Chapter 65: Ordinary People Do Extraordinary Things

"Next, I just need to keep moving forward until I find someone—I'm sure it won't take long."

After speaking, he ate a few hazelnuts from his backpack to regain some energy, but didn't dare to eat much, fearing thirst.

【2】 After speaking, he ate a few hazelnuts from his backpack to replenish some energy, but didn't dare eat much, fearing thirst.

The thirty-minute crossing of the inner cliff consumed a large amount of water from his body, and he was now at the point where he absolutely needed to replenish fluids.

【3】 The thirty-minute crossing of the inner cliff consumed a large amount of water from his body, reaching the point where he must replenish it.

He walked for another thirty minutes or so before finally finding a fruit tree.

【4】 He walked another thirty minutes or so, and finally found a fruit tree.

The tree bore many black-purple fruits; he reached out, picked a few, and shoved them straight into his mouth, saying as he ate, "Do you know what kind of fruit this is?"

【5】 The tree bore many black-purple fruits; he reached out, plucked a few, and shoved them straight into his mouth, eating as he said, "Do you know what kind of fruit this is?"

"Looks like a plum?"

【6】 "Looks like plums?"

"Who knows what fruit it is, but it looks pretty juicy—host, how's the taste?"

【7】 "Who knows what fruit it is, but it looks juicy—host, how's the taste?"

"Looks like the host is truly thirsty."

【8】 "Looks like the host is truly thirsty."

Qin Yun continued: "This is a chokecherry, also called stinking plum—a wild fruit commonly found along the edges of the Greater Khingan Range. It's just like regular plums: full of moisture, with a sweet-tart, slightly astringent flavor, and it's my top choice for rehydrating right now."

【9】 Qin Yun continued: "This is Chou Lizǐ, also called Chou Li, a wild fruit commonly found along the fringes of the Greater Khingan Range. It's just like regular plums—full of moisture, sweet and sour with a faint astringency—and it's my top choice for replenishing water right now."

He ate a dozen or so in one go, then gradually slowed down.

【10】 He ate a dozen or so in one go, then slowly slowed down.

"Seeing this kind of fruit basically means I'm getting closer to the edge, friends. It looks like I have a good chance of finding an exit and encountering people today."

【11】 "Seeing this fruit basically means I'm getting closer to the edge—friends, it looks like today I have a high chance of finding an exit, finding signs of people."

"No, please! I still want to keep watching Brother Qin's livestream."

【12】 "No, I still want to keep watching Brother Qin's livestream."

"Brother Qin has only been out five days—stay out a few more!"

【13】 "Brother Qin's only been five days—stay longer."

"When's the host's next livestream?"

【14】 "When's the host's next livestream?"

Qin Yun looked at the comments and smiled: "Over these five days, I've only managed to get a little salt from some rocks—that's extremely unhealthy, so I must return to human society soon to recover my body. As for when my next livestream will be, it's up to fate. You all know I'm just a temporary wilderness survival streamer."

【15】 Qin Yun looked at these comments and smiled: "In five days, I've only managed to get a little salt from some rocks—that's extremely unhealthy, so I must return to human society as soon as possible to readjust my body. As for when I'll livestream again, it's up to fate. You all know I'm just a temporary wilderness survival host."

"Hahaha, temporary… everything can be temporary."

【16】 "Hahaha, temporary… everything can be temporary."

"Brother Qin is so funny."

【17】 "Brother Qin is so funny."

「666——」

【18】 "666——"

Qin Yun ate another thirty or so plums until he felt a slight sense of fullness, then stopped, stuffed a few into his pack, and continued on his way.

【19】 Qin Yun ate another thirty or so plums until his stomach felt slightly full, then stopped, stuffed a few into his pack, and continued on his way.

After walking for about another hour, a clearly defined boundary suddenly appeared in his line of sight.

【20】 After walking another hour or so, a sharply defined boundary suddenly appeared in his line of sight.

On his side was a fairly primitive forest, but across the line, everything felt orderly—even though it looked no different on the surface, anyone would sense unmistakable human intervention.

【21】 On his side was a fairly primitive forest zone, but the other side gave off a sense of orderliness; though it looked no different on the surface, anyone seeing it would feel it was clearly man-made.

Qin Yun walked over and pointed the drone's camera at the ground, smiling: "Hey, look—compared to where we were before, the ground here is much neater, clearly showing signs of human interference. Without a doubt, this must be a state-owned forest farm; if I go out from here, I'll almost certainly find people."

