BXBX NOVEL Chapter 207 - She Actually Thought of That?
What amazed the production crew most was that Xu Beishen, who was despised by all the cast and crew members because of her actions during the last episode, actually behaved very well this time. Perhaps it was because there were no plants or trees in the desert, and that was why she did not have any specimens to collect.
Or maybe it was because Jiang Yuning’s presence was so overbearing that even Xu Beishen could not help but to obey everything that Jiang Yuning instructed them to do!
...
At this time, it was already six o’clock in the evening and the beautiful red sun was setting behind the mountains. The view of the desert was spectacular and indescribable at this time.
The team that had travelled the furthest distance since all the teams departed that morning was the team comprising of Qi Mo and Brother Zhuang.
This was because both of them had continued walking throughout the day without stopping to rest at all.
The team comprising of the rebellious young child and the geology expert were still moving forward, but they did stop to take a rest every now and then because they were also intending to preserve as much physical energy as they could to travel more during the night time.
As for Jin Mingchen’s group, both of them were totally clueless about everything but Lady Luck seemed to be shining upon them because even though they were as blind as mice, they seemed to finally be heading in the right direction this time.
In a blink of an eye, it was already night time and the real danger that they were about to encounter had just begun...
When the different teams set up their camps in different areas of the desert, it seemed as though something really wrong had happened even though they had only just rested for a short while.
“Mingchen! Jin Mingchen! Hurry up and come out now. All of our belongings have been stolen! Jin Mingchen!”
Jin Mingchen was awakened by the sound of his partner yelling and he quickly sat up and looked out the tent that he was sleeping in. When he saw that there was nothing at all outside their tent, his eyes widened immediately before he yelled, “Where is all of our supplies? Where is our water and food? What happened to it?”
“If you ask me, who should I ask then?” the muscular boy replied. He was also in shock and he was speechless for a moment before he asked, “Would there even be a thief in the middle of a desert?”
“I got it!” Jin Mingchen responded immediately. “The production team must have taken all of our supplies away because they felt that we were doing too well in the desert! They want to make our journey more difficult and challenging for us. They are too much! How could they allow us to take whatever that we wanted from the supermarket and then make us carry them with us throughout the entire day, only to steal it from us right now? What do they mean by this?”
Jin Mingchen then pointed at the cameraman and asked, “Did you see the thief?”
The cameraman could only smile before he shook his head.
“Yeah. Let’s see how long you can hold back your laughter,” Jin Mingchen replied. “The production team is too cruel and inhumane!”
“The other teams are all facing the same situation as you are...” one of the production crew members replied to comfort Jin Mingchen a little.
“Alright then. I seem to feel a little better already since the other teams are also in the same predicament.” Sure enough, people always had to compare themselves to others in order to feel better about themselves.
However, the production crew did not reveal the fact that the ‘thief’ did not succeeded in stealing the possessions belonging to Jiang Yuning’s group. This was because even though they did also take turns resting and sleeping while they were travelling at night, Jiang Yuning would arrange for one of them to keep vigil and take turns watching over their possessions at all times, while the other teams had just slept without keeping watch over their own belongings.
Now that they had already lost their supply of food and water, the other teams were in a state of panic and anxiety. It seemed as though the test had officially begun now.
All of them were initially very happy and excited to travel through the desert to look for the clues that they needed without needing to worry, as they already had food and water with them. However, now that everything had been taken away from them, they were finally worried about the fate that awaited them in this vast and barren desert.
“Oh my god. I am such a cute boy. How could you actually bring yourself to torture me?”
The production team continued to sneer at Jin Mingchen’s comments.
This was too difficult for him.
“I cannot take this anymore. I want to go and look for Sister Yuning.”
When the production crew heard of Jin Mingchen’s plans, they could not help but to speak up and remind him, “Don’t forget that you don’t even where you are right now! Then again, even if you really knew your exact location on the map now, would you even be able to tell which direction is, in fact, east or west?”
“Stop looking down on me!” Jin Mingchen replied as he stood up immediately.
“But Mingchen, we are already having problems trying to survive right now. Didn’t you learn anything from Jiang Yuning after following her through the jungle throughout the first episode?”
Jin Mingchen thought hard for a short while before he finally shook his head. “Heaven is playing a trick on us.”
When the production team saw the anxious and worried look on each of the different teams’ faces, they finally showed a satisfied smile on their faces.
