Chapter 89
It was destined to be a sleepless night for everyone. The sheer number of people and the soaked floor of the boat made it uncomfortable, even with the large leaves they'd gathered earlier to spread on. Those with weaker nerves felt a constant fear of snakes emerging from under the boat, and the slightest touch of their hands would send them screaming in fear. Add to that the wind, rain, thunder, and lightning outside, accompanied by eerie cries, the occasional hushed exclamations of alarm from the staff guarding the stairs, and the whispers of the director's crew—it all made for a nerve-wracking night.
Chu Huaiqin was fine. He and Xia En slept outside in the first half of the night. In the second half of the night, Su Huaichen pulled the little monk out and drove the two of them inside to sleep, while they stayed outside.
Sleeping inside is much different from sleeping outside. One side of the room is close to the rocky mountain, and the door is half-closed on the other side. The noise outside is much quieter, making it much easier for people in the room to sleep.
It was around three in the morning, the time when the human body was most exhausted. Even if the wind and rain were strong outside, and the terrifying threat of snakes swarming over, many people could not hold on and fell asleep.
Many people in the director's group were asleep, and there were three staff members guarding the stair door. When they saw a snake crawling up, they would pick it down with branches and sprinkle layer after layer of medicine powder.
"I'm so sleepy. What time is it now?" Staff member A could hardly keep his eyes open. They had to go into the jungle to shoot, which was already a heavy workload. They were almost exhausted after a day of filming, and staying up late was really uncomfortable.
"It's five in the morning. Just hold on a little longer. You can change shifts at dawn." Staff member B was also very sleepy. His legs were bruised from being pinched, but he managed to hold on and not fall down.
In addition to the two of them, there was another staff member who no longer wanted to talk. He leaned his head on Staff Member B's shoulder and stared at the stairs with despair. In the words of the audience in the live broadcast room who were in the daytime time difference: although his body was still awake, his soul was already asleep.
"Thunderbolt, bang!"
"What's wrong? What happened? An earthquake?"
"It's coming? It's a shell."
The last cry of alarm was most likely uttered by a Sang native, as his country was still in a semi-warlike state. But no one cared about him at this moment. Everyone suddenly woke up and looked at each other in horror.
Chu Huaiqin came out of the room. When the loud noise happened just now, the hull shook.
"Quiet, don't be afraid, it's lightning that's struck the lightning rod," the director reassured everyone. They looked out the window, and saw lightning flashing overhead. Lightning bolts split stiffly, occasionally illuminating the darkened landscape like daylight. Several more rumbles of thunder followed. Inside the boat, they couldn't see the sky clearly, but the sounds and the flashes of light outside the window spoke volumes about the terrifying nature of lightning. Luckily, the ship didn't strike again. It was dawn, and everyone was very sleepy. After a while, they huddled together and fell asleep again.
Several directors, however, remained awake, standing by the warehouse door, whispering something with a few other professionals. Chu Huaiqin folded his arms over his chest, watching them chatter away. After a while, seemingly reaching a conclusion, several staff members donned raincoats and left, carrying something. The directors dispersed, and Director Huang looked up, spotting Chu Huaiqin and pointing upwards.
Chu Huaiqin frowned slightly, nodded, and returned to the room.
At this time, in the dim hold, one of the doors opened, and three people came out, kicked the Korean people awake, and let them into the Peacock Team's room. Although the Korean people were confused, they followed them in, and only then did they realize that the Peacock Team was also asleep.
While the livestream wasn't as crowded as it had been during the day, it was still quite a crowd. They watched the three teams' movements with bewilderment, wondering what was going on. What had happened? Why were the Monkey, Peacock, and Goryeo teams suddenly gathered together? Had they missed something?
"We can't just sit there and wait for death." The Monkey Team spoke first.
"Yes, if we want to win, the first thing we have to deal with is the Rolling Team. They pose the biggest threat to us." The people of Peacock Country agreed, and then looked towards Goryeo Country.
"Yes, we have exactly three teams, and there are three spots, just right," said a foreign aid from the Korean country, "Let's deal with the Rolling Team first, and the rest are nothing to worry about."
