High-Altitude Worker, Unfortunately a Cannon Fodder Female Supporting Role - Chapter 9

On the roof of the thirty-seventh floor, Zhao Ke set down her toolbox.

The metal tools clattered against the ground through the fabric, making a crisp, ringing sound.

Safety rope, work rope, anchor points…

Zhao Ke meticulously checked each safety measure, confirming everything was secure before backing down with the privacy film in hand.

She slowly descended, pressing against the wall with her feet, and soon reached the level of the thirty-sixth floor.

Yan Huaixu stood behind the glass, their eyes meeting through the pane.

A hundred meters above the ground, there was no gentle breeze.

The fierce wind whipped strands of hair around the young woman’s temples, twisting and tugging at them.

A vibrant life force surged through the taut climbing rope, through the tense wrist bones beneath her tactical gloves. The girl moved with the agility and alertness of a black panther scaling a tree, her movements captivating and mesmerizing.

Yan Huaixu felt something about to burst from his chest, as if a primal response to the call of the wild, buried deep within his bone marrow’s genes, was stirring to life.

Sunlight streamed through the glass, reflecting into Zhao Ke’s eyes.

She squinted, shielding her eyes from the glare, and began working without paying attention to whether the client inside was watching.

Applying privacy film was just like applying any other film: peel, stretch, stick, then vigorously scrape out the air bubbles.

The only difference was that being suspended high in the air restricted Zhao Ke’s movements.

Zhao Ke expertly applied the privacy film, working quickly and efficiently.

The glass reflected her sweat-beaded chin and bright, focused eyes.

Because of the high-altitude location, this single job would earn her a thousand yuan.

Combined with her previous earnings, Zhao Ke decided to go to the hospital at noon to pay the medical bills.

Yan Huaixu stood inside the apartment the entire time, less than two meters away from Zhao Ke.

Hidden behind the privacy film, he observed her without restraint.

Even though he wasn’t the one suspended a hundred meters in the air, Yan Huaixu’s heart pounded wildly, filled with exhilaration.

So when Zhao Ke gave him an “OK” sign through the glass and then ascended further on her rope, he felt a sudden, hollow sense of loss.

The privacy film was perfectly applied. Zhao Ke hummed a little tune as she packed up her tools before descending via the emergency staircase.

Yan Huaixu waited for her at the emergency staircase exit on the thirty-sixth floor.

“Can I add you on WeChat to transfer the money?” he offered proactively.

“Of course, boss.”

They stood at the stairwell entrance and scanned each other’s WeChat QR codes.

Yhx: Transferred 100.00 yuan

Zhao Ke: “…Boss, did you… forget a zero?”

Don’t try to shortchange me!

Zhao Ke’s soft question exploded in Yan Huaixu’s ears like an atomic bomb, instantly flushing his earlobes crimson.

“I’m sorry,” he stammered, “my hand was shaking.”

His palms were sweaty and slippery, making it difficult to grip his phone. With trembling fingers, Yan Huaixu re-entered the amount.

Yhx: Transferred 1000.00 yuan

Only when Zhao Ke saw the correct amount did she quietly relax.

She tapped “Accept Payment,” her face lighting up with a smile. “Thank you, Boss! If you have any more work in the future, feel free to contact me again.”

Carrying her toolkit, Zhao Ke waved goodbye to Yan Huaixu through the closing elevator doors.

She couldn’t help but wonder: This Film Emperor Yan Huaixu, who had nearly become the Male Lead’s tool, seemed nothing like the refined, composed figure described in the novel. Had he been up all night? Why did he look so dazed?

“Dazed and foolish children are all the same,” a line from a short video suddenly popped into her head.

Zhao Ke smirked, amused by her own thoughts.

After paying off her medical bills and renewing her rent, Zhao Ke finally decided to treat herself to a day off.

She planned to spend the afternoon lounging at home, playing mobile games.

How many days has it been?

