Chapter 46: Irony, Pure Irony

The group had departed with cautious trepidation, but they returned in a grand, triumphant procession.

After their departure, only Zhou Yifei, Ding Yao, and another “invisible” member, Sun Yumeng, remained to guard the base.

All three belonged to the type of people who lacked a strong presence. They didn’t have great physical stamina, lacked superior survival skills, and didn’t possess the kind of courage required to risk their lives.

When the others had proposed hunting a crocodile, these three had been the conservatives.

All they wanted was to live a stable, quiet life. Of course, if they could obtain delicious food without taking risks, that would be even better.

But compared to risking their lives for food, they preferred to eat simply.

Everyone else had left.

The three of them sat by the campfire, the atmosphere heavy and silent.

Technically, they were the ones guarding the base, yet in this moment, they felt like the ones being marginalized and abandoned.

Each of the three had their own thoughts, so none of them spoke.

It wasn’t until the sound of a boisterous crowd approached from the distance that they stood up. They saw the other four, led by Jing Xueqin, swaggering back while carrying a meter-long crocodile.

The three were stunned for a moment before quickly rushing over to help set the crocodile down.

“Seriously, if Song Weiqiang hadn’t jumped in to help just now, I wouldn’t have been able to pin it down. This thing’s strength is just too much,” Jing Xueqin remarked, still reflecting on what had just happened.

“I was just assisting from the side. The main thing was that you pinned it down in time, otherwise I wouldn’t have had the chance,” Song Weiqiang immediately complimented him back.

“Yeah, Xueqin, don’t be modest. I was a bit dazed back there, just standing around not knowing what to do. Your reactions were fast; I really can’t compare to that,” Shisan chimed in with praise from the side.

“Actually, I think we still lack experience. The coordination was a bit messy just now, but it’ll be better next time. When the time comes, we’ll…”

The four of them were still immersed in the excitement of the successful hunt, talking over one another about their recent exploits. They flattered each other, simultaneously flaunting their own abilities and basking in self-admiration.

Among the remaining three, Sun Yumeng was truly impressed deep down when he saw that they had actually brought back a crocodile without getting injured.

When he stepped forward to take the crocodile, his gaze toward the four men carried a hint of admiration.

However, the few words he spoke, such as “Good job” and “You must be tired,” were completely ignored by them.

They remained immersed in their conversation as if they hadn’t heard Sun Yumeng at all. At the same time, it was as if they couldn’t even see him standing there.

An invisible barrier stood between the two groups.

The four of them were comrades who had shared life and death. After experiencing such a tense and thrilling event together, they showed a deep sense of mutual appreciation.

The other three, however, had detached themselves and acted as deserters when the action was about to begin.

On one side were the victors; on the other were the avoiders.

The camps were drawn, and the hierarchy was clear.

Although no one said it aloud, Zhou Yifei and the other two could clearly feel a sense of superiority radiating from the four men.

There was also a condescending air of disdain toward the three of them.

Sun Yumeng had originally felt they were impressive from the bottom of his heart, but when his praise went unacknowledged, the compliment felt redundant.

He simply shut his mouth. After setting the crocodile down, he returned to the campfire in silence.

The three of them remained quiet, continuing to play their roles as invisible nobodies.

They left the stage entirely to the four victors, letting them boast and chat about their heroic deeds.

The four talked for nearly an hour until they finally seemed to grow tired and stopped.

“Why do I suddenly feel a bit hungry? How about you guys?” Jing Xueqin took the initiative to ask.

“Definitely hungry. We ran so far and fought; it burns a lot of energy,” Shisan said.

Their eyes fell upon the crocodile, their gazes filled with desire.

“Why don’t we just eat it now? We don’t have much sense of time here anyway.”

These words undoubtedly spoke to everyone’s inner thoughts.

Perhaps they weren’t actually that hungry.

But facing their spoils of war, their psychological need outweighed their physical one.

They wanted to taste the flavor of victory.

“So, how do we handle this thing?” Shisan asked.

