Reborn Action Star: Starting in Hollywood

Chapter 589: Meng Tao is completely finished?

The Boeing 747-400ER special plane was soaring at an altitude of meters, heading towards Vienna.

In the conference room in the middle of the cabin, Anne Hathaway was telling Lin Yuan in detail about the current rescue progress.

Lin Yuan listened to Annie's explanation with a serious expression, as this concerned Meng Tao's life.

After filming the fire scene outside Edmonton, the "injured" Lin Yuan had to pretend to be sick at home.

With more than a month of free time, it is definitely impossible for a busy man like Meng Tao to take a break.

So he followed director Johnston to the Alps to shoot a thrilling extreme movie.

This is also the reason why Meng Tao did not attend the 77th Academy Awards ceremony a few days ago.

Lin Yuan had not paid much attention to this film directed by Meng Tao and Johnston before. After all, apart from his own film, Lin Yuan no longer cared about the establishment and shooting of other film projects of the company.

He originally thought that Meng Tao and director Johnston were just going to shoot a skiing scene in the Alps.

But what was unexpected was that the extent to which they were courting death this time was far beyond imagination.

They actually challenged the Kalonos Cave underground on the eastern side of the Alps.

As we all know, cave exploration and cave diving are both extremely dangerous sports.

Even experienced veterans often have to put their heads on the line, and no one can guarantee that they will be safe every time.

The Kalonos Cave is probably one of the most dangerous caves.

The danger of this cave comes from the combination of spelunking and cave diving within one cave.

Therefore, the entrance to the cave has long been blocked by the local management department. If you want to enter the cave, you need to have professional qualifications and pass the review before you can enter.

But even with such strict management restrictions, there were still 12 adventure teams and 26 explorers who died in the cave due to accidents in the last century. It may be the cave with the highest death toll.

But even with such a high mortality rate, it still attracts adventurers from all over the world to gather here.

Being able to conquer this cave can be said to be the highest honor for all adventurers.

Now, Meng Tao and Director Johnston might actually die trying, as this is their 13th day in the cave.

According to the planned schedule, they should have returned on the 10th day, but when the agreed time came, there was no sign of anyone.

The emergency rescue workers waiting outside the cave were caught in a search and rescue dilemma.

At that moment, Annie was pointing at the large electronic screen with a titanium stick and saying, "Lin Yuan, this is the underground map of Kalonos Cave. The deepest area explored so far is 2987 meters. From the surface, it will take 4 to 5 days to reach the deepest point."

"How much? Nearly 3000 meters?"

Looking at the dense network of underground tunnels that looked like tree roots, even Lin Yuan felt an inexplicable sense of oppression, which was a fear that came from human instinct.

Many people will instinctively feel fear when they enter an underground cave where they can't see their hands in front of their faces and are surrounded by narrow rock walls.

It is not only people with claustrophobia who find it unbearable, but most people will feel that kind of oppressive feeling that exists all the time.

Your brain will uncontrollably think: I am underground now, which is actually not much different from being buried alive. If this tunnel collapses, I won’t even be able to escape or struggle.

How could one not feel fear when guided by such thoughts?

And this Kalonos Cave is 2987 meters deep underground?
It takes 4 to 5 days to reach the deepest point?

Gan!
Lin Yuan felt a little crazy when he thought about entering this cave and not being able to move in and out freely, but having to stay in this dark, cramped and depressing environment for four or five days.

No, where did director Meng Tao and Johnston get the courage?
How dare you challenge yourself to shoot in such a cave?
It's simply courting death!

Seeing Lin Yuan so surprised, Annie said helplessly: "Maybe it's because of the aftereffects of their cooperation with you that they underestimated the danger."

Hearing this, Lin Yuan was speechless. It seemed that judging from the source, he also had a little responsibility?

Director Johnston is an old friend and has worked with Lin Yuan on "Jurassic Park 3" and "The Lin Yuan Couple".

Not to mention Meng Tao, he collaborated with Lin Yuan in almost every movie.

