3: Check-in successful

After a short rest, Jiang Yuan felt his strength return considerably. He tightened the rented overcoat around him, and a resolute will quietly arose in his heart.

"Let's go, Ya Ya, we'll continue."

He was the first to stand up, striding towards the direction of the Eighteen Bends, which was the most famously treacherous part of Mount Tai.

Seeing this, Ya Ya quickly stood up and hurried to catch up.

"Brother Jiang, from here upwards are the Eighteen Bends, the most challenging section of Mount Tai, and also where you can see the best scenery."

Her voice carried a hint of excitement, "But don't worry, just follow me and watch your step, we'll definitely reach the summit safely."

After walking a gentle path, the stone steps here became steep and dense.

On both sides were rugged mountain rocks, appearing even more profound in the night.

Every step of the climb became more difficult; Jiang Yuan could feel the tension in his calf muscles, but the drive within him grew stronger.

He was no longer the young man who guarded a small shop, only able to stare blankly at his phone screen.

He was now measuring the distance between dream and reality with his own two feet.

"Hoo... hoo..."

Jiang Yuan struggled to regulate his breathing, his chest heaving violently.

He knew his body was protesting, but each deep breath, each drop of sweat, seemed to wash away the traces of his ordinary past, making him feel a sense of unprecedented realness and vitality.

Finally, after another hour of strenuous trekking, the two, tired but with a hint of excitement, arrived at the foot of the South Heaven Gate.

This was a relatively spacious platform, bustling with people, many climbers stopping here to rest.

Some took out snacks they carried, wolfing them down to replenish their exhausted strength and energy.

Others looked up, gazing at the steep steps ahead that seemed to pierce the clouds, their faces filled with hesitation and reluctance.

This was the final stretch to the summit, and the most treacherous, almost vertically rising mountain path of the entire Mount Tai journey.

Many had to use both hands and feet, bending over to climb, and most clung tightly to the cold railings on both sides, moving their bodies step by step, each step appearing exceptionally arduous.

"Brother Jiang, come on, just a little more, we'll be at the summit soon!"

Ya Ya kept cheering him on from the side. Her small face was slightly flushed from the continuous climbing, and beads of sweat trickled down her hairline, but compared to Jiang Yuan's almost collapsed state, she was clearly much more relaxed.

"Mmm, charge!"

Jiang Yuan was now sparing with his words. He tightly clutched the somewhat worn hiking pole in his hand and continued to climb upwards.

This hiking pole indeed played a significant role at critical moments, at least saving him thirty percent of his strength, preventing him from completely collapsing to the ground.

However, this section of steps was simply too steep, and combined with Jiang Yuan's minimal exercise in daily life, reaching this point was already the limit of his body and will.

The biting mountain wind howled, fiercely lashing his face, making every breath feel like a painful cut.

His legs felt as heavy as if filled with lead, each lift seemingly consuming all his strength.

He could only tightly grip the cold railing with one hand, feeling the bone-chilling cold from his fingertips, while using the hiking pole to support his body with the other, moving upwards with difficulty.

Suddenly, as his consciousness blurred, Jiang Yuan, unaware, missed a step.

The moment his body lost balance, an alarm blared in his heart.

Fortunately, Ya Ya reacted extremely quickly; almost instinctively, she directly extended her right hand and grabbed Jiang Yuan's arm.

Coupled with Jiang Yuan's other hand instinctively gripping the railing tightly, this prevented the dangerous situation of both of them falling down together.

"Thanks, I'm exhausted, these steps are too short!"

Jiang Yuan thanked her with lingering fear, then looked down at the step, which was shorter than his foot, and couldn't help but complain, his tone full of helplessness.

"It's okay, Brother Jiang, let's rest for a bit. We'll be at the top in about ten minutes."

Ya Ya helped Jiang Yuan sit on the steps, gently patting his back to comfort him.

She gazed at Jiang Yuan's handsome face, which looked a bit pale from exhaustion, and found herself momentarily lost in thought.

"Let's go, we can rest more once we get up there."

Jiang Yuan opened his phone and checked the time; it was past three in the morning. Less than half of the twenty-four-hour mission time limit had passed, so there was plenty of time.

With Ya Ya's careful attention and assistance, no further accidents occurred during this climb, and they finally successfully reached the South Heaven Gate.

Standing in front of the South Heaven Gate, looking down, the entire night view of Taian City was within sight.

The myriad lights of houses were like stars scattered upon the human world, brilliant and continuous, and those buildings that usually soared into the clouds now appeared as tiny as ants in his eyes, not worth mentioning.

"Indeed, once you reach the top, all other mountains appear small."

Jiang Yuan couldn't help but utter a heartfelt sigh of admiration, his heart filled with heroic ambition.

"Brother Jiang has such refined literary talent!"

Ya Ya applauded appropriately from the side. Her emotional support was always perfectly timed, making one feel refreshed and delighted upon hearing it.

"Oh, just average, you flatter me."

Jiang Yuan waved his hand, an unconcealable smile on his face, "Let's go, let's find a place to rest inside."

After entering the South Heaven Gate and walking a short distance along a stone-paved path, they arrived at a spacious square.

Beside the square stood an ancient plaque, clearly engraved with the characters "Heavenly Street," indicating the direction to Jade Emperor Peak.

"Brother Jiang, further up is Jade Emperor Peak, where we have the 'the foremost of the five great mountains' boulder that is a must-see on Mount Tai."

Ya Ya pointed to the faintly visible mountain peak at the end of Heavenly Street, "But the sunrise isn't until later, so we can rest here. Today's sunrise is at 5:13 AM, so we can leave at 4:30 AM."

