WS - Chapter 32

Chapter 32

The place where Song Shiyue and the others were was probably a clearing deliberately created by cutting down trees and leveling the ground to make it easier for the plane to land. Beyond the clearing was ordinary forest.

In such a place, finding two moderately satisfactory stones was naturally not a difficult matter.

Song Shiyue quickly found what she wanted under two trees behind the boulder.

Ever since Song Shiyue had silently stood up after failing to borrow a knife, Captain Yang's gaze had been following her, until he saw her pick up two more stones from the ground not far away and try to stack them together, as if checking which sides of the stones would make better contact. Captain Yang started to sense something was wrong.

Captain Yang's first reaction was that Song Shiyue wanted to strike the stones together, knock off a flake, and use it as a stone knife.

How could this be allowed... This was exactly the first lesson Captain Yang had planned to teach them: making weapons from limited materials!

His debut demonstration of authority had already been messed up. The only way to salvage his image now was to properly teach them wilderness survival knowledge. Could it be that even this was going to go wrong?

No way!

Captain Yang reached for the machete at his waist, tried his best to look somewhat amiable, and quickly walked toward Song Shiyue, who was not far away.

However, after only a few steps of this barely concealed anxious pace, he came to an abrupt halt.

Indeed, such a young girl, and in the entertainment industry at that—it was already surprising enough that she had some throwing techniques. How could she have so many wilderness survival skills? Most likely she was just using her imagination, thinking she could grind a stone into a knife, completely unaware of the technique of knocking off flakes to make a stone knife.

Probably, she didn't even know that you could knock off a flake to make a knife.

Watching Song Shiyue, who was now only three or four steps away, holding one stone in each hand, and without raising them, simply pressing the two stones together top and bottom and starting to grind, Captain Yang's face showed a hint of relieved amusement.

Among the viewers watching the livestream on StarNet, there were also some with knowledge of wilderness survival. Like Captain Yang, when they saw Song Shiyue pick up two stones, they speculated she was going to make a stone flake knife.

But Song Shiyue's starting posture was not one for striking; instead it looked like she was going to grind an iron pestle into a needle—a time-consuming, laborious method with basically no result. This truly made those viewers who had just sent educational danmaku feel somewhat embarrassed.

However, at this moment when Song Shiyue had just shone so brightly, no one sent mocking danmaku.

Even Yu Nianbing's fans, who had been attacking Song Shiyue ever since the show's first promo photos, were now somewhat worried about her, worried that Captain Yang might take the opportunity to mock her. After all, everyone had seen how he had hurriedly approached.

Captain Yang did want to make a snide remark or two, but this time he had at least learned his lesson: he knew he had to wait a little, to see clearly and understand before making a move.

But Song Shiyue was hardly the type to give him an opportunity to act.

When selecting the stones, Song Shiyue had already felt and chosen a harder one and a slightly softer one.

Now, with the hard stone on top and the softer one beneath, the two stones stacked together, Song Shiyue applied slight angled pressure and began to grind.

Song Shiyue's StarNet livestream page gave a close-up of the two stones, and then... when viewers saw this scene, every one of them craned their necks, widened their eyes, and was utterly shocked.

"This... are these two just ordinary stones?"

"Fake stones the production team made by pressing flour into molds, right?"

"Even if it's flour plus glue that can make a stone like this, I think if I tried to grind it... I still wouldn't get this effect!"

"Isn't this a magic show? I feel like I'm watching a fake wilderness survival..."

"Maybe it's made of foam? Like that packing foam. I can grind that kind to pieces!"

"Me too!"

"Everyone, be rational. Look at the fine powder flying up. If flour and glue can't be ground down, can two pieces of foam be ground into powder?"

"I lost my rationality ever since the venomous snake incident."

"Lost reason +1"

"Currently queuing to lose reason..."

"Please give me a love brainless card, the kind you get by grinding two stones."

"Although Song Shiyue saved my Little Ice Block, I have to say, these two stones must be a script the production team prepared for her, right?"

"It's hard to imagine that Song Shiyue and the production team are on the same side."

"If the production team gave Song Shiyue a script, would she have fallen out with them earlier?"

"You, the Little Ice Bucket who just said those two stones are a script, hold it right there. Why don't you also say that the venomous snake my Song Shiyue killed earlier was also scripted? — From a Little Moon who will fight if you say fight."

