Chapter 33: World Two [3]

As the team’s professional, Liu Chang indeed had some real skill. The spot he picked had flat terrain and seemed a good distance from the beach.

If it weren’t for the special timing of the next couple of days, it would have been a very suitable place to camp.

Just as Liu Chang was contentedly dropping his backpack on the ground, ready to open it and set up his tent, Shao Qing raised her hand to signal, then posed a question much like a student asking a teacher.

“Teacher Liu, this ground is so flat, and it’s not very far from sea level. If the tide comes in, won’t it flood us?” Shao Qing spoke, a corresponding look of doubt on her face.

Liu Chang laughed upon hearing this, taking a few steps forward. “Teacher Shao, to know if the tide will flood flat ground, we just need to observe carefully. Teacher Shao, do you see that pile of debris up ahead? That was all washed up by the waves.”

“The distance from us to that debris is visually estimated to be over twenty meters. That indicates that recently, the high tide has been a full twenty meters from this flat area. Such a distance is sufficient to ensure we won’t be flooded by the tide.” Liu Chang’s tone was extremely confident.

Shao Qing nodded and continued, “I understand what Teacher Liu means, but I’ve read sources saying the tide doesn’t always follow the pattern. The distance to the debris is indeed twenty meters, but in terms of elevation difference, it seems less than a meter.”

Shao Qing paused, giving the other guests and the viewing audience time to digest the information.

“Such a small elevation difference makes me feel too unsafe. I’d still rather camp on higher ground. After all, if the tide rises just one more meter, our tents might get soaked by the splashing waves. And if the tide rises more than a meter…”

Shao Qing didn’t spell out the rest, but most people understood how dangerous ocean waves were, with countless people losing their lives to them every year.

Once swept away by the waves, the chances of survival were extremely slim. Humans are not invincible before nature.

“Why don’t we just find a clearing on higher ground?” Yu Hongjun, as the most senior veteran, spoke up first, siding with Shao Qing. “Isn’t it the rainy season recently? If it rains, it might also make the waves fiercer than usual.”

“I’m fine with any option. Settling on slightly higher ground is good, you can see more scenery,” Li Liming, who also had safety awareness, chimed in.

With two people in quick succession expressing their wish to change locations, Liu Chang, who wanted to show off his expertise, was less pleased. His original smile became a bit strained.

“I understand the thoughts of the several teachers. Teacher Shao’s concerns are somewhat reasonable. But it’s already past three. If we move to a higher location, we’ll likely spend at least another hour on the road. That won’t leave us much time to set up camp.”

As Liu Chang spoke, he continued his actions, starting to pull the tent fabric outwards, showing no intention of changing locations.

“Setting up tents in poor visibility at night doesn’t sound like a wise move. How about we just camp here tonight, and pick a higher spot tomorrow?” Zheng Xingxing said, choosing to support Liu Chang.

Zheng Xingxing debuted first in a survival show, touted as excelling in both song and dance. But Zheng Xingxing himself knew clearly, as the internally guaranteed first-place finisher, how much water was in his so-called first-place ranking.

In reality, only Zheng Xingxing’s face and voice were somewhat presentable. Not only were his singing and dancing poor, but his physical stamina was also mediocre. If he had to carry a pack weighing over ten pounds for another half hour, he wouldn’t be able to boast about his stamina in front of others anymore.

Xu Yin subtly assessed the expressions on everyone’s faces and quickly made a decision in his mind.

“Teacher Liu is more professional than us. I only crammed a bit of knowledge before coming; I wouldn’t dare to show off in front of Teacher Liu. I’ll also camp here with Teacher Liu.”

Xu Yin added, “Teachers Yu, Li, Shao, if you’re worried about safety, why not set up your camp behind ours? That way, even if the tide really rises, it’ll be our camp that gets flooded first.”

“If we notice something wrong then, and immediately notify you, you should still have time to pack up your things,” Xu Yin said.

With those words, he decisively threw his backpack onto the ground and, like Liu Chang, began setting up camp.

【Those words from Xu Yin were aimed at you. A portion of the viewers in the live stream room were misled by his words and now think you’re using hastily crammed knowledge to question Liu Chang’s expertise.】

【I checked the relevant data earlier. There is a high tide period expected in the early morning. Due to the moon’s gravitational pull, the tide could be one to two meters higher than usual. Camping here is highly unsafe.】

Shao Qing frowned slightly upon hearing this. Her earlier words had been as tactful as possible. She hadn’t directly pointed out Liu Chang’s oversight and had even given him a way out.

