Not only was Qin Wei puzzled, Qiao Sixiao was also very confused.
[Task: Avoid being chased, reach Jin Tang Bank and successfully open the safe deposit box to complete the task. If the character Qin Wei is caught during this time, the task fails.]
[3]
Qin Wei: "???"
Qiao Sixiao: "???"
[2]
Qin Wei: "?"
Qiao Sixiao: "!!"
[1]
Qin Wei: "?"
Qiao Sixiao took a look behind him, grabbed Qin Wei's hand and ran.
Ten men wearing black changshan (long shirt), black sunglasses and black hats chased after them.
Without thinking about which way to go, when they stopped, they were already in a busy downtown area, with people coming and going on the street, bustling noises, and vendors yelling and haggling everywhere.
The two were completely confused. While catching their breath, they looked around, not knowing where Jin Tang Bank was, or even where they currently were.
Qiao Sixiao said:
"We probably need to ask someone for directions, or maybe get a map?"
"Wow, so many NPCs (non-player characters), who should we ask?" said Qin Wei.
As Qin Wei spoke, she walked over to a porter nearby and took the initiative to ask:
"Excuse me, which way is Jin Tang Bank?"
The porter looked up:
"Miss, want some fresh lotus seeds?"
Qin Wei hesitated, then replied:
"Yes."
The porter was indifferent and continued talking to another customer.
Qin Wei: "..."
[Staff: Teacher Qin, don't eat props!]
Without getting any useful information, the two could only walk along the street. Qin Wei peeled the last lotus seed and held it in her palm. She turned to Qiao Sixiao and asked:
"Reporter Qiao really doesn't want it? I didn't remove the lotus heart. Eating it clears internal heat."
Qiao Sixiao glanced at her:
"Better save it for the director, he probably needs it more."
Qin Wei decisively tossed the last lotus seed into her mouth.
...
After walking a few more steps, they seemed to hear someone shouting loudly at the intersection ahead. Qin and Qiao looked at each other without saying anything, but they already knew the lead was over there.
As they got closer, they realized there was a middle-aged man wearing a black changshan standing on the steps in front of a riverside shop at the intersection, shouting at the top of his lungs.
"Use your brain every day, drink more xxxx! This program is sponsored by xxxx!"
"Feel tired and weary, go for xx! This program..."
"Refreshingly cool, free your heart! This program..."
Qiao Sixiao was stunned for a moment. Looking up, he saw the signboard behind the man read "Advertising Shop." Only then did he realize this was a subtle product placement by the show's production team.
What a letdown.
Qiao Sixiao nudged Qin Wei with his elbow:
"Let's go. They're just playing ads here!"
But Qin Wei was in no hurry. Pointing at the man in changshan, she said:
"I still want to hear what sponsors they have."
Qiao Sixiao didn't force her. He let her stay and watch first while he walked around to see if there were any clues nearby.
People came and went. Only Qin Wei, the silly one, stood in place listening to ads.
When the changshan man finished the last ad, he heaved a long sigh of relief.
Qin Wei looked around, ready to go find her teammate.
"Miss."
The changshan man called out to stop Qin Wei. She turned around and he waved her over.
Just as she was wondering what he wanted, she saw him take out a card from his sleeve and hand it to Qin Wei. Then he turned around and went back inside the shop without coming out again.
"Wow, there are perks for watching ads?" Qin Wei mumbled to herself.
Just as she was about to see what he gave her, the pedestrians on the street suddenly dispersed. Some stood by the roadside, others walked into nearby shops.
The wide street became empty all of a sudden...
The men in black were chasing them again!
"Qiao Sixiao!"
Qin Wei called out to her when she realized at some point she had crossed the bridge, leaving the two separated by a river.
The men in black were chasing them from both sides. There was no time to cross the bridge. They looked at each other across the river, then turned and ran along the riverside.
Wanting to regroup, they could only look ahead for a way...
With no way forward, Qin Wei was facing a dead end. The river curved ahead so Qiao Sixiao disappeared around the bend as she ran along the other side.
Unable to see her teammate anymore, Qin Wei sized up the head-high brick wall in front of her. With a running start, she was confident she could easily jump over it using the box in the corner as a foothold.
The game had just started less than 10 minutes ago. If she got eliminated now, it would be a new low record for her on the show!
No, she absolutely could not end up bottom of the rankings...
Knowing she was pressed for time as the men in black closed in, Qin Wei took a deep breath and got into starting position to run.
"Sister Qin Wei..."
Suddenly she heard someone calling softly to her.
Looking in the direction of the voice, she surprisingly discovered a narrow alley between the wall and building.
A boy standing inside was signaling her to hurry over.
"Xiao Han?"
It was actually Li Hanming. He had come too!
Li Hanming nodded. After she entered, he led her deeper into the alley. It was extremely narrow, barely fitting an adult. Even slim builds like theirs had to squeeze through sideways.
So they moved slowly.
But that also had an advantage - none of the chasing men in black could get in.
"You're here too! I didn't know," said Qin Wei as she followed behind him.
Li Hanming looked back at her with a smile:
"Actually at first I didn't know you were here either. To be precise, none of us knew the others were participating. We weren't even staying in the same area of the hotel. It was only after reading the script that I found out. So after finishing my part, I hurried to find you. But this was my first time too, so getting used to the game settings took up quite some time."
"So what's your identity here?"
Qin Wei looked him up and down. Newsboy cap, white shirt, suspenders...
Too hard to guess, so she asked. Then quickly added:
"Just tell me what you can."
Li Hanming said:
"I'm a spoiled rich kid who admires Sister Qin Wei, so my task is to find you."
"Oh."
Qin Wei didn't probe further. After all, this boy's lying skills were even more clumsy than hers...
She worried how many minutes he could even last in this game...
At the end of the path was a busy open area. Qin Wei relaxed, knowing the men in black hadn't caught up yet.
"Do you know where we are?"
...
On the other side, Qiao Sixiao barely escaped the men chasing her, but her own situation wasn't good either. With limited stamina left but still a long way to run, she was like a headless fly crashing around. Whether she got caught was one thing, but she would definitely hit a wall from exhaustion first.
Plus she had gotten separated from Qin Wei. If her understanding of the rules was correct, Qin Wei was the key character this round. If Qin Wei got caught, the game would be over.
Or maybe...
She didn't know for sure. This was her first time participating too. Although she had watched some of last season, the production team made big changes to prevent celebrities from figuring out the gameplay!
"This way..."
An extremely faint voice came through the crack of a door. Qiao Sixiao looked over at the ordinary residential house...
