Chapter 241 How to Record the Program

Before Peng Zhixing could answer, Song Linxin and Xiao Yun exclaimed in surprise again.

"ah--"

"No way? It can't be that weird, can it?"

"The little boy isn't a real boy, he's a dwarf?"

Lu Yanhe's answer shocked the entire audience.

Peng Zhixing nodded and said, "Yes."

Peng Zhixing's "yes" left everyone with a look of disbelief.

"Is that really true?" Lu Yanhe looked at Peng Zhixing in surprise.

Peng Zhixing nodded and said, "That's right."

“Okay.” Lu Yanhe gasped. “It really is a story that’s chilling when you think about it.”

"So this is how you make sea turtle soup."

Song Linxin: "This is terrifying."

“This one isn’t the kind that’s directly terrifying,” Peng Zhixing said. “Usually, turtle soup is about murder, or making people guess how someone died, and things like that.”

Song Linxin: "I'd rather play that kind of game, because it's exciting. Just thinking about those kinds of stories gives me the creeps, and I can't come back to my senses for a long time."

“This story is indeed a bit scary,” Peng Zhixing said.

Yan Liang asked, "Where did you find the titles for these turtle soup recipes?"

“Some people create their own questions, or you can search online; there are many,” Peng Zhixing said. “This question is relatively plausible, although it doesn’t stand up to close scrutiny, but at least it has a self-consistent logic. Many overseas returnee essays are poorly written and particularly far-fetched.”

Yan Liang said, "Let me give you a question, and we can all guess it together."

Mengli suddenly said, "I'll find the questions. I was too scared to say anything when I heard you guessing. The scariest thing about guessing questions is that you suddenly think of some frightening possibility and scare yourself. I'm not guessing anymore, you guys guess."

For those who enjoy playing Turtle Soup, guessing the questions is definitely more interesting than being the host.

Peng Zhixing couldn't figure out whether Meng Li genuinely didn't want to play the game or if she volunteered to be the host so that he could also guess the questions.

It shouldn't be the latter, right?

Peng Zhixing couldn't believe Meng Li was that kind of person.

If Mondelez could be this understanding, it wouldn't be Mondelez.

-

Celebrities have all sorts of purposes when they record a program.

For Li Zhibai, recording this program was purely for the sake of Lu Yanhe and Yan Liang.

For Lu Yanhe and Yan Liang, however, it was for exposure, to let more people know about them.

In reality, there are only a few purposes for taking a job.

For money, for fame, for some personal preference, or for favors.

Peng Zhixing came to record "The Days of Youth" out of a favor.

Although he has only been in the industry for a short time, he has no shortage of resources.

He is the most valued young host on Aurora Video, and various programs are vying for his attention, all in an effort to make him Aurora Video's own leading host.

"The Days of Youth" is not a program on Aurora Video; its online streaming platform is Icefield Video.

Logically speaking, he shouldn't even be appearing in programs that don't belong to Aurora Video.

The reason for this visit is that Li Zhenzhen and her agent are good friends.

Li Zhenzhen said to him and his agent: "This is my first time recording a show, and I really have no confidence. It's all young people doing a reality show, and I really don't want to make a show that's all scripted and formulaic. I want to make something real. So, I need someone who can drive the process as a regular guest, someone who can balance all the guests. After searching around, I found that Zhixing is the most suitable candidate. I really need Zhixing."

Li Zhenzhen and his agent have known each other for a long time and get along well, so it's hard for his agent to refuse when Li Zhenzhen asks for his help.

This is a world of business, but also a world of human relationships; it's a world of江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry).

Peng Zhixing arrived. He and his agent went to negotiate with the Northern Lights Video company and finally got their agreement.

Whether this show will become a hit is anyone's guess.

But his agent said, "Li Zhenzhen is a person who gets things done. She is talented and capable. As a first-time director, what she lacks is the trust of others. By going there, you will meet a program producer who will be outstanding for decades to come. As a host, you need to know such a person even more than actors and singers."

