Chapter 32: Something is Going to Happen!

From the moment Ding Yao stepped onto the island until now, his mindset had undergone a massive transformation.

He knew exactly why he had come to this deserted island.

As a beauty influencer and an internet celebrity, he was just one of the countless ordinary creators in the vast sea of self-media¹. Although he had benefited from a streak of luck in the past that granted him some modicum of fame, the tides were turning.

The industry was ruthless. When he struggled to produce anything fresh or innovative, he found himself being washed away.

With wave after wave of new talent crashing in behind him, his value plummeted, and survival in the industry became increasingly difficult.

The feeling of powerlessness from being unable to reinvent himself hit him hard. He had tried every trick in the book: chasing trends, riding the coattails of viral topics—anything everyone else was doing. He didn’t think it was beneath him.

But even so, the traffic refused to flow his way.

By now, he was left with an account that boasted a significant follower count but held almost no actual value.

The MCN agency² behind him already had new talent in training. To the company, he had always been nothing more than a tool for generating profit. Now that the tool was no longer making money, it was only logical for them to discard him.

He understood the rules of this world perfectly. He was just a worker with no voice, a small fry who could be manipulated at will, a mere tool.

However, having come from the mountains to be discovered among the concrete jungles, he had tasted the noise and prosperity of the big city. Having enjoyed the bright lights and wine of that lifestyle, he didn’t want to return to a life of obscurity where no one knew his name.

He wanted to struggle one last time. So, when the company placed this offer in front of him, he agreed.

He did it for the ten million yuan that could change his destiny, and for the sake of making his ordinary, nearly worthless self regain a shred of value in the eyes of others.

And so, he came.

This deserted island was a survival challenge.

At the same time, it was a precious opportunity for him to reinvent himself. He knew that two “natural magnets” for traffic were here.

With them driving the engagement, a massive audience was guaranteed to watch. As long as he was seen, he could bolster his own exposure.

For an internet celebrity, the most terrifying thing was to be a “nobody.”

He also knew that in his small, mundane existence—just another face in the crowd that no one would recognize—he was likely nothing more than cannon fodder in the grand scheme of capital investment.

He had no background. His only support was the MCN company that treated him like a pawn.

But what human rights does a pawn have?

If he couldn’t bring in profit, then as a pawn, he was only fit to be a sacrifice.

Therefore, from the moment he set foot on the island, he had been cautious. He needed to pick the right side, take care of himself, and create his own “highlight moments.”

Based on a calculated assessment of his interests, he knew that Shisan, as a survival influencer, would definitely be the leader. That meant the camera’s focus would inevitably be on Shisan.

By staying close to Shisan, he was more likely to be seen.

Furthermore, Jing Xueqin was also by Shisan’s side.

When the time came for interaction, he could engage with Jing Xueqin. When Jing Xueqin encountered difficulties, he could display a fearless spirit of self-sacrifice to help him.

That way, he could win the favor of Jing Xueqin’s massive fanbase.

That would bring him traffic.

Ding Yao had always thought his plan was solid, but the events of the past few days had made him doubt himself again and again.

Was Shisan really a professional survival influencer?

When faced with wild fruit, he couldn’t tell if it was poisonous.

When faced with the ocean, he couldn’t catch a single fish, just like the rest of them.

Thinking back on these days following Shisan, the most the man had done was lead them on aimless treks. He hadn’t actually accomplished anything of substance.

Since settling down here, Shisan had naturally assumed the role of a leader. They did the fishing; they did the foraging for fruit. Shisan himself just sat there barking orders, doing visibly less and less work.

His presence hadn’t brought them a better quality of life.

On the contrary, Deng You, who had run off to find Qiao Yitong as soon as they arrived, was now living the high life…

Ding Yao’s brow furrowed deeply. Finally, he gritted his teeth and whispered a warning to himself:

No, he hadn’t come here just to survive until the end and collect the money. There was something else very important: he had to use this show to stage a comeback so he could keep his place on the internet.

