High-Altitude Worker, Unfortunately a Cannon Fodder Female Supporting Role - Chapter 16

Director Qu’s voice carried a note of urgency. “Anyone near the stream, check on Huang Sumu’s group. What’s the situation? We’re sending drones to search from our end.”

Zhao Ke pressed the walkie-talkie button and replied quickly, “Guan Guan, Teacher Qi, and I are nearby. We’re heading there now.”

The three exchanged glances. Qi Xinshu spoke first, “After Lao Huang and his team separated from us yesterday, they continued north along the stream. If we follow the stream upstream, we should find them.”

“Agreed,” Zhao Ke and Guan Muya nodded in agreement.

The trio quickly cleared away the overgrown vegetation blocking their path and hurried north.

After about ten minutes of walking, Yin Wenyuan’s figure appeared on another trail. His brow was furrowed with worry, deeply concerned about his colleagues’ sudden disappearance.

The sudden loss of contact with three people in the wilderness immediately conjured worst-case scenarios.

A dark green tent stood conspicuously by the riverbank, next to a pile of firewood that had recently been extinguished, still smoldering faintly.

Apart from the absence of people, everything seemed perfectly normal.

“Huang Sumu! Yu Huizhou!” Qi Xinshu called out tentatively, but his shouts only startled a few birds into flight.

Zhao Ke set down her bulky gear beside the tent. “The Live Stream Comments said they followed the stream upstream, entered a cave, and then lost contact. I have a suggestion.”

The cave entrance wasn’t far from the tent, and Zhao Ke and the others found it within minutes.

Guan Muya frowned as Zhao Ke pulled out a climbing rope, tying one end to a tree near the cave entrance and the other around her waist. Her eyes were filled with worry. “Is this safe? Are you sure it’ll work?”

Zhao Ke’s voice remained steady. “If the rope doesn’t move for a minute, try pulling me back. According to the Live Stream Comments, they shouldn’t have gone too deep.”

Zhao Ke was fully equipped, carrying a compass, military knife, and flashlight—everything she needed.

Yin Wenyuan stepped forward, his voice grave. “Why don’t I go with you? At least we’d have each other’s backs.”

“No, there’s only one rope. Even if something goes wrong, I can handle myself. Let me scout ahead first. If it’s safe, you can follow.” Zhao Ke analyzed the situation and decided to proceed alone.

Without another word, she raised her livestreaming stick and flashlight in her left hand, her gloved right hand hovering near the military knife at her thigh, and ventured into the darkness.

The livestream audience surged to record numbers.

Ahhh, so nervous!

This time, I’m watching every detail!

Inside the cave, the uneven ground was puddled with water, each step sending up a sharp splash.

The stench of decay and dampness filled her nostrils. The flashlight beam revealed only ordinary rock walls, devoid of even stalactites.

Just a typical cave, Zhao Ke thought.

After walking a short distance further, the narrow passage, barely two or three meters wide, suddenly widened into a vast, pitch-black cavern. The flashlight’s feeble beam couldn’t penetrate the darkness to reach the opposite wall.

Zhao Ke stopped, tilting her head back to gaze at the cavern’s invisible ceiling. The boundless darkness amplified her imagination, as if the mountain were nothing but an empty shell, and one more step would cause it to collapse and bury her.

How could it be this big? Which way should I go?

This place is huge! How am I supposed to find three people in here?

Maybe I should just turn back, Zhao Ke, and wait for professional rescue.

Ahhh, Lao Huang and Xiao Yu, you absolutely can’t be hurt! (And even though I hate Qiao Qinglu, I hope you’re okay too.)

Suddenly, Zhao Ke’s gaze fell to her side.

The sudden widening of the cavern created an abrupt turn in the rock wall. She reached out, tracing her fingers along the vertical grooves etched into the stone at the corner. The flashlight’s beam revealed similar regular patterns across the entire visible surface of the wall.

“These were made by machines,” she said aloud.

“This space isn’t naturally formed. It’s an old mining site, or some other kind of factory.”

Under natural conditions, caves wouldn’t exhibit such peculiar terrain. Moreover, Zhao Ke heard no sound of water, proving there was no underground river eroding the cave.

Only mining operations could have caused such extensive damage to the mountain. After the workers finished extracting the resources, they withdrew, leaving behind this bizarre spectacle that deters uninformed explorers.

That makes sense. The patterns look a lot like marble quarrying.

Where are Huang Sumu and the others? How big is this mine?

Zhao Ke took two quick steps forward.

Typically, mine entrances are connected to a flat area used for transporting carts. Beyond that, the tunnels would descend deeper into the earth.

Focusing her flashlight on the ground, Zhao Ke confirmed her suspicion: a massive cliff suddenly loomed ahead.

She stopped abruptly and leaned over the edge to peer down.

“Yu Huizhou!” she called out.

As her flashlight beam swept down the cliff face, three slumped figures abruptly appeared at the bottom, nearly four stories below.

Hearing her shout, the trio, who had been slumped on the ground, quickly looked up.

“Zhao Ke, is that you? We’re down here!” Huang Sumu waved his arms excitedly.

Ahhh, everyone’s alive! That’s wonderful!

Why do I suddenly feel like crying?

The weight on my heart has finally lifted.

Zhao Ke crouched at the cliff’s edge. “Wait a moment, I’ll get you up right away.”

She picked up her walkie-talkie. “Guan Guan, can you hear me? We’ve found them. Untie the rope from the tree and lower it into the cave. Be careful.”