"So when is this danmaku system finally going to have an ID function?"

"Let's try to imagine something that is so brittle it can be ground into powder by rubbing together, yet the remaining piece can still cut snake skin and snake meat, okay?"

"Hard to imagine..."

"I refuse to use my brain. Please give me a brittle brainless card."

"Maybe the outside is made brittle so it can be ground into powder, but inside there's actually a solid stone flake."

"Exactly! That way she can use the solid stone flake part, and no one will suspect that the two stones are real stones."

"The Sherlocks above are so clever!"

"I'm sorry. Educated by other Little Ice Buckets in the group, I admit I was wrong to suggest those two stones were a script. I can't believe I repaid kindness with enmity. — From the Little Ice Bucket who accidentally started the fight earlier."

"We Little Moons don't believe it's a script, and we also don't believe that Captain Yang, in his current state, would cooperate with Song Shiyue to fake things! — From a group of Little Moons who say that if you apologize, we'll let it go (Little Mooncake reservists)."

"Wait... so the two fan groups have already reached some strange harmony? Also, at a time when Song Shiyue is about to be slapped in the face, you Little Moons are still thinking about eating CP fodder—isn't that a bit cold-blooded?"

"Hahaha, no wonder they're called Little Moons—sounds hard and cold-blooded."

"Hope everyone is reasonable and doesn't attack based on names. After all, when the ID system comes out, the payback you receive will be something you don't want to see. — From a grateful Little Ice Bucket."

"... Just joking, just joking. This danmaku won't be recorded, will it, speaking of which..."

As viewers on the livestream page watched and chatted, the topic may have veered off, and their initial astonishment faded somewhat.

But for Captain Yang, who was only three or four steps away from Song Shiyue, right there in person with stone powder blown onto his face, this shock could not be suppressed at all!

"How... how is this possible..." Captain Yang muttered to himself, then quickly walked over to Song Shiyue, wanting to reach out and take the stones in her hands.

Even though the stone knife had yet to take shape, Song Shiyue still didn't like someone snatching something from her barehanded, so she naturally dodged.

"Captain Yang." Song Shiyue took a step sideways to avoid Captain Yang's hand and furrowed her brow with displeasure.

"What's the deal with these stones?" Captain Yang, still dazed by the earlier scene, didn't care that he was downwind and the powder from the stones in Song Shiyue's hands was still blowing onto him. He couldn't help but reach out again.

"It's just a stone... stone. They're everywhere here. Is it worth Captain Yang staring at a young girl... and repeatedly reaching for it?" Yu Nianbing had seen the situation turning sour and jogged over. Her breath was a bit uneven from the run, but her hand was quick—placing something squarely onto Captain Yang's outstretched hand.

A fairly large stone, still covered in mud, landed right in Captain Yang's hand.

Captain Yang's hand stiffened, and he looked at Yu Nianbing with some disbelief.

Yu Nianbing returned his gaze calmly.

"She..." Captain Yang, whose palm had been pressed by the heavy stone, calmed down a little and looked back at Song Shiyue. "Are the stones in her hands somehow unusual? How can they shed powder just by grinding..."

"Maybe it's because the weather is dry," Yu Nianbing interrupted him.

And in just a few grinding motions, a third of the stone was already gone... Captain Yang looked at Yu Nianbing, who had once again cut in, and silently swallowed the second half of his sentence.

Could it be... an arrangement by the production team? Was it a somewhat special stone? If it was the production team's arrangement, should he not expose it? But Song Shiyue had humiliated him right from the start. If the production team had arranged something like this for her, could it be that they hadn't informed her about the opening scene?

Captain Yang hesitated, uncertain, and for a moment didn't know whether he should continue questioning.

Right, Director Zhang!

Captain Yang turned his head to look toward the plane, where Director Zhang had been standing.

But... there was no one...

Where was he at this critical moment! The frustration stuck in Captain Yang's chest, neither rising nor falling. Just like his current awkwardness—unable to advance or retreat.

"Your hands are dirty. Do you want to go wash up?" Song Shiyue pointed at the mud on Yu Nianbing's hands from picking up the stone.

