The Goddess Seen by Mortals (Part 1)

Grace City, located on the southwestern border of Xuan Country, in the southwestern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, borders the Ali region to the west, Naqu City to the north, Lhasa City and Shannan City to the east, and is adjacent to countries like Neil and Peacock. Situated in the middle section of the Taidamia Mountain Range, it has a border length of 1753 kilometers, a land area of 182,000 square kilometers, an average altitude of over 4000 meters, and is the city closest to Haijiaer Peak.

Most climbing teams choose to fly to Grace City in Xuan Country or Ze Tu City in Neil Country first, and then transfer to off-road vehicles to continue climbing the Taidamia Mountain Range.

Grace City only had railways and an airport built after the founding of Xuan Country. It was originally planned as a key development area for agriculture and animal husbandry. However, with the exploration of Haijiaer Peak by various countries around the world, the city's tertiary industry gradually developed, becoming a famous tourist city in Xuan Country. Compared to Xuan Country cities that have been polluted by industry, the blue skies and white clouds of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau indeed have a purifying effect on worries.

Mainly purifying the worries of the poor; the rich are busy enjoying life and go to tourist destinations to stay in five-star hotels to purify their worries.

At night in Grace, the starry sky is also exceptionally clear. Although it doesn't reach the level of being spotless like the Antarctic, with a brilliant Milky Way and blooming nebulae, it is summer, and the people of Grace can observe the stars directly with the naked eye. This experience is much more enjoyable than city dwellers seeing a dim night sky.

Zhang Helai, however, was not in the mood to appreciate the starry sky at this time. He sat in a single patient room on the third floor of Grace People's Hospital, with an ashtray full of cigarette butts next to him, his eyes fixed on his phone screen.

He took out a cigarette pack and found only one cigarette left. Just as he bit down on it to light it, he heard a knock on the door from outside: "Mr. Zhang."

Zhang Helai sighed, put the cigarette back in the pack, turned off his phone, and said, "Please come in."

A group of outsiders filed into the not-so-spacious patient room. Zhang Helai saw that besides Shi Lifang, a high-ranking official from Grace City whom he had met that afternoon, several foreigners also entered.

"I'm really sorry to disturb your rest, Mr. Zhang." Shi Lifang, who was middle-aged, looked at his watch. "It's almost midnight now, but due to special circumstances, I hope Mr. Zhang can understand."

"It's alright." Zhang Helai sat back on the hospital bed. "I haven't fallen asleep yet anyway. Although I'm very tired today, it was... even more unforgettable."

Shi Lifang looked apologetically at Zhang Helai, and the few foreigners also sat scattered around the room. Unlike the afternoon, the person asking Zhang Helai for details this time was not Shi Lifang's secretary, but a Xuan Countryman wearing a Black Vest.

"Mr. Zhang Helai," the Black Vest asked, "You returned to the Fifth Camp on the north slope of Haijiaer Peak, located at an altitude of 9600 meters, at 12:30 PM today, April 8th, right? Then at 3:15 PM, you took a Xuan Country transport helicopter from the Fifth Camp and returned directly to Grace City at 6:30 PM, right?"

Zhang Helai nodded: "That's right."

At this time, Zhang Helai noticed that the few foreigners also nodded one after another, which surprised him a little—they also understood Xuan Country language?

"I need you to recall everything that happened after you left the Fifth Camp in the early morning of April 8th, today." The Black Vest looked at his watch. "You haven't slept for 24 hours now, is that okay?"

"No problem." Zhang Helai smiled. "I still can't completely calm down, and I just lay down for a while, it's fine."

Everyone understood him very well—no matter who it was, encountering such a miraculous event, it was perfectly normal to be unable to sleep and have a buzzing head.

"But should I start from the Fifth Camp? I thought it would be better to start directly from 9:30 AM," Zhang Helai reminded.

"It's fine, we want to fully understand the details this time," the Black Vest said. "Don't worry about forgetting anything, just say whatever you remember."

"Okay." Zhang Helai subconsciously took out his cigarette pack, then immediately put it back. The Black Vest smiled: "Mr. Zhang, smoking to refresh yourself is very normal."

