[He really isn't afraid of offending Bai Lin.]
[What's he got to be afraid of? Bai Lin isn't as popular as him. The only fans in the industry who could probably take on Shen Xingcan's fans are Xie Linchuan's. Normally, Xie Linchuan's fans would definitely seize this chance to kick him while he's down, but after watching this show, I don't think they'd dare anymore. This is their real sister-in-law.]
[What nonsense is the person above spouting now? What kind of bullshit is that? Why wouldn't we dare to trash Shen Xingcan?]
[You dare to trash him, but you didn't deny the bit about Shen Xingcan being your real sister-in-law. More sugar for me, (*^▽^*)]
[...These two are always at each other's throats. I just don't get it. Where did all these shippers come from?]
[Jiang Yifeng fan dropping in uninvited. Those two used to be so sweet together, and they had tons of shippers. Things have been quiet these past few years because their falling-out got so ugly, but the core fanbase is clearly still there. If you don't believe me, click into their ship supertopic and look. And those are just the ones left after all their fighting.]
Song Tiantian spoke up at just the right moment. "Since everyone has different opinions, why don't we decide by a show of hands? The minority follows the majority."
Shen Xingcan had no objections. "Sure."
Bai Lin said, "I have no objections either."
Song Tiantian said, "Then everyone who agrees with Xingcan, please raise your hand."
Jiang Yifeng and Ye Ran immediately raised their hands.
To keep the tsundere beside him from deliberately opposing him, Shen Xingcan decisively grabbed Xie Linchuan's hand and raised it along with his own.
Song Tiantian laughed at the way Shen Xingcan was holding Xie Linchuan's hand. "Doesn't that count as cheating, Xingcan?"
Shen Xingcan was perfectly self-assured. "Of course not. If he doesn't want to, he can put his hand down."
What utterly tyrannical logic.
Lin Cen said, "I quite like it here, but four against two... liking it won't help. Oh well, Little Lin, let's go along with the majority."
Lin Cen was quite happy to do Bai Lin a favor. Whatever else he might be, he was the son of their company's boss.
If Xie Linchuan had shown dislike for Bai Lin, Lin Cen might have had some reservations, but if it was Shen Xingcan, there was no need to think so hard about it.
Even with Shen Xingcan's enormous fanbase and considerable influence, without wealth or family backing, he was still like rootless duckweed.
After another ten minutes or so of walking, the view suddenly opened up, revealing a clearing before them.
In that clearing, wooden fences had even been thoughtfully put up to enclose three plots that were neither too far apart nor particularly close together.
There was also a two-story building marked as the team members' general rest and recuperation area.
Jiang Yifeng stared at everything before him, dumbfounded. "So the show picked out a campsite for us ages ago?"
Song Tiantian said, "Of course. Our Fruit Guard is here to experience the lives of local fruit farmers firsthand, not survive in the wilderness."
Jiang Yifeng ventured, "Then what if we'd stopped beside that stream earlier?"
Song Tiantian smiled kindly. "Then the show would've turned into actual wilderness survival."
Jiang Yifeng shuddered at the thought. "Imagine roughing it on the island for days, only for the production team to tell us at the end that there was a campsite ready all along... I'd be sick with regret. Thank goodness for Xingcan."
Song Tiantian reassured him. "You wouldn't have to suffer for days. You'd see these buildings as soon as you came to the mango orchard to complete a task."
Jiang Yifeng was not reassured. He went howling over to Shen Xingcan. "Boohoo, I knew our captain was the most reliable."
Shen Xingcan affectionately patted his doggy head. "Good boy."
[Isn't this much better than staying by the stream?]
[So paternal, hahahaha.]
[What a beautiful picture-a happy family of three.]
Bai Lin took a deep breath before he could barely maintain the smile on his face.
Soon, staff delivered all the supplies they had ordered in advance.
Song Tiantian said, "Building a home from nothing is always difficult. To give our team members some extra motivation, the fastest builders will receive fifty points, second place gets thirty, and third place gets twenty. These points are very important. They directly determine how many times you can enter the general rest and recuperation area."
Shen Xingcan said, "...You're actually not letting us use it for free?"
Song Tiantian blinked. "Of course it isn't free. Another reminder, everyone: this round's points really matter! The rest area is divided into several sections and has everything we need in everyday life! Hot showers, washer-dryers-you name it!"
Their earlier shopping spree had already drained all three teams' points, so to make their coming days a little easier, all three teams quickly threw themselves into building their homes.
Besides the main livestream in the center, which showed all the guests, three separate team feeds were added so viewers could watch each team's progress.
As soon as the feeds split, the viewer counts on the three streams laid the guests' respective influence bare.
Looking at the livestream viewer counts, the director couldn't help marveling at what a treasure he'd stumbled upon.
