Chapter 193: The Phone Rang
Chapter 193: The Phone Rang
The ice beneath the snow was thick and very hard.
But for an entrenching tool strengthened by Battle Qi, even the thickest, hardest ice wasn’t much different than tofu.
Gao Jing easily dug down over a meter deep.
Something buried within the ice layer was unearthed.
It was a body.
A mountaineer’s body, fully equipped.
Though wearing a hat and snow goggles, the mountaineer looked very young.
He crouched in a ball, his right hand tightly gripping an ice axe, his left hand open as if reaching for something.
Clearly, some sudden accident had taken his life!
Who knew how long he’d been dead.
Gao Jing shook his head with a sigh.
He knew many people died climbing mountains every year, especially on the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest, where climbers’ bodies became landmarks for those heading for the summit.
He never expected to see such an unfortunate climber here, deep in the Kunlun Mountains.
Gao Jing didn’t have the ability to predict the future; he couldn’t possibly have known the body was here beforehand.
But while resonating with the great mountain just now, Gao Jing sensed something wrong with this spot.
It felt like this climber’s spirit hadn’t moved on, still waiting to be found!
“Lucky for you, you found me.”
Gao Jing placed the body into his Storage Space, thinking he could try contacting the climber’s family later.
Before taking the body, Gao Jing didn’t forget to take several photos for proof.
After filling the ice hole back in, Gao Jing took one last look at the Kunlun snow peaks.
Then he turned and started the journey back.
Around noon, Gao Jing returned to Shanzhou.
He went online immediately and found a local funeral services company.
He drove there and bought an ice coffin.
Gao Jing had them deliver it to a remote spot. Once they left, he placed the climber’s body inside the ice coffin and returned it to the Storage Space.
The ice coffin wouldn’t actually work inside the Storage Space; Gao Jing was just using it as a regular coffin.
It was a way to respect the dead climber and make it easier to hand over to his family later.
This whole thing was pretty troublesome.
But Gao Jing felt that since this unfortunate soul had “found” him, he couldn’t just stand by.
So trouble it was.
He wasn’t looking for any reward; he just wanted a clear conscience!
After checking into a hotel room, Gao Jing opened the climber’s backpack, searching for clues to his identity.
He found an ID card and a phone.
The ID card showed the young man’s name: He Yuanbo, from Beijing, one year younger than Gao Jing.
The photo on the ID showed a handsome and strong-looking young man.
The phone was kept in a thermal pouch, completely undamaged, but it wouldn’t turn on.
The charging port was the same as Gao Jing’s own phone, so he plugged it in. The screen lit up immediately.
It could charge! It wasn’t broken!
He left the phone charging on the desk and went to take a shower.
When he came out, he tried turning the phone on. It started successfully but required a six-digit passcode to access the main screen.
This result wasn’t surprising to Gao Jing.
He didn’t try to guess the password. He just let the phone continue charging and lay down on the bed to rest.
Gao Jing planned to return to Yuncheng tomorrow.
Today was the 27th day of the Lunar Month. He could still make it back to the Provincial Capital for New Year.
A round trip of three thousand miles? Pretty efficient.
Though honestly, whether he spent New Year here or there, he’d be alone. The Provincial Capital wasn’t much different than the Kunlun Mountains to him right now.
Ring ring ring!
Gao Jing was half-asleep when his own phone, resting on the nightstand, suddenly rang.
“Hello?”
When Gao Jing answered, a crisp, pleasant voice came through the receiver: “Uncle? Where are you now?”
Uncle?
Gao Jing’s brain short-circuited for a second: “Did you dial the wrong number?”
The voice sounded shocked: “Aren’t you Gao Jing… Uncle?”
Oh!
Gao Jing was confused: “Who is this?”
“Huh?”
The voice carried disbelief: “You actually forgot me?”
She sounded deeply insulted!
Gao Jing yawned lazily: “You’re Zhong Yunxiu, right? What do you want?”
To be honest, he’d almost forgotten the model girl from Huhai. Only the “Uncle” part had jogged his memory.
Then he seemed to hear the sound of teeth grinding: “I asked you where you are now?”
“Shanzhou,” Gao Jing replied, a bit impatiently. “Heading back to Yuncheng tomorrow. Spit it out, what do you want?”
I’m a million-dollar guy here! I don’t have the “American time” to play guessing games with you!
