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Chapter 302 - 300, How to Choose (Third Update)_1

Chapter 302: 300, How to Choose (Third Update)_1

The second day of the acclimatization hike went very smoothly, although the ice towers along the route looked so dangerous, in reality, very few people actually died there.

Between Camp 2 and Camp 3, it was necessary to traverse an ice mountain cliff where a 1.5-kilometer-length of rope needed to be constructed from West Valley to Camp 3. These ropes, anchored in the rock wall or ice wall, served as protection for everyone crossing the cliffs.

Otherwise, a fall from here would certainly be fatal.

The three teams agreed to each provide two people per day to build the rope. At this point, some wanted Ren He to take on more of the work, but he simply glanced at the person who had spoken and said, "Fairly distribute the workload; I don’t see why I should do more than the others."

It’s true that he hadn’t been affected by the high-altitude environment until now, but that didn’t mean he should take on more risk than anyone else. He was here to climb Mount Everest, not to be a living Lei Feng.

He wouldn’t slack off on his share of the work, but Ren He wouldn’t lift a finger beyond that, especially not when being coerced into it.

This was like being forced to donate to charity: "You have more money, so you should give more."

There was no such reasoning. Ren He wasn’t scared of anyone causing trouble for him here. To put it bluntly, at this altitude, he could easily take on 20 normal people in a fight...

Ren He understood that these three or four people thought they could take advantage of him because of his young age, but in this society, the moment you treat someone as a fool, you become the real fool.

So in the end, everyone took turns constructing the ropes, and indeed, given the same amount of work, Ren He was much quicker than the rest. Although he had no experience in mountain climbing, his rock-climbing skills were probably master level.

For someone who had once climbed the UP Building without any protective measures, being able to perform high-altitude work with a rope secured around him was simply too much happiness...

Moreover, as the Divine Punishment System issued the task, all the skills for climbing on snow mountains were also infused into his brain. Although he hadn’t climbed snow mountains before and these skills didn’t include things like route maps, he was much more proficient in the basics than the others, so much so that even veteran climbers were just about on par with him, and Ren He was becoming more skilled by the moment.

The construction of the ropes was quite rough, and the path along the cliff wasn’t as narrow as imagined. In some places, it even allowed two people to pass at the same time, so the three teams managed to complete the 1.5 kilometers of rope construction in just 11 days.

From time to time, rocks would fall. Being struck by one could leave you crippled or even kill you instantly with a blow to the head.

Ren He had seen a rock the size of a television hurtling towards him, but he easily dodged it, as it was still quite a distance away. Many people gasped at that moment, realizing that if the rock had been above their heads, they would have become a landmark.

When they reached Camp 3, the Sherpa people, who had always been at the forefront of the rope line, had already set up tents on a platform carved out of an ice slope.

At this moment, clouds flowed swiftly beneath their feet in the mountain ranges below, while Mount Everest still loomed above in the clouds, signifying they were now at an altitude of 7,240 meters.

Looking down, their vision no longer met the ground, but a flowing sea of clouds.

It was at this time that Ren He finally encountered something that affected his bodily functions, the rays of the sun!

Usually, when we stay below the clouds, we don’t feel how terrifying the sunlight can be, because the reflection of the clouds shields most of it. Down there, even without sunscreen, it isn’t easy to get sunburned.

However, at Camp 3, located at an altitude of 7,240 meters, Ren He experienced something completely different from the ground level. In his memory, it should have been very cold, but when those rays hit during the day, it could actually make the temperature feel scorching!

The rays were shining on him, and he felt somewhat dizzy.

The members from all three teams noticed at the same time that Ren He finally calmed down a bit, and they felt somewhat balanced; even he was affected at last! This matter originally had nothing to do with them, but for some reason, they felt a sense of exhilaration—this proved at least that they were not that weak...

However, it was also at Camp 3 that someone finally encountered a problem. It was Xia Boyu, with his keen senses, who discovered that a member of their team had developed symptoms of high altitude cerebral hemorrhage, a condition that could burst without any warning and required immediate treatment once it broke out, otherwise, death was the only outcome.

They had no choice but to have the Sherpa people take the affected teammate down.

But upon reaching Camp 3, just when Mount Everest seemed almost within reach, someone made a suggestion that overturned everyone’s plans, "The more than twenty hired Sherpa people came up carrying oxygen tanks. Since we’re already here and everyone seems to be in not too bad shape—actually much stronger than when I came here last year—why not take the opportunity to make a push for the summit?!"

Quite a few people’s eyes lit up. What was their purpose in coming here if not for Mount Everest? Now the vertical distance to Mount Everest was only about 1,600 meters—it really seemed within reach—and the oxygen tanks had been brought up. So why couldn’t they make a push for it this time?

In fact, everyone had had enough of the hardships over the past ten or so days; nobody wanted to go through the pain again. It was like having written a document painstakingly halfway through, only for someone to tell you that you must delete it and start over—would you be willing?

The three team leaders were also contemplating this issue. Yes, since we’re already here and everyone is in decent shape, why not try for the summit?

Although a trial run would be safer, how could they as leaders completely ignore the opinions of the team members? After all, they were the investors.

Except for Xia Boyu’s team, the other two teams followed the model of a climbing consultancy company: the members pay to climb Mount Everest, and they are responsible for providing the necessary support.

Now there were two options: to descend back to the camp at 6,000 meters for rest or continue forward until summiting!

At this crossroads, the decision for the leaders ultimately hinged on the weather. The weather had been too good these past two days, ideal for a summit attempt—it’s an opportunity rarely encountered!

That same evening, all three team leaders simultaneously announced their decision, "We’re going for the summit directly!"

Ren He’s eyes lit up when he heard this decision. He was in the best condition; even at this point, he hadn’t felt too much discomfort, except for the daytime radiation issue.

So, the thought that he was just a step away from Mount Everest had already excited him!

...

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