The doors to the 16 private boxes closed again, and everything was quiet as if nothing had happened.
...
...
Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi.
A Chinese man was constantly checking his watch, and beside him were six other Chinese people carrying hiking backpacks.
These people were wearing expensive outdoor brands such as Arc'teryx, Climber, and Kailas, and they all looked distinguished and wealthy.
Of course, climbing Mount Everest is very expensive, and poor people can't afford to climb it.
First, there's the equipment. Just talking about clothing, you need to prepare a waterproof jacket for an altitude of 5,000 meters, as well as a professional down jacket and mountaineering boots for an altitude of 8,000 meters that can withstand temperatures as low as -40 degrees Celsius.
Each item is quite valuable, and the total cost is at least 80,000 yuan.
Secondly, Nepal now has requirements for climbers of Mount Everest. At the very least, they must meet the '5678' principle: they must have climbed snow-capped mountains at altitudes of 5,000 meters, 6,000 meters, and 7,000 meters and obtained certificates before they can climb to an altitude of 8,000 meters.
Of course, it's possible to bypass this standard, but that requires paying an even higher fee to have the tour guide bribe someone. Qingchen and Yangyang each paid an extra 350,000 RMB to qualify for the tour.
Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to climb Mount Everest.
Furthermore, obtaining an official mountaineering permit from Nepal costs US$11,000 in spring, US$5,500 in autumn, and US$2,750 in other seasons.
Finally, joining a reliable adventure company typically costs around 350,000 RMB per person, which includes the cost of a Sherpa guide.
All these expenses combined are definitely beyond the reach of ordinary people.
Qingchen originally wanted to find a private tour guide so that even if any danger occurred, it wouldn't be like when the film crew went north to shoot locations, endangering ordinary people.
But he later discovered something and changed his strategy.
Outside Gandhi International Airport.
"Xiao Zhang, I heard that those two young men who haven't arrived yet have never even been above 5,000 meters in altitude before?" a middle-aged man asked the tour guide. "You guys really dare to charge any kind of money, aren't you afraid they'll run into some kind of problem on Mount Everest?"
The young man named Xiao Zhang looked embarrassed: "Mr. Liu, they're giving too much... an extra 350,000 yuan per person. Actually, even a slightly less professional team wouldn't need to give that much. But as you know, I'm currently the most professional person in China for the South Face summit, and they probably want to find the most reliable person."
"Huh?" The middle-aged man addressed as General Manager Liu paused for a moment, "How old are they?"
“I heard that the couple is 17 years old,” the tour guide Xiao Zhang explained. “Their physical fitness is definitely not a problem, and they have also promised that if they fail the training at an altitude of 5,400 meters, they will not go any higher.”
“Where would a 17-year-old get so much money? He doesn’t even have a job yet, where would he get over a million?” Mr. Liu’s wife asked curiously, “Is he some rich kid?”
Xiao Zhang shook his head: "I don't know, their identities are kept secret."
Mr. Liu's wife said, "He's so young and already so extravagant."
However, Mr. Liu suddenly said in an annoyed tone, "I think they are much better than your son. They spent over a million to climb Mount Everest, while your son spent over ten million to buy a sports car and flaunts it at school every day. Aren't they better than your son?"
Mr. Liu's wife's face immediately changed: "Isn't my son your son? You have so much money, why can't he spend it? He should be a scumbag while he's in school, so that he'll meet more girls and won't be easily tricked after graduation."
Mr. Liu turned his head away without saying anything, seemingly too lazy to argue.
Mr. Liu was going to summit, while his wife only accompanied him to the 5400-meter base camp, where she waited for him to come down.
There were four other people in the team, three men and one woman, who did not know each other and came from all over China.
As everyone was introducing themselves, someone next to them said with a smile, "Sorry, we arrived right on time. We didn't expect you to arrive early. You must have been waiting for us for a while. Sorry, sorry."
Everyone turned to look and were surprised to see Yangyang and Qingchen carrying huge hiking backpacks. Both of them had covered their faces with windproof scarves, so their specific appearances could not be seen.
