Is This a Toxic Group?

Chu Lan, who was searching for supplies with Liu Yue and Xueli, instantly darkened when he heard the broadcast.

The two girls stood frozen for a long while before repeatedly backing away. "The captain got switched to the Red Team?! How are we supposed to keep playing?! Brother Zhang was eliminated too. Won't the Red Team just slaughter us one-sidedly?!"

Suppressing his anger, he looked at the two wary girls and said, "I won't attack you."

Liu Yue looked awful. She had never expected this wildly popular group to openly band together. With such a huge gap in combat strength, was there even any point in playing? Wasn't this basically inviting the other guests to serve as their backdrop?

Xueli was nearly in tears. "Sister Yue, let's go. Let's find Xia Yu..."

Not caring about the cameras anymore, Liu Yue openly showed her displeasure. "Let's go."

"Wait."

She whipped around viciously and sneered. "What? Didn't you say you wouldn't attack us? So you AC Boy Group people talk as reliably as you fart, huh?"

Chu Lan pressed his lips together, then took off his backpack full of supplies and weapons. "Take everything."

"Sister Yue... should we take it?"

"Why wouldn't we?!" Liu Yue strode over angrily and slung the backpack onto her back. "Half this stuff was picked up by us! Should we just let him take it back to his teammates? Come take the supplies!"

"Oh..."

Only after they hurried away with the supplies did Chu Lan walk coldly in the opposite direction.

"Sniff..."

Xueli carried a huge pile of things on her back and finally couldn't hold back her tears.

Liu Yue turned around and glared at her. "What are you crying for? What's there to cry about?"

Pouting as she wiped her tears, Xueli said, "How are we supposed to play over the next few days? We can't beat them at all. Brother Zhang was eliminated too, and we don't even have a Revival Card."

"Didn't Qi Ning get switched over? His combat ability isn't any worse than Chu Lan's."

"But he doesn't think about anything. He only wants to fight. We still can't find a Revival Card, and if he gets eliminated, the Red Team will definitely come after us."

"Then fight back! What are you scared of them for?!"

"Sniff... Sister Yue, I feel awful..." It was the grievance of feeling like she had been bullied by a group ganging up on her.

"Stop crying. Let's go to Outpost No. 3 first, put the supplies down, then look for a Revival Card and Xia Yu's group."

"Mm..."

[Blue Team's Qi Ning has revived Blue Team's Zhang Wen!]

"Hey! Hurry over here!"

Qi Ning's voice rang out at the same time as the broadcast.

The two of them looked up and nearly cried with joy.

The red-haired youth had a submachine gun slung over his back and leaned lazily against a large tree. "I thought that guy surnamed Chu would've killed you all."

"Qi Ning!" Xueli cried again, this time out of happiness. "That's great! We finally found you!"

He looked disgusted. "What are you crying for? Shouldn't you be laughing happily now that this young master has switched over? I'm a hundred times better than that guy surnamed Chu, okay?"

"I am happy! So happy!"

Qi Ning stepped forward and took their large backpacks, looking every bit the perfect boyfriend. "Come on. We'll talk when we get back to the base."

[Oh my god, how is the Blue Team supposed to fight? A mixed bunch of men, women, young, and old—they're going to get slaughtered by the Red Team.]

[I'm so angry I cried. AC teaming up is confirmed. There's no defending it. So disgusting.]

[It's a competition. Since the production team put in a Teammate Exchange Card, then it's allowed by the rules. Of course they'd switch for a stronger teammate. Xiang Ziqi did nothing wrong!]

[It may be within the rules, but it's still disgusting. With Chu Lan, the Blue Team at least had someone to lead them, but Xiang Ziqi switched him away without considering anything. Heh, the Blue Team should just stop playing, collectively kill themselves and go to the Black Room to end the game. Let the five AC dogs who teamed up win.]

[Then the Blue Team can find an Exchange Card and switch in a stronger teammate too. Seriously, it's just a game. Do they have to nitpick so much? If they can't handle it, don't play. I just love watching all five AC members unite and slaughter everyone!]

"Qingqing!" Xiang Ziqi successfully met up with the Red Team at No. 1 Base, looking rather excited. "I found a Teammate Exchange Card on the way and switched Qi Ning out. Brother Lan is coming back to the team!"

Xia Wanqing and Yang Tian had not slept all night and were already exhausted. Their expressions turned even worse after hearing the broadcast.

Yang Tian frowned, a trace of reproach in his gaze. "Why did you switch people without coming back to discuss it with us first?"

Xiang Ziqi looked confused. "What's wrong?"

"You switched Brother Lan over, but how is the Blue Team supposed to play now? Even if we win, it won't be an honorable victory. Brother Lan might not even have wanted to switch."

