Reborn, I Became a Male God - Chapter 86-90

When Jing Ling and the other five people set foot on the larger island, it was already late. The setting sun hung on the horizon, its heat long gone. The rippling sea waves were dyed with a reddish-orange hue, blending with the sky and water into a beautiful scene. But they weren’t here for sightseeing — they were here to survive on a deserted island. The first problems they had to consider were where to sleep and what to eat for dinner.

 

The sun was about to set, and soon night would fall. Jing Ling made the most of the last bit of daylight and strolled around the woods near the shore, successfully finding a suitable spot to spend the night. The area had a wide, open view, with dense tree canopies overhead providing cover, yet they wouldn’t have to go deep into the jungle. Several trees with slightly curved trunks were perfect for setting up hammocks.

 

He chopped down two bamboo poles, cut them to a suitable length, keeping both ends intact, then split them down the middle, turning them into several-centimeter-wide bamboo strips. After bending and spreading them out, they became a natural hammock base. Next, he tied the ends of the bamboo with the ropes he had brought and hung them between two adjacent trees — the frame of the hammock was ready.

 

The others followed along, initially unable to guess what he was doing. When they saw him hang the bamboo strips, lie down on them, and comfortably rest, they were instantly stunned.

 

So bamboo could be used like this!

 

The others eagerly imitated him. While they were busy chopping bamboo, Jing Ling had already started preparing to weave bedding. There were plenty of palm trees nearby, and their leaves made excellent DIY material. He took his knife, chopped some down, tossed them between the two hammocks, and sat directly on the beach to get to work.

 

Qiao Qiao sat across from him, looking at him with great anticipation. “Jing Ling, you made two hammocks. Who’s the other one for? Me?”

 

Jing Ling merely nodded at her words without even lifting his eyelids, continuing his work. His hands were skillful, and this wasn’t particularly difficult — he simply laid the palm leaves flat across the bamboo strips and secured them in place. A pure, natural green hammock was quickly completed. He lay on it to test it — not bad. He was about to start working on Qiao Qiao’s when she waved her hand and refused, “I’m already super grateful for having one bed; I can handle the rest myself. Thank you so much!”

 

“Alright, but be careful not to cut your hands on the bamboo,” Jing Ling reminded her casually, then let her do it herself. The reason he had initially made two hammocks was because she was a girl and also his teammate. He couldn’t possibly sleep on the bed while letting a girl sleep on the ground. Otherwise, when the show aired, he’d definitely get flamed badly by viewers.

 

In front of the hammocks was a large sandy beach. The sea breeze at night could easily blow up the fine sand. If they didn’t want to get a face full of sand while sleeping, they’d need to build a windbreak wall in front. That was easy. There were plenty of slender bamboo stalks in the forest. Just chop some down, tie them into a frame, add palm leaves for reinforcement, and stand it up in front — problem solved.

 

By the time Jing Ling finished all that, the others’ hammocks were also set up. But not everyone had brought ropes like Jing Ling. For example, the two people from the third group and Yu Leyang didn’t have any. Fortunately for him, his partner Liu Wei was meticulous and had brought ropes — just enough to hang both of their beds. Zhang Hengyi’s group wasn’t so lucky. The two of them sat on the ground, staring at each other for a moment before deciding to search the woods for vines with good toughness. In the end, they actually found some and braided a few together to use as makeshift ropes.

 

A small area in the forest soon displayed six bamboo beds hanging in the air. As for the palm trees used for the bedding, several of them had been completely stripped of their leaves, standing there bare.

 

The sun had almost completely disappeared beyond the sea, and it was already quite dark. Thanks to the show’s generosity, they were allowed to bring lighters. Although they had been dropped into the sea by helicopter earlier, Jing Ling had been careful enough to seal his lighter in a waterproof bag before departure. In wilderness survival, fire was indispensable. It provided not only light and warmth but often protection too, as many animals in nature feared fire.

 

With the lighter, Jing Ling easily got a fire going. As he built the fire, Qiao Qiao consciously went to collect firewood. The island had plenty of dry branches lying around — easy to gather.

 

The dry wood crackled as it burned, bright flames leaping and dancing with the sea breeze.

 

It was time to think about dinner. After an entire exhausting day, those who had brought ready-to-eat supplies could take them out and nibble whenever they had a chance. But Jing Ling’s bag had nothing edible except for the coconut he’d picked at noon. Aside from that, he hadn’t really eaten all day.

 

Just as he was thinking this, a delicious aroma wafted over. Following the scent, he saw that not far away by another campfire, members of the filming crew were sitting together. A pot of soup hung over the fire, with meat roasting by the flames — the smell of the food mixed together and drifted over.

 

It was obviously intentional!

 

Jing Ling felt utterly defeated. The others clearly shared the same thought. Beside him, Qiao Qiao huffed angrily, “You’re obviously doing this on purpose! Doesn’t your conscience hurt?” As she spoke, she unzipped her backpack and took out a small stainless steel lunchbox and a pack of instant noodles. With a rustle, she tore open the packaging, broke the noodle block into pieces, tossed them into the lunchbox, opened the seasoning packets and poured them in, even sliced a sausage into the mix. She opened a bottle of mineral water and poured it in, finally covering the lid and carefully placing the lunchbox on the glowing embers beside the fire to cook. “Don’t think you’re the only ones with food — I have some too!”

 

It wasn’t just Qiao Qiao — others also brought bowls and instant noodles. Soon, the fire was lined with lunchboxes. Instant noodles didn’t taste like much themselves, but the aroma of the broth was overwhelming. With five pots of noodles boiling nearby, plus the soup and roasted meat by the unscrupulous production crew, the mingling smells made Jing Ling feel like he wasn’t even in the same situation as these people. It was as if everyone else was here for a picnic, and only he was seriously simulating wilderness survival.

 

The cameraman had been following them the whole time, even during meals, they took shifts. Upon seeing this, he immediately turned the camera to Jing Ling’s face for a close-up. He could guarantee that this footage would definitely be edited for dramatic effect later — the stark contrast was simply natural gold for the editors.

 

Soon, Qiao Qiao’s noodles were cooked. Carefully, she removed the scalding lunchbox from the fire and handed Jing Ling a pair of chopsticks. “Returning kindness with kindness. Thanks for the hammock.”

