Chapter 55
Because of the others’ strong requests, after Shen Jinfeng hung the remaining wolves up in the trees, the group began their return journey.
After encountering wolves, their heads had almost been hanging in the air. No one wanted or dared to keep walking forward.
“Altogether, they actually didn’t even fill one basket. These peaches were really picked at the risk of our lives!” He Erwang looked lovingly at the basket of peaches he was holding.
Yes, he was carrying the leaf basket in front of his chest, with his hands still supporting it from the sides.
Mo Fan said very honestly and objectively, “Although we did indeed encounter mortal danger, when you were picking peaches, it was the safest time.”
When he had first started picking peaches, the wolves had not come yet.
Later, when he was picking again, Shen Jinfeng had already dealt with the whole wolf pack.
Gu Shengsheng no longer dared suggest walking in any direction. “After we go back, we won’t come out again, right?”
“We’ll just stay in the seaside cabin and wait for someone to rescue us…”
More than a week had passed since he woke up here, and he felt the seaside cabin was still the safest place.
Qi Xiu raised his brows. “Eh, if you still want to go out, next time wait for me to do a divination first. After I figure out which direction is our lucky direction, then we’ll set off.”
This time, it was purely because he had forgotten. Otherwise, the lucky direction he had chosen before had still been very good!
Gu Shengsheng shrank his neck. “Let’s not. I just want to stay in the cabin.”
He turned to ask Shen Jinfeng, “Boss, we already have good food and drink. Let’s not come out again after this, okay?”
Shen Jinfeng pondered for a moment. As they walked back, he looked at the surrounding environment, and his eyes flickered. He did not refuse.
“Okay.”
Meanwhile, when the production team saw the guests finally returning on screen, they let out a breath of relief.
The livestream camera followed the guests, but that pack of wolves was still in the virtual world.
Sun Xinping quickly called to the technical team. “Goat, hurry up and deal with that pack of wolves!”
Goat froze for a moment. His brain, which had been shocked by Shen Jinfeng earlier, seemed a little overloaded.
“Oh, okay, make those wolves walk back, right?”
The moment he finished speaking, he was smacked hard on the head.
Sun Xinping looked at him expressionlessly. “Are you sleepwalking?”
Goat was baffled. “Huh?”
Sun Xinping said, “Then do you want the wolves to sleepwalk?”
He irritably patted another high-definition screen that was not part of the livestream. On it, the pack of wolves was still lying unconscious in the trees with their eyes closed. After the guests left, the image looked indescribably eerie.
“These wolves still have their eyes closed. You want them to walk back? Walk back where?”
“Something must have gone wrong when your technical team made the virtual world. Even dangerous wild beasts like this appeared. I’m docking your wages! This pack of wolves appeared because of your work mistake. Hurry and check for bugs. Delete all dangerous beast data in this forest that could threaten the guests’ lives!”
Whew. Docking wages was fine.
Good thing it was not docking bonuses.
Goat suddenly snapped back to himself and touched his own head in embarrassment. “All right. Our technical team will work overtime tonight. We must eliminate these dangerous elements.”
After all, although it was normal for a deserted island to have wild beasts—
The theme of the show was wilderness survival.
Still, they were a little cowardly and did not dare play that big.
If not for Shen Jinfeng today, Mo Fan and the others would probably have directly gotten a game over.
“Still, if not for this bug, we wouldn’t have known Big Boss Shen was this amazing!” he muttered to himself. “He really is omnipotent.”
Although he had already been amazing before.
But every day, he grew more and more amazing. Or rather, more and more of him was being dug out!
Sun Xinping heard his words and also thought of how the tag #“Being Human” Guests Encounter Wolves In The Forest# had once again set off heated discussion across the entire internet.
And without even looking, he knew that his social media account had probably been cursed by netizens until it was full of shit.
He could ignore netizens, but he could not ignore the big shots…
He took out his phone, and sure enough, the screen showed countless missed calls.
They were probably all calling to demand an explanation.
He rubbed his forehead with a headache. Earlier, the situation had been urgent, so he had had no time to bother and had not dared answer. Now, however, he had no choice but to handle the aftermath.
After politely replying one by one to the families he absolutely could not offend—
He thought for a moment and finally called Madam Yun.
“Director Sun, later I’ll have my lawyer contact you directly.” The moment Madam Yun picked up, she said this sentence. Her tone was light, but the content was explosive.
Although she had somewhat tricked her son by sending him into the variety show—
Back then, she had signed a supplementary agreement with the production team.
