Chapter 35: World 2 [5] Part 2

Jing Ke seriously introduced her advantages and held basically nothing back from Shao Qing.

Shao Qing had to admit, the suggestion of having a supercomputer was very tempting, and it was also exactly what she most needed right now.

“Let me confirm one more time. By signing a contract with you, I can take back the fortune that was stolen from me. And you will only take half of the extra fortune I gain?” Shao Qing was somewhat tempted.

Perhaps nighttime was a moment prone to making impulsive decisions. After hearing Jing Ke list her pile of strengths, a certain thought in Shao Qing’s mind grew increasingly distinct.

A transaction that was a guaranteed win with no loss, trying it out seemed okay too, right? To her, it sounded like she wouldn’t suffer any loss at all.

【Yes. This point will be written clearly in the contract. This contract is recognized by the World Consciousness and has a binding force on me.】

“May I see all the contents of the contract first?” Shao Qing’s reason told her that these words were very likely all lies Jing Ke spoke to trick her into signing.

But as a human, one can’t be absolutely rational and calm. After hearing so much sincere talk with such tempting conditions, Shao Qing couldn’t remain completely unmoved.

A voice inside her kept urging her to just try. What if everything Jing Ke said was true? What if she was someone actually favored by destiny?

【Of course you may. The contents of the contract are very simple.】 Such an entirely reasonable request, Jing Ke naturally wouldn’t refuse.

The contract both parties were to sign wasn’t long, about five hundred words in total, without any ambiguous language.

Shao Qing reviewed it three times over in her consciousness but couldn’t find a single flaw.

Life itself is a gamble. If you don’t dare to take even a little risk, success will only get farther and farther away from you.

Shao Qing silently recited this phrase in her heart. Following Jing Ke’s instructions, she imprinted her consciousness mark on the designated spot on the contract.

This consciousness mark was closely linked to Shao Qing’s life. As long as she lived, the mark would forever exist on the contract.

“Is it done, like this?” Shao Qing asked.

【Yes. We are now partners.】 Jing Ke said. After thinking for a moment, she added, 【We have a relationship of equality and mutual assistance. There is no hierarchy between us.】

“Is that so? May I ask you to do something then?” Shao Qing was noncommittal about that point.

【Please, go ahead.】

“When the tide comes, wake me up promptly.” Shao Qing said, “If any other incidents happen near the camp, also wake me from my sleep.”

【Alright, I will wake you up on time.】

“Don’t you need to rest at night?” Shao Qing closed her eyes and began to clear her thoughts.

【A state like this, for me, is no different from resting.】

Shao Qing was quiet for a moment. “Since you’re a supercomputer, can you play some relaxing music to help me sleep? I’m having a bit of trouble falling asleep.”

【Will a slow-tempo piano piece do? Or do you need some white noise like the sound of rain?】

“The sound of rain works. I like rainy days quite a bit.” Not long after Shao Qing spoke, she heard the pattering sound of water.

Immersed in it, Shao Qing’s thoughts slowly drifted back to her childhood.

When she was little, she liked rainy days just as much. If she was at school, during breaks, she would lean on the window or railing, watching raindrops fall from the sky one by one, then smash onto the ground, splashing up tiny water blossoms.

If it rained during holiday at home, it was even better. She could hold a beautiful umbrella and walk back and forth on the paths with few pedestrians, feeling the sound of raindrops hitting the umbrella’s surface from a closer distance.

Shao Qing’s body gradually relaxed, her breathing and heartbeat steadily calming down.

【Shao Qing, Shao Qing, wake up. The tide has already started to rise. It won’t be long before it reaches the other camp.】 Jing Ke began to wake Shao Qing as requested.

The voice in her mind caused Shao Qing to groggily open her eyes. Accompanied by the soporific sound of rain, she had rarely enjoyed a good sleep. Seeing the tent ceiling faintly glowing a deep blue, Shao Qing’s thoughts were pulled from the childhood rainy walk back to reality.

“What time is it now?” Awake, Shao Qing sat up from her sleeping bag and rubbed her face.

【2:05 AM. The cameramen and staff are all resting. Only some fixed-camera setups for distant shots are on.】

Shao Qing responded with a vague grunt. She quickly shed her pajamas and changed into the clothes her assistant had prepared in advance, then took out a small flashlight for illumination, planning to pretend to get up to use the restroom in the night.

Yes, the production team strived for authenticity, but they weren’t foolish enough to make the six guests truly live like wild people.

While providing some basic equipment, the production team also left the guests one hour each day to hand off with their accompanying assistants and pick up some daily necessities.

Of course, things like face masks or skincare products—the production team wouldn’t stop the guests from using them, but the corresponding footage definitely wouldn’t appear in the live broadcast or the final edited show.

