C5 Shock!!

When Zhao Zhe came to, his body was nearly frozen solid. The voice of his assistant reverberated in his head, "The most dashing and coolest master, snap out of it! To perish before your triumph would be a tragic end. You haven't yet secured the Goldfinger, and you can't die before charming the ladies."

Zhao Zhe shifted his body, relieved that he could still move. "Assistant, what nonsense are you spouting? I'm alive, aren't I? You're starting to get cheeky. We're after the ladies, young and old alike, got it?"

The assistant replied, "Master, I'm so relieved you're alive. I feared I'd have to upgrade to version 3.0."

Zhao Zhe retorted, "Think I'd die that easily? But what exactly happened? It felt like something catapulted me into the air. Thank goodness the snow is deep. It's just that the tumbling knocked me out cold."

The fall hadn't been too bad, thanks to the thick blanket of snow. But not everyone can handle tumbling over and over, and he had passed out from it. The extreme cold of the surroundings could have been fatal if he hadn't woken up when he did.

After limbering up his stiff body, Zhao Zhe turned to find what had launched him into the air. A cylindrical object, barely noticeable beneath the snow, had the right hardness and angle to send a speeding snowboard airborne.

In this world of ice and snow, Zhao Zhe hadn't come across any trees, especially since there were none even on the ground floor of his shelter. Could this be a piece of deadwood discarded in the snow? The area was desolate; any wood left initially would be buried meters deep by now. Yet this piece was on top of the snow, indicating recent human activity.

Zhao Zhe kicked at the supposed deadwood, and what he found eased his mind. It didn't resemble wood at all, but rather clothing, and there was a mass of black—hair! His heart, which had just settled, raced again. It had to be a person!

Zhao Zhe cautiously surveyed the area, lingering on the outskirts with hesitation before finally gathering the courage to approach. This was, after all, his first encounter with another human in the world of ice and snow. In fact, aside from himself, he hadn't come across any living beings at all.

Observing the situation, he noted the person's long hair and the small visible portion of their clothing, which lacked any distinctive features. Despite receiving a kick from Zhao Zhe, there was no reaction, leading him to deduce that the person was likely dead.

If the person was dead, what was there to fear? Zhao Zhe thought to himself, if he was going to be scared of everything, how could he possibly complete his mission? With a pep talk in his mind, he squatted down, grabbed the exposed tuft of hair, and pulled, revealing the individual beneath the snow. They were clad in a tattered gray cloth that resembled a bundle of rags tied around the body with a rope, a far cry from being well-dressed.

"Assistant, come out," Zhao Zhe called out.

The assistant responded, "Master, I've been here the whole time."

"Do you think this person is dead or alive?" Zhao Zhe inquired, needing someone to converse with to bolster his resolve, even if the assistant couldn't actually assist, just to lighten the mood.

"I believe he's alive," the assistant replied confidently, "I observed a slight rise and fall in his chest." In truth, Zhao Zhe had noticed it too. They shared the same observational tool, though Zhao Zhe's own analytical abilities were no match for those of the Dimension Hopping Express assistant.

"Could the humans here pose a threat to me?"

The assistant paused before answering, "Master, it's difficult to say. Intelligent life, regardless of the time-space, can be good or bad. My capabilities don't extend to analyzing the consciousness of intelligent life, so I'm unable to provide an accurate judgment of this person's character."

"So, what should we do with this person?" Zhao Zhe asked.

"Master, it's up to you. If this person can aid you in your mission, not saving him could mean missing out on an opportunity. On the other hand, if you save him and he ends up betraying you, then you, Master, would be at a significant disadvantage."

It wasn't just a minor setback; it was a life-or-death situation. Zhao Zhe found himself hesitating. To save or not to save—that was the question. This dilemma had plagued humanity for years, and now it was Zhao Zhe's turn to face it.