Fifth day, I think.

Is she doing this on purpose or is she really clueless? Aaaah, I’m so anxious!

“Dazed and foolish children are all the same.” (Sigh)

Reject disgraced celebrities! Reject the misuse of public resources! Reject sensationalism for attention!

After resting for half a day, Zhao Ke received a new job from the examiner who had overseen her certification test.

Deng Ping, from High-Altitude Operations and Certification Consulting, asked, “Want to clean windows at an office building?”

Master Zhao from AAA High-Altitude Operations replied, “Of course! Tomorrow?”

Deng Ping confirmed, “Yes, I’ll send you the address.”

The Rongmao Building, at first glance, seemed like just another unremarkable skyscraper in City A’s steel jungle.

However, its prime location—nestled between the television station, the stadium, and high-end shopping malls—inevitably made it a hub for numerous marketing studios.

Of course, Zhao Ke remained completely unaware of this.

As usual, she sat on her small wooden plank, starting from the top floor, spraying cleaning solution layer by layer and wiping each pane clean with a mop.

Normally, office workers would only glance out the window briefly amidst their busy schedules before quickly turning back to their work.

But today, when one person noticed Zhao Ke, they immediately tapped their colleagues’ shoulders excitedly. Soon, a whole group was gazing out the window with shining eyes.

Zhao Ke was completely bewildered. She couldn’t hear what they were saying through the glass.

She even noticed some people taking photos of her with their phones.

Zhao Ke: ……

Zhao Ke playfully flashed a peace sign.

That peace sign sparked an uncontrollable frenzy.

Enthusiastic individuals rushed to the floor-to-ceiling windows, gesturing wildly for Zhao Ke to pose for photos with them.

One after another, their fervor was overwhelming.

Zhao Ke could only gesture downward, indicating that she still had work to finish.

On that ordinary afternoon, a flood of marketing accounts began posting videos online, all with similar content and equally fervent excitement.

“Remember Zhao Ke, who recently made headlines for her fall from a building? She’s now working as a window cleaner at Rongmao Building!”

“OMG, you guys! Imagine looking up from your boring job and suddenly seeing a ridiculously handsome face outside the window…”

“Some people just shine no matter what they do! After facing public backlash, Zhao Ke switched careers to become a window cleaner. And look at that workwear style, those lean arms, those long, slender legs…”

“So hot! So, so hot! Who would have thought Zhao Ke could become even hotter after changing careers?!”

Is this really Zhao Ke?!

I’m seriously impressed. How long is Zhao Ke going to keep pulling these stunts?

Damn it, I can’t take it anymore! Zhao Ke is officially my wife starting today!

Upstairs, are your morals dictated by looks?

…But she’s seriously hot!

Zhao Ke is doing just fine like this, living off her own skills.

Ahhh, Zhao Ke, can’t you come back to the entertainment industry? With a face like that, you should be blessing my eyes!

Zhao Ke couldn’t check her phone while working and was completely unaware of the heated online discussions.

The windows on the lower floors of the office building could be opened.

As Zhao Ke rappelled down, she immediately heard someone inside ask, “Zhao Ke, Zhao Ke, why did you choose this line of work?”

“It pays well for physical labor,” Zhao Ke answered honestly.

“Isn’t it dangerous?”

“Of course it’s dangerous,” Zhao Ke replied with a slight smile, showing no hesitation.

“Zhao Ke, do you plan to return to the entertainment industry?” another person asked, holding up a phone to record.

“Well, it depends on the circumstances,” Zhao Ke answered vaguely, offering no firm commitment.

Although according to the novel’s plot, she should have been completely off the grid by now, there was no guarantee some unexpected twist wouldn’t occur.

Another issue was Sun Yue’s daily WeChat harassment, boasting about the massive earnings in the entertainment industry. If the offer was lucrative enough, Zhao Ke would immediately agree.

“Zhao Ke, if you’re not planning to return to the entertainment industry, why are you live-streaming every day?”