But if he went to find Qiao Yitong now…

Ding Yao shuddered slightly. It wasn’t that Qiao Yitong never had friends in the past, but whenever she got into trouble, anyone who stood by her would mysteriously fade into obscurity.

Perhaps it was a collective boycott by netizens.

Or perhaps the people Qiao Yitong represented were those who absolutely could not be offended.

Whatever the reason, if he wanted to stay famous on the internet, he could absolutely never take Qiao Yitong’s side.

Thinking of this, Ding Yao cast one last envious glance in Deng You’s direction before lowering his head and silently walking back to the group.

In truth, he really was a bit envious of Deng You.

Deng You didn’t have to care about traffic or the opinions of others. He only had to think of himself and fight for his own interests.

Only people like that could truly enjoy the world.

Ding Yao let out a long breath, suppressing his irritation.

When he returned to the group, Shisan and the others were distributing the fruit.

These were the fruits Shisan had told them were safe to pick. Ding Yao had gone to gather them with another person, a minor star named Zhou Yifei.

After bringing them back, Shisan handled the distribution. At this moment, no one had washed or eaten the fruit yet.

Ding Yao looked over and noticed that besides his own fruit having a six-lobed base, two other people also had fruits with six lobes.

Ding Yao stepped forward quickly and said, “Hey, don’t eat those fruits yet. They might be poisonous.”

Poisonous!

Everyone who was about to eat stopped and looked at Ding Yao in confusion.

Ding Yao explained the situation to them.

The group’s attention then shifted to Shisan, waiting for his explanation. After all, Shisan had been the one to confirm that these fruits were non-toxic.

Shisan felt a bit awkward. He let out a dry laugh and said, “Actually, I’m not that familiar with this fruit either. Maybe… the six-lobed ones really are poisonous? I think it’s better to play it safe on this island. Safety first. Why don’t we just trust what Ding Yao said and hold off on eating the six-lobed ones for now.”

Those who had been handed the six-lobed fruits looked at them, a lingering fear taking root in their hearts.

It felt as though they had just brushed past the scythe of death once again.

They had originally trusted Shisan. It was because of that trust that they had followed his distribution and accepted his arrangements without question.

Even if they felt they were getting the short end of the stick sometimes, what choice did they have when they lacked the knowledge themselves?

But now, with that trust facing a major crisis, everyone couldn’t help but harbor their own private thoughts.

Since Shisan lacked the necessary ability, why should everything be dictated by his distribution rules?

Was his distribution truly correct? Was it truly fair?

Once this thought took root, everything started to look wrong.

When Shisan handed another small, wrinkled fruit to Ding Yao, Ding Yao remained silent for a moment before looking up to speak for himself.

“Brother Shisan, I’ve been with everyone this whole time. Why is it that every time I get a fruit, it’s either small or slightly rotten? And the fish I get is always the head or the tail. Don’t you think that’s a bit… unfair?”

Ding Yao’s tone was cautious, testing the waters.

He wanted to fight for his own interests, even if only a little.

Shisan couldn’t help but frown. In his mind, he had already assigned a value to everyone on this island, deciding who was important and who was not.

He felt a flicker of impatience at being questioned by someone as insignificant as Ding Yao, a man who barely had any presence in the group.

However, he maintained his composure and explained, “Our resources are limited, and everyone takes turns. You’ve received quite a lot, haven’t you? Fruits come in different sizes. You can’t just remember the bad ones and forget the good. Have I never given you a large fruit?”

Ding Yao looked down at the Cryptospina Fruit in his hand. He wanted to argue, but he didn’t want to cause a major conflict.

“It’s the same with the fish. The fish are only so big. You can’t expect to eat the middle section every time while others get the head and tail, can you? Of course, if the others don’t mind, I don’t care. As long as I have something to eat, I’m not picky about what part it is.”

“Or, if you think my distribution is unfair, why don’t you do it?” Shisan said airily.

Ding Yao: “…”

That one sentence silenced him. Shisan dared to say it, but Ding Yao didn’t dare to accept.