Zhong Yunxiu seemed choked by his tone.
After a pause, she huffed: “My first movie is having its premiere in Huhai on New Year’s Day. I want you to come to the premiere.”
Your first movie??
Gao Jing was startled.
He remembered Zhong Yunxiu was a freshman in the acting department at the Modu Film Academy.
She already had her own movie?
Even though Gao Jing didn’t know much about the film industry, he knew a movie premiering on New Year’s Day with a red carpet event couldn’t be some cheap, low-budget flick.
He couldn’t help asking: “What role do you play?”
“The Female Lead!”
Zhong Yunxiu crowed triumphantly, “And a powerful female lead at that! Pretty impressive, huh?”
Gao Jing felt she was boasting a bit and guessed, “Don’t tell me it was financed by your family?”
Zhong Yunxiu instantly went quiet.
Gao Jing laughed heartily, “Gao hahaha! Did I guess right?”
He might be an outsider, but he still had basic reasoning skills.
“You’re so aggravating!”
Zhong Yunxiu yelled, flustered and annoyed, “I don’t want to talk to you anymore!”
With that, she hung up the phone.
Gao Jing chuckled – “Hehehe. Suits me just fine if she ignores me.”
He and Zhong Yunxiu were simply not from the same world.
Checking the time, it was already past 11 pm. Gao Jing put down his phone and prepared to go back to sleep.
“La la la la~”
But the moment he set down his own phone, another phone beside it suddenly rang.
That phone belonging to the mountaineering victim!
Hmm?
This time, Gao Jing was truly startled.
Unbelievable!
He reached over and picked up that phone, seeing the caller displayed on the screen: “Dearest.”
After a moment’s thought, Gao Jing chose to answer, “Hello, hello.”
“Who is this?”
A woman’s trembling voice came through.
Gao Jing countered, “Are you a family member of He Yuanbo?”
“Yes!”
The woman asked shakily, “Why do you have his phone?”
Gao Jing explained, “While climbing Kunlun Mountains, I discovered He Yuanbo’s body…”
“Ah!”
Before Gao Jing could finish, the woman let out a piercing scream.
It was filled with despair and agony!
Gao Jing sighed softly.
He completely understood how she felt; he too had tasted the pain of losing a loved one.
“I’m sorry, I am He Yuanbo’s partner.”
After a long silence, the woman spoke again, “Sir, may I ask your esteemed surname?”
She had clearly calmed down; her voice no longer trembled.
There was no trace of emotion left in it.
Gao Jing replied, “No need for esteemed, my surname is Gao.”
“Mr. Gao.”
The woman said quietly, “Can you tell me where… where Yuanbo met his end? I want to bring him back.”
Gao Jing said, “I have already brought his body back.”
“What?”
The woman couldn’t believe it, “Where are you now?”
“I’m in Shanzhou.”
Gao Jing replied, “You can come to Shanzhou to take him home.”
“Alright, I’m coming right now!” The woman continued, tears in her voice. “Please wait for me in Shanzhou, just give me some time? I’ll drive as fast as I can.” Her voice trembled again. “I’ll give you five million…”
“Mrs. He.”
Gao Jing interrupted her without hesitation, “I will wait for you in Shanzhou. I don’t need your money.”
No matter how poor he was, Gao Jing wouldn’t profit from the dead. “I have only one request.”
“Tell me, I’ll agree to any request! Anything!”
“It’s not that serious. My request is very simple. I dislike unnecessary complications. So, I will only be responsible for returning Master He Yuanbo’s body to you. I won’t get involved in anything else, and please don’t look for me regarding anything else. Is that alright?”
A life was involved. Who knew what complications might arise?
After all, in these circumstances, he had brought back the body of a climber who perished deep within the Kunlun Mountains.
There were simply too many points that seemed questionable.
Gao Jing had no desire for what should be a simple good deed to turn into a complicated mess ending in tears!
The woman agreed immediately, “No problem!”
“Alright then.”
Gao Jing said, “I’ll keep this phone on. You can contact me anytime.”
“Thank you.”
After ending the call with the other party,
Gao Jing found he couldn’t get back to sleep. He simply sat up to practice the Shan Yue Refining Spirit Art.
He quickly sank into a deep meditative state, all troublesome thoughts thrown completely aside.