The roaring blizzard that had battered Razorwing Gap for nine straight hours began to thin just as the first pale light of dawn painted the snow-covered granite peaks in shades of lavender and gold.
High above the mountain range, the heavy chop of helicopter blades sliced through the crisp alpine air. Director Zhao stood inside the lead medical chopper, his hands gripping the safety harness so tightly his knuckles had gone white. Beside him, three emergency paramedics checked their trauma kits for the fifth time, preparing for the worst.
"Direct feed is back online!" the head technician called out over the radio headset. "Live-stream audience spiking past forty million. Every headline in the country is tracking the search and rescue!"
