Chapter 97
Wen Zhijie and He Weihao?
Zhuang Zhuoyuan hid under the covers, wanting to ask for more details, but his precious son woke up, and Iris hurriedly went to coax him, leaving no time to explain further.
"Anyway, my wife only said that those two people seemed to know the answer beforehand during the first round of the game. They touched the key points of the game without even thinking and took out the key in no time."
“If Iris isn’t too sensitive, then it means there are cult members in the production team as well.” Su Wenqiang quickly went through the scenes he had noticed about Wen and He in his mind, but he couldn’t find any close contact between them and any staff member.
Zhuang Zhuoyuan curled his lip: "Let's wait and see. They'll probably make another move during today's orienteering. The more clues they reveal, the clearer their intentions will become."
Wen Zhijie and He Weihai were clearly aiming for first place in the competition. The host had already mentioned at the beginning that the winner would receive a huge cash prize, but Iris, observing them, didn't think the two were after money. She smiled faintly; if it were simply for money laundering, they wouldn't have needed to deploy the Flying Tigers.
Having not watched previous episodes, Iris was unfamiliar with the rules of the competition, so she couldn't immediately guess the suspect's true motives. But following their line of thinking, she knew that Wen Zhijie and He Weihao's priority was to eliminate potential rivals so that first place would be firmly in their grasp.
Then, Yu Xueli, with his formidable offensive capabilities, is in danger.
A person's given name might be wrong, but their nickname is never wrong. Even though he's much more mature now, Bob's determination to win is still hard to completely disappear. Moreover, judging from their appearance, Yu Xueli and Xu Jiaming's team is indeed the most robust and the most likely to be considered the favorites to win the championship.
"They've both been targeted. They weren't eliminated yesterday and showed off their skills, but they're definitely going to get a beating today." Derek observed several cameras on the main monitor at the same time, thinking to himself that this competition was ridiculous. After installing action cameras on the contestants, they stopped sending photographers to follow them closely. Instead, they set up four or five cameras at the finish line, which was completely unreasonable.
“That’s not right,” Jennie said, her grandson fast asleep. With nothing to amuse her, she picked up her cup and joined in watching the show. “It’s easier to do bad things when there are no cameras around. If it were a normal competition, what would be the point of having A-Yuan and the others?”
Iris smiled and moved aside to make room for Larine and Jacob: "Mommy, you've come to see Larine and Jacob again?"
“Yes,” Jennie readily admitted, her cheerful expression revealing a hint of liveliness, “they never disappoint me.”
Iris admired her mother's ability to find humor in the Shu siblings from every nook and cranny, even in just a few seconds. She urged Derek to rewind and slow it down. Seeing Larine's both ladylike and quirky running posture on the screen, Iris couldn't help but chuckle: "Mommy, if you mention this to Larine next time you see her, she'll cry."
Jennie reached out and patted her daughter's head: "Honey, your mommy only ever compliments people on their cuteness."
Despite the Shu siblings' past indulgence in a life of pleasure, seemingly confined to bars and nightclubs, they actually frequented the gym quite often. Therefore, even with limited outdoor exercise experience, they could easily reach their destination by choosing a safe route. This changed Derek's opinion of them.
“Let’s see what happens on A-Yuan’s side.” Iris was surprised that they arrived at the finish line later than the Shu siblings. Given the situation of being targeted the previous night, Yu Xueli and Zhuang Zhuoyuan had planned in advance to choose different routes and split up today. Her husband seemed to be hiding very well so far, and had chosen a relatively smooth route, so Iris couldn’t think of any problems that might have delayed them.
Derek dismissed it: "They're probably off rescuing Yu Xueli's team." Given the Flying Tigers' efficiency, only an attack and a rescue would take them so long. All four of their action cameras had lost signal, the screens dark. Derek thought for a moment, then pulled up the race route map he'd intercepted the previous night. He circled the area with a laser pointer, specifically marking a steep cliff edge. "If I were assigned a mission, I'd definitely ambush them around here and easily push them off."
Iris coughed at his smug smile.
"Be aware of the consequences."
Without her saying a word, Derek automatically heard the eight-character mantra that touched his very soul. He silently complained about Pavlov and that dog, his face full of self-pity and self-deprecation. Iris thought he was so narcissistic that he needed Ding Huihui to teach him a lesson.
She even had the leisure to bicker with Derek, clearly not too worried about Zhuang Zhuoyuan's safety this time. Even though they'd just signed that ridiculous life-or-death waiver before the match that morning, Iris didn't believe a mere ambush could kill her husband. Her only regret was not having asked AK to send a few of their men into the competition; otherwise, the four Flying Tigers members would have had backup support.
