Chapter 24: To Survive Later, Take a Gamble (Part 2)

The crowd moved numbly, clearing a path for Qiao Yitong to pass through.

Qiao Yitong walked out holding two coconuts. Once she had completely left, gasps of disbelief rose from the crowd one after another.

“What… what was that just now?” the shut-in Deng You asked blankly.

All they had seen was Qiao Yitong’s hand flicking slightly, and then the coconuts just fell?

They looked at the weapon Qiao Yitong had thrown.

It wasn’t a weapon at all; it was clearly just a pair of ordinary seashells, common on any beach.

The Beauty Influencer shuddered, looking at his hand with lingering fear. The bloody scratch on his fingertip seemed to throb with even more pain now.

So, it hadn’t been an illusion earlier.

If he had actually reached out and touched the Bamboo House at that moment, the thing falling off as smoothly as those coconuts would have been his hand.

Shisan and Peppa Lamb looked at the bamboo in their hands, then at the single coconut they had spent ages trying to get down.

They suddenly remembered the things they had said while cutting the bamboo.

“This bamboo is so hard to cut. How do you think those two cut so much to build a whole Bamboo House?”

“Ha, Brother, you actually believe those two built that house themselves? Just look at how hard this wood is. It took us this long just to cut one stalk. That house must have at least a hundred. Just the two of them? They’d drop dead from exhaustion before they finished.”

“So the show’s production team provided the Bamboo House?”

“Definitely. Qiao Yitong has always been like this, trying to pass off black as white.”

Those words were still fresh in their minds, but now, they felt a faint, stinging sensation… like a slap to the face.

“Um, let’s… let’s keep going,” Shisan’s voice called everyone back to reality.

His voice was a bit dry, a far cry from his confident directing earlier. It was as if Qiao Yitong’s casual toss of two seashells had crushed all his self-esteem into dust.

The shock Qiao Yitong delivered was one thing.

But they still needed to eat the coconuts.

Several people swallowed hard as they looked in the direction Qiao Yitong had left. Then, they continued quietly directing Shisan and Peppa Lamb’s movements, struggling to hack the coconuts down from the tree.

This time, their voices were much lower than before.

For no other reason than they were afraid Qiao Yitong and Lu Cheng would hear them, making them look even more pathetic.

During this process, Deng You, who had been standing on the outskirts with little presence, shifted his gaze.

Having spent his days playing video games, he possessed a sickly thinness and pallor. When he first arrived on the island, everyone thought it would be nearly impossible for him to survive on his own.

He was well aware of this himself.

His survival skills were indeed poor.

Therefore, he understood better than anyone how to act in his own best interest.

For example, when there are resources, you grab them.

For example, you must never offend Shisan; you even have to flatter him to provide emotional value.

And for example…

Abandoning the weak now to follow the strong would give him a much better chance at survival.

Having weighed the pros and cons, Deng You lowered his head and quietly slipped away from the group.

But beside him, the Beauty Influencer still noticed.

“Hey, where are you going?” he shouted.

Deng You quickened his pace without looking back.

Everyone was stunned for a moment before immediately realizing his intention. “Deng You, you’re betraying us, you know that?”

Deng You still didn’t look back.

The Beauty Influencer wanted to shout again, but Shisan stopped him. “Leave him be. Let him go. If he leaves, it’s obvious he’s not one of us anyway.”

Deng You’s departure was the second shock to the group, following right after Qiao Yitong’s coconut harvesting.

Everyone’s mood turned heavy.

Even when they finally managed to knock the coconuts down and drink the sweet juice, their spirits didn’t improve much.

However, those few people weren’t the only ones stunned by Qiao Yitong’s display. After a brief silence, the bullet chat began to explode.

• Holy crap, what was that? Two shells fly out and the coconuts just fall? You’ve got to be kidding me! –

• Fake, it’s definitely staged. –

The viewers in the Main Live Stream smiled knowingly when they saw the shocked comments from the newcomers.

