Chapter 86: Nearing the Finish Line

Chapter 86: Chapter 86: Nearing the Finish Line

The sleet and snow fell thickly all night. Renee Morgan was so cold she felt numb. Jay Monroe and Hugh both stayed silent, their faces no longer pale and bluish, but marked with an unhealthy flush. Both kept unmoving, pressed against the stone wall.

Renee, shivering violently from the cold, saw that dawn had finally broken. The sleet seemed to be easing up, so she hurried to wake up the two.

Their brows knotted in pain as they stood up, only to collapse with a loud thud, the impact echoing heavily.

Renee, trembling from the cold, rushed forward to check on them.

They were burning up—high fever.

Renee looked at the two lying on the ground, fuzzy with fever. Even so, they didn’t seem willing to blow the whistle to leave. They were risking their lives for a base pass.

Renee wanted to persuade them, but as the words reached her lips, she swallowed them again.

She finally sat on the ground, staring at the swirling snow, hugging her arms tightly, shivering nonstop.

It was daylight, but the sleet hadn’t yet stopped. There was no sign they could leave.

She didn’t know how much time passed. The cold made her head light and feet heavy, and she was almost drifting to sleep when she heard muffled groans beside her.

Renee pinched her arm awake again, and seeing their pain, quietly murmured, "How long can you hold out?"

No one answered her.

Renee didn’t mind. Turning her attention back, she saw them finally blow the whistle.

Renee watched, wide-eyed, as they were helped away by others. Now she was the only one left.

"Quinn..." Renee sneezed several times in a row, rubbing her reddened nose, staring at the snowflakes above. Just a few hours left—could she endure?

Viewers in the live stream never expected that the challenge in the base forest was harsher than the primeval woods—at least in the jungle, you wouldn’t have sudden sleet below freezing in the middle of summer.

This was clearly artificial snowfall.

Seeing Hugh and Jay Monroe forced to blow the whistle and quit due to illness—predictable. Everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Now the camera only showed Renee Morgan, alone under the stone wall, hugging her arms, shivering, her eyes closing and opening repeatedly, over and over.

Everyone knew she didn’t want to fall asleep—once asleep, it would be hard to wake up.

But how strong must your willpower be to endure the night like this?

International viewers likewise fell silent.

Previously, the stream had been filled with jokes and mockery of Renee, nothing but contempt.

But today, not a single person did so.

Western countries had always had a near blind admiration for Chinese martial arts. Because of that, they pursued Renee so fervently.

But tonight, apart from a set of Tai Chi, she hadn’t done anything special—yet they reacted more solemnly than when seeing kung fu.

Because of the powerful sense of conviction she exuded.

Even though she said nothing, that aura could be felt through the screen—her relentless perseverance.

[It’s said that the martial arts spirit of China is also a manifestation of a resilient national character. I never understood this movie line before, but now I suddenly get its meaning.]

[Renee Morgan is strong. This strength isn’t about omnipotence or standing atop power; it’s about conviction—not giving up easily, striving ceaselessly.]

Chinese viewers, after a long silence, finally typed in the live chat: [The essence of martial arts is largely patriotic! History has seen countless martial artists, and many ordinary practitioners—all for justice and national defense. Martial arts seek not violence, but harmony on many levels.]

Harmony on many levels!

Just like their national spirit.

The international viewers remained silent.

The Chinese viewers thought perhaps they didn’t get it, or couldn’t understand—and shrugged, not really wanting to say more. The facts spoke for themselves; it didn’t need more praise, but the world ought to know.

The Chinese viewer, turning to drink from his water glass, got a breaking news alert—its headline echoed his words.

He raised his eyebrows, opened the article, and saw a screenshot of his comment, the last line highlighted in red.

The whole article discussed the show’s popularity, the global influence of Chinese kung fu, and its martial arts spirit.

He scrolled through the entire article and reached the comments section.

Praise overflowed below—a wave of genuine admiration and respect.

The buzz was so intense it made the most authoritative headlines, and many countries reprinted it.

Back home, everyone could see the article.

People’s eyes reddened.

Maybe they didn’t need such high praise, but now that they got it, they genuinely felt proud.

That day, many universities cited the article, strengthening students’ patriotic sentiment.

The words were familiar, but what truly mattered was the impact of this event—a major step onto the world stage.

Now, Renee Morgan’s name had entered every household and every prestigious college, becoming a role model for youth.

...

The sleet finally stopped. Renee felt a bit happy, but then thought—what other tricks was the base forest planning?

Just hours left until escape. Renee simply sat by the stone wall and waited. When her butt got sore, she got up and practiced forms.

Honestly, she had to thank her grandfather. Years of training regardless of wind or storm—he made her keep practicing even in blizzards—which got her through this ordeal.

While practicing, she suddenly sensed something was off—why did it feel like something was watching her?

Renee turned slowly and saw, by the snow-splashed riverbank, a pack of wolves. Those pairs of green eyes stared at her, coldly indifferent.

Renee: "..."

She felt numb!

If the base forest didn’t want to hand out base passes, they could just say so. This whole circus—who could take it?

Renee thought about all her suffering—if they told her it was all for nothing, who could stand that?

The wolf pack stayed motionless, seemingly competing with her in patience.

Speaking of patience, Renee was currently the least patient person alive. Anyone faced with this would be swearing up a storm.

Between blowing the whistle to quit and a death struggle with the wolf pack, Renee didn’t hesitate long—she chose the latter.

Fortune favors the bold.

She was just a step from the finish line. Giving up now? Impossible.

After the wolves stood there for ages, they started inching closer.

Renee took a rope from her backpack—the one Sean had left behind, his rope untouched and intact.

She flung the hook onto the stone wall and climbed up, standing atop it.