Derek thought to himself that Iris, being from the seaside, was indeed being too controlling, even though all her ideas were for her husband's good.
So, is Ding Huihui also that kind of person?
It seems so, yet it also seems not to be.
She was filled with curiosity about him and tried her best to squeeze into his life, but amidst her impulsiveness, she also knew how to be tactful and retreat to a safer place. This might stem from the ethics of her service profession, or it might be the experience she gained from her recent two—no, one and a half—relationships. But whatever the reason, it certainly changed his impression of her.
"Looks like someone's really enjoying getting rejected." Derek's thoughts drifted, while Iris smiled knowingly. Those involved are often blinded by their own perspectives; once things have faded, her resentment has vanished. Naturally, she didn't quite agree with Ding Huihui's approach to relationships, so she wasn't interested in being a matchmaker, but she was quick to pass on a word and gossip. Derek's nerves were always on edge, and his life was too monotonous; he needed someone outside the Zhou family to stir up his stagnant, dark lake.
Derek scoffed: "I would never like her. If you're going to play matchmaker, you should pair her up with Jacob."
Jacob could provide Ding Huihui with the romance she desired, and Ding Huihui possessed the looks and figure Jacob liked. Unfortunately, neither of them was currently interested in the other. Iris pointed her chin at the Japanese actress on the screen and sighed, saying she was indeed not as pretty as Ding Huihui: "I knew Jacob was the type to fall in love with every woman he met, but I didn't expect his taste to have declined so drastically."
Men and women ultimately have different aesthetic standards. In Jacob's eyes, Fujii Mie was indeed a goddess. While his sister's gaze was constantly fixed on Yu Xueli, he wished he could spend every second talking with Fujii, even sharing pleasure. Men and women are a harmonious balance of yin and yang; he couldn't consider those messy inner thoughts. The only thing he knew for sure was that he liked this type of girl with a sweet, coquettish voice. The more delicate they appeared, the more he could display his masculinity.
Fujii Mie and Tezuka Saki chose a different path. Jacob continued on, constantly complaining that his sister was rushing too fast. Larine, however, had her own ideas. Since the elimination rounds started today, they naturally wanted to choose a more stable path, competing in more matches together, which was the key to ultimately winning. But what puzzled her was that after turning from the side road onto the main road, she still couldn't see Yu Xueli and her group, not even Zhuang Zhuoyuan. Where had they all gone?
Yu Xueli and Xu Jiaming were in dire straits, just as Derek had predicted, they were hanging on the edge of a cliff. Rock climbing was part of the Flying Tigers' daily training, but at this moment, without any equipment or assistants, it was a real challenge for them to climb to the top of the cliff by hand.
Zhuang Zhuoyuan and Su Wenqiang arrived at the scene under Zhan Hantao's command. Their first instinct was to find tools to pull them up, but unfortunately, there wasn't even a suitable vine on the cliff edge. Therefore, Su Wenqiang could only go around to the side, observing and directing them, finding the nearest footholds for each of them. The cliff face was different from a climbing wall; the rock was unstable, and the slightest movement could send rocks tumbling down. Xu Jiaming was one of the unlucky ones. He finally reached the climbing point Su Wenqiang had chosen for him, but before he could even settle down, a large rock collapsed and fell. Fortunately, his muscle memory from regular training saved him; he hurriedly used two other points to steady himself, preventing a serious accident. However, his mind was blank, and sweat soaked his face and back.
"Get ready!" Zhuang Zhuoyuan shouted anxiously from above. His cousin's actions had everyone on edge. But panic was the last thing they could do. Su Wenqiang calmed himself down and started looking for a new spot for him to land.
After a period of effort, Xu Jiaming and Yu Xueli finally made it to the top of the cliff. The four exchanged information and, seeing that there wasn't much useful news yet, decided to head straight for the finish line. The competition had already begun eliminating contestants, and they were the last two groups to qualify. Larine first congratulated Yu Xueli, but Yu Xueli turned his attention to Jacob: "Aming, can you ask the Japanese celebrities for me what happened with their screaming earlier?"
Jacob was happy to act as the bridge for this communication, and his translation was indeed spot on: "It's nothing, Miss Meihui just twisted her ankle by accident. Ali, she asked me to tell her that she appreciates your concern."
"You're welcome." Yu Xueli immediately shifted his gaze from the Japanese celebrity to Wen Zhijie, who was also staring at him. Facing the other's hostility and provocation, he met his gaze firmly. Even if his life was in danger, he would not succumb to evil.
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