Chapter 6: Breaks Out in Cold Sweat
Chapter 6: Breaks Out in Cold Sweat
He turned on his computer and plugged in the data cable.
Gao Jing copied the footage from the GoPro onto his computer.
He had gotten this GoPro from Uncle Fang too.
It was second-hand, but it was this year’s newest model and in perfect condition.
The price was over one-third cheaper than a brand-new one.
It even came with two spare batteries and accessories.
Earlier, Gao Jing had attached the GoPro to his shoulder.
It recorded his entire first exploration of the Great World.
His six-year-old laptop creaked and groaned while playing the video back.
The 14-inch screen was too small to truly capture the Great World’s breathtaking views.
But each scene still filled Gao Jing with excitement.
Especially those last ten-odd seconds fighting the giant black spider.
Watching it now still made him shudder!
Even though his first trip gained him little and brought many dangers, his determination didn’t waver.
His current exploration of the Great World wasn’t even one grain in the ocean compared to what was possible.
After watching the video, Gao Jing thought for a moment.
Then he got up and left the rented apartment.
He rode his beloved run-down motorcycle to “Wilderness Hunter,” the outdoor gear store on Pude Road again.
It was already noon when he arrived.
He saw Uncle Fang locking the store door just then.
Gao Jing quickly called out, “Uncle Fang!”
Uncle Fang turned at the sound.
Seeing him, a smile spread across his face: “Xiao Gao, back already?”
Gao Jing just grinned, not explaining he’d never gone back to his hometown.
After parking the motorcycle, he said: “Uncle Fang, I need to buy something.”
“Had lunch yet?”
Uncle Fang waved a hand: “Let’s eat first. We’ll talk after.”
Gao Jing didn’t object.
The two had a simple lunch at a small eatery nearby.
Back in the store, Gao Jing explained: “Uncle Fang, is that drone still here? I want it.”
Uncle Fang paused: “You mean the Mavic2?”
Gao Jing confirmed: “Yes.”
The Great World was colossal.
He didn’t know if he could ever get out of the forest.
Even with a compass inside, he had no clue which direction was best.
Or which one was safest.
A drone would make that much easier.
Uncle Fang hesitated, choosing his words carefully: “Xiao Gao, this drone I took in isn’t cheap. If you’re only flying casually, an entry-level model might suit you better.”
His outdoor shop handled second-hand goods too.
Recently, he’d acquired a batch that included a professional Mavic2.
The previous owner was a wealthy kid who bought all the gear on a whim.
He went on two group trips before getting bored and sold everything to Uncle Fang.
The GoPro8 Gao Jing used was part of it.
“Just name your price,” Gao Jing replied instantly. “I want the good one.”
The last visit, he’d seen this drone and asked questions.
So he knew the details.
This Mavic2 had barely been flown, nearly as good as new.
Crucially, it was an unlocked version—an expert had flashed its firmware.
That meant no internal GPS lock or height restrictions.
This was vital. A regular drone limited to a few hundred meters couldn’t soar above tree canopies in the Great World. Useless.
Besides, there was no GPS signal in the Great World anyway.
Plus, higher price meant stronger performance.
When lives or success hung in the balance, scrimping made no sense.
“Alright then…” Uncle Fang said. “This Mavic2 comes with the screen remote and the all-in-one accessory pack. Costs over fifteen thousand new on JD.com. You can have it for ten thousand.”
Gao Jing knew this was very fair; Uncle Fang wasn’t profiting much.
He promptly paid by scanning the QR code.
His account held only a few thousand, so he used Huabei for the rest.
Exploring the Great World alone was risking his life on his belt.
What was a little debt?
The greatest tragedy in life was having money left, but no life!
He took the packaged Mavic2 kit and prepared to leave.
Uncle Fang still looked concerned: “Be careful out there. Don’t mess around flying it in the city.”
Lately, several people had been arrested for illegal drone use nearby.
“Don’t worry.”
Gao Jing waved goodbye from his motorcycle.