In Lin Yuan's movies, all kinds of death-defying action scenes are everywhere. After working with Lin Yuan for a long time, there will be obvious sequelae:

On the one hand, it is easy for the threshold of perception of danger to be infinitely raised. Some scenes that should be very dangerous are not considered too dangerous. After all, they are not even one-tenth as dangerous as those scenes shot by Lin Yuan.

On the other hand, it will also make filmmakers more demanding of themselves. After all, they are used to seeing the high-quality films shot by Lin Yuan, and if their own films are too bad, they really can't show them off.

These two reasons combined led Meng Tao and director Johnston to take a risky move, which ended up getting themselves into trouble.

Annie continued pointing at the big screen and said, "To enter the depths of Kalonos Cave, the entire journey is divided into three sections.

The first section of the journey is from the cave entrance to the 'deep pool' at 1735 meters, and this section is entirely dry road.

Deep Pool...this place name makes people shudder.

You should know that the names of these underground cave areas were named by the first successful explorers.

Just like a person's nickname, there is absolutely no wrong way to call it.

As expected, Annie continued, "To continue, we must enter the deep pool and swim through the underwater passage below. This is a U-shaped cave waterway approximately 1254 meters long. The depth of the cave will drop to 1820 meters and then rise back to 1800 meters."

Lin Yuan: (▔Pan▔)
Lin Yuan's heart was filled with a thousand horses galloping, and thousands of words were condensed into one word: Damn!

The 1254-meter length of the waterway is already very tiring, and it is a very harsh test for physical energy consumption and control of oxygen cylinders.

What's even more terrifying is that the U-shaped vertical drop requires that to pass through this waterway, one must first dive nearly 85 meters, then surface 80 meters, then dive another 15 meters, and finally come ashore.

This means that you must decompress during the dive and ascent process, otherwise you will suffer from "decompression sickness"!
Anne continued, "After coming ashore from the deep pool, we arrived at the third section of the underground passage. This section extends from 1800 meters underground to the deepest point of 2900 meters.

Director Meng Tao and Johnston disappeared during the third leg of the journey."

"What was the cause of the accident?" Lin Yuan asked.

Anne lit up the map icon on the big screen and continued explaining, "Because the entire route to Kalonos Cave is so long, we have set up 10 supply camps along the way.

They are located at 370 meters, 760 meters, 1130 meters, 1430 meters, 1735 meters before entering the 'deep pool', 1800 meters at the exit of the 'deep pool', and then 2100 meters, 2450 meters, 2700 meters and 2900 meters.

On the big screen, the locations of ten supply camps were clearly marked on a tree root-shaped cave map.

Lin Yuan nodded to show his understanding.

After all, the cave journey lasts for 4 to 5 days. It would be too dangerous if there were no supply camps along the way.

Especially in front of and behind deep pools, diving requires oxygen, and without oxygen tanks, it is a dead end.

If there were no supply camps No. 5 and No. 6 before and after the deep pool, it would be impossible to pass through the deep pool.

Although Annie hasn't said the reason why Meng Tao and others got into an accident, Lin Yuan has already vaguely guessed it.

She pointed to the deep pool and said, "While Meng Tao and others were filming in the cave, a sudden downpour caused the groundwater level to rise. Rescuers discovered that the passage was flooded before reaching Camp 5, and speculated that Camp 6 might have been flooded as well."

The oxygen tank support at Camp 6 was lost, which prevented Meng Tao, Director Johnston and five other personnel from returning, leading to the loss of contact.

In addition to Meng Tao and director Johnston, there was also a leading actor and two other professional cave exploration experts as consultants, a total of five people who entered the cave for filming.

Under normal circumstances, Camps 5 and 6 would definitely be safe, and the groundwater level would not rise due to a heavy rain and flood the camp. Otherwise, the cave would have been abandoned long ago.

In fact, Camps 5 and 6 have never been threatened by groundwater.