 

Jing Ling was slightly surprised but still refused, “No need, you eat it yourself. You didn’t bring much food either.” Their backpacks were small, and even when full, couldn’t hold much, not to mention the production crew had restricted the quantity and type of items. Jing Ling estimated that her supplies would barely last two days — after that, the real hardship would begin.

 

Qiao Qiao offered twice more but was refused each time, so she ended up eating it herself. After finishing, she placed the lunchbox back on the fire, poured in a little water, and took a small plastic bottle from her backpack, squeezing some transparent liquid into the lunchbox.

 

Jing Ling asked uncertainly, “Dish soap?”

 

Qiao Qiao nodded proudly, “Yep, I specifically brought it to wash dishes!”

 

Yu Leyang, sitting nearby, stretched out his lunchbox. “Qiao Qiao, beautiful lady, give me some too!”

 

The others also joined in the fun.

 

“I want some too!”

 

“Me too!”

 

“Give me a little, thanks!”

 

Jing Ling sat by the fire hugging a large green coconut, reflecting on whether he was being too serious.

 

It was everyone’s first time truly sleeping outdoors. Though they had no tents, no sleeping bags, only a wobbly, self-made, simple hammock, their reactions were mostly excitement and enthusiasm, not much worry. After dinner, they still had energy for a small bonfire dance around the fire. As the only girl, Qiao Qiao was undoubtedly the most popular, dancing a short dance with each of the four boys. As for Jing Ling, he had taken a thin bamboo straw, cut open the coconut, inserted the straw, and sat cross-legged by the fire quietly drinking his pure, natural coconut juice. It looked as though he was drinking to fill his stomach, so much so that the others couldn’t bear to drag him over to join them.

 

The group kept making noise until after ten o’clock at night before they stopped. They added more dry wood to the fire and threw some green branches on top. This way, as the dry wood burned, the green branches would get baked dry, then continue burning, keeping the fire going longer. After that, everyone lay down on their hammocks with their backpacks.

 

The cameraman set up the equipment nearby, switched to night mode, and crawled into his sleeping bag.

 

The forest at night was filled with all kinds of sounds, some quite eerie. It was only then that these sheltered “greenhouse flowers” realized that wilderness survival wasn’t an easy task — and this was just the tip of the iceberg.

 

With anxiety and fear, Yu Leyang and the others barely managed to fall asleep around dawn. The hammocks were small, and any slight movement caused them to sway. Yu Leyang and Qiao Qiao both tossed and turned in their sleep. Not long after dozing off, they instinctively rolled over — and tumbled straight off the hammocks, landing face-first in the sand.

 

The two cries of surprise startled everyone awake. In their panic, even those lying still accidentally fell off their beds. Within moments, only Jing Ling remained lying properly on his hammock. But soon after, he sat up, greeted the few sitting on the ground with a “Good morning,” and walked over to the fire.

 

The fire hadn’t completely gone out. He cleared away the ashes, and there were still glowing embers in the middle. After tossing on a few sticks, the fire quickly reignited. Jing Ling grabbed his knife and headed into the forest, chopped a thin bamboo pole, and sharpened one end to a fine point — a simple spear for fishing. He hadn’t eaten all day yesterday, and though it was possible to hunt at night, it was better not to show off too much. Now that dawn was approaching, going fishing was perfectly reasonable.

 

Qiao Qiao groggily sat beside him, watching him work for a while before asking, “Jing Ling, what are you doing?”

 

“Fishing.”

 

Qiao Qiao blinked, pointing at his spear. “With that?”

 

“Mm.”

 

Realizing she was about to witness a real-life fishing scene, Qiao Qiao immediately perked up. “Ahhh, take me with you! I can help carry the spoils!”

 

Jing Ling nodded. “Okay.”

 

Just then, Yu Leyang approached from the side with a sarcastic tone, “You haven’t even seen what the fish look like yet, and you’re already thinking about spoils?”

 

 

Chapter 87

 

 

Jing Ling really felt that Yu Leyang’s thought process was different from ordinary people. As a public figure, every action was under the public’s scrutiny. Other people would pay attention to their image when they went out, to avoid being photographed doing anything unfavorable. But him? He clearly knew they were filming, yet he didn’t restrain himself at all. Even after suffering a loss not long ago, he still behaved so sarcastically and eccentric. Although in this industry, no matter how strange you are, someone out there will like you, was there really a need for him to develop in the direction that completely defied the general public’s aesthetic?

 

Jing Ling wasn’t interested in knowing the answer anyway. It was just an irrelevant person to him. His gaze moved away from Yu Leyang and fell on Qiao Qiao, who was sitting cross-legged by the fire. “It’s still not fully bright yet. The light is bad, and visibility in the water is low. We’ll have to wait a while. I’ll weave a basket first to carry things.”

 

Qiao Qiao propped her cheeks with both hands, looking at him. “Mm-hmm.”

 

Besides the bamboo he used to make a spear, Jing Ling also had a pile of vines beside him, which were for weaving a fish basket. It was only meant for holding things, not as a work of art to show off, so neither the materials nor the craftsmanship needed to be picky — as long as it was usable, that was enough.

 

But even so, Qiao Qiao was still mesmerized watching him. Jing Ling had a pair of very beautiful hands — long, slender fingers with well-defined joints, and clean, neatly trimmed nails. Those artistic hands grasped the brown, slender vines, weaving them with smooth, flowing movements. His head was slightly lowered, his facial features flawless, his long eyelashes fluttering occasionally, his expression completely focused.

 

Very soon, a simple basket took shape in his hands. The basket was round overall, about 40 centimeters tall, with a diameter of roughly 30 centimeters. After finishing, he twisted a rope out of vines, fixed it to both sides, making it easy to carry.

 

Qiao Qiao thought of how he casually made a hammock yesterday as well and couldn’t help but ask, “Jing Ling, is there anything you don’t know how to do?”

 

“A lot,” Jing Ling smiled. He secured the final vine, and the basket was done.

 

By then, the sky had brightened. The sun leapt out from the horizon, gradually shedding its initial orange-red hue, hanging over the edge of the sky.

 

“Let’s go.” He spoke to Qiao Qiao, picking up the basket and spear.

