Chapter 101: All Sides in Shock

After entrusting Cao Jinmin to Yang Jia, Qin Yun let out a faint sigh.

His stamina bar was indeed impressive, but after such prolonged weight-bearing, his legs and body felt terrifying pressure, and lactic acid—long absent—began to surface and affect him.

After closing the livestream, he returned to the tent; when he took off his gloves and water bottle and placed them directly into Han Weiwei's hands, she could no longer hold back, and tears surged forth.

"Sis, I'm sorry…呜呜呜… I'm sorry…"

Seeing her heartbroken state, Qin Yun couldn't help but sigh—but the next moment, a soft body suddenly flung itself into his arms, clinging tightly and bursting into loud sobs.

Guilt, longing, and worry exploded all at once.

Qin Yun's body stiffened slightly, then slowly raised his hand and gently patted her back, saying not a word.

Thus, the summit check-in mission for Yaomei Peak was officially concluded.

That night, at the North Wall base camp of Yaomei Peak, a gray tent flapped fiercely in the wind. The Dengshan Alliance and Storm Dengshan Team had already descended; both teams had utterly failed in their attempt to summit Yaomei Peak.

At this moment, the night sky was clear, stars scattered across it.

Inside the tent, Qin Yun sipped hot tea, quite at ease, occasionally chatting idly with Han Weiwei; they planned to leave slowly and leisurely the next day.

"Boss Qin, the internet is flooded with news of your summit of Yaomei Peak—you've gone viral."

Han Weiwei scrolled through her phone; it was clear she felt significantly more relaxed.

"Let it go viral—it's not like it's the first time. It'll die down in a while."

Han Weiwei smiled: "Netizens are calling you China's number one mountaineer right now."

"... That's a crown I don't deserve. There are far more capable people than me—what's so special about me?"

Qin Yun was speechless.

"But you summited without any protection, using only two ice axes—who else could do that?" Han Weiwei also thought Qin Yun was unparalleled; having witnessed his extreme feats, her acceptance had greatly increased.

After all, the greatest challenge in mountaineering lies in solving the oxygen problem.

For many professional climbers, once oxygen is secured, summiting Mount Zhufeng from the south isn't particularly difficult.

Shaking his head, Qin Yun began reviewing the footage from his equipment.

The two days' footage totaled over ten hours; he glanced through it and felt splitting it into two episodes was unnecessary, but making one single episode too long, requiring excessive cuts—wasteful.

After telling Han Weiwei, she suggested: "I think you shouldn't release it all at once. This isn't your wilderness survival series—you can plan it out better, like making ten episodes."

"That's too many," Qin Yun raised an eyebrow.

Han Weiwei suddenly remembered some connections back home and said: "How about I ask Douyin if they'd be willing to produce it as a special series?"

Qin Yun looked up at her in surprise: "Your family connections are that strong?"

"Not that strong—just some business ties," Han Weiwei smiled. "I'll ask after we descend. If they're interested, let Douyin handle the planning; if not, stick to your original plan."

"Alright, thank you."

Qin Yun didn't hesitate—he immediately agreed. If Douyin produced it, he'd essentially receive official recognition; future livestreams might no longer require such caution around sensitive content.

The two chatted a while longer as night deepened.

Just before sleep, Han Weiwei suddenly remembered something and asked curiously: "Boss Qin, what's your next livestream going to be?"

Qin Yun was curled in his sleeping bag, listening to the wind outside; the high-altitude air was so crisp.

"Not decided yet. Uncertain."

"Oh!"

Soon after, even breathing from Qin Yun's side grew steady and even—but Han Weiwei couldn't fall asleep at all.

One moment she thought of her sister Han Xue, the next of Qin Yun's every move over the past two days.

These thoughts kept alternating, leaving her mind cluttered and sleep impossible.

Qin Yun was undoubtedly a man brimming with charm; the desire for beauty is universal, and Han Weiwei was no exception. Though she often encountered high-status men in life, she had never met anyone like Qin Yun.

Her own family had long passed the stage of caring about a man's financial background.

What she truly cared about was mutual compatibility—plainly put, just needing to feel a spark.

And Qin Yun—this man she'd only known for two or three days—had stirred in her a peculiar feeling. But she could also tell he had no romantic interest in her, leaving her somewhat disappointed.