Peng Zhixing arrived, always remembering his role.

Even without reminders from the production team, they knew they had to do their best to push the show forward.

Only with something new can you achieve a fresh effect.

He is not officially the host of the show; the show does not have a host.

In reality, he still considered himself the host of the show.

As a host, you should try your best to put aside your emotions and attitudes.

You'll encounter all sorts of strange and wonderful guests.

His teacher said that when he was in school.

Peng Zhixing has always practiced this approach.

Encountering a guest like Meng Li today is a huge challenge for him. Regardless of whether she's genuinely crazy or not, her unconventional style and explosive temper make her the most terrifying guest for a host. She's like a bomb; you never know when she'll explode.

-

Mengli immediately found a turtle soup recipe online.

"Shall we begin?" she asked.

Peng Zhixing nodded and said with a smile, "Okay."

Lu Yanhe glanced at Li Zhibai.

Li Zhibai appeared calm and composed, as if he had completely forgotten about his conflict with Meng Li.

Meng Li said, "On a country road, five men were walking together. Suddenly it started to rain. Four of the five quickened their pace, but the fifth man was not in a hurry at all. In the end, all five arrived at their destination at the same time. The four who quickened their pace were soaked to the bone, while the fifth man was not wet at all. Why was that?"

Peng Zhixing: "Oh, this is classic, I know, I won't guess anymore."

It seems that Peng Zhixing used to play with sea turtle soup a lot.

But for Lu Yanhe and his group, these classic turtle soups were something they had never tried before, and were full of novelty.

Having already played it once, they immediately understood how to play the game.

Song Linxin was the first to ask, "Was it the fifth person who brought an umbrella?"

“No.” Meng Li shook her head.

Xiao Yun asked, "Was the fifth person shielded from the rain by the other four?"

“No.” Meng Li shook her head.

Song Linxin couldn't help but ask, "Is this scary?"

"Hmm, it's alright, not too scary," Meng Li said. "It's not the scary kind of question. If you study the question carefully, you'll find that the question itself already provides a lot of information."

"The four people quickened their pace, but the fifth person wasn't in a hurry at all, and in the end they all arrived at their destination together." Yan Liang immediately asked, "Did the fifth person not have feet?"

“It’s irrelevant to the topic,” Meng Li said.

"Unrelated to the question?" Qin Zhibai looked incredulous. "They were walking together on a country road, taking shelter from the rain together. Everyone else quickened their pace, but he didn't. How could it be unrelated to his feet?"

Lu Yanhe was taken aback, then thought back again and realized something was wrong.

Mengli said "walking together on a country road", not "walking".

Lu Yanhe immediately realized what was going on and asked, "Did the fifth person rely on those four people? He wasn't walking on his own."

Mengli nodded: "Yes."

“The fifth person sat in the sedan chair, and the other four were sedan chair bearers,” Li Zhibai said.

The others looked on with sudden realization.

Meng Li shook her head: "Although it fits the logic of the question, it is not the answer to this question."

"Huh?" Song Linxin was taken aback. "Then what else could it be?"

Meng Li: "It's very similar to the answer Li Zhibai just gave."

Lu Yanhe gasped, "Is the fifth person in the coffin? And the other four are the coffin bearers?"

Song Linxin's body hair stood on end instantly.

She looked at Mengli in disbelief.

Mengli nodded, "Yes."

"You still say it's not scary? It gives me goosebumps!" Song Linxin hugged Xiao Yun's arm tightly, pressing her whole body against it. "I'm too scared to sleep tonight."

Xiao Yun nodded, "Mom."

Meng Li calmly put down her phone, smiled, and said, "This one's alright, not as scary as the previous one."

“These aren’t scary at all,” Peng Zhixing said with a smile. “These aren’t horror books. The scariest ones are usually the ones that make you guess the murder method or the crime. Those are the really scary ones.”

"No, no, I can't play this." Song Linxin shook her head. "I absolutely can't play this kind of thing."

Lu Yanhe actually felt it was alright.

He thought the game was quite interesting.