After listening to them talk about this in the live broadcast room, I finally understood what they wanted to do.
Chinese viewers couldn't help but sarcastically say, "Korea is not going to conquer Chinese culture, this idiom is really well used."
Foreign audience: "Oh, is this the beginning of the final fight?"
"But they are right. The Rolling Team is the most dangerous. They are too strong. No one knows if they will suddenly attack another team."
"That's ridiculous. It's always others who attack us first. When have we ever attacked others first? You're so despicable and shameless, and you don't allow anyone to fight back? You're so shameless."
"Only the teams that have emerged from the fiercest battles are qualified to participate in international competitions. Support the Peacock Team, the Monkey Team, and the Goryeo Team."
"If you have the guts, don't form an alliance. Come one by one. Oh, I don't expect you to come one by one. If you have the guts, come openly and honestly, you coward."
"Outsmarting is also a form of strength."
"That's right. As long as you can win and don't hurt others, it's a form of strength. Support it."
The fans of the three teams in the live broadcast room, as well as the fans of other participating teams except China, who were just watching the fun, all agreed and cheered for the result, as if they could win the championship if they could eliminate the Chinese team.
The Chinese audience was very angry for a while. They recognized the strength of the Rolling Team, but who knew if they would play dirty tricks.
The three teams on the scene seemed to have guessed that the audience liked to watch the fun, so they did not avoid the live broadcast room at all when discussing the following topics, but talked about everything directly.
"Team Rolling eliminated two teams earlier by grabbing watches. We can use this method now," said the Peacock Team. "This is a just battle, and we'll win with fair means. As long as we eliminate China, all teams will be able to compete fairly."
"Yes, we must win with honor. Besides, this method was first used by the Chinese team," said Che Enhui, the Queen of Korea, righteously. "We can make breakthroughs one by one, for example..."
"For example, that little girl," the Monkey Team member chimed in, "then there's that Chinese movie star, and then there's the little monk."
Speaking of the little monk, the Monkey Team obviously hesitated.
But many people in the live broadcast room were crazy about it, especially the Chinese audience.
"Fuck, he picked my sister first, how shameless!"
"Oh my god, what's this about a just war? I'm vomiting."
"Although I agree that whoever is the strongest should participate in the international competition, but it's not very nice to attack a little girl."
"This is a competition. Whoever is stronger wins. The championship should belong to the person with strength. She has been relying on other players, which is cheating."
"Why do I hear jealousy and hatred in these words? Besides, my sister has always been very kind. My brothers and I take care of the outside affairs, and my sister has always been doing the logistics, cleaning the house, washing the pots, etc. Doesn't this count as help?"
"Yes, the shrimp cage, straw raincoat, and straw hat were all made by my younger sister. Besides, my older brother didn't say anything, so what right do you have to say anything?"
The live broadcast room was clamoring fiercely, and the three teams had already come up with a plan. To get rid of Lin Zhinan, the first step was to lure her away. Tomorrow, Che Enhui would do this. Girls always make people lower their guard.
After this group of people dispersed, the Chinese audience in the live broadcast room were so angry that they had heart attacks, but they were unable to notify Chu Huaiqin and the others.
The next morning, the contestants got up one after another. Except for the three teams that wanted to cause trouble, the others were not in good spirits, with a pair of panda eyes. The live broadcast room said: They have all become members of the Rolling Team.
Chinese audiences said: We are sorry but cannot accept the invitation.
Chu Huaiqin's crew had also woken up. Looking outside, the rain, though lighter, continued to fall, showing no sign of stopping. Chu Huaiqin said goodbye to Xia En, donned his straw raincoat, and exited the hold, climbing the ladder to the ship's roof. Several staff members were still discussing something. They had been up and down again since dawn, struggling to fix the lightning rod. Fortunately, the lightning had now moved slightly away from the area, giving them time to repair it.
After Chu Huaiqin left, Xia En watched the rain gradually lighten and saw a number of fish being washed up by the waves. He poked the monk and told him he was going to catch some fish. Su Huaichen followed suit. He had been cooped up in the hold since yesterday and today, and he felt that all he smelled was the stench of human flesh. It was horrible.
