Free Web NovelChapter 9: Chapter 9: Small Clique
After some time, the other two groups finally arrived.
They were utterly exhausted, looking as if their life force had been drained by a demon.
Ye Zexi looked even worse off, with a large dirty patch on his clothes.
"Welcome to the destination!" Director Guo walked over to give them a warm welcome.
Ye Zexi shot him a look. After passing out flyers, getting cursed out by strangers, suffering from heatstroke, having his money stolen on the bus, and finally ending up at the police station, he didn’t feel like saying a single word.
He’d never had such a miserable day in his entire life!
Tong Jianfeng, holding Tong Yunxin’s hand, hadn’t had it easy either. Ye Zexi could afford to look sullen, but as an actor, Tong Jianfeng could not.
A bitter smile appeared on his face. "Director Guo, you almost lost us there."
He was half-joking, trying to project an optimistic image.
Director Guo laughed and joked back.
Ye Zuiyi perked up, an innocent, childlike smile on her face. "Director, are we the first ones here?"
Tong Jianfeng also looked at the director. Although they had spent some time at the police station, it had to have been faster than walking.
They all assumed that since Gu Xulin’s group was unwilling to work, they must have walked the whole way.
"First? Who? If you’d taken any longer, we would’ve gone to sleep," Gu Xulin’s voice drifted over.
He was sitting on a rock not far away, looking incredibly relaxed.
’How is that possible?!’ Ye Zuiyi’s smile nearly shattered.
Dressed in a tracksuit, Gu Zhao yawned. "Can we go inside nao?"
Director Guo beamed. "All the guests have arrived, so of course you can go in."
The others walked over.
Ye Zexi’s face was terrifyingly dark, and Ye Zuiyi was also finding it hard to maintain her persona.
Ye Zuiyi asked in a slightly reproachful tone, "Did you guys ask Teacher Gu’s fans for help?"
"Isn’t that a little unfair?"
Tong Jianfeng frowned slightly. "Director, is that even allowed?"
Zhong Mingrui tilted his head. "Brother, are the doggies Brother Lin’s fans too? Aren’t they Sister Zhao’s minions?"
"And didn’t the police officers offer to give Sister Zhao a ride themselves?"
Tang Yueying spoke up first. "It’s because they’re salty and want to put others down."
Tang Yuexuan was startled by this blunt statement. Not daring to cover her own sister’s mouth, she shot an accusing look at Zhong Siqi.
’Your brother is a bad influence.’
Zhong Siqi turned his head, choosing not to look.
Gu Xulin let out an exasperated laugh. Just as he was about to curse someone out, Gu Zhao’s small hand grabbed his arm.
He frowned, looking at Gu Zhao.
Gu Zhao looked at Ye Zuiyi, her eyes filled with exasperation. "Wif a bwain like yours! Even a dung beetle would roll it away!"
"Yoo can’t fink of a good idea yoursewf, so yoo fink evewyone ewse is a dummy. Why don’t yoo go get a stuwpid-head cewtificate? Dat way, we could go easy on yoo and let yoo fink you’we smawt."
Gu Xulin burst out laughing. ’I can’t believe this little dummy actually knows how to cuss people out.’
Tears welled up in Ye Zuiyi’s eyes.
Ye Zexi shot Gu Zhao a fierce glare, but Gu Xulin stepped in front of her and glared right back at him.
Just then, Director Guo opportunely stepped in to explain everything.
Gu Xulin rolled his eyes at this.
[Gu Zhao and her brother are so rude! Ye Zuiyi was just asking a question; did they have to say that to her?! Gu Zhao’s group was suspicious in the first place.]
[@the user above, go check the trending topics and you’ll know what happened.]
[Look how exhausted Teacher Tong is. What on earth did they go through?]
[I just watched the whole thing. All I can say is... damn, that was badass.]
Director Guo gave each group a silk pouch.
They had to survive in the mountains for seven days, complete the tasks in the pouch, and let their little partners take the lead the entire time.
The staff blindfolded everyone, then bundled them up and dumped them in the middle of the forest.
After dropping them off, the staff disappeared.
Tong Jianfeng took the silk pouch the director had given to Tong Yunxin and was the first to open it. Inside was a single slip of paper.
