Climbing the Gap

Everything close to these smells was left behind, while everything far from these smells was taken away.

Looking at the banana leaves arranged around, sure enough, there were only muddy little claw prints on the path without meat paste, and no prints anywhere else.

It seems they have an abnormal fear of such smells, and only intense curiosity made them dare to take risks.

The conclusion is:

The mixed smell of bear meat and male urine can repel monkeys in some places.

Shen Bing felt it was interesting: "Bears are so clumsy while monkeys are so agile, how can monkeys be afraid of bears?!"

According to the survival manual, Lu Zhe explained: "Because the Malayan bear is the natural predator of monkeys. They are good at climbing and camouflage, and will catch and eat the monkeys when they are sleeping, so monkeys are very sensitive to their smell. This is an instinctive fear encoded in their genes and is hard to overcome."

Shen Bing patted Lu Zhe on the shoulder and smiled: "It seems you'll have to keep at it if you want our lives undisturbed!"

"Sure, we can use all this meat and cover a radius of 100 meters. That way monkeys won't bother us here."

"Awesome!"

"Let's go check the rock crevice again and see if it's ready for climbing."

When they came to the crevice again, the environment had changed a bit.

The intense sunshine over the past two days had greatly lowered the humidity in the crevice. Lu Zhe estimated it would be climbable by tomorrow.

Lu Zhe was very happy: "We can go back and prepare climbing supplies. If lucky, we can make the climb this afternoon!"

"This afternoon?"

Shen Bing was a bit hesitant.

"What's wrong?"

"Can we wait two more days?!"

"What's the situation?"

"I... my period hasn't completely ended yet..."

Turns out, Shen Bing's period came a bit late this time, and was lasting longer than usual, already seven or eight days with no sign of ending completely. The recurring menstrual cramps had been bothering her a bit during this time.

She wanted to wait until it was over before climbing the cliff with Lu Zhe to map out the island.

Lu Zhe thought for a bit: "But waiting too long, we'll run out of salt, and may not have enough strength. Also, the hotter it gets after the heavy rain, if we try to climb later, we'll face other problems."

Shen Bing nodded too: "How about this - let's wait until tomorrow. If my period is over by then, we'll both go. If not, you can take Xiao Ning or someone else. I've observed that there are quite a few protruding trees and rocks in the crevice that can be used as holds. With the rock dried out, climbing won't be too difficult. The biggest concern is it's very likely snakes and poisonous bugs are hiding in cracks like this - be very careful about that."

Lu Zhe nodded: "Got it!"

"Let's head back and chop some more bamboo. This afternoon I want to build a fence around the camp with the girls."

"Building a little yard? Sounds good, let's do it!"

After returning, Shen Bing started building the fence with several of the girls.

Lu Zhe began preparing what they would need for the climb.

They had plenty of food and fresh water.

Banana fiber ropes got used up too quickly, so they needed to make a new batch, extremely sturdy ones that could withstand 200 jin.

Also make some banana fiber climbing ropes, so they could tie safety knots every so often.

And prepare large quantities of mosquito and insect repellent, to ward off bugs as well as snakes.

Plus some green wild persimmons as an antidote.

However, by July 13th, Shen Bing's period still showed no signs of ending.

Lu Zhe decided he couldn't wait any longer!

"Today I'm going to find the highest point. I need someone to partner with me. Sister Bing isn't feeling well, so who can come with me?!"

"I...I..."

"I'm sick of being cooped up!"

"I'll go! I'm a climbing expert!"

Seeing the girls were all very eager, Lu Zhe nodded approvingly: "But there's one thing I must make clear - climbing through rock crevices, we're very likely to run into snakes."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yao and Lin Qianqian immediately backed out.

But Tang Xiaoguo looked completely unfazed: "What's there to be scared of with snakes? Back in the day I used to kick cobras in the face. Little Zhe bro, you never take me out to play. Just bring me along this time!"

Ning Shu said: "I should still go with Lu Zhe. You stay home and take care of Sister Bing."

"Actually...I don't need that much taking care of. And Lu Zhe, three people will be safer!"

Lu Zhe nodded too: "We can connect ropes between us. Two people anchor at force points using the ropes, while one person climbs. Then switch off taking the lead, trying to maintain a triangle formation as much as possible, and control rope length based on distance between partners. That way even if someone falls, the other two's anchor points can still catch them."

"Let's do it like that!"

"Bring a notebook to record everything. How much battery does the phone have left?"

"It's still at 10 bars after a full day on standby."

"Okay, give me the phone. We can take some panoramic shots from the peak."

Then Lu Zhe gave the two girls some quick training, teaching them some basic climbing techniques and how to tie sailor's knots.

The three headed to the cliff fully equipped, each having applied a thick layer of mosquito repellent, leaving them smelling quite strange.

But this would ensure mosquitos, ants and other bugs gave them a wide berth!

"Remember, after reaching each point, first make sure it's secure, then find a reliable anchor, whether it's a tree or rock, and tie it tight with a sailor's knot. After confirming it's secure, notify the partner below and untie the knot to climb up."

The two girls nodded together: "Got it!"

"Take breaks if you get tired, but watch out for snakes. Drink water, eat some bananas - those will give you energy faster than meat for a short period."

"Okay!"

The three took turns climbing up. As expected, it wasn't long before Lu Zhe encountered a snake.

Originally it would have been an excellent source of protein, but now was not the time to catch snakes. Lu Zhe grabbed it by the head and flung it away.

The snake went "whoosh" as it flew off into the distance like a serpentine glider, twisting its body as it sailed toward the vast forest!

Tang Xiaoguo exclaimed: "Wow, a flying snake!"

Ning Shu didn't notice though: "Where?"

Tang Xiaoguo pointed: "There!"

Ning Shu then saw a snake soaring down.

Ning Shu marveled to herself: "It really is! Who knew they had that flying skill!"

Lu Zhe reminded: "Don't get curious, watch your surroundings. If you see a snake, don't panic or move! They usually won't hurt you. I'll come deal with it."

"Okay, okay..."

The three took turns climbing. It was slower than imagined, but with so many holds, and the crevice not being completely vertical, it wasn't as difficult as expected.

After two hours, they had climbed to around four-fifths of the cliff's height, getting closer and closer to the top.

The girls were a bit tired, so Lu Zhe decided they should rest a while.

There was a crooked tree that he checked thoroughly - very sturdy, no snakes.

"You two rest against the tree for a bit, replenish some energy. There's dense foliage below, it's safe here. Stay close to the crevice, don't look outward or you'll get dizzy."

"This is so thrilling!"

"I'm thirsty, pass me a bottle of water!"

"Hey Lu Zhe, what if we need to pee right now?"

Lu Zhe ate a banana: "Don't overthink it, just go right where you are."

Just then, a snake started crawling toward them from not far away:

"What's that guy... up to?"

"It's coming this way!"

Lu Zhe glanced at it, unconcerned: "No worries, just a king racer."

"But it's still coming this way, how annoying. Let me kill it, Lu Zhe, lend me your spearhead for a second."

"I can't easily, it's strapped to my pants. Get it yourself!"

As Tang Xiaoguo reached for the spearhead, she suddenly touched something and her expression turned terrified: "Lu... Lu Zhe, there's... there's a snake in here too!"