【22】 Qin Yun walked over, aimed the drone's camera at the ground, and chuckled: "Heh, look—compared to where we were before, isn't the ground here less chaotic? Clearly shows signs of human interference. No surprise, this area's probably a state-owned forest farm; if we go out from here, we'll almost certainly meet people."

"Stop! What are you doing here?"

【23】 "Stop! What are you doing here?"

Suddenly, two dark shapes emerged in the distance, staring directly at Qin Yun, and a middle-aged man in camouflage stepped forward, raising a gun.

【24】 Suddenly, two dark muzzles emerged from afar, fixed squarely on Qin Yun's body, and a middle-aged man in camouflage uniform stepped out, raising his rifle.

Qin Yun froze, raised his hands immediately at the sight of the barrel: "Brother, don't shoot! I'm a law-abiding citizen!"

【25】 Qin Yun froze, saw the barrel, and immediately raised his hands: "Brother, don't shoot—I'm a law-abiding citizen."

"Hahaha, Brother Qin, don't be scared!"

【26】 "Hahaha, Brother Qin, don't back down!"

"You surrendered so fast? Brother Qin, I'm disappointed in you, pfft…"

【27】 "You surrendered so fast, Brother Qin—I'm disappointed in you, pfft…"

"Haha, truth is power—even Brother Qin has to back down!"

【28】 "Haha, truth really is hegemony—even mighty Brother Qin has to back down."

"Who is this guy? A forest ranger? Can rangers even carry guns?"

【29】 "Who's this? A forest ranger? Can forest rangers even carry guns?"

Qin Yun looked at the man—a middle-aged man in his forties, lean and alert, wearing camouflage with distinctive insignias on his chest and arms. He instantly recognized him as a forest ranger from the Greater Khingan Range.

【30】 Qin Yun looked at the man—a middle-aged man in his forties, lean and alert, wearing camouflage, with distinctive emblems on his chest and arms; he immediately recognized him as a forest ranger from the Greater Khingan Range.

"What are you doing here? How did you get here?" the ranger asked, still holding his gun tightly.

【31】 "What are you doing here?" the ranger asked, not lowering his gun, still highly alert.

Qin Yun smiled: "Brother, I'm just a tourist, traveling alone in the Greater Khingan Range. Could you tell me where we are? Still in Jilin?"

【32】 Qin Yun smiled: "Brother, I'm just a tourist, came here alone to explore the Greater Khingan Range. Where exactly are we? Still in Jilin?"

The ranger scrutinized Qin Yun from head to toe, noticing his filthy clothes and the faint stench clinging to him, but his appearance and demeanor didn't match that of a poacher.

【33】 The ranger now sized Qin Yun up—he saw his filthy, disheveled clothes, smelled what seemed like a foul odor, but most importantly, his appearance and demeanor didn't match a poacher's.

Then his gaze shifted to the hovering drone.

【34】 Then his gaze shifted to the drone hovering nearby.

He recognized the drone, and slowly lowered his gun. Though still cautious, he relaxed a bit—so long as it wasn't a poacher, everything was fine.

【35】 He recognized the drone; slowly, he lowered his rifle. Though still wary, as long as it wasn't a poacher, things were fine.

"This is Inner Mongolia, over three hundred kilometers from Jilin. How did you even get here?"

【36】 "This is Inner Mongolia, over three hundred kilometers from Jilin. How did you get here?"

Qin Yun's heart leapt with joy; the viewers in the livestream sighed in disappointment.

【37】 Qin Yun felt a surge of relief; the livestream viewers sighed.

【Check-in task completed! Reward received: Cooking Skill +1】

【38】 【Check-in task completed. Random reward obtained: Cooking Skill +1】

【Cooking Skill LV1: Mastering the precise balance of flavors, fueling the purest passion at the hearth】

【39】 【Cooking Skill LV1: Mastering every flavor's measure; the hearth fire burns with ultimate sincerity】

Instantly, a flood of memories exploded in his mind; in an instant, he felt transformed into a culinary god with an obsessive pursuit of perfection—he seemed to have mastered the essence of every Chinese cuisine, every Western cooking technique, every national dish.

【40】 Instantly, a burst of memory exploded in his mind; in an instant, he felt as if he had become a culinary god with an extreme pursuit of cooking—he seemed to have mastered the essence of every Chinese cuisine, every Western technique, nearly every nation's culinary art.

