High-Altitude Worker, Unfortunately a Cannon Fodder Female Supporting Role - Chapter 12

he Four Frames of Life production team had a strategic promotional plan, releasing the teaser trailer on Friday evening, the time when online activity peaks.

The official Four Frames of Life Weibo account posted: “Experience life’s four seasons and capture four frames of your portrait. Encounter the scholar, farmer, artisan, and merchant—different versions of yourself in parallel worlds—and discover the bittersweet flavors of life.”

“@Guan Guan Guan Muya @Huang Sumu @Qi Xinshu’s Weibo @Qiao Qinglu Maria @Yin Wenyuan @Yu Huizhou @Zhao Ke (listed alphabetically, order not indicative of importance) Watch the teaser premiere tonight at 9 PM! Starting June 3rd at noon, join us for a ten-day live broadcast of our ‘Farming’ journey.”

New show? Scholar, Farmer, Artisan, Merchant? Sounds intriguing!

Guan Guan Baby, I’m here! Cheering for my wife!

Yin Wenyuan, the dimple killer of Chinese entertainment! Starring in hit dramas Stellar Attraction and The Rouge Conspiracy, and upcoming drama The Moon Shines on Divergent Paths—stay tuned!

Little Tree Baby is so adorable today too! That pink sweater is too cute—Mommy wants to give you a kiss!

The front-row comments were mostly occupied by fans who had received advance notice. It took several minutes for other fans to realize the announcement had been made.

Who?! Program team, come out here and open your eyes! Who did you tag as the fourth and seventh participants?!

Damn, damn, damn! I knew Zhao Ke’s recent attention-grabbing stunts were all about trying to make a comeback. Switching careers? As if she’d ever give up the spotlight!

Zhao Ke’s bad enough, but how did Qiao Qinglu, that piece of trash, get in too? That woman’s a complete lunatic!

Is the program team trying to recreate another high-altitude horror show?

Zhao Ke and her team had already boarded the high-speed train to the filming location. Since the destination was a remote village in southwestern China with no direct flights, the trio opted for the train journey.

Wang Ran clutched her phone, constantly refreshing the comments, her face etched with worry. “It’s over, it’s over! Nothing but negative reviews!”

Li Minjing sighed in agreement. “The Super Topic is a complete mess—just endless posts of unflattering photos. Not a single person actually watched the preview properly.”

Wang Ran looked up anxiously at Zhao Ke. “Should we hire some online trolls to counter the negativity?”

Zhao Ke met her gaze, her eyes clear and calm. “Would hiring trolls really help?”

Wang Ran hesitated. “…No.”

“Don’t worry,” Zhao Ke reassured them. “The company probably won’t blame you two.”

Is that really the main concern right now?

Qiao Shuxue’s fans, having finally caught wind of the news, arrived late to the fray.

The production team is just asking for trouble. With Qiao Qinglu and Zhao Ke stirring up this mess, the show’s doomed to fail.

Let’s not turn this live broadcast into a death sentence. Seriously, they need to replace these two.

Wang Ran took a moment to compose herself before logging into Zhao Ke’s official Weibo account and reposting the official announcement.

After double-checking for errors, she clicked “Post,” immediately turned off her phone, closed her eyes, and leaned stiffly against the seat back, letting out a long sigh.

Li Minjing patted her shoulder in a gesture of comfort.

Zhao Ke, on the other hand, acted as if nothing had happened.

Tired of sitting, she stood up to stretch her legs, then nonchalantly squatted down in the aisle of the business class cabin.

Li Minjing, who was sitting on the aisle seat, suddenly noticed someone squatting beside her. Looking down, she saw it was Zhao Ke and hurriedly tugged at her sleeve, trying to pull her up.

“W-what are you doing squatting here?”

Zhao Ke tilted her head up, confused by Li Minjing’s panic. “I’m tired of sitting. Just squatting for a bit.”

“It’s fine,” she reassured Li Minjing, then continued squatting casually on the floor, elbows resting on her knees, gazing up at her phone.

Li Minjing: We’re all finished.

