Live Streaming: Great Adventure in the Wilderness

Chapter 372: 370 All is Ready

Chapter 372: Chapter 370 All is Ready

The elevator doors opened, and a tide of noise flooded in, accompanied by billowing black smoke.

Bi Fang coughed twice, and as the black smoke cleared, he stared at the office in astonishment. To those in the know, it was Yao Jun’s office, but to the unknowing, it might have seemed like the entrance to a rock band’s recording studio during a fire.

Yao Jun set down his wrench, leaned against the wall to turn on the light. There was no Vanguard Band, just an antique engine roaring loudly, its chains and gears clicking together like the interlocking teeth of a skeleton, continuously emitting thick smoke, like a dark steed from Hell.

Bang!

A crisp cracking sound erupted.

Bi Fang dodged the flying part that had apparently long been plotting its escape, which flew past and left a shallow dent on the gray-white wall. Annoyed, Bi Fang kicked a wrench off the floor and said, “Where did you dig up this old relic? Are you planning to drive it in an off-road race or something?”

Yao Jun wiped the sweat from his forehead, leaving a black smear of engine oil, and explained excitedly, “It’s not mine; it’s an antique my old man collected. A few days ago, he suddenly remembered this thing and wanted to ride it, only to find it was broken, the engine wouldn’t even turn. He insisted that I fix it. I’ve been busy all day, and it seems to be in worse shape now. Some parts have been discontinued and are hard to buy.”

“Can’t you get someone else to fix it?”

Yao Jun shook his head, “Nope, the old man specifically named me to do the repair.”

“Why?” Bi Fang was curious, “It’s not like you broke… Okay, no need to say more, I get it.”

Bi Fang covered his eyes, feeling mentally exhausted.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Yao Jun chuckled and cleared a path through the cluttered office, then asked in confusion, “How come you thought to look for me? The club still needs some time. Although most of the equipment is in place, we still need to fine-tune it. We’re planning to release some tickets first, do a trial run. The online model isn’t finished either. Didn’t you say last time that you would recommend someone for it?”

“Forget it, I can’t even get in touch with that person anymore. Let’s talk about it later. If I can’t reach them by May, you’ll have to find someone yourself.” Bi Fang found a spot to sit down and casually offered an explanation. He had intended to lend a hand, but what could he do if he couldn’t find the person?

Yao Jun nodded; after all, it wasn’t charity work – they couldn’t really delay the project for one person. He handed Bi Fang a cup of tea, saying thoughtfully, “That was really close. I saw it all on screen, those guns flashing – it made my eyes hurt and my heart almost jump out. Did you manage to catch them? You got half their faces on camera, even though the lighting was blurry, it shouldn’t be difficult, right?”

Unexpectedly, Bi Fang shook his head, which took Yao Jun by surprise.

“You got their pictures yet you can’t catch them?”

“It’s tough!” Bi Fang took a sip of tea to moisten his throat, “You don’t run around outside much, so you don’t know much about this stuff. It’s not as simple as just identifying who’s the problem and making a decision. Besides, if it was just some small fry, it’d be one thing, but from their setup, it’s clear that they are organized, and definitely not small.”

That night it was too far to estimate the size of the ship, but a vessel that could hold a hundred people was certainly not small.

The overall quality of the adversary was not something ordinary gangs could match. Compared to the Bandit Gangs, it was like a game of downgraded combat, not just in terms of weapons and equipment, but also overall capability.

Command prohibited, neat and orderly, to cultivate such a team quality, Bi Fang couldn’t think of any place other than the military.

Once any organizational structure becomes large, it becomes difficult to deal with – not easily overthrown by a blurry photo, especially overseas.

“If you can’t deal with them, doesn’t that mean you’re in danger? The enemy won’t seek revenge, will they?” Yao Jun suddenly got scared after hearing this. They were a whole gang of tough bandits – Bi Fang had taken photos, made them publicly known; wasn’t he, in essence, offending them? “Should I and Lin Chang think of a way to help you keep it under wraps?”

“No need. It’s been a long time; everyone online knows by now. What’s the point of fixing it now? And if I had the guts to do it, I’m not afraid of them either,” said Bi Fang with a shrug, appearing unconcerned. “Do you think reality is the same as in the movies, where offending someone means you have to root them out? The more organized the group, the more they care about how they do things. As long as they do a little research, they’d realize that I’m just a streamer. The photo was an accidental shot, not an intentional pursuit. Since it’s accidental, there’s nothing to be done after the fact.”

