On their way to the next level, they happened to pass the level where they had won the bed the other day.
Quite a few people dressed in black were lined up, taking turns attempting the challenge.
Viewers in the livestream also began to notice something odd.
[Huh? Why are there other people doing the level?]
[Are those the Hunters?]
[Ahhh! Brother Ye and Wanwan, run!!!]
But the black-clad figures paid no attention to Shao Yuye and Shen Wanwan. They marched straight toward the level stations, their objective unwavering.
[Huh? Aren’t the people in black the Hunters? They walked right past them without catching them.]
[Did anyone notice the guy in sunglasses in the second group? He’s so handsome!]
[Why are they clearing the levels too?]
It didn’t take long before one of the black-clad contestants who successfully cleared a level answered everyone’s question.
The loudspeakers installed across the island broadcast the latest announcement: “Congratulations to Zhang Yiran. Your bed has been confiscated.”
At that moment, Zhang Yiran and Jiang Yuan were still leisurely working through a challenge.
They had been calculating their Speed Tokens. With all the back-and-forth rewards, they figured this level area could earn them a huge profit.
Then, at the next level area, they’d copy Shen Wanwan’s strategy again, use the tokens to live comfortably instead of foolishly clearing every challenge.
Who would’ve thought that before they could celebrate, they’d hear that devastating announcement?
“What the hell?!
“I worked so hard to win that! How the hell did they just take it back?!”
No one answered Zhang Yiran.
While Jiang Yuan was still equally baffled, another announcement echoed through the air: “Congratulations to Jiang Yuan. Your bed has been confiscated.”
The two of them were still completely confused when Jin Xiaoyu happened to run past. Excitedly, she pointed toward the direction where the black-clad figures had gone.
“It’s those people in black!
“They’re clearing the levels too! Every time they win, they steal our supplies!
“Damn it!!!”
—The production team really has no conscience!
They had only just solved their survival problems, and now everything was being taken away again?!
“So what do we do now?” Zhang Yiran asked nervously, “Go win our beds back?”
Qi Luozhou, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.
“Cooperate.”
Qi Luozhou always gave people an indifferent impression, as though nothing in the world particularly concerned him.
Yet whenever he spoke, his words carried an unquestionable authority.
“Right, right!” Zhang Yiran immediately agreed, “At this stage, working together is definitely the smartest move.”
He shared the second clue from the brocade pouch with everyone.
“Those people in black are probably the Hunters. Besides stealing supplies, they also have permission to capture us. We have to figure out how not to get caught.”
“Forget about the equipment,” Qi Luozhou said decisively, “Head straight for the main challenge.”
If his guess was correct, once the Hunters had reclaimed all of the contestants’ supplies, the real hunt would begin.
“Got it!”
Time was running short.
Zhang Yiran and Jiang Yuan immediately sprinted toward the next major checkpoint.
Even though she knew everything was scripted, the immersive atmosphere felt so realistic and tense that Jin Xiaoyu couldn’t help getting nervous.
As a result, she kept making mistakes during the next level, forcing Qi Luozhou to repeat it with her over and over.
She was practically on the verge of tears.
“What do I do, God Zhou? The more I try to speed up, the worse I perform!”
Qi Luozhou simply smiled as always.
“It’s okay. Take it slowly.”
Then the smile at the corner of his lips widened slightly as he joked, “Worst case… we spend the winter on this island.”
Jin Xiaoyu: “…”
—Your mentality is seriously incredible.
But who wouldn’t want to get off work early?!
Just imagine it—
All the other guests finish filming, board the ferry back to the capital, and happily begin their vacation.
Meanwhile…
You’re stranded alone on an island with no food, no equipment, and no one else around, staying there until the remaining filming schedule ends…
Just thinking about it was suffocating.
The livestream chat couldn’t stop praising him.
[God Zhou’s mentality is unreal!]
[This is the kind of composure that can never be manipulated by emotional pressure.]
[LMAO. He says that, but there’s no way God Zhou is actually staying on the island.]
Just then, Shao Yuye came running over in a panic.
“Have either of you seen my sister?”
It was the first time Jin Xiaoyu had ever seen Brother Ye this flustered.
She honestly shook her head.
“No…
“Did you and Wanwan get separated?”
Shao Yuye’s expression turned grim.
“My sister may have been captured by the people in black.”
The moment those words fell…
The man who had been calm and smiling only moments ago suddenly froze.
His smile disappeared.
Qi Luozhou looked directly at Shao Yuye.
“Where did you two get separated?”
Shao Yuye paused.
For some reason, he thought he heard a trace of reproach in Qi Luozhou’s voice.
Was he imagining it?
Still, now wasn’t the time to dwell on that.
He had to gather people to help find his sister.
“It was back at the level we just cleared. I turned around for one second, and she was gone.”
Qi Luozhou said, “I’ll go with you to find her.”
Shao Yuye glanced at him.
