A Dazzling Performance

Xiao Ming hid beneath a table, shielding himself with a chair.

Judging by the hunter's walking speed just now, he should have passed by already. In about ten seconds, he would turn the corner. As long as he didn't look back, going over now shouldn't get them noticed.

Qu An was hiding directly opposite Xiao Ming and could clearly see what he looked like.

Though he looked fairly tall, he was curled into a ball beneath the seat, looking a little pitiful. Catching sight of how deeply Xiao Ming had bent at the waist, Qu An instinctively thought his flexibility was pretty good. Still, it was only ordinary surprise, gone in an instant.

Figuring the time was about right, Xiao Ming nimbly rose from his hiding place. The scene of Qu An getting off the vehicle replayed in his mind, and he felt that the other man's legs weren't as nimble as his own.

"Brother Qu, I'll drive Chang Le later." He did not say anything else, but Qu An pieced together the truth from the concern in his tone and the unconscious glance toward his calves.

Xiao Ming thought he ran too slowly. Qu An found it somewhat amusing, but he said nothing and simply agreed.

"Can someone help me? It's about to start." Chang Le sat anxiously in the vehicle. Xiao Ming called out that he was coming and climbed aboard in an especially dashing pose.

It had to be said that Xiao Ming had excellent proportions, though he was a little too thin and carried the pale, sickly look of someone who rarely saw the sun.

That shot was not edited out when the show aired, and Xiao Ming gained a wave of fans drawn in by his looks because of it.

Perhaps because his height and weight were proportional, Xiao Ming, who was nearly ten centimeters shorter than Qu An's official height, reduced the vehicle's load. Its speed increased considerably, and they quickly covered another third of the distance. Victory was in sight.

Since Xiao Ming was driving, Qu An naturally went ahead to check the road conditions. But while watching the front, he neglected the rear. The hunter they had just avoided doubled back and spotted Zhong Ka, who had fallen behind.

A scream rang out. Zhong Ka immediately ran forward, shouting, "The hunter's here!" Xiao Ming swiftly got out of the vehicle. Zhong Ka had already rounded the corner and escaped the hunter's line of sight, so Xiao Ming became the hunter's target.

He sprinted forward as if the wind had grown beneath his feet. A map of the shopping street appeared in Xiao Ming's mind. If he wanted to circle back to where he had just been and break the hunter's line of sight...

Turn right ahead, then turn right again. There was a traditional medicine clinic with double doors and an enclosed private room.

Once he confirmed the route, he pivoted on his right foot and darted into the alley. Following his plan, he successfully hid inside the clinic, shaking off the hunter. Escape successful!

But his phone soon rang. "Meng Na, Gu Xichuan have been captured by hunters. Twelve Accelerating Team members remain."

Two more people had been eliminated so quickly. There were only about five minutes left before the remaining time reached seventy-five minutes.

Only after looking around and finding no trace of hunters did Xiao Ming return to where they had been. Yi Xiaoda was now driving, with Qu An beside him.

Perhaps because he had been with Qu An for most of the show, and because Qu An seemed rather friendly, Xiao Ming, who had yet to grasp the twists and turns of the entertainment industry, subconsciously went over to discuss it with him.

"Brother Qu, keep watch ahead. I'll guard the rear and warn everyone if hunters come."

When the show aired, Qu An's fans criticized him over this segment for a long time, saying a newcomer had the nerve to order around a senior. But quite a few people also thought Xiao Ming's arrangement was reasonable, since they had avoided the earlier wave of hunters thanks to him.

The rest of the journey was relatively safe. A hunter appeared once, but Qu An spotted him and they successfully avoided him. Still, after all their dodging, only Qu An, Xiao Ming, and Yi Xiaoda remained to escort Chang Le.

With seventy-six minutes and thirty-four seconds remaining, they brought Chang Le to the gate and pressed his palm print as instructed, successfully preventing the hunters from being released.

Mission One Successful

With the help of Accelerating Team members Qu An, Xiao Ming, and Yi Xiaoda, Chang Le reached the gate and pressed his palm print, preventing the gate from closing and the hunters from being released.

Having completed the mission, Xiao Ming could not help raising both hands to high-five Qu An across from him, then turning to high-five Yi Xiaoda as well. The atmosphere was unusually cheerful.

But even while celebrating, they could not forget that the hunters were still making captures!

Following the usual routine, Xiao Ming headed toward the direction Chang Le had left in—the training hall.

Perhaps because they had worked together quite smoothly just now, Qu An followed in the same direction.

By then, Chang Le had arrived at the training hall and begun his training. But halfway through, he suddenly discovered that his medicine was missing. Due to his disability, Chang Le needed to bring injury medicine that met competition requirements and keep it ready at all times, but it was now gone.

After investigating, the Interstellar Empire's marshal discovered a suspicious figure. It was the little assistant Chang Le's mother had found for him. He had stolen Chang Le's injury medicine and treatment tools, leaving them in three different locations.

To help Chang Le, the marshal issued the second mission and deployed three hunters carrying clues on their backs.

