WS - Chapter 15
Chapter 15
The livestream before entering Wilderness Planet was like a variety show's pilot episode.
Three spaceships, one hotel, eighteen livestream windows, showing in all dimensions the varied mindsets and preparations of the entertainers and staff about to step into the wilds.
The enduring high popularity of several entertainer-exclusive windows was, of course, within public expectations. But not long after the livestream started, the popularity of the staff windows also rose steadily, which revealed a bit of the production team's ingenuity for The Wilderness Journey.
On-site director Zhang Jianshi, male, 45, had participated in directing several popular variety shows such as "Travel Tomorrow," "Come Have a Pot, Drink a Cup," "Muddleheaded White-Headed," and "Little Raccoon Loves Baby." When The Wilderness Journey first announced the list of production staff, netizens questioned whether he had professional outdoor filming experience or any popular independent variety directing experience, doubting he could handle the responsibility. For a new-planet promotional variety show like The Wilderness Journey, which could be compared to the past Amusement Journey, they could have found a director with more outdoor experience or more professional expertise.
Of course, these skeptical voices gradually faded away on the day The Wilderness Journey livestream launched, when the twelve livestream windows on the page became eighteen. After all, such an inspired move made Director Zhang a good choice both in terms of watchability and cost-effectiveness.
Perhaps due to the psychological contrast, or because Zhang Jianshi often flipped through a stack of what looked like internal show materials during the livestream— although StarNet algorithmically applied some mosaic to those materials, the fragments that leaked out fueled speculation and unbearable curiosity. Among the staff members, the viewer count for Director Zhang Jianshi's livestream window was the first to surge.
Besides the on-site director, the show was also equipped with two assistant directors.
In reality, with StarNet autonomously calculating the best shooting angles and editing together the optimal viewing compilation, it was easy to imagine what the on-site director and assistant directors were there for.
It's just that, except for die-hard fans, most viewers didn't mind the show throwing a few minor obstacles at the participating entertainers. After all, smooth sailing was far less watchable than a bit of rough weather. As long as they didn't go overboard, viewers wouldn't immediately turn into haters; instead, they'd become more loyal, high-quality audience members.
And this time, The Wilderness Journey also pushed the obstacle-setting staff to the forefront— the schemers becoming part of the scheme— giving viewers a hint of... eerie anticipation?
During the livestream, on-site director Zhang Jianshi mostly looked at those mosaiced scripts, or just ate, drank, and slept— and even that attracted plenty of viewers.
The two assistant directors, on the other hand, were much busier than the director.
Perhaps in consideration of the director's age, the two assistant directors were both quite young, looking to be in their twenties.
The male assistant, named Wang Daming— a very ordinary name, but with decent looks. Unfortunately, the modest number of viewers drawn by his appearance quickly scattered in tears when they saw him lift the cloth cover off an iron cage and start feeding snakes...
If Daming hadn't handed over his StarNet device and learned of this tragic news, he'd probably cry from regret.
The female assistant, named Feng Qianqian— a name straight out of a romance novel heroine— was also good-looking, with delicate features and a modest, pretty demeanor, making viewers bet that after arriving on Wilderness Planet, she'd probably be the second to cry, right after Song Shiyue. But regardless of the future, this girl's handicraft skills were really something. Viewers originally tuned in to see what mischief the staff would throw at the entertainers, only to end up watching the young lady sew three or four long cloth bags and embroider flowers on them...
Compared to the busy director trio, the female doctor in her thirties, Ni Jinghe, had a much easier time. The first-aid kit and medicines had long been packed; even taking them out to re-inspect didn't take much effort. Although Ni Jinghe wasn't old, she was already a fairly famous surgeon on Changhui Planet. Many viewers currently watching her livestream window were her former patients, and the danmaku exchanges were the most harmonious and friendly among all the windows.
The bodyguards Zhao Da and Zhao Er, twin brothers and muscular men, spent all day in the gym, sweating buckets and attracting quite a few viewers. At first they lagged behind Director Zhang Jianshi, but soon they began to catch up and show signs of overtaking.