Anyone who wasn’t overly arrogant, or who was a bit more open-minded, would likely have followed her lead. They would have shown some chivalry, and out of consideration for the flight guests, agreed to change the campsite.

That way, regardless of whether the tide flooded the original spot, Liu Chang could benefit.

If the tide didn’t flood this area, Liu Chang’s image would appear even more professional in the viewers’ eyes, and the blame for wasting everyone’s time would simply be pinned on her.

If the tide truly flooded this area, Liu Chang merely needed to frankly admit his oversight and praise her a few more times, still gaining considerable public appeal while avoiding a major mistake.

She had proactively offered such a good opportunity; why did Liu Chang have to choose the option most disadvantageous to himself?

As for Xu Yin, the entertainment circle was a place where people fawned over the powerful and trampled the weak. Shao Qing didn’t particularly mind him using her to elevate himself.

【Judging by the existing terrain, just five more minutes forward will reveal a relatively gentle small hill with a clearing suitable for camping.】

【Although staying here won’t necessarily mean being submerged, you certainly won’t get a good night’s sleep.】 Jing Ke proactively provided information and advice.

“Teacher Xu, I appreciate your self-sacrificing kindness, but I’m still a bit scared. I’m a very timid person,” Shao Qing said, the smile on her face fading slightly.

“Then please suit yourself, Teacher Shao. But it’s best not to stray too far from us. That way, if an accident happens, we can still come over to lend a hand,” Liu Chang said, his tone noticeably more distant.

It wasn’t that Liu Chang looked down on Shao Qing, but rather this was how he maintained his established persona. As a professional, his stance had to be firm; he absolutely couldn’t casually retract his words.

Since he had already said this was a good place to camp, he was determined to spend the night here tonight.

Shao Qing nodded in agreement and turned to Yu Hongjun and Li Liming. “Teacher Yu, Teacher Li, I plan to walk a bit further and look for a campsite with a relatively higher elevation. Would you both like to come with me, or rest here for a while and wait for me to return from scouting?”

“Daylight hours are relatively ample now; setting up a tent takes only half an hour. I’ll keep walking forward with you,” Yu Hongjun agreed with a smile. Nearing fifty, she looked no different than someone in their early thirties.

Standing next to the thirty-five-year-old Li Liming, the older Yu Hongjun actually looked younger.

“Then I’ll come along with Teacher Shao too. Let’s just consider it exercise,” Li Liming was a rather laissez-faire guest, not overly concerned about screen time. Over many seasons, he mostly just tagged along behind Yu Hongjun.

The production team naturally welcomed the six guests splitting into two groups.

Conflict brings heat; sure enough, as soon as the disagreement emerged, the viewership and barrage volume in the live stream room increased significantly.

Jing Ke’s directions were extremely detailed, almost like a navigation app, providing Shao Qing with real-time updates on the distance to the destination every minute.

Up until now, Shao Qing hadn’t fully trusted Jing Ke. She acknowledged that there was an element of gambling involved—gambling that Jing Ke, before a contract was signed and her goal achieved, wouldn’t deliberately harm her.

After all, when scammers try to cheat money, they often invest a small amount upfront to make the victim trust them completely.

By that logic, setting other things aside, within these first three hours, Jing Ke, whether person or ghost, would surely do her utmost to help her, to make her deeply trustful and ultimately sign the contract willingly.

With the weight of the packs, five minutes of walking only covered a few hundred meters. But due to the island’s terrain, a few hundred meters was enough for their figures to disappear from the sight of the other three.

【We’ve reached the gentle slope. The suitable campsite is on top of it.】

【The live stream room is switching shots frequently. Currently, your follow-camera shot is live; your side profile is on screen. Fans are praising how good you look even sweating. Paid trolls are accusing you of being unreasonable, artificially creating division in a perfectly good team, and saying you’ll make Yu Hongjun and Li Liming exert themselves for nothing.】

Hearing Jing Ke’s words, Shao Qing slowed her pace, turning her head to discuss with Yu Hongjun and Li Liming.

