Everest

The so-called second step is located at an altitude of about 8680 meters. It is an almost vertical cliff. The height of nearly four meters has become a natural moat to intercept climbers on the north side for a long time. A metal ladder has been built, and the second step is still recognized as the last gate of hell to climb on the north side of Mount Everest. As long as you cross the second step, you will face the last section of snow slope that is gentler than before, and you will reach the top of the mountain.

After several hours of climbing, the sky was not as dark as before, and the twilight before dawn illuminated the places they walked, and at this moment, they saw the legendary second staircase. At this time, They are only more than 100 meters away from the second ladder.

Luosang, who was walking in the front, stopped first. He turned around and made a stop gesture to the people behind, so the whole team also stopped temporarily. There were too many of them, and I went a little further to get a little closer to the previous ones.

As soon as Lin Sheng stopped, he found a place to sit down on the spot. If it wasn't for the limited space, Geng Aiqing felt that he would have to collapse on the ground for a while.

"How is it?" Lin Sheng saw Geng Aiqing greeted him.

Geng Aiqing was also out of breath, and took a few deep breaths before recovering her voice: "Should I ask you this? Are you okay?"

"Do I seem to be okay?" Lin Sheng rolled his eyes at him angrily, coughed several times after speaking, closed his mouth and stopped talking.

Uncle Pei's cough still didn't get better. For a while, the severe cough became the only sound in their team. Luosang didn't explain the reason for stopping, but I don't know if it is such a single environment that made everyone have a rare tacit understanding , before continuing to conquer the second step, they had to rest for a while to recharge their batteries. Geng Aiqing wanted to take something out of his pocket to eat, but he didn't drag the food from the mezzanine next to him after a long time. Come out, at this moment, Shen Biwen helped him.

When Geng Aiqing took the beef jerky, he subconsciously glanced at Shen Biwen, and found that Shen Biwen's face was pale. Compared with before departure, he seemed to be thinner. Geng Aiqing thought for a while, and handed over the beef jerky in his hand Said: "Do you eat?"

Shen Biwen was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously reached out to pick it up. Geng Aiqing handed the beef jerky to his hand, and when he let go, the beef jerky fell down along Shen Biwen's fingers. Geng Aiqing didn't expect that Shen Biwen didn't pick it up. , Whoops, this sound called Shen Biwen back to his senses, he immediately bent over to pick up the beef jerky, Pei Lei who was behind him hugged his waist quickly and slapped him hard He pressed against the rock wall, and the piece of beef jerky on the ground rolled down the edge of the rock wall and disappeared into the steep rock wall and the wind and snow.

It happened so fast that Geng Aiqing didn't even react.

When he saw Pei Lei and Shen Biwen gasping heavily against the rock wall, he suddenly shivered with fear.

"Is there something wrong with you?!" Geng Aiqing cursed at Shen Biwen, but he didn't know whether he was speaking to Shen Biwen or himself.

"I'm fine." Shen Biwen moved in his direction and reluctantly said.

Geng Aiqing thought that Pei Lei was talking about something, but he didn't say anything in the end, but patted Shen Biwen's back with a gloomy expression.

They stayed longer than Geng Aiqing expected. In fact, no one expected to stay that long, except for Lausanne.From Geng Aiqing's point of view, only half of Luosang's face can be seen. He frowned nervously and looked ahead, then looked at the sky, and then reached out to catch the snowflakes that still did not stop in the sky to feel it. , Repeated movements like this blocked Pei Lei's urging several times.

"It's snowing heavily, and the wind is blowing towards us." Shen Biwen briefly translated Lausanne's words, "We have to wait."

"I can't wait any longer." After half an hour, the anxiety on Pei Lei's face became more obvious, and he took the initiative, "We can't wait any longer, the wind and snow can only get bigger and bigger..."

Yong Ke looked back at him from the front, and said with a hint of worry on his face, "We should listen to Lausanne, he is more familiar with the weather here."

