Chapter Two: The Clash of Light and Shadow
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Shen Li suddenly tapped a few commands on the virtual screen that popped up, and in an instant, all the traps that had been swarming toward her came to a complete halt.
Only a few projectile weapons had been launched, which Shen Li deftly dodged with a few sidesteps. Seizing the moment as the mechanisms retracted, she stepped on the props and swiftly climbed out of the pit, leaving without a backward glance.
The production crew behind the camera stared in disbelief. The director blinked and said, "Is it starting? Or... is it over?"
He threw his headset down beside the monitor. "Props team, get out here now!" The entire production staff shivered in fear.
The live comments exploded:
— How did she do that? I didn't even catch it.
— She must have hacked into the production system, pausing all the traps. That virtual screen’s background was the production team’s own interface from the start.
— She's that powerful???
— Judging by the outcome, yes.
— I wanted to see her struggle and fail. Why not let her die? Let her die!
...
Shen Li knew everyone must be furious that the "culprit" hadn’t been punished and were wondering how she hacked the production system.
The answer was simple.
Before entering showbiz, she was a hacker—ranked in the global top ten and the only woman in the world's top ten hackers.
From then on, Shen Li detected every trap the production team set in advance and avoided them all, triggering the mechanisms only after she left the scene.
The director yelled, “What is she doing?! Damn it!”
The props team protested, “No, she could’ve avoided it. Why trigger the traps?”
As if she could hear them, Shen Li suddenly shouted at the screen, "You worked so hard setting these up. If you don’t trigger them, the audience won’t see anything. No need to thank me."
—
—
— Why, why, why can’t they get to her? It’s infuriating!
— Is Shen Li really this clever? I didn’t know before.
— Clever? She’s just messing with people on purpose!
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— Isn’t the production team setting traps just to mess with people? I don’t like Shen Li either, but to be fair, you can’t blame her for not falling for the traps.
...
Swiftly running through the trap-laden forest, Shen Li successfully found the dilapidated cabin where the first teammate was tied up. Meanwhile, the adjacent top celebrity livestream was in shambles.
This show, “Black and White Confrontation,” as the name suggests, revolves around two opposing teams throughout the season.
One team represents “Black,” the scandal team, while the other is “White,” the top celebrity team. Each team has four members, with guest stars joining later.
All members of the scandal team carry various scandals—Shen Li, for example, is burdened with a “murder” accusation.
The top celebrity team consists of first- and second-tier stars, the main draw for most viewers, who have devoted fan groups backing them.
Of course, many viewers enjoy confrontational shows and like seeing their disliked targets humiliated. Thus, the scandal team serves as stepping stones for the top celebrities.
They are well aware of their role but have no other choice. Some have gained fame through the show’s scandalous exposure, while others have redeemed themselves compared to other scandal-ridden artists after the show.
In short, this show has been running for five years and is now in its sixth season, with no unexpected incidents. The top celebrities have always been the focus.
This season’s free agent on the top celebrity team is Jiang Fuya. Compared to Shen Li, her livestream looked pitiful. She struggled to handle one trap after another, barely catching her breath before facing the next.
Her long, sleek black hair clung damply to her scalp with sweat, giving her a slightly disheveled appearance and making her look a few degrees less glamorous. Yet with her naturally sharp features, she remained a goddess before the camera.
—
— Our goddess Fuya is having such a hard time, while that despicable murderer Shen Li is so relaxed. Is something wrong with the production team?
— Looks like the production team forgot who we’re rooting for. Turn off the traps for Fuya!
— We want to see Fuya looking beautiful, not Shen Li!
— Disgusting Shen Li, she deserves to die!
...
Viewership between the two teams’ livestreams grew increasingly lopsided. Those initially drawn by Shen Li’s unexpected moves, feeling sorry for Jiang Fuya’s plight, quickly returned to the top celebrity team’s livestream. The scandal team’s viewer count plummeted to the bottom.
Of course, some remained to watch Shen Li’s downfall or as haters.
Shen Li didn’t see any of this. After searching on-site for a while, she found the mechanism and pressed a button, releasing her first teammate, Qiao Le.
Qiao Le shot Shen Li a glare, clearly annoyed. “I can’t believe I’m on the same team as you.”
She addressed the camera, “Don’t get me wrong—I’m different from her. I’m not a murderer.” She sneered mockingly, expecting Shen Li to react dramatically, but the latter remained impassive.
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“Tch, what a show-off,” Qiao Le muttered as she walked away, unwilling to stay near Shen Li.
Shen Li paid her no mind and continued rummaging through the weeds and soil beside the cross.
She had grown used to this. In her previous life, her three teammates often spoke to her like this. Later, they were bribed by Pei Wenxuan to join the top celebrity team against her.
She had no teammate, no helper.
No one believed in her innocence.
Perhaps it didn’t matter to them whether she was innocent. Resources, exposure, and buzz were what really counted.
Shen Li’s eyes darkened with determination. This time, she wouldn’t give her teammates a chance to betray her. She would make them submit and become her most loyal allies.
She needed teammates; she couldn’t do everything alone, much less face the entire production team.
Buried in the dirt, Shen Li kept digging. After a long wait, Qiao Le grew impatient and shouted, “You’re just dragging your feet because you don’t want to save your teammates! You’re so selfish!” She looked at Shen Li contemptuously.
Heh, just as the rumors said—she’d rather dig in the dirt than rescue her teammate.
But on the bright side, she could use Shen Li’s actions to clear her own name. Seeing Qiao Le’s angry face improved a bit.
“I found it,” Shen Li said, ignoring Qiao Le’s taunts and mockery. She pulled out a puzzle piece and handed it over. “You take this. It’s a clue for our mission, very important.”
“Me take it?” Qiao Le suddenly felt awkward and uneasy at the unexpected trust.
“Yes.” Shen Li smiled brightly. “You’re my teammate—if not you, then who?”
She glanced at the virtual map, pointed a direction, and said, “This way.” Then she beckoned for Qiao Le to follow and strode ahead. Qiao Le cast nervous glances around the wild terrain, scared but forced to follow while complaining inwardly.
“Why do you trust me? Aren’t you afraid I’ll throw the puzzle piece away?” Qiao Le asked, still puzzled by Shen Li’s trust.
Shen Li answered matter-of-factly, “Why wouldn’t I trust you?”
Qiao Le was left speechless, her earlier urge to pick a fight with Shen Li melting away, though not for long. Soon, impatience returned.
“Are you sure this is the right way?”
No sooner had she spoken than a shadow suddenly lunged out from the jungle...