Shao Qing said, “Teachers, why don’t we climb up this gentle slope and take a look? It seems to be seven or eight meters high. If there’s a suitable flat area on top, we could set up camp right there.”

Yu Hongjun and Li Liming had no objections. Having trusted Shao Qing’s judgment the first time, they naturally would trust her choice a second time.

After walking upwards for seven or eight minutes, a clearing of about one hundred square meters appeared in the trio’s sight.

A clearing of this size, if used for six tents, would leave them quite close together, making it very inconvenient for the photographers to set up their equipment.

But with only three people and three accompanying photographers, this clearing became a perfectly suitable spot.

“I’ll set up camp here,” Li Liming consciously chose a spot near the woods, leaving the safer location for the two female guests.

“Teacher Yu, do you prefer the left side or the right?” Shao Qing also politely let the senior choose first.

“I’ll just stay right here. My sleep quality is pretty good; it won’t bother me even if your tent is close by,” Yu Hongjun said with a smile, her attitude towards Shao Qing quite nice.

“Alright, then I’ll be right next to Teacher Yu,” Shao Qing said with a beaming smile. Compared to the polite, fake smile she had when facing Xu Yin, the smile on her face now was more genuine and pronounced.

It was so striking that even Yu Hongjun, an old veteran who had seen countless beauties in the industry, involuntarily paused for a moment, stunned.

“Little Shao, after seeing you, I finally understand why some emperors would forsake their kingdoms for a beauty,” Yu Hongjun couldn’t help but sigh.

“Teacher Yu flatters me. Although I debuted later than you, I’ve heard that back when you held your concert, there were over a hundred thousand people outside the venue, watching through binoculars.”

“If there truly is a beauty capable of toppling a city, Teacher Yu, you’d definitely be number one,” Shao Qing said, her smiling eyes exceptionally sincere. “My childhood idol was Teacher Yu. I dreamed of meeting you.”

Shao Qing wasn’t lying. During the years when Yu Hongjun exploded in popularity and dominated every TV channel, she had followed her dramas every single night without missing an episode.

Only after happily watching two episodes would she go wash up and sleep with her mother.

“So, by that account, you’re still a little fan of mine?” Yu Hongjun laughed, not taking Shao Qing’s words too seriously.

There was no helping it; she was tired of hearing similar words. Anyone younger than her generally claimed to be her fan.

“Yes, I started liking you when you acted in ‘The World’s Number One Sword’. Weren’t you playing a heroine who used a left-handed sword? For a while back then, I even specifically practiced writing with my left hand.”

Shao Qing’s ink-black pupils reflected specks of light under the sun’s rays. Combined with her heartfelt smile, her words sounded exceptionally sincere.

Upon hearing this, Yu Hongjun couldn’t help but feel a little moved, as if Shao Qing’s words had pulled her back twenty years, stirring many sighs and reminiscences in her heart.

“‘The World’s Number One Sword’… ah, to film that drama well, I also tried eating and writing with my left hand back then on set,” Yu Hongjun said with a smile, her tone carrying less polite formality than before. “Little fan, what other shows of mine have you watched?”

【Interjecting a note: Malicious trolls and paid trolls are all speculating that you’re deliberately clinging to Yu Hongjun’s coattails to ride her popularity and get more screen time. They insist you’ll slip up, claiming you can only name her two most famous dramas, over and over.】

“I’ve watched many of Teacher Yu’s movies and TV shows. There’s the Republic-era pieces ‘Surviving Against All Odds’ and ‘The Night Before Dawn’, the modern ones ‘Beijing Drifters’ and ‘The Girl Across the Way’, plus the grand historical drama ‘Kang Yong Qian’…”

Shao Qing rattled off a string of TV show and movie titles in one breath, also clearly identifying the character Yu Hongjun played in each and notable highlights from the productions.

Shao Qing had originally only intended to name two or three as examples, but upon hearing the trolls’ comments relayed by Jing Ke, she couldn’t help but spill out everything she remembered.

Yu Hongjun initially thought Shao Qing had just crammed relevant information about her and would be doing well to name two or three. She never expected Shao Qing to name almost every role she had ever played.

Some of the highlight scenes Shao Qing mentioned were ones even she, the actress who played them, had somewhat forgotten. She was surprised Shao Qing could describe them so accurately, which in turn rekindled her own memories.

