0123 Beyond the Limits of Climbing!

I had planned to grab a late-night bite with Jiang Zhe at a place we used to frequent, but upon arriving, I discovered the shop had already gone out of business.

In recent years, affected by the pandemic, competition in the catering industry has become cutthroat. Even the smallest restaurants that try to maintain some integrity are struggling to hold on.

We had no choice but to find a different place serving Northwestern cuisine. We ordered naan bread, lamb skewers, grilled lamb liver, and meat in a jar, accompanied by a pot of Eight-Treasure tea.

I suspect I had overtrained during the day. Furthermore, ever since I realized that "adding points" causes an increased drain on bodily functions, the boosted blood circulation and metabolism were clearly accelerating the consumption of nutrients in my body.

Because of this, I ate my midnight snack with an completely open appetite, consuming enough for two or three people. It truly shocked Jiang Zhe.

"Old Four, are you sure you're okay eating like this?" Jiang Zhe asked curiously.

He had noticed that the changes in me lately were quite dramatic; not only had I successfully lost weight, but my entire image and temperament had improved significantly. Had he not seen me regularly, the change would have been so abrupt that he might have suspected I had gone to South Korea for plastic surgery.

"It's fine! I eat more when I'm hungry. I've been working out every day, so my appetite is much bigger than before," I said, picking up a lamb skewer and shoving it into my mouth.

Unlike professional athletes who need to control their weight and diet, I have no restrictions or environmental pressures. I’m free, so whenever I encounter good food, I don't hold back. With my current daily metabolic rate and level of exercise, I could easily digest four or five bowls of rice without worrying about exceeding my weight.

This gave me a little idea: when I have time in the future, I plan to travel more and taste the delicacies of the world. Since I have money in my pocket, a stable side income, and a healthy body, it would be a shame to this unexpectedly awakened panel if I didn't go out and live a little.

...

It was already 11 p.m. when we took a taxi back to the apartment after our snack. It had been a long time since I’d gone to bed this late, and with the "Mild Fatigue" negative buff still hanging on my panel, I felt drowsy the moment I entered my room. I stripped off my clothes and collapsed into bed.

After the start of winter, the nights in Hangzhou grew increasingly cold. Crawling into a warm quilt is definitely the most comfortable thing for any "Hangzhou drifter."

Perhaps it was because the training had been effective, I was well-fed, and I had new hope for the future, but I slept exceptionally well that night. I didn't dream; it was as if I had fallen into a deep coma.

When I woke up at 6 a.m. the next day, I found that I had slept only an hour less than usual, yet I felt incredibly refreshed. Even the "Mild Fatigue" on the panel had disappeared, and the reduction in my "Constitution" attribute caused by a minor eardrum injury had been cleared.

I hurriedly opened the notification box and saw a history entry triggered in the middle of the night for "Deep Sleep":

——————
[Ding~]
[You have completed a perfect deep sleep. Your metabolic function has been enhanced, your physical fatigue has been greatly relieved, and some damaged organ tissues have undergone self-healing.]
[Constitution +0.01]
——————

"That's awesome!" I grinned. Nothing is more satisfying than gaining attributes while sleeping. However, opportunities for "Deep Sleep" are rare; since obtaining the panel, I could count on one hand how many times I had triggered it through normal sleep. If I could master the method to actively initiate "Deep Sleep," I would be willing to sleep until the end of time!

...

Seeing that the sun had risen, I got up, washed up, and went upstairs to practice my eye and ear exercises. After damaging my eardrum while skin-diving yesterday, I began to attach even more importance to the health of my ears.

I started to imagine if, by practicing "Ear Calisthenics" more, I could make my ears move more effectively—perhaps one day being able to control them with my mind to fold and retract like car side-view mirrors, achieving self-closure and physically blocking the ear canal. If that were the case, I wouldn't even need to wear earplugs when swimming; I would have a pair of natural, side-effect-free earplugs.

Of course, this idea of mine wasn't entirely delusional. Many animals in nature have similar ear-closing functions. For example, the capybara, a mammal found in South America, avoids predators like jaguars by swimming and diving, and their ears have evolved to close under these survival conditions.

"If I could really move my ears to that extent, I suppose that would count as a special ability!" I thought to myself.

