I am a Big Player
Chapter 305 - 303, Birds Fly Extinct Over a Thousand Mountains (Second Update)_1

Chapter 305: 303, Birds Fly Extinct Over a Thousand Mountains (Second Update)_1

Most people who make it to Mount Everest have experienced free solo climbing, as climbing inevitably involves scaling mountains and ridges.

There’s a fundamental difference between climbing an 8000-meter peak and a scenic mountain area. In scenic areas, paths are constructed by investors; they may be steep or difficult, but they are incomparable to an 8000-meter peak, where every path is forged by the climbers themselves.

This is a human feat of conquering nature, often requiring the crossing of cliffs tens of meters high. Experienced climbers ascend, fix ropes hand-over-hand, and then others follow these ropes up. Sometimes ropes are strung between two cliffs with boards secured to them, and climbers traverse these boards without any additional protective measures—fall, and it’s certain death.

Among those present, there are many elite free solo climbers, such as Lei Ming, the CEO of a major corporation.

However, upon reaching Everest, no one considers free solo climbing the last 1000 meters from an altitude of 7900 meters to the summit, even if the slope is manageable and much less challenging than usual free solo efforts.

But what place is this? This is the Forbidden Zone for Life, this is the roof of the world!

It’s said that above 8000 meters, one cannot hold others to normal moral standards. Simply walking is a struggle, yet suddenly someone is scaling the mountain.

Moreover, within just a hundred meters or so, Ren He’s figure was no longer visible, indicating he had climbed even higher. How long had he been at it? 10 minutes? 20 minutes?

Even on flat ground, many free solo climbing experts wouldn’t dare claim they could climb that quickly in such a short time!

"This is terrifying, a human miracle!"

"An athlete with top-level talent, could he be from the national team?"

"Nonsense, if the national team had someone like that, they would have been boasting about it a long time ago!"

The national team, the national mountaineering team, an official organization, packed with countless climbing experts, now all paled in comparison to Ren He’s current actions.

With his oxygen mask on, Xia Boyu said calmly, "It’s pointless to measure him against past experiences and views. This is a miracle, a human miracle living among us. Let’s continue, and hope to meet him at the summit. Let’s encourage each other."

"Right, let’s get moving. We can’t be too shabby either!"

"Everyone, keep within 300 meters of each other and don’t fall behind. Adjust your oxygen valves and move forward!"

For some reason, everyone felt a bit more driven in this climb than in previous ones.

It seemed that as long as the young man ahead didn’t fall, everyone else could make it. Unconsciously, Ren He had become the spiritual banner for all Asian climbers, that bright red flag fluttering in the sunlight at the top of Mount Everest!

...

Ren He climbed upwards, and not all of the climb was a gentle 70-degree slope—there were also steep 80-degree inclines.

At this point, a 70-degree slope was considered gentle...

Of course, there were places on this mountainside where one could pause momentarily to rest. Ren He was now standing on a platform at an elevation of 8134 meters, a space just large enough for two people, breathing deeply. The thin air filled his lungs with a biting coldness that went deep into his lungs, painful but exhilarating.

Ren He knew he couldn’t breathe like this here, so he quickly shut his mouth. He pulled out chocolate from his backpack and ate five pieces before stopping, then waited as his fast heart rate gradually calmed, and he instantly returned to his peak physical condition.

Climbing over 200 meters had been challenging for Ren He, but it was okay; he had an ace up his sleeve: his passive feast skill where eating can rapidly restore stamina.

That’s why he dared to take on such a grand challenge, the most difficult way to summit Mount Everest. Ren He’s plan had always been to rest briefly after every 200 meters, keeping his energy up to ensure he could continue to the summit.

At this moment, clinging to the mountain face, the benefit of buying the world’s top-tier mountaineering equipment became evident; no matter how much snow he trod through, the inside of his boots remained dry, with not a trace of moisture seeping in.

The triple-layered, adhesive-pressed gloves and hardshell jacket and pants ensured the cold wind couldn’t penetrate this outer barrier, and the gloves were exceptionally non-slip and flexible.

In the realm of mountaineering, equipment truly is worth every penny, without a drop of exaggeration.

Ren He stuffed the chocolate wrapper back into his bag; after all, one shouldn’t visit such a beautiful mountain and leave any trace of litter, right?

He looked out, beneath the thin clouds were mountain ranges stretching countless miles, along with peaks almost as high as Mount Everest’s. In that moment, his superior vision allowed him to take in views many others could never appreciate.

At this time, his heart was so vast and silent. This was the dream and life he desired, and he was on the path to chasing his dream.

This feeling was stronger than anything else.

Gazing at this rarely-trodden domain where thousands of birds had flown away and all trails had disappeared, he realized,

there was no one else here, just himself.

How lonely this feeling was, yet in the depths of his heart, it was incredibly liberating.

Some say loneliness is "when you change your phone’s ringtone and hope someone will ask what song it is, yet no one asks."

Others say loneliness is "when no one knows how many meals you’ve had today."

Or "when you switch your phone back on after two days and receive no new messages."

But Ren He said these aren’t loneliness—they’re solitude.

For him, loneliness is when you look around and, even though there are crowds of people, no one can walk shoulder to shoulder with you.

Solitude is gentle, but loneliness is strong.

Ren He smiled; at the altitude of 8134 meters on the cliffs, indeed no one could walk with him, but he reveled in the immense pleasure of successfully chasing his dream.

Sometimes, the pursuit of a dream is inevitably lonely; others may deny you, mock you, stop you.

But so what? A dream is a dream; it is the most sacred thing.

On the road to chasing a dream, never fear loneliness.

Just like the sentence Ren He wrote on one of the seven banners at No.4 Middle School: Have you too once had a lonely yet passionate dream?

Yes, this dream might subject you to ridicule and cold stares, but please continue to persevere.

Ren He felt his blood begin to burn slowly; he put his earphones back on, turned towards the mountain face, reached up to grasp a protruding rock overhead, and continued to ascend, until nothing but the endless sky was above him!

It seemed his dream was only a step away.