Graes City is situated on the southwestern frontier of Mysterious Country, occupying the southwestern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It borders the Ngari Region to the west and Naqu City to the north. To the east, it connects with Lhasa City and Shannan City, and it shares borders with countries like Niel and Peacock. Nestled in the middle section of the Tadamia Mountain Range, the city boasts a boundary line stretching 1,753 kilometers and covers a land area of 182,000 square kilometers. Its average elevation exceeds 4,000 meters. It is also the city closest to Mount Hyjal Summit.
Most climbing teams choose to fly to Mysterious Country Glace City or Zetu City in Niel Country first and then transfer to off-road vehicles to continue their ascent of the Tadamia Mountain Range.
Only after the founding of Mysterious Country did Graes City begin to construct railways and airports. Initially designated as a key agricultural and pastoral development zone, the city's tertiary industry gradually flourished with the increasing exploration of Hyjal Peak by countries from around the world. It has since become a renowned tourist city in Mysterious Country. Indeed, the blue skies and white clouds of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau have a cleansing effect on one's worries, unlike the industrially polluted cities of Mysterious Country.
Mainly, it purifies the woes of the penniless. Wealthy people, busy savoring life, head to sacred travel destinations to indulge in five-star hotels and soothe their troubles.
During Graes's nights, the sky is especially pristine. Although it doesn't rival the Antarctic's impeccable clarity with its dazzling Milky Way and nebulae, during the summer season, the people of Graes are able to observe the constellations with the naked eye—a far more exhilarating experience than what city dwellers get from their dim night skies.
At this moment, however, Zhang Helai was in no mood to admire the starry sky. He sat in a single room on the third floor of Glace People's Hospital, an ashtray piled high with cigarette butts beside him, staring intently at his phone's screen.
He took out a pack of cigarettes, realizing only one was left. Just as he held it in his mouth and was about to light it, he heard a knock on the door. "Mr. Zhang."
Zhang Helai sighed, put the cigarette back in the pack, turned off his phone, and said, "Come in."
The not-so-spacious room allowed a group of strangers to file in one after another. Zhang Helai recognized Shi Lifang, the Secretary of the Graes City Committee, whom he had met that afternoon, as well as a few foreigners who also entered.
"We apologize for disturbing Mr. Zhang's recovery," said the middle-aged Shi Lifang, checking his watch. "It's almost midnight, but due to exceptional circumstances, we hope Mr. Zhang can understand."
"No problem," Zhang Helai sat back on the hospital bed. "I haven't fallen asleep anyway. Though I'm exhausted today, it's... even more unforgettable."
Shi Lifang looked apologetically at Zhang Helai, while the foreigners sat scattered around the room. Unlike the afternoon session, this time it wasn't Shi Lifang's secretary asking Zhang Helai for details, but a Mysterious Country national wearing Black Body Armor.
"Mr. Zhang Helai," Black Body Armor asked, "you returned to The Fifth Camp on the northern slope of Hyjal Peak at 12:30 PM today, April 8th, at an altitude of 9,600 meters, right? Then, at 3:15 PM, you took the Mysterious Country transport helicopter from The Fifth Camp and arrived back in Graes City at 6:30 PM, correct?"
Zhang Helai nodded. "That's right."
At that moment, he noticed the foreigners also nodding and couldn't help but be surprised. Do they understand the Mysterious Country's language?
"I need you to recall everything that has happened starting from your departure from The Fifth Camp in the early morning of today, April 8th," Black Body Armor looked at his watch again. "You haven't slept for 24 hours now, is that okay?"
"No problem," Zhang Helai said with a smile. "I still can't completely calm down even now, and I lay down for a while just before, so it's all good."
Everyone understood how he felt—it's completely normal for anyone to be restless and unable to sleep after encountering an event that seemed like a miracle from the heavens.
"Do you want me to start from The Fifth Camp? I thought it might be better to start from 9:30 AM," Zhang Helai suggested.
"It's fine; we want to fully understand the details this time," Black Body Armor said. "And don't worry about forgetting anything; just say whatever comes to mind."
"Alright then." Zhang Helai unconsciously reached for his pack of cigarettes but then stuffed it back. Black Body Armor chuckled. "Mr. Zhang, it's normal to smoke to stay alert."