"Timidity and shrinking will only put us in greater danger!" Pei Lei retorted, "Rushing up to the second step in one go, we can take a temporary rest to withstand the wind and snow!"

"What if something goes wrong when climbing the second step!" Yongke's attitude also became tough.

Pei Lei was silent for a while, and then said: "No, we must hurry up." After speaking, he coughed again.

Geng Aiqing had a hunch that something was wrong with Uncle Pei, but he didn't know how to ask in this situation. He glanced at Shen Biwen, and found that Shen Biwen had also been staring at Pei Lei, with some doubts on his face. Not aware of Geng Aiqing's gaze, Shen Biwen and him looked at each other, and there was a trace of tension in the eyes of both of them.

Lin Sheng also sensed that something was wrong, he silently leaned against Geng Aiqing's side.

Luosang seemed to be aware of the stalemate in the team, and looked towards Shen Biwen as if asking for help. Shen Biwen hesitated, and whispered a few words in Tibetan, and Luosang immediately chattered.

"What does he mean?" Pei Lei asked anxiously.

Shen Biwen paused before saying: "What Lausanne means is that the weather is not optimistic... It is too dangerous to continue going up, let alone the second step ahead."

Pei Lei fell silent.

Yong Ke sighed and said, "It's all here, don't be in a hurry."

But before she finished speaking, Pei Lei shook his head again and said, "It's normal for the weather to change at such a high altitude. We don't know how long we have to wait here..." Pei Lei glanced at the top of a mountain not far away. Cowin on the board said with a serious expression, "The strong wind is coming soon, we have waited here long enough, but is there enough oxygen?"

After listening to his words, Geng Aiqing subconsciously touched the oxygen tank in his backpack, and calculated the remaining time in his mind. They have climbed to the present, and the rest can only last for two hours at most, and their oxygen supply is at above the second step.

Yongke disagreed with him: "Oxygen must be enough, we can't take the risk of the weather, you have experience climbing Mount Everest, you know what the weather changes represent at such an altitude..."

Pei Lei interrupted her again: "It's because I know! So I can't be sure how long we will stay here! Lausanne? Can he guarantee it? Can he guarantee that we can continue to go up after half an hour?"

Pei Lei was rarely so aggressive, and Yong Ke was obviously frightened.

"Uncle Pei..." Geng Aiqing called out in a low voice.

As if he didn't hear him at all, Pei Lei turned to Shen Biwen and said, "Ask Luosang if you can go up now, or ask him if he can determine how long to wait here. We climbers are not guides. Listen to every word."

This was a bit too much, and Shen Biwen's expression also changed. Uncle Pei avoided his gaze after speaking, and stared at the rock wall in front.

Shen Biwen said a few words to Luosang, but of course he didn't translate the last sentence. Luosang's expression showed obvious hesitation. According to his experience, it must be best to stay here and wait for this snowy past , but Pei Lei's worry is not unreasonable, coupled with Pei Lei's persistence...

In the end, everyone followed Pei Lei's suggestion, still led by Luosang, and they braved the wind and snow to advance to the second step.

When the first ray of morning sun projected into their eyes from the layers of mist, they had just arrived at the foot of the second step. From their position, they could see that the top of Mount Everest was shrouded in a layer of sunlight. The snow layer is clean. Obviously, no one has set foot on the top until now. The warm orange sunlight has coated the eastern sky with a layer of magnificent colors. Although everyone is not in a happy mood, seeing such a lifetime The rare sunrise still eased the tense atmosphere in the team.

The climbing of the second step relied only on a climbing ladder and almost useless ropes. In order to save time, they almost climbed up the climbing ladder one by one. Don’t worry about the load-bearing of the climbing ladder, it’s just so tight Climbing always makes people nervous. Geng Aiqing followed Lin Sheng, watching his legs trembling slightly while standing on the climbing ladder, or his whole body was trembling because of fear. Geng Aiqing forced her eyes to look away from him, and tried her best to relax herself, at least to stabilize her trembling fingers, so that the carabiner can be securely buckled into each section of the road rope.