“Live-streaming? What live-streaming?” Zhao Ke asked, genuinely surprised.

“You don’t know about the live-streaming?” The person quickly seized on the key point.

Zhao Ke shook her head, her expression bewildered. “Could you explain it a bit more clearly?” she ventured.

Seeing Zhao Ke’s reaction, the person lit up as if they’d struck gold and launched into a rant for the camera:

“Folks, we’ve cracked the case! Zhao Ke’s days of live-streaming while staring blankly into space were actually due to accidental taps! She herself had no idea it was happening…”

Zhao Ke: Oh no, this is a major disaster.

After mechanically answering a barrage of questions, Zhao Ke was finally released by the amused onlookers.

She stepped onto solid ground, untied the ropes, and pulled her phone—warm from being tucked inside her pocket—out of her inner pocket.

Before Zhao Ke even opened Weibo, Sun Yue had already sent her dozens of WeChat messages.

Yue Under Snow: “What are you doing at Rongmao Building?”

Yue Under Snow: “Quick, check Weibo! Someone filmed a video of you!”

Yue Under Snow: “Damn it, Zhao Ke, how did you even make it to the Hot Search?!”

Yue Under Snow: “Hahahaha I knew you didn’t realize you were live-streaming! Hahahaha”

Yue Under Snow: “Hehe, shocked now, aren’t you?”

Zhao Ke: ……

She was just a poor woman trying to make a living. Why was this fictional world full of traps at every turn?

Weibo was buzzing with activity.

While some were simping over her looks, most were just enjoying the drama.

LOL, how could someone not realize they were live-streaming?

This just proves the average IQ of celebrities…

So, the real question is: what was Zhao Ke doing while live-streaming?

Check out Pitaya Entertainment’s video. They posted the full interview.

You call that an interview???

In the video, Zhao Ke was perched in mid-air, her combat boots resting on the windowsill. She looked down at the camera from above, sunlight streaming behind her.

Mommy, step on me.

??? Upstairs pervert, get out!

Amidst the clamor of questions, Zhao Ke slowly answered each one, her voice muffled and hesitant, like that of an honest person being bullied.

“I was just playing that little game.”

“I didn’t see the livestream’s start screen.”

“I’m currently working in High-Altitude Operations. The pay is decent, so don’t worry about me.”

“Qiao Qinglu? She’s doing fine, all limbs intact.”

“Me? I learned this while rock climbing.” Okay, that part was a lie.

Zhao Ke seems to have gone a bit ditzy after going crazy. (Not meant as an insult)

Heh, she wasn’t exactly sharp to begin with.

Still, despite everything, she’s quite independent. How many young people these days would immediately switch careers after losing their job?

Is this her taking off Kong Yiji’s long gown?

? What gown?

This is quite a downgrade. Let’s be honest, it’s not exactly dignified. High-Altitude Operations might pay well, but it’s grueling, exhausting, and extremely dangerous.

I couldn’t do it. I get scared standing two meters off the ground.

“Sister Xue, this…”

The assistant stood frozen, phone in hand, utterly flustered.

Qiao Shuxue had attended a film symposium today. In her prepared speech, she had deliberately mentioned her past collaboration with Film Emperor Yan Huaixu, even purchasing a Hot Search entry to promote it.

But now, Zhao Ke’s sudden rise to fame had pushed Qiao Shuxue’s Hot Search ranking beyond tenth place, rendering her investment utterly wasted.

Qiao Shuxue rotated the jade bracelet on her wrist, her eyes darkening with anger.

The assistant stood beside her, the suffocating tension of an impending storm pressing down on her.

“Zhao Ke won’t be active for long. There’s no need to worry,” Qiao Shuxue finally said softly after a long silence.

She reached out and gently patted the assistant’s shoulder, signaling her to relax. Though the gesture appeared gentle, it carried a chilling undercurrent that made the assistant flinch.