Encountering life-threatening danger in the program was enough for her to sue the production team in court.
After such a huge mess, in the end, Qin Ye was actually the only one injured.
Although she felt that this would definitely become a weapon she could use to mock her son for decades in the future—
And Qin Ye had, to a certain extent, turned disaster into fortune, making quite a leap with Shen Jinfeng—
She was an outsider and saw things especially clearly.
Still, none of this meant the production team had no problem.
Sun Xinping immediately felt cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.
“M-Madam Yun, please hear my explanation.” He spoke urgently.
The person on the other end did not hang up. He gently let out a breath.
Madam Yun was probably only frightening him. But if what he said next was bad, that might not remain the case.
Sun Xinping gritted his teeth and chose to take responsibility straightforwardly. “I’m sorry, Madam Yun. This time, the appearance of the wolves was indeed our production team’s mistake. Our production team can give up one percent of the profits as compensation to you and Mr. Qin Ye for emotional damages.”
Although it was only one percent, this was already a very considerable amount.
As a phenomenal variety show in recent years, What Kind of Person Are You was completely a money-attracting machine.
Newly recruited audience membership fees, real-time livestream fees, single-purchase fees for highlight cuts from the recorded version after the livestream ended.
Sponsor title fees, advertising fees, heartbeat-value fees…
Yes, What Kind of Person Are You had one gimmick.
Every day, viewers could vote for their favorite guest using heartbeat values. Each heartbeat value cost only one mao.
By the end of the livestream, the guest who received the highest heartbeat value could obtain some entertainment industry resources later.
For example, partnered advertising endorsements, magazine shoots, variety show activities, film and television recommendations…
At the same time, they would receive one-third of the heartbeat value they obtained as a reward.
Therefore, the contestants who exploded in popularity in the previous seasons had heartbeat values no less than the popularity and money-attracting power of the top debut winner of a neighboring idol survival show.
This was also an important reason why the guests could quickly rise to second-tier, first-tier, or even higher status after coming out, and stabilize their celebrity position.
Massive passerby popularity, fans who entered the pit because of their character, fan clubs that had spent real money, reversed public opinion… all of these were solid support and foundation.
And this season, so far—
The traffic and money obtained from popularity voting had already reached an exaggerated level.
Sun Xinping’s breathing quickened just looking at it.
Not to mention He Erwang was already a top idol. The moment the show began, his fan club had organized and disciplined voting.
Among tens of millions of fans, it would be enough if only one-tenth voted. If each person spent only the price of a cup of milk tea, that would be tens of millions, let alone the rich people among the enormous fanbase.
Qin Ye had left the industry at his peak. More importantly, after leaving the industry, he had become even more radiant.
Therefore, who knew how many fans and even industry artists regarded him as white moonlight and an existence to look up to?
The moment the heartbeat value channel opened, it blew out a crowd of rich young masters and rich ladies, and even celebrities in the industry throwing down money to ride the heat.
On the first day alone, it raked in a small goal.
Sun Xinping watched until his eyes reddened.
Sure enough, money only flowed toward people who did not lack money.
However, these two hugely popular contestants now could not compare to the dark horse, Big Boss Shen.
Shen Jinfeng’s heartbeat value alone was enough for an ordinary person to spend in their dreams for ten lifetimes and still never finish.
Therefore, with this season’s insane heartbeat values plus other income, estimated profits of over ten billion should not be a problem.
His apology could already be considered very sincere—very money-losing.
Madam Yun sneered. “Do you think I’m short of money?”
Sun Xinping’s heart jumped. “N-No, this is Mr. Qin’s medical fee and emotional damages.”
“Actually, our technical team had already adjusted the program at the time. It was only because we saw Big Boss Shen controlling the scene that we did not execute it. The office surveillance footage is all there. We truly did not intentionally do nothing.”
Perhaps one particular word in his sentence amused her, because Madam Yun suddenly laughed.
“Cough, cough.” She cleared her throat and said lightly, “Three percent.”
Although she was not short of money, who would dislike having more?
“What?” Sun Xinping reacted and almost cursed out loud. What a lion’s mouth!
But after taking several deep breaths, he ultimately accepted helplessly. “A-All right. Thank you, Madam Yun, for your generous support of our program.”
Actually, he was also using this matter to return a favor.
Earlier, he had been tormented by various investors until his head ached.
