"What should I do?" Fu Bo had no idea.

Jiang Ran looked at him inquiringly: "Do you really still want to continue participating in the competition? In fact, considering your status..."

"Of course I do!" Fu Bo interrupted her firmly. "Even though it was my brother at first...but now I really want to continue participating!"

"I love Earth and its pristine natural scenery. Although that forest snake was terrifying and nearly strangled me, it was the first time in my life I'd ever seen such a large snake. It was truly astonishing."

"Also... I've never told you that I actually got up in the middle of the night to look at the photos in your camera ball..."

Fu Bo was afraid Jiang Ran wouldn't believe him, so he blurted out his true feelings. "Although I've never admitted it to your face, those photos are truly beautiful. Whether it's the red-fronted parrot perched on the branches or Teacher Bai quietly kissing the little orchid, they all truly moved me. I don't want to see those touching scenes only in photos in the future..."

From the very beginning, he was unwavering in his determination, but the more he spoke, the more disappointed he became. Fu Bo's head drooped lower and lower, and he looked completely dejected.

Jiang Ran never imagined that in the end, the person with the purest mentality was the one who didn't want to participate in the competition at all.

It's just fate.

"It's not completely impossible." Jiang Ran said.

"Really?" Fu Bo suddenly raised his head, "But the production team is gone..."

"If it's gone, just rebuild it." Jiang Ran said, "It's just starting from scratch. Are you afraid?"

"Hey! You've asked the right person!" Fu Bo seemed to come back to life. "I've never been afraid of anything in my entire life!"

"Don't rush to agree. Rebuilding the program team is not that easy."

"If you need anything, just tell me and I'll do my best to get it!"

"Okay, I'm glad you're determined."

Fu Bo's eyes sparkled as he looked at Jiang Ran expectantly, waiting for her to assign him a task.

Jiang Ran paused and said, "But before that, I have one more thing to ask you."

"What is it?"

"You just said that you peeked at my tracking ball in the middle of the night?"

"Yes," Fu Bo asked, "What's wrong?"

Jiang Ran: "Since you've seen my photo album, you should know that there are two photos of you and Ji Fang sleeping in it? Later, Ji Fang's photo was still there, but yours suddenly disappeared... Shouldn't you explain this to me?"

Fu Bo: “…”

Fu Bo was completely dumbfounded.

Help! How stupid must he be to reveal what he did?

Such an ancient thing was actually used to whip the corpse!

Seeing that he was completely frozen, Jiang Ran smiled and said, "Okay, I won't embarrass you anymore."

Fu Bo secretly looked at her for a long time, and when he saw that she really didn't seem to care, he quietly admitted his mistake: "I deleted it. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Jiang Ran smiled and waved his hand, "If we need to rebuild the program team together and compete together in the future... I'll have plenty of opportunities to reshoot."

Fu Bo: “…”

Sure enough, Jiang Ran can't be that easy to talk to :)

The room was quiet for a moment, and the light coming in from the screen window gradually began to slant.

The stuffy midday air was completely eliminated by the cooling equipment in the house, and people even felt a slight coolness.

"Okay, let's discuss what to do next." Jiang Ran changed the subject.

"Yeah!" Fu Bo nodded vigorously, then said thoughtfully, "Now that all the other contestants have left, we need to quickly recruit others to participate."

"There's no rush for that." Jiang Ran waved his hand. "Rebuilding the program team first requires funding, then a production team, and platforms and channels for publicity and broadcasting. Finally, we need to consider the contestants."

"These are easy to say, not difficult!"

Fu Bo is full of enthusiasm: "We don't have to worry about money and platforms. My brother has everything, as well as a professional production team. I just need to say hello to him when the time comes. So there's no need to rush these. We just need to recruit suitable contestants again."

Jiang Ran looked at his excited expression and felt embarrassed to criticize him directly. He paused before saying cryptically, "You'd better call your brother to confirm."

Fu Bo laughed loudly: "No need, no need!"

Jiang Ran was very persistent: "If you want to do your job well, you must first sharpen your tools. If you can't be sure of these things, you must not do the subsequent work."

"Okay, okay, okay," Fu Bo said as he picked up his laptop and dialed the number. "But you really don't have to worry. It was my brother who asked me to participate in this program in the first place. Now I want to continue participating, and he couldn't be happier!"

Jiang Ran looked at his confident face and did not refute.

Will things be as easy as Fu Bo imagined? I'm afraid not.