 

Qiao Qiao got up from the sand, casually patted the sand off her body, and followed him.

 

The vast ocean harbored countless dangers, capable of taking a person’s life in an instant. But besides its terrifying side, the sea was also unimaginably rich in resources, like a giant treasure chest, where risks and opportunities coexisted. You could never predict whether you’d gain something here or lose something.

 

The place where Jing Ling and the others camped was on the other side of the island, far from the shark-favored current between the two islands. Here, the weather was pleasant, and the water was relatively calm. A line of reefs stretched irregularly out to the open sea. When the tide receded, the reefs would be exposed above the water.

 

After picking a spot suitable for hunting, Jing Ling placed the basket on the shore and, holding the spear, directly jumped into the water. Although the deserted island was in the tropics and the temperature wasn’t low, the morning seawater still felt a bit cool. But that didn’t bother him much. Taking a deep breath, his body slowly submerged into the water. The water quality was fairly clear. He could see the coral growing densely on the seabed, seaweed swaying with the current, and schools of fish swimming about.

 

Near the seabed, beside the coral reef below him, a grouper was swimming. Jing Ling adjusted the position of the spear in his hand and thrust it down fiercely. The sharp tip of the spear pierced through the grouper’s body and stuck into the seabed’s sandy layer. The fish struggled desperately, stirring up sand and gravel from the seabed, turning the surrounding water murky.

 

Jing Ling pressed down firmly, driving the spear in further to ensure the fish wouldn’t escape, then surfaced with his catch.

 

Qiao Qiao, sitting on the beach, waved at him when she saw, “Jing Ling, did you catch it?”

 

Yu Leyang had appeared at some point, sitting beside her, striking her enthusiasm down, “Wishful thinking. Even in a fish pond, trying to spear a fish with that kind of toy is hard enough, let alone in the sea.”

The sound of waves crashed repeatedly onto the reef, breaking into white foam, which quickly dissipated.

 

Jing Ling raised the spear above his head, with the grouper still struggling faintly, its tail flapping occasionally.

 

Reality slapped faces.

 

“He caught a fish! He really caught a fish!” Qiao Qiao leapt up in excitement, grabbed the basket, and ran across the beach, jumping into the sea toward Jing Ling. But after a few steps, her pace slowed as the water quickly rose past her waist.

 

“I’ll come over,” Jing Ling chuckled, swimming back with the fish. He placed the fish into the basket, then swam off again, diving into the water.

 

Soon, he found new prey — a rather large black sea bream, hunting small fish among the corals and seaweed, completely unaware of the danger approaching.

 

Jing Ling adjusted the position of the spear and thrust it out with force, hitting the target again. The bamboo spear pierced through the fish’s gills, pinning it beside the coral reef.

 

Jing Ling surfaced once more. Qiao Qiao asked excitedly, “You caught another one?”

 

He nodded and swam back with the catch. The black sea bream was quite large, about 20 centimeters long, weighing roughly three to four catties.

 

Qiao Qiao cheered, “So big! Wild-caught, grilled, it must be super delicious!”

 

Jing Ling placed the fish into the basket and told Qiao Qiao, “I saw something under the reef over there just now. I’ll go take another look.”

 

Diving down again, he swam to where he had caught the black sea bream, searched around the nearby reefs, and quickly found the target — a lobster, with part of its body exposed from the reef’s crevice, appearing quite large. Jing Ling swam closer, observed the lobster’s position briefly, then thrust the spear under the reef, hitting the target precisely. He surfaced with his catch.

 

“Look what I got,” he told Qiao Qiao, raising the spear high.

 

When Qiao Qiao saw clearly, she was overjoyed, “Ahhh! A big lobster! Oh my god, it’s a big lobster! Gourmet-level lobster! Ultimate delicacy lobster!”

The lobster Jing Ling caught was indeed huge, roughly three to four catties, about the same as the black sea bream he caught earlier.

 

Three attempts, three successes — two fish and a lobster, totaling over ten catties, plenty for a good meal.

 

Jing Ling swam back, put the lobster into the basket, carried everything to the shallow water where the depth was only knee-high, and waited for the cameraman to take a few shots. Then, he handled the fish and lobster and brought them straight back to the fire pit. He cut three thin bamboo sticks from the forest, stripped off the leaves, skewered the fish, and placed them beside the fire to grill. He cut the head off one fish, borrowed Qiao Qiao’s stainless steel lunch box, sliced open the leaves he twisted off yesterday, poured coconut juice into the lunch box, cut up some coconut meat, then placed the fish head inside and set it directly on the hot coals to cook.

 

As the water temperature rose, the previously clear coconut juice quickly turned milky white, resembling milk. When the soup boiled and bubbled, Jing Ling moved the lunch box slightly aside, shifting it from high heat to low heat. After simmering for about ten minutes, a fragrant aroma wafted over.

 

The simplified version of coconut fish head soup was ready.

 

The people around them watched in awe. Especially Yu Leyang — he felt like he was about to have a heart attack. He had thought last night that he had finally turned the tables, but before he could enjoy the feeling, his opponent started going full cheat mode. He always thought, in these harsh deserted island conditions, apart from the unscrupulous production team that brought pre-packed gear and food, if the guests could cook instant noodles, that would already be considered a feast. But now? His opponent not only used a makeshift, toy-like spear to catch fish, but even managed to catch an incredibly mouth-watering lobster. Grilling fish was expected, but making soup? That was completely unfair!

 

The milky white soup bubbled in the stainless steel lunch box, filling the air with its rich aroma — the freshness of the fish head blended with the strong coconut fragrance. Compared to this, the instant noodles they cooked last night suddenly seemed pathetic. Not to mention, there were still two grilled fish and a big lobster yet to be cooked.

 

Slapped in the face again and again, even with Yu Leyang’s thick skin, he couldn’t take it anymore. He suddenly stood up from the ground and turned toward the forest, saying as he walked, “I’m going to look for a water source, anyone coming?”

 

The other three guys, except for Jing Ling, all agreed. They packed up their things slightly and set off. Their thoughts were similar to Yu Leyang’s — staying here meant continued torment from the delicious food and, frankly, utter humiliation. Last night, while they were eating instant noodles, the others had to sit there pathetically chewing on coconuts. How quickly the tables had turned!