Yu Nianbing hesitated between just wiping her hands and continuing to be dirty and wasting some drinking water. As expected, she couldn't endure the dirt, so she chose the latter.

"In a bit, I'll ask Ning Chuyang to open a water bottle for me and rinse up a little," Yu Nianbing said. She glanced at Song Shiyue's hands, which were covered in dirt and dust, and added, "You should wash up too later."

However, Yu Nianbing's gaze stopped on the stone in Song Shiyue's left hand, which already seemed to have one side ground flat.

This girl... does she have any awareness at all that her strength is far beyond that of ordinary people? Grinding stones by hand like that—is it really okay to broadcast this? Isn't this far more exaggerated than killing a snake with a stone?

Yu Nianbing had been afraid of the snake at first and hadn't dared to approach. When Song Shiyue had wandered around looking for stones, she hadn't expected this. By the time she saw Song Shiyue grind out a puff of stone dust with a few swift movements and rushed over, it was already a bit late.

Although Yu Nianbing knew that her interruption just now, stopping Captain Yang from pressing for details, could easily lead viewers to suspect that the stones might be problematic, perhaps stones with hidden tricks arranged by the production team. Still... it was better than having Captain Yang confirm that both were genuine hard stones, then organizing an activity where everyone tries to grind stones, and thus completely exposing Song Shiyue's unusual ability in front of everyone, right...

Yu Nianbing knew well that in variety shows, the production team always gravitated toward whatever had buzz, whatever could create an effect. Reality shows were the same. Would Director Zhang, the on-site director who had been so frightened by Song Shiyue the previous night, give up such a hot topic out of concern for Song Shiyue's safety and image?

Obviously... he wouldn't.

Can't risk it, can't risk it... Yu Nianbing glanced again at the stone in Song Shiyue's hand, trying hard to figure out how to handle the situation, now that Captain Yang had temporarily stopped pressing closer.

As for Song Shiyue, she didn't feel that she was being excessive at all. After all, when she had been an ordinary person before, she hadn't had any experience grinding two stones together. Now, being mindful of her strength, she had already restrained herself a great deal—at least she had chosen to grind stone with stone rather than casually bending or crushing the stone with her hands...

Thus, Song Shiyue truly had no idea of the thoughts churning in Yu Nianbing's mind at that moment. But she did notice Yu Nianbing's slightly furrowed brows, which seemed tinged with worry.

She also noticed Yu Nianbing's gaze lingering twice on her own dirty paws, and Yu Nianbing's own hands, stiff with mud and unwilling to rest against her body. So, was it because she felt dirty and was also unwilling to waste water from the canteens?

Song Shiyue thought she had found the source of Yu Nianbing's unhappiness and worry, so she smiled and said, "No need for water from the canteens. There's running water up ahead. Look, just over there in the woods. It's only a couple of minutes' walk. After I finish grinding the stone, I'll take you there."

As she spoke, Song Shiyue raised her hand and pointed at the forest behind Ning Chuyang in the distance.

"How do you know there's running water over there?" Captain Yang, who had never left, suddenly asked.

Before Yu Nianbing could speak, Song Shiyue quickly answered, "I heard the sound of water."

"Mm, although the sound is a bit faint, it's definitely there," Yu Nianbing nodded, though she hadn't heard a thing. "Don't wait anymore. Let's go now. When it comes to grinding stuff, it's also better to do it in the water." It seemed Song Shiyue wouldn't give up on grinding the stone. But at least by the water, grinding underwater might make it look less clear on camera. And at least they could temporarily get away from Captain Yang.

As she said this, Yu Nianbing raised her clean hand and tugged at Song Shiyue's sleeve.

"How come I..." Captain Yang perked up his ears and listened carefully, but didn't hear any water sound.

However, no one paid any attention to what he had said.

Song Shiyue yielded to Yu Nianbing's tug and was pulled forward several steps, but then stopped and said to Yu Nianbing, "Wait for me a moment. I'll grab something and be right back."

Yu Nianbing subconsciously let go, but quickly realized what Song Shiyue meant and hurriedly reached out to grab her again. This time, though, she caught nothing.

This girl! What time is it—still only thinking about food!

Yu Nianbing watched Song Shiyue's retreating figure, like a wild horse that had broken free, and let out a frustrated laugh.

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