“Unless you’re archenemies, the adversary won’t take special measures to seek revenge, unless you run into each other again by chance. But that’s even less likely. I was just visiting Ruins City once – essentially, I’m still a wilderness streamer. The odds of going to that kind of place are almost zero. It’s not likely that they would be running around in the wilderness, right? That would be way out of their jurisdiction.”

Though both involve illegal trafficking, humans and animals represent entirely different matters, with completely separate supply chains and clients. Developing both is exceptionally difficult as they are two unrelated chains of interest.

Either of these activities can be extremely profitable, but likewise, the risks are immense. Doubling down on risks isn’t as simple as one plus one; it escalates exponentially. However, perfecting one over the other can eventually lead to an over-abundance of wealth.

Bi Fang didn’t believe the other party was capable of successfully handling both sides of operation simultaneously and with equal robustness.

If that were really the case, then the organization must be so massive that even he could hardly imagine its scale.

After listening for a while, Yao Jun thought he understood. In essence, from now on, Bi Fang would only venture into the wilderness and wouldn’t cross paths with the thugs capturing people in the city. However, he was still somewhat concerned, “But I always feel… ”

“You need to understand one thing, if the other side was truly capable of handling both, then my personal worries would be utterly pointless.”

If things were really headed towards the worst-case scenario, what use would his concerns be? Could he just stay at home forever and never go out?

Bi Fang tapped his temple and said with a smile, “Human worries often stem from overthinking and negative speculation about situations, not from the facts themselves, but from ‘thoughts’ that trouble us. Once you start fearing the future that you imagine, you will hesitate to move forward.”

“Being afraid of these guys does me no good beyond keeping me awake at night.”

What he could do was continue to grow stronger, to blossom brilliantly on the path of adventure, making himself more formidable—that was what truly mattered.

Yao Jun’s eyes widened, and for a moment, he was lost in thought until Bi Fang waved his hand in front of his face to snap him out of it.

“What’s up?”

Yao Jun didn’t answer but instead exclaimed with surprise, “Impressive!”

Bi Fang replied irritably, “Cut the nonsense. You’ve got me off track. I forgot what I came here for. We’ve strayed too far from the topic. I came to you because I need something.”

“Just say it. Whatever help I can provide, I surely will!”

“I want to borrow some of your equipment. I’ve got a big plan.”

“No problem! Take as much as you need! I can afford it! But can you share a bit about your plan? Are you sure you don’t need a rest? This could be dangerous.”

Upon hearing what Bi Fang said, Yao Jun immediately became serious. The city expedition was too dangerous, full of deadly risks, and even the spectators were terrified the entire journey, let alone Bi Fang who experienced it firsthand.

Yao Jun, a fellow adventure enthusiast, knew all too well how draining such intense live streaming could be on one’s vitality.

It’s like someone pouring all their energy into doing something, and after it’s done, they might need a long time to feel spirited again. Being in a relaxed yet exhausted state, both physically and mentally, taking on any high-risk activity could indeed lead to an accident.

The simplest analogy would be feeling extremely tired for several hours after a math exam, and Bi Fang’s high-intensity live broadcasting was certainly no less taxing, requiring at least a week to recover.

Yao Jun had thought that Bi Fang would take some time to rest after returning this time, but to his surprise, he was already planning something big. As both the top regular in the live stream and a real-life friend of Bi Fang, Yao Jun really wanted to see him create miracles, yet he didn’t want him to risk any harm.

Especially since Bi Fang was so young, there was a real concern that he might become reckless due to his popularity and the encouragement of certain overzealous fans, heedlessly attempting to push his limits, challenging even higher human peaks.

After all, the journey of adventure, if truly pursued, is endless!

Humans have peaks, but adventure does not! The spirit of adventure does not!

Bi Fang waved his hand, “Don’t worry, I know what you’re thinking. I’m not going to be reckless. I’m just borrowing equipment first. I plan to go abroad early and train for at least a month before I take action.”

Yao Jun finally breathed a sigh of relief. Bi Fang continued, “I plan to train for a month and then challenge the snowy mountains!”

Train for a month and then challenge the snowy mountains?

Even Master Fang needs to train for a month before he dares to challenge them, and he even came to him specifically to borrow equipment. The difficulty must be quite significant, right?

Yao Jun took a sip of his tea, “Are you talking about the Alps or the Alaska Range? Or maybe…”

“It’s Mount Everest.”

“Spit! Cough cough cough, cough cough cough!”

Yao Jun suddenly sprayed the tea from his mouth, choking on the tea leaves through his nose, gasping for breath as he leaned on the office desk. It took him a while to pull out tissues to clean his face and catch his breath.

