Chapter 187
Qin Zhao and Sheng Xi had a comfortable six days, relying on the food and tents they had won in the competition.
Zhang Youyuan, who had been eating wild vegetables, and Tang Jiamao were envious.
An Hongyu, Lin Rui, and Xiao Mo had to spend more than ten hours hunting every day, but they caught very little prey.
They were jealous of Qin Zhao and Sheng Xi, so jealous that their hearts were trembling with envy!
The one who fared slightly better was the hunter Yu Xiao. Every time he went into the forest, he could bring back at least one pheasant or rabbit.
It was enough to sustain himself.
With seven people and four teams, they were all busy... or lying down, just to survive.
On the evening of June 22, 3023, according to the Blue Star calendar, Qin Zhao took stock of the remaining supplies: one kilogram of dried pork, two apples, and some seasonings.
It was only enough to last one more day, marking the end of their idle days.
Fortunately, after these days of rest, Qin Zhao had regained her strength.
She planned to go hunting in the forest the next day with a homemade bow and arrow, but something happened that night!
In the early morning, while Qin Zhao was sound asleep, she suddenly felt a violent shaking!
She immediately woke up!
As soon as her eyes opened, she ran to Sheng Xi's side and woke her up.
Sheng Xi quickly woke up, and Qin Zhao pulled her up, saying, "It might be an earthquake. We need to leave here first."
The two of them left the tent.
The crew members came to the riverside with flashlights.
The others also came out of their respective shelters.
Tang Jiamao was obviously frightened, and Zhang Youyuan was comforting her in a low voice.
The earthquake was still ongoing, but the intensity of the tremors had decreased significantly.
The director, Xu Lianggong, said, "Don't panic, everyone. This kind of minor earthquake will soon be over.
But we can't stay by the river. We need to move to a safer place.
Ten kilometers away from here, there is a wooden house built by the production crew. We invite the guests to go there with us."
An Hongyu retorted, "If there's a wooden house, why didn't you say so earlier? Are you deliberately torturing us?"
Xu Lianggong replied, "The production crew originally planned to let you stay in the wooden house in the middle or later stages of the show."
An Hongyu wanted to say something more, but Qin Zhao interrupted him and said, "Enough, don't waste time. Let's start moving."
An Hongyu was publicly humiliated, and his dislike for Qin Zhao grew stronger!
Xu Lianggong didn't want to waste time with An Hongyu either. Taking advantage of Qin Zhao's support, he said loudly, "Guests, please take necessary items and let's go!"
No one had many things to begin with, so they grabbed whatever was at hand and followed the director's lead.
Qin Zhao took the tent and supplies that could be carried and stuffed them into her backpack.
Her backpack was packed to the brim.
Qin Zhao squatted down, intending to lift the backpack, but Sheng Xi stopped her and said, "Let's each carry one strap. It'll be easier that way.
I can see that you're petite. Why do you always want to carry everything yourself?
From now on, we'll share everything because we're partners."
"I understand," Qin Zhao smiled.
She hesitated for a moment and added, "You're really kind."
"You just realized that? You slow-witted woman."
Qin Zhao: "..."
"Sheng Xi, I never expected you to be this kind of person! You shine when given a little sunlight."
They walked together, carrying backpacks, and exchanged jokes one after another.
Their harmonious figures were faithfully transmitted to Star Net's viewers through the cameras.
The Star Net audience went crazy!
Currently, there are two factions. One faction believes that Qin Zhao is an insignificant person who is not worthy of Sheng Xi, the famous star.
"Sob sob sob, Qin Zhao should stay away from my sister Sheng! That spot is mine!"
"I was watching Sheng Xi's live stream. Why did the camera include Qin Zhao?"
"I want to file a complaint!"
"Qin Zhao, this vixen, is clearly seducing my sister!"
The other faction has gone crazy with excitement!
"Are they really not dating? I'm a fan of this couple."
"I already have a ship name for them, let's call them 'Zhao Xi'."