The tour guide, Xiao Zhang, looked at Qingchen and said, "What... what's in your backpack? This is the largest capacity backpack, right? But it's for use below 3,000 meters. There's no lack of oxygen there, so it doesn't matter if you carry a heavy load. But we're going to Mount Everest. Just hiking to the base camp will take eight days. The altitude will keep increasing. You won't be able to handle it."
Ordinary people will start to experience oxygen deficiency at an altitude of 4,000 meters, and even jumping around can trigger altitude sickness.
Qingchen, who had never been above 5,000 meters in altitude, was now carrying such a huge hiking backpack, and was immediately seen as an amateur by everyone.
Mr. Liu looked at Qingchen and Yangyang and said, “It’s good that you two young people are ambitious. It’s better than wasting money at home. At least you’re better than my son. But when it comes to climbing Mount Everest, you really have to be realistic about your abilities. I prepared for the day I reached the summit for two years and climbed 6,000 meters above sea level more than ten times. You inexperienced mountaineering enthusiasts really shouldn’t try to be brave.”
A young companion nearby also advised, "In an oxygen-deprived environment, your brain will stop functioning. What you're doing is too dangerous. What are you carrying in there?"
Qingchen said, "Canned food, a small stove, freeze-dried vegetables, and the like. I heard the food there is terrible for a month, and they can't even transport things upstairs, so I brought some with me..."
“You’re not going there to enjoy life,” Mr. Liu shook his head helplessly. “Young people have to be able to endure hardship. How can you carry so much stuff up Mount Everest…”
Qingchen smiled and explained, "I think I can handle it. Don't worry, I'm in excellent physical condition... If I really can't handle it, I'll lose some things. Also, if we really can't make it, we'll wait for you to come back from Everest Base Camp. We won't push ourselves."
Yangyang chimed in with a smile, "Yes, he has great stamina."
Qing Chen: "..."
He always felt that Yangyang was making suggestive remarks again, but he had no proof.
Tour guide Xiao Zhang sighed and looked at everyone: "Alright, let's check in and go through security now. Everyone must be careful to conserve your energy, because a long test awaits you once we arrive in Kathmandu. According to the plan, we will rest for 7 days at an altitude of 5400 meters for glacier training, then conduct acclimatization training at the 7200-meter altitude of C3 point, and return to base camp for 5 days to prepare for the final sprint. We expect to reach the summit on May 2nd and descend before the black storm arrives! Let's go!"
Airplanes take off and land.
After a short rest in Kathmandu, the group immediately set off, planning to trek for eight days to reach Everest Base Camp.
Day 1 of hiking.
Tour guide Xiao Zhang kept an eye on Qing Chen's physical fitness on the way. As a result, Qing Chen kept saying that he was in good physical condition, but he showed signs of fatigue on the first day.
Throughout the march, it lagged behind the rest of the group, walking very slowly.
This doesn't look like someone in good physical condition at all!
As you continue walking, the altitude will increase, and the physical burden will become heavier!
He advised, "Really, don't insist anymore. If you get pulmonary edema at this high altitude, no amount of money can save your life."
Faced with the advice, Qingchen only responded slowly, "It's okay, I can still manage."
Tour guide Xiao Zhang: "..."
The next day, Qingchen had even more difficulty walking and even began to sway.
Yangyang took some things out of his bag and put them in her own hiking backpack.
Qing Chen asked in a low voice, "Am I convincing?"
"Like, I won't watch the next Oscars without you."
Chapter 720, The Noble Young Master
Countdown 06:00:00.
On the second night of the trek to Everest Base Camp, tour guide Xiao Zhang led everyone to Nanchi Market.
This is the last human town. All the merchants live here, and a large number of mountaineers also gather here as a short stopover.
Every spring, the Nanchi Market becomes bustling and crowded, with a diverse mix of ethnicities, resembling a United Nations event. You can also see foreign hikers performing performance art or magic tricks here.
Here, people lit bonfires and gathered outside the town to do their final rest and ease their fear of the world's highest peak.
