High-Altitude Worker, Unfortunately a Cannon Fodder Female Supporting Role - Chapter 20

On the live stream, Qiao Shuxue’s fans were the first to forgive her.

Snow Treasure didn’t mean to do it! Besides, she’s not from around here—it’s understandable she couldn’t identify the mushroom species.

No one got seriously ill, right? Snow Treasure, don’t blame yourself anymore! Qiao Qinglu’s stomachache is her own fault.

Director Qu, realizing the gravity of the situation, immediately summoned the on-site doctor to draw bl00d samples from everyone for testing. Even Zhao Ke, who hadn’t eaten the soup, was required to give two vials of bl00d.

With a solemn expression, Director Qu said, “This mushroom poisoning, like the cave incident before, ultimately stems from my inadequate planning as the director. I sincerely apologize to everyone here, as well as to all the viewers watching the live stream.”

The live stream audience responded with sighs of sympathy.

It’s okay, Director. It’s not your fault.

A little lesson might be good. Now both the production team and the participants will be more cautious in the future.

Poor Xiao Yu! First a sprained ankle, now poisoning. (Tearful emoji)

Seeing the tense atmosphere, Qi Xinshu stepped forward and patted Director Qu on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, Director. It’s wilderness survival, after all—just part of the experience!”

“Yeah, yeah! Let’s get back to eating, everyone. This moss tastes terribly bitter!” Huang Sumu exaggeratedly stuck out his tongue.

“I’m so sorry, everyone. I was too arrogant. Being a newcomer here, I still thought I could forage for mushrooms. Thank goodness Zhao Ke was here,” Qiao Shuxue said, wiping away tears and forcing a smile.

Zhao Ke had no reason to forgive Qiao Shuxue on behalf of the group. She simply looked at everyone and said, “Let’s eat. We just need to metabolize the toxins.”

“Alright, alright! I’m going to eat like there’s no tomorrow!” Qi Xinshu exclaimed, dramatically rolling up his sleeves.

The others chimed in with forced laughter, quickly moving past the incident.

Zhao Ke has been so rational throughout this whole ordeal. I’m in love!

Damn, she’s both smart and strong! Can Zhao Ke be my wife?

I can’t even imagine how amazing it would be to live with Zhao Ke—safe in a mountain cave with fresh food every day!

Coward! I can imagine it just fine!

Qiao Qinglu took several bites of her meal, but the lingering earthy, metallic taste in her mouth made her gag.

Zhao Ke, noticing Qiao Qinglu’s reaction, slapped her on the back. “If you need to throw up, go ahead. Get the toxins out.”

Qiao Qinglu glared at Zhao Ke but reluctantly went to vomit.

A while later, Qiao Shuxue excused herself to “clear her head” and walked alone into the forest.

Zhao Ke and Guan Muya chatted casually, but Zhao Ke’s eyes flickered to watch Qiao Shuxue’s retreating figure.

There was no help for it; her Beauty System always drew attention like a magnet.

In fact, even when other guests stood beside Qiao Shuxue, her System would override theirs, making her the center of attention.

This was why Qiao Shuxue’s fans constantly boasted that anyone would look beautiful under a cherry blossom tree.

The group spent the next two days in relative peace, with the filming nearing its end.

Zhao Ke was surprised when Qiao Shuxue asked her to go rock climbing again.

This time, Qiao Shuxue lacked her previous confidence, merely mentioning that she had found a new climbing spot and wanted to learn from Zhao Ke.

“It’s in the south, with a particularly steep cliff face. I want to challenge myself, Ke Ke. Would you come with me?”

Qiao Shuxue’s eyes sparkled with the adrenaline-fueled excitement of a climbing enthusiast.

Zhao Ke wasn’t particularly interested, but with nothing better to do, she agreed.

Of course, she was also curious to see what Qiao Shuxue was really up to.

In rock climbing, smooth, featureless rock slabs are far more daunting than rugged, jagged cliffs. These slabs offer no handholds or footholds, forcing climbers to rely entirely on friction and making it exponentially harder to stay pressed against the wall.

The southern cliff Qiao Shuxue mentioned was exactly this type of smooth slab.

Zhao Ke scanned the wall and could barely spot a few anchor points.

After observing for a long time, the only possible route seemed to be a diagonal crevice wedged between two rock slabs. It resembled the obtuse-angled corner of a house, and apart from geckos and other reptiles, it didn’t seem like any creature could find a secure foothold there.

To be blunt, there aren’t many top climbers in the country who could tackle this route. In other words, it barely qualifies as a route at all.

Qiao Shuxue is deliberately making things difficult.

Don’t spread rumors, upstairs! Snow Treasure is just challenging herself.

“Can I climb behind you?” Qiao Shuxue asked.

“But if Zhao Ke falls, she’ll land right on you, Shu Xue!” Qi Xinshu teased with a smile.

Several guests had been invited by Qiao Shuxue to witness the climb.

“If she falls, I’ll catch her,” Qiao Shuxue said, making an upward-reaching gesture. “I can’t let Teacher Zhao fall.”

Zhao Ke secured her harness. “I’ll climb up a bit first. If you see no problems, you can follow my route.”

This way, even if Zhao Ke fell, she wouldn’t land on Qiao Shuxue.

Pfft, pfft, Zhao Ke shook her head inwardly. I’m not going to fall.

Moving swiftly, Zhao Ke clipped the first anchor point at a height of two or three meters and began her ascent up the bizarre obtuse-angled rock face.

The footholds were barely two or three centimeters wide, and Zhao Ke’s hands gripped awkwardly into the rock wall’s crevices, barely maintaining her grip. After securing her position, moving upward presented an even greater challenge.