"Hmm? Oh..." Zhang Helai saw that Shi Lifang didn't say a word, tacitly acknowledging the Black Vest's leadership here. Although he was a little puzzled, he still lit a cigarette, letting the hot smoke pass through his lungs, making him recall the story from 24 hours ago once again...

Zhang Helai's climbing team was basically all Xuan Country people, including the team leader, totaling six people.

Although it was spring now, not the best time for climbing, it was only relative to summer. In fact, Haijiaer mountain climbing tourism is already very industrialized, and the danger of reaching the summit in spring is not higher than in summer—as long as the team leader is reliable.

Zhang Helai arrived in Grace City in early March, first met with his teammates, and arrived at the north slope entrance of Haijiaer Peak on March 5th: the Base Camp at an altitude of 5896 meters. After tents and other equipment were delivered to the Base Camp, they underwent more than 20 days of training to slowly adapt to the plateau climate and become familiar with the summit route.

One team member had to return to Grace City for treatment due to severe altitude sickness, vomiting repeatedly, leaving only five people in the team.

Although the process was a very unforgettable climbing record in Zhang Helai's view, it was actually quite ordinary: over the past fifty years of conquering Haijiaer Peak, countless climbing teams have used their lives to find the safest climbing route and camping spots. On Haijiaer Mountain, besides the Base Camp, there are also the Advance Camp, First Camp, Second Camp, Third Camp, Fourth Camp, and Fifth Camp. As long as all safety measures are taken and the climbing route is followed, the risk to life will be minimized.

On April 3rd, three climbing teams at the Base Camp found the weather was good and decided to make a push for the summit of Haijiaer Peak together. They reached the Second Camp within one day, the Third Camp the next day, the Fourth Camp the third day, and the Fifth Camp the fourth day. But the Fifth Camp at an altitude of 9600 meters was too high, and the Kamiya People couldn't deliver oxygen tanks up there, so they had to change oxygen tanks at the Fourth Camp to complete the thrilling journey ahead.

Zhang Helai was a middle-aged man in his thirties with a successful career. Although he didn't have children yet, his wife was pregnant. His reason for climbing Haijiaer Peak this time was purely to fulfill a dream: he joined the mountaineering club in college, met his first love, and their dream at that time was to conquer Haijiaer Peak together.

Step by step, they climbed the 5,000-meter entry-level Haba Snow Mountain, the 6,000-meter intermediate Animaqing Peak, the 7,000-meter professional Muztagh Ata, and the 8,000-meter master Cho Oyu. Only with climbing certificates for 6,000, 7,000, and 8,000 meters did they meet the requirements of the Xuan Country Mountaineering Association and qualify to challenge the 10,000-meter peak, Haidar Peak. Amateurs without climbing certificates could at most wander around the Base Camp at 5,896 meters on Haijiaer Peak.

Later, his first love was in danger during a climb. Zhang Helai worked listlessly for several years, met his current wife, and then struggled to where he is now.

He knew that this year was his last chance. If he waited until his wife gave birth, the immense responsibility that followed would completely drown the last shred of dream hidden in the heart of this middle-aged man.

Men are boys before they become fathers. This was Zhang Helai's last act of willfulness.

However, although Zhang Helai safely reached the Fifth Camp with the team, he encountered a small problem.

His Oxygen Tank consumption had reached a critical point.

It wasn't that the Oxygen Tank was insufficient, but rather that Zhang Helai had consumed more oxygen during the journey from the Fourth Camp to the Fifth Camp, reducing the amount of 'surplus oxygen'. If he still wanted to continue to the summit, he couldn't afford any mistakes, and even then, he might only barely make it.

Zhang Helai could also choose to wait at the Fifth Camp for the climbing team to descend after reaching the summit and take him down. In that case, he wouldn't need to exert himself, and his oxygen consumption would be greatly reduced.

"So, you're risking your life to reach the summit?" a blonde foreigner suddenly asked in Xuan Country language.

"Yes."

"Why go to such lengths?"

"Why? Dreams, memories, luck... My mood was complicated when I made that decision back then, but if it comes down to the fundamental reason, it should be... unwillingness to give up." Zhang Helai smiled faintly, "I know that if I had chosen to give up at that time, I would have resented that decision for the rest of my life."

"And because of that... I was able to meet her with the other team members."