Especially that idiot young master Shen Qianxi. He had actually dared tell him to think of a way, even though the show had already been airing for so long, to find some method to change Big Boss Shen’s persona again.
For example, regarding the things he knew before, make Shen Jinfeng feel that he did not know them at all, so he would stop showing off and stealing the spotlight so much.
Previously, they had made Shen Jinfeng think he was a big shot, and this persona had truly been established. What if they implanted a persona making Shen Jinfeng think he was an ignorant fool who knew nothing?
When Sun Xinping heard this request, his eyes widened. He truly could not help raising a thumb and praising him as a talent—an idiot!
After perfunctorily dealing with him, he “accidentally” let it slip in front of Madam Yun.
It was said that Madam Yun later personally went to the Shen family, saying it was to return a gift.
As for what gift she was returning, it was actually the gift of the yet-unborn “pigskin coat.”
Her meaning of support was obvious.
At the time, Shen Qianxi’s expression had nearly failed to hold, revealing a bit of dissatisfaction.
Madam Yun had gone with a Tibetan mastiff. That Tibetan mastiff sensed the “enemy’s” unfriendly aura on the spot. With a whoosh, it broke free from its owner’s leash and rushed at Shen Qianxi.
That Tibetan mastiff was very “well-behaved.” It only looked very fierce as it rushed up and had not bitten him yet—though perhaps it simply had not had time to bite.
But it frightened Shen Qianxi so badly that he missed a step on the stairs and fell, knocking out two front teeth and breaking his leg.
Uh, he was probably still lying in the hospital now.
He had not come to bother Sun Xinping for the past few days.
Therefore, Madam Yun had indirectly helped him solve a troublesome matter.
Three percent it was. If he could connect with the Qin family and the Yun family—
Sun Xinping fell into beautiful fantasies, and his mouth almost smiled crooked.
Madam Yun’s next sentence, however, was: “Put all three percent into the heartbeat value fortress. Give that money to Big Boss Shen when the time comes.”
Mm, when she had called before, she still called him Xiao Shen.
Now, after watching for so many days, she was truly convinced and only wanted to call him Big Boss.
Sun Xinping froze.
It seemed Shen Jinfeng had truly entered the eyes of these important people.
Especially after this wolf encounter, which guest inside would not regard him as their lifesaving benefactor?
The guests’ families were the same.
As for… giving all three percent to Shen Jinfeng—
Fuck, that was truly a super huge sum of money!
It was enough to make someone envious and jealous until their face twisted beyond recognition.
“All right.” Sun Xinping nodded tearfully, then suddenly remembered something. “Madam Yun, there’s one more thing I’d like to ask your help with.”
Madam Yun raised her brows on the other end. “Speak.”
Sun Xinping let out a breath and slowly explained what had just happened. “During the earlier livestream segment, our production team truly did not interfere the entire time. We suspect that aside from the medicinal powder that later knocked the wolves unconscious, the reason the wolves stopped attacking at the beginning was very likely the beast language emitted by Big Boss Shen.”
Only heaven knew that, like the netizens, he also wanted to clutch his head and scream. What exactly was going on?
Did beast language count as a foreign language?
Madam Yun was startled.
Although the bullet comments had been full of discussion earlier, whether Shen Jinfeng knew beast language was still unresolved.
Because no matter how one searched, all sources said beast language did not exist.
Add to that the production team’s refusal to respond, and a considerable portion of people were more inclined to believe that the wolves stopped because the production team had saved the scene. Perhaps Shen Jinfeng’s wolf howls had also been a trick the production team had come up with temporarily.
They had used Big Boss Shen’s mouth to stop the wolf pack and show off an operation.
To this, Sun Xinping said: The netizens really thought too highly of them.
He explained the details at that time one by one.
Only at the end did he make his request. “I wonder if you know any experts in the field of linguistics? Our production team can cooperate fully and provide replay footage and other materials.”
Madam Yun sank into thought.
So the wolf pack had really been hard-controlled from several hundred meters away by Shen Jinfeng?
That was a little too fantastical.
She understood Sun Xinping’s meaning.
This man was slippery as an eel. Clearly, he was asking whether she wanted to help Shen Jinfeng cover up the abnormal parts of himself.
The production team had yet to respond because they were making preparations.
After all, in the virtual world set up by the Being Human production team, being able to control things inside, even if somewhat unscientific, was not that strange.
Madam Yun thought for a moment. “Don’t concern yourself with this matter for now. Do the confidentiality work well.”
After hanging up, she hesitated for a moment.