After only a few seconds of pause, Zhao Ke shifted her stance again, placing her feet on the opposite side of the rock wall. This created an opposing angle to her handholds, arching her back like a fully drawn bowstring.

She then swiftly moved her arms upward, grabbing a higher crevice.

This method of movement was even slower. After nearly an hour, Zhao Ke had only ascended fifty to sixty meters.

Why is she moving so slowly? This is boring to watch.

If you don’t want to watch, leave. Rock climbing is a dangerous sport; caution is essential.

Zhao Ke is amazing. I’m speechless.

The anchor’s secure placement reassured Zhao Ke. The crevice above her head ended abruptly, forcing her to transition to another protruding rock face.

But the gap between them was nearly two meters wide.

No matter how far Zhao Ke stretched her hands or feet, she couldn’t reach the other side directly.

The only option was to jump across.

Sweat soaked through her clothes, Zhao Ke’s eyes gleamed with a predator’s focus, locked onto her prey.

She glanced down at the 90-degree rock face beneath her feet.

The guests below appeared as tiny pixels in her vision, their upturned faces visible but their expressions indiscernible.

Zhao Ke leaped to the right.

The instant her fingers touched the protruding rock, a wave of relief washed over her.

But in the next moment, the sun-baked, weathered rock crumbled under the force of her grip.

Damn it! Zhao Ke cursed inwardly.

She plummeted downward, pulled by gravity.

Half a second later, the climbing rope snapped taut, halting her fall.

Just as she exhaled a sigh of relief, disaster struck again. After two violent jerks, the rope snapped with a loud crack.

!!!

Her bl00d surged through her veins.

Zhao Ke pressed herself against the rock face, but in that split second, there was no handhold to slow her descent.

Her bare forearms scraped against the rough rock, leaving long, bloody streaks.

The mountain was roughly three hundred meters high, about the height of a ten-story building. Zhao Ke had already climbed two-thirds of the way up. Falling from this height would almost certainly result in death, or at least severe paralysis.

The fall lasted only a second or two, but the world blurred violently before Zhao Ke’s eyes.

In that critical moment, she spotted the severed end of the climbing rope falling beside her on her left.

Her survival instinct reacted faster than her conscious thought. With a swift twist of her body, Zhao Ke lunged toward the brightly colored rope.

Just a dozen meters above the ground, the taut rope snapped her fall. The sharp rocks tore through the flesh of her left arm, sending searing pain flooding every nerve in her brain.

Gritting through the agony, Zhao Ke switched her grip to her right hand, barely managing to cling to the cliff face.

The others scrambled frantically toward the cliff edge.

When they saw Zhao Ke’s rapid descent abruptly halt, they slammed on the brakes.

Bl00d dripped steadily from her trembling fingertips.

With the rope severed, Zhao Ke couldn’t slide down as before. She would have to descend inch by inch on her own.

The gash on her left arm hung exposed in the air, almost useless.

Zhao Ke gritted her teeth against the pain as she continued to climb down.

“Hurry, hurry! Step on me to get up,” Huang Sumu offered, bending over.

Yin Wenyuan didn’t hesitate, stepping directly onto Huang Sumu’s shoulders.

The crowd below formed a human wall, fearing Zhao Ke might lose her grip and fall.

Fortunately, no further accidents occurred.

Zhao Ke’s left arm was almost entirely stained crimson, but the first words she spoke upon reaching the ground were, “Someone tampered with the climbing rope.”

Her gaze pierced through the crowd, locking onto Qiao Shuxue, who stood outside the encirclement.

The injury hadn’t dulled Zhao Ke’s vigilance; instead, it seemed to sharpen her already striking features. The small cut on her cheek appeared like a badge of honor, radiating a raw, predatory energy.

Qiao Shuxue’s lips twitched briefly before straightening again. Her expression remained unchanged as she met Zhao Ke’s gaze.

The chaotic crowd remained oblivious to the silent tension simmering between the two women.

Director Qu roared in fury, “Check the footage! Go through every single frame!”

Zhao Ke was supported and pushed toward the on-site medical team.

The doctor hesitated. “This needs stitches. We need to get you to the hospital right away.”

The live stream was abruptly cut off.

At the hospital, Zhao Ke reunited with her assistant and makeup artist, whom she hadn’t seen in days.

“You two look like you’ve lost weight!” Zhao Ke greeted them with a smile.

Wang Ran and Li Minjing had rushed to the hospital from their accommodations after receiving a frantic call from the director.

Though their hearts were pounding with anxiety, Zhao Ke greeted them with a carefree, smiling demeanor, even taking the time to comment on their weight loss.

She seemed completely oblivious to the stitches being sewn into her left arm.

“Don’t worry about us! Are you okay?” Wang Ran stepped forward anxiously, but hesitated to approach the bloody mess, freezing in place.

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” Zhao Ke waved her right arm dismissively, only to reveal it was also covered in wounds.

She winced sheepishly and tried to hide her right arm.

Given Zhao Ke’s remarkably stable condition, the doctor simply prescribed oral anti-inflammatory medication after stitching her wounds and discharged her.

Li Minjing, her concern overriding her rationality, repeatedly pressed the doctor, “Does she really not need to be hospitalized?”

The doctor grew impatient. “She’s young and there’s no bone damage. Why would she need to be hospitalized?”

With both hands bandaged, Zhao Ke stood at the door, sleeves rolled up, urging them on. “Let’s go, let’s go.”

She was too busy hunting down the culprit to waste time in a hospital.