“You found them? That’s great! We’re coming right now!” a cheer erupted from the other end.

Zhao Ke’s rope was too short to reach the bottom of the cliff, so she needed to find a new anchor point to descend and rescue them.

“Is anyone injured?” Zhao Ke called down.

“We’re mostly okay. The soil down here is soft. Teacher Qiao and I are fine, but Xiao Yu twisted his ankle when he fell,” Huang Sumu replied, his thoughts clear and his words steady.

Yu Huizhou had twisted his ankle, so Huang Sumu had him rest against a nearby wall after they fell. Qiao Qinglu, completely shaken, sat clutching her mouth and sobbing. After a few attempts to comfort her proved futile, Huang Sumu focused on finding a way to escape. However, the weak signal at the cliff’s base had cut off their live stream, and the steep, sheer rock face made climbing out impossible without assistance.

Soon, Guan Muya and the others arrived, half-running, half-walking, to Zhao Ke’s side.

“Careful, don’t get too close to the edge!” Zhao Ke warned urgently, fearing they might lose their footing and fall.

The cave was dimly lit, and Huang Sumu and his companions had fallen because they hadn’t seen the path clearly.

Zhao Ke hammered climbing pitons into the rock wall with the hilt of her combat knife, creating anchor points. After tugging on the climbing rope several times to ensure it was secure, she slowly rappelled down the cliff face.

She handed her live stream stick to Guan Muya.

But how is Zhao Ke going to get them back up?

Even with only three people up there, pulling them up directly would be exhausting.

Zhao Ke quickly answered the live stream’s questions. She braced her feet against the cliff wall, her entire body suspended in mid-air, supported only by the tension of the rope.

Calmly, she pulled a triangular metal device from her pocket. She wrapped the other end of the climbing rope around the pulley’s track twice, then handed the tail to Qi Xinshu and Yin Wenyuan.

“A block and tackle. It’ll save effort.”

“Got it. We’ll pull when you give the signal,” the two men replied solemnly, accepting the rope’s end.

Zhao Ke nodded, released the rope, and slid swiftly to the base of the cliff.

Huang Sumu, supporting Yu Huizhou, limped over. “Save the injured first.”

Guan Muya, holding Zhao Ke’s live stream stick, dutifully acted as a war correspondent, documenting the scene below.

Everyone watching saw Zhao Ke hoist Yu Huizhou over her shoulder like a sack of rice, and the rope slowly pulled him upward.

“Sorry, I can’t help but laugh a little. What’s wrong with me?”

“From now on, whenever a male celebrity says he can’t handle a female artist, we should show him this clip of Zhao Ke.”

“Sorry, thank you,” Yu Huizhou said as he was gently placed on the ground. The dim light inside the cave concealed his flushed face.

Zhao Ke waved her hand and descended again to retrieve the next person.

Huang Sumu gallantly offered to let Zhao Ke take Qiao Qinglu up first, but Qiao Qinglu’s resistance was palpable.

Seizing the moment when the cameras weren’t rolling, she began spouting outrageous claims.

“Zhao Ke, everyone’s on my side. You must be panicking.”

“What are you talking about?” Zhao Ke asked, bewildered.

“I’m saying,” Qiao Qinglu took a deep breath, her eyes gleaming with contempt and mockery, “all the men on this show adore me. You’re nothing.”

Zhao Ke’s outstretched hand froze in mid-air. She glanced silently at Huang Sumu beside her.

Huang Sumu’s face paled with shock as he frantically waved his hands in denial.

Zhao Ke pursed her lips, recalling the Live Stream Comments criticizing Qiao Qinglu’s mental state.

I don’t understand, but I respect it.

Forced to change tactics, Zhao Ke urged Qiao Qinglu, “Are you coming up or not?”

“Hmph.” Qiao Qinglu seemed to have found her footing. She sauntered forward, signaling Zhao Ke to carry her in a princess carry.

Princess carry my ass. Zhao Ke grabbed her by the legs and hoisted her over her shoulder, head down.

If it weren’t for the cameras, Zhao Ke would have grabbed Qiao Qinglu by the ankles and hauled her up herself.

Qiao Qinglu immediately protested, launching into a string of curses.

The viewers watching the live stream heard Qiao Qinglu’s relentless stream of vulgarities: “Zhao Ke, how dare you treat me like this? Do you even know who I am? Just wait until I get my revenge!”

Qiao Qinglu must be insane! Doesn’t she realize who saved her?

Is Zhao Ke’s temper too good? Why isn’t she firing back?

This is making my bl00d boil! Can we throw Qiao Qinglu back down?

When Qiao Qinglu was finally lowered, Guan Muya and the others, having clearly heard her outburst, wore cold expressions. No one offered her a hand.

Zhao Ke showed no reaction, merely gesturing to the group that she would go down again.

Compared to Qiao Qinglu, Zhao Ke is as kind as an angel.

Exactly! If I were trapped down there and Zhao Ke descended from the heavens, I’d kneel and kowtow in gratitude!

But here’s the real question: can Zhao Ke even lift Lao Huang with his massive build?

Huang Sumu was different from Yu Huizhou. Yu Huizhou had the typical physique of a male celebrity—tall and slender, not particularly heavy. But Huang Sumu had been working out for years, his body sculpted with distinct muscle mass. Just standing there, he looked twice as wide as Zhao Ke.