Chapter 40: Terror in the Cave

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A half-hour journey passed leisurely.

The group soon arrived at the [Mud Theme Park].

As soon as Gu Qing stepped off the vehicle, he saw a pit made of black mud, with the distant "quack-quack" of ducks echoing in the air.

"Director, you're not planning on making us catch ducks, are you?"

"You guessed right. Unfortunately, there's no reward. This episode's mission is a collaborative duck-catching task in the mud pit!"

"The two girls will go catching, while the men must tie an elastic rope around their waists to receive the ducks and place them in the cage. The team with the most accumulated ducks wins."

Director Lu explained the rules simply and clearly.

"Ah~ I don't want to go into the mud pit."

The two girls showed obvious resistance, let alone the prospect of catching ducks with their bare hands.

Unfortunately,

The cold production crew remained unmoved, blowing the whistle to officially start the mission.

"Run, brothers!!"

Deng Chao let out a roar, and the entire team sprinted toward the front of the mud pit.

But as soon as their feet entered the mud, their entire calves sank in, and their speed immediately slowed down.

"This is way too deep!"

Chen Chichi was panting after only a few steps.

"Brother Chichi, it's just because you're too weak."

Gu Qing, benefiting from his youth, was currently in first place.

"How am I weak? How am I weak?!"

Feeling his masculine dignity insulted, Chen Chichi bared his teeth and struggled to catch up.

However, because he charged too aggressively, his left foot tripped over his right, and he fell sideways, covering half his body in mud.

"Useless."

The group laughed mockingly.

If the Blue Team was struggling,

The Red Team on the other side was in even worse shape.

The "elderly sea" was completely useless, and the "Two Kings" brothers were already crawling on all fours through the muck.

"Sister Baby, quick!"

Gu Qing successfully arrived first. Enduring the drag of the elastic rope, he reached out through the barrier.

"Qingqing, I'm scared."

Yang Ying was in a frantic mess, but every time she got close, she missed the rushing ducks, too afraid to grab them.

"Take it slow."

Gu Qing's footsteps were being dragged backward.

But sometimes,

A teammate's comfort is far more real than an opponent's blow.

"Quack~ quack!"

Yi Yi gritted her teeth, overcame her psychological barrier, and grabbed a duck by the neck with such force that she nearly sent the little duck to the afterlife.

"I can't lose!!"

Da Baobei let out a scream, summoned her courage, and desperately hugged a duck.

Though she got slapped in the face with mud by the flapping duck, she had managed to catch it.

Meanwhile,

After a long struggle with the elastic rope and being weighed down by two older teammates behind him, Gu Qing's entire body was tilted at a 90-degree angle, a classic recreation of the "Heavenly King Stride."

"Quick, quick, quick."

Gu Qing strained to extend his hands.

"Qingqing, here."

Yang Ying trudged painfully through the mud and placed the duck into Gu Qing's hands.

In the next second,

With a loud "Splash—"

Because the tilt was too extreme, Gu Qing, still holding the duck, fell face-first into the ground.

"Hahaha—"

In an instant, bursts of laughter echoed throughout the entire park.

"Xiao Gu, you were just calling me weak. How does the mud taste?"

Chen Chichi grinned widely, finally finding an opportunity to mock him back.

"Hahaha, little brother, are you okay?"

Old Deng laughed so hard his crow's feet looked like they could pinch a mosquito. He stepped forward to help Gu Qing up, finding the way he fell absolutely hilarious.

His whole body was face-down in the mud, yet his hands had held up the precious "Duck Princess," ensuring the creature didn't suffer a single scratch.

"Pah, pah, pah."

Gu Qing looked up again. His hair and clothes were completely covered in sludge, and his handsome face had long since turned into that of a tabby cat.

"Pfft—cough, cough, cough!"

Chen Chichi suddenly choked on some muddy water, clutching his stomach and laughing so hard he couldn't stand straight. "Production team, hurry and Photoshop a begging bowl for Xiao Gu. If he sits under a bridge like this, he could probably make eight hundred a day."