 

Jing Ling only reminded them to be careful, then minded his own business. He didn’t ask them to stay because, although they were all gathered here now, the groups had been divided from the beginning — it was both survival and competition. So, they wouldn’t share food with him, and he wouldn’t touch Qiao Qiao’s supplies either, considering her food was limited.

 

He poured out some fish soup into his small water cup, then handed the rest to Qiao Qiao. She gave him a bit of salt in return. Watching Qiao Qiao pull out a small box of salt from her backpack, Jing Ling couldn’t help but admire her. If the production team hadn’t forbidden it, this girl probably would’ve brought every seasoning under the sun.

 

The fragrant fish soup warmed his entire stomach. Jing Ling sipped the soup while flipping the skewered fish and lobster over the fire. Soon, the meat was perfectly grilled.

 

The production crew looked at the footage — the two of them sitting by the fire, sipping coconut fish head soup, eating grilled fish and lobster — and seriously doubted whether the show they were filming was supposed to be read as “wilderness survival,” but written as “gourmet food variety show.”

 

The big lobster looked so delicious they were practically drooling. QAQ

 

Chapter 88

 

 

Heaven’s will always comes full circle. Just yesterday, the crew were drinking soup and eating meat, filming Jing Ling pitifully sipping coconut water. And today, everything reversed dramatically. The lack of resources on the deserted island wasn’t just a problem for the celebrity guests participating in the show—it applied to the crew as well. The good food they had yesterday was merely a celebration for the first day of filming. Starting this morning, their lives had swiftly returned to the hardships of the past. Breakfast was just a packet of instant noodles, and you had to bring your own container.

 

There were too many birds in the island’s forest, chirping all night long. Though the crew had tents and sleeping bags, they still couldn’t sleep well. The logistics team listlessly lit a fire to heat the soup, hung a ladle beside it, and everyone served themselves soup to soak their noodles.

 

The cameraman assigned to Jing Ling’s group sat on the beach holding his stainless steel lunchbox, waiting for the noodles to be ready as he asked the logistics guy, “Are we seriously going to have this stuff for breakfast for the next whole week?”

 

The logistics guy lazily nodded.

 

The cameraman wasn’t willing to accept it. “Can’t we switch it up, really?”

 

The logistics guy rolled his eyes at him. “In this godforsaken place where not even birds bother to sh1t, we’re severely lacking in supplies. Be grateful there’s food at all. Compared to Jing Ling, who you’re following around filming—he didn’t even have dinner last night, filled his stomach with water—just be content with what you’ve got.”

 

The cameramen worked in shifts because the filming intensity was too much for one person alone. His colleague was filming at the moment, so he was grabbing breakfast before switching shifts. Hearing this, he looked up toward the distant beach. Qiao Qiao and Yu Leyang were sitting on the sand, and his colleague was following them with a waterproofed camera rig. “Catching fish isn’t that easy, is it…” he sighed.

 

Before the words even finished, he saw someone emerge from the water, and next, he saw a fish skewered on a bamboo stick.

 

What the hell… that was unreal!

 

And then, in a short span, he witnessed another unreal moment, times two—especially when that giant lobster appeared—truly a double dose of unbelievable! Frightened, he quickly wolfed down his instant noodles because he had a hunch that if he didn’t eat now, he wouldn’t be able to eat later. His hunches were always right.

 

After breakfast, he switched shifts with his colleague and watched helplessly as Jing Ling, who’d had nothing just yesterday, was now sipping fish head soup, eating grilled fish and grilled lobster. The fresh aroma wafted over temptingly. The other crew members who were eating breakfast were all green with envy, sneaking glances over, taking bites of their instant noodles—their expressions were simply… exquisite.

 

Since they were filming a show, they had to persist for the required period before they could be “rescued.” After his hearty breakfast, Jing Ling decided to find something to do. He grabbed his knife and went to get close and personal with the island’s bamboo. It didn’t take long to chop enough; he dragged each stalk down to the beach, then headed back into the forest to gather vines, eventually hauling away a huge bundle.

 

Qiao Qiao, who had also eaten and drunk her fill, weaved herself a hat from vines and leaves, which barely provided some shade. Then, she casually made one for Jing Ling too and handed it over. “My craftsmanship’s terrible, don’t laugh at it.”

 

Jing Ling took the hat and put it on. “Thanks.”

 

The cameraman beside them gave the hat a close-up shot.

 

Jing Ling’s hand paused slightly. He immediately understood what the cameraman wanted to make a story out of and asked, half amused, “Is it still in time to take this off now?”

 

The cameraman grinned, flashing two rows of large white teeth that looked oddly menacing.

 

Qiao Qiao quickly caught on and burst out laughing. Between laughs, she explained, “I swear I didn’t do it on purpose, hahahahaha!”

 

Jing Ling was helpless. “If you keep laughing, I’m seriously worried you’ll laugh yourself breathless.” And sure enough, his jinx came true. Before long, Qiao Qiao really laughed herself breathless, coughing non-stop, her face flushing red. He had to stop what he was doing and gently pat her back.

 

After that, Qiao Qiao behaved and sat cross-legged nearby watching him work, occasionally asking, “Jing Ling, are you making a raft?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“What for?”

 

“Fishing.”

 

“I saw you were pretty good with the fish spear just now. Isn’t it more troublesome to fish this way?”

 

“Just finding something to kill time.”

 

“…The world of a genius really isn’t something us mortals can understand.” Qiao Qiao sighed. Yu Leyang and the others had gone exploring in the forest looking for food, but Jing Ling, no longer worried about food or drink, was already pursuing higher-level spiritual enjoyment. Thanks to him, it seemed she could enjoy the same benefits too.

 

Jing Ling quickly finished building the raft and started constructing a shade canopy for it. The sun overhead was intense, and fishing was a task requiring time and patience. Without something shading his head, chances were he wouldn’t even last long enough to catch anything.

 

Soon, the canopy was complete too. He chopped down a bunch of palm leaves from the forest, layered them on top, and secured them with vines. A simple, shaded boat was ready. Lastly, he made a long push pole, and the preparations were done.

 

Qiao Qiao had been watching by his side the whole time, unable to help much. Now, finally seeing an opportunity to lend a hand, she quickly asked, “Do we need to push it into the water? I can help! I’m really strong. I change the water bottles at home all by myself!”