It may be because of an earthquake last month that caused an underground waterway to break through the rock layer, and the once-in-a-century level rainstorm that lasted for several consecutive days a few days ago, which eventually caused problems in Camps 5 and 6.

Without the support of Camp No. 5, rescuers would not be able to go deeper into the cave to search for traces of Meng Tao and others.

It is necessary to establish a new camp and stock up on enough oxygen cylinders in order to dive to the previous location of Camp No. 5, and then continue into the passage of the deep pool, and then go to Camp No. 6 and the third stage passage to find the whereabouts of Meng Tao and others.

At this time, the new underground supply camp was under intensive construction, but it was difficult to find an open and suitable area to set up the camp, and it was even more difficult to transport enough oxygen cylinders into it.

But the rescuers did not give up their efforts. Instead, they divided into several groups and climbed in and out of the cave 24 hours a day to transport various supplies.

This is really too difficult. After all, it takes a day and a half to transport supplies to a depth of more than a thousand meters underground, and it takes three days to return. It is really a painful transportation journey.

At this point, Anne Hathaway has already introduced to Lin Yuan in great detail the entire process of the accident and the difficulties currently encountered in the rescue.

Her performance today was quite outstanding. As the head of the production department of Linyuan Pictures, she should naturally be responsible for handling any accidents that occurred during the production process. It can be said that she took full responsibility.

Anne's performance was remarkable in organizing the rescue team, allocating resources, and participating in the rescue plan.

If it weren't for the fact that Meng Tao's life or death was uncertain at this moment, Lin Yuan would definitely "reward" Annie for her performance, but at this moment he had no interest at all.

Lin Yuan asked worriedly, "How long do you estimate it will take to re-establish Camp 5 and begin rescue operations?"

"It will take another 18 days to build the camp," said Annie.

"Why is it so long?"

This is outrageous. After such a long time, do we still need rescue?

"There's no other way. It's too difficult to transport oxygen cylinders and other supplies underground. To carry out a rescue, we must have a three-person team. It will take a lot of time to support the oxygen cylinders they use as well as the oxygen cylinders used by Meng Tao and others," said Annie.

After hearing Annie's words, Lin Yuan could only accept it. After all, this was something that could not be rushed, so he asked:
"Camp 6 may have been flooded. Are the supplies in supply camps 7-10 enough for them to wait until rescue?"

"There are five of them. If they use resources sparingly, they can last 10 to 12 days," Annie replied.

"So little? Aren't there enough resources for at least 4 supply camps?" Lin Yuan asked in surprise.

"Because it is extremely difficult and wasteful to carry supplies across the deep pool, the following camps have very few resources," Annie explained.

"..."

Three days had already passed, meaning there were only seven to nine days left. Setting up a new camp would take ten days. Wouldn't that be a disaster? Annie continued, "What's even more terrifying is that even after the camp is built, it might take another ten days to get through the underwater passage."

"Why does it take so long? People will be killed if this happens." Lin Yuan asked with a frown.

"Because of the rising groundwater level, the new waterway has no underwater guide rope. We have to lay a new underwater guide rope and connect it to the previous one. Otherwise, we will not be able to find the way forward in the turbid water," said Annie.

"Moreover, even if the guide rope is re-assumed, the extension of the waterway may lead to multiple dive failures, and ultimately many oxygen cylinders will be consumed in vain without any progress in the rescue." Annie added.

"..."

After hearing Anne's explanation, Lin Yuan felt desperate: Doesn't this mean that Meng Tao, Director Johnston and others can be declared dead directly?

According to the rescue team's progress, it would be impossible to find the location of Meng Tao and others without 20 days.

During these 20 days, there is a possibility of delay due to various unexpected events.

Even the rescue plan itself may not be able to be implemented at all, because who knows whether the changes in the waterway caused by the groundwater level can still support the passage of divers?

Lin Yuan pondered for a long time, then looked at his watch and said resolutely, "We still have an hour until we arrive in Vienna. By the time we reach the entrance of Kalonos Cave, it will probably take another three and a half hours. During this time, have the on-site rescue team prepare equipment for me to enter the cave, as well as a professional consultant."

