After driving for nearly half an hour, the cars finally came to a halt, and everyone stepped out.
Zhang Jin’an looked up at the building where they had parked. A plaque hung between two stone pillars, inscribed with the words "Yushu Street."
Jiang Siyang noticed it too and immediately turned to Zhang Jin’an in admiration. "You were right, Brother. It really is here."
After seeing that stretch of ocean, Zhang Jin’an had guessed they would end up here, and he had been right.
Zhang Jin’an smiled. "This is a famous spot in Xiaonanshan. It wasn't hard to guess."
Jiang Siyang kept his eyes on the plaque. "It’s still impressive. There are so many places around here, after all."
Looking at Jiang Siyang, Zhang Jin’an suddenly thought of the term "fan filter." That was exactly how Jiang Siyang was acting right now—it seemed that no matter what Zhang Jin’an did, Siyang felt the need to praise him.
But come to think of it, Jiang Siyang was someone who frequently had words of praise on the tip of his tongue. As he had said himself, he was never stingy with compliments.
With a personality like that, it was no wonder so many fans loved him.
"Yo, man, long time no see," Jiu Chang walked over and greeted the two of them.
Jiang Siyang laughed, playing along by high-fiving Jiu Chang. "It’s only been half an hour."
The six of them didn't chat for long before quickly lining up in an orderly fashion, waiting for Director Jiang to take charge.
They were all energetic men, and two of them were exceptionally handsome. Zhang Jin’an, in particular, drew the attention of passersby who stopped to take photos. One girl, standing three or four meters away, even shouted toward him, "Big Brother! Big Brother, what are you doing here?"
As if they were old acquaintances, Zhang Jin’an waved at her. "Filming a variety show."
The girl clearly didn't believe him, covering her mouth as she giggled. "Hah! Joking again! I don't believe you!" She took a few more photos with her phone. "I'm off then. Thanks for letting me take your picture, Big Brother!"
"As expected of a top-tier star; the gap between us is huge. Even his greetings to fans are so down-to-earth," Jiu Chang remarked, giving a thumbs-up.
Zhang Jin’an laughed. "You scheming boy, stop trying to kill me with praise."
Before they could chat further, Director Jiang arrived and began explaining the location and the itinerary. "This is Yushu Street, a famous street in Xiaonanshan known for its culture and food. It’s very close to the mountain itself. Our initial venue for today’s activities is right here. Everyone, please follow me inside to change into your outfits, and then we’ll begin the game."
"Understood," the group replied.
The six men entered the wardrobe van one by one to change. Once ready, they followed Director Jiang into a relatively large breakfast shop. The shop had grey walls, and several steamers were emitting clouds of hot vapor, while pan-fried buns and dumplings were kept warm on iron trays. The six of them sat around a circular table. Since it was the first time they had seen each other in these outfits, they found it quite novel.
"These clothes are really breezy," Chen Yi said, tugging at his suspenders. As he pulled his pants higher, his belly fat began to bulge out. "It’s just that the straps are a bit tight."
Jing Shangshu, sitting next to him, quickly pressed his hand down. "Stop right there. Those are mid-length shorts right now; if you pull them any higher, they’ll turn into underwear."
Zhang Jin’an sat on the far left, separated from the two of them only by Jiang Siyang. He had a clear view and remarked, "Actually, they’re quite authentic. They’re almost identical to the real ones. On primary school uniforms, the boys’ pants have a sun and the girls’ have a heart. These have them too."
The two wearing the primary school uniforms looked down at their pants and indeed found the symbols Zhang Jin’an mentioned. Jing Shangshu was amazed. "Not bad, production team."
"They spent money! They actually spent money! Truly a once-in-a-lifetime event!" Chen Yi shouted.
The production crew: "..."
Jiu Chang, being sharp-eyed, stood up and called out to Zhang Jin’an and Jiang Siyang. "Hey, Siyang, Big Brother, what’s going on? Are you two wearing the same uniforms? Why do they look so handsome on you two?"
The rowdiness ceased as everyone turned to look at Jiang Siyang and Zhang Jin’an.
Jiang Siyang had already taken off his hat and tidied his hair, looking even more clean-cut and handsome. His uniform was neat, and he sat upright, looking very much like a class monitor acting as a high school representative. Zhang Jin’an, on the other hand, had put on gold-rimmed glasses. His uniform was zipped to the very top, the collar turned up to cover his mouth. One hand rested on the back of Jiang Siyang’s chair, while the other was on the table.
Chen Yi hit the nail on the head. "Jiu Chang, trust me. It’s not the uniform; it’s the face."