• I’ve been sitting here calmly watching the show from the start because of this. Did you really think you could just come over here and enjoy these resources? Even if you wanted to copy Sister Tong’s homework, do you even understand how to do it? –

• Seriously, I wanted to laugh when I heard them saying Sister Tong’s Bamboo House was prepared by the crew while they were cutting bamboo. I was just waiting for this face-slapping moment. –

• Where are all those fans who were jumping around earlier? Why aren’t you coming out now? –

• Is it that hard to admit cutting coconuts isn’t easy? “If you’re so good, why don’t you do it?” Tsk tsk, who said that again? Well, it seems cutting coconuts really isn’t that hard—we can’t do it, but Sister Tong can. –

• No, I’m curious, do you people in the Main Live Stream really not check the trending searches? Two days ago, Sister Tong hitting coconuts with shells and cutting bamboo was already trending. Did you not see it at all? –

• …I saw it, but I didn’t look closely. I thought it was just some abstract clickbait. –

• Hahaha, things are starting to get interesting. –

The viewers in the Main Live Stream finally felt a sense of vindication.

What was the point of this group coming over like bandits? Could Sister Tong’s techniques be learned by just anyone?

However, some people in the bullet chat also noticed Deng You’s behavior.

• What is Deng You trying to do? –

• What else? He’s always been selfish. Now that he sees Qiao Yitong has more stuff, he’s heading over there. –

Deng You indeed went to find Qiao Yitong.

When he reached her side, he momentarily didn’t know how to approach her or start a conversation.

Qiao Yitong noticed him as well, but she similarly had no interest in talking.

As long as this person didn’t interfere with her, she had no interest in knowing what he was doing.

“Sister… Yitong,” Deng You finally walked over and called out to her.

He was still feeling a bit awkward.

Back when Qiao Yitong was being marginalized, although he hadn’t said anything cruel, he hadn’t followed her directly like Lu Cheng did.

It seemed he had indeed picked the wrong side.

Deng You thought to himself, realizing he only had one card left to play.

That card was the fact that Qiao Yitong was a public figure. He had heard she joined this show specifically to earn money for a contract termination fee and to clear her name.

Since her goal was to rehabilitate her image, she would surely have to maintain some level of professional courtesy.

For the sake of audience favor, Qiao Yitong likely wouldn’t be too heartless. This was Deng You’s only leverage.

Deng You’s eyes darted around as he forced himself to calm down.

Qiao Yitong paused her movements as she refined Spiritual Power for her cultivation.

She lifted her eyes to look at Deng You and said flatly, “Something the matter?”

Deng You met Qiao Yitong’s gaze and froze for a moment.

What kind of eyes were those? They were clear yet filled with indifference. To use a slightly dramatic description, it was the kind of coldness and pity seen in someone accustomed to life and death.

He didn’t understand it, nor did he stop to wonder why he was seeing a look that usually only appeared in films on Qiao Yitong’s face. He was only concerned with explaining his purpose.

Thus, when Qiao Yitong responded, Deng You forced a thick-skinned¹ smile and said, “Sister, can I join you guys?”

Qiao Yitong withdrew her gaze. “No.”

Deng You: “…”

Wasn’t she here to clear her name? Why wasn’t she giving him any face at all?

Deng You was stunned, completely at a loss for what to do next.

That single word, “no,” had completely blocked his path.

• Hahahaha, I’m dying. Sister Tong is so decisive. –

• Exactly. How thick is this guy’s skin? Why does he think Sister Tong would take him in? –

• Wait, don’t just look at Qiao Yitong. Look at Lu Cheng’s hidden expression. When Deng You walked over, he became totally guarded. When Deng You asked to join them, Lu Cheng tensed up even more. Why is his reaction so extreme? –

• In Lu Cheng’s eyes, Sister Tong belonged to him alone, and now someone is coming to steal her. How could he not react? –

• Oh~ I get it. Puppies are very possessive. I ship it, I ship it. –

• He really is super sensitive. After Qiao Yitong said “no,” he cheered up instantly. –

• Hahaha, does he have to make it so obvious! –

• Honestly, Lu Cheng’s reaction is pretty funny. This is just the beginning. With such strong one-sided possessiveness, it’s just Deng You right now. If Jing Xueqin comes over in a few days, I wonder how Lu Cheng will react. After all, Deng You and Qiao Yitong have no history, but Jing Xueqin was once part of a shipped couple² with her. –

