Could You Come Out with Black Snake and the Others First?

Xia Wanqing returned to No. 1 Base with reddened eyes, only to run into a fuming Qi Ning.

Qi Ning pointed his submachine gun at him. "You fucking dare to kill my brother! Do you remember the oath you took? Are you so used to being stabbed in the back that you don't even care anymore?"

"I'm sorry..." His tears fell in heavy drops. "I originally meant to hit Brother Lan..."

"Bullshit! You were dying to get back at him! Let me tell you, you will never, ever be worth a single finger of his! You low-class bastard!"

The color drained from his face, and he bit his lips until they bled.

Yang Tian hurriedly stepped forward to wrap an arm around his shoulders, glaring at Qi Ning. "Don't be so hurtful with your words. Have some decency!"

Qi Ning sneered and spat on the ground. "Decency? I feel dirty just talking to him. Where is the Revival Card?"

Xia Wanqing shook his head, sobbing. "I don't have a Revival Card on me. I'll go look for..."

"Stop lying to me! I gave my brother a Revival Card. If you hit him, there's no way you didn't take it. Spit it out!"

"I really didn't take it... Brother Lan was there too. When Xia Yu was taken away, he didn't hand over the Revival Card..."

"Oh, so the one surnamed Chu was there too, huh? You two are in cahoots, conspiring to harm my brother. I'll kill you!"

"Rat-tat-tat!"

"Rat-tat-tat!"

A series of gunshots rang out, and the broadcast sounded once again.

[Red Team's Qi Ning has been hit in a vital area, eliminated!]

[Red Team's Chen Hongyi has eliminated Red Team's Qi Ning!]

[Because Qi Ning was eliminated first, the attack on Xia Wanqing is invalid!]

Everyone stood stunned. Chen Hongyi, who had fired first, felt a pang of guilt; he opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.

"Fuck you!" Qi Ning slammed his submachine gun onto the ground, his eyes sweeping over the three of them with malice. "I won't let you off!"

The dutiful bodyguards stepped out to take him away.

Chen Hongyi threw his gun aside. "I... I didn't want to hit him, but he was going to hit Qingqing... that's why I..."

Yang Tian, his face pale, supported the unsteady Xia Wanqing. "It's okay, it's just a game..."

[Chen Hongyi, nice job! That privileged brat should have been taken out long ago! It's so good that Qingqing is okay!]

[Damn it! You bunch of cliquey dogs are disgusting. Production Team, I suggest you replace them immediately! Let the five of them just rot together!]

[Oh my god, this variety show is so dramatic. The game has only just begun, and they've already formed such deep blood feuds. Are they really going to fight to the death over the next few days?!]

[Yellow Springs Passerby loves watching this kind of dramatic variety show! Give us more, give us more!]

Chu Lan returned to the base with a grim expression. Zhang Wen was just about to ask how Xia Yu had been eliminated when he heard the announcement about Qi Ning, and he was stunned.

His expression darkened further. He had offended the two people with the worst tempers all at once; the next few days were likely going to be difficult.

"What's going on?" Liu Yue hurried out. "Are you fighting again?"

Chu Lan gripped the Revival Card tightly. After hesitating for a long time, he decided to revive Xueli first.

"Why revive Xueli? You should have revived Xia Yu first. He's a guy, he has more stamina..."

Zhang Wen's face sank. "Reviving Xueli first is the right thing to do. Do you expect a girl to spend the night in the Black Room by herself?"

"I... I didn't mean it like that..." Having been rebuked, Liu Yue's temper flared, and she turned back to the small cabin.

[Some people should just stick to acting if they have the talent, instead of coming to a variety show to expose their low EQ and IQ. It's annoying!]

[I'm speechless about this Best Actress. She's a woman herself, yet she can't even consider things from a girl's perspective.]

[Heh, a certain boy band leader sucking up to the powerful and looking down on the weak, reviving an old woman who can't find anything. I feel bad for Xueli. Keep it up, little girl; once you win Best Actress, you'll be the one revived first.]

[Don't be impatient! Wait for me to watch three minutes of ads, and I'll revive my husband, my husband's cousin, and the poor little flower my husband wants to protect! Wipe out the cliquey dogs!]

[Hahahaha, the first laugh of the day. Your husband, your husband, your husband—you're really committed to loving everything he loves, aren't you?]

The Production Team had set up Black Rooms in several locations. Xia Yu and Xueli had been eliminated around the same time, so they were locked up in the same place.

Not long after Xia Yu was locked in, Xueli was revived.

She didn't rush back to the base, instead leaning against the door to Xia Yu's room. "Xia Yu, I'm going to help you find a Revival Card!"

"It's getting dark. You should head back to the base and meet up with them first. Look tomorrow."

"But if we can't find a Revival Card, you'll have to stay here for the whole night..."

The Black Room was a very small space containing only a stool. At six-foot-three, Xia Yu couldn't even stretch his limbs out properly.

Xia Yu smiled to reassure her. "It's fine. Maybe the Production Team is just putting on a show and won't actually make me huddle in here all night."

"Really?"

"Really. When you get back to the base, can you do me a favor?"

"Tell me."

"There's a Revival Card in my backpack that I was keeping for Qi Ning. Could you go back and revive him for me?"

Xueli didn't think to ask if she should use it on him instead, so she nodded. "Okay, I'll go back and revive him for you."

"Thank you, please head back now."

"I'm going then. Stay safe, and call the Production Team immediately if anything happens."

"I know."

She wiped away her tears quietly, turned around, and ran toward the base.

"Ah, another person bewitched by the host's handsome face," 001 sighed, crossing its legs. "I thought this girl was quite snobbish at first, but it turns out she's actually pretty nice."

Xia Yu put away his previous gentle demeanor, his expression turning cold and distant as he sat on the stool, leaning lazily against the wooden boards behind him.

"Big boss, are you really going to spend the night here? It's too miserable, I'm dying of heartache."

"Shut up, don't disgust me."

"..." Hmph! Such a cute, high-pitched voice! No appreciation for art!

He hadn't been there long before the dilapidated door was pried open.

Black Snake put away his combat knife, bowed slightly, and handed over a phone. "Young Master, Sir wants to speak with you."

Xia Yu lifted his eyelids lazily and took the phone.

"Xiaxia." Chi Yan's deep voice carried a hint of tenderness, as if he were coaxing him. "Why don't you come out with Black Snake and the others first? I want to have a proper talk with you."

He let his mouth droop, his tone dejected. "Haven't we already made things clear?"

"No. I was wrong that day at the hotel, and I want to apologize to you."

"..."

"Be a good boy, Xiaxia, and come out first. I'll apologize to you in person. You've been running around in the mountains all day; come out and have a nice bath first. I'll have them make the dishes you like."

Xia Yu was silent for a moment, gave a muffled response, returned the phone, and stood up.

Black Snake and White Wolf both let out a sigh of relief. "Don't worry, Young Master. We've cleared out all the cameras; they won't catch you."

"Mn, let's go."