Everyone’s eyes landed on the crocodile. They watched as it occasionally struggled – they hadn’t actually killed it when they returned, but had only restrained its mouth so it couldn’t attack.

When they were catching the crocodile, their adrenaline had been surging, and no one had thought that far ahead.

But now that it was actually time to kill it, an invisible psychological pressure loomed over everyone’s heads. For a moment, no one stepped forward.

Shisan looked at Ding Yao.

“Ding Yao, I heard your family used to live in the countryside? Have you ever personally killed a chicken or something before?” Shisan asked.

It was originally just an inquiry, but hearing this, Ding Yao suddenly snapped.

What did he mean by his family “used to be in the countryside”?

If you look down on me, just say it. What’s the point of bringing it up in front of the cameras?

Do you think you’re so great just because you grew up in the city?

Ding Yao’s temper flared, and he spoke his mind directly: “Shisan, what do you mean by that? Are you looking down on me for growing up in the countryside?”

The small group of four had been happily praising each other, but after being snapped at by Ding Yao, the atmosphere instantly turned cold.

Shisan paused, and then he became visibly annoyed.

“I just asked a casual question, why are you getting so defensive? I just thought none of us have experience, so I asked you. If you don’t want to do it, just say so. No one’s going to force you. Why are you making such a big deal out of it?” Shisan cursed irritably.

“I’m being defensive? I think you’re…”

They had finally managed to have a happy day, and now a perfectly good atmosphere was about to be ruined.

The contrast only made Jing Xueqin more irritable.

“Fine, stop arguing. I’ll do it,” Jing Xueqin said.

Now that someone had stepped up, those who were still dissatisfied shut their mouths.

Jing Xueqin approached the crocodile holding a combat knife.

Although he was still riding the high of winning the fight, standing directly over the crocodile with a knife in hand made him feel a bit faint-hearted.

In reality, he had never even killed a chicken before.

Standing to the side, Song Weiqiang noticed his hesitation and understood immediately. “I’ll help you.”

Jing Xueqin felt a wave of relief wash over him.

He nodded, then glanced back at the camera nearby. After a moment’s thought, he said, “Maybe we should move away from the camera a bit. This might get a little bloody, and I’m worried it might be too much for the audience.”

“Alright.”

The two of them moved away from the camera to a spot further off.

From that distance, the camera could only capture a blurry view of their backs.

This single gesture immediately moved some of Jing Xueqin’s fans to tears.

-Oh, Jing Bao is so sweet! I was already worried that watching the slaughter would be upsetting. The way he handled this is perfect. My respect for him just went through the roof!-

-What a thoughtful idol. He truly keeps the audience in his heart, always paying attention to our needs and feelings. He’s an angel.-

-Oppa was so manly when he was hunting the crocodile! He was the only one brave enough to act while everyone else was terrified. I was scared to death watching, but it was so unexpected. Who knew someone so refined could take on a crocodile!-

-I knew I picked the right person to stan! Jing Xueqin is the most responsible person on the Deserted Island! He’s the first to charge during the hunt and the first to care for the audience afterward. He’s so considerate and well-rounded.-

It had to be said that the narrative Song Weiqiang had arranged perfectly hit the audience’s sweet spot.

Previously, because Jing Xueqin had mostly starred in idol dramas, his image as a “pretty boy” was deeply ingrained. He had done too many similar projects, and the overexposure had started to backfire.

But now, this battle with the crocodile had completely flipped his public image.

That previous “weak” image of living off his looks? That wasn’t being a useless pretty boy.

That was called being gentle and considerate.

When it was time to step up and take responsibility, their “Oppa” was more reliable than anyone.

The bullet chats flooded the screen, and hashtags began climbing the trending lists on various platforms.

#JingXueqinCrocodileHunt#

Since the show began, aside from the initial buzz of #JingXueqinJoinsIslandSurvivalVarietyShow#, this was the first time he had trended with such a positive image.

One could only wonder how those fans would feel if they knew the real reason he avoided the camera was that he was afraid he couldn’t handle the crocodile alone and needed Song Weiqiang’s help. The “too bloody” comment was just a excuse he had made up on the spot.

