Trembling in the Skies

Chapter 4: Help!

I’m Here! Just as he was falling, Li Teng frantically reached out with his other hand and managed to grab a bed leg. He kicked wildly with both feet against the stone wall below, seemingly finding something to brace against, which allowed him to temporarily steady himself. After catching his breath, Li Teng gripped the bed leg with one hand and the edge of the stone platform with the other, then cautiously glanced down at the base of the stone pillar. This is way too high, isn’t it? A fall from here would definitely shatter him to pieces! After calming himself down, Li Teng braced with both hands, preparing to climb back onto the wooden bed. Just then, he suddenly noticed some engravings on the stone pillar beneath him. Looking closely, he saw that the marks were scale graduations. The mark right next to him read… 1,000 meters. Further down, there appeared to be markings such as “999 meters.” It was precisely because his bare feet had just found a foothold on the markings on the stone wall that he’d managed to gain a little leverage. It seemed his earlier estimate of the pillar’s height had been accurate; he was indeed a thousand meters above the ground. The presence of markings on the stone pillar meant that it wasn’t naturally formed, but rather man-made. Who built a stone pillar this tall—and hoisted his bed to the very top of it while he was asleep? The four bed legs were even riveted in place. It was as if he were a guinea pig in an experiment. Why was I chosen? A wave of helplessness washed over Li Teng. While he still had a shred of strength left, Li Teng struggled to roll back onto the wooden bed frame and lay down flat, gasping for breath. “If I find out who did this…” “I’ll tie him to a rocket and launch him straight into the sun!” Li Teng’s anger raged uncontrollably. Hunger caused Li Teng’s mind to drift in and out of clarity. After a full day in the sun, he was parched. Although he longed to gulp down rainwater like he had the night before, he didn’t want to go through another thunderstorm like that one. With the lightning and thunder, he felt like he could die at any moment—and be charred to a crisp, at that. What a nightmare! As the sun was about to set, his blanket and mattress pad had dried about fifty percent. The pillow looked only about three-tenths dry. Li Teng’s clothes, on the other hand, were completely dry. A light breeze picked up again, blowing against Li Teng’s body; even though he was wearing his now-completely-dry pajamas, he still felt quite cold. Without having eaten, his body lacked the energy to warm the half-damp mattress pad and quilt, but at least the damp quilt provided some protection from the wind. It grew dark. It was cold—and getting colder by the minute. The damp, cold quilt made him feel as if he were in an ice cellar. If this keeps up, I’ll end up with rheumatism! If I’m going to die anyway, what does rheumatism matter? Tonight isn’t as dark as last night. Because there’s a moon. A cold, clear moon hung in the night sky, casting its light on Li Teng’s equally cold, clear face as he lay in bed. “Seeking and searching, cold and desolate, sad and sorrowful. In this season when warmth gives way to cold, it is hardest to find comfort. How can a few cups of light wine withstand the evening’s fierce wind? As the wild geese fly by, my heart aches—yet they are old acquaintances.” “Yellow flowers lie scattered all over the ground. Withered and faded—who is there now to pick them? Sitting by the window, how can I bear the darkness alone? The paulownia trees, coupled with the fine rain, drip drop by drop as dusk falls. In this state, how can a single word like ‘sorrow’ possibly capture it all!” “I’m so miserable!” “At least in poetry, you can sit by the window watching the paulownia trees and the rain—but what about me right now?” “I’m just stuck staring at a damn pillar!” After reciting a poem, Li Teng felt immense pity for his current plight. So pitiful, so wretched, so sorrowful. Those six characters sum it up perfectly. The person who wrote this poem is so damn talented! After a series of long sighs and short groans, Li Teng drifted off into a drowsy sleep. The night was peaceful. There was no thunder or lightning, nor any sudden storms. When dawn broke again, Li Teng slowly awoke from his slumber. It was cold—bitterly cold. He didn’t sit up. As he looked up at the sky and realized he was still trapped atop the stone pillar, despair once again filled his heart. His body felt exceptionally weak; the fatigue hadn’t eased at all despite a good night’s sleep. He could barely feel his limbs. It was as if this body no longer belonged to him, and his soul was merely staying here temporarily. He knew this was due to hunger and thirst. Hunger and thirst prevented his body from getting enough energy, causing his bodily functions to begin to decline. As a result, his organs would gradually fail, and death would follow. Unless some miracle were to happen in the meantime. For example, someone might find him and arrange for a helicopter to rescue him. But as things stood, the likelihood of rescue seemed slim. Li Teng had already made up his mind: before his bodily functions completely failed, before death came, if rescue hadn’t arrived by then, he would jump off the top of this stone pillar. Even if he dies, at least people will know he’s dead and where he died. Otherwise, his life would be utterly meaningless. A meaningless life is even worse than being a “salted fish.” Speaking of salted fish… It would be nice to have a fish. Or maybe two chicken drumsticks would do! Li Teng licked his parched, chapped lips. It’s a beautiful, sunny day today. No rain to quench his thirst. And, of course, there was no food either. He had no choice but to keep pushing through. Li Teng didn’t even have the strength to sit up, so he just lay there. Lying there, waiting to die. Going back to sleep might be the best option right now. If he died in his sleep, perhaps it wouldn’t be so painful. Although then no one would know he had died here. That would make his life meaningless. At this point, what does meaning even matter? Soon, Li Teng realized there was a problem… He found he couldn’t fall asleep tonight. He didn’t know if it was because he’d slept too much, but he just couldn’t fall asleep—he didn’t even want to close his eyes. Just lying there was really uncomfortable. His whole body ached—an indescribable discomfort. There was also a sense of inexplicable anger. Despite his anger, Li Teng no longer wanted to dwell on questions like “Why me?” “Why are they doing this to me?” or “Who’s doing this to me?” It’s pointless. His anger was groundless; most likely, he was just angry at himself for not being able to sleep. If only he had a cell phone—at least he could read some online novels to pass the time. But right now, he had nothing, and there was nothing he could do. If a person is this bored, they could lose their mind. Li Teng felt he was teetering on the edge of insanity and a complete breakdown. A rumbling sound echoed through the air. Li Teng knew that was a commercial airliner flying high overhead. Several commercial airliners passed overhead every day. He no longer expected these planes to see him, so he wouldn’t waste his energy jumping, shouting, or waving anymore. But this time, the rumbling sound was a little different. It was very loud, as if it were nearby. It was getting closer and closer. Li Teng instinctively glanced in the direction of the sound and, upon seeing the scene in the sky, couldn’t help but widen his eyes in surprise. The commercial airliner was flying very low and becoming increasingly clear in his field of vision. So clear, in fact, that Li Teng could almost make out the windows on the fuselage. “Help! I’m here!” Li Teng instinctively stood up and waved at the passenger plane. It was a long shot, but what if it actually worked? After Li Teng waved, the passenger plane actually changed course in midair. Although Li Teng didn’t believe his cries for help had made a difference, once the plane altered its course, it really did head straight toward Shizhu! “Help me! Can you see me?” Li Teng waved his arms frantically, trying his best to increase the chances that the pilot would spot him. There was a muffled “boom!” A massive plume of thick smoke suddenly billowed from one of the passenger jet’s engines. The fuselage began to shake violently. The nose dipped, and the plane began to nosedive. No way! Is this going to end in a plane crash? The problem was… the plane was now nosing down straight toward the stone pillar where he was standing!