Hearing this, he decisively shut his mouth.

He glanced at the others around him. Everyone was busy with their own tasks.

Some were occupied with eating their fruit, commenting on the taste, while others were huddled in small groups, planning to head out and search for more food.

No one had heard the topic he raised.

Or even if they had, no one cared.

After all, those who received the middle sections of the fish didn’t want to speak up for him, and those who, like him, received the heads and tails, knew that speaking up was useless.

This was the reality for ordinary people with no influence.

Ding Yao pulled his lips into a self-deprecating smirk.

• Wait, who is this guy? Why is he suddenly causing so much trouble? –

• No idea. Some influencer, maybe? A “pretty boy” streamer? –

• I know him. He used to be a construction worker. Then he was scouted by a blogger who does “average Joe” makeovers. After the makeover, he looked like a completely different person, going from a laborer to a refined gentleman. That video went viral, and he started his own social media account after that, but he hasn’t really made any waves. –

• People like him are always trouble, complaining about getting bad stuff. Isn’t he being too selfish? What has he actually done? He didn’t catch the fish, and he didn’t pick the coconuts. He’s just freeloading and still wants the best parts? –

• I don’t get it. Besides, he got into a fight with Deng You at the very beginning. He seems like a pretty selfish, self-centered person. –

• I don’t understand what he’s trying to say. He doesn’t want the head or tail, but who does? Is he suggesting he should eat the good parts and give the scraps to Jing Xueqin? –

• You Jing Xueqin fans in the front, stop jumping out now. Your “big brother” is indeed eating well. –

• That’s because he deserves it. He’s done so much on the island. What’s wrong with him getting the good stuff? –

Because of this argument, he caught the audience’s attention.

The commenters finally graced him with some “love,” but their words only focused on his complaints about his share. No one truly cared who he was.

After hearing Shisan’s words, Ding Yao felt a wave of exhaustion.

When night fell, he simply lay on the sand, staring up at the quiet sky with a deep sense of powerlessness.

…

The next day.

When Qiao Yitong woke up early in the morning, a sharp light suddenly flashed in her eyes.

The Spiritual Power in her mind was still growing slowly, having now accumulated to about sixty drops.

However, what shocked her wasn’t the Spiritual Power, but a very faint, ethereal shadow floating within her Sea of Consciousness.

This was… a Divine Soul!

The joy in Qiao Yitong’s eyes was genuine. One had to understand that a Divine Soul was a necessary requirement for ascension!

For a person to successfully ascend, besides needing a certain amount of Spiritual Power, they also needed to condense a stable and complete Divine Soul.

But the condensation of a Divine Soul had always been a mysterious process, and the rules varied from world to world.

Even now, she wasn’t sure why her Divine Soul had appeared in her previous world, but when it did, her Spiritual Power had already reached ten thousand points.

Yet here, her Spiritual Power wasn’t even at a hundred points, and a Divine Soul had already appeared?

This was undoubtedly the best news she had received recently.

She sat there, letting her Spiritual Power circulate around the Divine Soul several times to stabilize that faint, weak wisp. Finally, Qiao Yitong stood up, feeling refreshed and invigorated.

At that moment, a cloud of white mist seemed to drift from her body, vanishing in an instant.

She knew that with the appearance of this Divine Soul, her entire being had undergone a complete transformation.

Under the nourishment of her Divine Soul, the lingering ailments of the original body’s past had completely vanished.

Even her skin had become more lustrous than before. Her fair complexion held a faint, rosy glow, a skin tone that would surely be the envy of countless celebrities in the entertainment industry.

Once her state had fully stabilized, Qiao Yitong stepped out of her Bamboo House.

The morning sun spilled across the distance, bathing Qiao Yitong in golden rays. The light draped over her, outlining her figure in a shimmering golden halo.

A trace of a smile flickered in her eyes, a moment perfectly captured by a nearby camera.

In the monitoring room, the broadcast director had been nodding off so early in the morning, only to be jolted awake by the brilliance of that smile on the screen.