Yuexia Shangxue: Oi, kid, you’re in deep trouble.

AAA High-Altitude Equipment Installer Master Zhao: “It’s alright, about what I expected.”

Yuexia Shangxue: “Good attitude. Tell me, what’s your plan to clear your name?”

AAA High-Altitude Equipment Installer Master Zhao: “No plan.”

Yuexia Shangxue: “How can you not have a plan? Aren’t you supposed to be farming? Hurry up and find some books on agriculture, then when the harvest comes, completely shut down the netizens with your results. That’s how you clear your name!”

AAA High-Altitude Equipment Installer Master Zhao: “Forget it. I don’t know anything about farming. I only know how to forage for wild vegetables.”

Yuexia Shangxue: “……”

When the high-speed train arrived at their stop, the trio transferred to a green-skinned train.

The smoky stench and various foul odors on the green-skinned train were unbearable for Wang Ran and Li Minjing, two girls accustomed to the metropolis. They huddled by the windows, desperately trying to salvage themselves with fresh air.

“Zhao Ke, how are you not bothered by this?” Wang Ran asked, covering her nose and mouth.

Zhao Ke’s face remained completely calm, even showing a hint of contentment as if returning to a familiar environment.

“You get used to it,” she said nonchalantly.

Zhao Ke was indeed too calm, even her posture was completely relaxed.

She had one foot propped on the crossbar under the small table by the window, her arm draped across the window frame, and her head resting against the edge as she gazed at the rolling mountains outside.

The mountain peaks were shrouded in a thin mist, leaving only layers of verdant ink-wash landscapes visible.

“Don’t move! I’m going to take a couple of shots,” Wang Ran said, suddenly energized by the sight.

With such a perfect model and scenery, she couldn’t resist capturing the moment.

After disembarking from the green-skinned train, the trio transferred to a three-wheeled vehicle provided by the production team.

Yes, a three-wheeled vehicle.

Zhao Ke sat awkwardly on the small wooden bench, watching her suitcase bump against the metal railing with each jolt. She genuinely wished she’d packed her belongings in a snake-skin sack instead.

Li Minjing’s brow furrowed deeper. “Is this how all farming reality shows are?”

Wang Ran: “I don’t think so.”

The area had apparently just experienced rain, and as the three-wheeler rumbled along the muddy dirt road, mud splattered onto their clothes.

Zhao Ke didn’t even flinch, taking it all in stride.

The orphanage where she’d grown up had similar conditions, making this feel like a familiar homecoming.

Finally, after a long, bumpy ride, Wang Ran and Li Minjing spotted a crowd of people and various filming equipment ahead, feeling like they’d been granted a reprieve.

At the production team’s invitation, the three had a late brunch around 10 AM.

By 11 AM, all the guests had arrived. Qu Zhuocheng clapped his hands to announce the official start of filming.

At precisely noon, viewers waiting in the live stream room refreshed their screens to reveal a new scene.

Against a backdrop of swirling mist, seven figures stood on a muddy embankment. Their once-pristine shoes and trouser legs were now splattered with varying degrees of mud.

Judging by their expressions, all but Zhao Ke wore looks of discomfort and unease. Qiao Qinglu Maria’s face was particularly stiff and contorted, so unpleasant it was almost unbearable to watch.

What is this place? Why does everyone look so unhappy?

Standard reality show start, right? Farming! They’re probably not used to it.

Director Qu raised a megaphone. “Alright, filming for Four Frames of Life begins now! As you can see, we’re in a very remote mountain area.”

“Director Qu, aren’t we supposed to be farming? Why choose a mountain location? I was looking forward to plowing the fields,” Huang Sumu spoke up first, flexing his meticulously sculpted biceps as he spoke. “There are only terraced fields here. Is this really suitable?”

Previous farming reality shows had always been set on flat plains, where it was easy to see who had the best harvest.

Yeah, why choose a mountain area?

What’s wrong with the mountains? You can still farm there! You just have to learn to overcome the challenges.

Behind the camera, Qu Zhuocheng smirked. “Who told you that the ‘farming’ segment of Four Frames of Life meant planting crops? I don’t recall ever saying that.”