Now, if he returned to the forest, he could make chicken soup and roasted rabbit far better than before—by several times over.

【41】 Right now, if he returned to the forest, he could make chicken soup and roasted rabbit far, far tastier than before.

Yet this reward left Qin Yun slightly disappointed. Although the system granted him a skill, and every skill requires a lifetime of dedication, he had barely escaped death in the Greater Khingan Range—and all he got was a cooking skill. The higher the expectation, the deeper the letdown.

【42】 But this reward left Qin Yun genuinely disappointed. Though the system's skill reward was no trivial thing—each requiring a lifetime of dedication—he'd barely survived the Greater Khingan Range, yet received only a cooking skill. The higher the hope, the greater the disappointment.

But then he reconsidered: he'd gained in just a few days what most people spend a lifetime striving for—what more could he ask for?

【43】 But then he thought differently—his mind grew calm. He'd spent only a few days to gain a skill others could never attain in a lifetime. What was there to complain about?

"Brother, I came from the Jilin side…"

【44】 "Brother, I came from the Jilin side…"

Qin Yun gave a brief account, omitting the dangers he'd faced. Still, the ranger listened, stunned, and finally sighed: "You're incredibly lucky to have made it out alive. Our forests are full of large predators—if you'd encountered even one, you'd be dead."

【45】 Qin Yun gave a brief account, omitting the dangers he'd faced. The ranger listened, stunned, and finally sighed: "You've got incredible luck—survived that without incident. Our forest's full of large predators; one encounter and you're dead."

"Yeah, I've been lucky."

【46】 "Yeah, I've been lucky."

"Come with me—I'll take you to wash up. I could smell you from a mile away."

【47】 "Come with me—I'll take you to wash up. I smelled that stench from far away."

Qin Yun gave a victory sign to the livestream and followed the ranger toward his home.

【48】 Qin Yun gave a "V" sign to the livestream, then followed the ranger toward his dwelling.

As they walked, they exchanged names.

【49】 As they walked, they exchanged names.

The ranger's name was Zhou Kai. Though from Inner Mongolia, he was Han Chinese. He'd been a ranger for over twenty years, ever since graduating high school—his entire life had been devoted to guarding this forest.

【50】 The ranger's name was Zhou Kai. Though from Inner Mongolia, he was Han Chinese. He'd been a ranger for over twenty years, almost since graduating high school, and had spent his entire life guarding this forest.

"Brother Zhou, have you gotten married?"

【51】 "Brother Zhou, you never got married?"

Zhou Kai smiled bitterly: "Times have changed. Someone like me has almost no chance of finding a partner. I wouldn't wish for my wife to endure the same isolation and danger I face living deep in the mountains."

【52】 Zhou Kai gave a bitter smile: "Times have changed. Someone like me has almost no chance of finding a partner. I wouldn't want my wife to endure the same lonely, perilous life of guarding the deep mountains."

Qin Yun was deeply moved: "Brother Zhou, don't you ever regret it?"

【53】 Qin Yun grew solemn: "Brother Zhou, don't you regret it?"

Zhou Kai shook his head: "Why regret it? I love what I do. The mountains are my home, the forest my companion. Every day, I take pleasure in walking every inch of the land I protect. After so many years here, I know every ancient tree, every blade of grass, every bush by heart."

【54】 Zhou Kai shook his head: "What's there to regret? I love what I do. The mountains are my home, the forest my companion. Every day, I take pleasure in walking every inch of the land I protect. After so many years here, I know every ancient tree, every blade of grass, every twig—every detail."

Listening to this rough man speak with such sincerity, the livestream viewers were stunned.

【55】 Listening to this rough man's unfeigned words, the livestream viewers were stunned.

"This is true self-sacrifice for the greater good—I doubt I could ever do this."

【56】 "This must be the kind of self-sacrifice for the greater good—I doubt I could ever do this."

"A humble job, yet profoundly noble—salute all forest rangers."

【57】 "The job may be ordinary, but it's great—honor to all forest rangers."

"Fearless, unafraid of solitude—truly admirable."

【58】 "Fearless, unafraid of solitude—deeply admirable."

"My dad's a forest ranger. This job isn't just physically grueling—it's emotionally isolating. But he says his lifelong dedication preserves green mountains and clear waters, ensures ecological safety—and that makes it all worthwhile."

【59】 "My dad's a forest ranger. This job isn't just physically grueling—it's a torment of loneliness. Though ordinary, my dad says his lifelong dedication brings green mountains and clear waters, ecological peace—it's worth it."

