“Wait for me!”
Seeing Jiang Fan had walked a considerable distance ahead, Zhou Niannian quickly ran to catch up, panting as she walked beside him.
She didn't know why she had followed him out despite her stomachache. Perhaps it was to ask about Yao, or perhaps she simply didn't want to be with Yao.
The thrill of the earlier scare had already digested the wild boar meat she'd eaten at noon.
Her stomach, which had stopped hurting, began to ache again.
To avoid being left behind by Jiang Fan, Zhou Niannian endured the stomachache, secretly pressing her hand to her abdomen and trying to find a topic to distract herself.
“Jiang Fan, what were you thinking? Why did you let that Yao come with us?”
“He has many useful tools, but his character hasn't been tested at all!”
“Hiss—Jiang Fan!”
Not hearing Jiang Fan's voice, Zhou Niannian was still grumbling in her mind.
At least acknowledge me!
She wanted to call out to him for a response.
When she looked up, a fruit was presented before her.
It had a bright yellow peel and a vibrant color, appearing to be split open, bulging and almost revealing the flesh inside.
A single fruit was as big as an adult's fist!
Seeing this fruit, Zhou Niannian felt a little curious. She had never seen such a fruit before.
“What is this?”
“Dengxin Fruit.”
Jiang Fan aimed at a tree he had chosen and chopped down hard. The trunk split, and after a while, clear liquid flowed out from it.
He took out a bamboo cup, collected the clear liquid, and then turned his head to glance at Zhou Niannian.
“Didn’t you have a stomachache just now? Eat something if you're hungry.”
“The flesh of this Dengxin Fruit contains a lot of fiber and starch, unlike the Dengxin Fruit from the outside world.”
Rarely speaking more than a few words, Jiang Fan continued to busily collect water.
Zhou Niannian looked at the fruit in her hand and, for some reason, her face turned a little red.
She really wanted to say thank you, but she couldn't.
Instead of thank you, an apology lingered on her lips for a long time, but she couldn't bring herself to say it.
In the end, she was still the one holding them back.
Even though she kept saying she didn't want to be a burden, she couldn't hide the fact that it was her previous mishap that forced Jiang Fan to act.
Her lips moved slightly, and she stood there blankly, not knowing what to do.
Jiang Fan had even collected four cups of tree sap. When he turned around, he saw Zhou Niannian still standing there, holding the fruit and lost in thought.
He raised an eyebrow. Just as the viewers watching the live stream were guessing he might say something comforting, they heard Jiang Fan calmly add.
“This fruit is not poisonous. After you eat it, collect more fruits, don’t be lazy.”
“...Oh.”
An apology was almost on the tip of her tongue, but it was blocked by Jiang Fan's words.
Zhou Niannian could only respond. Feeling a little resentful at his seemingly unfeeling reaction, she angrily took a bite of the fruit.
Her teeth broke through the peel, revealing the powdery, soft flesh inside.
It tasted sweet and slightly grainy, like eating a cold smoothie, very delicious.
Although it didn't have much juice, it was more filling to eat.
With just one bite, Zhou Niannian couldn't hold back and opened her mouth wide, finishing it in two or three bites.
It was quite like Zhu Bajie eating ginseng fruit.
She was a beautiful female streamer, yet her eating style… her reputation as a "counter-attack fighter" would likely never be shed.
Jiang Fan, however, didn't pay attention to Zhou Niannian. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and continued to chop trees.
With the engineer's shovel, he no longer needed to do any fancy moves to kick trees.
Diligently, he chopped down branches suitable for a temporary shelter.
As long as they were long and sturdy, they would do!
His speed was very fast, and his movements were skilled.
However, this also reduced the entertainment value of the live stream, as many fans had tuned in for these very moments.
“Damn it, why are there no more tree-kicking scenes! I was waiting for them!”
“Honestly, I feel like Jiang Shen spoils Sister Zhou too much. He knows she had a stomachache and held them back earlier, yet he didn’t scold her and even gave her fruit. If it were me, I would have cursed her out a dozen times by now!”
“The one above, you're thinking too much. Even if you cursed her, would you have this opportunity?”
“That hits hard, bro. Facing a woman like Sister Zhou, who just wants more attention, scolding her will only make her more agitated. Only by not scolding her can you make her feel guilty, right?”
After a discussion about the interaction between Zhou Niannian and Jiang Fan, more people focused on the bright yellow fruit in Zhou Niannian's hand.
Perhaps because she was hungry, Zhou Niannian looked like she was really enjoying eating it.
And her appearance resonated with many viewers.
“I’m envious. That lantern fruit looks so delicious, but I searched for it and it’s not the same thing.”
“Damn it, how can things from underground be the same as those from the outside? It makes me drool just looking at it. How can Sister Zhou get to play underground?”
“Is this called playing? This is probably playing with death! If it weren’t for Jiang Shen, it would have been very difficult to get in safely.”
“What you said, didn't Yao get in smoothly?”
“But who else besides him…”
In the live stream with 200 million viewers, various discussions filled the bullet screen.
They envied those who could enter the underground, but they also knew that without enough skill, going underground would be death.
Just the Death Roller Coaster and the Golden Waterfall were not something ordinary people could afford to play with.
But some people really wanted to go in.
Unfortunately, they didn't have the chance.
“You… hurry up and get the people inside out.”
“Those are things that have never appeared before. Look at what they've done to that place!!!”
On the deserted island, outside the mine, a temporary small camp had been set up.
In front of one of the computers, the scene of Jiang Fan handing the Dengxin Fruit to Zhou Niannian was playing.
Elder Lin was certain that the Dengxin Fruit was a plant that had never appeared before.
If, as Jiang Fan claimed, its flesh contained a large amount of starch, it could even serve as a new staple food like sweet potatoes and corn.
It could even be used to research its original genes and improve their crops.
But who knew how much of this fruit there was? It would be a shame if it was eaten to extinction by Jiang Fan and his group.
“How much longer until we can open this place?”
“A whole day has passed. What exactly are you doing?”
“Lin Xianping, are you trying to drive your old man crazy?”
Elder Lin was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, pacing back and forth.
Lin Xianping also understood the pros and cons. He sighed deeply. Some arrangements had to be made.
He raised his hand and beckoned his subordinate.
“Prepare for demolition.”
“Yes. Prepare for demolition!”
The small camp immediately became lively.
The explosives and other materials that had been brought earlier now had a purpose.
However, the anxiety outside was completely unfelt by the people underground.
Perhaps, as Jiang Fan had said, this was another space.
After collecting some branches, he and Zhou Niannian sent a batch back, and also gave two cups of tree sap to Dai Xiaomei and Yao in the camp.
After a brief rest, the two changed direction and continued to search for suitable materials.
Zhou Niannian moved the long branches together and suddenly saw the fruit glowing with a reddish-pink light not far away. She curiously approached it.
“Jiang Fan, look at this, what is it?”