In an instant, Zhou Haimei understood that Xu An wasn't joking; she genuinely intended to kill these people.
Yet, in that moment, Zhou Haimei didn't question Xu An.
Absolute trust had accustomed Zhou Haimei to following Xu An's lead. The Xu An she knew would never kill those men without reason; there had to be a motive.
However, Xu An having her reasons for not speaking now was also understood.
Little did Zhou Haimei know, before learning about the live broadcast, Xu An truly wanted to kill those men. After all, their lewd behavior upon first encountering them had made Xu An extremely displeased.
But upon discovering the live broadcast, Xu An immediately changed her mind. If everything happening in the extreme cold arena was visible to the audience outside, then Xu An's plan had to be adjusted. After all, nobody is a born psycho killer. Xu An's desire to eliminate the opponents stemmed solely from them making the first move.
Since it was a live broadcast, she needed to establish a persona beforehand. Xu An hadn't forgotten the minor celebrity she'd encountered at the auction house. Just being chased by a group of girls in a small corner could sell an opportunity for dinner at an expense equivalent to half a year's living costs for an ordinary person. One could imagine that even on the Lighthouse, such celebrity idol effect was still effective.
Xu An didn't see anything wrong with this kind of opportunistic approach. If it could help her reach a position of greater influence faster, Xu An was willing to be a "performer" for everyone's entertainment.
However, Zhou Haimei knew none of this. She simply trusted Xu An unconditionally, while Guan Shan was indifferent to these matters; his sole principle was to follow Xu An.
"But, An'an, are we really going to dismantle the broadcasting equipment?" Zhou Haimei looked at the vast expanse of white snow with some worry in her eyes. "Isn't it said that the camera is linked to the sensors in the wristbands? If we really remove the cameras, what if the beasts we kill later aren't counted towards our points?"
Xu An knew Zhou Haimei would worry about this. But knowing there were cameras pointed at her everywhere, Xu An naturally didn't reveal her thoughts, only smiled at Zhou Haimei. Zhou Haimei understood that smile almost immediately. She realized Xu An believed that if they knew about the cameras being dismantled, the ones who would be nervous wouldn't be Xu An and her group, but someone else entirely.
Xu An was exchanging silent signals with Zhou Haimei. Fortunately, Guan Shan, who remained silent and uncurious about such matters, was with them. If it had been the Li siblings, Xu An truly doubted she could have explained the situation clearly without words.
Zhou Haimei's expression shifted instantly to one of indignation. "Isn't the Lighthouse just playing with us? We're fighting for our lives here, battling these beasts that threaten human safety, yet the Lighthouse turns our competition into a broadcast for people's entertainment."
"So, all our struggles and near-death experiences are just to provide entertainment for those outside after they've had their fill?"
"I think these cameras must be removed, and not just by us. We should tell others, and everyone should remove them together."
After speaking, Zhou Haimei wanted to feel a little proud, but then she realized they didn't know the collective locations of all the cameras. It was best not to gloat, lest they be caught by a camera and suspected of acting. In that case, even the Yellow River wouldn't be able to wash them clean.
Xu An's face remained impassive, but inwardly she was beaming. She truly felt Sister Mei could enter the entertainment industry.
"When we get back, we'll take out all the cameras in these wristbands!" Xu An chimed in.
Zhou Haimei pretended to be indifferent. "Then how will our kills of wild beasts be calculated for points?"
Xu An, at this moment, acted like a reckless and overbearing person. "We'll count how many we kill ourselves and then present the corpses to them. They still won't admit it? Besides, the organizers were the ones being shady. If it's a broadcast, why weren't we notified in advance? So what if we don't get points? Are we going to starve to death without them?"
Xu An's feigned anger and frustration spilled out, successfully attracting the attention of the organizers. They watched Xu An and her group on the screen with anxious hearts. For ordinary contestants, they might have simply cut the broadcast or issued threats or reassurances – commonly known as the "carrot and stick" approach. This usually resolved most issues. But now, it was different.
Invisibly, Xu An had already become the brand and main draw for this extreme cold competition. Xu An didn't understand these intricacies, but she knew her situation on the Lighthouse. Ordinarily, among their group, besides Zhou Haimei's family having some influence, no one else had an extraordinary background. In such situations, coercion or temptation was the usual method, and it typically subdued the person completely. However, this tactic clearly didn't work on Xu An.
Yet, the organizers hadn't approached Xu An for negotiations. Xu An herself pondered if perhaps the organizers hadn't yet discovered she knew about the live broadcast? Or maybe her broadcast effect wasn't that good, and she lacked influence, so the Lighthouse wasn't paying attention to her? Xu An's thoughts were a tangled mess. She knew that exploiting such a situation for leverage would only happen once. Trying to use this method again to extort benefits from the higher-ups would be as difficult as ascending to heaven.
Suddenly, Xu An's gaze changed, her eyes flashing with determination. Even if her broadcast performance couldn't garner the attention of those in power and achieve her desired outcome, this was a battle where there was no turning back. Xu An absolutely would not be a monkey fooled by others for nothing. Nor would she let this matter be a case of "raising it high and putting it down lightly." That would be a slap in her own face.
Xu An's sights were never set on these beasts or money, but on a higher position. Just thinking of Yueyue, whose fate was still uncertain, and the displaced children in the alleyways, Xu An made a silent resolve. She had to fight for that position. The situation on the Lighthouse was changing rapidly every day. The former Xu An, with her post-rebirth bewilderment and avoidance, often claimed to be slacking off, but in reality, she wanted to live more than anyone. If she hadn't desperately wanted to survive, Xu An wouldn't have managed to eke out a living, enduring humiliation in her previous life. She was going to gamble on herself.
The last time she gambled on herself, at the brink of death, she had been reborn. Now, she was going to gamble again. She was betting that her live broadcast on the Lighthouse would absolutely not be ordinary!
Xu An took off the wristband she always wore, her eyes filled with excitement!