WS - Chapter 80
Chapter 80
After two days of mountain trekking, even with the aid of the walking sticks they got in the afternoon, it was still exhausting.
Ever since Captain Yang said they needed to reach the mountaintop by four, everyone guessed tonight's camp probably wasn't on the summit. Knowing was one thing, but after all this hard traveling, they couldn't help feeling a bit of hope. Of course, that hope evaporated the moment they actually crested the mountain and saw what was up there.
"Is that a flying zipline?" Ning Chuyang said, a little excited, her gaze following the iron cable from the wooden pavilion at the open edge of the mountaintop into the distance.
"Looks like we won't have to walk anymore. We can finally take it easy for a while." Mu Xingzhou's expression also relaxed noticeably.
Ning Chuyang thrust her walking stick into the dirt, leaned forward to stretch her back, and smiled. "I played on one of these on Amusement Planet. You just sit down and zip, and you go really far. Looks like tonight's camp is down the mountain."
Unlike the younger pair of Mu Xingzhou and Ning Chuyang, Zhuang Jiachuan and Guan Yongyi, who weren't familiar with ziplines, seemed somewhat hesitant and uneasy.
They were still some distance from the pavilion from which the iron cable extended, so they could only see the cable descending from it; to get a clearer picture, they'd need to move closer.
On the way over, Ning Chuyang gave a quick rundown of the zipline she'd used on Amusement Planet. It was in the artificial forest area of Amusement Planet, where several mountain peaks hosted not only abundant simulated wild-forest vegetation but also many small and medium-sized herbivores. The high-altitude zipline project was one of the attractions that started from a mountainside, using multiple ziplines to make several meandering descents to the valley floor. As far as her experience went, it was quite thrilling and a lot of fun.
After Ning Chuyang's explanation, the others started to get the idea.
It sounded rather similar to the zipline environment they were in now.
"Even though ziplining still takes some energy, it's at least way easier on the feet than hiking all this way." After Ning Chuyang finished, Mu Xingzhou added a couple of remarks, and then, as if remembering something, stepped forward a couple of paces to Zhuang Jiachuan and Guan Yongyi, nudged them lightly with his elbow, and said, "Let's all take turns massaging each other tonight, or we seriously won't make it through these dozen-plus days. It's not like we'll have a nice zipline every day."
Zhuang Jiachuan and Guan Yongyi naturally had no reason to object.
The group had been walking fairly close while Ning Chuyang described her previous experience, and Mu Xingzhou hadn't bothered to lower his voice, so those behind heard every word clearly.
Yu Nianbing couldn't help but think back to the previous night. If not for Song Shiyue giving her a massage and fetching water for her to soak her feet, she might not have been able to manage so much walking today.
Ning Chuyang had heard Mu Xingzhou's words, and the unavoidable soreness throughout her body made her immediately turn around to the two behind her. "Then us two should massage each other tonight too."
Yu Nianbing, who'd been lost in thoughts of the night before, froze for a moment, then remembered she should nod.
"Sure, and we'll get some hot water for a foot soak." Song Shiyue nodded without the slightest hesitation.
Yu Nianbing glanced sidelong at Song Shiyue but withdrew her gaze before the other could look back.
It's just teammates helping each other loosen up. Song Shiyue is so nice — it'd be weird if she didn't agree...
Yu Nianbing lowered her eyes, thinking this to herself, but the hand gripping her walking stick tightened unconsciously.
Ning Chuyang had been looking at Song Shiyue when she asked, and once she got the answer, she didn't really notice that Yu Nianbing hadn't spoken. After all, it would be a bit awkward to ask a senior like Yu Nianbing to massage her. Song Shiyue, who was closer in age and experience, was the perfect mutual-massage partner. And of course, Song Shiyue being strong was a big plus.
With good fortune upon her, Ning Chuyang actually forgot the question that had just surfaced in her mind and cheerfully slotted Song Shiyue into tonight's mutual-massage buddy role.
Just like that, in the blink of an eye, Ning Chuyang fell back two steps to walk alongside Song Shiyue and started discussing foot-soaking.
Aside from gripping her walking stick a little tighter, Yu Nianbing's expression didn't change.
The pavilion on the other side of the summit wasn't far; they reached it within a few minutes.
Captain Yang stopped beside the pavilion, surreptitiously loosened his own aching legs, then turned around. The sight greeting him was six people leaning on their walking sticks, walking steadily.
Feels a bit unfair...
In fact, Wang Daming had earlier done Captain Yang an injustice. Yang really hadn't skipped the trekking-pole segment just to get back at the cast...
