Chapter 30

Shu Yue wasn’t very tall, her figure was slender and petite, with medium-length hair and a cute appearance.

She hadn’t stood out much in the previous competitions, and Yan Ning had never really noticed her until the final contestant list was released.

The night before, she had asked Lu Fengfeng if he knew this contestant. Lu Fengfeng easily described Shu Yue’s appearance but said he hadn’t interacted with her.

Now, Shu Yue was blocking their way, and before speaking to Lu Fengfeng, she threw a glare at Yan Ning.

Yan Ning felt confused and looked up at Lu Fengfeng.

Yan Wan, who had been watching from the side, slightly lowered her head to hide the smile at the corners of her mouth.

Qin Li and Zhao Mingcheng, who was wearing the paper box headpiece, both instinctively took two steps back. Qin Li, due to experience, had a gut feeling that this situation was about to turn into a dogfight. He instinctively wanted to escape. Zhao Mingcheng, who had failed to withdraw from the competition, felt a deep psychological scar from Yan Ning. Seeing someone dare to cause trouble for her, he instinctively felt fearful.

Shu Yue’s gaze was fixed on Lu Fengfeng. Suddenly, she lowered her eyes and displayed a shy demeanor, saying, “I… I joined the competition for you!”

【Sese: Oh no, Contestant Yueyue (No. 6) blocks Contestant Fengfeng (No. 2) and, after throwing a glare at Contestant Ningning (No. 1), makes a shocking statement! Sure enough, Contestants No. 1 and No. 2 never disappoint me—such drama right at the start. I can’t take it anymore, where’s my spicy chips?!】

【Tutu: I’m more curious about how Contestant Ningning (No. 1) will react. Having a boyfriend who attracts all the butterflies must be exhausting, right?】

—

B City, Shengyi Headquarters, Golden Tower, First Floor.

Main Perspective Area of Contestant Yan Ning (No. 1).

Shi Lei was drinking water when he heard the commentary. He immediately sprayed the water over the head of the audience member in front of him. “What did he just say?”

Chen Kai, sitting in front, turned around, holding his head. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Ah, sorry, sorry, I got too excited.” Shi Lei apologized half-heartedly and quickly looked at Qiao Yingxue.

If something had happened to Yan Ning, she would definitely know first. “So Yan Ning is really with that flirtatious guy?”

Qiao Yingxue was also shocked, followed by frustration. Despite all her precautions, that guy still got to her.

When did he make his move on Yan Ning? Why didn’t she tell them?

“Don’t look at me, I just found out too.” Along with her shock and frustration, there was also a bit of disappointment.

What Qiao Yingxue didn’t know, neither did Zhou Ye and Zhao Xiaolu.

Zhao Xiaolu comforted her, “Let’s see how things unfold, maybe there’ll be a twist after all.”

Shu Yue gathered her courage and said those words, her eyes fixed firmly on Lu Fengfeng, her face full of determination.

Yan Ning gently loosened the hand that Lu Fengfeng was holding, thoughtfully giving him space to handle the situation. Although it had been less than two days, she had already gotten used to such scenes.

Lu Fengfeng caught her hand as she tried to pull it back, turned his head to look at her, and asked, “What’s wrong? Are you hungry?”

Yan Ning smiled and shook her head.

“Growl—”

The next second, her stomach made an embarrassing protest, and Yan Ning lowered her head, feeling more embarrassed than ever. The thought of this moment being live-streamed across the entire internet made her ears burn with shame.

Lu Fengfeng chuckled. It was rare to see her so shy. He clenched his left fist and lightly coughed into it. “Ahem, when we get on the island, I’ll cook something for you.”

“I’m not hungry!” Yan Ning couldn’t help but stomp her foot, refusing to look up.

“Mm, mm, you’re not hungry, but I am,” Lu Fengfeng reassured her, then raised his gaze and looked at Shu Yue again, his smile gone, his tone becoming extremely cold. “Sorry, I already have someone I love.”

He said this and, pulling Yan Ning along, walked past Shu Yue and directly onto the island.

Shu Yue turned around, cupped her hands to her mouth like a megaphone, and shouted at Lu Fengfeng’s back, “I like you! I will definitely become your girlfriend!”

Qin Li took two steps back and quietly tugged on Zhao Mingcheng’s sleeve. Zhao Mingcheng looked down at him.

He leaned in and whispered, “Does she not know this is being live streamed?”

