HEIFEIGU -Chapter 54

The second half of the night passed without incident. In the morning, after packing up the camp, as the team prepared to move again, Xie Jixing arranged for everyone to help Duan Yanming carry some of his gear.

Qian Shuyun looked puzzled.

Isn’t he a scumbag? Why help him carry stuff?

Xie Jixing whispered into his ear, “If his load is too heavy, he won’t make it and might quit halfway. Then where’s the fun?”

The scumbag insisted on going all the way, so let him bear the pain to the end—only to find he gains nothing.

The thought made Xie Jixing feel delighted.

Because of Duan Yanming’s miserable situation, no one objected. Even Luo Feiang helped carry two bottles of water and a few bags of compressed biscuits.

Every step was excruciating for Duan Yanming. He had never carried such heavy gear before. To avoid friction, he waddled like a duck, legs swinging in circles as he moved forward.

“Pfft.” Xuan Caiyan, walking behind, couldn’t hold back her laughter.

Last night, she had pondered all night, unable to guess what a man’s second face referred to.

Now she understood—Duan’s fate was truly tragic!

Because of a few large-toothed soldier ants, their team spirit surged. Even though Teacher Duan moved slowly, they didn’t abandon him.

The entire group walked leisurely around Duan Yanming.

This kind of rare fun in life—who could resist watching?

Xie Jixing even felt a few team members were synced with him. To prolong the entertainment, they occasionally went over to encourage Duan Yanming.

Luo Feiang wore a sincere smile never seen even when confessing to the heroine: “Teacher Duan, keep going! It’s hard, but you’re really strong. I believe you can walk with us to the end!”

Since there was no live broadcast last night, viewers had no idea what happened at the camp. They were now utterly confused.

【Were they collectively possessed, or did we all suffer amnesia? Why did their attitude toward Duan Yanming change so suddenly?】

【Damn it! What happened last night? Why didn’t this SVIP get the scoop?!】

【Production, spill what happened last night!】

【Although… why does Duan Yanming’s posture look so weird? Can’t explain… need another look (rubs chin with one hand).】

Seeing the people in the group taking turns showing concern for Duan Yanming, his fans’ tails wagged even higher, flooding the comment section with praise.

【What else could it be? It’s all because of Yan Yan’s personal charm.】

【I’m certain something big must have happened last night, and Yan Yan handled the crisis with his own abilities.】

After traveling in the wild for so long, even walking one extra day could reduce your stamina by 20%.

Not to mention that every step rubbed against swollen, sore spots. Duan Yanming even thought it might have been better to let some loan sharks take a swing at his waist—at least it would have been straightforward pain.

Yet he lost himself amid the endless words of encouragement from those around him.

He thought about how, for so many years, he had been insulted as a cheap copy of Luo Feiang, a low-quality technological facsimile of a face.

Now, the high-quality genuine article was beside him, offering sincere encouragement and care. This shift in status made his injuries hurt a little less.

By the afternoon, as the group prepared to find a place to camp, Xie Jixing suddenly pointed diagonally ahead. “Look, what’s that?”

“Smoke!” Fei Zhehan squinted at the faint wisps rising in the distance. “Someone’s ahead.”

The discovery lifted everyone’s spirits. After two days in the forest, this was their first sign of other humans.

“Then why camp? Let’s go!” Luo Feiang led the charge.

The presence of people meant clean water, sufficient food, and maybe even a few houses to stay in.

The group moved toward the smoke, noticeably speeding up—even Duan Yanming’s waddling pace quickened from a slow duck step to an anxious duck step.

After about another hour, they reached a flat, open mountain clearing following a difficult uphill stretch.

The clearing wasn’t large. Ahead, a winding stream ran past roughly ten households, forming a small village along its banks.

“Finally!” Duan Yanming nearly cried. The last stretch had been faster, and the pain in his injuries felt like sparks were flying.

A wooden suspension bridge spanned the stream. It looked rickety, but the cables were solid, and the planks seemed newly replaced and level. Xie Jixing stepped onto it without hesitation.

The village was quiet but somewhat desolate. It took a while before they met anyone—an elderly woman washing vegetables by the river.

Time to show off my skills! Xuan Caiyan put on her friendliest, purest smile and approached to chat.

Ten minutes later, she returned with a serious expression.

“How was it, after talking so long?” Since last night, Luo Feiang’s “chuunibyou soul” hadn’t let up. “Does this village have some mysterious legend?”

Xuan Caiyan glanced at him. “Haha, I don’t understand a word.”

The old woman’s dialect was so obscure that she couldn’t even guess a single word.

Fluent in Chinese, English, Korean, and a little Japanese, Xuan Caiyan doubted herself.

Soon, the elderly woman called a young man, maybe in his twenties, with dark skin and a strong build.

His Mandarin wasn’t perfect; he spoke slowly and mispronounced some words, but they could at least understand him. “You’re the… uh, tourists, right?”

