pjbooks Chapter 224 You're really courting death!
Chapter 224 You're really courting death!
Chapter 224 You're really courting death!
[Legendary Cold Resistance King Iv1]: Permanently enhances your cold resistance; can be upgraded multiple times.
[Dexterity]: Permanently improves stability and accuracy by 10% when using your hands to perform delicate operations (such as surgery, carving, bomb disposal).
【Manipulate the Shop (Consumption)】: After selecting a skill, the skill rewards for the next 5 times will only include random skills associated with that skill.
Of the three skills, the one Ma Jie wanted most was actually the [Legendary Freeze-Resistant King].
Based on past experience, the filming locations for "Living Alone in the Wilderness" are usually set in icy and snowy regions such as Siberia, Alaska, and the Canadian Arctic Circle.
The latest season was the only one to take a bold and innovative approach, going to the scorching Karoo Desert in South Africa. As a result, due to the extreme heat and the scarcity of water resources, half of the contestants chose to give up in less than five days.
The final champion only lasted 34 days, far less than the previous 70 days or more, making it the shortest survival time in the history of solo wilderness living, which was heavily criticized by viewers.
Based on this logic, unless the producer has lost their mind, they will never make this attempt again and will still choose to film in cold regions in order to salvage their reputation.
Wouldn't the [Legendary Freeze-Resistant King] be the ultimate skill among skills? If you could max out that skill, combined with […]
"Drawing a cake to satisfy hunger" and "Looking at plums to quench thirst" are ways to win even if you just lie in the shelter and leave the game running. This is commonly known as the "starvation strategy".
Even if you don't take this route, whether you're out gathering, hunting, fishing, or setting traps, you'll need ice resistance to protect yourself, making the skill synergy perfect.
As for [Dexterity], although it is also very useful, its priority is not as high as the passive ice resistance bonus. You should only choose it if you have no other choice.
What truly made Ma Jieke exclaim "perfect hand" was actually the "manipulation of the shop".
Simply put, acquiring this skill means you won't receive any rewards this time.
But the next time you choose a skill, it'll be great, like getting [Wilderness Survival].
The next five skill rewards will only refresh skills related to [Wilderness Survival].
More importantly, [Manipulate the Shop] is an active consumable skill that can be used at any time.
If you don't get the corresponding skill, just hold onto it. Once you do get it, go for a five-hit combo and quickly build your deck.
Moreover, the availability of "Golden Tickets" as a safety net greatly increases the refresh rate.
[Golden Ticket]: Refreshes the quest panel and skill rewards; 100% success rate on the first attempt, 30% success rate on subsequent attempts.
O
According to this skill description, theoretically, each skill selection should be at least one out of six, not one out of three. If you're lucky, you could even have one out of nine or one out of twelve.
And most importantly, you can use the special mechanism of [Manipulating the Shop] to directly lock in 7-star skills.
A survival skill worth 7 stars—that must be some kind of phenomenal, god-tier ability! It might even be able to summon ghost wolves...
Well, I'm overthinking it, but it definitely won't be too bad. At the very least, it should have maxed-out ice resistance, maxed-out construction, and perfect accuracy with every arrow.
"Dude, do you take pictures of pretty girls here every day?"
Seeing Ma Jie's bizarre actions, Carl was completely bewildered. Wasn't he supposed to be helping me solve the case? What does this have to do with the case?
"You're overthinking it, bro." Ma Jie stuffed the camera into his backpack and explained, "I'm just practicing photography, and I brought you here to feast your eyes and show you how hot the girls in Los Angeles are."
"It's pretty exciting." Carl chuckled. "Anyway, you can't see this kind of scenery in the South Side of Chicago. Skinny girls like my older sister were once in high demand."
"Fiona told me you used to be involved in a gang?"
Back in the car, Ma Jie started chatting as he drove to pass the time on the road.
“That’s right.” Carl nodded. “I was a bad boy since I was a kid. I got into fights, bullied my classmates, joined a gang early on, sold laundry detergent for drug dealers, and even brought a gun to school. The principal was one of my loyal customers, and I even had a bunch of underlings. I thought I had power, but an arrest made me realize that power and violence are two completely different things.”