"Lin Yuan? You want to go into the cave yourself to participate in the rescue?" Annie asked in surprise.

She originally thought that Lin Yuan was only going to go to the scene in person to supervise the rescue operation, but she didn't expect that he was actually going to enter the cave, which completely changed the nature of the situation.

"Meng Tao is my brother, and Director Johnston was also my benefactor and close friend when I started. I must do something, otherwise I will never feel at peace in my life." Lin Yuan said.

"But this is too dangerous. Even if it's you, what can you do in such a cramped cave?" Anne Hathaway advised. She tried her best to make Lin Yuan give up this idea.

After hearing Annie's words, Lin Yuan did not answer. He knew that Annie was right.

Even though he can chop bullets with a knife and break javelin missiles with a flying knife, this is all based on his strong athletic ability.

However, once Lin Yuan enters the underground cave where he can only crawl forward and cannot even turn around, all his motor abilities will be greatly weakened.

No matter how fast your nerve reaction is, you still have to crawl slowly, step by step, underground.

If the tunnel collapses, we will be buried alive underground.

Faced with the long underground waterway and the vertical depth of hundreds of meters, he had to carry the oxygen tank on his back and it was impossible for him to cross it with his physical body.

It can be said that if Lin Yuan's ability on the surface is 10 points, it may only be 3 points or even only 2 points underground.

Therefore, if given a choice, Lin Yuan would never go underground. This is why he has filmed action movies for so many years but never filmed this kind of underground cave theme.

But today, he had no choice.

In recent years, if you ask who has spent the most time with him, I'm afraid there is no other choice except Meng Tao.

From the day they met, Meng Tao worked tirelessly to help Lin Yuan solve all problems in every film.

Before filming each dangerous action scene, Meng Tao personally took care of everything from the shooting plan to safety assurance and equipment inspection.

In the past few years, he has been protecting Lin Yuan's safety. He can truly be said to be Lin Yuan's brother who has been through thick and thin with him.

But today he encountered an accident. Is it possible that Lin Yuan would not try his best?

Lin Yuan silently said in his heart: "Meng Tao, hold on! This time it's my turn to protect your safety."

Anne saw Lin Yuan's determination and knew she couldn't persuade him, so she said, "I'll help you arrange everything, but I also have to tell Sissi and Betty this: your life isn't your own. If it doesn't work out, don't try to be stubborn."

Lin Yuan held her hand and said, "Don't worry, I will come back safely. I will also bring Meng Tao and the others back safely with me."

……

……

The entrance to Kalonos Cave.

When Lin Yuan and Annie arrived, they found that the place was already full of tents.

Judging from the size of the tents, the rescue team has at least two to three hundred people, which is a very large team.

A half-meter-high waterproof wall has been built around the cave entrance to prevent sudden rainfall from causing rainwater to flow back into the cave.

Even if rainwater flows back into the cave, the Kalonos Cave has a network of underground passages several thousand meters deep to absorb it, and it will not cause the passages to be impassable due to the water, but it will inevitably make the passages wet and muddy, slowing down the rescue progress.

From this point of view alone, we can see that the rescue team is quite professional and very dedicated.

It was already evening, and the camp was still brightly lit. Rescuers were still busy transporting supplies inside.

A large number of reporters who heard the news also gathered around the camp, hoping to get first-hand hot news.

When they heard Lin Yuan and Annie's voices, the reporters immediately swarmed over like sharks smelling blood.

"Mr. Lin Yuan, I'm a reporter from AFP. I heard that your company's filming here had an accident. Can you tell me the details?"

"Mr. Lin Yuan, I'm a BBC reporter. I heard that your good friend, Instructor Meng Tao, is trapped deep in a cave and his life is in danger. How do you plan to organize a rescue?"

If it were normal times, Lin Yuan would have the patience to communicate slowly with these reporters.

But now time is life, and wasting any second may cause irreparable regret.