If he chose not to save the person, what if they turned out to be someone who could assist him? He had been in this dimension for half a month with no progress on his mission. Just yesterday, he had narrowly escaped death. Today started off well, but it too had nearly ended in disaster.

On the other hand, if he decided to save the person, their true nature remained unknown. Who's to say they wouldn't turn on Zhao Zhe after being rescued? To save them, he would have to return to the sanctuary, which had food, warmth, weapons, and more. In this desolate world on the brink of extinction, human conscience might have faded away. Desperation could drive people to extreme measures for food and shelter.

After much deliberation, Zhao Zhe finally made up his mind. With a determined slap to his thigh, he resolved to take the risk. If he let fear hold him back, he'd accomplish nothing. If there was a chance to gain valuable information and rescue someone who might be the very person he was sent to help, he was willing to bet on it.

Given that the person had passed out in the world of ice and snow, they likely had some knowledge of the area. Perhaps they were the one Zhao Zhe was meant to save. After all, he had been on this mission for half a month, and the person waiting for rescue might have grown impatient and ventured out. Even if they weren't the one he was supposed to save, their knowledge of the surroundings or the world itself could prove invaluable.

Bringing the person back to the shelter was no easy task. Zhao Zhe initially tried to carry them, but his skiing skills were so poor that he fell repeatedly, leaving him too exhausted to even stand. With no other option, he secured the person with a rope and trudged ahead, dragging them through the snow back to the sanctuary.

What should have been a half-hour trip took Zhao Zhe an hour and a half. The individual was half-buried and dragged through the snow the entire way. If they had any life left in them before, it was likely all but extinguished now.

Regardless of whether the individual was alive or not, Zhao Zhe was determined to follow through with the necessary procedures. After all, why else would he have gone to the trouble of bringing the person back? He started by lighting a brazier to generate some warmth, then gathered snow to rub over the frozen body—a technique he had picked up online, though its effectiveness was anyone's guess. Should the person regain consciousness, Zhao Zhe planned to prepare a ginger soup to help revive them.

Once the brazier was ablaze, he threw in some highly flammable clothing to boost the fire. The temperature in the room soared, but the burning fabric released a pungent odor that was likely toxic. However, Zhao Zhe couldn't be bothered with that concern; a little smoke wasn't going to kill anyone. He proceeded to the next step: stripping off the person's clothes to rub their body.

The tattered outer garments came off easily. With a swift cut of his knife, he sliced through the belt at the waist and tossed it aside. The inner layers proved more challenging to remove, as the person's limbs were stiff from the cold, making it nearly impossible to undress them. Zhao Zhe decided to simply cut the clothes off with scissors.

Zhao Zhe was always efficient. Brandishing the scissors he had brought from Earth, he sliced upward from the lower abdomen in a swift, fish-gutting motion. The shredded clothing fell away to reveal a snow-white stomach.

Suddenly, Zhao Zhe let out a shriek, dropping the scissors and stumbling backward until he fell onto his rear. Exposed on the snow-white stomach were two features distinctly different from Zhao Zhe's own, leaving him speechless.

The shock was headline-worthy, sending a tremor through Zhao Zhe's body. He was torn between wanting to look and fearing to do so, feeling both physically and mentally weak and numb. He had inadvertently rescued a female, landing himself in what could only be described as the most clichéd and dramatic scenario found in films and literature. It's no wonder that people were no longer surprised by the sensational stories from the UC shock department—after a point, even the most sensational loses its impact.

Having endured his fair share of over-the-top drama, Zhao Zhe quickly composed himself and muttered, "I'm not assaulting you; I'm trying to save you. Besides, with your petite frame, I'm not the least bit interested. Now, I'm going to rub snow on your body to help you recover. Please, don't take it the wrong way."

The specifics of the body-rubbing procedure are not worth going into detail about. After all, Zhao Zhe isn't a robot; it's unrealistic to expect him to execute the task with absolute precision. Occasional physical contact is a necessary part of the rescue process! Rest assured, his intentions are nothing but pure.