Then she dialed a secret private line.
Shen Jinfeng’s performance was too outstanding. It could not be concealed.
Just from the wolf encounter alone—
Leaving aside the “qinggong” he had already shown before, there was also beast language controlling a wolf pack from a distance, casually scattering medicinal powder to knock out a pack of wolves, and throwing a hundred-plus-jin wolf into a tree with one arm…
Madam Yun suddenly felt somewhat disdainful toward her own son.
Qin Ye had always been known in their circle as someone else’s child.
Since childhood, he had excelled at everything he did.
But, sure enough, there were always people beyond people, heavens beyond heavens.
Compared to Shen Jinfeng, he was still somewhat insufficient.
After all, there were many people who were rich and knew how to make money, but true talents were still rare.
“Our side will connect with this young comrade’s profile information,” the steady male voice on the other end replied.
After Madam Yun answered “All right,” she added, “Brother, Xiao Shen is a good child. You should treat him in the way talents are treated.”
Her biological elder brother worked in a certain confidential field.
Just as Sun Xinping had said, although she knew experts in linguistics and sociology, it was better to report this to the state early.
This was an alternative form of protection for talent.
On the deserted island, the group returned to the wooden cabin.
Shen Jinfeng did not know that he had specifically “lied” to fool a group of teammates, had reviewed the empty surroundings at the time, and yet had still been exposed.
It caused “a little” ripple in the retirement world he wholeheartedly wanted to pursue.
After everyone finished dinner, although they had returned safely, they had indeed been frightened.
Therefore, they all went to sleep early.
Everyone fell into dreamland, but the bullet comments were still boiling hot.
[Sisters, let’s move to Weibo! Let Big Boss Shen and the others sleep well and wake up early tomorrow to exercise!]
[Exercise? If I exercise with Big Boss Shen, can I also throw a wolf into a tree with one hand like him?]
[I suddenly remembered that there was a sister before who said her boyfriend couldn’t even carry her! Good grief, sister, Big Boss Shen alone can throw two of your boyfriends into the sky!]
[Pfft, I—I only left that one comment, and now it still gets 99+ likes every day. Even in this situation, I’m still being cued! I-I-I’m really going to break up!]
[You still haven’t broken up! Amazing. That’s true love! How about you train yourself instead, sister, and carry your boyfriend with one hand in the future? Dog head.]
[I feel like Big Boss Shen’s medicinal powder is really useful. After he gets out, can he open a shop on A-Tao? I’ll buy it for self-defense! If I encounter a creep in the future, I’ll slam it on him.]
[Damn, that makes sense! Kneeling and begging for the formula! Kneeling and begging Big Boss Shen to open a shop selling wolf-repelling powder!]
[Good grief, wolf-repelling powder. That’s truly vivid and straight to the point! That pack of wolves—I mean real wolves—are the perfect spokespersons!]
…
Sun Xinping looked at the livestream room after it had already closed, yet in the final few seconds, the bullet comments were still filling the sky and earth. The veins on his forehead twitched.
One could imagine that the trending searches on all major social platforms were probably once again dominated by Being Human today.
Old Qian, the head of the publicity team, happened to walk over to report. Just as he was about to speak, he was interrupted.
“All right, Old Qian, don’t say it! I already know! Big Boss Shen must be on trending searches again, popular again, explosively popular again, and breaking discussion records again, right?” Sun Xinping felt that he was truly floating now. He could actually say, with an unchanged expression, news that would normally make him ecstatic.
Old Qian paused and gave him a thumbs-up. “Director, you’re godly!”
Sun Xinping rolled his eyes irritably.
Because he had been highly tense all afternoon and had dealt with many phone calls.
Every day was like this. His heart was like it was riding a roller coaster.
He decided to give himself a break.
Uh, a very humble one.
That was, to go back and sleep until Big Boss Shen and the others woke up.
During variety show production in the entertainment industry, this was how it was—day and night reversed, no rest day or night.
The fact that they could sleep along with the guests and maintain a relatively normal schedule was already considered good.
Sun Xinping yawned and called to everyone. “If there’s nothing else today, everyone get off work. Rest early. Oh, except the technical team.”
All technical team members: QAQ.
Once people fell asleep, who cared whether the outside world was flooding the heavens?
Sun Xinping willfully turned on airplane mode on his phone and went to sleep.
In the production team control room, only a few members of the technical team remained to work overnight, typing code, modifying programs, and adjusting models.