While Jing Xueqin and Song Weiqiang were off processing the crocodile, Sun Yumeng watched them from a distance, shrinking his neck back slightly.

When he saw Jing Xueqin plunge the combat knife directly into the back of the crocodile’s neck, he couldn’t help but shudder.

“Isn’t this a bit cruel?” Sun Yumeng said instinctively.

This single sentence left everyone present, and everyone watching the screen, speechless.

“Buddy, do you want to take a look at our current situation? Even if you have a kind heart, there’s no need to show it now,” Shisan said.

“If you don’t want to eat, you don’t have to,” Xu Yang added.

Sun Yumeng immediately shut up. He also realized that saying such a thing at this moment seemed a bit inappropriate.

It was a bit tactless.

But his outburst was purely personal.

He was used to eating chicken, duck, and fish, so that felt normal. But a strange food like crocodile was something he found difficult to accept deep down.

Of course, that reluctance only lasted as long as he was watching the preparation.

Once the crocodile had been processed, butchered, and brought over to be roasted over the fire, things changed.

As he ate the piece of crocodile meat he’d been given, the texture, which was similar to mutton, made him feel so good he nearly cried out. He hadn’t eaten real meat in so long.

“This is delicious,” Sun Yumeng finally couldn’t help but exclaim.

Shisan glanced at him and let out a scoff.

Sun Yumeng’s comfortable expression froze, replaced by embarrassment.

He buried his head and focused on eating the meat, not wanting to say another word. There was no doubt that Shisan’s unintentional scoff had stung him.

Jing Xueqin and the others sat in a circle, enjoying the spoils of war.

The crocodile meat sizzled over the fire, its aroma spreading through the air. Although there were no seasonings, the scent was infused with their courage and sweat, making the meat taste better than if it had been seasoned with anything else.

In contrast, Zhou Yifei, Ding Yao, and the third member of their group sat nearby, heads down, eating in silence. They didn’t dare say a word.

They were forced to listen to the loud, boastful talk of Jing Xueqin and his group.

Ever since they had failed to join the hunt that day, they had an intuition that they might never be able to hold their heads up in this team again.

As the crocodile meat entered their mouths, the rich energy of the protein awakened their bodies’ instincts, but the deliciousness was tinged with a hint of bitterness.

They didn’t want to think about where that bitterness came from. They only wanted to finish the meat quietly and replenish their energy.

But while the three of them wanted to keep a low profile, someone else wasn’t going to let them.

Shisan used a branch to pick up a piece of crocodile meat and waved it toward them before dropping it onto the small wooden table in front of them. “Here, eat this piece. We wouldn’t want you saying later that we’re being unfair and not letting you eat the meat we caught.”

The three of them stared at the meat. Their throats felt tight, and they couldn’t find any words to say.

Shisan’s comment, of course, was far from being a gesture of genuine concern.

It was a pure mockery of the “fair distribution” issue they had raised earlier that day.

But now, faced with the crocodile meat Shisan and the others had captured, the three of them felt the flavor on their tongues and found themselves unable to utter a single word of defense.

During the day, they could still argue their case for the sake of fairness, but now, in the face of this “charity” from the victors, any words felt pale and powerless.

They kept their heads down and chewed. The portion of crocodile meat each person received wasn’t actually that large, and they didn’t dare to eat too much.

After all, facing the ridicule of Shisan and the others, they were terrified that an extra bite would trigger a retaliation.

Because, in the matter of hunting the crocodile, they truly hadn’t contributed any effort.

In this moment, Ding Yao and the other two felt a heavy sense of being unwanted guests living under someone else’s roof.

After the meal.

For them, this was the most sumptuous feast they had eaten since arriving here.

Even though it was late at night and there was nothing around them but the glow of the campfire, the feeling of being full and satisfied with food and drink left everyone feeling very content.

Once they had their fill, the group lay back lazily on the sand by the fire.

Shisan rubbed his stomach and, as was his habit, began issuing orders. “Zhou Yifei, go clean up these bones. We’re in the wild, after all. Bury the scent of this food as best you can so we don’t attract unnecessary trouble during the night.”