 

Jing Ling nodded. “Yeah, but wait a bit. I still need to make a fishing rod.”

 

This wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment idea—he had planned it from the start, which was why his bag contained fish hooks and fishing line. As for bait, there were plenty of small fish in the shallow pools among the rocks. Smash a stone down, and quite a few would be stunned.

 

Once the fishing rod was ready, with Qiao Qiao’s help, they pushed the raft into the water. Jing Ling asked if she wanted to come along. She was tempted but, after hesitating for a moment, declined. Though the raft had a canopy, it didn’t look particularly reliable. She decided to obediently stay under the shade of the trees.

 

So Jing Ling hopped onto the raft and, with the push pole, drifted away from shore. He didn’t go far—just stopped beside a rock formation sticking out of the water, tied the raft to it with vines, baited the hook, and cast the line into the sea to start fishing.

 

It was already afternoon, the hottest part of the day. Even with palm leaves shading him, the heat couldn’t be blocked. The sea breeze blowing in was hot too.

 

But Jing Ling’s expression showed no hint of impatience. He started off sitting, then lying on his side, and eventually lay flat on the raft, eyes closed, breathing steady. The cameraman began wondering if he’d fallen asleep when the fishing rod stuck into the raft twitched. Jing Ling’s eyes snapped open, he grabbed the rod and flipped upright, slowly reeling it in.

 

Soon, he had caught a fish. He unhooked it and casually tossed it into a basket beside him. The basket was partly submerged in water, so the fish could swim but couldn’t escape. For some reason, the cameraman immediately thought about food. Dead fish couldn’t compare to live, fresh ones. Keeping them this way meant they’d have fresh fish for dinner! The more he thought about it, the more depressed he got. Who knew what they’d be eating for dinner? He still remembered how, before setting off, the production team had bought a ton of seafood-flavored instant noodles… for the atmosphere.

 

While Jing Ling was leisurely enjoying himself like he was on vacation, Yu Leyang and the others weren’t having such an easy time. The tropical vegetation was dense and abundant. Besides trees, the forest was filled with vines. They set out to search for water and food, but hadn’t gone far before they were tangled in vines of all sizes, crawling from tree to tree, wrapping around even the low shrubs, making the path completely impassable.

 

They all carried knives, but they were small, making it difficult to cut through anything thicker—forget about clearing a proper path. They considered giving up and detouring, but it didn’t matter. After walking a short distance, the way ahead would be blocked again. It was endless.

 

And so, winding back and forth, they struggled for over an hour. Suddenly, Liang Xiao stopped, pointing to a vine nearby. “Look at this.”

 

The others paused and looked in the direction he pointed but didn’t see anything special.

 

“What about it?”

 

Liang Xiao pressed his finger against it. “See here? Fresh knife marks.”

 

Yu Leyang instinctively responded, “Someone’s been here?”

 

Liang Xiao’s hand froze. “…No, I just meant, doesn’t this vine look familiar to you?” He had practically spelled it out, yet Yu Leyang’s brain seemed to be malfunctioning again as he replied, “This damn place all looks the same. What’s there to recognize?”

 

For a moment, Liang Xiao was speechless. The others were defeated by Yu Leyang’s logic too. An awkward silence hung in the air for a few seconds before Liang Xiao finally forced himself to reveal the truth. “That knife mark is from you. Which means… we’ve circled around and ended up back where we started…” When they passed through earlier, Yu Leyang had been unwilling to detour, so he used his small knife to try clearing a path. But after cutting a few vines, he gave up and left a knife mark here.

 

“What?!” Yu Leyang’s eyes widened in disbelief, completely stunned.

 

It was already easy to get lost in the forest, especially with how often they changed direction. Making it back to their starting point was honestly lucky compared to getting completely lost elsewhere.

 

Naturally, their grand ambitions ended the moment they took their first step. The whole group trudged back to camp. During this so-called exploration, they’d unknowingly depleted some supplies. Yu Leyang took time to check his backpack and discovered that both food and water were running low. This was only the second day of filming—they hadn’t even completed a third of the schedule. Just imagining the miserable days ahead, living off coconuts like Jing Ling… No, he probably wouldn’t even have coconuts. The trees were too tall and straight—he couldn’t climb them! That realization hit him like a bolt from the blue.

 

And worse news followed. Back at camp, they only saw Qiao Qiao lying on a hammock, blowing on a leaf, with no sign of Jing Ling. They casually asked, and she pointed in a direction. “That way.”

 

Following the direction she pointed, they looked over the calm sea, where a bamboo raft gently bobbed with the waves. The young man sat leisurely atop it, one hand gripping the fishing rod, reeling it in.

 

They watched the fish get hooked with their own eyes. In that moment, everyone couldn’t help but wonder—since this morning… were they really filming the same show?

 

 

Chapter 89

 

 

While Jing Ling not only didn’t spend money but even made money going on a few days’ trip to a tropical island, Yunshu also started working—but there was a bit of an unexpected situation. According to the usual arrangement, she was originally scheduled to stay at the street office in the county government area. But this year, the policy suddenly changed, and after reporting in, she was directly assigned to a township.

 

Lianhu County was already poor and remote enough, but it turned out there were still poorer and more remote places to go.

 

After a week-long training, Yunshu transferred from Lianhu County to the township. It was a two-hour journey—first along a wide newly constructed highway, then turning onto an old, worn road, and finally, after climbing a street that sloped upward at a forty-five-degree angle, the conductor told her she could get off, “See that electric gate on your left? That’s the Chashan Township Government.”

 

“Thank you.” Yunshu got off the bus carrying her bag. After the bus drove away, the gate of the Chashan Township Government appeared in front of her. In a row of low, street-facing buildings, there was a break, through which one could see the sign hanging at the entrance and, diagonally behind it, a small three-story building with words like “Family Planning” visible.

 

She crossed the road and walked to the gatekeeper. After asking a few questions, she went inside.

 

It was an ordinary workday. Liu Dan had gotten up a bit late, clocked in while carrying her breakfast just in time, and had barely sat down in the office when, eating breakfast and turning on the computer to handle work, her colleague Lu Jiajia across from her suddenly said, “Liu Dan, there’s a new colleague coming to report today—congratulations!”

