Meanwhile, Shen Wanwan returned to the Mystery Stage.
She handed the collected vase fragments to the NPC for inspection. After confirming that all the pieces were present, the NPC finally lowered Zhang Song back to the ground.
The poor teenager had been hanging out in the wind for over forty minutes, and his body had become stiff from the cold.
After being lowered, his legs were still a little weak. Looking at Shen Wanwan, he tentatively acted spoiled.
“Sister, I thought you weren’t coming back.”
Shen Wanwan answered expressionlessly, “I didn’t want to.”
If Qi Luozhou hadn’t called over some ‘human prop’ to let her hitch a ride back on a tricycle, she would have seriously considered the feasibility of simply leaving him there.
Zhang Song: “…”
He had finally realized something.
Shen Wanwan was completely immune to his usual cute act.
If he wanted to hear the answer he hoped for, he’d have to speak honestly.
“Sister, you’ve worked hard.”
He edged a little closer to her.
Shen Wanwan didn’t pay it any mind. She gestured for him to sit at the table so they could reassemble the vase together.
For the guests’ safety, the production team hadn’t used ceramic shards. Instead, they’d prepared large acrylic pieces with frosted, rounded edges so none of them could cut their hands.
However, that also meant assembling the vase was more difficult. Since the vase was curved, they had to carefully adjust its shape while gluing the pieces together.
Zhang Song pulled his stool a little closer and obediently sat beside her, quietly helping her assemble it.
This part required a great deal of patience.
Shen Wanwan worked at an unhurried pace, her movements elegant and methodical.
Zhang Song simply handed her the fragments and tools as needed.
This time he didn’t deliberately act cute anymore.
After all, Shen Wanwan wasn’t affected by it. If he kept trying, he’d only be performing a one-man show.
The two worked together smoothly and harmoniously.
They genuinely looked a bit like an older sister and younger brother.
[Xiao Song is so well-behaved when he’s with Wanwan!]
[Exactly! Around everyone else he’s a little brat, but next to Wanwan he’s such an obedient little brother!]
[Can ‘Halfway Siblings’ become permanent?! ‘Petty Revenge Duo’ and ‘WanZhou’ are glaring at them, but I really want to see these two team up!]
When Shen Wanwan and Zhang Song glued on the very last fragment and confirmed that the vase was whole and wouldn’t collapse again, the mission was officially declared a success.
“My dear lady and gentleman, I am Hermes. Congratulations on clearing the stage. Here is your reward.”
The NPC appeared once more and handed them the key to unlock the brocade pouch Shen Wanwan had been carrying.
Zhang Song accepted the key and opened the pouch.
Inside was a small slip of paper.
He unfolded it.
“You must clear the Fireplace Stage on the very first day and obtain the fireplace.”
Hermes smiled at them.
“This is my advice to the two of you.”
Zhang Song silently looked toward Shen Wanwan.
Shen Wanwan simply stared at the note with a blank expression.
Behind the monitors, the director watched excitedly.
He had expected Shen Wanwan to take an unconventional route and choose the Mystery Stage.
At that moment, an informational overlay about Hermes appeared at the top of the livestream.
[Hermes (Greek: Ἑρμῆς) is the god of commerce, travelers, thieves, and shepherds in Greek mythology.
[Clever and cunning, he is also regarded as the creator of the art of deception.]
Therefore…
His words could not be trusted.
Shen Wanwan and Zhang Song couldn’t see this information.
But the viewers certainly could.
[Holy crap, the director is evil! This stage is basically hell mode!]
[But I actually think it’s brilliantly designed. Hermes is literally known as the creator of deception, so of course what he says is a lie. If you can’t figure that out, that’s on you. Hahaha!]
[Honestly, I think it’s actually kind of easy. There’s no way Shen Wanwan can’t see through this, right?]
[Uh… if I didn’t have the audience’s omniscient perspective, I would absolutely believe it… After all, it’s information you only get after working so hard to clear the stage!]