However, no matter how much the production team's livestream views rose step by step, they still couldn't compare to the entertainers' windows for the time being.
Just like with working out: no matter how nonstop sweat-drenched Zhao Da and Zhao Er were, they couldn't match the audience attraction of Guan Yongyi casually doing a couple of laps on the treadmill.
Of course, there were even easier ones.
On the spaceship departing from Suiguang Planet, just the banter between Mu Xingzhou and Ning Chuyang could fill the screen with danmaku. Mu fans, Ning fans, CP fans, Mu anti-fans, Ning anti-fans, double anti-fans... it was incredibly lively.
Mu Xingzhou, a top-tier traffic star for whom the Interstellar Space Administration would adjust spaceship routes for his concerts, naturally needed no introduction. Recently, his crossover wuxia drama collaboration with Ning Chuyang was airing to high ratings, with the two playing bickering sweethearts, pulling in a large wave of drama fans and CP fans, who now naturally converted into livestream fans.
Ning Chuyang had been a specialist in playing spoiled ancient-costume princesses since her debut, with consistently on-point acting. This second collaboration with Mu Xingzhou not only took her career a big step forward, but the two seemed to be developing feelings through their bickering both on and off screen, really giving viewers a lot of anticipation for their livestream.
On a place like Wilderness Planet, whose name alone sounded tough enough, perhaps they'd get together through shared hardship. A historic moment— must be witnessed, worth waiting for.
For viewers, the production team's traps were interesting. The young lady's handiwork was nice. The snake-feeding guy, the exercising muscular men, the intellectual female doctor, the retired gold-medal athlete— each had their appeal. The bickering on-screen sweethearts were certainly highly anticipated.
But...
When Yu Nianbing appeared at the kitchen doorway of the spaceship, the viewership for Yu Nianbing, Song Shiyue, and Zhuang Jiachuan's three livestream windows surged at a speed that other windows couldn't match.
If someone could access StarNet's data analysis right now, they'd discover that during this time period, many viewers simultaneously opened all three of their windows, in an all-round way, as if unwilling to miss a thing.
The journey on the spaceship wasn't actually very interesting, especially when the production team stayed behind the scenes without offering extra guidance, and the three weren't very familiar with each other, with one being rather aloof. Even though Zhuang Jiachuan wanted to create more screen moments, he was powerless.
But fortunately, they still had to eat.
Their bedrooms weren't far apart. Zhuang Jiachuan, who had returned to his room to rest for a while after inspecting the potatoes in the kitchen, heard a soft door sound from outside. He was calculating whether it was Yu Nianbing going to the kitchen or Song Shiyue coming out, but before he could figure it out, another door sound followed closely behind. It sounded like the two girls had left their bedrooms one after the other.
So, Yu Nianbing went out first, then Song Shiyue followed— Zhuang Jiachuan had his conclusion.
Young girls will be young girls, with too little experience and savoir-faire. Even if you want to piggyback on screen time, you shouldn't follow so closely— it was as if they'd been listening to every sound outside, waiting to move out. That was a bit too conspicuous.
Zhuang Jiachuan didn't rush to follow. He rested a few more minutes, then looked at the wall clock, adopting a thoughtful expression, before unhurriedly straightening his clothes, opening the door, and heading to the kitchen.
Although he shouldn't follow too closely, going too late wouldn't be good either.
According to Zhuang Jiachuan's thinking, Song Shiyue and the other could at most cut potatoes; the job of chopping the chicken for the Big Plate Chicken would still require him, a man. So going a couple of minutes late would allow him to both demonstrate that he wasn't eagerly clinging to anything and appear exactly when they needed him— truly perfect.
Regrettably, Zhuang Jiachuan had not glimpsed the positioning of fortune from his miserable acting career, and it had long since shifted.
As he approached the kitchen, Zhuang Jiachuan heard the thud-thud-thud of chopping inside.
