BXBX NOVEL Chapter 386: 384
“During a normal rescue, you can wrap the rope around appropriately to prevent slipping, but don’t wrap it too tightly, or both people might end up in danger. I used a tightening noose to secure the other person, which is a very practical rope, similar to the lasso you often see in movies and TV shows.”
“OK, can you raise your left hand a little higher, then bend your elbow and try to grab the rock beside you? There is a protruding rock a bit to the left below your left foot, about ten centimeters away. Your half-foot can probably step on it—can you try to step on it?”
Bi Fang observed the environment around the other person, instructing them to act as per his guidance. If there was a support point, the noose could be tightened even more.
After hearing Bi Fang’s words, the other person slowed his breathing, then braced his right hand against the icy wall to provide some friction and gently pushed.
The rolling stones beneath suddenly moved, and the climber slid straight down!
The audience let out a gasp, the life-and-death speed of the rescue causing their adrenaline to surge, and even the people like Yao Jun below the rock face were panicked to death. Although they couldn’t see the actual situation due to line of sight issues, they could watch the live broadcast, couldn’t they? Even base camp had a WiFi signal!
Fortunately, in the final moment, the person managed to step on the rock!
[My god, that was freaking intense.]
[Not saying anymore, I’ve got to pee so bad, heading to the wall to the bathroom.]
[I’m already peeing in splits.]
The setting sun gradually dipped below the horizon, casting shadows on the icy wall, with orange and black intertwining into darkness.
Bi Fang wiped the fine sweat from his forehead. Such a rescue took a huge toll on him, especially at high altitude, where the energy depletion and heartbeats almost made him lose his breathing rhythm.
Luckily, the person found the rock as a leverage point. The mission would be much easier now. Bi Fang tugged the rope, and the noose that initially encircled the person’s left arm quickly tightened, visibly constricting the jacket, but this slight movement once again caused the gravel to slide.
However, the person did not slide any further, thanks to the half-protruding rock beneath his feet.
As Bi Fang tightened the rope, he reminded the person again, “OK, OK, relax. Take a deep breath, don’t be scared, I’ve got you now! It’s secure. In a moment, I’ll pull you toward me. If possible, try to kick in my direction. Can you do that? It’s okay if you can’t, but it would be better if you can.”
“I’ll try.”
“Then I’m starting to pull!”
Bi Fang quickly caught his breath three times, then took one last deep breath, pressing down the air, and with a strong pull with both hands, a surge of tremendous force came from the left arm of the climber. With no resistance, following that force, the climber forcefully kicked with his left foot. Unexpectedly, the kick did not give the climber sufficient reactive force, but instead, he stepped into the abyss!
The whole rock came loose from the icy wall and fell into the cliff.
The climber who missed his step plummeted quickly, but the next second, a massive pulling force halted his fall abruptly.
“Damn, so heavy!”
Bi Fang clenched his teeth tightly, holding onto the rope for dear life. The rope on the other end was being tugged fiercely, tightening again and firmly encircling the climber’s arm.
The climber dangling in mid-air was still in shock, quickly pressing against the wall upon realizing he had been caught, providing the last bit of support he could.
Fortunately, they were already close enough to each other. Bi Fang only needed to pull him up two meters, and the person would be able to reach the platform where Bi Fang stood.
The other person grabbed the platform, and with the combined effort of both, they finally succeeded in escaping the dangerous situation.
[Fuck, finally pulled them up; it was so nerve-racking I nearly pissed myself]
[The late emperor didn’t get halfway through the live broadcast before pissing himself]
[]
The climber lay on the ground, while Bi Fang also sat down on a rock, took out his thermos, and took a big gulp of water, relieving his body’s discomfort. Gazing at the drone in front of him, he felt somewhat dizzy.
“My god, I haven’t adapted well to the high altitude yet. Suddenly engaging in such intense exercise made me feel a bit light-headed and dizzy, buddy, you’re way too heavy.”
The other person seemed not yet to have recovered from the fright, with copious sweat breaking out from his forehead and down his nose, which then quickly froze in the cold wind.
Without a response from the other climber, Bi Fang wasn’t annoyed; he understood the situation well and silently took another sip of water, “Many times, when people face danger, they might not be too scared due to the effects of adrenaline, but afterwards they often break out in cold sweats and may even fall severely ill because of it.”
Not until the sky had completely darkened, plunging Mount Everest into darkness, did the man struggle to his feet. At the same time, Rob and the others finally arrived.