"So I got the idea to apply to West Point because my girlfriend's father at the time was a senior police officer. He taught me a lot of lessons and made me understand that true power is the legitimate power granted by knowledge, discipline, and position. Later, I was rejected because of my family background...you know."
After listening to his brief account of his life experiences, Ma Jieke smiled and said, "Although you didn't become an officer, you still managed to climb out of the mire. I bet you really enjoy this job."
"Yes, it allows me to help a lot of people, especially the lowest-level thieves, prostitutes, and tobacco dealers. Nobody wants to live like that, but not everyone has the right to make choices when faced with a cruel life. I often get scolded by my superiors for protecting the weak, but so what? I grew up in the rain and mud, so I don't mind carrying an extra umbrella when I go out. It doesn't tire me out at all; on the contrary, it makes me feel great and comfortable."
"Keep it up, bro." Ma Jiekten bumped fists with him. "Now I think I understand why your sister always talks about you. You really deserve to be praised. You've won back a point for the whole Gallagher."
In a pleasant conversation, the car arrived at Los Santos International Airport, located in the southwest corner, and drove to the parking lot via the ramp.
"What are we doing here?" Looking at the endless airport runway, Karl was completely baffled.
However, Ma Jie quickly gave him an answer, leading him to a helipad, opening the red-painted Robinson R22 helicopter door, and nimbly climbing inside.
"Come on up, bro, don't just stand there like an idiot."
Karl was dumbfounded by what he saw. "Dude, this is a bit of an exaggeration. Who takes a junk collector on a plane? Who is this guy my sister is with?"
"Sit tight and buckle up," Ma Jie reminded him, while skillfully connecting the battery and main power supply, then pressing the start button, and the main propeller slowly began to turn.
When the engine speed on the instrument panel stabilizes, slowly and gently raise the collective pitch lever to increase the total pitch of the main rotor, thereby providing upward lift.
Soon, the helicopter took off smoothly and entered a hovering state about 2 meters above the ground.
Normally, the next step is to push the cyclic pitch control stick forward, causing the aircraft to fly diagonally upwards in a climbing motion, and then continuously increase the altitude during flight.
As a result, Ma Jieke, relying on his high skill level, directly raised the collective pitch stick, and the nose of the aircraft immediately tilted up. The fuselage, as if it had a seizure, swayed back and forth and rose up in place, scaring the staff on the ground into sweating profusely.
Good grief, you're just playing with your life. Why not use a normal way to take off instead of risking your life? If you fall, even if you don't die, you'll be half paralyzed.
The key question is, what did the airport do to deserve this? Let whoever wants to make money from the 3000 yuan monthly parking fee make it.
Fortunately, it was a close call. After climbing vertically to a safe altitude, a gentle push on the cyclic pitch control stick immediately tilted the nose down, and the aircraft entered rapid forward flight.
Then look at the police officer Carl. He is gripping the door handle tightly, his lips are pale, he is curled up in his seat, his forehead is covered with fine sweat, and his body is trembling slightly.
"Haha, is it really necessary, bro? You've scared me so much."
Ma Jieke couldn't help but laugh: "I just wanted to give you a bird's-eye view of Los Angeles, something even your older sister never gets."
"Phew..." Once the plane stabilized, the guy finally breathed a sigh of relief and wiped his forehead with his sleeve. "Do you know what I was thinking just now? I was thinking whether I should leave a will or call Fiona and tell her the location of my private stash, so that the warehouse owner won't benefit from it."
"Alright, alright, relax. My piloting skills are harder than your morning sponge. It's just that this crappy plane is affecting my performance. Once I save up enough money, I'll get a better one that matches my skills."
"Wow, the scenery is really beautiful." Carl said, already taking out his phone to record a video through the ultra-wide-angle glass door, while chattering on and on: "I'm going to upload this vlog to social media. For people in the South, it's like visiting the White House. It'll definitely scare those country bumpkins."
Upon hearing him mention Vlog, Ma Jieke suddenly remembered that one of the side quests was to leave a video record.
However, the GoPro I ordered online hasn't arrived yet, so I can only make do with a mirrorless camera for now. Anyway, it's just for completing the task, so I don't care too much about the details.
"Jack, someone left me a message." A few minutes later, Carl looked at his phone screen excitedly and laughed, "Haha, it's my dad Frank! Guess what he said?"