As night fell, our tour guide, Xiao Zhang, led everyone to sit in a spacious room. He then said with a smile, "Let's all introduce ourselves. We'll be spending the next thirty-odd days together, so let's get to know each other. Having climbed Everest together, we've formed a bond that's been through thick and thin. Of course, I hope everyone will refrain from lending each other money, and that you'll maintain this principle even after you return home."
At night in high-altitude areas, the temperature has already begun to drop, and everyone is huddled indoors wearing windproof jackets, each holding a cup of hot mountain tea.
Inside the room, Mr. Liu began by introducing himself: "My name is Liu Shuangxi. I run a clothing business in China and am a passionate mountaineering enthusiast. If I don't climb a mountain two or three times a year, I feel restless. I especially love the moment I reach the summit. The immense sense of exhilaration makes me feel that nothing in the world can defeat or break me."
When it was Mr. Liu's wife's turn: "I am his wife, my name is Zhang Yan. Our family has a very big clothing business. If you need clothes when you go back to China, just let me know and I will send you a box each."
A young man inside the room said, "My name is Jiang Ming. I am a fund manager in China and also a mountaineering enthusiast."
The team consists of eight people. Besides the Liu couple and Jiang Ming, there are two other men who are senior executives of major domestic internet companies. They have just resigned and are preparing to start their own business, and they want to free their minds before starting their own business.
The last woman was a travel blogger who lived alone.
Everyone turned their attention to Qingchen and Yangyang.
Qing Chen said, "Qing Xiaotu is just an ordinary student, and his resume isn't as impressive as yours."
"Yangyang is just an ordinary student."
"Hey, you two should be in your final year of high school, right? Don't you need to take the college entrance exam?" Liu Shuangxi asked.
“We were recommended for admission,” Qingchen explained with a smile.
Liu Shuang asked curiously, "You're all so young, how did you come up with the idea of climbing Mount Everest?"
Yangyang explained, "We're here for our honeymoon."
Mr. Liu's wife was sipping her hot tea when she heard this and spat out the water: "What the hell?"
Jiang Ming, who was standing nearby, suddenly said, "Could you please take off your face masks? We still don't know what you two look like."
Qingchen hesitated for a moment, but finally took off his face mask.
Everyone in the room was stunned. Qingchen's face was covered with blue cracks, as if the glacier at dawn was crumbling.
Qing Chen looked extremely tired, almost unrecognizable, as if he couldn't adapt to the high-altitude climate at all.
He explained slowly, "This is a tattoo. I covered my face before because I was afraid of scaring everyone."
Liu Shuangxi sighed and shook his head: "Young people don't know how important their face is. You just like pursuing fun and exciting things too much. You even got tattoos on your faces. How are you going to face people in the future? It will affect your work and business!"
His wife tugged at his sleeve: "What's it to you? Shut up."
Seeing that the atmosphere in the room was not right, the tour guide, Xiao Zhang, quickly said, "Everyone must be tired after hiking all day. Let's all go back to our rooms and rest."
At this moment, Mr. Liu's wife took out a few small bags: "These are Rhodiola rosea for everyone. After taking them, they can quickly increase the growth rate of oxygen-carrying red blood cells and increase the ability to resist altitude. They are not expensive. I have prepared one for each person."
Yangyang took it and smiled sweetly, saying, "Thank you, Aunt Zhang."
The crowd dispersed.
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...
Return countdown 01:00:00.
In a few small houses on the edge of Nanchi Market, people whispered among themselves: "The target has been confirmed to have ice-blue markings on his face and is currently in a normal human state. We can make our move. We must act quickly and decisively, and not give him a chance to travel to the underworld to alleviate the poison."
The implication is that Qingchen and Yangyang may have already been poisoned.
"Roger that. Do not use drones. Do not alert the target beforehand. If he discovers our operation, everyone will die."
As they spoke, the two teams, totaling 24 people, quickly left the house. One team consisted of Asians, while the other was composed of Black and White people.
They were highly skilled in combat, and the Asian squad quickly moved through the low-rise houses in the town.