“How is it, all good?”
“All good.”
Bi Fang shook his head. Although the others had arrived a little late, they had indeed tried their best. Had they been staying here for a day already, going through the initial adaptation, perhaps Rob could have climbed straight up from the rock face as well, but regrettably, he had not. If he had rashly attempted to climb, it was very likely he would have failed to rescue and ended up trapped instead.
On Mount Everest, death is a common sight, and very few people would risk their lives to save others.
In other words, everyone who comes here is mentally prepared for such an outcome.
Rob looked up at the icy wall nearby, the rocks perched on the ice slope were frightening; a strong wind might send them sliding down. He then looked down at the climber still panting, and with his experience, he quickly grasped what had happened.
Climbing slopes is feared for its steepness, descending slopes for its slipperiness, and this time the other person encountered the fear of slipping downhill.
This kind of situation is very common on Mount Everest. Above the ice wall is usually a large icy slope with beautiful scenery that attracts many visitors to take pictures. While walking and snapping photos, it’s easy to slip. Rob himself had led teams where climbers had slipped twice. Some slipped due to inattention while taking photos, while others fell due to wearing cheap crampons with front spikes only, causing instability when their heels touched the ground first.
The other person must have been no exception.
Indeed, once the other person had regained his composure and thanked everyone before introducing himself, everything became clear.
The man’s name was Ze Long, and he had lived in Tibet for many years, already blending into the local life.
Moreover, this guy had arrived in Lhasa back when the train service just started in 2006, living out what people refer to as a poetic and distant life. His days in Lhasa were extraordinarily leisurely, waking up near noon, basking in the sun, sipping sweet tea, running a guesthouse with only seven rooms, making the days pass by, with half the year working and the other half spent playing.
During this time, Ze Long tried various outdoor activities like self-driving tours and cycling, but these activities were relatively easy for him, and over time, he found himself in the same rut as office workers: life seemed to have an end in sight.
By chance, Ze Long participated in a mountain climbing activity through a friend’s introduction, summiting the 6,206-meter-tall Qizi Peak.
Standing at the summit, Ze Long finally understood what was missing from his life.
A state of passionate fervor, that moment of feeling one’s heart beat, the surge of life, and the realization that one is still alive while standing on the mountain top.
These things can only be obtained through mountain climbing, to challenge, to break through, and to enjoy the exhilarating status above the snow line.
So this leisurely innkeeper trained desperately to enhance his stamina and physical condition, to learn and accumulate knowledge on the mountains, and methods to handle problems. Ze Long sold his inn, spent all his savings, which was over two hundred thousand, and embarked on the journey to summit Mount Everest.
And then he just blew it.
Everyone: “…”
[Wori, selling a house to climb Mount Everest… I actually find it kind of inspirational?]
[Got it, gonna go sell my house!]
[Eh, dreams are for those who don’t have to worry about making a living, but I still have a child in elementary school to raise… Watching Master Fang’s live broadcast is the biggest happiness I have every day.]
[Me too, I even ran into Master Fang at the station last time!]
[Seriously? For real, you can run into Master Fang?]
[What’s so strange about that? I’ve driven Master Fang before and even got an autograph!]
[Earning three thousand a month, just stop thinking about what’s at the end of the universe.]
[But this dude is really fierce, saying sell the house and selling it, nearly falling off a cliff and still asking if Old Fang is a professional, amazing, were you born with such big nerves?]
Ze Long’s experience resonated with many, and Bi Fang suddenly asked, “What about your guide and teammates? Where are they? Didn’t they come to rescue you?”
Ze Long scratched his head awkwardly, “I was following the guide, but it got too late, and we were just preparing to retreat back to base camp. Then just as we reached the col, and with the sunset, I wanted to take a couple of pictures. Thinking the camp was only a few hundred meters away, I let them go ahead. When I was taking pictures, my climbing pole accidentally fell down the slope. It was only a little over a meter away from me, and then… well, things turned out the way you all saw…”
As expected, Rob wasn’t surprised anymore.
This was why Rob never dared to let the team members act alone, even if they could see the camp and it was only a matter of tens of meters. That’s why he had just asked Yao Jun and the others to stand still instead of going back to the camp to wait for them.
You could never predict how daring these mountaineering novices could be, daring to pick up things on the rocky layers.
Bi Fang waved his hand, “Alright, let’s head back, it’s already dark.”