It was a clean, beautiful smile that seemed to wash over one’s soul. In that instant, the director’s fatigue appeared to vanish entirely.

He dazed for only a moment before snapping back to his senses, quickly switching the feed to focus on Qiao Yitong.

Suddenly, the bullet comments in the Live Stream Room exploded.

“Ahhh! It’s like I’m seeing a fairy first thing in the morning! Sister Tong is way too beautiful!”

“I’m not even a fan of Qiao Yitong, but I have to admit her visuals are beyond reproach. Even a passerby would have to praise her beauty.”

“Sigh, who isn’t thinking that? If it weren’t for the ridiculous things Qiao Yitong did in the past, her face alone would be enough to win over a massive following.”

“Help, I never paid attention to her before. After coming to this show, I was so influenced by her various crazy antics that I didn’t even notice her looks. She’s stunning!”

…

The bullet comments were unprecedented, all praising Qiao Yitong’s appearance.

This was a rare sight for a Deserted Island Survival Variety Show.

After all, so many days had passed that everyone else looked disheveled and haggard. Even Jing Xueqin’s die-hard fans, who usually looked for any excuse to praise their “oppa’s³” visuals, couldn’t bring themselves to say anything about his looks now that his face seemed on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion.

But with Qiao Yitong, everyone could praise her without any pressure.

Because she really was that beautiful!

Her clothes were clean and fresh, her face fair, and her features exquisite.

She truly looked as beautiful as a porcelain doll.

The kind of beauty that triggered a protective instinct in people.

It was only at this moment that some viewers realized with a start that Qiao Yitong was just a girl. That delicate, porcelain-doll appearance made people instinctively feel she might break at a single touch.

Who would have thought that behind such a doll-like exterior was a person who used shells to pick coconuts, a machete to cut bamboo, and built a Bamboo House with her bare hands?

It was mind-boggling!

“I think I’m being taken captive by Qiao Yitong’s visuals. Wifey, look at me!”

“The person above, isn’t your gender set to female? A man pretending to be a girl?”

“You’re the one pretending! What era is this? I’m not allowed to have a wifey?”

“It’s not that you aren’t allowed, it’s just that you said what everyone else is thinking but is too afraid to say.”

“But have you guys noticed? I feel like the other guests have grown more or less haggard on the deserted island, but Qiao Yitong seems to have gotten even prettier.”

“Exactly! But I think I kind of understand. After all, what kind of online environment was she facing back in the real world? People were cursing her everywhere she went. Imagine that pressure. Now that she’s on the island, she doesn’t have to face any of those comments. She’s probably finally relaxed and at ease, so naturally, her complexion has improved.”

“That actually makes a lot of sense. What should I do? Suddenly I don’t want her to come back. I feel like wifey is living a better life on the island than in reality.”

“If you said that about anyone else, people would think you had a deep grudge and wanted them to suffer on the island. But with Qiao Yitong, I really feel like she’s enjoying herself from the bottom of her heart.”

“How could she not enjoy it? She’s practically turned this place into her own back garden.”

Early in the morning, most people were just waking up.

The other participants were the same as usual, with nothing much to see. In contrast, Qiao Yitong’s side attracted the attention and discussion of countless viewers based on her face alone.

After all, who doesn’t love looking at a beautiful woman?

Especially one who makes you feel happy just by catching a glimpse of her from afar.

The sense of peace and beauty Qiao Yitong brought to the audience even made them forget they were currently on a deserted island.

They even forgot that the original theme of this variety show was Deserted Island Survival in an extremely harsh environment.

While Qiao Yitong was acting like she was on vacation, Deng You followed her out shortly after she emerged.

“Sister Tong, are we going exploring again today?” Deng You asked.

“Yes,” Qiao Yitong nodded.

“Which direction are we heading?” Deng You began packing his backpack. Having gone out with her once before, he had become quite skilled at it and was actually looking forward to it.