"That ship name is good, and they do spend a lot of time together on Barren Ancient Star."
"They look so good together!"
"I remember it is still nighttime on Barren Ancient Star. What's wrong with your eyes?"
"Um... the third eye."
"..."
In contrast to the relaxed atmosphere of Qin Zhao and Sheng Xi's journey, Tang Jiamao and Zhang Youyuan faced more challenges.
Since landing on Barren Ancient Star, they had not had a proper meal and had been surviving on wild grass, vegetables, and berries.
Both of them had lost at least ten kilograms and their faces looked pale.
They hadn't been exercising much at the campsite, and now their lack of physical stamina was evident as they started walking. Within just two kilometers, their clothes were soaked in sweat.
Tang Jiamao's feet were also in pain, and under the multiple pressures, her mental defense collapsed!
She stopped and burst into tears!
Zhang Youyuan stood beside her and comforted, "Jiajia, don't cry. Just hold on a little longer, we'll reach the wooden cabin soon."
The group also stopped and gathered around Tang Jiamao.
Xu Lianggong asked, "What's wrong, Miss Tang?"
Tang Jiamao let out a couple of howls before replying, "I feel terrible. I want to quit!"
Zhang Youyuan whispered, "Just hold on a little longer. If you give up now, you'll never have the chance to earn billions!"
Tang Jiamao shouted, "To hell with billions or trillions! I just want to go back to Blue Star and eat to my heart's content, sleep on a soft bed at night, and not be bitten by mosquitoes and bugs all over!"
"You can stay if you want, I'm not accompanying you anymore!"
Xu Lianggong said, "Miss Tang, are you sure?"
Tang Jiamao replied, "I'm sure!"
"Alright, please wait here. A spaceship will come to pick you up and take you back to Blue Star."
Tang Jiamao breathed a sigh of relief, wiped away her tears, and sat on the ground, saying, "You guys go ahead, don't mind me."
Xu Lianggong led the others to continue their journey.
Zhang Youyuan looked back at her every three steps, seeming very reluctant. After walking a hundred meters, he suddenly said, "Director, I'm quitting too!"
Xu Lianggong nodded, "We, the production team of 'Surviving the Barren Ancient,' have always respected the guests' choices."
Then, Zhang Youyuan returned to Tang Jiamao's side.
The departure of the two guests did not affect the mood of the others.
Firstly, they were not familiar with each other.
Secondly, their popularity was only moderate, so it didn't have much impact on the rankings.
The real concern of the group was the popularity of the big shots, Sheng Xi and An Hongyu.
Although Lin Rui and Xiao Mo were followers of An Hongyu, that was merely a superficial appearance.
What they truly yearned for in their hearts was a billion yuan prize.
Qin Zhao was no exception. With her original debts, she couldn't lead a normal life in this world without the prize money.
Qin Zhao asked 502, "What is the current ranking?"
502 replied, "Sheng Xi has a popularity value of 1.67 million and is ranked first. You have 360,000 and rank third."
Qin Zhao looked at Sheng Xi and thought to herself, "I enjoy challenging things."
Sensing her gaze, Sheng Xi smiled and asked, "What are you looking at?"
Qin Zhao remained expressionless and said, "You're so ugly."
Sheng Xi chuckled and said, "Yes, yes, I'm ugly. Are you satisfied now?"
Qin Zhao turned her head forward and said, "I've always wondered why you are good to me. Is it simply because you said we're partners? But you didn't treat others in An Hongyu's team the same way before. I once thought that maybe I had a special attraction to you. But I ultimately dismissed that as a self-centered answer. Later on, I racked my brains and searched through my childhood memories until I finally found the answer!"
Upon hearing the words "childhood memories," Sheng Xi's expression momentarily twisted. But due to the dim lighting, no one noticed.
She said, "You're mistaken. I've never seen you before."
"Is that so?" Qin Zhao said. "Then let me give you a hint—Minghan Middle School."