"Respect!"

【60】 "Respect!"

Soon, Qin Yun followed Zhou Kai to his dwelling — a simple, old brick house, just one low story, its walls mottled and peeling. Qin Yun even saw some of the wall cracks stuffed with yellow mud and old cloth.

Inside, the floor was plain cement. Though it had electricity, the power came from a solar panel.

"The conditions are a bit rough. If you want to wash up, you can do it by the water vat outside. I piped mountain water down, so you won't have to worry about water."

Qin Yun nodded his thanks, glanced at his phone, and found that there was actually signal here — that way he could use his phone to ease the loneliness a bit.

After he quickly washed up and changed his clothes, Zhou Kai had already prepared some food inside — just a simple pot of hodgepodge stew, sizzling with aroma.

"Brother Qin, you must be starving. Go ahead and eat."

Qin Yun's eyes lit up. Five days without any oil or salt, and he felt right now he could eat a whole cow.

"Brother Zhou, then I won't hold back."

"Eat as much as you like, no need to be polite." Zhou Kai gave a simple, honest laugh.

The drone was still hovering off to one side. Qin Yun raised his rice bowl toward the drone in a brief gesture, then without a word dug into his meal.

"I wonder what the ranger brothers would think if they knew Qin Ye dried out a wild rabbit and two gray wolves in the forest."

"Just grab the gun and drop him with one shot."

"Hahaha…"

Eating the hodgepodge stew from the pot, Qin Yun almost cried. Five-plus days — a full five-plus days — he had nearly forgotten the taste of salt.

With every bite, his soul seemed to be elevated. For a moment he wolfed it down, leaving Zhou Kai deeply moved.

"Looks like Brother Qin had it pretty rough these past few days. Eat more — I'll go get you a drink. I remember I had a bottle of cola from last year."

"Mm, mm, thanks Brother Zhou."

At this moment, Qin Yun felt that no matter how he looked at Zhou Kai, everything about him was pleasing to the eye — like a great benefactor.

And his way of eating made the livestream viewers watching drool with envy.

"Watching Qin Ye eat is seriously mouth-watering."

"It's making me hungry. Feels like Qin Ye would have a real future doing food livestreams."

"Animals of the Greater Khingan Range: thanks, Master Zhou."

"Drooling, damn it, I'm ordering takeout."

When Zhou Kai brought a can of cola, Qin Yun took a big swig, and a satisfied burp came out right away. He laughed heartily: "So good — this is what food for humans tastes like."

"Brother Qin, you're exaggerating." Zhou Kai laughed. "It's still early. After you finish eating and rest a bit, I'll take you down the mountain. It'll take us about forty minutes or so before we see the mountain road. I'll haul you on the three-wheeler to the nearest Wulan Village to rest for the night, and then we'll head to town to catch a ride."

"Mm, mm, thanks Brother Zhou."

After eating and drinking his fill, Qin Yun and Zhou Kai sat outside the house, chatting and resting.

By now, Zhou Kai had also figured out what the drone was for, but although curious, he didn't ask much.

When the time was about right, the two headed down the mountain. After forty-plus minutes, they saw a small square house — compared to Zhou Kai's place, this one looked much better, and parked outside was a three-wheeled cart.

Zhou Kai drove the three-wheeler and quickly delivered Qin Yun to the nearest village.

After thanking Zhou Kai repeatedly and seeing him off, Qin Yun finally smiled at the camera: "The livestream has reached this point — it's time to say goodbye."

"Over these five and a half days of survival, I ran into plenty of danger, but I turned every risk into safety one by one. If any of you ever end up in trouble, you can think back on this livestream of mine."

"Cursing me even after the stream ends—damn, no little red hearts for you."

"Qin Ye, you jinx — I could never be that unlucky."

"Keep going, Qin Ye — it's still early."

"Right, why end the stream so early?"

Qin Yun acted as if he hadn't seen those comments: "These past few days, I ate bugs, wild greens, wild rabbit, crabs, wild chicken, hazelnuts. I also ran into wolves, bears, a Siberian tiger. The road was full of thrills, but all in all it was more scare than harm — I made it out of the Greater Khingan Range safely and completed the goal I set at the start."

"I'm Qin Yun, a temporary wilderness survival streamer. I hope there will be a next time. Friends, goodbye."

After saying that, Qin Yun tapped the end-stream button. His whole body instantly relaxed, and exhaustion washed over him.