Ten minutes later, Fu Bo put down his laptop in a daze.

As soon as Jiang Ran saw his expression, she knew that the matter had not been accomplished, but she was not depressed. Instead, she felt a sense of relief that the matter had been settled.

Sure enough, her guess was correct. From the beginning, Fu Song had never been on their side.

"How could this happen?" Fu Bo's voice was very soft, and it was unclear whether he was asking Jiang Ran or himself, "I've begged him so much, why doesn't he agree to help... It's obvious that this is nothing to him at all?"

But that's not how it works.

Whether Fu Song can help is one thing, and whether he is willing to help is another; if he helps, it is only out of favor for Fu Bo's sake, and if he does not help, it is no big deal, as he has no obligation to do so.

Jiang Ran looked at the lost Fu Bo and thought hesitantly.

But these words were not suitable to be said to Fu Bo who was immersed in his emotions, so she could only choose to remain silent.

After a long while, Fu Bo seemed to have recovered a little.

He asked hoarsely, "Sister Jiang, do you think we can...really still hold on...to rebuild such a large production team?"

Jiang Ran couldn't give him a definite answer. She paused, then finally said, "I don't know either."

Fu Bo has been a young master of a wealthy family all his life. He has his elder brother who protects him like a towering tree. A box of games can cost tens of thousands of federal coins, which is the annual living expenses for some families.

Perhaps the only blow he had ever suffered was being thrown into the remote Earth to participate in the competition, but by chance, he was lucky enough to be protected by Jiang Ran, and he made it to the end smoothly without suffering much hardship.

He was used to getting whatever he wanted and taking whatever he liked, and he always felt that he could do anything. But once his brother said "no", he immediately became a kite with a broken string. The clouds in the sky were still floating, but he could not land anywhere.

And what about Jiang Ran?

She can probably do less than Fu Bo.

It has been less than half a year since he came to the interstellar era, and it has been only a few days since he terminated his contract with the agency. Most of the money in his account has been paid as liquidated damages. The remaining five million is given by Fu Bo's brother Fu Song.

If Fu Bo didn't get Fu Song's support, he could still get some face from others by relying on his image as the young master of the Fu family. But if it was Jiang Ran, who had a dark history, it would be a good thing if he didn't get beaten up on the spot.

When two people get together, it's not like one plus one equals two, it's just like zero plus zero still equals zero.

It looked like the show was finished. Just the two of them couldn't possibly support a show.

Jiang Ran patted Fu Bo's shoulder and said, "Let's eat first. It's already late. If you delay any longer, you'll starve."

Fu Bo smiled bitterly: "You haven't eaten yet, have you?"

"Eat, eat, eat," Jiang Ran immediately picked up the chopsticks, "Eat right away."

However, the waiting time was too long. Although the food on the table still looked delicious, it had all become cold. The few dishes containing meat became extremely tasteless.

Both of them held their chopsticks, but both had lost their appetite.

He didn't move for a long time, and finally put the chopsticks back on the table.

Fu Bo asked, "Why did it become like this?"

Jiang Ran said: "Maybe I got into trouble..."

"No," Fu Bo interrupted her, "I'm not asking that. I'm asking... why did everyone else choose to give up? If there were more people now, if everyone could work together to find a solution, maybe we wouldn't have ended up like this!"

"You also said that, it's maybe."

Jiang Ran said calmly, "But perhaps, they anticipated today's situation and chose to withdraw from the beginning to avoid embarrassing everyone now?"

Fu Bo couldn't stand this kind of theory at all. He leaned forward and shouted, "But they all said it themselves! They said they would be together in the future, and they would participate in the remaining five episodes together! They also said they would see everyone's faces until they were tired of seeing them, and they would have ten meals together, and they would gather at the terminal in half a month! These were clearly their own words! How can it not count? Were they all just empty promises, all fake?!"

Jiang Ran looked at his angry red face and paused for a long time before saying, "That may not be the case..."

The friendship at the beginning was not necessarily fake, but when people live in this world, there are always too many things to consider. If you can take care of one side, you can't take care of the other side. If you can take care of this side, you can't take care of the other side. In the end, you always have to make a choice.

Some people prioritize relationships, even if it means banging their heads against a wall; some prioritize justice and innocence, even if it means being beaten to death; and some prioritize career, family, and future.

