The three of them reached their destination, only to find an endless expanse of sea ahead. There was nothing there.
The driver laughed. "I told you there was nothing here. I have no idea what you came here for."
He added, "There aren't any boats here. If you want to go back, I can take you."
Just then, a member of the Production Team appeared out of nowhere and waved them over.
"Over here, everyone."
Seeing that someone was there to meet them, the driver could only shake his head and leave.
The staff member said apologetically, "Managers aren't allowed at the filming location. Neither of you can bring phones or food to the island. Leave your phones with me, and I'll return them once filming is over."
Tang Xueqing knew phones weren't allowed during filming, so she obediently handed hers over.
Tang Shiba handed hers over too. One look at this place told her the reception would be terrible. Bringing it along would be pointless.
Neither of them had brought any food.
After putting away their phones and checking their belongings, the staff member pointed awkwardly at a little boat by the shore. "You'll have to take that to the island. Everyone's there."
Tang Xueqing frowned. "With such a huge stretch of sea, are there any safety precautions? What if it rains, or we run into sharks?"
The staff member explained, "There aren't any sharks in this area, and the weather will be clear for the next few days. It won't rain."
But Tang Xueqing still wasn't reassured. The sea was so vast, who knew how long that tiny boat would take to get there? Wouldn't that cut into her screen time?
Tang Shiba said nothing, because she was busy enjoying gossip with the system.
This staff member likes browsing porn sites. One day, he found a photo of his girlfriend on one and was so shocked he almost went impotent.
Haha, he broke up with her and even demanded compensation, claiming he needed to get tested for diseases. Her brother pinned him down and beat him up.
He was the one who sold her private photos to someone else, yet he ended up calling her disgusting.
So, anyone in a relationship should never let their partner take intimate photos. If things turn ugly someday, those photos really could become porn.
Worried about her phone, Tang Xueqing took it back and gave it to her manager instead, along with Tang Shiba's.
The staff member said nothing and led them to the shore. Once they were aboard, he briefly showed them how to start the engine, then untied the rope.
"Shiba, why don't you do it? I've barely done any work my whole life. I can't handle this sort of thing."
She certainly didn't want to steer the boat and make herself look inferior.
Tang Shiba was tough and thick-skinned. This kind of physical work suited her perfectly.
Tang Shiba didn't want to steer either, but she didn't want to waste time here.
As soon as she started the engine, the little boat shot forward.
"Hey, hey, hey! Grab the steering wheel! You're going the wrong way!"
The staff member shouted behind them. Tang Shiba hurriedly pulled herself together, gripped the wheel with both hands, and steered toward the island.
Tang Xueqing's face went white with fright. She clung desperately to the side of the boat, terrified she might fall overboard.
They were going too fast. Tang Xueqing couldn't take it anymore.
"Shiba, can't you slow down? I'm going to throw up."
"This is its normal speed. We can only turn off the engine, not slow down."
And so Tang Xueqing got seasick, retching and vomiting the entire way.
Even Tang Shiba started feeling nauseous.
Who designed this show? Why insist on filming on this deserted little island? Are they trying to make us survive in the wilderness?
By the time they finally reached the island, Tang Xueqing was utterly drained.
"Shiba, help me get my suitcase off the boat."
"Say please first, then thank you, okay?"
Tang Xueqing gritted her teeth and had no choice but to say, "Please help me get my suitcase off the boat, Shiba. Thank you."
"That's more like it."
Tang Shiba dumped the suitcase beside her and headed inland.
Afraid of being left behind, Tang Xueqing dragged her cumbersome suitcase after her, resentment practically spilling from her eyes.
The island was spacious, with a small forest and nothing else.
"Where's the filming crew?"
Just as she was wondering, several crew members ran over with their equipment.
"Are you Tang Shiba and Tang Xueqing?"
"Yes."
"Sorry, we only just arrived ourselves. We'll start livestreaming now that you're on the island. Are you both ready?"
The staff seemed rather excited, and there was something strange about the way they looked at the two women.
At least, that was how it felt to Tang Shiba.
They didn't seem like legitimate crew members. In her previous life, she had filmed countless variety shows and television dramas, so she was quite familiar with camera operators.
These two gave her the impression that this was their first time filming.
[Ding! Major gossip incoming.] [Wow, the investor behind this show is actually the leader of a scam ring. This place is their transit hub.] [After luring people here, they scam them. Anyone they can't scam gets taken to Northern Myanmar and sold.]
Are you saying we've been kidnapped?
[Yes and no. They want to make money from the livestream first. Once they've earned enough, they'll stage a pirate attack and make your families send money. After receiving it, they'll sell you off.] [Everyone's phones have been confiscated. Once the livestream starts, no one will notice anything wrong.]
Everyone on the island belongs to the scam ring?
[The production crew has already been tied up and locked in a cave on the island. So everyone here is a scammer.]
Tang Shiba thought this was beyond absurd.
How could filming a variety show land her in a scam ring's den?
Wasn't that ridiculously unlucky?
She was doomed.
Boo-hoo, now my only hope is to get a message out through the livestream. Poor me, only eighteen this year. I haven't even started a household, and I'm already about to make my permanent home here. What a rotten deal. Can anyone relate?
[Host, the others are here too.]
Tang Shiba ran to the shore and saw that the other two pairs had arrived.
There was the Film Emperor Si Wuyu and his younger cousin Fang Cheng, along with Zhao Tiantian and her younger brother Zhao Shen.
Then she looked at the Film Emperor. Wow, he was so handsome.
His face looked flawless from every angle, incomparably handsome, with sharply defined features. As he lowered his eyes slightly, his cool, aloof air was utterly captivating.
The moment he stepped off the boat, he drew everyone's attention.
Including the scammers'.
This wasn't Tang Xueqing's first time seeing the Film Emperor, but she couldn't hide her shy, lovestruck expression.
Zhao Tiantian quickly came back to her senses. She could lust after anyone else, but this Film Emperor wasn't someone to mess with.
Tang Shiba felt a slimy gaze settle on her. She frowned and looked over, only to discover it was Zhao Shen.
The lust in his eyes was utterly undisguised, and her face darkened with disgust.
Disgusting scumbag. This time, you won't be going home.
Hmm? This little thing wants to deal with Zhao Shen?
As the Film Emperor was thinking this, he heard Tang Shiba say again, This is a scam ring's den. Someone like Zhao Shen deserves to suffer a little.
But what a shame about that handsome actor's face. He's so good-looking. Surely the scammers won't ruin him?
Si Wuyu frowned!
A scam ring's den? Isn't this a legitimate Livestream Variety Show?
[Host, this time we can only count on you. I'm just a Gossip-Watching System, with restricted permissions. But don't worry. You all get rescued in the end.]
As for what happened along the way... the system admitted that it genuinely didn't know.
Time for gossip!
Before you continue