Fortunately, because they needed someone watching twenty-four hours a day, they used a shift system.
Those who had rested enough during the day came to take over at night and could still keep going.
At nine in the evening, Goat ordered a cup of coffee for everyone still working hard.
“Hang in there a little longer. We should be almost done checking.”
But because he himself was the technical team leader, he was here most of the time.
He had not gone home during this period. He ate, drank, and used the restroom in the nearby break room.
“You guys hold on for a while. I’m going to take a short nap.”
Only, this check went on for several hours, then several more.
At two-thirty in the morning, only a bit of finishing work finally remained.
The few technical staff still holding on rubbed their sleepy eyes.
“Although we worked night shifts before too, there was basically nothing going on at night before. Most of the time, we just played games and occasionally glanced at the screen. That’s a completely different experience from working the whole time now… I’m exhausted,” one staff member complained.
“Bear with it. Who told us the project bonuses are generous? I’m planning to retire after finishing this year,” another staff member replied.
“Huh? Retire?”
“Yeah. I don’t have that much ambition. With the money I’ve saved over these past few years, I’ve already bought a house and a car in the small county town in my hometown. A one-hundred-eighty-square-meter house, oh! Once I get this year’s bonus, I’ll go straight home and lie flat. I’ll put the money in the bank and live off the interest, then find an ordinary nine-to-five job where I can slack off half the day. That’s the ideal life.”
“Jealous… I can’t. I bought a house here. Mortgage. I can’t leave at all.”
The few of them chatted idly.
“Speaking of which, I really envy this season’s guests. It feels like everyone turned their lives around. In the future, they’ll probably make money until their hands go soft, and they even got to know such a group of good brothers.”
“Laughing to death. You mean they all had good luck and hugged the thigh, right? Hahaha.”
“It’s finally almost over. Once we finish, let’s take turns napping for a while.”
“Okay. Eh, wait, no, hold on…” A staff member rubbed his eyes. “Big Boss Shen is awake?”
“Mm? What’s going on?”
On the screen, outside the wooden cabin, at some unknown time, a person had appeared soundlessly and without anyone noticing.
The production team was not that perverted. After the guests went to sleep, they would not keep staring at them.
They only left monitoring machines running. As long as the system judged that the guests’ vital signs were normal and they remained in a sleeping state, that was fine.
Therefore, in the dead of night, no one was watching inside the cabin.
As a result, one staff member only glanced toward the front of the cabin—he had originally wanted to check the ocean again—
And saw that Shen Jinfeng had actually gotten up?
“The others are still in a sleeping state.”
“What’s going on? Is Big Boss Shen unable to sleep?”
“Is he getting up to exercise? No way. What time does he usually get up?”
“Let me check. On average, it’s five in the morning, but right now… it’s only three.”
The staff members looked at one another, not knowing what Shen Jinfeng was going to do.
On the screen, the young man who had woken in the middle of the night showed not the slightest sleepiness on his face. He raised his eyes to look at the sky, then turned back to look at the wooden cabin. No expression could be seen on his face.
Under the moonlight, his figure seemed jade-like, cold, and elegant.
Shen Jinfeng did not carry his leaf basket. He only brought his signature leaf rope and a military knife. After thinking in place for a while, he actually walked toward the forest in the middle of the night.
“What is he going to do?” A bad feeling rose naturally in the staff member’s heart.
“Yeah, it’s the middle of the night. Isn’t he scared going out? Just watching this gives me goosebumps.”
For a moment, the few of them also stopped continuing their checks. Their sleepiness scattered somewhat, and they gathered their spirits to watch Shen Jinfeng’s movements.
Because it was the middle of the night, there was no livestream. This segment could be saved first and later, when editing the recorded version, they could decide whether to include it.
On the screen, Shen Jinfeng walked unhurriedly to the edge of the forest, then suddenly flung out the leaf rope. It lashed onto a tree, and he rose into the air.
This was the third time he had done this.
He had used it once during the daytime when hurrying along.
“Tsk, no matter how many times I watch it, it’s pleasing to the eye!” A staff member nearby praised.
“So handsome! Once Big Boss Shen comes out, I’ll kneel in front of him and ask if he can take me as a disciple!”
“Eh, wait, no! Isn’t he heading in the direction from daytime? Why is Big Boss going back?”
The others froze.
An ominous feeling rose in them one after another.
“It seems like it really is!”
“Fuck, hurry and notify the director!”
“The director’s phone won’t connect. I’ll go wake the team leader!”