Fu Bo was a very emotional person, so he thought that everyone else should be the same. However, there are many kinds of people. There are spring flowers, autumn moons, summer rains, and winter snows in the world. No two days are the same, and people are no exception.

At this moment, Jiang Ran thought a lot, but he only paused slightly when speaking.

She continued, "All good things must come to an end, and adventure is no exception. Once you embark on this journey, no one knows what the outcome will be... I once had a very good friend. We agreed that we would each carry each other's backs for the rest of our lives. If one of us couldn't climb a mountain, the other would carry her back. But she eventually left me alone."

Fu Bo, still furious, scoffed, "Did she also withdraw early to 'avoid embarrassing everyone'?"

Jiang Ran smiled and pointed at the ceiling: "She has gone ahead and gone to her eternal resting place."

Fu Bo was silent for a moment.

He was not completely out of his mind. At this point, he knew that Jiang Ran was poking at his heart.

After a pause, Fu Bo said to Jiang Ran: "I'm sorry."

Jiang Ran shook his head, indicating that he didn't need to apologize.

She said, "So it may be difficult for you to understand, but for me, as long as we are still alive, there is no hurdle that cannot be overcome. The sun will rise again tomorrow, and the stars will still shine at night. We all have a long way to go in the future, and it is better than losing our lives in the wild."

Fu Bo stopped talking. He grasped the folds of his sleeves and rubbed them, as if he was thinking about something.

The food on the table was already too cold to be eaten. With the whooshing air conditioning in the house, even in the hottest days of winter, distinct layers of frost had formed.

"Then we..." After a long while, Fu Bo asked hesitantly, "Do we still need to rebuild the program team?"

Jiang Ran smiled and asked him, "What do you think?"

Fu Bo's fingers unconsciously exerted force, nearly tearing the fine fabric of the garment. He was completely unaware, and spoke only haltingly, "If we all worked together, no matter how difficult it was, I wouldn't mind it... But now..."

But now...

One tree cannot support the ground alone, and one hand cannot make a sound alone.

The future is uncertain and the stars are dim.

Jiang Ran had anticipated this scene before, so there was nothing surprising about it at this moment.

She smiled and said, "The food is cold, so don't heat it up. Just ask the robot servants to make some fresh food. I've gotten used to it over the past few days. They're very quick and can finish it in ten minutes."

Fu Bo raised his head and looked at her, then heard her say, "I'll be leaving first."

When Jiang Ran stood up, Fu Bo also stood up.

"Jiang Ran!" He said to Jiang Ran's back, "Although my brother is unwilling to help us rebuild the program team, I can definitely arrange a job for you. In your current situation, it's not convenient for you to do something else temporarily. Why don't you just stay..."

"No need." Jiang Ran turned around and said with a smile, "Don't worry about me. I still have the five million you earned from selling your body in my account! It will definitely be more than what you spend lavishly."

After Jiang Ran finished speaking, he turned around and walked towards the door.

Fu Bo stood at the back, subconsciously stretched out his hand, opened his mouth, but in the end did not say a word.

It would be inappropriate to say anything at this time.

Who could have imagined?

People who were sitting together and imagining the next game and ranking not long ago are going their separate ways just a few days later.

Fu Bo knew that after this separation, they might not see each other again for a very long time.

Thinking of this, Fu Bo turned around and looked at the colorful food on the table.

This might be the last meal Jiang Ran made himself that he could eat, so he should not waste it and reheat it.

How about soaking it in the legendary formalin? It seems to keep things fresh and incorruptible.

Fu Bo picked up the plate in front of him while thinking.

However, just as he stood up, he heard Jiang Ran's exclamation from behind.

"Ren, Ren Xiayang?"

With a "bang", the plate in Fu Bo's hand fell to the ground, and the thick soup splashed, a lot of it spilled on his own trouser legs.

But Fu Bo didn't pay any attention to his clothes at all. He turned around and rushed to the door without hesitation, almost bumping into Jiang Ran who was standing at the door.

Ren Xiayang looked a little disheveled, with messy hair and one of his hands frozen next to the door. He looked like he was about to press the doorbell but was frightened.

He was a little embarrassed and asked in confusion, "Didn't we just meet yesterday? Why are you acting like you haven't seen me for eight hundred years?"

"Hey, could it be because..." He thought of an answer and asked excitedly, "I've become more handsome after not seeing you for a day?"

Jiang Ran and Fu Bo: "..."

Both of them were confused.

