Chapter 49: The Daxinganling Task

The straight-line distance from Zhejiang to Heilongjiang is about two thousand kilometers, and the flight takes just over three hours.

The two of them boarded the plane; since they bought regular economy seats, the seating was predictable—but they didn’t care much, since it was only a three-hour flight.

At this time of day, the flight included a dinner service.

Qin Yun had flown a few times and, for some reason, always thought airplane meals tasted quite good. Today’s meal was no different—he ate it with great enjoyment, even finishing off Su Huan’s portion too.

Su Huan smiled at him: “If you think this is delicious, you’re easy to feed.”

Qin Yun laughed. It wasn’t particularly tasty—it was more a feeling inside, a sense of satisfaction.

They chatted, passing the time, and before they knew it, two hours had passed.

“When I get back, get Fang Nan to come out with us…”

Before he could finish, a system alert sounded, and a panel dropped before his eyes.

【Publishing check-in task: Host must travel to the secondary forest zone on the southern slopes of Daxinganling in Jilin Province. Bring only clothing and filming equipment—no other items. Survive in the wild for five days, then exit from Inner Mongolia to complete the check-in.】

“Come out with us what? Why’d you stop halfway?” Su Huan looked at him curiously.

Qin Yun continued: “Let’s get Fang Nan to meet up. We’ve only talked online—this time, I’ll treat her to a proper meal.”

“Sure thing. She’s told me more than once she wants to meet you.”

Smiling, Qin Yun opened the small TV on the seatback in front and checked the plane’s current location—his mind immediately understood.

The plane was now flying over Jilin Province, meaning the system’s task still respected the no-cross-region rule.

As for the new check-in task, Qin Yun analyzed it carefully and still felt it was dangerous.

Daxinganling is one of the few remaining intact primary forests in China, teeming with wildlife—bears, tigers, and wolves are routine. For an ordinary person, surviving inside would be suicide.

Even with his current abilities, encountering such large animals would still be uncertain.

But he possessed zoology, botany, and combat skills—he was confident he could survive five days, as long as he stayed cautious.

In the past, he hadn’t been an adventurous person—he preferred stability.

But as his skills multiplied, his instinct for challenge gradually awakened, proven by two consecutive rock climbs.

“No rush. Let’s attend Gao Da’s wedding first. There’s plenty of time—the system hasn’t set a deadline.”

…

After landing, the two took the airport shuttle and arrived smoothly at a budget hotel in Harbin.

There they met Gao Da and Shen Hu, along with several friends who had come early for the wedding banquet.

Many looked at them with strange expressions upon seeing Qin Yun and Su Huan arrive together—but Gao Da and Shen Hu raised their eyebrows at him, grinning like brothers proud of a conquest.

While Su Huan went to deposit her luggage, Shen Hu grabbed Qin Yun’s neck: “Good kid! You’ve landed your class monitor—impressive!”

Qin Yun quickly shut him down: “Don’t talk nonsense. Too many ears around—word gets out, it’ll cause trouble. I just happened to be passing through Hangzhou, so I asked Su Huan.”

“Pfft… trying to fool me.” Shen Hu clearly didn’t believe him.

Nearby, Gao Da punched Qin Yun lightly and laughed: “Long time no see—you’ve changed a lot.”

“Not bad. You could do the same if you worked out.” Qin Yun glanced at his belly. “Aren’t you busy with work? How’d you get this fat?”

“Don’t even ask. Constant banquets—trying to secure investments, you think it’s easy?”

Qin Yun looked around, puzzled: “Where’s Lin Lu?”

Lin Lu was Gao Da’s other dorm mate—of course their college friendship was strong. But Gao Da and Shen Hu were in the same class, while Qin Yun and Lin Lu were.

“Can’t reach him.”

Qin Yun froze: “What do you mean, can’t reach him? Phone’s dead?”

Gao Da sighed: “The guy went abroad. I’ve left messages on every social app—he’s never come online. No idea what he’s up to.”

Qin Yun frowned—he’d also tried contacting Lin Lu before departure, but the phone wouldn’t ring and WeChat went unanswered. He’d assumed Lin Lu was just busy.

“That doesn’t make sense. A dead phone I get, but how come no social media response? Have you contacted his family?”

Gao Da shook his head: “No. I don’t even know his address—that’s something the school would know.”

Qin Yun noted it down, planning to ask Su Huan to inquire after the wedding.

As a civil servant, Gao Da’s wedding banquet wouldn’t be extravagant—he wasn’t wealthy, and his bride was also from a civil service background.

“This is my wife, Fang Yi.”

Gao Da’s wife smiled and greeted Qin Yun and Su Huan, who had just come downstairs. They exchanged brief introductions.

Since the banquet was three days away, there was no need to worry about meeting early—no superstitions here.

“Go ahead and do your own thing. Don’t bother with us.”

“Alright,” Gao Da nodded. “I’ve already arranged three meals a day at the hotel—just show up at mealtime.” He didn’t fuss, took Fang Yi’s hand, and left.

Of the friends who arrived early, Qin Yun recognized only a few—but several looked familiar, likely from past encounters.

“Feel like wandering?”

