Chapter Six: The First Round of the Life-and-Death Duel

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Favor coupons are used to increase NPCs’ favorability in the game and have many applications. The numbers on them represent how much favorability they can add.

Shen Li recalled that in the previous season’s preview, the top-tier team won and obtained four favor coupons, each worth 50 points, which gave them a significant advantage at the start of the first episode.

Although they fought hard to turn the tide, they ultimately failed. Afterwards, the production team continued to rig the rewards in favor of the top-tier team, causing them to suffer a heavy defeat in the first episode.

This time, when they won, their rewards were drastically reduced—it was simply unfair.

Shen Li’s amber, bright eyes stared intently at the camera, causing the director behind the lens to suddenly tense up and jump in fright.

“What’s wrong with this woman? She’s acting all mysterious.”

The head of the planning department, having made a mistake, bowed to appease the director: “Yes, director, please rest assured. Our entire planning team will optimize the game rules thoroughly to ensure she follows our plan obediently.”

A flash of anger passed through his eyes. The traps he had painstakingly devised were like childish games before Shen Li, utterly ineffective, making him lose face completely.

He was determined to reclaim his dignity!

Suddenly, a walkie-talkie was shoved into Shen Li’s hand. Footsteps crunching on leaves faded away—the man in black had left. Before she could react, a fierce roar pierced her eardrums. She decisively removed her blindfold, revealing a powerful black gorilla baring its teeth at her, raising its left foot as if ready to lunge.

At that moment, cries came from three directions—it was her three teammates:

“Help!”

“There’s a gorilla chasing me, help!”

“Ah! Don’t come this way!”

The three ran chaotically. Ji Beishu circled around a tree, while Qiao Le and Bai Qiuya were nearly grabbed by the gorilla’s hands several times, their situation perilous. Fortunately, they dodged skillfully without being caught.

Ji Beishu, dizzy from running in circles, almost tripped several times before the gorilla’s feet. Shen Li scanned the surroundings, confirmed her position, then dashed toward him, shouting, “Use four favor coupons on Ji Beishu!”

Instantly, the gorilla chasing Ji Beishu froze, motionless.

This was the first game of the survival battle theme in episode one. Each of the eight guests was followed by a black gorilla, all created using the production team’s virtual technology and controllable artificially, so no one would be seriously harmed.

The gorillas’ only task was to catch the human in front of them and push them into the elimination zone.

Once all members of a team were eliminated, that team failed the challenge, and the opposing team won the reward.

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At the early stage of the game, gorillas chased for only 10 seconds, then stopped for one minute. The next chase lasted 20 seconds, and so on.

Moreover, the team member with the highest favorability would not be chased by the gorilla—that was why Shen Li used the favor coupons.

During the gorillas’ rest period, participants could search for treasure chests containing function cards with various abilities. The more cards found, the greater the team’s chance of victory. Shen Li ran up to a confused Ji Beishu and got straight to the point.

“You go look for treasure chests. Report any situation through the walkie-talkie immediately. I’ve used all four favor coupons on you. Until they find favor coupons worth over 40, your gorilla won’t chase you. Your task is to find as many function cards as possible. Understood?”

Ji Beishu frowned. “Why are you making decisions for us?”

—Yeah, isn’t she being too presumptuous?

—Maybe Ji Beishu was in more danger just now?

—She’s selfish. Why does she act without consulting the team? This isn’t the first time. Having her as a teammate is just bad luck…

Shen Li said calmly, “You have the best stamina and run fastest among the four of us. Only you can find treasure chests at top speed.” Ji Beishu fell silent.

He glanced at the girls: Qiao Le had collapsed from exhaustion after the gorilla chase, and Bai Qiuya looked faint and on the verge of passing out. He had no choice but to accept Shen Li’s logic.

Though he disliked Shen Li’s unilateral decisions, it was the best option for now.

“You’re the key to our team. Good luck!” Shen Li patted Ji Beishu’s shoulder twice. “I’ll protect them. Waiting for your good news.”

With that, Shen Li sprinted toward Bai Qiuya and Qiao Le, grabbed them, and fled. Ji Beishu watched Shen Li’s back, lips pressed, eyes filled with complicated emotions, then turned and ran away.

While running, Shen Li explained Ji Beishu’s situation when the announcer suddenly declared:

[Top-tier team’s Jiang Fuya found a “Transfer Card,” transferring her gorilla to Shen Li.]

“Nice work!” The director laughed heartily, praising the head of the technical department, “This time well done.”

Shen Li, you can’t beat us.

What the guests didn’t know was that all treasure chests’ locations were virtually placed within the game area. The production team separated the two teams before the game to facilitate placing treasure chests.

Around Jiang Fuya and her teammates were many treasure chests; other top-tier team members also had chests nearby. The director was confident Shen Li couldn’t break through.

Unexpectedly, Shen Li adjusted the walkie-talkie frequency and said to Ji Beishu, “Go search near Jiang Fuya’s spawn point.”

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Surprisingly, Ji Beishu did not object this time; he was already preparing to head that way.

He knew well the production team would never be fair to blacklisted celebrities like them. The treasure chest locations were surely biased toward the top-tier team. He just hadn’t expected Shen Li to realize this as well.

Admittedly, Shen Li’s quick thinking under such dire circumstances proved her sharp mind.

Watching monitors, the director urgently told the head of the technical department, “Quick, change the treasure chest locations!”

The technical department head hesitated. “Once virtual placements are set, they cannot be changed—unless the items are found and dissipate.”

“Damn! Why didn’t you say so earlier!” The director angrily threw down his headset.

“You didn’t ask either…” the head muttered quietly, afraid the director would hear.

The director spun around in frustration.

...

Jiang Fuya, freed from gorilla pursuit, found three function cards in a short time but left them unused as her teammates were gripped by fear of the chasing gorillas.

Meanwhile, the three pursued by four gorillas moved cautiously. Qiao Le grew impatient: “Can you move away? You’re dragging us down with two gorillas on you.”

Bai Qiuya said nothing, silently agreeing.

Shen Li looked ahead and explained, “You can run, but let me tell you the escape method first. Gorillas hate water and cannot swim. If trapped in water, they will drown easily.”

She glanced toward the nearby beach, “You can run there.”

“Really?” Qiao Le didn’t believe her. Just then, the four gorillas, ending their one-minute pause, roared furiously and charged.

“No time! Run with me!” Shen Li took off running. Bai Qiuya hesitated, but seeing the fierce gorillas behind them, fearfully followed. Qiao Le had already fled.

Desperate times called for desperate measures; she decided to trust Shen Li this once.

Without hesitation, Shen Li jumped into the sea, followed closely by Bai Qiuya and Qiao Le...