Gu Xulin glanced over and happened to see the words on it.
Find the camera hidden in the forest and photograph two different rivers.
He quickly urged Gu Zhao, "Open yours and see what it says."
Gu Zhao opened her silk pouch.
Find the camera hidden in the forest and photograph ten different animals. (Insects and animals of the same genus do not count.)
There was another line at the bottom: Shout "I give up," and the production team will send a dedicated rescue team.
The others also opened their pouches.
Tong Jianfeng suggested, "Let’s share our tasks. We should all help each other out."
Tang Yuexuan didn’t answer. She looked toward Gu Xulin.
Gu Xulin thought for a moment and nodded. "Alright."
"Our task is to photograph ten different animals. Insects and animals of the same genus don’t count."
Zhong Siqi said, "Photograph fifteen types of fruit..."
Tang Yuexuan looked distraught. "Photograph five instances of animals hunting..."
After seeing their tasks, the corners of Ye Zexi’s lips curved up. "Yibao, your luck is amazing. Photograph twenty different types of leaves."
’Leaves are everywhere—especially blades of grass,’ Gu Zhao had to admit. ’I’m so jealous of that main character halo!!’
"So, do we split up or stick together? We all need to find a camera first." Zhong Siqi looked up at the sun, which was obscured by the canopy.
Based on how much time they’d wasted, it had to be at least four or five in the afternoon.
The adults exchanged glances.
Ye Zexi didn’t want to see Gu Zhao. "Let’s split up. Otherwise, even if we find a camera, we won’t be able to decide who gets it."
While the adults were still hesitating, Zhong Mingrui and Tang Yueying immediately showed where their loyalties lay and ran to Gu Zhao’s side.
After all, the little partners were in charge. Tang Yuexuan and Zhong Siqi struggled to suppress their smiles, putting on reluctant faces as they also walked over to Gu Zhao.
[Hahahaha, I feel like Tang Yueying and Zhong Mingrui have completely fallen in love with riding her coattails, hahaha.]
[I don’t get what’s so funny. Aren’t they obviously forming a clique? Stop making ostracism sound so nice.]
Watching them, Ye Zuiyi clenched her fists, struggling to maintain a calm expression.
The groups were clearly formed. It was probably too late for Tong Jianfeng to join them, so he pulled his daughter, Tong Yunxin, and walked toward Ye Zexi and Ye Zuiyi.
"Xiao Xin happens to have brought a camera. Let’s call it exploiting a loophole, since the director never said we couldn’t use our own things. If we find a camera, you guys can have it first."
Ye Zexi had no objections. Ye Zuiyi maintained a welcoming smile, but her tone was clearly perfunctory.
Tong Jianfeng was displeased but didn’t show it. It was safer to travel in a group in the forest.
"Let’s find shelter first. I heard it gets dark faster in the forest than it does outside. Is that right, brother?" Ye Zuiyi looked at Ye Zexi innocently.
Ye Zexi patted her head. "You’re right."
Tong Yunxin stood beside Tong Jianfeng, head bowed and body trembling slightly. She clutched a small teddy bear tightly. The camera hung from her father’s neck, and a pink thermos was slung over her shoulder.
Tong Jianfeng stroked her head. "Don’t be scared. Daddy’s here."
Tong Yunxin nodded and hid behind his legs.
The two teams split up again.
「...」
"Is there more? Is there more?!" Gu Zhao exclaimed excitedly, lying on the ground and peering at a mouse’s head poking out of a small hole.
"The last time the wolves tried to catch a porcupine, they didn’t catch it, and several of them got quills stuck in their butts instead! You should have heard how miserably they were wailing." The little field mouse had some dirt on its nose, and as it got to the exciting part, it even waved its little paws to gesture.
"I heard the quills are still stuck in their butts and haven’t come out yet."
After another round of chattering, Gu Zhao had gotten her fill of gossip from the field mouse. Just as Gu Xulin was about to have a breakdown, she finally said goodbye to the little creature.
The little field mouse watched her leave, reluctant to see her go.
From this gossip session, Gu Zhao also gleaned a few important pieces of information: there were wolves here, as well as a tiger that had fled to this area after losing a fight.
