Chapter 75 The Boat
Shao Junling found Wang's mansion, pushed open the door, and the old house was quiet. He searched every possible hiding place but didn't find anyone.
He wondered if he had misinterpreted the clues.
Then he saw a small square table in the courtyard of the mansion, with a card placed on it. The card had the logo of "Superstar Life" and clue number two: "Big Drum."
Shao Junling was confused. Where was the big drum?
Since they had just arrived at the village and were not familiar with the surroundings, Shao Junling could not cheat like he did in the last village on the mountain.
He had never seen the big drum before, so he had to leave Wang's mansion and look outside.
Now that he knew he had to go through multiple stages to find his brother, Shao Junling began to take note of the village's different routes and landmarks to pave the way for the search.
After fifteen minutes of searching, Shao Junling finally found a big drum at the entrance of the village committee. There was a card on the drum with the third clue: "Wupeng Boat."
Shao Junling was stunned. He recallee that they had gathered at the square by the riverbank, where there was a Wupeng boat nearby.
He returned to the starting point, only to find that You Luming and Xue Ziwen were still there and had not started yet.
The three kids stared at each other. Xue Ziwen ran over to him, begging for help. Shao Junling couldn't help but provide assistance. However, he saw that his clue was also "Wupeng Boat."
He realized that the production team was bullying him by deliberately giving him two extra steps!
He glared at the filming crew.
But he felt that something was still amiss and asked Xue Ziwen, "Where are Qin Xifeng and Guo Yiheng?"
Xue Ziwen pointed in two directions and said, "One went that way, and the other went over there."
Shao Junling nodded, realizing that not everyone's first task card was "Wupeng Boat." Otherwise, it would be too easy for everyone to find the boat.
But Xue Ziwen was really stupid. Shao Junling looked down on him a little because the boat was right behind him! Half an hour had passed, yet the idiot was still there.
Xue Ziwen suddenly figured it out, "Oh, I need to take the boat!"
He turned and walked towards the riverbank, and Shao Junling followed. Xue Ziwen did not know Shao Junling's clue was the same as his. He just thought Shao Junling was helping him out, and was grateful.
However, when the two arrived at the Wupeng boat, they found You Luming stumbling over too.
Shao Junling turned to see You Luming, who handed him her card, "Brother Junling..."
Shao Junling sighed, but could not refuse. You Luming's task card read, "Water Tank" with a map attached.
It seemed that the production team's task cards were not random but customized for each person, providing You Luming with extra information.
Shao Junling hesitated for a moment, then turned to Xue Ziwen, "You go first. I'm gonna help her."
Xue Ziwen gave him a thumbs-up, "If I find your brother, I'll let you know!!"
Shao Junling was taken aback. He was not a generous person and decided to help You Luming purely to study the game's hidden rules set by the production team.
After finding the water tank with You Luming, Shao Junling helped her retrieve the second clue card, which also had a photo of a Wupeng boat on it.
Were they all going to be led to the Wupeng boat at some point?
Shao Junling thought suspiciously as he led You Luming back to the starting point.
The boat that Xue Ziwen took had already returned, and Shao Junling and You Luming got on board. The boatman wore a conical hat that covered half of his face.
Shao Junling thought they would have to row, but the boat was electric.
The boatman pressed a button, and the boat started smoothly.
During the journey, You Luming enjoyed the scenery while Shao Junling looked around curiously. There was no new clue card on the boat, and the trip was brief, lasting only five minutes. They reached the other side of the river.
The filming crew and a staff member holding two new clue cards were waiting for them.
Shao Junling was confused. They received the clue cards on the shore, so why did they have to take the boat?
Was it just for the experience?
Or...
Suddenly, Shao Junling had an idea. He turned around to investigate. Before he could go far, You Luming called out, "Brother Junling!"
But he didn't turn back.
You Luming waited for a bit before sighing softly, and walking away.
"You're the mysterious guest." Shao Junling said.
The boatman was stunned to be discovered, but hid it. "I'm not."
But Shao Junling felt the boatman's voice did not seem to match his appearance.
"You're lying." Shao Junling said.
The boatman continued to deny in his disguised voice, "I'm not."