"Crabs and snails," the little monk said, "are the two things he loves most. What do you like to eat, sister?"
"I'm fine with anything." Lin Zhinan smiled and squatted in front of the brazier to roast breadfruits. These were handed over by other teams that had crossed Crocodile Bay before. There were still three left. Chu Huaiqin asked them to be roasted today, fearing that they would go bad if left any longer.
"Okay, then sister will also eat crabs and snails." The little monk added more food to himself. His round face was smiling so much that his eyes were almost invisible, which showed how good his mood was.
The live broadcast room was so anxious that it almost cried. Why did they leave one by one? They wouldn’t leave their sister alone, would they?
"Don't worry, my brother said before that people can't be left alone. They still have two people at the moment, so it's okay."
The time difference between the competition area and China was twelve hours. When they were discussing their "plot" at dawn, it was around five in the afternoon in China. Most of the audience was still in class or work, so fewer people heard about it, but not all of them. As soon as the people present heard about it, they immediately posted a message to clarify the situation. It became a hot topic. Now, at nine o'clock in the evening, everyone was free, and six languages were taking turns to criticize the three teams. But no matter how hard they tried, they were powerless. There was no way they could notify Chu Huaiqin and the others that someone was going to cause trouble!
Completely unaware of the impending storm, after Xia Entang left with Su Huaichen, Lin Zhinan gathered everyone's blankets, preparing to wash them in the rain. Yesterday, everyone showered in the rain and dried their clothes, but considering the thickness of the blankets, they worried they wouldn't be dry enough before bed, so they left it alone. Today, they had more time, so they could wash the blankets.
"Little monk, watch the fire," Lin Zhinan picked up the blanket and a few large leaves to wash and place on the blanket, "Remember not to burn it."
"Hey, are you alone? Let me help you!" The little monk stood up quickly. There were a lot of blankets for five people, and Lin Zhinan was almost taller than her when he was holding them.
"No, you have to watch the fire. We're roasting breadfruit inside! Someone has to watch the room too," Lin Zhinan said. He glanced behind him and saw a few people with cunning eyes. He whispered, "We'll be emptied out."
"But brother said we can't leave anyone alone."
"We're not in the forest. I'm just outside on the deck. If anything happens, you can all hear me if I scream!"
The young monk was a little hesitant and looked around. Apart from the directors and contestants, everyone else was trapped here. It seemed unlikely that anything would happen.
"Then be careful and call me if you need anything."
"Don't worry!"
Lin Zhinan smiled and left with the blanket in his arms.
The little monk looked at her and blinked, thinking...
"Oh, that's bad."
A burnt smell came up, and the little monk shouted, "It's over, it's burnt, I will definitely cut him."
"It's over, it's over. I saw Goryeo's Che Eun-hui move. Ah, the people from the Peacock Nation also stood up. Damn it, little monk, I'm not done with you."
"What should I do? I'm so anxious, ahhhh!"
"Wow, you're crying. Is my sister going to be out?"
"I just think it's okay for my sister to be out. She must not get hurt by these heavy-handed people."
"Calling my dear brother, calling my dear brother, I'm crying loudly. Little monk, just wait, my dear brother will definitely bring you a plate of 'braised pork with vine strips'."
"If these people dare, my brother will never let them go."
"Oh, here we go! Poor little girl! She's really going to be eliminated! What a shame! There are only two girls left in the Asian competition, and one more is going to be missing soon."
"You despicable people, my brother will definitely take revenge on you."
"Don't worry, it's not a desperate moment yet. My brother is standing on the top of the third floor. He can see the front deck from his position. As soon as my sister appears, she will be within his sight."
"Yes, calm down, calm down."
The people in the live broadcast room were so angry at what they were doing that their minds went blank. After someone persuaded them, they calmed down a lot. However, they didn't know that Lin Zhinan's current analysis was exactly the opposite of theirs.
The ship is divided into the front deck and the rear deck. The ship tilted backwards, so the rear deck must be flooded. It was raining heavily outside, and the thunder was getting smaller and smaller, with a sign of going away, so there was no need to worry about the possibility of being struck by lightning. So Lin Zhinan chose the rear deck.
