NOVEL WEB Chapter 432: 430
Chapter 432: 430
[User 319211401454 sent a Spaceship*1 to the host]
Chaman was driving the car, his dark skin perfectly blending into the night. When he turned his head to look at the co-pilot, almost only his bright white teeth were visible. After seeing the content on the phone, he raised an eyebrow, “You’re actually tipping him.”
“He really is amazing,” Grace said with a grin in the co-pilot seat. “I can kind of understand why my brother messed up.”
The drones flew in the sky, and in the pitch darkness, rows of torches illuminated the field paths. Smiles radiated from everyone’s faces, and when they looked at the man emerging from the darkness, their eyes shone with respect.
The path of torches stretched out for at least a hundred meters, all to welcome one person.
It was breathtaking.
Even from different standpoints, Grace had to admit that.
“Stop staring; you’ll never enjoy this kind of treatment. In the movies, we’re the villains,” Chaman said, grabbing the phone and stuffing it into the other’s pocket, then slowly bringing the car to a stop. “Now, it’s your turn to drive.”
Grace nodded, “Okay, you go to sleep.”
They switched seats and drove off again. Moments later, the car flew over a small hill.
Underneath the tarp in the car, a pair of large antlers was revealed.
Bi Fang watched as the young leader, Danzeng, walked at the front, his face also brimming with a smile, hugging each person who came to meet him one by one.
Puba was the last to come over, thumping his back hard: “Good lad, you did well!”
“I couldn’t have summited without you,” Bi Fang had not forgotten the help the Sherpa people provided. Without them, he wouldn’t even know where he would be squatting right now.
For this, Bi Fang gave a deep bow to everyone present.
This scene moved countless viewers in the livestream who knew the background story to tears.
[So touched, sob sob sob]
[This host must be followed!]
[Much love for Master Fang!]
This is the true essence of human unity, extending a helping hand when there are difficulties, and the beneficiaries also offer their reciprocity.
Bi Fang gave respect and support to the Sherpa people, and they were willing to open the only path to the summit for him. Bi Fang would also not forget them, leaving their names at the Summit of Mount Everest.
Not all Sherpa people have the ability to reach the summit and enjoy the glory. Despite their racial talents, it’s only that small handful of exceptional individuals who can achieve it.
But in Bi Fang’s view, this summit was not about individual heroism; it was about collective teamwork.
The glory belongs to everyone.
[Effort always pays off! So when is the next live stream?]
[Feels like Master Fang has lost weight, you gotta eat well]
[Is the previous one a mom fan?]
[Generally, climbing doesn’t result in weight loss, but climbing Mount Everest usually does…]
[Actually, I think, after watching the livestream, why do I feel like if I went, I could do it too? The delusion is real.]
[Seriously delusional]
Puba was in great spirits, or rather, it was the first time in over a decade since he stopped guiding that he felt this good.
The appearance of Bi Fang made him feel sincerely that the effort they put into paving the way and setting up ropes on Mount Everest is still remembered and respected.
Especially when Puba saw Bi Fang tying the co-signed letter onto the flagpole, it almost brought tears to this tough guy’s eyes.
“We are in desperate need of money, so we lie to ourselves and others, saying that we love to climb…”
Puba still remembers the words once said to him by Danzeng’s father. Upon reflection, he finds himself choked up.
After exchanging pleasantries again, Bi Fang was truly weary, so tired he could hardly keep his eyes open.
From the sprint at dawn up until now, he had nearly gone twenty-four hours without closing his eyes, on top of the extreme exertion, he felt exceptionally drowsy.
Puba keenly noticed Bi Fang’s fatigue and, realizing this, he didn’t say more and waved to the people behind him.
“Alright, alright, stop crowding around, he just got back and only wants to take a bath and sleep, go on, everyone go home!”
The Sherpa people then realized it was indeed late and, after waving their torches a while longer, they left in twos and threes. Danzeng, however, insisted on not letting go of Bi Fang, determined to bring him to his own home to host him as a guest.
Unable to resist, Bi Fang agreed, and so a group of them proceeded to Danzeng’s home in the darkness of night.
On their way, Bi Fang also prepared to wrap up the live broadcast.
Looking at the Sherpa people with torches, turning into small dots of light, Bi Fang felt an indescribable emotion. After summarizing his thoughts, he then spoke up,
“At noon when we were descending the mountain, as you saw like I did, above the death zone, there were cold bodies scattered everywhere, some far some near, some perhaps for an age, and some may have still been as living and vibrant as you and me just a few days ago.”