Climbing is so slow that stomping becomes a sort of willpower struggle.

Just when Geng Aiqing couldn't bear it anymore and was about to take a break, he suddenly heard Pei Lei's panicked voice: "Shen Biwen, what's wrong with you?"

Geng Aiqing suddenly came to his senses, subconsciously turned his head and looked down, and the entire iron ladder swayed with the wide range of his turn.

Shen Biwen was lying on the ladder, holding the iron ladder with one hand and holding the rope in the other. He didn't even answer Pei Lei's question, but just stabilized his body and said in a low voice: "Mountain climbing buckle gone."

Pei Lei was a little anxious immediately: "Is there a spare?"

Geng Aiqing saw Shen Biwen nodded slightly, and then reached out to touch the back of her backpack. After touching it for a while, she didn't seem to find anything.

"No." Shen Biwen's voice was very soft.

Pei Lei immediately climbed up a few steps and approached Shen Biwen: "No? No way to climb? It's too dangerous!"

Geng Aiqing had never felt so proud of his voice, he almost shouted: "I have!"

Pei Lei and Shen Biwen looked at him at the same time.

Geng Aiqing took out a spare carabiner from the bag on the side of his backpack, and shook it at them.

Shen Biwen even smiled at him, and then took a step up with his whole body, trying to reach for the carabiner in his hand. At this moment, something happened suddenly!Shen Biwen's foot slipped, his fingers barely brushed the edge of Geng Aiqing's finger, and then he fell down hard, rubbing against the edge of Pei Lei's body, and Pei Lei was also hit by him After falling for several knots, within a few seconds, Shen Biwen's body was submerged in the flying snowflakes.

No one realized that the snow had fallen so heavily.

Geng Aiqing was stunned, and he didn't even have time to take back the smug expression on his face.

"Shen...Shen Biwen?" Geng Aiqing called out in a daze.

At that moment, Geng Aiqing barely knew what he was thinking, his mind went blank, the accident happened so suddenly, everyone was unprepared, when Geng Aiqing came back to his senses, Pei Lei was holding his arm firmly, Pressing him on the climbing ladder, the skin of his face touched the cold metal, but he didn't feel it at all.

"Geng Aiqing! Geng Aiqing!" Pei Lei said viciously, "Can you hear me!"

Geng Aiqing nodded unconsciously.

"Shen Biwen's climbing buckle was dropped, it was an accident!" Pei Lei approached him, staring into his eyes, "It was an accident, not your fault!"

"But...but..." Geng Aiqing didn't know what he wanted to say, but just sobbed, no, it shouldn't be like this, how could it be like this?Shen Biwen, who was still smiling at him just now, was "accidental" like this?He still, he hasn't done anything yet!

Pei Lei's voice came into his ears clearly: "You know, this is what he wants, you know, right?"

Geng Aiqing was startled suddenly, as if he was suddenly fished out of the submerged lake, he looked at Pei Lei in disbelief, Pei Lei's eyes were red, obviously restraining the grief in his heart: "He came here You also know the purpose of Mount Everest, right?"

Geng Aiqing guessed that Pei Lei probably knew what Shen Biwen was thinking, but he never expected it to be in such a situation.

"He..." Pei Lei paused, "He has accomplished his goal..."

Geng Aiqing suddenly woke up. He stared at Pei Lei and shook his head very slowly: "No, this is not his goal."

Before Pei Lei could speak, Geng Aiqing suddenly climbed down a few steps and landed behind Pei Lei. He raised his head and said, "I'm going to find him."

Not only Pei Lei, but the other people above him were all shocked when they heard his words, Lin Sheng immediately shouted: "Geng Aiqing, you are crazy!"