Chinese audience: ...
"Come and kill me with a bolt of lightning!"
Lin Zhinan walked from the front of the lobby to the back, and when he came out of the hold, he saw the rear deck. Because the ship tilted backward, there was indeed water on the deck. After a night of flushing, the water was quite clean.
Lin Zhinan walked to the water's edge, put down the blanket, washed the large leaves in the water, and spread them out. The blanket hadn't been washed since they entered Lookout Island, not even the last time they were in the maze. Over time, it had absorbed a lot of sweat and had a very peculiar smell, which was unpleasant.
Lin Zhinan washed Chu Huaiqin's blanket first. He hadn't taken it on purpose, but he just grabbed it. Lin Zhinan's eyes narrowed with laughter. He wet the blanket, placed it on the large leaves, and began to scrub it with his hands. Without soap or detergent, a heavily soiled blanket must be scrubbed vigorously to remove any dirt, otherwise the smell after washing will be even worse than before.
"Little sister, wash the blanket!"
Cha Eun-hui's voice echoed behind her. Lin Zhinan turned around in confusion and suddenly saw two people from the Peacock Nation, followed by three people from the Monkey Team. Having a bad feeling in her heart, Lin Zhinan quickly stood up and took two steps back. The accumulated water immediately soaked the corner of her pants.
"Is there anything wrong?" Lin Zhinan was so scared that he stuttered in English.
"Don't be nervous. It's the watch on your wrist. Can you give it to us?" Che Enhui is good-looking and has a beautiful smile, giving people a refreshing feeling.
"A woman with a heart as vicious as a snake."
"Oh my god, it's a shame she didn't get to play Snow White's stepmother."
"What are you talking about? Her watch has to be handed over anyway. We, Enhui, are kind enough to let her pick it. Otherwise, if we let those men pick it, they won't be so gentle."
"That's right, our Eun-hye is too kind. She shouldn't have done these things. This is all for her own good. Be grateful!"
"Get out of here!"
"Nine people surrounding a little girl, how shameless!"
The Chinese audience watched the sister retreat step by step, and they were so angry that tears came out. These bastards, if they have the guts, they can challenge my brother to a duel! What is this like now?
"I won't give it to you," Lin Zhinan shook his head, "Brother said we'd go to the international competition together."
"Be obedient, little sister. If they want to take action, I can't stop them." Che Enhui approached step by step, and Lin Zhinan retreated step by step.
The heavy rain kept falling, dropping on Lin Zhinan's straw hat and then sliding down on his raincoat, without getting his clothes wet at all. Che Enhui looked at the fair and clean little face in front of her, her eyes almost bleeding. She was the only girl in the team, so why was she so thin, dark and tired? But this little girl was the opposite of her.
Just like now, she was soaked all over, and the men behind her were insulting her with hateful and disgusting laughter, but the little girl was wrapped tightly.
"Since you refuse my help, I can only let them do it," Cha Eun-hui wiped the rain from her face, walked aside, and said, "I can't persuade her. It's so sad."
"Then don't blame us, little sister," the Peacock Nation team member stepped forward, staring at Lin Zhinan. Seeing her take two steps back in panic, he laughed even more. "Your team's captain did the same thing before, taking off other teams' watches. They were the ones who started the competition rules. You can blame him!"
“… Blame…him…”
Chu Huaiqin's watch suddenly displayed these three words intermittently. He was watching how to repair the lightning rod, his expression froze, his mind racing. He only heard the last three words, indicating that the signal was poor. Even with a poor signal, he could still hear the sound of rain coming from inside, so the sound was coming from outside the hold.
If it was the little monk or Xia Entang, it would be impossible for them to ask for help before the fight even started. Then there were only two people left, Lin Zhinan or Su Huaichen. Of the two, Lin Zhinan was the most likely to be attacked.
Who left her alone?
Chu Huaiqin's heart was boiling with rage. He glanced around. Standing at the highest point, he could only see Xia En and Su Huaichen in the distance. They had left at some unknown time, and now they were running towards the ship, seemingly aiming for the rear deck...