Zhao Mingcheng shrugged, he didn’t understand this girl’s logic either. She hadn’t given any context, just blurted out “I came for you” and “I want to be your girlfriend.” No normal person would accept that.

The guy had already said he had someone he liked, and yet she kept clinging to him. What exactly was she trying to get out of this?

And, by the way, his girlfriend was Yan Ning!

Was she looking for death, trying to steal someone else’s man?

It would shock him for a whole year if anyone dared to date Yan Ning, but someone actually had the audacity to fight for her man and slap her in the face? That was even more incomprehensible.

Both of these things were happening right in front of him, and it was a deep, magnetic shock to his psyche.

【Sese: Oh no, the energetic young girl bravely chases after love, but the ship sinks into the sand. Tutu, can you analyze why she failed?】

【Tutu: I think she was rejected because she’s not as pretty as Contestant Ningning (No. 1).】

【Sese: I see. Very insightful analysis, I agree.】

—

Angel Island No. 4, Underground Maintenance Room.

Zhao Xiaojue was monitoring the live broadcast situation, and upon hearing Sese and Tutu’s irresponsible commentary, she secretly glanced at Tang Chengtian’s expression as he stood beside her.

Tang Chengtian was watching the increasing viewership numbers in the various live rooms. One arm was crossed over his chest, while the other hand rested on his chin. He spoke to Gu Han, who was standing beside him, with a hint of schadenfreude in his tone: “It seems like you were a step too late.”

He was referring to Yan Ning. Gu Han had mentioned several times that Yan Ning was his goddess. Once this part of the work was done, he was planning to return to school and dedicate himself—body and soul—to his goddess.

Gu Han looked at the image of the two of them holding hands and walking away on the screen, deep in thought. “Do you think she looks familiar? I keep feeling like I’ve seen her somewhere before, but I can’t remember where.”

Tang Chengtian laughed. “Alright, stop with the act.”

Even though he said that, Tang Chengtian couldn’t help but stroke his chin and fall into deep thought. He, too, felt that Yan Ning looked somewhat familiar, but he just couldn’t place where he had seen her before.

—

Lu Fengfeng and Yan Ning entered Angel Island No. 4, and immediately the surroundings seemed to light up.

It was like entering a magical world, but for them, it wasn’t entirely unfamiliar.

What they saw before them was half-real and half-fake: half of it was a natural environment, and the other half was virtual imagery.

However, these virtual elements were different from the 3D projections used during Yan Ning’s second round of performance. The environment here was more like a virtual training room used for intergalactic training.

The creatures that existed here did not have real life forces, but they had extracted the combat power and mentality of real-life creatures, simulating their behavior and attacks with real lethality.

Players explore the island, fighting these creatures, gaining experience points and equipment. As they level up or meet certain conditions, they can enter different dungeons.

All game data is stored in the communicator on their wrist, and one communicator is equivalent to one game account.

With Lu Fengfeng’s simple and easy-to-understand explanation, not only Yan Ning but also the live-stream audience understood the purpose of this island.

Originally, players who were indifferent to the real Angel Island No. 4 began to pay closer attention and suddenly felt a chill run down their spines.

So that’s how it is.

Games had already become an indispensable part of modern young people’s lives. However, no matter what type of game it was, it lacked an absolutely authentic experience.

Of course, there were already places offering real-life experiences for games like CS or escape rooms. But compared to Angel Island No. 4, they were worlds apart.

The ultra-realistic environment here was almost indistinguishable from the game. If the adventure experience here could reach 80% of what’s offered in the game, it would be truly extraordinary.

Angel Island No. 4, Underground Maintenance Room.

If the communicators on their wrists could really function like the ones in the Angel Island No. 4 game—collecting equipment, materials, and money, and then exchanging them at specific locations for resources and weapons—just thinking about it made the hairs on their bodies stand on end.

【Your Sweetheart Baby】: No way, no way! Is it really what I think it is? Brother Tian is playing this big?】

【King Hammer of Angel Island】: Is it really that realistic? Although the visuals seem to perfectly recreate the environment of Angel Island No. 4, does the game experience really live up to that?】

【Pocket Meow】: Oh my! This description really got to me, I want to play!

【Nightingale and Rose】: I’m betting on No. 1 and No. 2. Are they a couple?】

【Adai Adai Adai】: Haha, dying of laughter. Wasn’t that girl at the beginning just there for comic relief? She’s holding her boyfriend’s hand, so why did she go up to him?】

【Little Mantou】: Kind of regret not buying a ticket now. I’m curious what No. 1 and No. 2 look like…

—

Tutu and Sese could see all the comments and bullet chat from the entire channel. They exchanged a look, both of them thinking the other had a sharp eye for detail.