“What? Not planting crops? Then what is it? Did I waste my time reading all those farming books?” Qi Xinshu clutched his head dramatically, his curly hair becoming even more disheveled.

Haha, don’t worry, Xiaoshu! Mom knows you’re a good, studious boy.

Xiaoshu, your curls are a mess! The makeup artist is going to scold you soon!

Guan Muya studied Qu Zhuocheng’s playful expression for a moment, then flashed a bright smile, her voice tinged with suspicion. “Could it be something like mountain foraging, Director Qu?”

Qu Zhuocheng nodded solemnly. “Muya is close, but not quite right.”

He cleared his throat, finally dropping the suspense.

“As we all know, agricultural culture has ancient roots. To trace its origins, we must remember that it began when our ancestors, through boldness and wisdom, discovered edible and cultivable grains in nature.”

“Therefore, for the next ten days, your mission is: wilderness survival!”

No way! They didn’t tell the guests about such a crucial part of the show beforehand?

Interesting! I love this bait-and-switch vibe.

Hahaha, everyone looks so confused!

Zhao Ke stood at the edge of the group, her pupils contracting slightly as she was shocked by Qu Zhuocheng’s audacity. Bringing a bunch of clueless city dwellers into the wilderness for survival training—no wonder he could ask such abstract questions like whether she would save someone again.

Qu Zhuocheng, relishing his successful scheme, grinned maliciously. “Everyone, please calm down. First, all camping supplies and emergency equipment have been prepared for you.”

“Furthermore, the production team has generously provided three days’ worth of food and water, giving you ample time to adapt. We’ve also had experts survey this area; there’s plenty of edible resources, and safety is guaranteed.”

How many days are we staying in total?

Ten days.

Perfect! Old Huang said he wanted to lose weight, hahaha! He’ll get plenty of exercise this time.

He’ll lose muscle too, hahaha!

Without further ado, Qu Zhuocheng moved on to the next step. “Alright, let’s form pairs. Two people per group. Come up and draw lots.”

Zhao Ke silently stepped forward, grabbed a slip at random, glanced at it, and raised an eyebrow without a word.

As expected, she drew a bye.

Even seasoned variety show veterans like Qi Xinshu had fallen for Director Qu’s trap. Given Qiao Qinglu’s temper, there was no way she would remain silent.

Zhao Ke glanced at Qiao Qinglu through the crowd.

Sure enough, the other woman glared at her with fierce arrogance.

Zhao Ke: What exactly is there to brag about?

Great news! Zhao Ke got a bye! Hahahaha!

Satisfying! Karma’s a b1tch!

Why couldn’t Qiao Qinglu get the bye? I’d much rather see her break down than Zhao Ke.

Qu Zhuocheng assigned the camera crews. “Alright, here are the team assignments: Huang Sumu and Yu Huizhou together, Qi Xinshu and Mu Ya together, Qiao Qinglu and Yin Wenyuan together.”

“Zhao Ke, you’re on your own. Good luck!”

Noooo! I don’t want this! Poor Yin-gege!

Qiao Qinglu, get lost! Stay away from our Yin-gege!

Nice! Our baby Zhou is clinging to a big shot too! Thanks in advance to Teacher Huang for taking care of him, and thanks to Teacher Huang’s fans for being understanding!

Hahaha, no problem! It’s only right!

I’m dying of laughter! Qi Xinshu and Guan Muya, those two clowns together? I bet they’ll laugh themselves to death halfway through!

“Zhao Ke, do you have anything to say?”

Qu Zhuocheng deliberately stopped Zhao Ke, her calm demeanor piquing his curiosity.

Before Zhao Ke could respond, Qiao Qinglu stepped forward. “Director Qu, Zhao Ke is fine. Don’t worry about her.”

“Zhao Ke specifically asked me to be more independent, so I arranged with the props team for her to work alone.”

Zhao Ke: …

Director Qu: ???

What is Qiao Qinglu saying? Openly pulling strings? What did I just hear? Has she lost her mind?