 

Liu Dan looked up blankly, “Huh? What does that have to do with me?”

 

“Didn’t I tell you a few days ago? The higher-ups assigned someone down here—the one with the insanely impressive résumé!” Lu Jiajia handled HR matters and always knew about personnel changes a bit earlier than the others.

 

Liu Dan, holding half a cup of soy milk, paused for two seconds and then got excited, “That gorgeous girl who graduated from the Imperial Capital University?!”

 

Lu Jiajia nodded.

 

Liu Dan clasped her hands together in a praying gesture, “I’ve been waiting for a savior for so long! In a few days, I’ll tell the director to hand over the company accounting job!”

 

“Ninety-nine percent chance. Someone who’s passed the global CPA exam—handling an office accounting role is child’s play for her! It would be a complete waste not to use such talent!” Lu Jiajia chimed in.

 

At that moment, someone walked in at the door—it was the director Liu Dan mentioned, a tall, thin man who walked in with a smile and asked, “I think I heard you all talking about me?”

 

Liu Dan nodded, “Director, didn’t I tell you before that I wanted to hand over the company accounting work, and you told me to find someone myself? Just now, Lu Jiajia told me the new colleague is reporting today—her résumé says she has an ACCA certificate, way stronger than an amateur like me! She’s absolutely the best candidate! It’s all up to you, Director!”

 

But the director’s attention wandered, “A… what’s that?”

 

Liu Dan held her forehead, “International Certified Public Accountant!”

 

The director commented, “Sounds kinda impressive!”

 

Lu Jiajia added, “It’s not kinda impressive, it’s super impressive, my dear director! Graduated from the Imperial Capital University, major in finance, won all sorts of scholarships every year, student council member, tons of certificates! And that’s not even the key point—the ID photo in her personnel file looks gorgeous. On campus, she was definitely at the school beauty level!”

 

“What use is being good-looking? I’m married already,” the director joked.

 

“Pleasure for the eyes, my dear director!”

 

As they were chatting, there was a knock on the door, followed by a gentle, pleasant voice, “Sorry to disturb you, may I ask if Director Luo is here?”

 

The three people in the room turned their heads toward the door and saw a delicate, elegant, slender young woman standing outside. The corners of her lips were slightly upturned, revealing a faint smile.

 

A true beauty doesn’t need heavy makeup to attract attention. Just standing there, she made people think of the phrase “graceful and poised,” quiet and beautiful.

 

The three people inside were momentarily stunned. It was Lu Jiajia who reacted first and asked, “Are you Tan Yunshu?”

 

The girl nodded, “Yes.”

 

After completing the reporting procedures, Yunshu was temporarily assigned to the neighboring office to work with Lu Jiajia and Liu Dan. Both were cheerful by nature. Although they had just met and weren’t familiar yet, they made an effort to be considerate when chatting.

 

The morning passed quickly. When Lu Jiajia and Liu Dan went to the cafeteria for lunch, they called Yunshu along. After exiting the government building and turning right, it was only a dozen meters to the cafeteria, but a long line had formed. The two discussed briefly and decided to eat outside, asking Yunshu if she wanted to join them. She was unfamiliar with the area, and with someone willing to lead the way, of course, she wouldn’t refuse the kindness. So, the three left the cafeteria together and headed out. On the way out, three more people from the office joined them.

 

Liu Dan helped with introductions, and Yunshu remembered everyone.

 

After the meal, everyone returned to the office together. Knowing Yunshu wasn’t a local, Liu Dan informed her in advance, “The unit provides dormitories, but there are none available at the moment. It might take a few days or even longer. There are public rental apartments available, but they’re farther away, on high floors without elevators, and you’ll need to pay a deposit and cover utilities yourself. If you’re not in a hurry, you can wait a few days.”

 

“Thank you!” Other than those two words, Yunshu didn’t know what else to say for a moment. There had always been plenty of people trying to flatter her, but they were mostly guys. Her interactions with girls were always normal—only with her roommates did she have some slightly closer relationships. The last time someone treated her this nicely was back in middle school, that girl named A Zhao.

 

Liu Dan waved her hand, “No need to thank me. Since I knew you had an ACCA certificate, I recommended you to the director for the company accounting role. If all goes well, once you settle in, you’ll take over. I’ve been waiting so long for a savior! I majored in Chinese language and literature, got an accounting certificate on a whim, and ever since taking over this role, I’ve been miserable! Yunshu, please save me from this pit—eternal gratitude!”

 

“Depends on how the higher-ups arrange things.” Though she had never worked in the public sector, Yunshu more or less understood how things worked inside—basically, everything was decided by those in charge.

 

“Mm-hmm.”

 

Yunshu had only reported in that morning, but before the end of the workday, news that a stunning beauty had joined the township government spread throughout the entire office. As the person in question, Yunshu quickly noticed—people kept coming by the office under various pretexts to look at her, either openly or sneakily.

 

On the last day of the program recording, among the six guests, only Jing Ling and Qiao Qiao barely managed to look glamorous enough to still resemble celebrities. The other two groups looked like refugees from Yanzhou by comparison.

 

A week without clean clothes, combined with seawater and sweat, left their clothes wrinkled and smelly. While trekking through the forest, branches and thorns tore their clothes here and there, making them look like standard beggar outfits. The deserted island was in the tropics—the sun was scorching, the UV rays intense, and the production crew didn’t allow sunscreen. After a week, everyone had visibly tanned.

 

Speaking of sunscreen, Qiao Qiao thought Jing Ling was practically her savior. First, he crushed coconut oil and applied it to the skin, which worked as sunscreen. Later, he even found mushroom coral in the sea—the mucus it secreted was basically natural sunscreen. She had skin that tanned easily and took forever to recover, so she had almost given up on filming the show.

 

“Thank you for saving me! If you get a girlfriend in the future, I’ll sponsor her with a year’s worth of premium skincare products!” Qiao Qiao said seriously.

 

Jing Ling laughed at that, “I have a good memory.”

 

Qiao Qiao laughed too, “And I’m good on my word.”