After spending 45 minutes on the roof practicing my eye and ear exercises, I drove to the morning exercise park again. My relationship with Teacher Wu had been growing closer, and I felt a sense of longing if I didn't see her for a day. This is a normal manifestation of a man in the early stages of love; even with a powerful attribute panel, I couldn't resist this spontaneous emotional impulse.

However, when I hummed a tune and arrived at the parking lot outside the park in a great mood, I saw a large crowd gathered outside a residential complex across the street.

My eyes, having just been exercised, were exceptionally bright and sharp. I immediately spotted Wu Fang and the old Mr. Wu squeezed into the crowd.

Everyone was looking up, and the noise of heated discussion was constant. Seeing this, I quickly parked the car and stepped out, looking up into the sky in the direction of the crowd's gaze. I was stunned!

On the outer facade of one of the high-rise residential buildings near the road, a child was standing, seemingly suspended against the exterior wall.

At a glance, I estimated the child was standing at a height of over 12 stories. I was so shocked that I immediately rushed toward a convenience store by the road, cursing, "Damn it! Whose reckless kid is this?"

As for the onlookers, they were already in an uproar. Some were calling the police, some were contacting the fire department, and others were notifying the property management to find the child's parents.

"What a tragedy!"
"How could they leave such a small child home alone?"
"Hurry, call the police! That position is so high; if the wind picks up, it's so easy for them to fall!"
"Where are the parents? Where the hell are the parents?"

Some were debating, some were complaining, and the kind-hearted were making calls. Even Wu Fang looked anxious in the crowd. This height was far beyond what an ordinary person could reach, and even with Teacher Wu's kind heart, she felt helpless at this moment.

"Grandpa, can we reach that spot from the balcony next door?" Wu Fang asked, frowning.

Mr. Wu shook his head: "No! It's too high! The spot where the child is standing is too tricky; they're stuck right on the ledge outside the window. Unless someone is lowered from above, or we use a fire truck's ladder, we can't reach them."

"Then what should we do?"
"It will take at least ten minutes for the fire truck to get here, and if it gets windy up there..." Wu Fang looked worried.

Because they lived in this complex, most of the children were from families of old neighbors they knew. If something happened to a familiar face, any normal person would feel terrible.

Just as the crowd below grew larger, a nimble figure suddenly hooked onto the protruding exterior of a ground-floor shop window and climbed directly onto the terrace of the three-story building.

This sudden scene immediately drew everyone's attention. Even the security guards of the complex shouted: "Hey! Buddy! What are you doing?"
"Get down! It's dangerous up there!"

Wu Fang also saw the young man's profile. The anxious look in her eyes suddenly brightened as if she had seen a savior. She excitedly grabbed Mr. Wu's arm and shook it: "Grandpa! It's Chen Jue! Chen Jue can climb very high trees; he must have a way!"

Mr. Wu was also amazed. As a loyal fan of the "Master of Stunts," he had seen the video of Chen Jue climbing the ginkgo tree. However, climbing the exterior wall of a high-rise was clearly incomparable to climbing a tree; the danger involved was unimaginable.

I didn't pay attention to the shouting below. I grabbed a can of Red Bull and downed it. Since I hadn't had time for breakfast, my stamina was limited, and I had to rely on this energy drink to temporarily replenish my strength to avoid running out of energy while climbing high.

With a "clatter," I tossed the empty can toward a trash can below. I pulled my phone and car keys out of my pocket and tossed them to Wu Fang in the crowd: "Teacher Wu, please keep these for me!"

After saying this, I kicked off, stepped onto the rough wall of the third floor, and with a leap, hooked onto the protruding bay window of the fourth floor.

The residential complex was in a great location, but it had been built some years ago. The building's design was somewhat retro, and one could see many outdoor air conditioning units and side windows. I relied on these protrusions and the AC units to move back and forth on the wall, climbing upward at high speed.

Since my [Climbing] skill had already reached Lv5, conquering a building with large grip points wasn't particularly difficult. The challenge was that the higher I climbed, the stronger the crosswind blowing against the building became.

Wu Fang, standing in the crowd with the phone and keys, was sweating for me. Her feelings were quite complex; she hoped I would show off my prowess, transform into an omnipotent "Master of Stunts," and save the little girl, yet she didn't want me to take this risk. It was a mix of concern for the little girl's life and worry for the man in her heart.

However, my agility and movements clearly exceeded the imagination of Wu Fang and everyone in the crowd below!