The production team had clearly considered the guests' practical skills, so the cabin components they delivered were all partially finished pieces that only needed assembling.
Shen Xingcan rubbed his hands together. "Watch me show off my skills!"
Even so, when Shen Xingcan saw the cabin plans in his hand and the jumble of tools, his head still throbbed. Wasn't this a little too complicated?
But how could a real man say he couldn't do it! Besides, he had picked this himself. But why did this thing have so many parts? Still, brave Cancan wasn't afraid of difficulties!
Shen Xingcan studied the plans in his hands intently, seriously considering where to begin. After thinking for a good while, he slapped the plans against Xie Linchuan's chest.
"You do it. I'll be your assistant."
Yes, that was the result of Shen Xingcan's intense deliberation: let Xie Linchuan do it. He trusted that Xie Linchuan would definitely do a good job.
Xie Linchuan looked at Shen Xingcan before him, his tone calm. "Weren't you going to show off your skills?"
Shen Xingcan said, "You know perfectly well I've never had the patience for this stuff, even as a kid!"
"And you chose it anyway."
Shen Xingcan answered without thinking. "I don't have the patience, but you're here. You won't get impatient."
He said it so naturally, his tone carrying a dependence that could only have formed over many years.
Xie Linchuan suppressed the emotions in his heart. Looking at the person before him, he said in a distinctly unfriendly tone, "Shen Xingcan, am I your maid?"
Shen Xingcan corrected him. "It's the twenty-first century. Let's not bring up that feudal stuff anymore."
"Heh."
Shen Xingcan paid no mind to Xie Linchuan's attitude. He would do the work in the end anyway. It was understandable for a worker to be a little cranky before starting his shift.
Just as Shen Xingcan had expected, Xie Linchuan, who had been good at fixing all sorts of toys for him since childhood, was exceptionally handy. Before long, their cabin was already taking shape.
Plans were never as clear as the real thing, so Ye Ran and Lin Cen next door also came over for a few looks.
With a real example right there, even though Lin Cen and Ye Ran weren't particularly dexterous because of their fingers, their progress wasn't too slow.
Meanwhile, Jiang Yifeng and Bai Lin, whose setup looked the simplest of the three teams', progressed slowly. A tent was naturally easier to put up than a cabin, provided the two people weren't constantly disagreeing.
By the time Shen Xingcan and Xie Linchuan had finished completely and gone over to help Lin Cen and Ye Ran, Jiang Yifeng and Bai Lin had only barely managed to get their tent standing.
The two teams finished at almost the same time, and after each insisted on its own version of events, they ultimately chose to split the fifty points.
Having earned fifty points, Shen Xingcan was in an excellent mood. Of course, he didn't forget to express his excitement to the person chiefly responsible for winning him the most points.
Shen Xingcan clasped Xie Linchuan's hand, his shimmering peach-blossom eyes full of fawning sincerity. "With Linchuan here, what more could Xingcan ask for! Good brothers for life!"
So let's make up. Let's make up!
At that last sentence, Xie Linchuan pulled his hand free expressionlessly, demonstrating through action that he did not want to be Shen Xingcan's good brother for life.
Shen Xingcan said, "..."
Forget it. The revolution was not yet successful; the comrade still had to work hard!
Who had he even learned this from? He'd clearly been so easy to coax when they were little!
[It's pretty obvious who's throwing himself at whom.]
[He didn't pull his hand away before or after, but right when he heard "good brothers for life."]
[I'm sold on this ship.]
[He's just using Xie Linchuan. Xie Linchuan's fans really think they're something. Still, this performance has helped me discover a future career option for Xie Linchuan. Stop ruining the film industry and go build houses for people. That'd be great.]
[Shen Xingcan's fans are losing it again. There they go again.]
[What's wrong with having Xie Linchuan as your brother-in-law? He's got real achievements, a good family background, and he's handsome. Sure, he's a bit cold, but he's good to your fave.]
[A match made in heaven, a match made in heaven.]
[Aaaaaah, where did all these damn shippers come from?! I'll kill you! Kill you!]
With their accommodations built, the next step was to start arranging the interior.
They called it decorating, but it really just meant installing a few lights on the cabin's not particularly high beams. The cabin also had to hold their daily necessities, so there wasn't much room for impractical decorations.
Finally, looking at the two air mattresses, Shen Xingcan offered his suggestion. "I think we should push these two beds together to sleep."
Before Xie Linchuan could offer any opinion on the matter, Shen Xingcan had already launched into a righteous explanation of his suggestion.
Shen Xingcan declared with utter conviction, "Pushing the two beds together will make our bed bigger, and we can stay farther from the door. If there's a storm, the doorway will definitely be the first place to get hit."