As expected, their taste in beauty was both avant-garde and popular. Seeing these comments, they couldn’t help but want to show off a little.

【Sese】: Cough cough, not to brag, but No. 1 and No. 2 are absolute beauties among beauties. Once you’ve seen them, they will haunt your dreams and be impossible to forget.

【Tutu】: Exactly, so there’s no need to be too hard on No. 6, Yueyue. Everyone loves beauty. It’s only natural that she likes No. 2, Fengfeng. Actually… heh heh, I’m curious—after experiencing a setback, will she give up, or will she keep going?

【Sese】: Exactly, exactly. As the saying goes, ^[1]“With enough effort, even an iron pestle can be ground into a needle” (Chinese: “只要功夫深，铁杵磨成针”) means that with enough persistence, determination, and … Continue reading“With enough effort, even an iron pestle can be ground into a needle.” I hope Player No. 6 doesn’t get discouraged and keeps trying. Who knows, maybe she’ll break them up in the end?

Underground Maintenance Room.

“…” Zhao Xiaojue covered his face in despair. What on earth were they saying?

He really couldn’t understand why the boss had assigned such an important task to those two fools. They were reckless, didn’t have any professional skills, and kept dragging the conversation in strange directions.

—

On the island.

After Lu Fengfeng and Yan Ning entered the island, they didn’t immediately move forward. Instead, they found a large rock near the riverbank and sat down to rest.

Lu Fengfeng gathered some flat stones and arranged them into a circle, leaving a gap. Yan Ning went to collect dry twigs.

When the others saw that they weren’t moving, they instinctively refrained from walking around.

Qin Li watched them slowly set up a stone stove and start a fire, his eyes full of curiosity: “What are you two doing?”

Lu Fengfeng took out a large backpack from his equipment inventory and placed it on the stone, then pulled out a small water bottle from inside.

Yan Ning handed him the water purifier, and he went to the riverbank to fill the bottle, preparing to boil some water.

After filling the bottle and placing it over the fire, he finally answered, “Breakfast.”

“Huh?” Qin Li was dumbfounded.

“Aren’t you hungry?” Yan Ning asked.

Only then did Qin Li realize he was indeed a bit hungry. They had been woken up early by the attendants, quickly washed up, and hurriedly sent off the ship without having eaten anything.

Qin Li opened his own equipment inventory and found only a bottle of water, a can of luncheon meat, a package of toast, a box of compressed biscuits, and an apple.

It was only then that he realized the seriousness of the situation. He had to survive on just these things for five days?

Also, why did Yan Ning and the others have a pot and a water purifier?

Thinking this, he couldn’t help but ask, “How do you guys have all this stuff? And what’s in that big bag?”

Yan Ning took the water purifier from Lu Fengfeng’s hands and put it back into the inventory grid. “Oh, this? When we came in, didn’t they let us choose equipment? I just picked this.”

Lu Fengfeng continued, “We got extra points in the previous round. The bonus advantage allowed us to have an extra equipment slot, so we could bring our own things. I bought this pack, which has kitchenware, seasonings, and also some food Ningning likes.”

“That’s allowed?!” Qin Li immediately felt the difference. He hadn’t paid much attention to the bonus points in the game, thinking that as long as they made it to the finals, it would all come down to skill from there on.

Seeing Lu Fengfeng and Yan Ning’s approach, he realized that every step needed to be carefully planned, otherwise, they’d lose a huge advantage.

For example, right now, while others were drinking hot water, he could only drink cold water.

The water in the kettle boiled. Lu Fengfeng pulled out two packets of powdered milk from his bag and two clean cups, making the milk and handing one cup to Yan Ning. “Drink something warm first. I’ll make you a sandwich later. This is all I can offer, sorry.”

Well, others were drinking milk, and he was stuck with cold water…

The cups were insulated, so they kept the milk warm, and Yan Ning could hold it without it being too hot.

She gently blew on it and took a sip. The rich taste of milk made her close her eyes in bliss. “I’m glad you’re here. Otherwise, I would have just filtered the water with the purifier and drank cold water. I’m really looking forward to the sandwich~”

Qin Li, who was drinking cold water, couldn’t hold back his tears. Being the closest to them, he was suffering the most. He clutched his chest, his expression full of pain. “Please, stop showing off! Stop showing off! My head is spinning. This is just the first day, and I feel like I’m dying already!”

