Chapter 98
That night, the production team organized a casual chat. The contestants gathered in the hall to answer and exchange ideas on the questions raised by Zhang Tao. This was actually a standard procedure, usually to understand the contestants' reasons for participating in the competition and their hopes for the future. When these behind-the-scenes conversations were edited into the program, the overall richness of the content was enhanced, and the audience's acceptance was also higher. Of course, if there were memorable quotes or iconic moments during the conversations, the ratings would be even more guaranteed.
With Jacob and Larine around, fulfilling such a wish is not difficult at all.
It was like someone handing a pillow when you're sleepy. Jacob was just lamenting that he hadn't formally confessed his feelings to Fujii Mie when Zhang Tao asked the question about why he had asked. Needless to say, it was because of love. Jacob pointed directly at Fujii, his gaze fixed intently on her, making her blush and unwilling to look away.
Larine was used to her brother's embarrassing behavior when he was in heat; she felt disdain, but she didn't intend to keep quiet about it. Because when it came to love, the Shu siblings were equally bold and outspoken. She had also confessed her feelings to Yu Xueli, unafraid of Su Wenqiang sitting next to him; she openly wanted to win Yu Xueli over.
This reminded Zhuang Zhuoyuan of Ding Huihui, who had used the same tactics back then. However, his Iris's approach was a combination of jealousy and indifference, leaving it entirely to Zhuang Zhuoyuan's choice. His good friend, on the other hand, let the woman lead the charge.
Larine was aggressive, and Su Wenqiang wasn't to be outdone. The two women exchanged barbs, each expressing their steadfastness and confidence in their relationships. Yu Xueli was undeniably lucky to have won the hearts of these two women, but at this moment, his mind was entirely focused on Wen Zhijie, who was staring intently at him. Wen Zhijie's words were also loaded with meaning, targeting him alone. He Weihai remained silent, perhaps because Wen Zhijie was the leader of their group, and his words represented both of them. Yu Xueli proudly declared that he rose to the challenge when facing strong opponents and loved taking on difficult challenges. Wen Zhijie responded with a calm smile, saying, "I'm here to defeat those who challenge me and prove that I am forever number one."
That was incredibly arrogant, but the man certainly had the right to be arrogant. Derek, with his professional perspective and rational analysis, wasn't afraid to contradict Iris: "If only A-Yuan and A-Qiang go this time, then Wen Zhijie will definitely take first place."
The screen was still playing everyone's responses to Zhang Tao's next question, and Iris had no interest in paying attention to what was happening with Larine and Su Wenqiang. It wasn't that she was caught in the middle between her two friends, nor that she wanted to defend Zhuang Zhuoyuan like they did; she agreed with Derek's assessment and drew some inspiration from it: "What do you think they need this first place for?"
Fame? Profit? For personal development alone, there's no need for such a drastic measure. Want to harm society? What benefit would first place bring them? Iris recalled seeing a competition plan on Zhang Tao's phone when Derek hacked into the program's equipment. She reviewed the subsequent events and competition rules, finally hesitantly placing her finger on the yet-to-be-announced final venue—an air-raid shelter left behind by the Japanese after their defeat in World War II? According to the rules, the team that wins first place can enter the air-raid shelter first, while subsequent teams must postpone their entry based on their score difference. Is this Wen Zhijie's emphasis on winning first place? What do they need to do alone in the shelter?
Weapons? No! Derek quickly ruled out various possibilities in his mind. The crimes committed by the Japanese were countless; anyone who had studied high school history knew what they did using the air-raid shelters. Wen He had gone to great lengths, clearly intending to make a clean getaway after achieving his goal. Each competitor was only allowed to carry one backpack full of equipment when entering the competition, and it was best to use it as cover when leaving. If they were to carry melee weapons, the target would be too large, and their value would be quite low. What could have been concealed in a package, evaded official inspection, and survived to this day, was probably only some secretly collected drugs and experimental records…
Iris was searching for information about the air-raid shelter when, at a crucial point, she and Derek exchanged a glance and simultaneously made a terrifying deduction: "A biological weapon!" Their faces turned pale instantly.
Logically, an air-raid shelter, having existed as a historical site for so many years, should have undergone numerous thorough inspections. Furthermore, the university's history department includes this location in its research projects, with students and faculty applying to explore it annually. Under these circumstances, finding any chemical agents would be virtually impossible. But no one dared to gamble on that possibility. Without evidence, hastily explaining this deduction to the police could disrupt their plans. However, Zhuang Zhuoyuan was about to enter this dangerous area, and Iris couldn't stand idly by. After much hesitation, she decided to ignore Derek's speculation that the group might be mentally unstable and gave Zhan Hantao a informal report. She believed the Flying Tigers possessed more information they lacked, and as long as their information matched, she trusted Zhan Hantao to make the most favorable assessment.