"Where did you steal this plane from?"
"Pretty much. He asked me if I could sneak back to Chicago and park in our yard for a few days, so that I could drive my neighbor, whom I don't get along with, crazy."
""
'
"Hey, another comment. My second sister Debbie said, 'What's there to brag about? Be careful you don't fall and kill me.'"
"No, are all your family members this gentle?" Ma Jieke couldn't hold back a little.
"Ignore her." Carl said with a wicked grin, "She's just an unmarried pregnant girl who's not very bright. All she does every day is take care of her daughter and work with a welding torch. She's never left the South District slums in her life, and she was dumped by a man. I guess in her eyes, everyone's life should be as bad as hers to be considered normal."
"A girl working as a welder?" Ma Jieke was a little surprised. "No, Carl, you shouldn't judge your second sister like that. The fact that she can do this job shows that she is very pragmatic. It's just that life has squeezed her out of all joy. If she puts down the welding torch to enjoy leisure, your little niece will not have milk powder to drink."
"Hmph, maybe." Carl put his hands behind his head, and no one knew what he was thinking.
The two didn't talk much more. As for Fiona's family, Ma Jie only knew about them through hearsay, treating it as mere entertainment during their leisure time.
Soon after, the plane arrived at a magnificent twin-tower suspension bridge, which was also the destination of this trip—the Golden Gate Bridge.
This is a nearly 2000-meter-long bridge spanning the sea, starting in California in the north and ending at the San Francisco Peninsula in the south. It crosses the natural waterway connecting San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean, and is named the Golden Gate Bridge because the waterway is called the Golden Gate Strait.
According to California government regulations, this area is a no-fly zone. After all, the bridge tower is 342 meters high, and if some fool were to crash into it, the consequences would be unimaginable.
That being said, it's impossible for anyone to guard it 24/7. Just like not allowing bicycles on highways, if some idiot actually carries a bicycle up there, it'll be too late by the time they're discovered.
So Ma Jie's strategy is to speedrun, to finish the challenge before being discovered, and then he'll be gone, leaving no trace for anyone to find.
[Side Mission: Pilot a helicopter to the Golden Gate Bridge, passing under the bridge and through the towers, and record the journey on camera] Reward Value: ★★★
After reviewing the mission details, Ma Jieke chose to tackle the easier tasks first, pulling down the collective pitch lever to lower the aircraft and dive towards the bottom of the bridge.
Such a large gap, only a fool could not fly through it. Affected by the downwash airflow generated by the main propeller, a large vortex of water and beautiful waves rose up on the azure sea surface.
After successfully crossing under the bridge, the most difficult part is yet to come: not only do you have to climb, but you also have to make a 180-degree turn and a 90-degree turn in mid-air to squeeze through the square hole at the top.
This requires simultaneously operating the collective pitch lever, the cyclic pitch lever, and the pedals, essentially requiring three tasks at once.
Adhering to the principle of safety first, Ma Jieke did not rush to operate the controls. He took several deep breaths in the cockpit before refining and executing the standard procedures one by one.
The difficulty of driving a car and a helicopter can be simply understood as the difference between a 2-dimensional world and a 3-dimensional world.
Simply put, a car moves on a stable two-dimensional plane with a fixed track. It can only move forward, backward, left, and right. Even if you release the steering wheel, it can continue to move straight because of the physical constraints of the wheels and suspension system.
However, helicopters do not have fixed tracks or even roads; they only have a highly free and open space that they need to plan and manage themselves.
Moreover, it is inherently unstable, like an upside-down pencil with the tip touching the ground, requiring the pilot to make constant fine adjustments to maintain stability.
Once the control stick is released, the aircraft will lose control, and in most cases, this loss of control is irreversible and difficult to remedy through technical means.
So having skills alone isn't enough; a strong mind and courage are also very important.
As the aircraft completed its turn in mid-air, Ma Jieke quickly adjusted his breathing, drew a graceful arc in the sky, flew over the bridge's steel cables, and hovered perfectly in front of the bridge tower.
At that moment, vehicles on the bridge also noticed his presence, and many pedestrians and drivers parked their cars on the side of the road and took out their mobile phones to take pictures and videos.
After all, most people have only seen such "five-star good citizens" on TV.
>