That was the real reason why the crew had allowed them to empty the entire supermarket in the first place!
Although they did not successfully steal the supplies belonging to Jiang Yuning’s team, the production team was not worried because they had already set up some other obstacles for that team.
...
It was now midnight in the desert.
Jiang Yuning and Xu Beishen crouched down to study the map that was placed on the ground in order to track their location and find the hidden clues that would lead them to their destination. If they had followed the directions on the map correctly, they were supposed to be at the exact location where the clues were hidden. However, even though they searched left and right, there were no clues hidden at that location.
“Do you think we are at the wrong location?” Xu Beishen asked as she looked at Jiang Yuning.
Jiang Yuning and Xu Beishen continued looking at the map and studying it from different angles to confirm the location that the production team had marked down on the map. No matter how much they looked at it, they were certain that they were already at the right location. However, they could not find the clue that was supposedly hidden in this area.
Moreover, the three of them had already searched all the nearby locations that the production team could have hidden the clues for them, yet there was nothing in sight at all.
“I have another suspicion in mind now,” Jiang Yuning suddenly said as she stood up and looked at Xu Beishen. “I think that the production team has deliberately given us the wrong map so that we would face some obstacles in obtaining the clues.”
“That...is that even possible?” Tong Tong asked as he knelt down on the ground and stared at Jiang Yuning in utter disbelief.
“Yes, I think that might be a possible option. Since she is on our team, I believe that the production team was afraid that we would be completing all our tasks too easily. That is why they have intentionally done this to make things much more difficult for us,” Xu Beishen replied as she pointed her chin at Jiang Yuning. “Otherwise, there is really no reasonable explanation as to why we are unable to find the clues even though we are already at the right location.”
The production crew who were on standby were slightly nervous when they heard Jiang Yuning voicing out her opinions.
She actually thought of that?
Oh my...
The difference between Jiang Yuning and the other guest members were really too much.
“What should we do now? Since the production team has given us the wrong map on purpose, I am certain that they would not be so kind to just give us the correct map if we ask for it. We only have about eight hours left before the time is up. Do you think we will be able to rescue our partners on time?” Xu Beishen asked with a worried expression on her face.
“We need not panic right now,” Jiang Yuning replied as she picked up the map and studied it again. “We should try to recall what other clues or options the production team might have left us with.”
The three of them started thinking as hard as they could.
“Sister Yuning, I cannot think of anything anymore. There is really nothing else that I can do now,” Tong Tong said and he knelt down on the ground, feeling absolutely defeated and discouraged at this time.
“Well, there is actually a way out of our predicament. Since the map that we have is a fake map, then the other teams would definitely have a copy of the real map. If we meet up with any of the other teams, I am certain that we would be able to look at the real map. I believe that the production team would have also prepared various different obstacles for the other teams.”
“You can see that the production team has planned everything very well. We are now right smack in the middle of the desert and I believe that the other teams are also very likely to pass through this area. The only difference is that the maps that the other teams have would not have a marking stating that this is the location of the hidden clue. Since this is the intersection of all the different routes, the only thing that we can decide right now is whether we would want to go and look for the other teams or to just wait here until they pass by this area.”
“I think that it would be too difficult and almost impossible for us to find them since we have no idea of their location at all. It would be too easy for us to miss out on them or pass them by without even knowing that they are in the vicinity,” Xu Beishen quickly voiced her opinion.
“Alright then. We will wait for any of the other teams to pass by here then, but we will not just sit down and wait without doing anything. Tong Tong, go and see if you can find some dry grass or wood nearby. We will start a fire...”
How could she be so intelligent and witty all the time?
After the decision was made, the three of them immediately split up to do their own share of the work. There was a saying that went ‘if anyone saw a fire in the desert, this meant hope for them’...
“Please, please prove to be useful,” Tong Tong prayed silently after they started the fire.
“Hahaha. This shows that it is not the safest bet to follow the strongest group either,” Xu Beishen said as she laughed. She suddenly felt that this mission was starting to get really interesting and challenging.
She also admired how Jiang Yuning could calmly analyze the situation and remain optimistic even when they were faced with uncertainties during their mission.
It was actually rather exciting to work together as a team to resolve a problem.
...
“Fire...there is a fire!” A short while later, Brother Zhuang’s voice could be heard clearly as both Qi Mo and himself quickly walked towards the smoke...