"Wait!" Ren Xiayang suddenly thought of something, "Could it be that you guys have already finished the food just because I was late for a while? Are you feeling guilty now? "

Jiang Ran and Fu Bo: "..."

The dark lines on their faces became more and more radiant.

"Don't worry, there are plenty of dishes for you."

Jiang Ran paused and said, "But it's already cold. We need to heat it up before we can eat it."

"Really? I don't believe it," Ren Xiayang said doubtfully as he pushed past the others and walked into the house. "I have to check it myself..."

Jiang Ran and Fu Bo did not stop him.

The two stood at the door, watching Ren Xiayang's back as he rushed into the house, and they felt that their hearts had never been so happy.

They looked at each other and began to laugh, but this time their laughter was much more sincere than before.

"Ren, Ren Xiayang! Wait for me!"

Jiang Ran and Fu Bo were startled and turned around to look, only to see Bai Zhiyong stumbling over from outside.

However, he was not as relaxed as Ren Xiayang. Instead, he was breathing heavily, as if he would die soon.

When Bai Zhiyong reached the door, he could no longer hold on. He bent down 180 degrees, putting his hands on his knees to support his body.

Jiang Ran and Fu Bo hurried forward to support him on the left and right. When they touched him, they found that his whole arms were shaking.

Ren Xiayang turned around and poked his head out from the crack in the door. "Come on, come on! There are still a lot of dishes that haven't been touched! I've heated them up! They should be ready to eat in a few minutes!"

Bai Zhiyong took a long breath and spoke incoherently after a long while: "I, I will poison you to death one day, sooner or later!"

Jiang Ran and Fu Bo: "..."

At this moment, Zeng Pei also walked towards this side with quick steps.

Seeing this strange scene, she asked curiously, "What's going on with you guys?"

Jiang Ran looked at Ren Xiayang, Zeng Pei, and then at Bai Zhiyong, who was almost dying and whom he was supporting, and he also wanted to ask what happened.

Fu Bo asked directly: "Why are you all so late and why did you get together again? We thought..."

"Don't mention it!" Zeng Pei waved his hand. "There was an explosion on Jiujiang Road. We were all stuck there. It took a lot of effort to get here."

"Then why didn't you call us?" Fu Bo asked directly, "You should at least tell us so we don't worry, right?"

Bai Zhiyong finally caught his breath. He struggled with his arms, indicating that he didn't need support anymore. Then he stood up straight and said, "It's been many years since something as serious as an explosion happened on the Capital Planet. The United Police took it very seriously. They took away all the laptops of people on the road and prevented us from contacting the outside world. They haven't returned them yet. Didn't I rush to see you? I have to go back to the United Police Station later to cooperate with the investigation and get the laptops back!"

As Bai Zhiyong spoke, Jiang Ran and Fu Bo's tense bodies gradually relaxed.

It turned out that they were overthinking it.

Perhaps what everyone cares about and chooses will eventually be different, but in this vast world and in this huge sea of ​​people... you can always find people walking on the same path.

In the following time, those who knew how to go into the kitchen helped to heat up the rice and dishes, while those who didn't know how to do it cleaned up things in the living room. Everyone had something to do, and it was busy and lively.

Fu Bo asked the housekeeper to bring a few sets of close-fitting clothes and threw them to Ren Xiayang and others, asking them to change into them quickly to avoid looking so disheveled. It would make them look like they were here to escape rather than to eat.

"Escape?" Ren Xiayang raised his eyebrows. "Say it again?"

Fu Bo resumed his arrogant young master's demeanor, not afraid at all: "You two really look alike..."

Before he could finish his words, Ren Xiayang smeared his face with cake.

Ren Xiayang, Zeng Pei, and Bai Zhiyong formed a makeshift team. They worked together, sharing a common hatred for the enemy. They pointed at Fu Bo and laughed, "You look like a refugee now, too!"

Fu Bo: “…”

Jiang Ran was busy in the kitchen, but the noise outside was so loud that she could hear it clearly when it came in.

While preparing the dishes, she couldn't help but laugh. These people were really funny.

By the time the food was reheated and served on the table, everyone was already starving and immediately devoured the food.

For them, as long as it comes from Jiang Ran, even if it is put back into the pot, it will be an unrivaled delicacy.

After eating and drinking to their heart's content, everyone gradually stopped focusing on eating and started chatting from time to time.