"They even have name tags? And English?" Jing Shangshu squinted to read Jiang Siyang’s chest plate. "jiangsiyang, zhangjinan... Oh, it’s Pinyin. I thought they were English names."
Pan Ming struggled to see, nearly leaning across the table. Once he saw them, he immediately praised, "It really is. And I have to say, Siyang, you really suit this look."
Jiang Siyang felt a bit shy. "Really?"
Zhang Jin’an looked at Jiang Siyang’s profile, finding him incredibly interesting. He wasn't shy about praising others, but he became bashful the moment he was praised. Zhang Jin’an couldn't tell if he was thick-skinned or thin-skinned.
Zhang Jin’an decided to tease him. "Don't be shy. As our 'visuals,' we need to maintain an aura."
"Right, you're the visual, Siyang! Show some presence!" Jing Shangshu immediately followed suit.
Jiu Chang wasn't about to miss out either, adding fuel to the fire. He even spoke directly to the camera, "Look, the bullet comments must be exploding right now. I bet you're all typing the word 'Presence' over and over." He gave a wink.
Seeing that Jiang Siyang was speechless and his ears were turning red, Zhang Jin’an finally let him off the hook and changed the subject. "I think Siyang looks a lot like a top student I knew in high school."
"Exactly. Siyang looks like the kind of good student and class monitor that teachers praise every day, the type who manages evening self-study," Jiu Chang said. "And Big Brother looks like the kind of student who skips evening self-study every day to go play video games."
Everyone expressed their agreement.
Zhang Jin’an: "??" He wasn't, and he hadn't.
"I never skipped," Zhang Jin’an raised both hands. "I was very serious in class. I didn't even sleep, though my grades still ended up being average."
"I, on the other hand..." Jiang Siyang silently raised his hand. "I usually didn't attend evening self-study."
Jiu Chang: "Oh?! I couldn't tell, Siyang. You actually skipped class?"
"There were things to take care of at home, so I didn't go to evening self-study," Jiang Siyang replied sheepishly.
"Pfft... *cough, cough*." Zhang Jin’an laughed so suddenly he choked, covering his mouth as he coughed twice.
Jiu Chang: "...Then how does that count as skipping? That’s just taking a leave of absence."
"Play fewer games and read more books," Zhang Jin’an added.
"A friendly reminder: Students, please don't try to copy those TV shows, novels, or anime where you can skip class and still be a top student. I'm telling you from personal experience," Chen Yi made a peace sign at the camera. "Those are all fake, all nonsense. If you want to succeed, you have to study properly."
After Chen Yi finished, Director Jiang finally "came online."
"Alright, I will now explain the game segments," Director Jiang said. Everyone fell silent to listen carefully. "Today’s competition will unfold on this street. Every shop on this street that displays our logo is a game location. Each location has an NPC who holds two possible routes to choose from. Different routes trigger different games and different endings. The way to obtain them is by completing the NPC’s task. If the task is successful, you will receive clues, the right to choose a route, and food."
Jiu Chang immediately said, "Oh! Just like an online RPG. There are branching paths and a main storyline."
Hearing this, Zhang Jin’an couldn't help but sit up straight, folding his hands on the table. "Does that mean there are 'Save' and 'Load' functions too?"
Jiang Siyang asked curiously, "What are 'Save' and 'Load'?"
Zhang Jin’an explained to him, "Saving is recording your current game progress. Loading is like turning off the computer and coming back later to continue playing from where you last left off."
"Oh—" Jiang Siyang understood.
"Correct. It’s exactly as Zhang Jin’an thought. We do indeed have 'Load' and 'Save' options today. You can save an unlimited number of times at different locations, but please note: saving is not unconditional. Although you only need to save once at each game location, you must finish a cup of bitter melon juice to do so. Furthermore, saving can only be done *before* the dialogue with the NPC begins; otherwise, it won't count."
As Director Jiang finished, half the group looked distressed. Only Jiang Siyang remained indifferent—not because he wasn't a picky eater, but because he had eaten bitter melon many times at home and was used to it.
"Ugh... bleh." Jing Shangshu waved his hand. "I really can't do bitter melon juice."
Chen Yi also made a gagging sound. "This is like placing a bet. You're betting on whether you can win. It’s best to win without drinking the juice."
"And what if the task fails?" Zhang Jin’an asked with a frown.
"If the challenge fails and you haven't saved, then not only can you not choose a route, but you also won't get any clues, and you will be sent back to the previous stage. Once back at the previous stage, you can choose to change your route or keep challenging it until you succeed and return to the next stage," Director Jiang said.