“I’m really sorry for the trouble,” Ze Long said, scratching his head embarrassedly.
Guide Rob stood up, looking at the pitch-black environment with trepidation. They had already taken a long detour to descend from above. How were they going to get back now?
“It’s simple, just keep descending from here,” Bi Fang said.
Bi Fang pointed at the remaining rock face. He had climbed up here, so naturally, he would have to descend the same way.
Rob went to the edge of the rock face and turned on his flashlight to look down. The distance of more than ten meters made him involuntarily step back.
How the hell do you get down from here?
“No big deal, I brought a rappelling rope with me.” Bi Fang picked up the length of rope from the ground. Under the light, the rope was dazzling white. He untied the tight loop and explained, “Don’t be fooled by the small volume of this piece of rope; it’s actually fifty meters long.”
What? Fifty meters?
The audience watched the white rope that could be grasped with one hand, wondering if it truly spanned fifty meters.
[It should be, the rope looks so thin.]
[Isn’t the rope too thin? It can sustain a person’s weight and it’s that slim, is it made of nylon?]
“It’s not nylon, it’s made of Dyneema fibers, also known as Dyneema, or UHMWPE, which stands for ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene and is the strongest material that humans can currently synthesize. With a fiber thickness of one-thousandth of an inch, it has a significant strength-to-weight ratio, making it the toughest fiber in the world. Dyneema fibers have a pulling strength 15 times that of steel of the same weight. They are also cut-resistant, shear-resistant, and even processing them requires lasers; you can essentially consider it a steel cable. It’s the preferred choice for outdoor sports.”
Bi Fang re-tied a knot and then looked around the platform, successfully finding a stone pillar, which was good as it spared him having to drill.
“Dyneema fibers have an extremely long molecular chain that effectively allows the load to be transferred to the polymer backbone. This physical property gives Dyneema fibers a higher pull strength than other fibers of the same weight, and a lighter weight for the same pull strength. Given the same weight, Dyneema fibers have a pull force 15 times that of steel. Besides, they’re cut-resistant, shear-resistant, and usually require lasers for processing; it can totally be considered a section of steel cable. It is the go-to for outdoor activities.”
After securing the knot around the stone pillar, Bi Fang stepped on it to make sure it was sturdy.
“Does everyone know how to rappel?”
Everyone, including Ze Long and Rob, nodded their heads. They were all mountaineers, and not knowing how to rappel would be embarrassing to admit.
Once he confirmed that the stone pillar was secure, Bi Fang wrapped the rope around his waist, handed one end to Rob and the others, and then went to the edge of the rock face: “Even if you are sure that the stone pillar is very stable, do not rappel rashly. It’s better to set up double or even triple safeguards. Then get to the edge, lean back gradually, apply your weight, and when you’re fully tilted and still secure, you can begin your slide. At this moment, it’s best to wear gloves; otherwise, it’s easy to get friction burns.”n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om
After completing the tilt test and ensuring safety, Bi Fang began to slide down gradually. Descending was far easier than rock climbing. With just a few breaths, he covered the distance of more than ten meters.
After him came Ze Long, Rob, and the Sherpa porters.
Only once everyone had descended did the rescue mission come to a complete end.
“Damn, that was way too risky, brother, you’re hardcore.” Yao Jun watched as Bi Fang gathered the rope, still shaken. In the live broadcast, the scene of sliding to the edge of a cliff, unable to make the slightest move, while slowly descending was absolutely despair-inducing.
Ze Long felt awkward about the praise and bowed again to apologize, “I’ve caused you all so much trouble.”
Bi Fang shook his head, “It’s nothing. We’re all compatriots; it’s normal to lend a hand in times of distress. But next time, you’d better not leave the group on your own again. If I hadn’t heard you, you would have been completely done for, you know that?”
“I would never leave the group again, I’d rather die than not stick to the guide!”
Bi Fang smiled, then led Ze Long back to the camp.
After expressing his gratitude once more, Ze Long left the group to find his own tent.
Back in his tent, Bi Fang immediately went to the stove to warm his hands, while Wang Yongbo and the others started preparing dinner, oblivious to what had happened.
Bi Fang picked up a bowl of unidentifiable food and crammed it into his mouth, the sticky texture almost making him spit it out.
“What the heck is this?”
“Egg noodles.”
Wang Yongbo handed him a pair of chopsticks without any expression. At their altitude, boiling water barely reached just over eighty degrees Celsius, so it was impossible to cook anything properly.