[Oh my god! I just checked the map. The Fireplace, just like the Lamp, is a five-star difficulty stage!]
[The production team is so devious! Five-star stages are insanely hard. Watching God Zhou clear the Lamp Stage already made my head spin! Even after seeing him solve it, I still don’t understand how he did it!]
Zhang Song was visibly excited.
He had watched the show before and knew just how capable Shen Wanwan was.
But until now, he’d only ever watched her through a screen.
This was the first time he got to participate alongside her up close, and he couldn’t help feeling thrilled.
Looking at her, he asked, “Sister, then… shall we go to the Fireplace Stage?”
Shen Wanwan shook her head.
“No.”
She glanced toward one of the cameras filming the two of them.
Somehow, the director felt as though their eyes had met.
…That ominous feeling was back again.
Sure enough, the very next second, Shen Wanwan gestured for the production team to open the shop menu. A fireplace cost a full 2,000 Speed Tokens.
She only had 2,200 tokens in total.
Could it be…
The answer in the director’s heart was already painfully obvious.
“Buy the fireplace.”
Shen Wanwan’s clear voice drifted through the wind, carrying a hint of winter’s chill.
The director instantly felt his own heart turn ice-cold.
How did she know?!
The livestream chat exploded.
[Whoa!!!]
[Wanwan’s just buying it directly?!]
[AHHH! That’s so badass!]
Zhang Song looked at Shen Wanwan in surprise.
The NPC staff member clearly hadn’t expected her to be so decisive and timidly reminded her,
“Um… What I mean is, only the fireplace you earn by clearing the challenge stage is the good one.”
Shen Wanwan replied without hesitation, “Buy the fireplace.”
NPC: “…”
Production crew: “…”
When they had designed this stage, everyone had been convinced that Shen Wanwan would never think of taking such a reverse approach.
Because the twist itself was actually very simple.
Based on Shen Wanwan’s usual line of thinking, they expected her to discover the trick either on the way to the fireplace stage… or at the fireplace stage itself.
Unable to bear it, the NPC reminded her once more.
“Are you sure?”
Even some of the less steadfast viewers in the livestream chat began to waver.
[Isn’t Shen Wanwan putting all her eggs in one basket here?]
[What if buying the fireplace actually turns out to be the wrong choice?]
[Is she really that confident?]
[If I were the production team, I’d change the rules on the spot. Forget winning the prize, I just want my dignity back! Why is she always so sure of herself?! Where’s the director’s pride? Where’s the scriptwriter’s pride?!]
Director & Scriptwriters: “…” Thanks. We feel personally attacked.
Shen Wanwan took out 2,000 Speed Tokens, paid without the slightest hesitation, and then said something that left the entire production team dumbfounded.
“Mm. I just couldn’t be bothered to go.”
“…”
Wait.
That was it?
She was simply too lazy?!
—Do you have any idea how many simulations we ran just to predict the way your brain works?!
—Do you know how much effort we put into preventing exactly this?! We even stuffed the fireplace stage with all kinds of misleading traps!
—And you’re just… not going because you can’t be bothered?! Seriously?!
—What about all our hard work?!
—Did you absolutely have to buy this fireplace today?! Couldn’t you at least indulge us by going through the fireplace challenge first?!
—TAT
“Hurry up.”
Growing impatient from waiting, Shen Wanwan urged them.
And so, under the shattered gazes of the entire staff, the director tearfully accepted the 2,000 Speed Tokens.
“Congratulations! You’ve obtained a Cozy Bed!
“Congratulations! You’ve obtained a Water Heater!
“Congratulations! You’ve obtained Elegant Lighting!”
As he announced each reward in succession, the director gritted his teeth harder and harder.
Which scriptwriter was foolish enough to make the reward list this generous?!
Now that Shen Wanwan has all this stuff, how are they supposed to keep the game interesting?!