"Dammit… this is way too hot."
"My God, look at how Sian burned that man! Is this even allowed on the show?"
"What's this rookie doing? Does he think he's a doctor or something?"
"Are the show's producers not going to intervene? Are they seriously letting this kid kill people just like that?"
"People, what do you even know? I'm a doctor and a toxicologist, and I can confirm that everything the kid said earlier was correct. That plant he mentioned does exist, and its scientific name is "Conium maculatum". You can look it up on Baidu. And as you saw, the contestant refused to surrender and seek medical attention. Burning and cauterizing the poisoned area is the most basic treatment in such circumstances."
"Wow, so does this mean the kid knows this stuff? Is he a poison expert or something? That's so cool!"
"That's our little angel."
"My heart nearly stopped! I have to confess something… Everyone's probably thinking about the poison and Sian's ruthless treatment, but am I the only one who got... Hard by this intense scene?"
"Hahaha, upper floor, are you still going through puberty? But honestly, seeing Sian holding Tong Xiao, covering his mouth like that… damn it, I got turned on too. I want our little angel to hug me like that!"
"Finally, someone noticed… I've been licking my phone screen for ages now."
+1
+1
…
It seemed like the audience had forgotten all of Sian's brutal actions in an instant, instead… they were, uh… jerking off. Truly, no comment.
On the live broadcast, Sian was still holding Tong Xiao, who appeared to have stopped his initial struggles. His head leaned against Sian's neck, and his face was no longer visible.
A man in his thirties sat in a large office, watching this scene with an unreadable expression. Moments later, he suddenly hurled the laptop sitting on his desk with great force. The device smashed into pieces on the ground.
"Track Sian's every move. Investigate his relationship with that man and everyone else on that reality show."
"Understood, President," the secretary standing nearby replied before promptly leaving.
---
Sian pressed the knife against the small of Tong Xiao's back. Nearby, Ban Wang watched as poor Tong Xiao struggled to breathe, looking like he might die at any moment.
Ban Wang's gaze shifted to Sian's pale, slender hand, firmly covering his friend's mouth. He feared that Tong Xiao wouldn't die from the poison but from a lack of oxygen.
Seconds later, Sian pulled the knife away and said coldly, "Get some gauze and wrap the wound after applying the antibiotic. You'll find it in the first-aid kit in your bag."
Without waiting for a reply, Sian shoved Tong Xiao away and walked off.
Ban Wang: "…"
Lan Qisheng nearly burst out laughing—and eventually did—unable to hold it in any longer. Throughout the whole scene of Sian hugging that disgusting man (yes, from today onwards, Tong Xiao is "that disgusting man" in Lan Qisheng's eyes), he is furious.
He didn't even know why he was so angry. Maybe it was because, after a long time of not caring about anyone, he finally found someone interesting. But the person he set his eyes on was standing far away, even hugging someone else. Of course, he'd lose his mind!
"Why did you help him? Didn't you say you didn't want to attract attention?" Lan Qisheng asked, towering over Sian, who was now seated on a rock under a large tree.
He couldn't stop himself—he wanted to get closer to this person. He wanted to know everything about him. It wasn't about his mission; his instincts told him Sian wasn't part of "those people." Even if he knew Sian had secrets, he felt he wasn't a bad person and wanted to be friends with him.
Sian: "None of your business."
Sian wasn't surprised that Lan Qisheng overheard his words, nor did he care. He wasn't in the mood for chit-chat with this dangerous man.
Lan Qisheng: "…"
The faint smile on Lan Qisheng's face froze. He hadn't expected to be rejected with just two words. But he quickly recovered and asked again, "Hi, I'm Lan Qisheng. Shall we be friends?"
Sian: "No, I don't want to."
Lan Qisheng: "…"
"You—"
Lan Qisheng was about to retort when their instructor, Kim Hyun, approached, causing him to hold his tongue.
Kim Hyun glared at Sian and said, "I've contacted the director and told them to remove you from this show. I can't allow reckless and violent people like you to stay here."
Sian raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what did the director say?"
Kim Hyun replied in a tone of frustration and anger, "They said you haven't done anything severe enough to warrant being kicked off. And saving Tong Xiao was done with the participant's consent." He paused, then continued with a face full of reluctance and disdain. "I don't agree with their decision, and frankly, I don't like the way you do things. It seems you hate me too, which is why I want you to stay away from me and the other participants. Don't drag them into your games. This forest is extremely dangerous—it's no playground. We're going to be here for a long time, so I hope you'll cooperate to make things easier for everyone."
After delivering his speech in one breath, Kim Hyun turned to leave but stopped when Xian's voice reached him from behind.
"I don't."
"Huh?"
"I said, I don't. I don't hate you. Believe it or not, I didn't attack you out of hatred. I can't stand people touching me unexpectedly from behind, and my reaction was pure instinct."
After saying what he wanted, Sian closed his eyes and rested his head against the tree, leaving Kim Hyun staring at him with a mix of doubt and confusion.
Sian was genuinely exhausted. The pain he felt earlier in the helicopter hadn't disappeared, and all his recent actions only added to his fatigue. Since they wouldn't be moving anytime soon, he decided to rest.
---
The group had been walking for hours now without encountering anything unusual. The journey had been relatively peaceful, aside from a few insects and snakes along the way that startled some participants.
Two participants had withdrawn immediately upon seeing a massive black anaconda slithering ahead. The most terrifying part was the snake's swollen belly, larger than a car tire. No, this isn't an exaggeration—the bulge in the snake's stomach was genuinely the size of a 4x4 wheel.
And so, 18 participants remained.
"Stop."
Sian, who had been strolling lazily, suddenly straightened up and pulled a dagger from his backpack. He then spoke loudly to the group.
Lan Qisheng also readied himself, glancing at Sian with amusement. "Good instincts, kid."
Sian rolled his eyes at him and ignored the comment.
Kim Hyun was about to reprimand Sian for halting the group, but at that moment, he noticed the tall grass ahead swaying violently. Suddenly—
*To be continued...
-------------
This is today's chap my dearest readers.
So here's a quick question for you: if u get it right, I'll publish 2 chapters tomorrow. How's about that Hummhumm?
Q: what do you think the group will face in the next chapter?
---------------