The real issue was that catching frogs at the pond had gone so poorly that they'd gotten too wet and had to spend too long by the fire drying off, nearly delaying departure from the noon rest stop. Rushing and scrambling after that, it wasn't until they'd climbed a stretch of the mountain and Zhuang Jiachuan suggested grabbing branches to sweep the grass for snakes that Captain Yang remembered the patch of slender bamboo he'd forgotten behind him.
But by then, deliberately turning back to get it was out of the question...
When Song Shiyue and the others made walking sticks and handed them out, Captain Yang stole a glance at the stick Zhuang Jiachuan held nearest to him.
The wood was smooth and evenly thick, even carved with a grip shape... aside from lacking a coat of varnish, it wasn't inferior to a proper walking stick sold in a store...
Even if Captain Yang had been inclined to snap a sapling and make one for himself, at that moment he couldn't bring himself to do it.
No comparison, no pain.
At the time, Captain Yang didn't want to appear as though he was jumping on the bandwagon making sticks, nor did he want to reveal that his craftsmanship was several mountains below Song Shiyue's, so the idea of making a stick for himself got shelved.
Once he'd shelved it back when everyone else was making theirs, with him the only one left without, it became even harder to pick up.
The mountain had thick trees and tall grass; without anything in his hands, even knowing Ni Jinghe behind him carried antivenom and that he had snake repellent on him, Captain Yang still walked with a fair amount of trepidation. That whole climb had his legs aching.
Now, seeing every one of those people with a walking stick in each hand, Captain Yang, though he wouldn't deliberately make things difficult over it anymore, certainly wasn't in a cheerful mood.
"Next, we'll proceed to tonight's camp via zipline." Captain Yang had been walking ahead and, of course, had overheard Ning Chuyang and the others behind him. He added, "The ziplines here are longer than the ones on Amusement Planet, with more platforms and longer individual spans. If you're thinking of treating this like an amusement ride, I suggest you stop right now."
As Captain Yang said this, his expression was flat; while not exactly a friendly warning, neither did it carry the nitpicking, bone-picking attitude of the previous day.
Yu Nianbing glanced at the iron cable partially hidden by the pavilion pillars behind Captain Yang and asked, "What do you mean by 'stop right now'? If we don't take the zipline, do we have to camp right here?"
"Not exactly. Come up and take a look." Captain Yang shook his head, then turned and led the way into the wooden pavilion.
The wooden pavilion was truly just a few poles and planks thrown together, open to the wind on all sides, only elevated by a few steps above the flat ground and several times larger than an ordinary pavilion — nothing else complicated about it.
The group followed Captain Yang up, and when they reached the other side of the pavilion, the zipline, which they'd only been able to see in rough outline before, finally showed its true face.
True faces, plural.
"That's the route the production team will be taking in a bit." Captain Yang pointed to the cable-car gondola beside the pavilion, which they hadn't noticed earlier.
"The production team rides the gondola down?" Guan Yongyi eyed the sturdy-looking gondola, which could easily seat three or four people at once, then pointed to the bare single iron cable on the other side. "And we just hang ourselves from that and go down?"
"The production team, acting as support, will also take your backpacks down. You only need to bring a water bottle with you." Captain Yang's gaze moved to the iron cable Guan Yongyi had indicated. "On our descent, we'll cross a total of fifty platforms; it should take roughly two hours. Of course, if someone is slow and holds up the group, it'll be more than two hours. For safety reasons, once the sun sets, no matter what platform we're on, we cannot continue using the zipline and must descend to the ground and proceed on foot. As you can see, walking will definitely take longer than the zipline. If all goes well, by zipline we can reach tonight's camp before it gets completely dark. If we go down and walk, we'll be traveling into the night."
"The zipline you used on Amusement Planet — did it have platforms too?" Mu Xingzhou lowered his voice slightly and leaned over toward Ning Chuyang.
"Twenty-five platforms, five of us in a group, and it took an hour and a half to finish." Ning Chuyang's arithmetic was average, but with a moment's thought anyone could see the difference here.
"Then I guess we're going to be traveling into the night..." Mu Xingzhou had figured it out too.
The two spoke softly, but not evasively, so everyone heard.
Captain Yang's lips curled into that rather unpleasant smile again. "Now, we'll give you three choices. The recommended option is this zipline — as long as you complete the fifty platforms within two hours, you'll reach the evening camp quickly. Along the way, simply by completing some minor challenges, you can earn small perks for tonight's stay. Of course, if you don't finish the fifty platforms before dark, you'll have to descend and walk, and any perks you haven't yet encountered will naturally be forfeited."
