Trembling At A High Altitude

"It probably wasn't for that reason. Did anything else unusual happen that night?"

"Other things... I can't remember anything else unusual."

After the meal, Li Teng found some free plastic bags and packed up all the leftover food.

"Do we really have to go back to the top of the stone pillar after the performance?" the girl asked Li Teng.

"Yes, we'll stay on top of the stone pillar for three to five days before we come back here for the next performance," he replied.

"Then, do I need to prepare three to five days' worth of food?"

"It's no use, Film and Television City doesn't allow us to bring food. When we go back, we cannot take anything except the clothes we are wearing, not even a plastic bag. I'm only packing this food for us to eat after the performance," Li Teng explained, handing a few bags of food to the girl.

"Just hold them for me for now," the girl said without reaching to take them.

"Sure thing."

The two left the restaurant, and while the girl went to the nearby restroom, Li Teng went to a terminal on the street to check something.

The novice prank help mission had been completed, but it only rewarded six points.

The prank mission rating was normal, rewarding five points, but the help mission was rated poorly, rewarding only one point, making it a total of six points.

After sharing half with the Black-hearted Doctor, Li Teng's account increased by only three points.

Now his account balance was fifty-three points.

"Forget it, it's just two points less, had a good meal and even packed some food, it's kind of a win," Li Teng said to himself while looking at the plastic bags filled with food.

"Where are we going now?" the girl asked Li Teng after coming out of the restroom.

"It's not suitable for you to wear this pajama to the performance. We need to buy some clothes," Li Teng thought aloud to the girl.

"Is that bathhouse over there safe? I'd like to take a shower," the girl said, glancing at the bathhouse's sign.

"It's safe. I'll watch outside for you. If that bandaged man dares to come over, I'll beat him to death!" Li Teng reassured her, showing off his fist the size of a bowl.

"Okay, I'll go buy clothes first," the girl said, heading towards a clothing store.

The girl picked out a set of underwear, and then chose clothes, pants, and shoes, spending over a hundred points in total. Including the previous restaurant expenses, she had now spent about three hundred points in total.

Indeed, when women spend money, they do it without limits. Since the girl's spending had already exceeded a hundred points, it made no sense for Li Teng to try to save her any more. Not winning a free meal would mean they needed to pay for it anyway, so it made more sense to spend a bit more.

The first time he came, the novice lottery made Li Teng feel like the more he spent, the better his luck and the easier it was to win a complete freebie.

Spare spending would only result in paying out.

Therefore, Li Teng felt that as an experienced actor, particularly one who had suffered losses in this area before, he had the responsibility and the obligation to help the girl spend some more points.

"That coat looks pretty good," Li Teng noticed a male rainproof down pants and coat set worth sixty-five points and showed the sets for both men and women to the girl.

"It does look nice," the girl glanced at Li Teng.

"When I first came here, no one told me about the newcomer's discount, so I missed a lot of things I should have bought. Now I can't afford them anymore. You better buy a set; thick clothing will be needed at the top of the stone pillar," Li Teng reluctantly put the men's down coat set back.

"I'll help you pay for it," the girl said, understanding what Li Teng meant.

"How can I accept that?"

"Just remember my kindness,"

"Of course, I remember... to fully reciprocrate, help me pay for these boots too," Li Teng handed over a pair of warm boots.

The girl looked at Li Teng again, then paid for the men's down suit and warm boots. She hesitated over buying the women's set for herself.

"Do I need such thick clothes too? It's not very cold where I am, and it will probably be a long time until winter. I won't have anywhere to put them if I buy them now,"

Li Teng was not surprised by what the girl said; the space on top of the stone pillar was indeed too small.

"As someone who has been through it, let me give you some advice. You haven't encountered blizzard weather on top of the pillar yet, have you? Even if you haven't yet, you will in the future, and it's likely to be much sooner than you expect. So, you'd better buy a set of warm clothes and shoes just in case." Li Teng, having gained a lot, felt compelled to sincerely advise the girl.

"Those warm clothes and shoes are so heavy, it would be hard to carry them... Could you help me carry them?" the girl asked Li Teng.

"No problem." Li Teng, having received many benefits, certainly didn't mind helping with a small favor.

After leaving the clothing store, the girl, holding her spare clothes, headed to the bath center.

"Hurry up with your bath; the time is charged by points," Li Teng kindly reminded the girl as he stood by the door.

"1 point for 10 minutes isn't too much, right?" the girl glanced at the price list.

"The performance will start soon. You should hurry; being late can have severe consequences," Li Teng corrected himself.

"How long does it take to get to the performance venue from here?"

"It's about a forty-minute walk. There's also a countdown inside the bathroom, so pay attention to the time," Li Teng offered a conservative estimate. It would take him just around fifteen minutes if he were running, but the girl might not be able to keep up.

"That long? Isn't there a shuttle or something?"

"No."

"Alright, I'll keep an eye on the time," the girl said as she entered the dressing room and closed the door behind her.

...

Women bathing really is a hassle.

Li Teng waited outside for half an hour. With just forty minutes left to the start of the performance, the girl came out of the bath center, timing it just right.

Her hair was all dried, indicating she had washed very carefully.

Luckily, Li Teng was already accustomed to both boredom and waiting.

Previously on top of the pillar, he would wait for days on end.

"Let's go, I'll take you to the set," Li Teng said, carrying large and small bags, to the girl.

"Is there anything specific I should be aware of or any rules about acting? Do I have to go on stage once I get there?" the girl asked Li Teng as they walked. It was her first performance and unlike Daisy, she didn't have a strong desire to perform.

"Don't worry too much; there's no audience on set, and no one will criticize you if you don't perform well. Once the show really starts, I'll tell you what to do. Just follow my instructions then," Li Teng hadn't yet mentioned to the girl that out of eight actors, one would be "going home."

It wasn't easy to bring it up.

I'll just have to adapt depending on the situation when the time comes.

Besides, this performance had a very clear goal for Li Teng: to eliminate the Black-hearted Doctor.

It's either him or me.

Since the goal was to kill the Black-hearted Doctor, protecting the girl and ensuring she survives was just a side mission.

"Ok, you'll definitely have to help me then," the girl said.

"Definitely," Li Teng replied.

The two continued their conversation as they headed towards the café where the set was located.

Along the way, there were signposts indicating the location of their film crew.

Li Teng, carrying a load and escorting the girl, moved slower than usual.

Half an hour later, they finally approached the set.

"Hey, where did you pick up this young lady?"

Walking around a street corner, Li Teng, with the girl and carrying loads, encountered the Sunglasses Woman coming from another street.

"Anna? What are you doing here?"