In just half a minute, I had climbed from the third-floor terrace to the eighth floor. I was climbing one floor every four or five seconds! Even an ordinary person walking up the stairs couldn't move that fast, and it truly stirred everyone's emotions.

"Awesome! This young man!"
"He must have practiced rock climbing, right?"
"He must be from the fire department; he's climbing so fast!"
"Mommy! Mommy! That uncle is as amazing as Spider-Man in the movies!"

The crowd below discussed it fervently. Some were taking pictures and videos with their phones, while others were calling to urge the fire department to hurry. In short, with a living human life hanging on the wall, no one could sit still.

It happened to be the time for work and school, and the crowd outside the complex grew larger and larger.

After climbing to the 10th floor, I stepped onto an outdoor AC unit to adjust my breathing. The high-speed climb had been quite draining, and with the cold wind blowing in my face at this height, a proper adjustment would help me maintain my condition for the rest of the climb.

But the moment I stopped, the commotion below grew louder.

"Why did he stop?"
"Is he out of energy?"
"I told you young people are unreliable and like to show off!"
"Great, now the fire department will have to save one more person..." Several skeptical voices rang out in the crowd.

Mr. Wu stared and shouted at the snide passersby: "Shut up! Keep it quiet! Don't distract the young man up there!"

As for Wu Fang, she clenched her fists and prayed silently: "Chen Jue, please be safe!"

Could I be in trouble? After eliminating the "Mild Fatigue," my stamina had fully recovered. Plus, the Red Bull I drank was taurine-fortified; although less effective than a pre-workout, it had added a few points to my attributes. At this moment, I was full of energy and feeling vibrant!

After stabilizing for ten seconds and adapting to the high-altitude crosswind, I resumed my climb.

It took only twenty seconds to reach the window ledge on the 13th floor where the little girl was. Looking closely, I saw the girl's face was covered in snot and tears, her cheeks purple from the cold. However, her two small hands were tightly gripping an old rivet left by an AC unit, which was the only thing keeping her from falling after all this time.

The decorative ledge under her feet was only about four or five centimeters wide. An average adult couldn't walk on it normally, and I had no idea how this reckless kid had managed to get there.

"Uncle, save me! I'm scared!" the little girl cried.

"Kid, don't be afraid! Uncle is here to save you!"

I comforted her, winked at the kid, and then looked for a position to take off my jacket and tie it around her.

Just then, a head poked out from a window on the 13th floor nearby. A security guard was holding a rescue rope and handing it toward me: "Brother! Use the rope to tie her up! It's safer!"

It seemed the property management had found a locksmith and forced the owner's door open. Seeing this, I quickly shifted four or five meters along the ledge and used the rescue rope passed by the guard to slowly loop it under the little girl's arms.

With this protection, I felt safe letting the little girl let go of the rivet, and I lifted her up, sending her back through the window.

Seeing the girl rescued, the crowd below cheered thunderously, and even inside the apartment, a cheer went up. It seemed there were quite a few people in that room!

As for the young security guard who had poked his head out, after pulling the girl in, he reached out his hand toward me again: "Brother, grab my hand; I'll pull you in!"

I smiled slightly: "It's fine, I'll go down from the roof; no need to trouble you."

After saying this, under his stunned and shocked gaze, I continued to climb upward.

Forty-some seconds later, I finished the remaining seven floors and successfully reached the top of the residential building.

"The skills I've learned finally came in handy!" Standing on the edge of the 20th-floor roof, I looked up at the rising morning sun and gazed at the skyline of Hangzhou in winter. A sense of heroism arose in my heart.

I felt as if I had conquered a high peak. Beyond the joy of saving a life, my heart was filled with a sense of accomplishment.

At the same time I reached the top of the 20th floor, the panel popped up a notification:

——————
[Ding~]
[You have completed a real-world climb that exceeded your limits. Your climbing technique has significantly improved.]
[Conquering the height has accelerated your adrenaline secretion and made your focus more concentrated than usual. Your mental willpower has increased significantly during the climb, and your gallbladder vitality has been strengthened.]
[Climbing Proficiency +1000]
[Spirit +0.03]
——————

Update delivered!
I forgot to remind everyone that December 13th is the National Memorial Day. I hope you all, like me, will keep history in mind and never forget our national humiliation.