Yan Wan and Shu Yue, sitting a little further away, both looked quite unwell.

They hadn’t received any extra points either, and hearing about such an advantage for the first time, both Yan Wan and Shu Yue couldn’t help but feel secretly regretful.

Yan Wan had originally wanted to stand out, but unexpectedly, she had been overshadowed by Yan Ning right from the start. It was all Lu Fengfeng’s fault—an idiot of a man. What was so great about Yan Ning?

Shu Yue felt even worse. She and Lu Fengfeng were in the same year, but not in the same class.

While Lu Fengfeng might not be well-known in other grades due to his extremely low-key nature—he hardly interacted with anyone except for his endless string of girlfriends—he was very famous in their grade. Apart from his irresistible looks and the constant rotation of girlfriends, there was also a rumor.

The rumor was that he was willing to date any girl who confessed to him. As long as someone confessed, they would become his girlfriend.

At first, people didn’t believe it, but some took a chance and asked him out. After confessing, the very next day, they would be his girlfriend.

Although no one could stay by his side for long, that handsome young man—just having a short time with him left countless people yearning for more.

Perhaps, if one could become a special existence in his heart, they could be together for a long time, right?

Shu Yue had this thought. If she could spend some time with him and create memories that no one else could interfere with, she believed she could become someone he wouldn’t easily let go of.

So, from the very beginning, she had to appear innocent and passionate.

But she didn’t expect him to reject her so decisively. It was her fault for not investigating thoroughly in advance. Seeing him holding another girl’s hand had thrown her off balance.

But she didn’t regret it. As long as she could leave a small mark in his heart, she could perform well in the future, and it wouldn’t be impossible to take him away from that girl.

He was, after all, a flirt. Maybe he was just acting so serious in front of his girlfriend. She definitely needed to find a chance to spend some one-on-one time with him.

But seeing how he cared for the girl named Yan Ning, Shu Yue felt uneasy inside.

Yan Ning was indeed very beautiful, but she was also famously known as the “mentally challenged” student of Minghua. At seventeen, she was still in the seventh grade. Lu Fengfeng really had no standards.

But even so, she still liked him so much. He was just too good-looking, and he was so gentle and considerate toward others.

If it were her, she definitely wouldn’t just sit there like Yan Ning, waiting for him to take care of her. She would take care of him instead, making sure he didn’t have to do a thing—like a prince charming.

Zhao Mingcheng sat under a tree farther away, thinking about how he could avoid being recognized by Yan Ning and survive these five days.

With Yan Ning around, he didn’t need to worry about safety. He just needed to figure out the food situation. And he hoped those two women wouldn’t cause any trouble for Yan Ning.

Never! Ever! Mess! With! Her!

Lu Fengfeng and Yan Ning finished breakfast and started cleaning up the trash.

Taking advantage of the available water, Lu Fengfeng washed the utensils, then made some sandwiches, packing them in a box to save for later if they got hungry.

Yan Ning used the water purifier to store water. Noticing that Qin Li’s water bottle was almost empty, she handed him the purifier, saying, “Refill it. We don’t know where the next water source will be, so we need to stock up.”

“Ah, thank you,” Qin Li said, taking the purifier with a surprised expression.

He viewed Yan Ning like a fierce predator—he rarely dared to approach her, but he couldn’t refuse her kindness.

When selecting his equipment, he hadn’t considered the necessities of daily life. He had just picked out three cool and powerful weapons.

Shu Yue saw the water purifier in Qin Li’s hand and sneered inwardly. She walked up to Yan Ning with an innocent smile. “Hi, could I borrow your water purifier too? I ate something earlier, and the biscuits were too dry, so I drank quite a bit of water.”

Yan Ning stared at her for a moment, suppressing an inexplicable discomfort, then nodded. “Sure.”

Shu Yue’s smile became even brighter. “Thank you! You’re so kind. I really envy you.”

Yan Ning looked puzzled.

Shu Yue continued, “You have such a handsome and caring boyfriend. We’re all together, but you’re the only one who has hot milk to drink. We’re stuck with cold water that we have to ration.”

Cough cough—cough cough cough—

Zhao Mingcheng, sitting under a tree, couldn’t help but cough loudly upon hearing this sarcastic remark. In his mind, he almost wanted to kneel before this girl.

