reappeared before him.
No matter how furious the Sherpas were, he really could climb.
Looking at the silly grin on Danzeng’s face in front of him left Bi Fang speechless; he had never expected that Danzeng’s uncle would turn out to be Puba, nor that he would descend the mountain overnight to get a petition for him. But as he looked on, he too broke into a smile, which turned into laughter, to which Danzeng’s smile grew even wider.
At that moment, Puba, who had finished negotiating with the Sherpas outside, walked in. Hearing the laughter of the two, he couldn’t help but join in. After a while, the laughter inside the tent gradually subsided.
Bi Fang stood up to thank Puba. Without this guide, renowned in the world of mountaineering, he couldn’t have smoothly become the sole climber: “Mr. Puba, I’m extremely grateful for your help; this is a dream of my lifetime.”
Puba shook his head: “It’s mutual help. You’ve helped our Sherpa people, and we Sherpas will help you too. The moment you risked your life to rescue us, we were already friends. Friends helping friends is nothing but normal.”
“Yeah, friends!” Danzeng chimed in at the side.
Bi Fang smiled and reached out to ruffle the other’s hair thoroughly, messing it up.
Puba smiled, waited for Danzeng to fix his hair, and then said seriously to Bi Fang, “However, there’s one more thing I believe Mr. Fang should be clear about: this climb will consist of only Mr. Fang, and only you. Even we Sherpas will not accompany you. Do you understand?”
Why did the Sherpas cancel the climbing season?
Without Puba’s explanation, Bi Fang could understand it—it was for dignity, to stop those who regarded them as “servants” from stepping over the bodies of their compatriots, to prevent the sacrifices of their people from becoming as cheap as four hundred Ugly Knives.
Compared to climbers, they were the ones who truly scaled these towering peaks. Modern Sherpas not only hope to help others realize their dreams, but also aspire to obtain equal honor and status.
This wasn’t just for others but for themselves too.
They could allow their benefactor, a devout climber, to climb, but they could not tolerate stepping on the bodies of their own kind. Once they broke their own rules, the hard-earned dignity would lose all sense.
“I understand,” Bi Fang nodded.
Climbing without oxygen was already a mode of hell but climbing Mount Everest alone was even rarer than without oxygen!
This wasn’t just a mode of hell, it was a march toward hell.Nôv(el)B\\jnn
Puba stared into Bi Fang’s eyes yet saw no retreat or hesitation.
The guy was serious.
Climbing without oxygen, climbing solo—either challenge was extraordinary. Puba had never tried and didn’t have the ability to attempt either, but the man before him, a professional climber, had done so without a moment’s hesitation.
No words of dissuasion could be uttered anymore; countless thoughts rose from his gut and turned into a single sentence.
“Good luck.”
Bi Fang tugged at the corner of his mouth: “My ‘luck’ has always been pretty good.”
…
“So, you can climb again?”
When the others learned the news.
Wang Yongbo, having packed up all his belongings, found himself unsure of where to place his hands, looked around, then sat down again.
“Great news!” Yao Jun slapped Bi Fang on the shoulder with mighty force, “What happened, tell me, did the association decide not to cancel the climbing season after all?”
“It’s all thanks to Danzeng.” Bi Fang recounted his recent ordeal and experience, and when everyone learned that he was the only one climbing this time, they were all utterly dumbfounded.
“Has anyone made it to the top this year?” Yao Jun suddenly realized something and looked at Rob.
Rob shook his head, “Not yet, the meteorological bureau hasn’t announced the real window period, so no one has started their final ascent.”
Wang Yongbo couldn’t keep his composure any longer; he shot up from his seat.
What did this mean?
It meant that since the commercialization of climbing Mount Everest, excluding the year of the great earthquake 15 years ago, this was the first time there could be only one successful summit within a year!
And that’s not including the fact that this could be Huaxia’s first solo ascent without oxygen!
Anything, with a ‘first’ attached to it, becomes incredibly precious.
If he really could succeed, the value of this achievement would be more substantial than pure gold!
“You’ve struck it big! Old Fang, you’ve struck it big!” Yao Jun couldn’t contain his joy as he held onto Bi Fang’s shoulders, realizing that befriending him was the best decision of his life!
Edinburgh was equally elated, “So, the good are rewarded in the end, aren’t they?”
“When do we set out?” Jerret was a bit impatient.
“Tonight!”
In the dead of night, everyone got up on time to see Bi Fang packing up and leaving.
Stuffing the rope into his backpack, Bi Fang hesitated for a moment, then took out a dagger and cut the rope at two-fifths of its length, leaving only thirty meters.
On his own, he had to carry many necessary but rarely used tools, and every gram he could shed mattered. Once he got everything packed and stepped out of base camp, a desolate vista of the earth under the sky unfolded before everyone’s eyes.
The cold wind howled. With many people already gone, the base camp, still dotted with colorful tents, lacked its usual bustling atmosphere.
Granting an exception for Bi Fang meant the climbing season was essentially canceled. The remaining climbers had no reason to stay; with the Sherpas’ firm stance, they could only try again next time, or perhaps never come back at all.
The drone powered up again.
Millions of viewers flooded in instantly. Informed early on, Wang Yongbo had asked Wolf Fang to release another statement, elaborating on the reasons for continuing the climb and posted a video of Puba challenging everyone, even weaving Bi Fang’s narration and Danzeng’s experiences into a story that moved many to tears.
No one knew that the Sherpa people in the fields had such a past, nor were they aware that the reason Puba, poised to break a world record, had quit climbing was for the dignity of all Sherpa people.
No one likes working 996 or 007, but for the sake of life and the future, they persist until one day, for dignity, they must fight.
[The broadcast has started, it’s on!]
[Go for it!]
[Front row seats with snacks, selling sunflower seeds, cola, and mineral water!]
[On the summit of the mountain, Dugu seeks defeat alone!]
[Damn, this is kinda spooky.]
The dark blue mountains stretched towards the horizon, meeting the sky, while the white snow line appeared distant and stark in the moonlight, turning the earth below into a vast map.
As Bi Fang set foot on the mountain’s ridge, his footprints reflected a glimmering white light in the moonlight.