They Say a Double Negative Makes a Positive

Beside a patch of grass not far away, Zhuang Luo felt a little regretful when he saw Xu Su and the others successfully get their boxed lunches.

"We should've gone with them just now."

If they had gone with them just now, they would have been able to eat proper boxed lunches with them.

Li Weizhou felt a little regretful too, but mostly he was frustrated by the director's incompetence.

"Who could've imagined this director was so stupid! He actually got scared by a leaf!"

Zhuang Luo gave a bitter smile.

Exactly. Who could have imagined Director Yu was so stupid that he completely failed to notice the "weapon" in Xu Su's hand wasn't a real blade, but merely a thin, slender leaf?

It was utterly ridiculous.

"But it's fine. They got their lunches, but they also offended Director Yu. Weighing the pros and cons, they actually lost out."

Zhuang Luo suddenly brightened.

Li Weizhou thought it over carefully. That really did make sense. "You're right. Director Yu might be thinking about how to get back at them right now."

They had guessed right, but unfortunately, not entirely.

Once Director Yu was out of "danger," his first thought really had been how to torment Xu Su, the culprit, through their tasks and avenge the scare he had given him!

But when he stood up and met Huo Yuchen's warning gaze, all those thoughts of revenge immediately scattered from his mind. He didn't dare entertain another one.

-He couldn't help it. The man was too powerful!

After lunch, Director Yu gathered everyone together to explain the rules for their new task.

"Starting this afternoon and continuing until filming for this episode ends, you'll all have to do extra tasks to earn points every day, in addition to clearing the wasteland."

"The purpose of these points is simple. They're essentially money you use to buy your daily food."

The staff brought over six phones and handed them out to everyone in turn.

"These phones have an app specially developed by the production team. How many points each task is worth, your total points after completing tasks, and the corresponding food price list will all be displayed in this app. You can check it yourselves."

"Also, these little point-earning tasks aren't fixed. I'll notify everyone of the specific changes every morning."

After a pause, Director Yu let out a sinister cackle. His sly gaze swept over everyone as he added:

"A friendly reminder: earning points is your one and only way to obtain food. There are no other options, so don't slack off!"

Everyone: "..."

[??? Director, don't they get any extra points as a subsidy for clearing the wasteland? The guests last episode got them for planting trees???]

[Director: New emperor, new ministers; new guests, new rules. Things are different now.]

[Boohoo, I feel so bad for them!]

[Poor babies.]

[Some fans need to give it a rest. You make three or four thousand a month, yet you're pitying people getting paid millions. What a joke.]

[Exactly! Even Xu Su, the ultimate nobody, is getting paid at least a hundred thousand or more. What's there to feel bad about!]

Everyone sighed.

Coming on this kind of lifestyle variety show, they really couldn't entertain even the slightest thought of eating, drinking, and having fun. Just managing to survive would be enough.

Next, Director Yu announced today's point-earning task:

"A few workers at the orchard on Miemeng Village's North Mountain are on leave today, so we'll need to head over there shortly and help the villagers pick the ripe apples."

"Since you also have to till your plots, you can arrange your own picking times. The production team won't set a uniform schedule, as long as you finish before six this evening."

After hearing the task, Xu Su thought for a moment and decided to pick fruit first.

The patch of wasteland he was responsible for was the smallest. At a rate of tilling four-tenths of a mu per full day, he would only need eight days to finish the task. There was no rush at all.

So he decided to secure food first and make sure he wouldn't starve to death.

The others chose to till their plots first and pick fruit later, since they were responsible for larger areas.

-Except for Huo Yuchen.

The man neither said he would till his plot nor said he would pick fruit. Instead, he casually started playing a game on the phone the production team had given him, looking utterly carefree.

Xu Su glanced at him and silently left.

Disturbing someone's gaming was asking to get struck by lightning.

On his way to the orchard alone, Xu Su opened the app and first checked the points paid for picking fruit:

"One jin of apples = 1 point"

Then he looked at the food price list:

"Cooked food (per portion): chicken drumstick/15; char siu/15; salt-baked chicken/15..."

"Staples (per item): steamed bun/5; sweet potato/5; corn/8..."

"Fresh meat and seafood (per jin): pork/45; grass carp/60; sea shrimp/100..."

"Fresh vegetables (per jin): leafy greens/15; loofah/15; shaggy mane mushrooms/20..."

Xu Su, after reading it all: ?!?

Was this a joke?!?

Picking one jin of apples only earned one point, but a single steamed bun cost five?!?

Xu Su looked incredulously at the cameraman beside him.

"Does your production team have a KPI deal with the King of Hell? Do you get ten extra years of life for every guest you starve to death?"

The cameraman hurriedly shook his head. "No way! Absolutely no way!"

Xu Su folded his arms and tilted his head slightly. "They say a double negative makes a positive."

The cameraman said, "...Then I'll take back one 'no way.'"

Xu Su said, "They say changing your answer at the last minute means you have a guilty conscience."

The cameraman cracked. "...Mr. Xu, have mercy."

[That mouth of Xu Su's. Now he won't even spare the cameraman.]

[Cameraman: I'm an honest guy. Please have mercy.]

Sticking to the principle that one working stiff shouldn't make life hard for another, Xu Su finally let the cameraman off.

Fifteen minutes later, Xu Su reached the orchard.

After collecting his picking tools and putting on a back basket, Xu Su walked up to a row of fruit trees and began picking.

Sunlight streamed straight down. With the light falling over him, his finely sculpted features looked even more stunning and striking in its brilliance.

Standing among the red-and-green fruit trees, he looked like a dazzling white camellia in full bloom that had wandered into their midst, somehow carrying an indescribable, soul-stirring allure.

At the same time, his unhurried movements and leisurely expression lent the shot an added beauty of peaceful, tranquil days.

Time seemed to stop right there.

The viewers stared, mesmerized:

[Goddamn! How is he so handsome! Fuck!]

[Man, I advise you not to try to salvage your image in my heart!]

[That's strange. Xu Su is obviously really handsome, so why does he get so much hate?]

[You must be new here. Look into Xu Su's history. He gets hate for being hopelessly lovesick, not for his looks.]

[Xu Su: I've been irrelevant, but never ugly.]