The first topic was the explosion just now. Although Ren Xiayang and his companions were stuck for so long because of the explosion, they did not seem dissatisfied at this time. Instead, they felt very novel about this rare spectacle that was rarely seen in a century.

The refrigeration equipment still didn't stop running, and the cold air was still blowing in the house.

But the atmosphere now is different from before. The room is lively and bustling with people chatting and laughing, and no one feels cold or weak at all.

Jiang Ran looked at Fu Bo and asked with a smile, "Do you think I should still leave?"

Fu Bo knocked his chopsticks against the table in dissatisfaction, making a clattering sound. "Why are you leaving? What are you thinking about?"

“But we still owe a lot.”

Jiang Ran said: "Funding, connections, channels, team, platform... None of these problems have been solved. Rebuilding the program team still has to start from scratch."

"What do you mean by starting from the beginning?" Several people who were chatting about the explosion suddenly turned around and asked in unison, "Why start from the beginning?"

Jiang Ran was startled by them.

When she turned around, three pairs of dark eyes were staring at her.

Bai Zhiyong took the lead and said, "Are you short of experts? Are you short of consultants? We have talented people sitting right in front of you!"

Zeng Pei then laughed and said, "My studio happens to have some connections in this area, including connections, resources, and streaming platforms... Maybe I can help a little."

Ren Xiayang waved his strong fist and said, "I have many retired brothers I know well. If you need anybody or any player, I can find them. As long as the salary is enough, that's all I need."

Fu Bo's eyes gradually became wet as he watched this scene.

Jiang Ran wiped his face with a napkin: "Don't cry, don't cry. Such a pretty face, if it's stained with tears, it won't be worth five million."

Fu Bo immediately pushed her hand away and wiped his hands with his sleeve. "Who's crying? What are you crying for? You're the one crying! Nonsense!"

"I'm sorry!" Jiang Ran quickly sat up straight and saluted him. "I made a slip of the tongue. I apologize!"

Fu Bo: "...it's good that you know!"

The others looked at each other and laughed.

After Fu Bo's emotions gradually subsided, Jiang Ran re-examined the current situation.

Now that we have consultants, channels, and members, the only things left are the execution team and funding.

Jiang Ran tapped the table with a pair of chopsticks and concluded, "It's easy to find staff for implementation, so we can do this later. The only thing we're short of now is funding."

Upon hearing this, Fu Bo volunteered, raised his hand and said, "Then I'll go ask my brother again! I'll try to convince him to invest. If that doesn't work, we can think of other ways."

"How do you beg?" Ren Xiayang teased, "First cry, then make a scene, then hang yourself?"

"Ren Xiayang!" Fu Bo's face flushed. "Mind your own business! Big foodie!"

Ren Xiayang picked up a piece of stir-fried asparagus, chewed it, and made a face at him: "Lilililil~"

Later, it was too late, and everyone thought that if they went back, there would be no laptops, and they would have to go to the police station. By the time they got home, it would probably be late at night, which was too inconvenient, so they simply stayed at Fu Bo's house for one night.

Fortunately, the Fu residence was big enough and had enough guest rooms, so they could easily be accommodated.

Jiang Ran woke up in the middle of the night and felt thirsty. When he got up to pour some water, he saw Fu Bo leaning on the balcony by the second-floor window, lost in thought as he enjoyed the summer evening breeze.

Jiang Ran walked closer and asked, "What's wrong?"

Fu Bo looked into the distance and whispered, "Ji Fang didn't come in the end."

Jiang Ran patted him on the back: "Everyone has their own aspirations, and it's inevitable. Isn't it good enough now?"

Upon hearing this, Fu Bo turned around and looked at the corridor on the second floor. The guest rooms were lined up along that corridor.

Although he couldn't see what was happening inside the room, he knew that he was no longer trapped on an island.

"Yeah, it's good now."

The author has something to say:

I wrote a little more to finish this plot in one go ~ to avoid being interrupted at the most sad part Orz I will continue to be silly tomorrow! The "house" that was left after burning is reunited!

PS:

1. The police confiscated the laptop...it was just for the plot, don’t delve into the logic.

2. "The definition of adventure is that once you embark on this journey, you never know what the outcome will be." This is the original words of Keith.P., which is paraphrased in the text.

【Small Theater】

Fu Bo: Who is crying? It's the wind and sand that blinded us!

Jiang Ran: Okay, you are right. The wind and sand in your living room are really strong, just like a sandstorm.

Fu Bo: ...