Gu Yanzhou moved first, flashing his confidence for the hovering camera drones. Trusting the advanced grip of his expensive, rigid-soled carbon boots, he charged straight up the center of the slope at a rapid, aggressive pace.
For the first thirty meters, his momentum carried him upward. But as the angle of the incline steepened, physics caught up with his arrogance.
His boots struck a thick layer of loose, unanchored shale resting over slick bedrock. With a sudden crunching sound, the gravel beneath his feet gave way entirely.
Gu Yanzhou slipped backward a full six meters in a cloud of dust and rolling stones, barely catching himself by digging his gloved hands into the sharp debris.
His pristine black jacket was instantly smeared with gray dirt, and his smug expression fractured into genuine irritation.
"Damn it," Gu Yanzhou muttered, shaking the loose gravel out of his boots as the live chat exploded with mocking laughter:
[HE WENT FLYING BACKWARDS! ]