For once, he didn’t refuse.
As much as he hated to admit it, there was no denying one fact—
Qi Luozhou was reliable.
With Qi Luozhou helping, the chances of finding his sister would increase severalfold.
The livestream chat exploded.
[AHHHH! God Zhou’s boyfriend energy is off the charts!!]
[Shen Wanwan—the miraculous woman capable of making sworn rivals work together.]
[That reaction! ‘WanZhou’ shippers are spinning in happiness. He definitely likes Wanwan, right?!]
[Ahhh! She’s to the east, just below where Brother Ye was standing! Hurry! Those people in black don’t look like good news!]
[But… I kind of feel like Shen Wanwan let herself get caught on purpose.]
At this moment, the black-clad figures were tying Shen Wanwan up.
She sat on a black chair, with an hourglass resting on a stand beside her.
Once they had secured the ropes around her, one of them flipped the hourglass over. Countless grains of sand streamed steadily through its narrow neck.
It likely meant that once all the sand had run out, her ‘HP’ would drop to zero.
Bai Ling had also been captured alongside Shen Wanwan.
She was tied to a chair directly opposite Shen Wanwan.
After discovering that the previous group of black-clad figures only focused on clearing levels and didn’t capture players, Zhang Song and Bai Ling had boldly strolled right past them whenever they met.
Who could have guessed that the next group they encountered would actually arrest people?
Thanks to his agility, Zhang Song managed to escape.
Bai Ling wasn’t so lucky.
When Shen Wanwan noticed the commotion over here, she glanced at her Brother, who was still busily clearing levels, then casually walked straight toward the black-clad figures, allowing herself to be captured so naturally that she ended up tied up beside Bai Ling.
Bai Ling comforted her.
“Wanwan, don’t be scared. Brother Ye will definitely come save you!”
Shen Wanwan softly hummed in acknowledgment, but her gaze never left the black-clad figures. Compared to the earlier group that had been clearing stages, these ones had additional dark crimson markings decorating their outfits.
A few of them remained behind to guard the two girls, while several others headed deeper inside.
Curious, Shen Wanwan looked toward the inner room. Someone seemed to be mixing some kind of potion inside, muttering incomprehensible words under their breath.
[Ahhh, this is so tense!]
[It honestly feels like we’re inside a real escape game!]
[I’m so scared that the hourglass is almost empty! It’s already more than halfway through! If it runs out completely, are Wanwan and Bai Ling going to be eliminated?!]
Bai Ling was growing anxious as well.
She wanted to trust her teammate…
But her teammate was Zhang Song.
She wasn’t exactly confident he’d be able to rescue her.
In a situation like this, relying on herself and Shen Wanwan seemed far more dependable.
“Wanwan, have you thought of any way for us to save ourselves?”
Shen Wanwan shook her head.
“No.”
Bai Ling stared at her in disbelief.
“No?!
“Then just now…”
—You walked right over and got yourself captured so confidently, I thought you had some kind of plan!
Shen Wanwan smiled at her.
“You said it yourself just now.
“My brother will definitely come find me.”
—So there was nothing to worry about.
Bai Ling: “…”
Having a brother really does make you arrogant, huh.
[Hahaha! Bai Ling: I shouldn’t even have asked!]
[So what if she has a brother? …Okay, fine, it’s amazing! Brother Ye will probably rescue Bai Ling while he’s at it too!]
[So what exactly did Wanwan notice? Why did she deliberately get herself captured? Can somebody explain what was going through her mind?!]
[Ahhh! God Zhou and Brother Ye have both obtained the inhibitor! This is so nerve-racking! Which one will reach them first?!]
While Bai Ling was still grumbling to herself, a pure white figure suddenly flashed across her vision.
He was running so fast that she could barely make out his features.
Yet her heart skipped a beat as she recognized him instantly.
It was Qi Luozhou!
“God Zhou!” she cried out in delight.
But Qi Luozhou seemed not to hear her at all.
He sprinted straight toward Shen Wanwan.
As though she were the only person in his eyes.
While Bai Ling was still frozen in surprise, she saw Shao Yuye step in only a heartbeat behind him.
Clearly, he had come for Shen Wanwan as well.
The black-clad guards watching over them had already been effortlessly subdued by the two of them using some sort of item.
They were too far away for Bai Ling to make out what tool they were holding.
But she could clearly see the urgency in their footsteps as they rushed toward Shen Wanwan.
Prompted by Bai Ling’s shout, Shen Wanwan turned her head.
Seeing Qi Luozhou, she looked a little surprised—
and a little delighted.
He had arrived so quickly that he brought a cool gust of wind with him.
Tilting her face up, she met his deep brown eyes and silently smiled at him.
Qi Luozhou stepped forward and untied the ropes binding her wrists behind her back.
His gaze lingered on the red marks the ropes had left on her skin.
A trace of guilt crept into his voice.
“…I’m sorry.
“I came too late.”