Puba and Rob nodded silently; many guides would stop for a few minutes near the bodies, in silence, to show respect.
“But at that time, I didn’t feel too much because seeing the sight of people before us leaving their bodies on the cold Mount Everest forever due to their dreams, the feeling of death wasn’t very definite; I even felt like they were just resting.”
“Now that I think about it, perhaps I’m a bit frightened in hindsight, but more than that, I feel an impact, not much of a sad component, because each person came here after careful consideration.”
“I was more concerned with how to take each step carefully, otherwise lying there would be very cold, wouldn’t it?”
The audience laughed, but after the laughter, there was a sense of relief.
Only by returning alive, that is the true success.
“Climbing Mount Everest is an extremely painful affair. In less than a month’s time, what awaited me included various dangers that came unexpectedly and the torment suffered by my body in the harsh environment.
But once you reach the summit, all the hardships you’ve experienced become worth it, that unique experience and the resulting pride and sense of achievement are irresistible.”
Just then, someone asked a question that everyone wanted to know.
[Master Fang, have you ever been afraid?]
After someone brought it up, instantly, a large number of similar or identical questions appeared in the barrage of comments.
Yes, has Master Fang ever been afraid?
Watching him on the small screen performing one incredible feat after another, it seemed as if he didn’t know what fear was, with his veins always pulsing with hot blood, and his mind filled with one meticulous and bold plan after another.
It’s as if the emotion of fear would never appear in him.
Regarding this question, Bi Fang didn’t answer immediately. He countered with, “Do you think I conquered Mount Everest?”
Isn’t that the case?
The audience was taken aback, having reached the summit in front of tens of millions of viewers, with an unprecedented record, what was it if not conquest?
But Bi Fang shook his head, “Climbing Mount Everest, death could appear before you at any moment: earthquakes, avalanches, glacier crevasses, vertical cliffs; no one knows at which point they might die. Any of those situations could place me in mortal danger.”
“In the thin air, climbers’ physical strength is merely enough to sustain themselves. If a teammate dies on the way, we can only say a painful farewell on the spot. The left bodies become monuments, markers.”
“Yet, to Mount Everest itself, it might be unaware, like a speck of dust settling on its surface. In this context, is reaching the summit really conquering it?”
The audience pondered in silence.
Yao Jun and Wang Yongbo nodded lightly, gaining a measure of understanding.
Sir Edinburgh and Puba’s eyes shone brightly, not bothering to hide the admiration in their gaze.
“During the climb, the only danger comes from us humans ourselves. It’s a contest between all people and the mountain, but the ultimate power over life and death lies in the hands of the mountain itself. I am merely a lucky one who happened to avoid disaster,” he said.
“Therefore, the notion that ‘man has conquered Mount Everest’ is simply not valid, nor will it ever be. The only true conquest a person can achieve is over their own inner fears and anxieties about their insignificance.”
“I am not a robot, of course I get scared, but what I have conquered is exactly that!”
[This philosophical depth, I bow down to the master]
[Where did Old Fang learn all this?]
[Can’t quite describe it, just feels badass]
[Man can’t conquer the mountain, we simply climb it, like children climbing onto their mother’s lap. That’s what big brother Puba said, right? (Dog’s head)]
“I did say that, but I can’t claim it was original,” Puba said with a smile and a shake of his head as he saw the comments. “It was Tenzing who said it.”
Danzeng looked over, his eyes filled with confusion.
Had he said that?
“Not little Danzeng.” Puba patted his head. “It was Tenzing Norgay who said it.”
Everyone had a good laugh, and after the laughter died down, Bi Fang gestured, and the drone began to descend.
The audience felt a sinking feeling in their hearts, knowing that with Old Fang, this really was the end.
“Alright, that’s it for now. This Mount Everest journey is coming to an end. The last thing I want to say to everyone is that not everyone looks up at Mount Everest, nor does everyone wish or is able to climb to the top. Every adventure requires sober awareness and rational assessment,” he said.
“But that doesn’t prevent you from having the aspiration to stand on top of the world, nor from pursuing that aspiration.”
“Your personal Everest isn’t limited to the Himalayas.”
“Alright, I’m Bi Fang, and I’ll see you next time.”