So Lin Yuan pushed the reporter away.

He was very strong and easily tore a path through the crowd of reporters, as smooth as a hot knife cutting through butter.

However, the reporters he pushed away still followed him relentlessly, trying to get explosive news materials.

Lin Yuan was really impatient. It was already this time, and he was still thinking of taking advantage of others?

So he turned around suddenly, with only a cold warning in his eyes.

Seeing Lin Yuan's eyes, the reporters felt as if they were being stared at by a tiger. They instinctively felt fear and stopped following Lin Yuan.

"I'm going into the cave to rescue Meng Tao now. I'm racing against time! If anyone disturbs me at this time, don't blame me for being rude!
Wait until I come out of the cave, then you can come and interview me!"

Lin Yuan said this coldly and walked forward.

The reporters didn't dare to bother Lin Yuan anymore and could only watch him go away silently.

But as Lin Yuan walked away, a reporter immediately shouted, "Did I hear correctly? Lin Yuan is going into the cave himself to rescue Meng Tao? This is big news!"

"Impossible? The cave is so dangerous, and Lin Yuan, with such a noble status, actually wants to go in?"

"How is that impossible? Look, Lin Yuan is changing into his waterproof clothes."

At this time, Lin Yuan was changing into waterproof clothing while talking to a blond white man about 35 years old.

"Mr. Lin, I'm your fan! I love your movies so much and have watched every one of them many times. Don't worry, as your consultant this time, I will do my best to help you!"

"Thank you, Mr. York."

"You can just call me Henry." Henry York replied enthusiastically.

Henry York, a British, is a veteran cave explorer with 200 years of experience in cave exploration and has completed more than deep cave dives. He is also one of the core experts in this rescue operation.

"Okay, time is running out, let's talk while we walk." Lin Yuan took the lead and walked towards the cave entrance.

Henry York handed Lin Yuan a backpack. "All the equipment you need for the journey is here. We can get the rest at the supply camp."

"Okay!" Lin Yuan took the backpack and walked side by side with him.

Soon, Lin Yuan arrived at the entrance of Kalonos Cave. Looking at the pitch-black cave entrance, it looked like a beast that was about to devour people, which was terrifying.

But Lin Yuan did not hesitate at all and stepped into the cave first.

The first feeling when entering the Kalonos Cave is cold.

The air in the cave was quite humid, and when it blew on my face I felt a biting cold that penetrated deep into my bones.

This is why you must wear waterproof clothing when entering a cave.

Otherwise, no matter how warm your clothes are, they will lose their ability to keep you warm once they get wet.

At that time, there is a possibility of suffering from hypothermia, which will lead to confusion and even life-threatening.

This bit of coldness might be a threat to others, but for Lin Yuan, who had a physical fitness of 30 points and possessed extraordinary physical talent, he didn't take it seriously at all.

What brought him more inconvenience was the cramped space inside the cave.

The passage is only wide enough for one person to pass through, and its height is only about 1 meters, which means that Lin Yuan has to lower his head and bend over to move forward.

Fortunately, the angle of the passage is downward. If you bend over and go up, it would be even more uncomfortable.

Another trouble is that the passage is pitch black and you have to rely on the headlights to see the road ahead.

But all this did not stump Lin Yuan. He continued to move forward quickly, which surprised Henry who was following behind him.

Henry even wondered: had Lin Yuan been in this cave before? Otherwise, why was his movement so smooth, as if he was strolling in his own corridor?
After walking forward more than 200 meters, they came to a slightly wider area.

At this time, Lin Yuan and Henry switched positions, with Henry leading the way in front and Lin Yuan following closely behind.

The two men moved very quickly, and after about 30 minutes, they arrived in front of a huge cave.

The diameter of this cave was about 20 meters. Lin Yuan stood at the edge and looked down, but he could not see the bottom at all. There was only the purest endless darkness, as if it was ready to swallow the two of them.

"This place is called 'The Abyss'," said Henry.

(End of this chapter)