• Enough with the previous comment! Our Jing Bao refuses to be tied to anyone. Qiao Yitong’s fans have had enough. Haven’t you leeched off Jing Bao’s popularity enough? –

• I’m seriously fed up. Don’t you fans find it gross to call him “Jing Bao” every other word? How old is he, still calling him a “baby”? You’re here dissing Qiao Yitong and talking about refusing to be tied together? I suggest you pray that your Jing Bao doesn’t end up crying and running over to beg Qiao Yitong for shelter! –

…

On the bullet chat, everyone started arguing again, with some fans even resorting to hurling insults.

The show’s popularity reached an unprecedented peak.

In the monitoring room, PD Wei looked at the soaring numbers in the Live Stream Room, his heart racing with excitement.

“Director, it looks like our show is really taking off. Ever since the two teams met, the viewer count has been skyrocketing.”

Director Song stood with his arms crossed, coldly watching the data on the screen. His expression didn’t flicker.

Seeing this, PD Wei couldn’t help but click his tongue.

No wonder Director Song was known in the industry as the “cold-faced director,” and no wonder he could produce such a “heartless” reality show.

Was Director Song perhaps suffering from some kind of emotional detachment disorder?

From the start of the show until now, so many things had happened. Several times, contestants had fallen into crisis. While PD Wei had been nervous to the point of exhaustion, Director Song had remained cold and ruthless throughout.

It was as if he had no humanity and no heart.

If one were to say he only cared about profit, then this massive surge in popularity should have brought him immense satisfaction. Yet, Director Song still looked as if it had nothing to do with him.

He really didn’t know if there was anything in this world that could possibly move such a man.

Back at the site, Deng You didn’t leave immediately after being heartlessly rejected by Qiao Yitong.

His survival instinct told him that clinging to Qiao Yitong was his only chance at life. So, after her rejection, he hurriedly stepped forward and continued, “Sister, I truly want to join you. Don’t worry, I won’t just eat for free. I can do a lot of things. Anything Lu Cheng can do, I can do too. I don’t ask for much, Sister. You just need to give me a bit of food so I can survive these remaining twenty-odd days. I don’t ask for anything else.”

All he wanted was to get that final ten million.

After he finished speaking, Lu Cheng, who had just started to relax, froze again. He nearly bristled with indignation.

Lu Cheng: ???

The nerve! He was sitting right here, and this guy was telling Sister Yitong he wanted to replace him right to his face?

An unprecedented sense of panic rose in Lu Cheng’s heart.

He was terrified that Qiao Yitong might actually take Deng You up on the offer and discard him in favor of the newcomer.

• I’m stunned. This guy is brave. This is a direct challenge to Lu Cheng’s face, isn’t it? –

• Lu Cheng, can you really endure this? –

• From Lu Cheng’s expression, I finally understand the saying: you can’t hide the look of someone who wants to murder you. –

As for what Lu Cheng’s expression was or whether Lu Cheng would hold a grudge, Deng You didn’t give a damn.

He just stared at Qiao Yitong, waiting for her answer.

Qiao Yitong turned back to look at him again, her brow furrowing slightly. “You can do everything Lu Cheng does?”

The moment Qiao Yitong spoke, Deng You grew excited, sensing that things were moving in his favor.

Lu Cheng instantly became more vigilant, even pushing himself up from the ground. The panic in his eyes was impossible to hide, and he was fully prepared to argue and fight for his position.

Deng You nodded repeatedly. “Yes, I can do everything. I’ll do it even better than him. Sister, I’ll do whatever you order me to do. If you told me to go beat someone up right now, I wouldn’t hesitate for a second. That’s something Lu Cheng could never do.”

Lu Cheng: ?

The hell? You say I can’t do it, so I can’t do it?

Believe it or not, I’ll beat you up right now.

Qiao Yitong, however, frowned slightly and said slowly, “It is enough that he does it. Why would I need you?”

Deng You: …?

Wait, you’re really not giving me a single chance?

Lu Cheng’s bristling state was instantly smoothed over. Clearly, Sister Yitong’s words meant she had chosen him.

