Chapter 68: Thrilling Rescue

Chapter 68: Chapter 68: Thrilling Rescue

[Affinity +21]

Her face streaked with tears, Li Yan was too overwhelmed with emotion to speak when the incredibly heroic Su Yunzhou appeared before her. The terrifying, heart-stopping half hour had nearly broken her. That was until this man disregarded the danger and appeared before her. He was like a beam of light casting into her heart, rescuing her from the boundless fear and darkness.

Su Yunzhou spoke a few words of comfort. After securing the heavily injured Li Yan to his back, he finally let out a genuine sigh of relief and began to replenish his water and food to recover his stamina.

Feeling his warm body and the strong, steady beat of his heart, Li Yan’s tears flowed again, but her tense emotions eased significantly.

Two or three minutes later, Su Yunzhou said in a deep voice, "Relax. Just hold me tight. I’ll take you back."

"Mhm!" Li Yan nodded heavily. The words "take you back" carried an invisible strength, seemingly dulling the physical pain in her body. She tightly hugged the man in front of her.

Su Yunzhou took a deep breath. Spreading his fingers, he firmly grasped a protruding rock and carefully climbed upward.

The way back was even harder, especially with a person on his back. This thrilling scene made everyone watching feel a chill run down their spines. However, no accidents occurred. A robust man from the firefighting team also climbed down to meet them. With his help, the three of them safely scaled the cliff without any mishaps. The scene immediately erupted in cheers.

"That’s wonderful!"

"You’re a badass, bro!"

"A true hero!"

Liu Yiyi quickly ran over, her eyes red and stained with tears, swollen beyond recognition.

After getting off Su Yunzhou’s back, Li Yan stepped onto the ground with trembling legs. A deeply surreal feeling welled up in her heart. She faintly heard a lot of commotion before her vision went black, and she fainted on the spot.

The on-site paramedics immediately rushed forward to check on her. They confirmed she had fainted due to excessive shock and simply bandaged her external wounds. Further examinations would need to be done at the hospital.

Subsequently, under the coordination of the firefighting team, the people at the scene began to orderly evacuate down the mountain.

It didn’t take long for the rain to gradually stop. The sky cleared up, and rays of warm sunlight pierced through the dark clouds, scattering over everyone’s hearts. Many tourists recalled everything that happened today and felt a bit dazed.

The middle-aged man who had brought along a young beauty was now holding his lovely companion in his arms. The young beauty, however, cast an admiring gaze toward Su Yunzhou and the others who were leading the way down the mountain. There wasn’t a single girl who didn’t like a true man and a true hero like him.

The middle-aged man naturally noticed the gaze of the woman in his arms. "Actually, I was just as badass when I was young, but after going into business, there was too much socializing..."

Hearing this, the young beauty pursed her lips. For the sake of his money, she didn’t retort, only to cast an even more passionate gaze toward the heroic man.

Meanwhile, the various clout-chasing female climbers nearby had no such scruples.

"Wow! Why can’t I meet a real man like that?"

"I know, right! Having a man like that would make you feel so safe!"

"Safe? If he were my man, I wouldn’t even let him use a condom. I’d have to have his baby to tie him down to me."

This bold statement drew the stares of quite a few people. Yet, the "socialite" climber didn’t care in the slightest, her burning gaze fixed on the handsome and powerful man.

The parkour guy who had sprained his ankle earlier was being supported by a firefighter, waiting for the next cable car down. Ever since he was a child, he had harbored dreams of superheroes. Only when he grew up did he realize that this world—far more cruel than the movies—had no heroes. Instead, he became obsessed with parkour, imagining himself flying and leaping like a Marvel superhero. But today, seeing this man who was the same age as him, a tidal wave of worship and admiration surged in his heart.

"This bro is seriously badass," he murmured.

Hearing his heartfelt words, the nearby firefighter praised without holding back, "He’s more than just badass. I’d say his climbing skills are second to none in all of Rongcheng."

Not far away, Wu Heng nodded upon hearing this. His eyes were filled with appreciation as he looked at Su Yunzhou. He couldn’t help but think how wonderful it would be if a talent like that belonged to the firefighting team. With such abilities, how many lives could be saved when danger struck? Wu Heng became somewhat absorbed in his thoughts.

