The director, a man named Zhao who was known for his ruthless editing and a "ratings-first" soul, stood before the six contestants. "You are on 'Lost Spirit Island'. This isn't a vacation. From this moment on, your fame means nothing. You will forage, you will build, and you will survive. The viewer votes on the live-stream will determine your weekly 'Perks' or 'Punishments'."
Chen Ying scanned her fellow contestants.
Yang Zixuan: The 'Film Emperor'. Calm, athletic, and currently the most popular man in the country. Zhou Yaya: The 'Sweet Idol'. She was currently trembling, clearly terrified of the jungle insects. Zhang Rui: The 'Fiancé'. He stood with his chest out, looking arrogant and completely useless. Wu Haoran: The 'Newbie'. A comedic actor who was clearly here for the exposure. Wang Bai: The 'White Lotus'.
"Before we move into the jungle," Director Zhao said, "we have the 'First Impression' challenge. You have ten minutes to study this booklet on island flora. There will be a quiz. The winner gets the 'Master Map' and the first choice of campsite."
The booklets were handed out. Everyone scrambled. Wang Bai gripped her book, her eyes glowing with hidden confidence. In the previous life, she had won this easily, taking the "Highland" campsite which had a freshwater spring, leaving Chen Ying to rot in the "Mangrove Swamp" where she eventually contracted a fever.
Chen Ying opened her book.
With Wang Bai's artifact no longer working on her, she got her photographic memory back.
She scanned the whole book in remarkable time. The information in the book—thousands of words on mushrooms, roots, and vines—flowed into her brain like a digital download.
*Amanita phalloides: Toxic. Look-alike: Straw Mushroom. Difference: The white gills and the bulbous base.*
*Wild Yam: Edible. Look-alike: Bitter Yam. Difference: The leaf vein structure.*
The camera drone hovered near her, and the live stream comments shifted in real-time.
[User 'BotHater': Is she even reading? She's just flipping pages to look cool for the camera.]
[User 'NatureGirl': No way she's memorizing that. Even a professional botanist would need an hour to digest this data.]
[User 'ZixuanWife': Look at our Zixuan, he's so serious. He's definitely going to win the map!]
Beside her, Wang Bai was using her artifact. Chen Ying could feel a subtle "interference" in the air—a wave of mental lethargy meant to make the other contestants feel sleepy and confused.
'So that's how she won last time,' Chen Ying thought, her lips curling.
But the Heart-Protecting Pendant pulsed with a soft silver light against her chest, creating a 1-meter "Safe Zone" around her. The interference shattered before it could touch her mind.
"Time up!" Director Zhao announced. "Tablet computers out. Question one: Identify the 'Ghost-Face Mushroom' and its antidote."
Wang Bai smirked. She knew this one. She typed quickly, her fingers flying.
But Chen Ying was faster. Tap, tap, tap. "Question two: Which vine provides potable water but causes hallucinations if the bark is consumed?"
Tap.
By the tenth question, the other guests were sweating. Zhou Yaya had already given up, looking at her blank screen with a pout. Even Yang Zixuan was hesitating on the complex Latin names.
"Final Question," the Director's voice turned solemn. "Identify this plant." He held up a physical specimen—a shriveled, brown root that looked like a piece of dead wood.
Wang Bai frowned. That wasn't in the book! She tried to use her luck-siphoning to "guess" the answer, but her artifact felt sluggish, as if it were hitting a wall. "It's... a dried ginger root?" she guessed tentatively.
Chen Ying didn't even look up from her tablet. "It's a 'Sleeping Dragon Root'. It isn't in the book because it's an endangered species native only to this specific island. It's highly flammable and can be used to start a fire in damp conditions. But more importantly, it's the primary food source for the island's 'Blue-Ringed Boars'. If you carry it in your bag, you'll be hunted by the herd within the hour."
The Director froze. He looked at his answer sheet, then at Chen Ying. "Correct. Miss Chen... how did you know about the boars? That was supposed to be the 'Hidden Danger' reveal for the next episode."
Chen Ying gave a small, mysterious smile. "I did my research before coming. A 'poor pauper' like me has to work harder than the geniuses, right?"
The comment section went ballistic.
[User 'BigBrain': SHE JUST SPOILED THE ENTIRE SHOW HAHAHA!]
[User 'LoveYing': Look at the Director's face! He's terrified of her!]
[User 'AntiLotus': Wang Bai looks like she swallowed a fly. This is amazing. Who is the genius now?]
"Chen Ying wins the Master Map!" the Director announced, his voice trembling slightly.
"Since I won," Chen Ying said, standing up and finally kicking off the painful high heels Wang Bai had told her were "essential for the camera," "I choose the Highland Site. And as the winner, I believe the rules state I get to choose group members to join my 'Exclusive Zone'?"
She turned her gaze toward Yang Zixuan, the Film Emperor and Zhou Yaya. "Would you like to stay in a campsite with a freshwater spring, or would you prefer to stay in the sand with the... 'Phoenix'?"
Yang Zixuan smiled, a flash of genuine interest in his eyes. He had seen through the "clown" makeup to the sharp soul beneath. "I think the spring sounds much more refreshing."
Zhou Yaya nodded frantically as well.
[System: Ding! Face-Slap Successful! Points Earned: 50. Current Debt: 53 Points.]