This was indeed a competitive game, but it was also a variety show. The Blue Team had already been at a disadvantage with two women, and now their only capable fighter had been switched away. Was there even any game left to play? The audience was not made up solely of their fans. There were fans of the Best Actor and Best Actress, as well as casual viewers. Their reunion might delight their own fans, but who knew how the other viewers would curse them?

Xiang Ziqi's excitement was doused by a bucket of cold water, and his face turned pale. "I... I didn't think that much about it... I just didn't want Qi Ning to stay on our team..."

"Stop saying that." Yang Tian interrupted him, frustrated by his failure to live up to expectations.

It was fine to be unhappy with Qi Ning, but did he have to keep saying it aloud? Was he not afraid of being torn apart by Qi Ning's rabid fans? The two fanbases were already at odds, and now the idols themselves were taking the lead in opposing each other. Did he think the Clear and Bright Campaign would not come for him? His backing was not as strong as Qi Ning's. Did he still want to get by in the industry?

And switching Qi Ning out was understandable, but why switch Chu Lan back in? The Red and Blue Teams had already had vastly different levels of strength. If they had switched Liu Yue or Xueli over to balance things out, they could even have earned a good reputation. But now, the label of AC openly teaming up was impossible to shake off. What were they supposed to do next—fight or not fight? If they did not fight, how could this variety show continue? If they fought, they would be bullying the weak with their strength. If they won, they would be cursed even worse.

Chu Lan returned with Chen Hongyi. The five members were reunited, yet the atmosphere was incomparably heavy.

Xiang Ziqi knew he had made a mistake in a moment of impulsiveness and did not even dare look at him.

"Brother Lan." Xia Wanqing forced a smile. "Welcome to the Red Team."

Chu Lan tugged at the corner of his mouth, sat down nearby, and said nothing.

Since things had come to this, there was nothing else to do. Wanting to ease the atmosphere, Yang Tian braced himself and said, "Let's rest for a while, eat something, then discuss our next move. Or we can go look for supplies. We're still really short on water."

[Hahahaha, what tactics do you even need? The five dogs who teamed up can just charge straight into Outpost No. 3. Wiping out the Blue Team would take minutes, wouldn't it?]

[Yes! My AC Boy Group is finally reunited! Go, go, go!]

[Qingqing and Brother Lan, don't feel burdened. It's just a game. This is how it should be played!]

[I'm staying in this pack of teaming-up dogs' livestream and cursing them every three seconds. Traitor! (Chu Lan) Fanservice guy! (Xia Wanqing) Substitute guy! (Xiang Ziqi) Fence-sitter! (Yang Tian) Misogynist! (Chen Hongyi)]

[Spill the tea! Why is Chen Hongyi called a misogynist?]

[Before debuting, he was in the underground rap scene. All the lyrics he wrote demeaned women. After debuting, his team was powerful enough to clean up his image. Heh, the internet remembers. A misogynist can't be whitewashed!]

[Holy shit! Is this a toxic group?]

[Get out, rumor-spreading haters! Everyone who needed to apologize has apologized, and it's already been clarified. Every member of AC Boy Group has a clean background and no scandals, FYI!!!]

After being revived, Zhang Wen returned to Outpost No. 3 and met up with his teammates. The moment he sat down, he complained, "The Red Team was way out of line. They switched the captain away. What are we supposed to play now?"

Qi Ning glared at him. "Are you saying I'm worse than him?!"

"No, no. I mean, the way they're playing the game... um... forget it. They're young. It's normal." He was quite dissatisfied with what those young men had done, but he was an optimist and was not as furious as Liu Yue. He had already gotten his appearance fee anyway. Winning or losing did not matter.

"Hmph. Stop looking so dejected. Whichever team I'm on, that team is guaranteed to win!" Qi Ning declared confidently. "Especially when the enemy is those AC people, my combat power doubles! If I don't beat them into a complete rout, my brother's surname isn't Xia!"

Xia Yu rolled his eyes at him. "Don't drag me into your madness."

"Hehe..." Xueli laughed, her fighting spirit reignited. "I believe in Qi Ning! Our Blue Team will definitely win! Winning as the underdogs is the best feeling!"

Qi Ning glared at her. "We're not weak!"

"That's right! We're not weak!" Liu Yue had been bottling up her anger. "I didn't become a Triple Crown Best Actress by being useless!"

Unexpectedly, after their captain left, the team's morale was stirred up instead. Zhang Wen felt his blood boil as well and held out his hand. "Come on! Let's cheer together! Defeat the Red Team! Blue Team will win!"

Qi Ning grabbed Xia Yu's hand and stacked it with everyone else's. "Defeat the Red Team! Blue Team will win!"

"..." Xia Yu was speechless. Wasn't this a little over the top? It felt like they were about to go fight the Japanese.

"Wuwuwu..." 001 was moved to tears. "Boss, this is so touching. You finally have friends who can fight alongside you. You finally don't have to endure loneliness alone. Tongtong can die without regrets now."

"Get lost. Stop acting crazy."

"Got it~"