Awesome, my brother!

Yao Jun was completely flustered. Damn it, you’re talking about climbing the world’s highest peak? What’s with the sudden career switch from wilderness host to extreme sports? Can you not joke about this, please?

Are you here to borrow props?

Why not borrow a coffin while you’re at it?

Considering our long friendship, I will spend a fortune to craft you an agarwood urn, ensuring your remains will smell pleasant even after death!

Bi Fang smiled and didn’t continue to tease Yao Jun. Unlike laymen like Matthew and Hask, Yao Jun was very knowledgeable about various extreme sports, especially the notorious Mount Everest, and he was well aware of the difficulties involved, not something that could be easily fooled by a few words.

But Bi Fang knew his goal. This was not just a System task; if he couldn’t climb Mount Everest once in his lifetime, he would regret it forever.

“You’re not a layman, so you should know that there aren’t only Mount Everest above eight thousand meters in the world, but a total of fourteen peaks. Though Everest is the tallest, it is not the most difficult. Everest doesn’t even make the top ten in difficulty. And I’m not looking to challenge the most challenging one, Annapurna I. If it were that, I wouldn’t even think about it unless I had half a year of training.”

Yao Jun was speechless, unable to refute Bi Fang’s nonchalant attitude as if it was the most natural thing in the world, only managing a weak counterargument, “It’s still Everest though.”

“It’s already April. The best climbing window is approaching, and I don’t want to wait another year. The seed of adventure has already been planted; waiting another year would drive me insane. After a year, it will burst through my skull and grow out of my brain. Do you understand?”

Bi Fang placed his hand on his Heavenly Spirit Cover, spreading his fingers as if a large tree were truly sprouting from it, making the viewer’s eyelids twitch uncontrollably.

“Ah this, ah this…”

Bi Fang patted Yao Jun on the shoulder earnestly, “If you don’t want to see me become a plant person with a plant growing out of my head after a year, then support me.”

Yao Jun was at a loss for words. With the conversation at this point, what more could he say? If the other party had truly decided, he had no right to stop it.

“This is too crazy!”

“You’re only thirty. Isn’t that the age to be crazy?”

“Goddamn it, go for it! If you die, don’t come haunting me as a ghost!”

“Ha ha ha, don’t worry. If I really die, it will be on Goddess Peak, returning to the embrace of Nature. Why would I bother you, a smelly man?”

“Have you told Wang Yongbo?”

“No, he’s older and doesn’t have your capacity for stress. I was afraid the shock might kill him.”

Yao Jun: “…”

On April 17th, the day after returning to the country, Bi Fang checked his equipment in person and sealed the bag. All the gear was provided by Yao Jun alone, whose collection could only be described as terrifying.

Ice axes, snow goggles, gloves, even moisture-wicking breathable socks—everything was there.

Just one of these sealed bags contained equipment worth millions, and Bi Fang had prepared three of these bags.

Even amateur mountaineering, meeting only the most basic requirements, costs at least 200,000 RMB.

It is worth noting that due to various factors such as weather, not every investment guarantees summiting success. In other words, tens of thousands of yuan could potentially be wasted in one trip.

For a non-amateur climber fulfilling the highest possible needs, an expedition could cost millions, which is not an exaggeration.

The trip to the snowy mountains is unlike any other adventure, extremely intense. The more extreme the sport, the higher the demand for equipment, from major items down to a pair of socks, attention to detail is crucial.

Even though System-provided equipment is of higher quality, with the Points Bi Fang had accumulated after surviving Ruins City, it was impossible to collect so much gear all at once. However, he managed to get something useful in the System’s store.

“Universal Prop Coupon.”

Considering Bi Fang had come to borrow equipment from Yao Jun, the function of this coupon was self-evident.

“Phew, next I need to contact Jerret and his group, and finally tell Wang Yongbo about it. I’m really afraid he won’t be able to handle it.”

Bi Fang wiped the sweat from his forehead. The climb to Mount Everest was genuinely an extreme journey where a single mistake could mean sudden death. Therefore, he wanted everything to be as perfect as possible, leaving no room for regrets.

That’s why he needed to get in touch with Jerret, a top-tier photography team in the industry.

Thinking of contacting them, Bi Fang habitually opened the System store. Today was the store refresh day, and he wanted to see if there was anything good since he hadn’t spent Points on gear, and he still had plenty left.

His gaze skimmed past some typical equipment, and suddenly, a gleaming skill coupon caught his eye.

Bi Fang’s breathing grew heavier for a moment.

“Oxygen Uptake Index Enhancement Coupon*1”