“Ding Yao, check if we have any wood left from earlier. If not, go pick some up nearby. We just roasted meat, and the fire isn’t looking very strong. I don’t want to run out tomorrow; it’s a pain to get it started again.”

After Shisan finished speaking, he glanced at them as if remembering something and added a follow-up question.

“Oh, is it alright if I arrange for you guys to do these things?”

That final question, which seemed respectful on the surface, felt more like a heavy hammer blow that shattered their already suppressed spirits.

The mockery in Shisan’s tone struck hard at what little remained of their self-esteem.

Zhou Yifei silently gathered the bones scattered across the ground, hanging his head as he reached down by their feet to pick them up one by one.

At this moment, he felt like a servant.

Ding Yao didn’t say a word either. He took the wood they had gathered earlier and added it to the fire. The flames leaped up, reflecting red against his face and revealing the resentment in his eyes.

The three of them cleaned up the remains of the meal together. While the others sat in a group, full and satisfied, continuing to brag and chat about their glorious achievements during the battle with the crocodile, the atmosphere between the three of them grew increasingly suffocating.

“Did you guys actually enjoy that meal?” Ding Yao asked in a low, heavy voice.

Zhou Yifei gave a bitter smile. “Even though we got fed, I feel like a servant.”

The image of the condescending looks Shisan and the others occasionally gave them flashed through Ding Yao’s mind.

His pride was deeply wounded. Sitting there, he said slowly, “Being here makes me feel like we’ve traded our dignity for a bite of food. I keep wondering, we’re also here to participate in the show, so how did it end up like this?”

“Yeah, but it’s hard to argue our side. After all, we didn’t do the dangerous work,” Zhou Yifei said.

“So that means whatever decision they make, everyone else has to follow? We can’t have our own thoughts? I just didn’t want to take risks. Is it wrong to want to be a little conservative?” Sun Yumeng said, clearly unwilling to accept the situation.

The other two remained silent.

In an environment like this, if you wanted to be “conservative,” you would only end up as a weakling who needed to be looked after.

“Do you think we should leave?” Zhou Yifei spoke up suddenly.

He looked at the other two with a burning gaze. “Let’s go cooperate with Qiao Yitong.”

Both of them looked at him, falling silent for a moment.

Zhou Yifei continued, “Just like I told you before, we’ll split off on our own. For our daily food, we’ll eat those berries, coconuts, and things like that. We definitely won’t starve. The rest of the time, we’ll look for various plants. Maybe we’ll get lucky and find things Qiao Yitong really needs.”

“I’ve observed her. I don’t know what she’s using them for, but she seems to need a lot. Lu Cheng and Deng You are out looking for them every day too.”

“So, we might occasionally get lucky and get a taste of her meat dishes to satisfy our cravings and get some extra nutrition.”

“More importantly, at least over there it’s a partnership. Even though Qiao Yitong holds the monopoly, what we get would be earned through our own efforts. We wouldn’t have this feeling of being inferior or living on someone’s charity. When we eat those things, we’ll at least have our dignity.”

Zhou Yifei’s words made the other two pause.

Leaving the main group to form their own small circle might not be a good thing for three people with relatively weak survival skills.

But at this moment, the pain of their wounded pride far outweighed the benefits they were receiving here. Ding Yao and Sun Yumeng considered it in silence.

Finally, after a while.

“I agree,” Ding Yao was the first to speak.

“I agree too,” Sun Yumeng followed immediately.

The three of them quickly reached a consensus. Once they were in agreement, they finished cleaning up the mess, fulfilling their responsibilities one last time. They returned to grab their final belongings and, as a group of three, began walking toward the beach they had been at before.

Back at the campfire, Jing Xueqin and the others had been chatting and were just about to close their eyes to rest. Hearing the movement, they slowly opened their eyes just in time to see the three of them leaving one after another.

Jing Xueqin frowned slightly. A flash of gloom crossed Shisan’s eyes.

The pleasant mood from catching the crocodile and having a great feast was completely ruined by these three.