Of course, the answers to these questions cannot be viewed with proper logic, but Lu Yanhe likes to keep asking questions to eliminate various possibilities and find the corresponding answers.

-

After playing a few rounds of Turtle Soup, the girls strongly requested to stop playing the game.

They found it too scary and it affected their sleep at night.

"You guys are so timid," Li Zhibai complained disdainfully.

"So what if we're timid?" Song Linxin snorted.

"So what do we do next?" Peng Zhixing asked. "Is there anything you'd like to do?"

Actually, after playing a couple of rounds of Turtle Soup, the atmosphere finally warmed up a bit. It wasn't until that evening that Peng Zhixing felt a normal atmosphere had finally returned. This is exactly the feeling that "The Days of Youth" should have.

"Let's play a different game. There are eight of us. Do you guys know how to play Werewolf?" Lu Yanhe asked.

Everyone else looked blank. "What is Werewolf?"

"Huh? You guys didn't know?"

The others shook their heads.

Even Li Zhibai and Yan Liang looked puzzled.

A question arose in Lu Yanhe's mind: Could it be that the game Werewolf doesn't exist in this world?

Having been in this world for a year, Lu Yanhe has gradually become familiar with it.

The more familiar he became with this world, the more he realized that it wasn't much different from the world he had been in before.

Social media, electronic payments, the college entrance examination, the entertainment industry, etc., are all similar.

Social development follows established laws and paths; what appears in one world will also appear in this world.

The real difference lies in content creation and products.

Strictly speaking, the game Werewolf is also one of them.

But even turtle soup exists, yet the game of Werewolf has never appeared in this world?

Lu Yanhe found it somewhat unbelievable.

He once read an article that said the game Werewolf was originally invented by a Soviet psychology professor.

Could it be that this game wasn't invented in this timeline?

Lu Yanhe took out his phone and searched online, only to find that the game didn't actually exist.

But Lu Yanhe was still unsure whether the game really didn't exist; it might exist, just under a different name.

Lu Yanhe made a mental note of this and planned to study it carefully when he got back.

Li Zhibai suddenly nudged him and asked, "How do you play that Werewolf game you mentioned?"

"I don't remember the specific rules very well, but there are several roles, mainly divided into the good guys and the werewolves. The werewolves can kill one person every night, and during the day everyone has to find the werewolves and vote to remove one person," Lu Yanhe said.

"That sounds pretty interesting," Li Zhibai said. "Why don't you explain the rules to us, and we can try it out?"

Lu Yanhe said, "There are only eight of us, which isn't enough. Let me think about it and I'll get you guys to join us later."

"Alright."

Song Linxin asked, "Do you and your classmates often play this kind of game?"

Lu Yanhe shook his head: "I've never played it. Before I was in my senior year of high school, I wasn't at school often. After I started my senior year, I was studying almost every day, so I didn't have time to play these things at all."

"You're both amazing. One of you got into Zhenhua University, and the other got into Beijing Arts University," Song Linxin said to Lu Yanhe and Yan Liang.

Yan Liang quickly shook his head and said, "No."

Then everyone started talking about their schools.

It was only after asking that I learned that Xiao Yun was also a student at Beijing Arts University.

"I'll be a senior next semester, and I'll graduate in a year," Xiao Yun said to Yan Liang with a grin. "From now on, you'll have to call me senior."

Peng Zhixing looked around and said, "Among us, the youngest should be Lu Yanhe and Yan Liang. Which of you two is younger?"

“Yan He,” Yan Liang said, “he’s only nineteen next month.”

"Only nineteen? That's too young," Xiao Yun said.

The oldest among them is Peng Zhixing, who is twenty-five years old.

Secondly, there's the sizing effect.

However, Mengli did not participate in this topic.

She didn't want others to think she was old in front of the camera.

Actually, it wasn't that big to begin with.

Compared to nineteen-year-olds like Lu Yanhe and Yan Liang, she was still a few years older, which made her somewhat unhappy.

Mengli's behavior at night was completely different from that during the day, which surprised and puzzled everyone.