Hearing this,

Wang Baoqiang and the others nearby were nearly moved to tears by laughter.

In contrast to the laughing male compatriots,

While the girls on site were giggling, they were also overcome by "auntie hearts" (maternal affection) due to Gu Qing's "clumsy-cute" behavior and his mud-covered face.

"So cute~"

Yi Yi bit her lower lip, feeling her heart skip a beat, looking like a dazed young girl struck by Cupid.

That is, provided that

She ignored the dying duck she was currently squeezing in her hand.

"Cute, right?"

A melodic voice drifted into her ear.

Yi Yi instinctively turned her head to see Da Baobei's smiling face: "This is *my* little brother, you know."

She emphasized the words slightly, asserting her claim.

"Then do you need a good bestie?"

Yi Yi shot back without backing down.

"..."

Yang Ying found it a bit difficult to maintain her smile.

Ignoring the sharp exchange between the two "sisters,"

Gu Qing and the two members of the Blue Team struggled through the mud and water, successfully delivering the first duck into the cage.

"You two, move a bit!!"

Wang Baoqiang was panting heavily. Turning around to see his two teammates slacking off, he felt his anger flare up.

"Charge!!"

Unable to bear it any longer, the Shaolin Baoqiang exploded with full strength and sprinted forward alone.

"Baoqiang, we're coming too."

Feeling a pang of conscience, Wang Zhulan and Hai Quan stopped slacking and pushed forward with all their might.

With the support of his teammates,

Wang Baoqiang felt a weight lift. He managed to sprint ahead of Yi Yi and grab a duck.

But the moment the duck was in his hands,

The momentum he had been building instantly deflated.

Wang Baoqiang was yanked backward by the elastic rope, landing flat on his back.

Most dramatically,

As Wang Zhulan was sprinting behind him,

Wang Baoqiang's fall caused him to stumble, landing right on Bao Bao's head.

"Hiss—that's much worse than me."

Gu Qing gasped, feeling extremely fortunate.

As the second wave set off,

Wang Zhulan had a mischievous idea. He stepped toward the starting point of Gu Qing and the others and grabbed the elastic rope, pulling it backward.

"Thud, thud, thud—"

Like dumplings being dropped into water, Gu Qing and his two teammates fell simultaneously.

"Director, isn't that a foul?"

Gu Qing protested as he got up, only to be immediately pulled down again by Wang Zhulan on the other end.

"Hehehehe—"

Zhulan's signature mischievous laugh rang out.

Lu Hao, however, turned a deaf ear, intentionally giving the Red Team a break.

The worst part was,

Because of Wang Zhulan's several interruptions, the ducks they had caught flew out of their hands.

Anxious, Yang Ying stepped past the barrier to grab the duck back and deliver it to Gu Qing.

However, the director ruled it a foul, requiring them to redo it.

The Red Team successfully tied the score!

"I'm done. I'm not running anymore."

Chen Chichi lay in the middle of the mud in a spread-eagle position, not wanting to move a muscle.

"Brother Chichi, hang in there!"

"Chen Chichi, you bastard, can you stop dragging us down?"

Gu Qing and Deng Chao grabbed the rope, trying to pull Chen Chichi up.

But the burly Chen Chichi, covered in heavy black mud, was excessively heavy.

And so,

They dramatically lost this round,

And Baoqiang's Red Team won.

When it came to choosing props,

Since all the food and drinks had been taken,

Wang Baoqiang and the others took all the tools.

They left the Blue Team with nothing but a small hoe.

"Now, I will announce the final mission of this episode. All members, please collect your mission cards."

After receiving his card, Gu Qing read aloud: "The next task is to escape Xiushan Island. The winning team will be the first to enter the cave, while the remaining team will have to take a 15-minute detour to enter.

Whoever escapes the cave entrance first

Will be able to take a helicopter to escape Xiushan Island and claim the ultimate victory of this episode!"

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(End of Chapter)