"So where we are now is the starting stage," Jing Shangshu snapped his fingers.
"The 'Noob Village,'" Jiu Chang added.
"Correct. We have already provided a free save for everyone here, so even if you fail the challenge, you can just keep trying until you succeed," Director Jiang said. "The tasks in the Noob Village are relatively simple, everyone can win, and there’s breakfast to be had."
"In that case, there’s no 'out' mechanic today?" Pan Ming raised his hand to ask. His suit was too tight; as soon as he reached up, the fabric pulled taut. "Can't everyone just keep trying until they succeed?"
"Anyone who has not reached any ending by the time the clock runs out will be 'out'." Director Jiang checked his watch. "The time is now 5:50 AM. You have until 5:50 PM. If someone hasn't reached an ending by then, they will be out."
Jiang Siyang finally raised his hand to ask, "Is there only one ending per person?"
This was a crucial question—at least, Zhang Jin’an thought so. Director Jiang’s answer would be pivotal to their future trajectory.
Zhang Jin’an watched as Director Jiang nodded. "Yes."
"Interesting," Zhang Jin’an mused. He leaned back and whispered his thoughts to Jiang Siyang. "It’s both a team game and an individual race. If we only hit one ending between the two of us from morning to night, one of us will be out."
Jiang Siyang nodded, leaning his head down to whisper back, "The time is a bit tight, but as long as we ensure both of us get an ending, it’ll be fine."
"Mm," Zhang Jin’an agreed.
"Alright, we are officially starting. First, the reward food for the Noob Village is this—" Director Jiang clapped his hands, and an assistant handed him a menu. "Please order what you want to eat first. While we wait, we’ll begin the game."
The menu started with Zhang Jin’an. He glanced at it and asked Director Jiang, "One portion per person?"
Director Jiang: "Yes, one item counts as one portion."
"I'll have the wontons," Zhang Jin’an said, then handed the menu to Jiang Siyang.
"...Twenty pan-fried buns," Jiang Siyang said.
"Hah, as expected of you," Jiu Chang craned his neck, trying to see the menu from that angle. "Siyang, do you want soup? I'll order two portions of tofu pudding; will you give me five buns?"
"Sure," Jiang Siyang nodded.
"Is that enough for you? Should I order another bowl of wontons?" Zhang Jin’an asked.
"Okay, that should be enough," Jiang Siyang passed the menu to Jing Shangshu.
In the end, Jing Shangshu ordered shredded pork with garlic sauce over rice, Chen Yi ordered chicken leg rice, Pan Ming ordered three meat buns, and Jiu Chang ordered two bowls of savory tofu pudding. Once the orders were in, the game began.
"This game is very simple," Director Jiang said. "It’s a game known nationwide—Rock-Paper-Scissors."
Everyone let out a "Wow," thinking the game was unexpectedly easy.
Zhang Jin’an watched calmly. He felt that, given the production team’s usual tricks, it wouldn't be as simple as just Rock-Paper-Scissors.
"The production team really went to great lengths just to let us eat breakfast," Jiu Chang couldn't help but clap. "Shall we start with me, the resident genius?"
"Pfft..."
Jiu Chang immediately turned his head, glaring at the others. "Who? Who laughed!"
Two people simultaneously looked up at the ceiling.
Chen Yi sighed, "Look at this ceiling, so white. And this light, so bright."
Jing Shangshu nodded in agreement. "Indeed, what a beautiful lightbulb."
Jiu Chang: "...Fine, I know it was you two."
"Alright, we'll start with Jiu Chang," Director Jiang placed a board on the table. "However, this time, your Rock-Paper-Scissors move must be the *same* as mine. You have three seconds to prepare."
Zhang Jin’an raised an eyebrow, resting his hand against his temple as he watched Jiu Chang compete. At the same time, he reached over to straighten the back of Jiang Siyang’s collar.
"Hah, same or different, it all comes down to luck anyway." Jiu Chang stood up. "I'll take the challenge directly."
"Very well," Director Jiang flashed an inscrutable smile. "I'm playing Rock."
Jiu Chang: "? You can even do it like that?"
The others smelled a trap, each watching their movements intently.
"Rock, Paper, Scissors—"
As soon as the words left his mouth, the outcome was decided. Director Jiang played Rock; Jiu Chang played Paper.
Jiu Chang jumped three feet in the air, shouting excitedly, "Holy crap! I won!"
Director Jiang: "..."
The others: "..."
Pan Ming calmly pulled his teammate back down. "Win my foot. You lost."