Hong and Qiangzi were conversing in low voices.

"Brother Qiang, you have to admit you’re getting old, right?" Hong said. "He brought several people down the mountain and completed such a breathtaking feat."

"There’s no comparison! I admire this guy from the bottom of my heart," Qiangzi replied. 𝑓𝑟ℯℴ𝓂

Qiangzi had long been so shocked that his scalp tingled. Free soloing a cliff and carrying people down multiple times—what kind of concept was that? It was no exaggeration to say that his physical fitness was entirely at the level of a national-grade athlete. Moreover, when the two of them were climbing up together earlier, he had keenly noticed how the man differed from ordinary people. The control in those hands and the flexible curvature of those fingers—that was a talent ordinary people could never hope to attain!

Over at the Rongcheng TV Station crew, reporter Liu Wei was so thrilled that she was practically incoherent while broadcasting the live situation.

The masses of viewers following the news all applauded in amazement when they saw the thrilling rescue scene. It was a pity that this video feed didn’t have a live comment feature; if it did, the screen would undoubtedly have been flooded with all sorts of likes and praises.

The executives at the TV station gave Liu Wei orders, instructing her to find a way to interview this civilian hero. Liu Wei gladly agreed. She hadn’t expected that a relaxing weekend hike would lead to so many events. This was the final month of her internship. Stumbling upon such major news meant her transition to a full-time employee was undeniably guaranteed. She began to calculate in her mind how to conduct the upcoming interview and write a report that was both captivating and authentic.

The popularity of this video news clip was much higher than imagined, rapidly blowing up across Rongcheng’s media circles. People were filled with curiosity and admiration for this civilian hero.

Meanwhile, at the Rongcheng National Rock Climbing Training Center.

Head coach Yan Peisheng had stumbled upon the news by chance. He immediately had his colleagues download all the related videos and then summoned the middle and upper management of the training center to a meeting room.

"Everyone, I believe many of you have already seen this news!" Yan Peisheng announced. "I pulled some strings and had someone look into him earlier. This young man doesn’t belong to any rock climbing center. Although his movements are highly professional, as of right now, he is a self-taught amateur."

Hearing the head coach’s words, the eyes of many coaches below lit up. As the saying goes, laymen watch for fun, while experts see the skill.

The fluidity of this young man’s free soloing movements left even these experienced veteran athletes gasping in amazement. Furthermore, it was said that he had carried people while climbing more than once. This didn’t just require tremendous physical stamina and masterful technique; it was the ultimate test of an athlete’s mental fortitude.

For such a talent—no, a genius—to not serve the country and win glory on the athletic field was a sheer waste.

The director of the National Rock Climbing Training Center, a former champion himself, had eyes shining even brighter. His voice trembled with excitement, his tone soaring.

"Overseas, there’s Alex Honnold, who free-soloed Mexico’s Path of Light. He has reigned supreme for years, but Dragon Country has finally produced a genius who can rival him! Yan Peisheng, I don’t care what methods you have to use, but you must bring this young man to our center."

Yan Peisheng nodded. "Director, rest assured, I’m already using my connections in the fire brigade..."

The director nodded but still felt a bit uneasy. "Move fast," he urged. "I bet a lot of places will be fighting tooth and nail for a genius like him. Head out right now."

"Understood!"

Yan Peisheng was inwardly anxious as well. A promising prospect like this absolutely couldn’t be poached by anyone else. He began pondering what conditions he should promise in order to persuade the young man.

However, he wasn’t the only one about to set out.

In a Maybach, a middle-aged couple was urging their driver to hurry as they rushed toward Renmin Hospital at the foot of Qingcheng Back Mountain.

The wife put down her phone and turned to the man. "Old Ye, it’s fine! I called the director of Renmin Hospital. Our child just has some superficial wounds; there’s nothing seriously wrong with her body."

Old Ye nodded, the heavy stone in his heart finally dropping. They only had this one precious daughter. If something had truly happened to her, the consequences would be unimaginable. Thank goodness they had encountered that young man acting so bravely for a just cause.

Old Ye spoke to the wife beside him. "After we see our child, we’ll go find that young man. For saving the precious daughter of the Ye family, we must express our gratitude properly."