Ji Shuyao called before I had even finished reading the script.
Song Shi'an leaned back on his pillow and answered the phone, " Brother Yao, what's up so late?"
"A popular escape room reality show wants to invite you to be a guest on one episode. Would you like to check it out?"
Song Shi'an looked puzzled. "What kind of survival show? It's not like that wilderness survival show before, is it? I'm not going!"
Ji Shuyao chuckled on the other end of the phone, "What, scared now? It's the variety show ' Escape to Freedom.' You've probably heard of it even if you haven't seen it. It's been very popular both domestically and internationally for the past few years. You haven't had enough roles in your works. Go on a variety show to get some exposure. It's a short program, and the appearance fee is no less than what you get for acting."
Song Shi'an sat up abruptly. " Brother Yao, what are you saying? It's time to show your face, isn't it? It's no big deal, go!"
The electronic document popped up as soon as I hung up the phone.
When he scrolled to the bottom and saw that number, his eyes widened in shock: 1.5 million, in just three days!
He quickly compared the hourly rate for filming in his mind and realized it was more cost-effective than filming!
He randomly clicked on an episode and found it increasingly interesting as he watched.
This variety show is pretty good. Nearly thirty people participate each episode, and they are mostly top students from major universities or members of high-IQ clubs.
The main focus is on a live, authentic broadcast, with a few celebrities added to increase exposure.
He thought about it for a long time, and it turned out he was just there to make up the numbers.
I checked Weibo again and found that there was no script and the guests had to improvise. In many episodes, the entire team failed and no one made it out.
Song Shi'an stared at the message for a while before he felt relieved. That was great; even if he lost, it wouldn't be too embarrassing.
Just two days later, the official cast for the next installment of " Escape to Freedom " was announced.
Four or five celebrities plus a bunch of ordinary people, their photos were pasted up like talent show posters, with a dense array of headshots covering an entire wall.
Song Shi'an's face stood out from the crowd of academic faces; it was hard not to notice him.
The comment section instantly became lively.
"This episode is quite interesting, and everyone's good-looking. I'm really looking forward to it!"
"Holy crap, the memory master is here too! I remember his spatial abilities are amazing!"
"The production team really went all out, featuring so many high-IQ geniuses, big names from various fields..."
"This season probably has the most amazing people gathered since filming started, including extreme sports masters. Speaking of which, can you really succeed in escape room games just by being physically fit?"
"Am I the only one who noticed the guy in the middle of the third row? He's so handsome! According to his brochure, he's from Jingchen University, which is one of the top universities in Asia, right? I'm rooting for him!"
"Is Jingchen really that great? It's only so-so in Asia, just average globally. I still prefer the top-ranked ones."
"I didn't even notice until the person upstairs pointed it out. It's based on university rankings. The show's producers are up to something! If the people at the back win, the people at the front will lose face..."
The buzz is soaring; what started as a personal battle has now been elevated to a matter of school dignity.
In no time, official Weibo accounts of various universities joined in the frenzy of support, and the battle in the comments section escalated from who was smarter to whose school had a higher ranking.
Song Shi'an was in the middle of class when the teacher suddenly called his name: "This time, Song Shi'an will represent our school in a large-scale escape reality show. The teachers and students will cheer for you and hope you will bring glory to the school."
Song Shi'an raised his head, a stiff smile on his lips.
When did he represent the school? What is this production team up to?!
He just wanted to get some exposure An'an lie there quietly until the end, but this is too much...
Back in his dorm, he lay on his bed, utterly dejected, staring at the ceiling.
Chi Xun turned around from his chair. "Dude, you're really famous this time. Even people at school who don't follow celebrities are starting to pay attention to this. This show's producers are really good at stirring things up."
Jiang Ye came in through the door carrying a ball. "Anyway, I'm rooting for you. I heard the success rate was low before, but I believe you can do it. I've been fed up with those people for a long time."
"You guys overestimate me." Song Shi'an waved his hand. "I should have known better than to accept. The War of the Gods was achieved in a world where I, a lowly soldier, was injured."
Chi Xun grabbed a bag of potato chips from the table and threw it at his stomach. "You think how great it would be to win this battle? Take it easy, at least you showed your face, right? I've watched a few episodes before, it's pretty difficult, how many times has no one survived?"
Before he could finish speaking, there was a loud bang.
The two looked in the direction of the sound and saw Song Shi'an expressionlessly tear open the crushed bag of potato chips and start crunching away as if nothing had happened.
Two days later, Song Shi'an set off to record a variety show.
He stood in front of the car, glanced back at Lin Fan, and said in a sorrowful tone, "Brother's gone to film a variety show. He'll be back in three days. Don't miss me too much."
Lin Fan took a step forward, reluctantly extending his hand. "Brother! I will definitely wait for you to come back!"
Standing to the side, Ji Shuyao cleared his throat, unable to bear watching any longer. "Are you two acting out Qiong Yao drama...?"
"Just trying to lighten the mood." Song Shi'an immediately became serious, straightened his back, and waved to Ji Shuyao, "I'm leaving, don't miss me too much."
The car sent by the production crew parked in front of the hotel. He had just gotten out of the car and hadn't even had a chance to see his surroundings clearly.
Suddenly everything went black, a sack was shoved over my head, and I was pulled into the car by a great force.
Holy crap! This production team must have been involved in kidnapping before!!
He instinctively began to struggle, but two burly staff members held him down from the left and right, each grabbing an arm and pressing him into his seat.
Song Shi'an struggled a couple of times but couldn't break free, so he simply gave up. He couldn't really sell him off, could he...?
The live stream started the moment Song Shi'an appeared at the hotel entrance, and fans flooded in instantly.
"Live streaming is so much more exciting; that's when you can see An'an in real life!"
"The production team really knows how to pull off something amazing, putting people in sacks like that...!"
"Take it easy! Don't hurt my face!"
"I'm dying of laughter! They tried to struggle but failed, didn't they? Looks like they really didn't have a script. My eyes widened in shock! Hahahaha!"
The car drove along, swaying and bumping, and Song Shi'an listened carefully in the darkness.
At first, you could hear horns and pedestrians talking on the roadside, but it became quieter and quieter until only the dull thud of tires rolling over the road remained.
He estimated the time; they should have left the city.
When the car stopped, someone opened the car door, and not a single ray of light from outside could get in.
Song Shi'an estimated that it was already dark when suddenly several crows cawed overhead. The caws were hoarse and long, echoing back and forth several times in the open space.
A million questions flashed through my mind: Where did they take him?
He swallowed hard, his voice a little nervous. "Are you... part of the production crew?"
The comments section was filled with laughter.
"I laughed so hard, I heard a sound of someone swallowing. But this place looks kind of creepy."
"Where is this? It's so remote, it looks like an abandoned hospital."