[Man, it’s over again]
[Waaaah, don’t stop]
[Just got hyped up, and it’s over just like that?]
[You can drive on this crappy road?]
[The rain of donations should start now]
[Here comes the big one]
[So who is that millionaire? If she’s a rich woman, please give me her contact info!]
Fans traditionally tried to hold him back, but Bi Fang didn’t waver in his decision, already unmoved by the torrent of donated gifts.
Looking at the darkened live broadcast room, netizens around the world sighed.
Many other streamers of the same genre or those who broadcast during the same time slot also breathed a sigh of relief; the metaphorical mountain that had been looming over them had finally left.
The high-level executives of Shark and Tiger Fang instructed their wilderness streamers that they no longer needed to lie low, planning was underway.
When Bi Fang stopped broadcasting, they started; when Bi Fang broadcasted, they stopped, masterfully adhering to the flexible strategy of retreating when the enemy advanced. Was this not a victory of its own?
What do you mean picking up the scraps?
It’s clearly about filling market gaps!
Enriching the public’s entertainment life!
Meanwhile, Bi Fang and his companions had arrived at Danzeng’s house.
Danzeng’s mother had already prepared a big table of dishes, evidently well-prepared, and again thanked Bi Fang for his deeds. If not for him, her son might not have survived the avalanche, so she was extremely hospitable.
After eating, Bi Fang took the opportunity to have a hot shower, and then he fell into a deep sleep.
Not just him, but everyone else was tired too and soon fell asleep.
In another room, however, Rob did not rest. He sat at the desk, hesitating for a moment before taking out paper and pen from his backpack, along with several stacks of white paper, and began to write fervently.
…
The next day, in order not to be surrounded by fans who came to see him off, Bi Fang bade an early farewell to a very reluctant Danzeng and descended the mountain with Sir and others.
“It’s a shame I can’t join you in filming a documentary, Sir. I was truly interested,” Bi Fang said regretfully.
As they parted ways, Bi Fang felt a tinge of regret—he had intended to go shoot monkeys in Nepal with Sir Edinburgh after summiting, but plans didn’t keep up with changes. Now he had to hurry to the Arctic Circle.
The geese were returning.
Though he knew they would come back, Bi Fang wanted to make the trip himself for peace of mind, driven by a sense of responsibility.
Sir Edinburgh waved cheerfully, “No problem, if it weren’t for my team’s mission, I’d be more interested in going with you to see the geese.”
Bi Fang laughed heartily, said farewell once again, and boarded the flight home with Yao Jun and Wang Yongbo.
This journey would be an unforgettable one, but the adventure was far from over—there were more thrills to come!
…
A day later, someone suddenly noticed that the official pages of Wolf Fang and even the homepage of B Island had changed their cover photos.
This wasn’t just any advertisement or illustration, but a complete skin change!
The image was filled with the vivid colors of an oil painting—a red flag flying amidst snow-capped peaks bathed in golden light, beside it stood a young man, his back turned to us, gazing into the distance at the mountain range.
In bold calligraphy on the side it read: The first Huaxia person to reach the summit of Mount Everest’s south slope without oxygen!
On a plane, a young man wearing headphones looked at the B Island website on his phone, stunned by the sudden change in its appearance, but felt the person seated next to him seemed familiar.
He glanced at the figure in the oil painting, and then at the Huaxia person beside him.
Finally, he shook his head.
He must have been mistaken.
With that, he popped in his earphones, giving up on wondering why B Island had suddenly changed its appearance, and opened a funny video, his laughter filling the air.
Bi Fang glanced at the young man beside him, noted the content on his phone, and after lamenting the decline of public tastes, he ignored him.
In the era of big data, information cocoons are almost unavoidable. If it’s not something of personal interest, many people may not have even heard of it.
Therefore, Bi Fang did not expect to be so recognizable that everyone would know him—he lacked such ability and privilege.
He pulled out a newspaper left behind by some traveler from behind his seat – the headline news was about the migration of the geese!
There are flights from Kathmandu Valley to Helsinki, but only on Sundays, and Bi Fang returned from the summit on a Sunday, obviously unable to catch the flight.
Bi Fang instead decided to return to his home country, rest for a night before catching a flight to Finland. Hence, the newspaper he was reading had also come from there.
The Finnish people were obviously very concerned about the follow-up to last year’s sensational goose migration event.