As Captain Yang explained the rules to the participants, within the production team that had stopped not far from the pavilion, Wang Daming was remarking with some emotion, "Looking at it now, Captain Yang seems a lot friendlier and more reliable, doesn't he? He's leading the team pretty well."
Out of the corner of his eye, Director Zhang swept a glance at Wang Daming but did not concur.
Watching from the side, Feng Qianqian also gave a somewhat helpless little shake of her head.
The smile at the corner of Captain Yang's mouth when he started presenting the three choices had distinctly carried a hint of scorn.
On the surface, Captain Yang had been fairly cooperative all through today's journey — except for forgetting the trekking poles — doing his job of leading or explaining when required. Apart from not bonding with the team members, he almost seemed like an acceptable leader.
But for some people, a leopard can't change its spots.
Compromise and dormancy could never completely mask his true heart.
Captain Yang, of course, knew nothing of the production team's various private thoughts. Right now he cleared his throat and began to explain the second choice. "If you don't choose the zipline, the second option is to start walking down the mountain from here. I should also mention, tonight's camp is a bit below the mountainside of that mountain opposite. If you walk the whole way and push hard, you'd probably arrive sometime after midnight."
This remark from Captain Yang naturally nearly made everyone fail to suppress the urge to complain.
Who on earth would be insane enough to walk through the whole night?
At this point, Captain Yang scrutinized everyone's expressions. Seeing no one seemed to be considering the second option, he couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.
I was hoping someone had a fear of heights...
Captain Yang's covert anticipation, of course, went unknown by the group. Guan Yongyi was the first to urge Captain Yang to hurry up and tell them the last choice.
"The third choice is to go with the production team via the cable-car gondola. As you can see, this gondola slides directly to the mountainside opposite. Mechanically controlled, smooth and steady, no detours, no stopping — a quick direct trip." Not one to keep them in suspense, Captain Yang spat out the final choice in one go.
Listening to that, if you could pick option three, anyone who chose one or two would be a fool.
"I don't believe there's such a good deal. If you go with the production team, there has to be some punishment, right?" Ning Chuyang's mind worked fast and her mouth wasn't slow.
Captain Yang had nothing to hide. "Going with the production team on the cable-car gondola means that once you get to camp, you can start building your own lean-to shelter. No wooden cabin, no tent, no overnight gear whatsoever; no sharing, no crashing. The pros and cons have been stated in advance — this is your own choice."
At that, the third option finally sounded a bit normal.
"You have a few minutes to discuss, then we're off." Captain Yang said this, then began unfastening his backpack and pulling out his water bottle.
"Is the zipline really fun?" Guan Yongyi looked toward Ning Chuyang, hesitant.
"For someone who isn't afraid of heights, it's quite interesting. On Amusement Planet, the iron-cable spans between platforms weren't very long, only a few long ones at most. Some of the stretches between platforms were just wooden bridges you walked across — not all ziplines." Ning Chuyang nodded, then looked at the iron cables stretching down into the mountain forest below and hesitated. "This looks a bit longer than the one I played on, but I think we can still handle it..."
"Choosing the zipline is definitely the smartest move." Zhuang Jiachuan glanced at the production team in the distance. "They've built a whole zipline setup here, so they definitely want us to take it. As for the third option, it's probably there in case any of us is too scared to go, so they don't have to leave someone behind."
"Then what about the second choice, walking directly?" Guan Yongyi asked.
Mu Xingzhou tugged at the corner of his mouth and grinned. "Probably meant as a joke."
No matter how acrophobic someone was, getting into a gondola was just a matter of closing your eyes for a short while before you'd be on the other side. No matter how rough the sleeping conditions were or how much manual labor was required, it was still better than walking until after midnight, where what sleep you got was barely any sleep at all. This wasn't the last day of filming — if they walked through the night, the days ahead would be utterly miserable.
From the moment Captain Yang had started explaining the zipline and the three options, Yu Nianbing had forced herself to temporarily forget about Ning Chuyang's earlier invitation for mutual massaging that evening. But only moments after she'd refocused on the matter at hand, she sensed something off about Song Shiyue.
Three options, crystal clear — any normal person would pick the first. There was no reason to think twice.
Yet, oddly enough, Song Shiyue still seemed to be pondering.
This made Yu Nianbing unable to help but suspect that Song Shiyue had some other idea in mind.
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