Fei Zhehan: “Yes, little brother.”

The young man grinned, showing white teeth, and handed them a strange object from his belt. “This is the task clue the show wants to sell you. They said 1,000 yuan.”

Whoa, selling something for 1,000? The show is ruthless!

Everyone’s eyes turned to Xie Jixing.

They had already paid a protection fee with their “red envelopes,” and all the money was with Xie.

“Ten.” Xie Jixing stared at the talisman-like object and sharply cut the price.

“Ah.” The young man froze. “But…”

He glanced at the others. The show had instructed that if this group argued, someone would pay that price.

“Don’t ‘but’ me,” Xie Jixing said in a bully tone. “Their money’s with me, and I don’t even want it. If you don’t sell, fine.”

The young man widened his eyes. Can it really be like this? Outsiders’ tricks are deep indeed.

“Then I’ll give you a little extra…” Xie Jixing leaned forward, tiptoeing to hook the young man’s shoulder. “Usually, how much do you sell this for?”

“We don’t sell it,” the young man honestly admitted. “This is a protective talisman for our clan, all handmade. Normally, we gift them to our own people, or sometimes to visitors. We don’t sell them.”

“I see.” Xie Jixing looked sincere. “Truly, something so thoughtful shouldn’t be reduced to money. But for the task the show assigned you, you still have to complete it.”

“Why don’t we assign it a lucky number? That way, you complete the task, and we receive blessings too. How about it?”

The young man was tempted. “Alright, I’ll follow your lead.”

Xie Jixing then gave him 88.8 yuan, smiling: “888! Fortune, wealth, prosperity!”

Very auspicious!

【Really, I’m crying, staying true to his nature, he’s still that little money lover.】

【Hahaha, there’s no money Xie Jixing can’t save!】

【I’m glad the show didn’t give them units smaller than yuan; otherwise, he’d get 8.8 cents (lol).】

【The show wanted a fight, but they didn’t expect a money lover to collect a protection fee.】

After completing the auspicious transaction, the young man led them on a tour of the small village.

“We only have a few households here, most are elderly. Young people like me are rare—they’ve gone to work outside.”

“Though recently, the island is being developed as a tourist spot. Many might return.”

They visited several homes, still seeing no young people.

“Then why don’t you work outside?” Xuan Caiyan asked sympathetically.

“I thought about it, but someone has to care for the clan.”

The houses were dilapidated. Only a few had electricity; the rest relied on firelight, and the interiors were mostly empty.

Xuan Caiyan felt more pity, sniffled, and whispered behind Xie Jixing: “Can we help them? They look so poor.”

“Why don’t we donate all our red envelopes?”

“No.” Xie Jixing decisively refused.

“Why not?” Xuan Caiyan didn’t understand.

The audience also didn’t understand.

【Is this money-lover persona too much?!】

【And the money was from the show, not even his! Why can’t he donate it? Greedy even for this!】

…

“If we donate this money for free, it might earn a good reputation,” Qian Shuyun explained. “But it’s like introducing an invasive species into a harmonious ecosystem.”

“Everyone will start calculating over this money. How would you divide it if donated?”

“By population? The neediest elders might get the least. By pity? But how do we know who is the neediest?”

“And after donating, how can we ensure the vulnerable recipients actually keep it?”

Xuan Caiyan went silent. The comment section quieted. Improving poverty in these mountains isn’t solved by donating a single sum.

“It’s a long, difficult road!” Fei Zhehan sighed.

“But we can buy,” Xie Jixing said again. “The island is under development. Once it’s finished, villagers will interact with commerce. We can first help them understand the commercial system.”

“For example, a handmade talisman could be sold for 88 yuan instead of free. If someone lives here, you could charge 100 yuan per night for rent.”

“Great!” Everyone agreed. “Then let’s make this village our base camp.”

Upon hearing this, the young man generously offered to contact his clan to vacate a few houses. Enough space for them as long as they didn’t mind.

“How much per night to stay here?” Xie Jixing asked.

The young man froze. “Guests from afar shouldn’t be charged.”

“That won’t do, then we won’t stay,” Xie Jixing countered with the same bargaining tone.

Too much? Not enough? Outsiders are hard to please.

The young man was confused but pulled along by Xie Jixing for “training.”

Half an hour later, Xie Jixing asked, “If someone offered 20 yuan to stay here for a day, and kept 80, what would you say?”

The young man laughed simply. “Guests from afar. Our guesthouse is 100 yuan a night. If you want 80, build it yourself.”

Qian Shuyun couldn’t watch anymore and dragged Xie Jixing away. What is he teaching?

But regarding the island’s development, he indeed needed attention.

When they were about to assign rooms, Luo Feiang, who had been quietly playing with the talisman, suddenly spoke in a dramatic tone: “I think I’ve cracked the show’s evil secret.”