Shao Junling pointed at the boatman's face and hand, "You are not that old."
The boatman did not want to admit to being the mysterious guest. The production team told him beforehand that he could deceive the kids as much as he wanted.
The boatman had indeed put on middle-aged makeup. Shao Junling was unsure of how advanced makeup techniques were now and couldn't tell from his face alone. Based on the sound of his voice, he sounded like a middle-aged man, but when he saw the boatman's hands, he noticed a flaw.
The man's hands were just like those of his brother – long fingers, distinct knuckles, and delicate skin texture. They were clearly the hands of a young person.
The boatman remained silent for a moment before quietly pretending, "I am a staff member disguised as a boatman."
This revealed another flaw in his cover-up.
Shao Junling's eyes shimmered with excitement, "Don't lie to me, you're not a staff member."
The boatman asked, "Why… can’t I be a staff member?"
Shao Junling responded, "There are 87 people in the program group, and I remember what each one looks like. I have never seen you before."
The boatman scratched his head nervously and said, "I'm new here."
No matter how much Shao Junling tried to press him for the truth, the boatman refused to admit his identity. Shao Junling grew anxious and firmly looked at him for two seconds, before reaching out and removing his hat and fake beard.
It hurt!
Shao Junling grabbed the boatman's beard and prepared to rip it off. The boatman couldn't bear it anymore, and grabbed Shao Junling's wrist. He finally admitted, "I'm not a staff member."
"Then why pretend?" Shao Junling rolled his eyes, knowing this sneaky guy was up to no good.
The mysterious guest felt defeated. A talkative child had asked him the same question before, and he had managed to fool them. What was going on now?
Also, if he had already exposed a flaw and couldn't be tricked, why still ask if he was the "mysterious guest"? It made him feel like he was being played for a fool.
He let go of Shao Junling’s wrist and asked in a normal tone, "Little boy, do you know who I am?"
His voice was gentle and magnetic, making everyone unconsciously attracted to it. However, Shao Junling didn't care and bluntly said, "I don't know, just say the passphrase."
Shao Junling even threatened him with a fierce look, saying, "If you don't cooperate, I will use violence."
The mysterious guest helplessly said, "Di Zhen High Ridge, a picturesque land for a thousand generations."
"The door faces the sea, with three rivers converging into it for ten thousand generations." Shao Junling accurately recited the next sentence.
"You got it right." The mysterious guest shook his head, defeated.
Shao Junling didn't want to waste any more time with him and asked directly, "Where's my brother?"
The mysterious guest asked, "Which one is your brother?"
"Yin Chang," Shao Junling replied.
The mysterious guest was conflicted and looked at Shao Junling for a while before finally telling him where Yin Chang was hiding, "After getting off the boat, look for a house with a wooden sign that says 'Listening to the Rain.' Your brother is inside."
Shao Junling got the answer he needed and turned to leave.
"Hey," the mysterious guest instinctively stopped him and seemed to be struggling with something, "Do you really not know who I am?"
Shao Junling was confused, "Who are you?"
"Forget it, it's nothing." The mysterious guest gave up.
Shao Junling was about to go ashore but turned back. He carefully helped him put on his fake beard and hat. He patted his shoulder, and whispered, "Guo Yiheng is here. Make sure to keep up the disguise, so he won't recognize you."
The mysterious guest was speechless.
Shao Junling went ashore, ignoring the staff member handing out task cards and went straight to "Listening to the Rain" to find Yin Chang.
"So fast," Yin Chang was pleased and asked the staff member beside him, "Are we the first?"
The staff member smiled and nodded. Yin Chang looked proud, thinking about how talented his little brother was. Shao Junling boasted of how he found the mysterious guest.
“Oh? Who's the mysterious guest?" Yin Chang asked.
Shao Junling rubbed his nose, "A strange person, I don't know him. I forced him to say the passphrase before he told me."
At this moment, a group of staff members hiding in the temporary director's room, who were watching the live broadcast were stifling their laughter.
"Mi Xiu, he met Shao Junling… but it was so pitiful."
"I feel bad for him, but I also want to laugh…"
"Hahaha…"