 

With natural sunscreen, Qiao Qiao also let herself relax. She borrowed Jing Ling’s fishing raft to sunbathe at sea—the waves rocked the bamboo raft like gentle hands swaying it. Palm leaves shaded them, sunlight filtered through the gaps, casting dappled light on her body. A light breeze occasionally blew by, and with a large leaf covering her face, it truly felt like a vacation.

 

But the raft was only so big—if she lay down to sunbathe, Jing Ling could only sit and fish. Qiao Qiao felt this was a bit unfair. Originally, Jing Ling could enjoy himself freely, and thanks to him, she got to benefit too. But now that she inserted herself into the situation, his standard of living was dragged down. 

Clearly, she was in the wrong.

 

So, the next day, she planned to be self-reliant—she borrowed Jing Ling’s knife to cut bamboo and vines in the forest to make her own raft. But due to lack of strength and skill, Jing Ling ended up helping with most of the work.

 

As thanks, Qiao Qiao extended the skincare gift for Jing Ling’s girlfriend to two years.

 

Sunscreen was only part of surviving in the wild—the most important was water and food. There was no fresh water source on the deserted island. The most direct water source was the coconuts hanging on trees. Fortunately, there were plenty of coconuts on the island. Theoretically, eating only coconuts could keep them going for a few days, plus they had some basic supplies, so making it to the end of filming wasn’t a problem. But the issue was—it was just too embarrassing! Especially with such stark contrasts—others drank soup, ate meat, fished, relaxed, and sunbathed on boats, while they had coconut after coconut every day. Once the show aired, it’d be unbearable to watch.

 

With that in mind, Yu Leyang’s group tried everything over the next few days. They tried spearfishing—too hard, failed. Fishing? No tools, failed. Tried hunting birds—if lucky, they succeeded, and even started collecting bird eggs. Though there were some gains, it was like a drop in the bucket.

 

In comparison, Liang Xiao’s group did slightly better. He was a top student from Agricultural University—the “walking encyclopedia of biology” wasn’t an empty title. Animals were hard to catch, but plants didn’t run away. In the biodiversity-rich tropics, he easily found edible plants. Even inedible plants were useful—for example, certain vines carried toxins. Crushed, they could be used for fishing.

 

Naturally, they managed to eat meat too—though only small fish.

 

Yu Leyang’s group was the last to eat meat—thanks to secretly learning from Liang Xiao.

 

On the last day of filming, everyone was eager for time to pass quickly. Only Jing Ling was scheming to stir up trouble.

 

 

Chapter 90

 

 

It was already the last day of the program recording. After waking up in the morning, the cameraman routinely took a packet of instant noodles to look for hot water. The logistics team still got up late today, sitting cross-legged by the campfire boiling water, eyes half-closed with a look of not being fully awake.

 

It had rained for a while last night, pitter-pattering on the tents for more than an hour or two. The morning after the rain was filled with fresh air, and a layer of mist hovered over the sea. The rising sun was hidden behind the fog, only a faint outline could be seen. The sunlight couldn’t penetrate the thick mist but dyed that side into a hazy light orange.

 

A breeze blew past, carrying a hint of coolness.

 

“It’s been sunny for a whole week, couldn’t it just hold on for the last day?” the logistics staff complained in a low voice.

 

The cameraman pointed to his own eyes and said, “I don’t know why, but ever since I woke up this morning, my eyelids have been twitching nonstop. Plus this weird weather suddenly changing, I feel like it’s a sign something’s going to happen.”

 

Another staff member nearby let out a snort, “The big shot you’re following, who turned wilderness survival into a beach vacation, what could possibly happen? A guy who only brought a backpack ended up living better than all of us. Seriously, it’s ridiculous. Just look at the footage you’ve been filming lately — blue skies, white clouds, ocean, beaches, beauties, handsome guys — it could be used as a scenic promotional video!”

 

Hearing this, the cameraman glanced at Jing Ling sitting by the fire grilling fish not far away and said enviously, “Three meals a day with meat, occasionally even a big lobster, it’s basically the life of an immortal!”

 

“But speaking of which, when this episode airs, our ratings are definitely going to break records, right? Just like that previous one, both the ratings and the topic popularity skyrocketed to a whole new level.”

 

“Almost guaranteed. If nothing else, just that little drama between him and Yu Leyang is already a perfect hot topic.”

 

While chatting, the soup over the fire had already come to a boil. The cameraman soaked his noodles, played a round of Candy Crush on his phone, then lifted the lid and slurped down the noodles in a few quick bites. He then filled half a cup with hot soup again, blew on it, finished it quickly, and went to take over the next shift.

 

Not long after taking over the camera, Jing Ling also finished breakfast, left the fire, went to the seaside to enjoy the sea breeze for a while, then turned and headed back, diving into the forest. He gathered many vines, thin and soft, carrying a large bundle back to the fire, sat cross-legged, and began weaving them with his long, beautiful hands.

 

The cameraman filmed for a while but had no idea what he was up to.

 

The first batch of vines was quickly used up, so Jing Ling went back into the forest to replenish materials. Finally, the woven object took shape — square, with long vines left at the corners. It looked like a fishing net, but it was a bit too big. He could catch fish with a spear, he could fish from the bamboo raft, there was really no need for a fishing net.

 

Once the weaving was done, Jing Ling carried his fish spear and jumped into what the crew jokingly called “his private fish pond.” After witnessing his fishing skills, everyone agreed this stretch of beach was basically his personal fish pond — he could take whatever he wanted.

 

The cameraman, carrying the equipment, followed him into the water. Probably because it had rained last night, the seawater was a bit chilly. Surfacing after following Jing Ling’s movements, the sea breeze blew directly on him, and goosebumps immediately rose on the skin pressed by wet clothes.

 

According to past habits, Jing Ling would only catch two or three fish at a time, because he didn’t like wasting food, didn’t like eating things that weren’t fresh, and his hunting was always done right before mealtime. But today, not only did he hunt early, but the quantity far exceeded the usual. For no reason, the cameraman felt that his nonstop twitching eyelid since morning definitely had something to do with Jing Ling.

 

The cameraman felt like he had been diving back and forth in the water dozens of times. The fish basket Jing Ling had personally woven was now stuffed full, and only then did this fishing operation end. When they returned to shore together, the cameraman looked at Jing Ling’s back, wildly speculating: Could it be that this big shot suddenly had a moment of kindness and caught so many fish to reward everyone who had worked hard for a week?