These pre-sleep musings kept Han Weiwei awake all night; when she woke, her eyes were swollen with dark circles.

In contrast, Qin Yun was full of energy, refreshed and invigorated, each breath seeming to activate his body's vitality.

The two quickly packed up and descended from the base camp.

Meanwhile, after a day and night of online fermentation, news of Qin Yun's unprotected summit of Yaomei Peak had exploded across the internet.

The mountaineering world erupted, the outdoor community fell silent, and ordinary netizens gasped in shock.

For veteran climbers, the first reaction to this news was: Impossible.

Who among them didn't know Yaomei Peak was the pinnacle of technical climbing in China, with a fatality rate exceeding 20%, fewer than fifty successful summits worldwide, and an unprotected ascent utterly unthinkable?

These climbers scoffed, dismissing it as photoshopped images, staged stunts, or fake news from clickbait accounts.

Their groups were filled with:

"Bullshit. Yaomei's ice wall—unprotected? Who'd believe that?"

"Dare to brag like this? Probably never even seen a snow mountain."

But as more and more news reports surfaced, and official media verified the footage, disbelief gave way to reluctant acceptance.

Especially when screenshots and video clips began circulating.

No ropes, no protection points—the climber pressed against a near-vertical ice wall. Everyone fell silent instantly.

Finally, these veteran climbers typed 【Cool】 in the comment section.

Chu Jie, captain of Haoyun Dengshan Team and #1 in China's mountaineering world, publicly stated on Weibo: "This isn't climbing—it's a mad test of human limits. No one dares replicate it."

Ordinary netizens, upon seeing these reports, also first thought: "This must be CGI."

A thousand-meter sheer cliff, clouds swirling beneath—just looking made one feel breathless.

"I get scared looking down from my second-floor balcony—this guy's walking on the sky."

"Awesome, China really has a lot of incredible people."

"Scary as hell—just pictures are terrifying; I can't even imagine what the video looks like. I've got to follow this streamer."

"True men who aren't afraid of death."

Not long after, the Mountaineers Alliance also posted on Weibo, detailing their attempt on Yaomei Peak.

Originally just an ordinary post, but the name Qin Yun appeared in it. This name carried massive traffic—within an instant, the Mountaineers Alliance's Weibo post landed on the hot search list.

Soon after, Qin Yun's high-altitude rescue was also discovered by the public.

Compared to unsecured summiting, Qin Yun carrying someone down the mountain was even less acceptable in the mountaineering world.

"Fuck, can't you make up something more believable? Carrying someone down? You're making him out to be a god."

"It's getting more absurd by the minute."

"Fine, I'll accept the unsecured climb—I believe that—but how the hell could you carry someone down safely under those conditions? Are you Superman?"

"No picture, no truth."

Someone who knew the Mountaineers Alliance immediately called to ask for details—and the answer left them stunned.

A specialized high-altitude rescue organization stated that for areas as difficult as Yaomei Peak, they would never accept such missions—rescue was impossible; helicopters couldn't approach safely, ropes couldn't reach, and the slope was too steep to stand on.

As Qin Yun and Han Wei returned to Mount Siguniang Town, news about him had spread across the entire internet.

When he opened his phone in the hotel, countless messages nearly crashed it.

After finally waiting for the notifications to stop, he found his phone battery scorching hot.

He didn't check any of the notifications—just tapped one-tap clear, then called Su Huan.

The phone rang less than once before being answered.

"Qin Yun, you're back in Mount Siguniang Town?"

"Yeah, just got back to the hotel and called you right away." Qin Yun grinned. "Is our benefactor satisfied?"

Of the three major sponsors for this livestream, Casio and DJI had already signed long-term contracts; Huan Teng Sports had not, so their sponsorship fee had to exceed the other two.

Just from livestream sponsorship, he earned fifty thousand.

But the sponsorship fees for this two-day Yaomei Peak challenge made up only a small portion of his total income.

After deducting Douyin's share, his total earnings reached over three million six hundred thousand—the highest ever since his livestreaming began. Even he thought it was absurd.