Su Huan suggested.

Qin Yun and Shen Hu had no objections: “Let’s go. Never been to Harbin—let’s see the sights and try some local specialties.”

Harbin had many specialties Qin Yun had tried—like Harbin red sausage. He especially loved slicing it, roasting it in the oven until crispy and fragrant—utterly delicious.

Also, as part of Northeast China, Harbin’s signature dish included Guobao Rou.

He hadn’t tasted the rest.

The three left the hotel, grabbed a map, and wandered aimlessly.

“When the hell did you learn rock climbing? That’s insane—I thought I was hallucinating when I saw your livestream.”

Shen Hu was stunned by Qin Yun’s moves. He’d assumed Qin Yun’s media work meant just traveling around, shooting scenery or doing budget trips—nothing wrong with that.

But seeing the actual footage had shocked him.

Before Qin Yun could speak, Su Huan laughed: “You saw his livestream with safety gear, right? But his first video was free solo climbing Shanzigai Cliff—do you know how I felt watching that?”

Shen Hu had watched that video too. He sighed: “Just watching made me dizzy. How the hell did you dare? You’ve got balls of steel.”

“For those who know, it’s not hard,” Qin Yun said casually. “A lot of things are like that—you only realize how simple they are once you do them.”

Shen Hu rolled his eyes: “I’ll believe you when pigs fly.”

Changing the subject, Qin Yun asked: “Gao Da’s married. What about you? When are you planning to get married?”

Shen Hu shook his head: “Why rush? I’ll tell you when I do. It’s not that I don’t want to—it’s my girlfriend who’s not in a hurry.”

Qin Yun and Su Huan exchanged glances. In this day and age, with both of them approaching thirty, it was rare for a girlfriend to not want to marry.

“If you’d marry sooner, I could save on red envelopes, you know.”

“Heh,” Shen Hu grinned. “Too bad. You got married first—next time you tie the knot, forget the envelope.”

“Damn it!”

Qin Yun laughed and cursed.

The three wandered, stopping occasionally at roadside food stalls to buy snacks—enjoying themselves.

Harbin was vastly different from Zhejiang—at least visually.

Due to its proximity to Russia, many European-style buildings dotted the skyline.

Combined with its geographic location, the climate differed sharply.

In October, Hangzhou still felt like summer, but Harbin was already nearing freezing.

Come winter, the gap widened—minus thirty degrees was normal.

If Hangzhou hit that temperature, Qin Yun figured it would be a natural disaster.

Of course, the best season to visit Harbin was winter—when ice art and natural wonders intertwined in breathtaking beauty.

The three wandered east and west, and before they knew it, it was midnight.

Back at the hotel, each returned to their rooms. For the next few days, they stuck together, exploring everywhere.

Over these three days, Qin Yun was certain: unless he completed the published check-in task, no new one would be issued.

He was now in Harbin—a new map—but still no system notification.

On the morning of October 3rd, he put on his suit and got busy.

He helped the groom fetch the bride, livened up the atmosphere, drank with guests, and shielded the groom from waves of enthusiastic well-wishers.

After the wedding, even with his physical conditioning, he felt slightly drunk.

As most guests at the hotel dispersed, Shen Hu had already passed out and been carried off.

Gao Da looked at Qin Yun and said to Su Huan: “Su Huan, I’ve had a car waiting outside. You sure you’re fine?”

Before Su Huan could answer, Qin Yun waved his hand: “Worry about yourself. I’m just a bit dizzy—my mind’s clear.”

“Alright,” Gao Da sighed. “Your flight’s tomorrow, right? Let me know when you leave—or stay another couple days?”

“No,” Su Huan declined. “We’ve been here three or four days already.”

With that, she waved and half-supported Qin Yun as they walked out of the hotel.

Gao Da’s new bride, Fang Yi, watched their backs and whispered: “Doesn’t it seem like Su Huan has feelings for Qin Yun?”

Gao Da scratched his head: “I didn’t notice anything.”

Fang Yi smirked: “You’d miss a hammer in your hand. Didn’t you see how Su Huan looked at Qin Yun when she was shielding you from drinks? That’s not a friend’s gaze.”

“So my buddy’s getting a second wind?”

Gao Da was delighted.

“I’m just guessing—don’t go blabbing. What if they’re just friends?”

“Alright, got it.”

Gao Da nodded vaguely, already planning to fish for details from Qin Yun later.

Now in the car with Su Huan, Qin Yun leaned back to let the alcohol dissipate.

Only his superior physical condition kept him upright—if he were normal, he’d have collapsed like Shen Hu after all that drinking.

Moreover, as time passed, he felt his dizziness gradually fading, the alcohol in his body seeming to evaporate.

In just twenty minutes, the car pulled up to the hotel entrance.

The two got out of the car and returned to the room door. Qin Yun swiped his card to enter, then took two steps before suddenly realizing Su Huan had followed him in.

“You… why are you coming in?”

Su Huan rolled her eyes at him: “I’m just checking if you’re going to throw up. If I hadn’t promised your aunt I’d look after you, I wouldn’t bother with you at all.”

Qin Yun said nothing and let her be.

“You’re underestimating me.”

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