Chapter 791 Arrival in the Sahara
The ropes were removed and tied to the bow.
Bifang walked barefoot on the sand, dragged the boat ashore, stretched the rope, and tied it to a big tree on the shore.
The sun had long since set, but the residual warmth of the sunlight still lingered on the golden sands, dispelling a bit of the chill of the autumn night.
Rubbing the soles of my feet on the sand brought an indescribable sense of solidity.
The rain will eventually fall to the earth, and the traveler will eventually return home.
This is a difficult challenge to accomplish and also a challenge that pushes the limits of humankind.
For most people, the closest distance to Point Nemo is probably to pick up a map or globe, or open a map app and enter these mysterious coordinates: [45°52.6S, 123°23.6W]
That uninhabited mysterious sea area may allow people to truly put aside all current stress and relax themselves.
But first, you have to make sure you can get there and survive.
Bifang did it and succeeded.
"My hair is a little longer."
Bifang stroked his hair, not knowing what to say or do for a moment. His cracked lips rubbed against each other for a long time before he suddenly uttered these words.
【Yes, a little.】
[Is Fang Shen a little confused?]
How do you feel?
"It feels... um..." Bifang hesitated for a moment, then finally laughed, "It definitely feels satisfying, but if I were to do it again, I wouldn't want to do it that much."
Storms, volcanoes, typhoons.
Raging waves, strong winds that broke masts, scalding steam, corrosive sea water, ultraviolet rays that nearly stripped off a layer of skin, leaking boats, and the dilemma of having no water or food.
The skin that had just turned white due to the Arctic night has become darker again, and the muscles are sore and weak, making it feel like what is flowing in the blood vessels is no longer blood, but lactic acid.
The body is so tired and exhausted.
But only the spirit has become stronger.
95% of people see obstacles, while a minority of 4% and 1% see the goal.
Similarly, 95% of the people in the world are living an average life, only 4% have reached a higher level, and the other 1% have entered a different level.
Small people will take pains to describe the obstacles that hinder their development and narrow their vision, while strong people with direction have the confidence and determination to trample difficulties under their feet.
Cowards never start, the weak die on the road, and only the strong can get through.
Bifang looked up at the starry sky. Thousands of years ago, there was also a group of people who were drifting on the vast ocean with him.
This is how generation after generation of human beings boarded their canoes, carrying fish hooks and lines, bananas, cassava, coconuts and other fruits, the chickens, pigs and dogs they raised, and tools made of obsidian, bid farewell to their homeland and sailed towards the vast ocean without hesitation.
Whenever they discovered a new island, they would stop temporarily to develop it. When the time was right, they would use it as a base and embark on a new journey.
“We don’t know how many people were swallowed by the raging waves, how many people failed to reach the other side after running out of food and water, and how many people were killed by ferocious sharks... But what is certain is that mankind has never surrendered and has never stopped.”
“This is us - the story of humankind. We should never forget, at any time or in any place, that although we are fragile and small, we are also resilient and great.”
"I am Bifang. The next time we meet, we will be in the Sahara."
【Fang Shen is awesome!!!】
…
"This is without a doubt the Amundsen, Dias and Magellan of the 21st century." - The Herald
"If life is a game, how would you choose to live your life? By the rules and procedures? Or by bold breakthroughs and adventures? In the years that you have lived, what do you think is the most adventurous thing you have ever done? What kind of experience and feelings did this event bring to you? Did it bring about any different changes in your life?" - Le Monde.
"Humans who live mediocre lives can only watch the man with melting wings fall from the highest point of the arc like the indifferent horses and farmers by the river, watching the passion finally turn into a tragedy, actions that we regard as futile. Only true heroes can feel the gap in the soul that longs for some hidden great things." - The Sun.
The news that Bifang crossed Point Nemo spread across the world like a bird with its wings spread, and no well-known non-topical newspaper could choose to ignore this news.
At the same time, Bifang was given the reputation of being the Magellan and Amundsen of the 21st century.
There were some articles that made Bifang feel quite embarrassed.
"In the book "Adventures Against Heaven" compiled by South African writer William Boleso, there is also a record of eleven top adventurers in human history, including Alexander the Great, and the eleven dizzying moments they created will take us into the wonderful lives of these natural adventurers.
These eleven world-class top adventurers are Alexander the Great , Casanova, Columbus, Lola Montez, Cagliostro, Charles XII of Sweden, Napoleon I, Catiline, Napoleon III, Isadora Duncan and Woodrow Wilson.
As far as the course of history is concerned, these eleven adventurers are all important figures who have left a deep mark in the long story of history. They may have only dominated the world for a short time, but they were all challengers who defied the will of heaven.
But if William Bolesso lived in the twenty-first century and had not died in 1930, I believe that the book would no longer have only eleven chapters, but would have twelve!
As the author says: Adventure stories are the most vivid part of personal and social history.
In the 21st century of steel and concrete, when talking about the most vibrant part, I think no one will forget that man, a man whose presence is as strong as the sun.
The peak number of viewers exceeded 40 million, and he was present at the underwater volcanic eruption. The total number of views exceeded 500 million, which means that almost one in every fifteen people in the world has witnessed it and knows him.
If we leave out the third world, would this proportion be higher?
One tenth?
Or even higher?
Of course, this number is still increasing. I can’t imagine a situation where almost everyone knows me when I walk down the street.
All of this is not because he is a big star, or because he sings well or acts well, but because of his groundbreaking and adventurous behavior.
Regarding the concept of adventure, among all the adventurous people in history, Columbus's adventures are the most easily recognized. After all, facing the ruthlessness of the sea and the ever-changing sea voyages, Columbus's four crossings of the Atlantic and discovery of the New World were undoubtedly thrilling journeys.