"More than satisfied." Hearing Qin Yun's strong, confident voice, Su Huan exhaled in relief. "If we negotiated after this livestream, the price might've been even higher."

Qin Yun laughed heartily: "Thank them for me. Have you woken up yet?"

"Not yet." Su Huan snuggled back under the covers. "I'm not going to the office today. When are you heading back to Hangzhou?"

Qin Yun thought for a moment: "Not decided yet. I plan to travel along Sichuan toward Xinjiang, then loop back through Tibet."

"Oh." Su Huan hesitated, then withheld the news for now. "I'll wait for you."

"..."

A strange feeling rose in Qin Yun's heart.

But before he could speak, Su Huan added: "By the way, your Douyin followers have surpassed 35 million—you're ranked 27th overall on Douyin. Impressive."

Qin Yun's attention instantly shifted: "Haha, so impressive—I'm even impressed with myself."

Su Huan burst into laughter.

"So shameless."

They exchanged a few playful remarks, then hung up.

Su Huan held her phone tightly, her emotions complicated. In the end, she still didn't tell Qin Yun she had voluntarily resigned from her company—she didn't want him to worry.

Though she called it voluntary resignation, it was effectively a dismissal.

"Better this way—I can start fresh and devote myself fully to running Qin Yun's studio."

After finishing his conversation with Su Huan, Qin Yun began replying to messages one by one.

From classmates, former colleagues, people he'd met along the way since leaving Beijing—replying took over half an hour.

Only after finishing these tasks did he have time to take a proper shower, washing away all the grime, feeling utterly clean inside and out.

Although the reward for this check-in task didn't meet his expectations, the livestream income was a pleasant surprise. That was enough.

He packed his things, grabbed his luggage, and knocked on Han Wei's door.

Not long after, the door opened, and a figure appeared before Qin Yun.

Han Wei had clearly just bathed—her long hair damp and draped over her shoulders, her body wrapped from the chest down in a white towel. Her delicate collarbone and white legs were exposed. One glance, and Qin Yun's breath caught.

But he quickly regained his composure and didn't enter. He simply said: "How much longer? I'll wait for you in the lobby."

Han Wei nodded: "Give me half an hour. I've already packed—will be down soon."

"Alright, I'll wait downstairs."

Qin Yun turned and walked away, but the image from moments ago replayed in his mind—he silently sighed: What a great figure.

As he came downstairs, at the second-floor corner he heard a conversation like chickens talking to dogs.

"Sorry, I don't understand. Can you speak Chinese?"

"¿Hay alquiler de caballos aquí?"

"Can you speak Chinese?"

"No..."

Qin Yun looked over and saw three Western men at the front desk, looking helpless, babbling rapidly, while the receptionist clearly understood nothing.

"Boss, they're asking if you rent horses."

The receptionist, as if hearing celestial music, sighed deeply in relief: "Qin Ye, you know foreign languages? Perfect! Could you help me communicate?"

Qin Yun blinked: "Boss, you know me?"

The boss laughed heartily: "Qin Ye, your name is all over the internet. How could a business owner in Mount Siguniang Town not know you? If I hadn't feared disturbing you last night, I'd have knocked on your door at midnight."

Qin Yun looked at the three Western men and blurted out in Spanish: «¿Hola, necesitan ayuda? Aquí hay alquiler de caballos. »

It meant there were horses for rent, and whether they needed help.

The three were overjoyed.

"Perfect! Finally someone who speaks Spanish. I'm José García, this is Miguel Hernández, and he's Carlos Ruiz. Could you please help us ask how to rent one?"

With Qin Yun acting as interpreter, the three quickly signed the rental contract with the owner and completed their check-in.

By the time everything was settled, Han Wei was standing behind them, luggage in hand, having arrived without notice.

She stared at Qin Yun in astonishment: "Qin Ye, you actually speak Spanish?"

"I've got a bit of a talent for languages. I picked up some during university," Qin Yun replied modestly.

He certainly couldn't say that before yesterday, he didn't know a single word of Spanish.

They checked out; Han Wei's gear was naturally taken by someone else, and she only carried a backpack as she got into Qin Yun's Land Rover.

"Actually, I could have just taken a taxi myself."

"No problem, I was just heading to Chengdu to grab something to eat anyway—it's on the way."