Oh my god, please, just stop!

She might seem harmless and sweet now, but she’s definitely not someone to mess with. If she wasn’t incredibly ruthless, she wouldn’t have that collar-like suppressor on her wrist, right?

That’s the most advanced and powerful suppressor in the entire star system. Even with that, it only suppresses her mental power to a C-level.

Many notorious interstellar criminals wear the silver rings, and their mental power drops to an F-level, making them no different from useless people.

He couldn’t understand it. Yan Ning was from Earth, with inferior genes, so why was she so powerful? And she’s a girl.

As for him… well, best not to mention it…

Yan Ning smiled faintly when she heard this. “Oh? Well, you’d better hurry and refill your water, or later, you might not even have cold water to drink.”

“You—” Shu Yue was stung and almost spat out a retort, ready to confront Yan Ning directly.

But after Lu Fengfeng finished packing, he walked over. Yan Ning composed herself and turned to Qin Li to ask for the water purifier.

“Is everything alright?” Lu Fengfeng asked.

Yan Ning shook her head and smiled with her lips curved. “It seems like I’ve made someone jealous, all because of you.”

There was a hint of pride in her tone. Lu Fengfeng, affected by her, also slightly curved his lips.

He thought she would be angry, especially since it was because of him that trouble had come her way. But she always managed to ease his mood and worries with just a few words.

“Ah—” Not far away, Shu Yue cried out in alarm by the river, turning to face them, her eyes full of anxiety. “I’m sorry, I accidentally dropped the water purifier into the river.”

Yan Ning quickly ran over and saw that the purifier had already drifted about four or five meters downstream with the current.

Shu Yue stood by, her head lowered, her voice full of self-blame. “I’m so sorry, it’s my fault. I slipped and couldn’t hold onto it. Yan Ning, you can hit me or scold me if you want…”

“What’s the use of hitting or scolding you?” Yan Ning coldly replied, then jumped into the river.

Shu Yue’s shoulders trembled, and she quietly sobbed, but no one came to comfort her.

She turned to face Lu Fengfeng, Qin Li, and the others, wiped her tears, and choked out, “I’m sorry, I know I was wrong. I also know Yan Ning won’t forgive me. After all, the purifier is important… but it was really an accident…”

“Ningning.” Lu Fengfeng passed Shu Yue and ran toward her, and Qin Li also walked over.

Yan Ning climbed out of the river, drenched, holding up the white purifier in her hand. “Got it back.”

“Yan Ning, you’re amazing!” Shu Yue finally ran over and looked at Yan Ning, desperately suppressing the malice in her eyes.

Lu Fengfeng took a handkerchief from his bag and draped it over Yan Ning. Since she didn’t have any spare clothes other than her undergarments, she could only wait for her clothes to dry naturally in the wind.

Lu Fengfeng frowned, clearly a little angry, and spoke without holding back, “Don’t get close, stay away from her.”

“I…” Shu Yue was now truly aggrieved and burst into tears.

But no one paid attention to her.

Lu Fengfeng had Yan Ning sit on a stone, took out a first aid kit, and began removing the soaked bandages from her right hand.

Qin Li stood to the side, watching. He wasn’t aware of what had happened the night before. “Oh, what happened to your hand?”

The skin on Yan Ning’s fingers, which had already started healing, had turned white at the edges after being soaked in water. It seemed like it might get infected, and it looked quite uncomfortable.

“A little accident,” Yan Ning said lightly.

“Just a little accident? How come I heard that some girl seems to have a grudge against you, and that’s why the accident happened…” Yan Wan, who had been silent until now, walked over and said with a meaningful tone, “I heard it’s because of some relationship issues. Although she was wrong too, you took her man… Ah, I’m just repeating what I heard, it might sound a bit harsh, so don’t take it the wrong way…”

Yan Ning raised her hand, stopping Lu Fengfeng’s movements, stood up, and walked toward Yan Wan. With a sharp “slap!” that made everyone’s scalp tingle.

The action was so quick that the others didn’t have time to react.

Only Zhao Mingcheng noticed that Yan Ning was angry. When she walked toward Yan Wan, he quietly hid behind a tree.

I told you not to provoke her, but you had to pull on the tiger’s tail.

It’s over now. How is this going to end?

Yan Ning shook her left hand, which she had slapped with force, and spoke with a cold expression: “What exactly did I take from someone? You better explain yourself clearly.”