After three days of crying and vomiting, the team from Taiwan finally couldn't bear the crazy sickness anymore and descended the mountain.
There were many who had to give up their climb to Mount Everest due to illness, but it was the first time a whole team felt unwell and had to retreat. Everyone could understand their decision; after all, if you break out in tears when you're about to tackle higher altitudes in the frigid wilderness, what's the point of climbing? Your goggles would be filled with tears, and when you took them off, your face would be caked with ice—a truly exquisite misery.
Of course, Ren He only dared to play around like that at 6000 meters. Any higher and such behavior could be fatal, and he bore no deep grudge with anyone.
By Thursday, it was finally decided that Xia Boyu's Chinese team, Smeier's motley crew, and an American team would jointly conduct a training exercise at the altitude of 7900 meters.