“I’ve actually seen your movies too. Your performance in the award-winning film was excellent. Your acting wasn’t overshadowed by your outstanding looks. The final effect presented to the audience was very good; what they remembered wasn’t Shao Qing, but the character you played. That’s excellent.”

Realizing that Shao Qing genuinely liked her and had been a fan for many years, Yu Hongjun immediately developed a favorable filter for her. Certain thoughts she normally kept private were now openly displayed before the live stream camera.

Just like that, after chatting animatedly for less than twenty minutes, the relationship between Shao Qing and Yu Hongjun began to progress by leaps and bounds.

Yu Hongjun stopped letting Shao Qing call her ‘Teacher Yu’ and directly told her to call her “Sister Hong,” a form of address only used by close acquaintances.

Li Liming tactfully refrained from interrupting their conversation, obediently setting up his tent. Only after the two had chatted for quite a while did he approach and ask if they needed any help.

Yu Hongjun was a regular guest; naturally, setting up a tent was no problem for her.

Although it was Shao Qing’s first time setting up a tent alone, she had come fully prepared and clearly remembered every step.

Even if she occasionally overlooked or missed something, Jing Ke, lurking in her consciousness, would immediately prompt her, preventing any mistakes.

【The stake—drive it a little deeper. Just use the entrenching tool to hammer it.】

【You can pull it tighter. The quality of this tent is very good; don’t worry about tearing the fabric by pulling too hard.】

【Right, that’s the correct order. You didn’t make a mistake.】

By 4:20 PM, Shao Qing and the other two had all finished setting up their tents. Noticing that the sun showed no signs of setting yet, they set their sights on the coconut trees they had passed earlier, trying to get a few coconuts down.

The coconut trees grew very close to Liu Chang’s chosen campsite, so twenty minutes later, the six guests were once again in the same frame, under the coconut trees.

“So the three teachers found a suitable spot?” Liu Chang noticed the trio, who were carrying only some of their tools. The smile on his face was less sincere than before.

“Yes, we were lucky. Found a suitable place after looking for just over ten minutes,” Shao Qing replied politely.

Liu Chang nodded slowly. “Then do you need me to assess the safety of your campsite? Although there are no large predators on the island, there are plenty of insects and small animals.”

“If the camp is near an animal habitat, you might be disturbed while sleeping at night,” Liu Chang said, unwilling to miss any opportunity to show off his knowledge.

“We appreciate Teacher Liu’s good intentions, but our camp is over ten minutes’ walk from here. Going back and forth would be quite time-consuming,” Shao Qing maintained a smile that was impeccable from any angle.

Shao Qing added, “How about waiting until tomorrow when it’s light? Then Teacher Liu can come evaluate and inspect for us. That way we won’t cut into the little remaining daylight today.”

Having encountered a gentle but firm refusal, Liu Chang couldn’t help but rub his nose, tilting his head back to look at the coconut tree towering over ten meters high.

“Can the two of you lend me the rope from your supply packs?” After observing for over ten seconds, Liu Chang made a bold decision. He planned to use the rope to make a simple climbing device and climb up.

Xu Yin and Zheng Xingxing immediately offered the rope from their supply packs. Liu Chang twisted the three strands of rope into one, then looped it around himself and the tree trunk.

This type of tree-climbing device was simple, relying on the friction of the hemp rope as an upward aid. Such a technique frequently appeared in wilderness survival documentaries and some indigenous tribe documentaries.

But climbing over ten meters high was no joke. Without safety measures, if one fell from the very top, the result would truly be either death or severe injury.

Upon seeing Liu Chang make such a daring decision, the chief director felt somewhat uncertain whether to continue filming or stop him.

Seeing that the online viewer count in the live stream room was surging because of Liu Chang’s actions, the chief director chose to shoulder the risk and not call a halt. He only instructed the follow-camera photographer to inform Liu Chang of the risks of climbing the tree bare-handed on screen.

This was a variety show famous for its authenticity. Whether stopping the live stream or adding safety measures for Liu Chang, both would contradict the show’s original premise.

Moreover, when signing the contract, both flight guests and regular guests had signed an additional clause with the production team.

If a guest insisted on proceeding despite having been informed of the risks by the program team’s staff, all consequences were to be borne by the guest themselves.