"How……"
The staff standing by watched Chu Huaiqin's expression change from time to time. Just as they were about to ask what was wrong, they suddenly saw Chu Huaiqin running towards the rear deck. He looked anxious as if something had happened. With an idea in mind, they followed him.
"A disobedient girl is really naughty," the Peacock Nation team member finally lost his temper. Looking at Lin Zhinan who was constantly retreating, he showed an uncomfortable smile and said, "Then I won't be polite."
"Brother will never let you go." Lin Zhinan looked at the people from the Peacock Country striding towards her, put her hands behind her back, and took a few steps back. She didn't see the railing behind her and her body suddenly bumped into it. The railing was unstable and she shook violently, which scared her and she screamed.
"I told you not to hide. Give me the watch." As soon as he finished speaking, the man from Peacock Country reached out his hand to Lin Zhinan. The huge height difference and the uncomfortable aura emanating from this man made Lin Zhinan uncomfortable. He couldn't help but yell, "Don't touch me."
But how could this man obey? He reached out and grabbed Lin Zhinan's shoulder. Lin Zhinan, who was pressing on the railing, unconsciously pressed his body back to avoid him, but he didn't expect that the railing had already rotted away. When Lin Zhinan pressed down, the railing broke...
"ah!"
Screams pierced the rain, and everyone, including the director, was stunned. Lin Zhinan was about to fall from the five-meter-high ship...
"ah!"
Another scream was heard, but it was not from Lin Zhinan, but from Che Enhui.
Chu Huaiqin appeared out of nowhere and suddenly pounced out to grab Lin Zhinan's hand tightly. However, due to the impact of gravity, Chu Huaiqin was also pulled down. His arm brushed against the rough steel edge of the ship, and instantly a layer of skin was scraped off his entire forearm.
The blood, mixed with the rain, was shocking to everyone.
"Brother, brother, wow...you...your hand..." Lin Zhinan's mind was blank as she fell, but when she was pulled back, before she had time to be afraid, she saw Chu Huaiqin's peeling arm. She was no longer afraid, but was scared to tears by Chu Huaiqin, "Brother, let go quickly."
"It's okay, just hold on and wait a moment." Chu Huaiqin smiled at Lin Zhinan, trying his best to keep smiling and comfort her.
"cocoa……"
"Qingqing, hurry up and put her down."
At this time, Xia En and Su Huaichen had already run to the bottom of the ship. They had just seen Lin Zhinan and this group of people from a distance. Their first reaction was to run back. During this time, they also used their watches to try to contact Chu Huaiqin and the little monk, but due to weather reasons and the distance, the signal was too poor and there was no way to connect the communication.
“…Brother…Brother…hurry and throw me down…wuwu…your hand…”
Lin Zhinan was crying out of breath, and his mind went blank as he watched Chu Huaiqin's forearm bleeding.
"Be good, don't cry. If you're scared, just close your eyes and trust Xia Entropy." Chu Huaiqin saw Lin Zhinan close her eyes and nod her head repeatedly, knowing that she was ready. He looked at Xia Entropy and saw the turbulent emotions in his eyes. His heart moved and he smiled, "Catch her."
"Don't worry!"
Xia En's voice was deep, as if it weighed a thousand pounds, but the emotions surging in his eyes were like the turbulent sea outside, ready to swallow everything up at any time.
"Three, two, one..."
When two groups of directors rushed out after receiving the chief director's message, they saw that the falling Lin Zhinan was caught steadily by Xia Entang. They breathed a sigh of relief and then turned their eyes to Chu Huaiqin.
Chu Huaiqin was still lying on the deck. The blood from his forearm mixed with the rain and fell down, hitting Xia En's face below, burning his eyes red.
Chu Huaiqin smiled. He stood up from the deck, shook his hands and turned around.
The deputy director who ran over with Chu Huaiqin was about to ask him to apply medicine, but was shocked by Chu Huaiqin's laughter and was speechless for a moment.
He was laughing, watching the people of Peacock Country laugh, and walked over step by step. In the rain, he looked like a demon...
The author has something to say: I thought I could finish this paragraph in this chapter, but it seems that another chapter is needed.
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