"The situation? I thought you, a staunch believer in Zhuang Zhuoyuan, would choose to go to Pan Zilong, after all, he has more power and is more self-serving." Derek seemed to be trying to point her to a more convenient path.
Iris placed her hands flat, making a balance scale, and slowly tilted it to one side. She had her own opinion: "It's certainly possible to ask my master for help, but in terms of reliability, I trust Brother Tao more. My master values the honor of the Flying Tigers more, and Brother Tao, needless to say, values his brothers."
Derek smiled strangely. "I didn't expect you to see things so clearly." He had always thought that of Ed's two daughters, Iris was the more emotional one. So when everyone was indignant that Zhan Hantao hadn't become commander, and only Iris remained silent, he assumed Iris was on Pan Zilong's side. He hadn't expected her to still be standing in the middle, crossing the line. Perhaps, as Gloria said, Iris's greatest strength was her keen eye.
Zhan Hantao did not respond further, which Iris guessed was due to police regulations. She didn't let her guard down, but instead used Pandora's connections to contact several history professors to inquire about the situation inside the air-raid shelter. Unfortunately, the information she obtained was limited; after all, the difference in focus between academic and criminal investigations is significant.
Derek did manage to obtain a blueprint of the bomb shelter's interior structure, but he didn't intend to let Iris know. He now understood his target's operational capabilities quite well, so for Iris's safety, he absolutely needed to keep quiet. As for Zhuang Zhuoyuan, he believed obtaining a blueprint wouldn't be difficult for the Flying Tigers.
Iris's discovery provided Zhan Hantao and Zhong Wei'en with a new idea. They weren't entirely aware of the Japanese cult's purpose in coming to Hong Kong; initially, they only considered the simple financial aspect, even suspecting that members might kidnap the wealthy Shu siblings or Japanese celebrities to extort huge ransoms. Now, with this not-so-impossible new direction, the two discussed it and decided to immediately begin their investigation. Although time was tight, there was an elimination round in between. Zhan Hantao wasn't worried about not having enough time to plan; in fact, he was happy that the competition would eliminate another group of people. After all, this would reduce some unstable factors that could affect their operation in the finals, and Ah Yuan and Ah Li wouldn't have to worry about as much.
In the end, only four teams will remain. Ah Li and Ah Yuan's teams absolutely must participate, and that annoying, arrogant team will definitely get a high ranking. Therefore, the final spot will have to be chosen from the three teams that include them. Larine, unusually, is using her brain in this kind of game. She glanced at her brother, who was still swooning over a female celebrity, and immediately eliminated his dream girl team. During the day, it was just a simple orienteering game, and Fujii Mie had already stumbled several times; it doesn't look like things will be much better tomorrow. As for the other quiet male group, Larine thought about it and realized she really didn't remember these two with such a low profile. They had spoken during the night, but what did they say?
"Hey, Jacob, help me think of something!" Larine kicked her brother in annoyance. Although the two siblings had a good relationship, Jacob's only reaction to his focused pursuit of a girl was impatience: "Hey, Larine! Don't you only like Yu Xueli? Why bother with those two?"
"I don't care!" Larine refused stubbornly, using her shouts to get attention. Seeing her displeasure, Jacob was terrified of her princess-like temper, so he pretended to recall something and made up some random story to appease his sister: "I only know that they got second place in today's competition, and those two boys look pretty good."
That would be terrible. "Ugh—" Miss Shu let out a coquettish, dry sob. She had originally hoped to walk towards victory with Yu Xueli, to stand on the podium together, and to prove to Su Wenqiang that everything she was so proud of, she, Shu Zili, could do just as well. Now, was it all just a pipe dream?
Faced with this unfair fate, Shu Zili could not accept it no matter what. Gritting her teeth and stamping her feet, she made up her mind, rushed forward and grabbed Jacob's ear: "I don't care, I must make it to the finals tomorrow! Jacob, if you don't take this seriously, I will never accompany you to participate in this boring game again."
Jacob was at a loss with his sister's contradictory words. Of course, he also wanted to stay with Fujii Mie until the end, but beautiful women always have their vulnerable moments. As a gentleman, he couldn't just sit idly by and watch a young lady collapse on the roadside, could he? Of course, at this moment, he would never defend his gentlemanly behavior.
Silence is golden.
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