Chapter 68: Rainstorm Wild Temple 30 Part 1
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With the previous experience of public opinion from the last episode, the official response this time was even quicker. Immediately upon the rescue operation at Wild Wolf Peak, they released an official announcement, answered many of the viewers’ concerns, and coordinated with the program team to provide a live broadcast on the main screen to reassure the audience.
Seeing the group photo of all the participants in front of the camera, despite Anthony and Rourou being unconscious on stretchers receiving treatment, male actor Zhao Zhen sitting inside the medical car looking pale and making a victory sign, Yan Shixun with a cold expression looking unhappy, and only An Nanyuan smiling brightly, the viewers who had been following the program breathed a sigh of relief and felt relieved.
The crisis situation from last night had been witnessed by all. As long as no one had died, that was what mattered most.
As for Anthony, who had a haggard face with sunken eye sockets and an obvious distressed condition, everyone unanimously ignored him.
He was just a newcomer promoted by the company, hadn’t debuted yet, and didn’t have many fans. Anthony’s behavior had also irritated many people, the few fans who had been gathered by his pretentious actions were scared away by his frantic behavior in front of the camera last night.
Now, even the company was hesitating about whether to give up on Anthony after seeing the public opinion. Only a few die-hard fans who had been charmed by Anthony’s sweet words in front of the camera were angrily venting their frustration on the official social media accounts.
However, these small waves were completely quelled after the official statement provided more detailed information about the situation at Wild Wolf Peak.
@OfficialHotline: We appreciate your patience! The investigation results regarding the “Heart-Pounding Journey of Ninety-Nine Days” program’s encounter with danger at Wild Wolf Peak have been swiftly released. Regarding the claims made by concerned netizens about encountering ghosts and demonized rats, we have verified that they are not true.
According to reports, last night, the production team got stranded at the former site of Dafeng Village at the foot of the Wild Wolf Peak due to heavy rain. They encountered illegal lawbreakers who had set up a base in the abandoned village. These individuals used technology such as projections, electric toy model, and trained animals to create fake terrifying scenarios and subjected the production team members to intimidation and physical attacks. After investigation, it was revealed that this illegal organization had been using psychological manipulation to engage in illegal fundraising from local residents and promoting superstitious beliefs through technological means. Currently, the illegal lawbreakers have been apprehended, and all the production team members have been rescued, with one person seriously injured, one person slightly injured, one person with minor injuries, and no fatalities. The rescue team is actively providing psychological counseling to the rescued production team members.
At the same time, gratitude is extended to the production team for their contribution and assistance in combating these illegal lawbreakers. And thanks to the enthusiastic netizens who provided information. Best wishes for the smooth continuation of the show.
However, many viewers, despite feeling relieved upon reading the official announcement, found themselves somewhat puzzled.
“I only knew that Brother Yan mentioned the large statue was an electric giant figure, but I didn’t expect the authorities to confirm it too. And what’s with this illegal organization? Fundraising?”
“So, what the authorities are saying is that many people were hiding in houses nobody wanted in the village. Then, when the production team sought shelter from the rain and happened to come across these people, they had ill intentions and wanted to engage in illegal fundraising through psychological manipulation but were thwarted by Brother Yan?”
“Oh, that’s a relief! So, you’re saying those sounds we heard were just the result of these bad people’s psychological manipulation? Now I can relax. Whew, I’ve been worried all night.”
“…Do you really believe that? And training animals? How do you train animals to find so many rodents that are over a meter long? I’ve never seen rodents this big in my entire life; it’s just too far-fetched.”
“I initially thought it was a ghost, but when I saw this official announcement, I hesitated again. Plus, if you look at it, the official even thanked the production team and wished the program success at the end. Normally, the official wouldn’t mention that, right? Could it be that they encountered actual criminals, raided their hideout, and helped the authorities solve a case, which is why the official said it so discreetly?”
“That actually makes sense. I overheard some gossip from another group earlier. They said the authorities have been monitoring Wild Wolf Peak for a long time, trying to catch this group of people. They call this group ‘The Rats’ because they’ve been elusive, like rats digging holes everywhere to escape the authorities. It’s been going on for over a decade. Even the road to Wild Wolf Peak was frequently closed due to weather reasons, but it was actually the authorities trying to catch them. Last night, the road near Wild Wolf Peak was closed again, and it was only just reopened. Why else would they close the road for a simple rescue mission?”