They had expected that after pulling off something like fighting a crocodile with their bare hands, they would receive the absolute worship and adoration of these three.

But the final result was the exact opposite of what they had imagined.

Instead of cheering for them, the three had simply left.

This gap between expectation and reality was something even Xu Yang, who hadn’t done much himself, found difficult to accept.

“Don’t worry about them. We just need to take care of ourselves. Fewer people means less of a burden. It’s late, let’s sleep.”

Shisan concluded the conversation with those words. The other three said no more, closing their eyes to begin their rest.

Meanwhile, the other three men made their way through the darkness toward Qiao Yitong’s side.

The night was dim, and they moved slowly. By the time they reached the beach where they had previously stayed, it was already around four in the morning, and the sun was nearly ready to peak over the horizon.

Zhou Yifei rubbed his arms, which were trembling slightly from the cold. “Being without a fire at night really doesn’t work. I’m freezing.”

“Me too. I desperately need to warm up.”

“So what do we do? We forgot to bring a fire starter when we left.”

“I didn’t actually forget. I just figured they definitely wouldn’t give us any, and even if they did, they’d just mock us for it, so I didn’t bother asking.”

“What now then? Friction fire?”

“I think we’d freeze solid here before we ever got a fire going that way.”

That was the truth.

Starting a fire with a hand drill was never as simple or easy as people claimed. Anyone who had tried it knew exactly how difficult it was.

The three of them simultaneously turned their gaze toward the campfire where Deng You and his group were located, not far down the beach.

“Should we… go borrow some fire?” Zhou Yifei asked tentatively.

The other two remained silent.

Having just escaped a stifling and humiliating environment, they didn’t want to immediately walk into another place where they would be mocked and treated like charity cases.

But they truly did need a source of fire right now.

“Forget it, it’s just this once. We’ll just talk to them. Borrowing some fire won’t cost them anything.” Ding Yao looked toward Deng You and gritted his teeth. “I’ll go.”

Among the three of them, he was indeed the most familiar with Deng You.

Though the nature of that familiarity was a bit strange…

On the second day of the show, the two of them had gotten into a fight. Since then, while they traded barbs and mocked each other every time they met, they had gradually become acquainted.

The bickering remained, but the genuine malice toward one another had slowly faded.

Perhaps it was a case of “no friendship without a fight¹“?

Thinking this, Ding Yao gathered a few dry branches from nearby and walked toward Deng You’s group.

Over at Deng You’s camp, Qiao Yitong and Lu Cheng had already returned to their respective shelters to rest. The other three had no huts, so they were resting around the campfire as usual.

Though they were used to this life, they were still in the wilderness, and their guard remained up.

As Ding Yao approached, Deng You woke up.

His first instinct was to grab the machete beside him. Only after seeing clearly that it was a person and not some dangerous predator did he toss the blade back down.

“What are you doing?” Deng You asked in a low voice.

“Borrowing some fire,” Ding Yao said, also keeping his voice down for fear of waking the other two.

Deng You glanced at the other two waiting in the distance. His expression shifted as he realized what was happening.

He pressed his tongue against the roof of his mouth, thought for a moment, and then gave a light chuckle. He shifted to the side, vacating his spot to make it easier for Ding Yao to catch a flame.

“Be careful. Don’t make too much noise and wake people up,” Deng You said.

“I know,” Ding Yao replied quietly.

Ding Yao moved cautiously to the fire and extended the dry branches until they ignited.

Once he was finished, Ding Yao prepared to leave. Before walking away, he looked at Deng You and said, “Thanks.”

Deng You waved a hand, telling him not to get all sentimental and to just get on with it.

Ding Yao pursed his lips and said nothing more.

He lowered his head and quickened his pace back toward his two companions.

As Ding Yao walked, he couldn’t help but feel the irony of the situation.

Who would have thought? At the start of the show, the person he had detested the most was the one who would generously lend him fire without making things difficult.

Meanwhile, the “Big Brother” he had thought was the most responsible and reliable had, once his patience ran out, completely revealed a condescending and arrogant side, with every word intended to sting.

Irony. Pure irony.

Translator’s Notes