"the foremost of the five great mountains? Are you saying there's a big stone with 'the foremost of the five great mountains' written on it at the summit?!" Jiang Yuan seized on the key point in Ya Ya's words and quickly pressed, his tone filled with uncontrollable urgency.

"Yes, that big stone is on Jade Emperor Peak, and it will take at least another half an hour to get there."

Ya Ya patiently explained, looking at Jiang Yuan's eager expression.

Jiang Yuan now felt his body brimming with inexhaustible energy; his previous fatigue had vanished, leaving only a surge of eagerness.

"Okay, then let's go up now, don't waste any more time!"

"Are you sure, Brother Jiang? It's very cold up there, and the wind is strong."

Ya Ya reminded him with some concern.

"Definitely! Let's go quickly, I'll give you a big red envelope then!"

As Jiang Yuan spoke, he actually grabbed Ya Ya's arm and jogged towards Heavenly Street.

At this moment, he no longer looked half-dead and exhausted as before; he was as if injected with adrenaline, moving with incredible speed.

'System reward, right before my eyes!'

Jiang Yuan roared excitedly in his heart. This immense motivation propelled him, and in just over ten minutes, he arrived before the legendary "the foremost of the five great mountains" boulder.

Using the light from his flashlight, he clearly saw the giant stone carved with powerful characters. At this very moment, the long-awaited system prompt sounded in his mind.

"Ding, you have arrived at the Mount Tai check-in point. Please check in."

'Check in!'

Jiang Yuan roared excitedly in his mind.

"Check-in successful. Congratulations, Host, on completing your first check-in! Seventy million in prize money has been transferred to your bank card. Please check your account.

The brabus g900 luxury off-road vehicle will be parked for you by a specialist in the mountain base parking lot by daybreak. Please check for it then.

The Body Enhancement Potion has been placed in the system storage space. The Host can retrieve and use it at any time."

Ya Ya, standing nearby, looked at Jiang Yuan's almost manic expression, filled with confusion.

The handsome young man, who had been utterly exhausted, was now staring at the silent boulder, his face filled with a silly grin, excited like a madman.

'Brother Jiang isn't tired enough to go crazy, is he...'

Ya Ya secretly guessed, feeling a touch of worry for him.

"Ding, first check-in completed. A New Player Gift Pack (Newbie Gift Pack) has been rewarded and placed in the system warehouse. Please check."

Just then, Jiang Yuan finally came back to his senses, and his phone in his pocket belatedly chimed with a text message notification.

"Your account B70,000,000.00 yuan. Balance after transaction: 70,213,685.00 yuan. [China Merchants Bank]"

Looking at the long string of numbers on his phone screen, Jiang Yuan slowly reached out, his hand trembling slightly as he opened WeChat and directly transferred 8888 yuan to Ya Ya.

"Brother Jiang, why so much? I'll send it back to you!"

Ya Ya took out her phone and was immediately shocked. This sudden large sum left her flustered, and she immediately wanted to return it to him.

"Your account B8,888.00 yuan. Balance after transaction: 70,204,797 yuan. [China Merchants Bank]"

Seeing the text message notification, Jiang Yuan felt completely at ease.

"No need, this is for your hard work. Your brother here has plenty of money."

Jiang Yuan pressed down on her phone, waved his hand, and a confident, slightly smug smile played on his lips.

"Alright, let's go up and get ready to watch the sunrise."

"Mmm... then thank you, Brother Jiang."

Ya Ya hesitated for a moment, but ultimately accepted it. After all, who doesn't love money?

The two continued upwards and soon reached Jade Emperor Peak.

The wind howled on the mountaintop, and the temperature was several degrees lower than at the South Heaven Gate. Many people huddled together, seeking warmth in the corners of rocks or buildings.

A cold gust of wind blew past, and even Jiang Yuan, wrapped in his military coat, couldn't help but shiver.

"Come on, Brother Jiang, I know a good spot."

Ya Ya led Jiang Yuan towards a hidden place on the east side. They hid behind a huge rock, and immediately, the howling cold wind significantly diminished.

"It has to be you, otherwise I would have frozen to death."

Jiang Yuan gave a thumbs up, genuinely praising her, and then the two snuggled close, warming each other.

"I'll just close my eyes for a bit, remember to wake me up."

Jiang Yuan felt exceptionally tired at this moment; once the initial excitement passed, weariness surged like a tide. He leaned directly on Ya Ya's shoulder and fell into a deep sleep.

Because Ya Ya often climbed at night, her sleep schedule had long been different from ordinary people, so she wasn't sleepy at all.

She just quietly opened her phone and shared this special experience in her group chat.

She took a screenshot of the transfer page from Jiang Yuan, then opened her front camera and took a selfie of the two of them.

In the photo, Jiang Yuan leaned against her shoulder, his messy hair revealing half of his exceptionally handsome profile. Ya Ya, wearing a baseball cap, made a V-sign with one hand, a youthful smile blooming on her face.

Immediately, Ya Ya posted both photos in the group, with the caption: 'Who understands? I met a Handsome Guy and he gave me a big red envelope, so worth it!'

The group quickly responded.

Late Autumn Wind: 'Wow, Ya Ya, you're amazing! Where did you find such a Handsome Guy?'

Falling Fish: 'Poor me, I'm already in bed, waited until midnight and no one needed a climbing companion...'

There were a total of six or seven people in the group, all members of their climbing companion team. It seemed the others were either still climbing or already resting, with only two people replying.

However, this was enough to make Ya Ya happy.

In this small group, she wasn't the most outstanding, but this month, she had received the most customers, which filled her with a small sense of satisfaction.