 

Turns out, he was overthinking it.

 

Jing Ling carried the basket full of fish, the vine net he had woven that morning, and his fishing rod, left the camp, bypassed the forest filled with dense vegetation and vines, and arrived at the beach where they had first come ashore. The bamboo raft that had carried everyone across the sea had long been washed away by the waves, leaving only soft, fine sand on the beach.

 

A bold guess suddenly popped into the cameraman’s mind.

 

These fish weren’t for eating at all — they were bait. Big fish eat small fish, small fish eat shrimp. Following this logic, the kind of fish that required such large bait could only be even bigger fish — like… sharks.

 

It was worth noting that they had seen sharks here when they crossed the sea before.

 

This guess could be said to be well-founded.

 

And Jing Ling’s actions confirmed this speculation. He placed the items on the beach near the seawater and stood there observing the situation. This tidal channel between two islands was a shark’s favorite hunting ground. Following Jing Ling’s line of sight, the cameraman spotted a fin sticking out of the water. A shark was patrolling the shallows, searching for food. After circling a few times, it drifted away with the current.

 

The beach looked temporarily safe.

 

There was bamboo growing on the shore behind the beach. Jing Ling took a knife and cut one down, along with a tree branch as thick as an arm. He chopped the bamboo into several sections, slanted the ends into sharp points, stuck them into the sand, then used the tree branch to pound them deep into the sand, leaving only about twenty centimeters exposed. The remaining bamboo sections were handled the same way. Finally, he tied the long vines left on the vine net to the bamboo stakes, securing one end of the net.

 

And that was just the beginning. He tossed the entire net into the sea, then sat down beside the bamboo stakes. With one hand holding a knife and the other grabbing a fish, he quickly cleaned off the scales, hooked the fish onto the fishing hook, then threw it into the sea, embedding the fishing rod into the bamboo stake.

 

The bl00d from the fish washed into the sea, mixing with the water, completely invisible to the naked eye. But sharks have an extremely keen sense of smell and can detect the scent of bl00d from very far away.

 

The bait was set, now they could only wait for the shark to bite.

 

The other two ends of the vine net also had long vines left — those were for pulling in the net, waiting for the shark to swim in.

 

At this point, the cameraman felt utterly terrible. He really, really wanted to ask Jing Ling: Did he get tired of eating grilled fish and wanted to try a new flavor? Was beach vacation life not cool enough? Were the big lobsters not tasty enough? Was he preparing to try fresh shark fin?

 

How could the gap between people be this wide?!

 

Before he could figure it out, he saw a fin breaking the slightly rippling waves in the distance, swimming toward them.

 

The shark was here!

 

The cameraman was so nervous his hands were trembling slightly, his palms sweating, but the star of the show — Jing Ling — remained as calm and composed as ever. Through the camera lens, the youth had a tall, upright figure, and with a simple bending motion, his long legs appeared even longer. The boundless sea as the background, a green island in the distance as decoration, the youth’s silhouette entered the frame. His side profile was clear, his nose high, his eyelashes long — like a spirit who had accidentally wandered into the human world.

 

Thinking carefully, even his name, Jing Ling (Spirit), sounded like a prophecy.

Yet this exceptionally good-looking youth, favored by the gods, was doing something completely brutal, totally at odds with his appearance.

 

The sharks in the waters around the deserted island had never encountered human trickery. Attracted by the scent of bl00d, after patrolling the shallows a few times, it swam right into the vine net.

 

The cameraman adjusted the lens, capturing the scene of the shark feeding. Its crimson mouth, rows of sharp teeth — a stark contrast, as it swiftly and nimbly bit down on the fish bait hanging from the rod!

 

At the same time, Jing Ling, who had appeared slightly absentminded earlier, suddenly sprang into action. Grabbing the long vines left at the other end of the net with both hands, he quickly pulled the net together, running toward the shore.

 

His movements alerted the shark, which swiftly turned, trying to escape. But it was already too late — its path was blocked by the vines. As it attempted to turn again, Jing Ling always anticipated its moves. After a few rounds of this, all escape routes were sealed off, and it was finally trapped within the vine net, unable to move. Then it was dragged to the shore, its body barely submerged in water, just enough to prevent it from dying of dehydration, yet still unable to escape.

 

The entire fishing process lasted only a short time. It looked simple, but in reality, every step tested one’s skill — a slight mistake and everything would be lost. The cameraman watched from the side, sweating for Jing Ling, the lens switching back and forth between the shark and him.

 

Finally, after capturing the shark, Jing Ling tied the vine to the bamboo stake on shore, sat down on the beach, panting, and looked back at the cameraman, giving him a smile.

 

The sunlight that had hidden all morning broke through the clouds at this moment. From a distance, it looked as if countless holes had been torn in the sky, with sunlight pouring through, forming beams of light.

 

“Have you ever played Fishing Master? All kinds of big and small fish, even sea turtles — although catching them keeps adding to your coins, it doesn’t give much sense of accomplishment. Only when the shark swims by does the real excitement kick in, and once you successfully catch it, there’s a huge surge of satisfaction.”

 

Upon hearing this, the cameraman felt utterly defeated. So after following him around for nearly a week, everyone had misunderstood his intentions?! Wilderness survival? Beach vacation? Neither — he was clearly playing a real-life version of Fishing Master! And he himself was the true Fishing Master!

 

Afterward, Jing Ling filmed a commemorative video with the shark and then released it.

 

The cameraman watched the shark hurriedly swim away and thought, would this poor little thing suffer psychological trauma? But supposedly, fish only have a few seconds of memory, and sharks are also fish, so even if it was scared, it would forget quickly?

 

While thinking these ridiculous thoughts, he didn’t forget his actual job — switching lenses, adjusting focus, continuing to film.

 

Next, all he saw was Jing Ling repeatedly catching sharks, taking commemorative photos, and releasing them. Only when all the fish bait in the basket was used up did he finally stop. After releasing the last shark caught with the final bait, Jing Ling stood by the sea, gazing into the distance, leaving the cameraman with his silhouette and a line of words:

“Sharks don’t actually like eating humans. But humans like eating them — just for enjoyment, not out of survival necessity.”