Mission Two Issued

Three hunters carrying clues on their backs and one device that can eliminate all three hunters with a password have been deployed in the venue. Before the remaining time reaches fifty-four minutes, Accelerating Team members must find Chang Le's injury medicine and treatment tools, then deliver them to Chang Le at the training hall to obtain password clues.

Current Hunters: 7 × Accelerating Team Members: 12

After receiving the latest mission, Xiao Ming read through it several times. Three locations, three hunters. Based on how the show operated, the hunters carrying the corresponding clues probably would not be very close to those locations. He needed to work with others.

Qu An beside him also quickly figured out the rules of the mission and took the initiative to speak. "There should be one clue hunter near the training hall, probably carrying clues for another location."

"Mm-hmm!" Thanks for saying exactly what I was thinking!

"Then, Brother Qu, let's go out and look."

"Okay. Be careful."

Qu An left their hiding place first. They were currently near Chang Le, and as they went out, they happened to see Lin Shange hiding nearby. After discussing it, the three of them set off together.

Lin Shange seemed to like Qu An very much and kept striking up conversations with him.

"Brother Qu, did you just come from the shopping street?"

"Yes. We brought Chang Le over from the shopping street."

Qu An politely answered every question. Although the answers were obvious, he still shifted a little closer toward Xiao Ming when faced with her deliberate attempts to get close.

Xiao Ming felt that this looked a little like Lin Shange was hitting on Qu An. Forgive him for not yet knowing the term "manufacturing a CP." He only knew what hitting on someone meant because he had been hit on himself before. After all, even if he was a bookworm, he was still a pretty bookworm.

He had a feeling the atmosphere was not quite suitable for him to stay in. Just as he was about to suggest going somewhere else by himself, his sharp eyes caught sight of a hunter walking toward them.

Any thought of giving them space vanished. He instinctively grabbed Qu An and hid to the side, not forgetting to warn them in a low voice, "Hunter! A hunter!"

They hid in the gap between several basketball racks and the wall. The tension made sweat bead on the tip of Xiao Ming's nose. His hand still gripped Qu An's as he watched the hunter's movements.

As the hunter walked past them and revealed the pattern on his back, Xiao Ming released Qu An and quickly pulled out his phone to photograph it.

It was an icon that looked familiar. His mind began searching through his memories, and Xiao Ming quickly remembered where he had seen it.

"Brother Qu, I know where this icon represents! About a third of the way down the shopping street from the entrance, there's a traditional medicine clinic. This pattern is that clinic's logo."

"Then let's hurry over!" Lin Shange urged, with half her body already sticking out.

"It's a little far from here to the clinic. Rather than going there ourselves, I think it would be better to ask team members near that area for help."

As soon as Qu An finished speaking, Xiao Ming nodded vigorously in agreement. "Mm-hmm!"

"But then it won't count as us completing the mission!" Lin Shange sounded somewhat anxious, as though she really wanted to do this mission.

"Then, Sister Shange, you can go take a look. I want to stay here and wait for other clues." After speaking, Xiao Ming looked at Qu An as if asking, "What about you?"

"I'll stay here for now too, see how things develop, then head to the gymnasium."

Lin Shange immediately hesitated, but in the end, she decided to stay with them.

Based on what he remembered, Zhong Ka, Yuan Yangming, or Li Zichang should be somewhere around the shopping street.

Qu An had acted in a drama with Yuan Yangming before, and the two were fairly familiar with each other, so once he made up his mind, he called him.

"Hello, Brother Yangming, are you still at the shopping street?" Only after receiving an affirmative answer did Qu An continue. "We just photographed a clue and confirmed that the location is the traditional medicine clinic on the shopping street. The pattern is the clinic's logo. I'll send you the picture now."

Yuan Yangming happened to be hiding in a shop beside the clinic, only two steps away.

His phone rang. "Yuan Yangming obtained Treatment Tool 1/2 at the traditional medicine clinic."

Right after that came another announcement. "Zhong Ka, Yan Meng, and Guan Jun have been captured by hunters. Nine team members remain."

As the number of hunters increased, the risk of Accelerating Team members being captured rose significantly.

They had found the clue for the traditional medicine clinic so quickly only because Xiao Ming happened to know where it was. Otherwise, it would have taken a long time to search their way there.

The hunter carrying the clue for the item left at the training hall should be wandering around the gymnasium.

"Brother Qu, I'll go to the gymnasium and see if there are any clue hunters. You run fast, so can you wait here for my message? The training hall is close to Chang Le. Once we find the items, we'll need you to deliver them." Xiao Ming had seen Qu An's speed. He was very fast. The training hall would probably become the area with the most hunters soon, and if Xiao Ming stayed here, he might not be able to outrun them and would get captured.

"Okay, no problem." In a competitive variety show like this, it was easy for one's blood to start racing. Xiao Ming's trust was also recognition of Qu An, and he had no reason to refuse this indirect praise.

Lin Shange did not seem to intend to leave either. Without saying anything, she stayed where she was with Qu An.