The island at 2 AM was not quiet. After emerging from the tent, the sounds of insects mixed with the noise of waves crashing against the rocks drilled into Shao Qing’s ears.

Shao Qing turned on her small flashlight, confirmed she had her walkie-talkie for communication, and relying on her daytime memory, walked towards the shoreline.

“With such loud wave sounds, haven’t Liu Chang and the others heard it?” Shao Qing didn’t walk far out, merely strolling to the edge of the gentle slope as if taking a nighttime walk.

The small flashlight’s illumination range was very limited, but the moonlight on the fifteenth night looked exceptionally bright, enough for Shao Qing to see the waves surging endlessly in the distance.

【No. Probably due to the significant physical exertion during the day, Liu Chang is sleeping very soundly.】

【Xu Yin and Zheng Xingxing both seem to have put in earplugs before sleeping. They likely can’t hear anything either.】

“What about the staff? Is no one awake?” Shao Qing frowned slightly.

Wearing earplugs while sleeping in the wild? Were Xu Yin and Zheng Xingxing simply too ignorant, or were they placing too much trust in Liu Chang and the production team? They didn’t take her words to heart at all.

Shao Qing was baffled by their behavior, but seeing the waves approaching wave after wave, she still took out her walkie-talkie and tried to contact the production team.

The production team’s safety awareness was actually up to standard, but the staff member on night duty had accidentally dozed off.

Hearing a guest’s voice coming through the walkie-talkie, the night shift staff member instantly jolted awake and immediately gripped the device tightly.

“Hello, hello, is this Teacher Shao? Has an unexpected situation occurred over there?” The staff member asked. He simultaneously pulled up the feeds from the distant-shot cameras, wanting to check conditions near Shao Qing’s tent.

“When I got up for a bathroom break, I noticed the tide was rising. What’s the situation over at Teacher Liu’s side? The tents haven’t been hit by the waves, right?” Shao Qing said.

Hearing about the tide rising at night, the staff member jolted again and rapidly switched camera views.

“Holy crap, how did the tide come up so high?” Seeing it was one thing, but being shocked was another. The staff member had no time to explain to Shao Qing. Seeing the seawater about to surge towards the tents, he immediately grabbed his phone and called the director.

Hearing the piercing ringtone, the director in his sleep frowned and opened his eyes, answering the phone with irritation.

“Calling me at this hour—this better be truly important and not some guest complaining about the environment.” The director’s tone wasn’t pleasant.

“Director, trouble! The tide is rising! The biggest waves are about to hit the guests’ tents!” The night shift staffer couldn’t help but let out a shrill screech.

“What? What did you say?!” Realizing the severity of the situation, the director instantly came wide awake. He didn’t even bother putting on shoes before running out of the temporary camp to look at the rising tide situation on the sea.

The saying ‘the waves are merciless’ wasn’t just empty words. Seeing the sea level rising with his own eyes, the director also let out a sharp screech and directly activated the emergency contingency plan, waking up all staff members and leading people to rush to the guests’ camp first thing.

There were also staff members keeping watch near the gentle slope. When the piercing alarm sounded, one leaped up from his sleeping bag like a carp flipping over, frantically starting to receive information.

The production team, having produced several seasons of content by now, had reasonably well-developed emergency measures.

Coupled with the sufficiently timely warning from Shao Qing, they managed to wake the three people sleeping inside the tents before the waves reached them. They got the important equipment and personnel moved to relatively higher ground in time.

But the tents firmly fixed to the ground were certainly too late to pack up. Xu Yin and the other two, having hurriedly dressed, just watched as the waves surged towards their tents.

“What’s going on? The tide rose?” Zheng Xingxing, still not quite recovered, looked sleepy and disheveled. His neatly styled daytime hair was a complete mess due to his sleeping posture.

“The tide’s coming in.” Liu Chang frowned, watching his tent being mercilessly battered by the waves, and couldn’t help but think of what Shao Qing had said during the day, a faint regret in his heart.

Had he known the tide would come so irregularly, he should have chosen to listen to Shao Qing’s suggestion back then, instead of stubbornly insisting on setting up camp here for the sake of his persona.

Xu Yin’s expression was no better than Liu Chang’s. The words he had spoken during the day, belittling Shao Qing to elevate Liu Chang, had now turned into slaps across his own face.

Xu Yin knew very well that the production team wouldn’t miss such prime material. This accident would certainly be edited into the final broadcast version.

If it weren’t for the inappropriate timing right now, the director would probably even start an impromptu live stream, pushing a topic related to the show straight to the #1 trending spot.

This was an extremely bad omen. If Shao Qing regained the audience’s favor, that fortune which didn’t belong to him would also return to her.