He was happy.

Lu Cheng wanted to smile, but he felt that smiling in front of Deng You would look like a petty man gloating over his success.

So, he tried his absolute best to press down the corners of his mouth.

Seeing that Deng You still didn’t seem to understand, Qiao Yitong stood up. She pointed at him, then at Lu Cheng, and said to Deng You, “You, dirty. He, clean.”

Deng You’s health bar³: -1. Lu Cheng’s smile: +1.

“You, weak. He, healthy.”

Deng You’s health bar: -5. Lu Cheng’s smile: +5.

“You, useless. He, makes weapons.”

Deng You’s health bar: -10. Lu Cheng’s smile: +10.

“He is good-looking. You…” The words were on the tip of her tongue when Qiao Yitong remembered something her master had taught her in her past life.

“Out of politeness, we should not make negative comments about a person’s appearance.”

So Qiao Yitong shut her mouth, leaving the rest unsaid.

However, this silence felt like a fatal blow, more heart-stabbing than if she had just said it outright.

Deng You felt like he was about to fall apart.

“If there is nothing else, please move. I am busy,” Qiao Yitong said, glancing at the sky.

The heavily wounded Deng You moved aside blankly. Qiao Yitong called out to Lu Cheng and walked toward the timber he had prepared.

Lu Cheng followed close behind her, his steps light and airy, his mood clearly jubilant.

A smile bloomed on his face; this was the happiest day since he had arrived on the island.

Sister Tong praised him!

And she praised him several times!

Audience friends, did you hear that? Sister Tong praised me!

Lu Cheng’s head was so full of Qiao Yitong’s compliments that when she suddenly stopped, he nearly collided with her.

Stopping just in time, Lu Cheng looked at Qiao Yitong, wondering why she had suddenly called him over.

As he was thinking, he saw Qiao Yitong look up at him. “Building a house. Do you know how?”

Lu Cheng quickly snapped out of it. “I know a bit.”

“Build it today. Heavy rain tonight,” Qiao Yitong said.

“Huh?” Lu Cheng paused, looking up at the currently clear, sunny sky.

With weather like this, would there really be a storm tonight?

Still, whatever Sister Tong said was law.

Lu Cheng didn’t argue. He rolled up his sleeves, ready to get to work.

In fact, he had spent the last few days meticulously preparing this timber. The thinner sections and branches had all been trimmed smooth.

A large pile of logs was stacked neatly. One could imagine that just moving these things was no easy task.

Let alone turning them into a house.

• Whoa, are we building a house live now? Is she going to perform for us and show how that Bamboo House was built by one person? –

• Performance personality confirmed. She didn’t build this house for so long, but now that she knows everyone is here and the audience has grown, she starts the show, right? –

• Can you people stop being so abstract and ridiculous? Didn’t you hear what Sister Tong just said? There’s a storm tonight, so the house needs to go up. To you, it’s a “performance personality.” You’re just hating for the sake of hating. –

• Hahahaha, you’re telling me it’s going to rain with a sky like that? I’m dying. –

The bullet chat accidentally broke into another argument.

It couldn’t be helped; Qiao Yitong simply had too many anti-fans.

Under the judgmental gaze of the audience, Qiao Yitong said to Lu Cheng, “Move the wood. Give it to me.”

In her mind, his “I know a bit” was automatically translated as “I don’t know how.”

Tonight’s storm would likely be accompanied by gale-force winds. An ordinary house wouldn’t survive it.

“Oh? Okay,” Lu Cheng responded quickly.

And so, under the watchful eyes of the viewers, Lu Cheng began the process of moving the logs.

The timber he had chosen wasn’t excessively thick, so it wasn’t incredibly heavy.

Even so, carrying two logs at once was the limit of his physical strength.

He half-carried, half-dragged two logs over to Qiao Yitong’s side.

Qiao Yitong looked at the spot and asked, “You want to build it here?”

It was right next to her Bamboo House.

Lu Cheng nodded repeatedly, then, fearing that being too close to Sister Tong’s house might upset her, he asked cautiously, “Is that not okay?”

