"They're cheating! Absolutely cheating!"
"Holy crap, what kind of hacker is this?"
"Shark, come out and tell us, did you arrange this? I don't believe it, this can't be real!"
The barrage of comments instantly peaked.
Gifts and accusations coexisted in the live stream, a chaotic scene that nonetheless displayed the viewers' muddled emotions.
They were beyond words.
The water deer, having brought them to the location, paid them no mind and proceeded to lick the salt mine.
Jiang Fan and Zhou Niannian followed the deer to the salt mine and came to a halt.
For a moment, they were stunned.
Black walls, covered in white, with large patches of snow-white crystals in some areas.
The entire cross-section was of the same texture.
Above, plants, moss, and vines covered the upper layers.
But below.
It was like stepping into a fairy tale.
The entire salt mine, shaped like a small mountain, had been corroded by the water flowing down from the tree roots above, forming a hole large enough for one person to pass through.
"Let's go in and take a look..."
It wasn't noon yet, and they still had time. Zhou Niannian, captivated by the entire mountain, was curious.
She suggested they explore the mine.
A natural mine, a wonder of nature.
Everyone would be curious.
Jiang Fan merely glanced at her, nodded, took his bow and arrows from his back, and led the way into the cave.
Those watching the live stream, still reeling from the shock of the entire salt mine, followed the pair's figures, attempting to enter the mine.
However—
The screen did not switch.
The camera could only show their backs as they entered the mine.
The director's gaze swept across the various camera feeds, a bead of cold sweat forming on his forehead.
None. None were there!
The audience, curious about the interior of the mine, grew restless as no new footage appeared for a long time.
"What's going on?! I thought we'd get to follow them in."
"Did they not set up cameras inside?"
"This is too weak, no cameras inside? This is a mistake by the staff! I thought these cameras were too rigid and couldn't follow the contestants."
"Ahhh! What's inside the mine, I'm so curious! Hurry up and set up cameras!"
There were complaints and urgent calls.
Even the director was inquiring about the situation via walkie-talkie.
When an angry voice came from the other end, the director's tone trembled.
"No, not a single camera entered inside."
"Perhaps they didn't discover this place earlier."
He also wished he could be angry.
Having watched the live stream continuously, he naturally wanted to know what was inside the mine.
But the staff had simply not arranged it!
Damn it!
The director was speechless when he received this devastating news.
A perfect opportunity to explore the rainforest, a chance for a huge surge in viewership, even to create a classic scene, was wasted because no cameras were installed.
Was he angry?
Of course, he was angry!
But the rainforest environment was complex, and it was normal to miss some spots.
At least it proved there were still loopholes in their camera setup.
"Rescue team, standby nearby. If there's any movement inside the mine, proceed immediately for rescue."
"Understood."
The voice of the rescue team came through the walkie-talkie.
Immediately after, the director heard the voice of an old friend beside him.
"It's been a while. Looks like I've arrived at just the right time?"
The hearty voice made the director turn his head. Upon seeing the newcomer, he paused and then smiled.
"You've arrived not a moment too soon. If you hadn't, our director would be crying."
...
Jiang Fan and Zhou Niannian were unaware of the reactions from the outside world.
They were cautiously entering the mine.
The height allowed only one person to pass. The outermost area was quite large, with a lot of high-purity salt minerals scattered on the ground.
But inside it was pitch black, with only the faint sound of dripping water and a faint, unsettling breathing sound that sent shivers down their spines.
It was so dark that they couldn't see their hands in front of their faces. They had no idea if it was a passage or a deep pit.
It felt as if unknown horrors lurked within, waiting for innocent lambs.
Zhou Niannian's heart suddenly felt a pang, and she instinctively clutched the back of Jiang Fan's shirt.
"Forget it, maybe, maybe we should go back?"
Her voice trembled, filled with uncertainty and fear.
"There are many salt minerals scattered on the ground nearby. As long as we bring them back, we can extract the salt."
At the entrance of the mine, numerous large and small ore rocks were hidden, with white crystals on them, very conspicuous.
They didn't even need to collect them.
It saved a lot of trouble.
But the depths of the mine, its secrets, made Zhou Niannian instinctively want to flee.
In an instant, she recalled the announcement from Shark official, the somewhat forceful competition invitation, and all the possibilities she had speculated about.
This island undoubtedly held secrets unknown to the public, and perhaps a greater power stood behind Shark official.
They had come here to find salt minerals.
Now that they had found them, they could go back directly.
Exploration was not their task; surviving smoothly was.
Zhou Niannian had a clear understanding of her role.
She was just an ordinary streamer invited to this deserted island to participate in a competition.
She had no special abilities and no grand ambitions.
As long as she won first place, she wanted nothing else.
With this thought, she tugged Jiang Fan's shirt again.
"Let's not go in, okay?"
"Hmm?"
Her shirt being tugged, Jiang Fan finally came back to his senses and looked at Zhou Niannian.
He saw a woman frowning, her face displaying fear and hesitation.
Meeting Jiang Fan's gaze, her eyes held a hint of difficulty as she quietly reminded him.
"Safety first. You know this, right? Don't touch what we shouldn't."
She couldn't voice her suspicions, but she could still hint at it indirectly, subtly guiding Jiang Fan.
Zhou Niannian believed that Jiang Fan, being so intelligent, would understand her meaning.
But he remained silent, so silent that she was about to turn and flee.
He finally spoke, his words carrying a deeper meaning.
"Ah, yes. Safety first."
Jiang Fan seemed to return to his usual nonchalant demeanor, leading Zhou Niannian away from the depths of the mine, and appeased her.
"Alright, don't overthink it. Let's collect the salt minerals first."
"Okay."
Zhou Niannian finally breathed a sigh of relief, a smile appearing on her face. She opened Jiang Fan's backpack and began placing the large chunks of salt mineral on the ground into it.
When it was nearly full, she added smaller stones.
Finally, the entire backpack was bulging, and carrying it was exceptionally heavy.
While she was packing the salt minerals, Jiang Fan's gaze occasionally drifted towards the depths of the mine, without a word.
When she had finished packing, Zhou Niannian secretly tried to lift it, feeling its unbearable weight, and felt a bit guilty.
"Um, should I move some to my backpack?"
"No need."
Jiang Fan turned his head, looked at the packed backpack on the ground, grabbed the strap, and effortlessly lifted it, slinging it over his shoulder without any burden.
He was a slender youth, yet he carried the extremely full backpack behind him.
The sight was so striking that Zhou Niannian couldn't bear to look, feeling a sense of guilt towards Jiang Fan.
"Shall I carry it?"
"No need. Let's go."
"Okay."
Zhou Niannian, unable to argue, could only pout her lips and obediently walked out of the mine first.
Jiang Fan alone looked towards the mine, his gaze meeting the depths.
Perhaps it was due to the system, or perhaps this body was inherently different from ordinary people.
Zhou Niannian felt nothing in the depths.
But Jiang Fan saw densely packed, pupil-less eyes, crowded together as if they would burst at any moment.
Facing his gaze, the whites of the eyes constantly rolled up and down. Strangely, Jiang Fan could feel a mockery within them, as if looking down on ants.
"Explore the mine? Tsk."
The words echoed in the mine, filled with profound sarcasm.
After a moment's pause, Jiang Fan finally lifted his foot and left the area.