He rode dozens of kilometers to practice at a remote suburb.
He wasn’t entirely new to drones.
Even with its modified firmware making the Mavic2 trickier, after draining three flight batteries, Gao Jing mostly had the hang of it.
Then he wrapped up and headed home.
He ordered takeout for dinner.
While charging the flight batteries, Gao Jing reviewed the video on his computer again.
This time, he skipped parts, fast-forwarding to sections that caught his interest.
As he watched, an idea formed.
A pretty wild one.
At his chest, the Bronze Anchor gave a faint, silent glow that vanished instantly.
Gao Jing noticed nothing.
He touched his chin, unable to suppress the urge.
He opened a simple editing software on his computer.
Cropping exactly 60 seconds of footage, he logged onto Bilibili.
Gao Jing was an old Bilibili user.
He used to be a freeloader.
But during its New Year’s event offering buy-one-get-one membership deals, he’d gotten a premium account.
In his frugal past, he had little entertainment beyond client dinners for work.
He often killed time watching streams, novels, and Kuaivin videos.
In Bilibili’s Creator Center, he uploaded his trimmed video.
Setting the partition as Animation and type as Original, he tagged it randomly.
The final, crucial title was…
Three-Year Animation Graduation Project!
He added no text or background music.
Done. Simple as that.
Bilibili showed a jammed review queue; processing time exceeded two hours.
Gao Jing didn’t mind.
He also didn’t realize his thinking was being influenced by something.
A day ago, he wouldn’t have splurged on the Mavic2 with borrowed money just to save time and hassle.
He absolutely wouldn’t have uploaded this potentially self-endangering video either.
After his first Great World exploration and surviving that intense fight, a hidden side of him stirred.
A surge of force awakened it.
It pushed his life’s course off its track!
Setting the laptop aside, Gao Jing took off his necklace.
He held the Bronze Anchor under the light, studying it.
The longer he wore this oddity, the more wondrous it felt.
Like part of his own body—connected by flesh and blood yet unfathomable in its mystery.
Suddenly, Gao Jing frowned.
He noticed that several Silver Scales were missing from the anchor’s snake-neck handle.
No!
More precisely, a few Silvery scales had turned bronze, matching most scales below.
He distinctly recalled counting thirteen Silver Scales yesterday.
Now, only nine remained.
Four gone!
As for the bronze ones? Too many to count—at least several hundred. He hadn’t kept track initially.
He’d counted the Silver Scales before his first accidental trip to the Great World.
Exactly four round trips since then.
Four missing scales?
Four trips!
Gao Jing’s expression turned grim.
Did this mean each scale represented one trip across? Use one, lose one?
Think of it as battery power—each crossing drained one bar.
Then, what happened when all the charge finished?
Dangerous thoughts indeed!
Cold sweat broke all over him.
If his guess was right, he could’ve accidentally used up all his trips, never knowing…
He might be trapped forever inside the Great World!
Because the Silver Scales were an odd number!!!
He drew a long breath, forcing calm.
Spotting this now was good; at least he could prepare.
His biggest relief was not crossing mindlessly before.
Assuming his theory held, he had at least four round trips left.
New questions arose.
Could the Bronze Anchor be “recharged”? Restore the spent “power”?
If so, how?
What was its energy source?
Electricity? Heat? Sunlight? Atomic energy?
The sheer thought gave Gao Jing a headache.
Better not dwell for now, he decided.
He slipped the Bronze Anchor necklace back on.
That night, Gao Jing went to bed exceptionally early.
By eight p.m., he was already asleep.
Lights out, the room plunged into complete darkness.
Much later—he didn’t know how long—the Bronze Anchor pressed against his chest gave another faint gleam.
Gone in an instant.
After some time, it flashed once more.
Minutes later came a third flash, then a fourth…
Sporadic, seemingly random flashes, sometimes quick, sometimes slow.
They grew in frequency!
Yet deep in sleep, Gao Jing felt not a ripple.