By following Sister Tong, he could see all sorts of new things. This kind of exploration, full of novelty, was indeed something to anticipate.

But this time, Qiao Yitong remained somewhat silent.

Deng You was a bit confused. “Sister Tong?”

What was she hesitating about?

Qiao Yitong thought for a long time. After weighing her options, she finally said, “Today, you stay behind.”

Those four words immediately made Deng You panic.

“Why? Sister Tong, did I do something wrong?” If it had been before, and Shisan had told him to stay at the base and go nowhere, he would have definitely cheered.

But now, he only felt panic.

It was a fear that Qiao Yitong was growing tired of him or found him a nuisance.

“The place I’m going today… you’ll be afraid,” Qiao Yitong said.

Deng You was speechless.

Wait, what? You’re telling me, a grown man, that a girl like you is going somewhere that I’ll be afraid of? What do you take me for?!

Deng You felt his pride as a man take an unprecedented hit.

If anyone else had said these words to him, he would have felt they were being intentionally sarcastic and mocking.

But Qiao Yitong said it with such natural sincerity.

She was merely stating a fact, devoid of any hidden malice.

This didn’t make him feel any better; it only fueled his frustration.

“You’re joking, Sister Tong,” Deng You said, forcing a smile.

Qiao Yitong shook her head. “We’re going after wild boar today.”

When they were out exploring yesterday, they had spotted tracks. They knew for certain there were wild boars nearby; they just hadn’t encountered them yet.

Deng You fell silent.

In an instant, the image of those boar tracks flashed through his mind, accompanied by the other set of prints found right beside them… tiger tracks.

Deng You felt a genuine chill run down his spine.

“Sister Tong, you mean the ones we saw yesterday? Didn’t you say there was a tiger nearby?” Deng You tried to reason with her.

“There is. That’s why you shouldn’t go.” Qiao Yitong gripped her dagger, testing the weight and feel. Satisfied, she swung her backpack onto her shoulders, ready to depart.

Even if there was a tiger, she was more than capable of handling it.

To be honest, having spent her entire previous life in the Wasteland, Qiao Yitong didn’t feel much of a sense of crisis facing these things.

In her past life, she had triumphed over stronger foes countless times. Moreover, she was only facing a tiger of this world, not a human.

Humans were far more terrifying than tigers.

“No, Sister Tong, that’s not what I meant,” Deng You hurried to clarify.

Qiao Yitong had already started walking, offering no further explanation.

Deng You was currently locked in a spectacular internal struggle. He was just an ordinary person; it was only natural to feel fear.

After all, the direction they were heading meant a very high probability of coming face-to-face with a tiger!

And even setting the tiger aside, could they really defeat a wild boar?

They were doing fine here, weren’t they? Gathering fruit and eating fish was a good life.

Why did she insist on looking for wild boar?

He truly couldn’t understand it. His logic told him not to take the risk; it wasn’t worth risking his life just for a bit of meat.

But as he watched Qiao Yitong walk away with such determination, already having covered some distance, he wavered.

Deng You gritted his teeth and did something that, looking back later in life, he would never quite be able to explain.

He hurried after her. “Sister Tong, I’m coming with you. Whatever happens, two people are better than one.”

Hearing this, Qiao Yitong looked up at him, a hint of surprise in her eyes.

“Then let’s go.”

The two of them officially set off on the hunt for wild boar.

In front of their screens, the viewers who had been immersed in Qiao Yitong’s stunning beauty were suddenly jolted by this conversation. A flurry of question marks erupted in the comments.

{???}

{The direction Qiao Yitong and the others explored yesterday… if they go just a bit further, isn’t that the forbidden zone the director mentioned? Area C?}

{Looking at the direction of the boar tracks, it really might be Area C.}

{No way! Tongtong, honey, don’t! It’s too dangerous! It’s really not worth the risk.}

{Well, just as expected. Life on the island must have been too easy, and now she’s getting cocky. I have a gut feeling that something’s going to go wrong on this trip.}

Translator’s Notes