The next morning, the production crew woke the eight participants from their slumber.
They were instructed to change into specially designed infrared-sensitive combat uniforms and helmets.
Although the combat uniforms weren’t as refined as the guests’ personal attire, celebrities were still celebrities—even dressed like this, their charm was hard to conceal.
In addition to the infrared combat uniforms, the instructor also issued each person a large military-grade hiking backpack.
Of course, the backpacks of Lu Heng and his three teammates were filled with ample supplies, enough to sustain them for a day even if they failed to find scattered provisions on the island.
Jiang Qiyu and her group, however, had lost the game and were not granted this privilege.
Their backpacks contained only basic hiking and emergency tools, nothing more.
Once everyone was geared up, the instructor began explaining the rules and precautions for the desert island survival game.
As Jiang Qiyu had predicted, the eight participants would be divided into two groups based on yesterday’s game results and transported to the island on two speedboats from the north and south respectively.
This mission was a true individual battle. Besides facing occasional ambushes from the twenty instructors hidden on the island, the guests also had to be wary of their companions.
The intensity was dialed up to the max.
Due to the unique environment, the production crew would employ multiple angles for the live broadcast, including cameras attached to the guests and drone aerial shots.
With all preparations complete, the eight participants split into two groups and boarded the speedboats heading to the uninhabited desert island.
“Teacher Changmao!”
Facing the rising sun on the eastern horizon, Fang Xubai wore a camouflage combat uniform, with two camouflage-colored streaks painted on his left cheek, adding a touch of youthful vigor to his already boyish face.
He shielded his eyes with his hand, gazing toward the distant desert island, and tugged at Jiang Qiyu’s sleeve, unable to contain his excitement:
“Teacher Changmao, is that our battlefield over there?”
“…”
Still groggy from waking up too early, Jiang Qiyu lazily glanced in the direction he pointed and replied listlessly:
“Your battlefield, my mass grave.”
Unfazed by her attitude, Fang Xubai remained enthusiastic and exclaimed:
“I’m so excited! Once we land, do we start looking for weapons to fight the NPCs?”
“Heh…”
As soon as he finished speaking, a snort came from the instructor at the bow of the boat.
The instructor, with his dark, rugged complexion, raised an eyebrow and looked over the delicate celebrities before grinning:
“No offense, but if you can manage to survive three days on the island without getting eliminated by those guys, you should count yourselves lucky.”
Those twenty instructors were all top-notch experts from the agency. Trying to gain an advantage over them?
Difficult.
Fang Xubai wasn’t one to argue. The instructor’s words immediately doused his excitement like a bucket of cold water, washing away all his enthusiasm.
He shrank back, cautiously moving closer to Jiang Qiyu’s side and naturally wrapping his arm around hers:
“Sister Qiyu, don’t forget what you promised me yesterday.”
“Don’t worry…”
His antics actually snapped Jiang Qiyu out of her daze. She subtly withdrew her arm and patted his shoulder with a tone of earnest advice:
“Don’t be afraid. As the saying goes, ‘Newborn calves are not afraid of tigers.’ If we advance and retreat together, we’re sure to take them down!”
These words were like a shot of adrenaline. Upon hearing them, Fang Xubai immediately perked up, brimming with confidence as he clenched his fist.
“Sister Qiyu, hearing you say that puts my mind at ease. Today, we two little calves are sure to win!”
“Two?” Jiang Qiyu shook her head, pointing a finger at herself. “I’m the calf.”
“Huh?”
“What about me?”
Facing his clear yet foolish gaze, Jiang Qiyu curled her lips into a smile.
“You…”
Just as she was about to speak, a low, teasing voice suddenly came from behind.
“You’re the newborn.”
“……”
The conversation among the three of them was broadcast word-for-word to the live stream through the microphones they each wore.
[Hahahahaha… help! Long-ear CP, can you two act like humans for once?!]
[Are these two here for a dating show or a crosstalk performance? How do they keep playing off each other like this?]
[Hahahaha, only Bai Bai is hurt in this world.]
[White Spear Girls, assemble! Protect the world’s best Newborn Calf CP!]
[I love the dynamic between these three. Double the joy for fans!]
As the three of them bantered (scratched out) and laughed on the boat, Jiang Mian, sitting at the back, inevitably felt left out.
But she couldn’t find a way to join their conversation, so she could only sit to the side and chuckle softly a couple of times.
Her gaze, however, remained fixed on Jiang Qiyu, whom she hadn’t seen since leaving the Jiang family over a month ago.
She… seemed different from before.
The speedboat was fast, and as they talked, they soon arrived at the northern shore of the deserted island.
The instructor dropped them off and told them that if they were “shot” within three days, they should come here on their own, where someone would pick them up.
This also meant they had failed the mission.
After saying this, he briefly reminded them of a few precautions before turning the speedboat around without hesitation and speeding away.
The four of them stood empty-handed, each carrying their lightly packed hiking bags, exchanging glances.
“Brother Yu…”
Jiang Mian looked at Qi Yu with hopeful eyes, speaking softly.
She certainly didn’t want to be left behind from the start, but the message she had mustered the courage to send Qi Yu last night had gone unanswered, making her worry about her current situation.
Upon receiving her pleading gaze, Qi Yu merely shifted his eyes imperceptibly toward Jiang Qiyu, raising his eyelids subtly.
Jiang Qiyu, however, didn’t overthink it. She turned to Fang Xubai beside her and said:
“AKA, we kill but don’t bury. Our slogan is!”
Fang Xubai caught on immediately, stepping forward and striking a fairly standard military stance as he shouted:
“Any time!”
Jiang Mian understood as well and quickly followed up: “Any place.”
Jiang Qiyu straightened her back and lifted her head. “Super criminals!”
After saying this, she turned to look at the man whose face clearly read, “Stop acting crazy,” her eyes sparkling.
“……”
But to her surprise, Qi Yu just gave her a cool glance before striding away with his long legs, heading straight for the shadowy thicket without looking back.
“……”
The three left behind froze for a second before scrambling to catch up.
“Hey!”
Qi Yu was tall and long-legged, his strides wide. Jiang Qiyu struggled to keep up with his pace, finally catching up and grabbing the strap of his backpack.
He was the one who said yesterday that whatever she said went, so why was he backing out today?
Walking so fast—was this guy planning to ditch her?
In her panic, she blurted out without thinking, “Break your word, and tomorrow you’ll be a turtle!”
“…”
Qi Yu, who had been focused solely on escaping the brain-dead meeting scene from earlier, paused his steps and looked down at the pale hand tightly gripping his backpack strap.
He raised an eyebrow slightly and spoke casually, “Let go.”
His tone made Jiang Qiyu even more anxious. She instinctively tightened her grip and looked up at him with a pleading smile. “CEO Qi, we’re a team. You have to say the slogan for me to trust you, otherwise I don’t feel safe—”
Before she could finish, a large, well-defined hand covered hers.
The man’s fingers were long and slender, his fingertips bearing the faint calluses of years of fitness training. With a gentle motion, he slowly pried open the slender fingers gripping his backpack strap, then pulled the strap free while she was still slightly stunned.
“…”
Whether it was her imagination or not, Jiang Qiyu felt the large hand enveloping hers tighten almost imperceptibly for a moment.
Then, just as swiftly, it released.
As their hands parted, she heard the man’s slightly resigned voice, mingling with the faint scent of earth on the deserted island:
“Pushing your luck.”