“It is fine,” Qiao Yitong said.

She reached out a single hand toward Lu Cheng. “Give me the wood.”

The bullet chat was still buzzing with arguments about the house building.

• It’s actually kind of funny. Even if it’s going to rain tonight, isn’t it a bit late to start building a house now? A performance is a performance, why bother explaining? –

• Let her perform. I actually really want to see if someone with her delicate frame can even move a log. –

• How could she move them? She’ll definitely make Lu Cheng do it. –

• Sigh, I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve warned you all. Don’t speak so definitively, or you’re going to get slapped in the face. –

• With those thin arms of hers, she wants to… –

Before the comment could even be finished, the viewers saw the log that Lu Cheng had struggled to drag being lifted by Qiao Yitong with one hand. She held it steadily, without a single tremor.

The bullet chat: …

• !!! –

• ??? –

The screen was flooded with exclamation points and question marks.

• Holy crap, what is this! –

• A log that looks that heavy, and she just lifted it with one hand like it’s nothing? –

“This has to be fake! It’s definitely a prop! There’s a script, right?”

But such comments were merely self-deception. Everyone knew deep down that this couldn’t possibly be scripted.

They watched with their own eyes as Qiao Yitong effortlessly lifted the logs with one hand, scouted the positions, and slammed the foundation timbers deep into the ground.

She was ensuring that once the house was built, it wouldn’t budge even in high winds.

One log, four logs, then a whole row.

Lu Cheng brought the materials and she did the building. The pace was significantly faster than when she had built the Bamboo House on her own.

To keep up with Qiao Yitong’s speed, Lu Cheng ran back and forth so many times that sweat began to bead on his forehead and his arms started to feel like jelly.

In contrast, Qiao Yitong looked as if she were doing nothing at all. Her expression remained blank as she maintained a steady, relentless rhythm.

The new viewers had never seen anything like this before; they were completely stunned.

Meanwhile, the veteran viewers were settling in to enjoy the show.

“Sister Tong is at it again. Watching her build things is so satisfying—it’s like stress relief!”

“It’s so smooth! I only saw the replay of her building the Bamboo House, but catching it live is way more intense.”

“What am I even looking at? Is she playing with building blocks? This is way too seamless!”

The viewers weren’t the only ones thinking this.

At that moment, Shisan and the others noticed the commotion. The same thought echoed through everyone’s mind: “What on earth is this?”

Deng You, who had been walking away in dejection, stopped and stared with his mouth hanging open as he watched Qiao Yitong work.

His expression was full of disbelief, but it also carried a hint of desperate, high-stakes madness.

Yes, his choice hadn’t been wrong.

If he wanted to survive, the only correct path was to join Qiao Yitong as soon as possible!

Right now, she only had Lu Cheng by her side. The competition was low.

If he joined now, he would still have an advantage.

Deng You’s mind raced as he desperately analyzed their brief conversation, searching for a way in.

Before long, his eyes suddenly lit up with a sharp glint.

Wait. Qiao Yitong’s words earlier weren’t meant to be a personal jab to reject him; she was objectively analyzing the facts.

Based on her analysis, she felt he had no value, so she didn’t need him.

That meant all he had to do was find a specific way to be valuable to her.

So, what was his value?

Deng You felt like his brain was working faster than it ever had in his twenty-odd years of life.

After a few moments, it hit him.

There!

To survive the days ahead, he would take the gamble!

---

Translator’s Notes

---

1. thick-skinned: Derived from the Chinese expression ‘腆着脸’ (tiǎn zhe liǎn), which describes acting without shame or embarrassment, often when asking for a favor from someone the speaker has previously mistreated or ignored. ↩
2. shipped couple: Refers to ‘CP’ (coupling), a term widely used in Chinese entertainment to describe a pair—either real or fictional—that fans enjoy seeing together. ‘Chao CP’ (炒CP) refers to the deliberate promotion of such a pairing for publicity. ↩
3. health bar: A reference to ‘xuetiao’ (血条), the HP (hit points) bar in video games. The narrative uses this gaming metaphor to quantify the emotional damage Deng You takes from Qiao Yitong’s blunt comparisons. ↩