The moment before, Zhuang Jiachuan was thinking that even cutting potatoes made such a racket for a young girl; the next moment, his eyes were stunned by the sight of Song Shiyue hacking at a raw chicken.
"Aiya, leave this to me. How can a young girl like you chop through this?" Zhuang Jiachuan quickened his pace, shouting while rolling up his sleeves.
Zhuang Jiachuan was already thirty-six this year, approaching forty, nearly ten years older than both, so calling them "young girls" wasn't out of line.
Yu Nianbing, washing green peppers, and Song Shiyue, chopping chicken, both looked up.
"It's fine, I can handle it." Song Shiyue smiled at Zhuang Jiachuan, then raised the knife and brought it down for another chop.
"No, no, let me do it. These are men's jobs." Zhuang Jiachuan reached out to grab the knife from Song Shiyue's hand.
A delicate, fragile young girl, with slender, fair fingers loosely gripping a large cleaver— it looked like he could easily take it from her.
Zhuang Jiachuan was somewhat dismissive in his heart, but a knife was a sharp object after all, so he was somewhat steady and cautious when making his move.
But unexpectedly, just as his hand was about to touch the back of the blade, Song Shiyue's hand suddenly moved.
That heavy cleaver, seemingly as large as four of a young girl's hands, spun swiftly between her slender fingers as if twirled, and was drawn back toward her arm— so fast it was like a white flash slipping from Zhuang Jiachuan's fingertips, easily leaving his reach.
Zhuang Jiachuan's hand froze in mid-air.
"Cough... sorry, habit... habit..." Song Shiyue was a bit awkward. After all, having your knife taken from you in the apocalypse was anything but a pleasant experience. Just now, a careless moment, instinct moved first— but luckily, no one was hurt.
Zhuang Jiachuan forced his hand back, clenched his jaw, and then smiled, replying: "It's nothing, nothing."
It was true that he wasn't physically hurt. But that white flash from the spinning blade, the cold breeze felt at his fingertips, and the cold sweat now covering his back— those were also real.
What was this?
A show of force?
"Come help me with the potatoes," Yu Nianbing said helplessly, catching Song Shiyue's somewhat flustered gaze.
"Sure, sure." Song Shiyue nodded repeatedly, handing the cleaver toward Zhuang Jiachuan.
When Song Shiyue passed the knife, she was very proper: the blade tip pointed toward herself, the handle toward Zhuang Jiachuan.
Even so, Zhuang Jiachuan's hand still involuntarily retracted a bit before stiffly reaching out to take it.
No, that might have just been a coincidence...
Taking the cleaver, Zhuang Jiachuan felt its weight. That spinning dodge by Song Shiyue earlier now seemed more likely just an accident.
Then it was even more terrifying.
With such careless handling, she definitely shouldn't touch these dangerous things anymore. At the very least, when she was playing with these dangerous objects, he needed to keep well away.
Thinking this, Zhuang Jiachuan steadied his nerves and began chopping the chicken.
The chicken on the cutting board was about only half intact.
It was evident that only the head and neck had been removed; the wings and legs hadn't been detached first, and it seemed she hadn't even split it in half, starting to cut chunks from one side directly.
Truly inexperienced.
Zhuang Jiachuan picked up the chicken wing on the board, chopped it off with two strokes, and did the same for the leg. Then, he quickly chopped the remaining half chicken body, along with the detached leg and wing, into evenly sized chunks and swept them into the nearby bowl for chicken.
However, as the chicken chunks were being transferred into the bowl, Zhuang Jiachuan happened to glance at it, and his eyes widened a bit, as if he'd seen something extraordinary.
Just as Zhuang Jiachuan couldn't resist reaching into the bowl and pushing aside the chunks he had just cut to reveal those earlier ones from Song Shiyue, the invisible cameras also gave an extreme close-up of the chicken in the bowl.
Thus, it wasn't just Zhuang Jiachuan whose eyes went round.
Comments
Post a Comment