The change was so sudden, no one understood why.

At 9:30 p.m., everyone prepared to go back to their rooms to rest.

There is also recording and preparation.

Lu Yanhe returned to his room, and before he could even sit down, he went out to find Li Zhibai and Yan Liang, asking, "Want to go for a walk together?"

"It's so late at night, there are so many mosquitoes, why bother going around?" Li Zhibai didn't want to go.

Lu Yanhe said, "Don't you have anything you want to say to us?"

"There's nothing to say." Li Zhibai waved his hand. "You can go on your own if you want. I'm going to sleep. I'm exhausted today."

Lu Yanhe felt that Li Zhibai was avoiding something.

He frowned slightly, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Alright, then you can go to sleep."

He turned and went to find Yan Liang.

Sure enough, Yan Liang also had something to say to him.

"Let's go for a walk together."

-

In the production crew's workroom, Chen Mo immediately went to report to Li Zhenzhen, saying, "Director, Lu Yanhe and Yan Liang are going out for a walk. Should we follow them and film them?"

Li Zhenzhen said, "Of course."

Chen Mo and his team immediately made preparations.

But Lu Yanhe and Yan Liang wanted to remove the wheat.

They didn't want this part to be recorded on the show.

Li Zhenzhen roughly guessed what they wanted to talk about, probably about Li Zhibai and Meng Li.

The two of them must be wondering why their situation changed so drastically.

Li Zhenzhen personally spoke to Lu Yanhe and Yan Liang, saying, "This is a reality show. Everything that happens will be recorded. Whatever you want to talk about, whatever you want to say, will also be recorded. Only authenticity can move the audience."

Lu Yanhe said, "Can't we even talk about something personal?"

Li Zhenzhen said, "Why can't we talk about private things after our first recording? If it's really not appropriate to talk about it on the show, then we won't. But if you want to go out for a stroll, we absolutely can't not go along from the production team's perspective. Actually, Yan He, Yan Liang, I guess you want to talk about what happened during the day, right?"

Neither Lu Yanhe nor Yan Liang denied it.

"I also really hope to hear your true attitude, and I believe the audience feels the same way. The argument between Li Zhibai and Meng Li was so unclear, and I haven't decided yet whether to include those clips in the show. But one thing I can tell you is that I've already spoken with both of their teams, and at least regarding the fact that Li Zhibai once wrote a love letter to Meng Li, we will not broadcast it on the show."

Lu Yanhe and Yan Liang were taken aback upon hearing this.

"What I want to say is that I am the director of this show. You can trust me a little bit more, not much, just a little bit. I am absolutely making this show from the perspective of protecting you. If any content appears that would harm you, I will not release it to ensure the show can continue," Li Zhenzhen said. "I am not making a documentary, I am making a reality show. If someone is not suitable, I will only consider removing them from the show, but I will not think about ruining them. I am even more so with you. I understand that you were worried and wary on the first day of filming. Let's continue to work together and get along. Please trust me a little more, okay?"

After Li Zhenzhen said all this, what could Lu Yanhe and Yan Liang say? They could only accept the fact that they were being followed and filmed.

But with a camera rolling, you can't really speak freely.

There will be concerns.

Li Zhenzhen's words also made Lu Yanhe think: would his hesitant and indecisive behavior be a good performance in a reality show?

At this moment, Lu Yanhe thought of Li Zhibai.

He suddenly smiled and said, "I think the two of us are far inferior to Li Zhibai."

"Huh?" Yan Liang was taken aback, not understanding why Lu Yanhe would say such a thing.

Lu Yanhe said, "It's obvious that it's our first time recording a show. We didn't dare to speak or do anything, afraid that we would do something wrong and make people dislike us. But look at Li Zhibai, he's the same as usual, without any change. No wonder everyone likes him."

“That’s exactly how he is; we really should learn from him,” Yan Liang remarked. “We two are so reserved.”

"Yes, that's right."

The photographer looked completely bewildered.

(End of this chapter)