"Huh? Oh…" Zhang Helai, noticing that Shi Lifang didn't utter a word, seemingly defaulting to Black Body Armor's leading presence in the room, felt puzzled. Still, he lit the cigarette, allowed the scorching heat of the smoke to fill his lungs, and once more recalled the story from 24 hours before…
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Zhang Helai's mountaineering team consisted almost entirely of people from Mysterious Country, including the captain, for a total of six members.
Though it was currently spring, and not the optimal season for mountaineering, this was only relative to summer. In fact, tourism on Mount Hyjal had become highly industrialized, and the danger of summiting in spring was not greater than in summer—as long as the captain was reliable.
Zhang Helai had arrived in Graes City at the beginning of March, first to meet with the team members. By March 5th, they had reached the northern entrance to Mount Hyjal Summit: the base camp at an altitude of 5,896 meters. After the tents and other equipment had been delivered to base camp, they underwent more than 20 days of acclimatization training to gradually get used to the high-altitude climate and to familiarize themselves with the routes to the summit.
One member had to return to Graes City for healing due to severe altitude sickness, constantly vomiting, leaving only five members in the team.
While Zhang Helai considered the process an unforgettable climbing record, it was actually fairly common. Over the fifty years of attempts to conquer Hyjal Peak, countless mountaineering teams had sacrificed their lives to find the safest climbing routes and campsites. Besides the base camp on Mount Hyjal, there were advanced camps, First Camp, Second Camp, Third Camp, Fourth Camp, and The Fifth Camp. As long as all safety measures were properly implemented and the climbing route was followed, the risk to life could be minimized.
On April 3rd, three mountaineering teams at the base camp noticed the good weather and decided to make a joint assault on the summit of Mount Hyjal. They reached Second Camp in one day, Third Camp the next day, Fourth Camp on the third day, and The Fifth Camp on the fourth. However, The Fifth Camp was situated at an extremely high altitude of 9,600 meters, and the Kamian people were unable to deliver Oxygen Cylinders there. Therefore, they had to switch out their Oxygen Cylinders at Fourth Camp to embark on the following breathtaking journey.
Zhang Helai was a man in his thirties, successful in his career. Although he did not have children yet, his wife was pregnant. His current attempt to climb Mount Hyjal was purely to fulfill a dream: he had joined a mountaineering club in university, where he met his first love. Their dream at that time was to conquer Hyjal Peak together.
They had climbed Haba Snow Mountain, an entry-level 5,000-meter peak. They then advanced to Animaqin Peak (6,000 meters), Mustagh Peak (7,000 meters), and the professional-level Cho Oyu Peak (8,000 meters). Having earned certifications for 6,000-meter, 7,000-meter, and 8,000-meter climbs, they met the requirements of the Mysterious Country Mountaineering Association. This allowed them to challenge the 10,000-meter-high Mount Hyjal Summit. Those without mountaineering certifications could, at most, wander around the 5,896-meter base camp.
Later, his first love was imperiled during a climb. Zhang Helai worked in a daze for years before meeting his current wife and reaching his present success. He knew this year was his last chance; if he waited until his wife had the baby, the ensuing enormous responsibility would completely drown the last vestiges of dreams hidden in this middle-aged man's heart.
A man is still a boy until he becomes a father; this was Zhang Helai's last act of willfulness.
However, although Zhang Helai had safely arrived at The Fifth Camp with the team, he encountered a small problem.
His Oxygen Cylinder consumption had reached a critical level.
It was not that there was a lack of Oxygen Cylinders, but rather that Zhang Helai had used up more oxygen than expected during the ascent from Fourth Camp to The Fifth Camp, compressing the amount of 'spare oxygen' available. If he wished to continue to the summit, he could not afford a single mistake to succeed.
Zhang Helai could also choose to wait at The Fifth Camp until the mountaineering team descended from the summit and could help him on the way down. In that case, with no need for physical exertion, his oxygen consumption would be greatly reduced.
"So you mean to say, you're risking your life to reach the summit?" a blonde foreigner suddenly asked in the Mysterious Country's language.
"Yes."
"Why would you go to such lengths?"
"Why? Dreams, memories, luck… My feelings were complex when I made that decision," Zhang Helai said with a faint smile. "But if I have to name the underlying reason, it would probably be... unwillingness to give up. 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."
"It's also for that reason... that I was able to join the other climbers and meet her."