However, since Zheng He sailed to the West first, Columbus's adventure does not stand out among this group of top adventurers.
In fact, this group of famous adventurers in history all have similarities, such as the era they lived in, the courage to break through the conventional order, the courage to face struggles, the ambition and ability to fight for freedom and power, etc. Their methods may be very fierce and their thinking may be different from that of ordinary people, but the glory they have created cannot but be recognized by everyone.
What they pursue is an individualistic thought with an adventurous spirit and a desire for everything new. As the author said: There is an adventurer in everyone's heart and we must become social people, which are two incompatible lives.
One is what we crave.
The other one is the one we have to choose.
Regardless of whether these eleven adventurers were pursuing freedom or power, they all benefited society and promoted the development of history in some sense.
Without these adventurous people, the world might become dull and would also fall into endless primitiveness.
Thanks to Mr. Bifang, the dull 21st century people have been reminded of the glory of their ancestors and have heard the clarion call of courage again." - Matthew Hale.
Bifang looked at the name at the end of the article and thought for a while, and finally found the existence of this person in his memory.
The reporter from the Global Times who had worked together in the ruined city had also written about The Flying Geese earlier.
Looking through this person's previous articles, Bifang was surprised to find that this person seemed to have become his exclusive news reporter. He would post an article praising almost every live broadcast, sometimes even many articles.
The most important thing is that the number of views of these articles is not low at all.
Perhaps it was due to the recommendation of big data, the more Bifang searched, the more news about himself emerged.
There are even a few "middlemen" on Island B who have become famous because they specialize in making their own videos.
Bifang casually opened another article and read it with relish on the plane.
It does feel a bit embarrassing to read this kind of self-boasting article for the first time, but after getting used to it, I actually feel it’s not bad.
"Today, we no longer need to prove the adventurous gene in human nature, but we still cannot summarize the personality trait of adventurousness."
The key is how we view the fact that human beings are born adventurous and how to place our adventurous spirit that has nowhere to go in the times.
It is undeniable that the spirit of adventure has driven human progress.
Just like what Fang Shen always said before the start of every live broadcast, human ancestors broke through the constraints of primitive nature, great navigators broke through the limitations of geographical conditions, brave aviation and astronauts broke through the limits of human beings... Every adventure brought great changes to the human world, and through the efforts of countless people, modern civilized society was created.
However, times are progressing and the spirit of adventure is declining.
In the eyes of many people today, the positive meaning of risk-taking is not as great as the negative meanings it brings, such as blindness and radicalism.
But can blind, radical risk-taking really be called “adventure”?
Is adventure something so cheap that you just act on impulse?
Take a look at Mr. Bifang's resume. He is a retired special forces soldier, ranked in the top ten in the history of Hunter Academy, has the highest level professional hunter certificate, is a true martial artist, has strong physical fitness, outstanding psychological quality, rich theoretical knowledge, and is highly proficient in mathematics, geography, biology, history, astronomy, meteorology, chemistry, materials and other subjects.
He is proficient in swimming, rock climbing, hunting and trapping.
Both the body and the mind can be described as strong. Is there a sharp and essential contrast between them and those who are just trying to gain popularity on the Internet?
Assuming that the value of adventurous spirit is valid only when considered over a relatively long period of time, it is destined not to have many supporters.
I believe that social progress is a process of resisting human instincts. The more progress there is, the deeper this resistance becomes.
It goes without saying that technology is constantly breaking through the limits of the human body, and from the perspective of ideology, people are also tending towards instrumental rationality.
It is conceivable that in an environment of information explosion, since we have a higher ability to foresee risks, it is human nature to find ways to avoid them.
Moreover, the ability of most people to bear risks has not improved with the times. In their imagination, the price they have to pay is extremely high. Therefore, these people will inevitably become cautious and rational.
However, human nature is complex. If people are not allowed to take risks, it may sometimes erupt in more radical ways.
Many young people have experienced, to varying degrees, being forced to choose schools and majors they don’t like, work in jobs they don’t like, and get married and have children at the so-called golden age.
No matter at which stage the pressure is generated, it will always be released at some point, prompting people to complete a bold "adventure".
Times have not changed human nature. As long as the temptation is great enough, human's adventurous instinct will always exist.
In short, the modern spirit of adventure is no longer a kind of heroism in the face of the unknown, but has become a struggle against one's own instincts.
This is undoubtedly a pity because it means the disappearance of something wonderful.
I feel sad that I was born in this era, because the heroism in the spirit of adventure is about to disappear.
I am also glad that I was born in this era, because the heroism in the spirit of adventure has not completely disappeared, and there are still people like Fang Shen who stick to it and inject a shot of adrenaline into my veins.
The sky is filled with yellow wind and the sun is scorching.
The silhouettes of two people and a camel were shone obliquely on the sandstone.
Two more days passed since Bifang landed on the island in South America.
"Pooh."
Along with the sound of sand rubbing against each other, a mouthful of white saliva stuck to the stone and quickly evaporated under the high temperature, leaving no trace.
Mugalun was leading a camel, looking at Bifang's phone screen, and couldn't help spitting: "Is this how they brag about you?"
Bifang shook his phone: "Are you envious?"
"No feeling at all."
Bifang didn't continue talking nonsense: "Then let's go here. Give me the things and you can leave."
Mugalen dejectedly unloaded the things from the camel and placed them heavily on the ground.
In addition to the common backpack, there is also a pair of reins!
[Note: The above two are joint tasks, with a total time limit of 120 days. You can choose which one comes first.]
[Note: One of the tasks can be selected as assistance, and only one person or one beast can be selected, and only one task can be selected. ]
Bifang kept the two notes given by the system in mind. Before crossing the Sahara, he had to catch a wild camel first!