“That’s true. During the investigation phase, they probably can’t reveal too much information publicly, so they phrased it this way in the announcement. They’re thanking the enthusiastic netizens for providing clues and wishing the program success.”
“Your explanation makes a lot of sense…”
“???? Why do you guys sound so logical? Am I the only one who thinks it’s just crafty rats?”
Because he remembered the split-screen live broadcast and realized that the entire incident had been streamed to the video platform, viewed by millions of people simultaneously, he didn’t decline when the official in charge came to discuss jointly managing the online public opinion. Instead, he immediatelly agreed.
Yan Shixun, who had never used social media platforms, watched the discussions under the official account on the tablet that was handed to him. The more he read, the deeper his frown became.
So, right in front of the live program’s main screen, Yan Shixun took on the role of a temporary commentator, responding to the audience’s discussions.
“What’s this about rats becoming spirits? Have you watched ‘Journey to the West’ TV series too much? Is there also a little wind tunnel and a big roc bird coming?”
Yan Shixun lazily sat on the sofa, leaning back against the backrest, one hand propping up his chin. His eyes were half-closed as he casually spoke into the main screen camera, “These are just animals trained by people. Have you ever seen animal performances before? It’s similar to that. The only difference is that these rats you see have been trained specifically to harm people, so they look fierce.”
The viewers who had been discussing on social media were shocked when they saw Yan Shixun answering questions in the live stream.
After all, the impression they had of him had always been someone who didn’t seem very interested in the show. Now, he had actually come out to participate and seemed quite serious about it!
Since Yan Shixun took on the role of the director for this episode, viewers had gradually become accustomed to his style of introducing things like “This is a flower” and “This is a mountain.” Seeing him suddenly become serious made them feel a bit uncomfortable.
However, because Yan Shixun’s expression on screen appeared lazy and indifferent, as if he wanted to run out of the frame at any moment, the stark contrast with his serious explanations ignited a great deal of enthusiasm among many of his fans. They excitedly rushed to the video platform to listen to his answers.
[Is it even possible? How can someone train rats to this extent and make them harm people? I’ve never heard of that.]
Some comments in the live chat expressed doubt.
Yan Shixun chuckled, “There are plenty of things you’ve never heard of. Some people pretend to be gods and ghosts just to scam money. The criminals at Wild Wolf Peak managed to engage in illegal fundraising. They released spooky stories just to scare people away from their hideout. What else can’t they do? Raise a few big rats and train them – is that really so difficult? Haven’t you heard of Pavlov and his dog training? It’s the same scientific basis.”
[But I’ve never seen such a large and tall electronic figure, I’ve never even seen electronic one.]
Yan Shixun replied, “As long as you have the money, you can have Mars. What’s the big deal about an electronic figure? Didn’t you see those people engaging in illegal fundraising, scamming a lot of money from others? Spending a little to protect their hideout is nothing.”
[But I saw Taoists from Haiyun Temple coming, and I heard that other famous temples came too. Aren’t they here to exorcise evil spirits? They can’t do anything about illegal fundraising.]
Yan Shixun: “They might be here to protect folk culture. Didn’t you see that temple Taoists in the previous live stream? It’s part of folk culture. They’ve come to preserve it.”
[So Brother Yan, what about what you said before in the live stream, about our luck being low and needing to ward off evil spirits? You even called the Taoist from Haiyun Temple.]
Yan Shixun: “Because those people wanted to use the setup in the temple to hypnotize and psychologically influence those who entered. Haven’t you noticed that many of you experienced auditory hallucinations when you saw the screen? So, I asked the people from Haiyun Temple to help spread some scientific knowledge and debunk superstitions.”
[But when I was watching the live stream, the cabinets at my home actually made noise, and the lights went out by themselves. How do you explain that?]
Yan Shixun remained expressionless, completely unfazed. “The cabinet is made of wood, right? The noise probably came from the wood expanding or contracting due to humidity. As for the lights, it’s likely due to unstable voltage. You might have had cable maintenance in your area.”
[I was really scared watching the livestream, even curled up under my blankets, I felt cold.]
Yan Shixun, in a somewhat annoyed manner, reclined on the sofa, shifting from a sitting position to half-lying. His long legs were crossed and placed on the sofa, and his Martin boots, stained with blood and dust, dangled outside.
[The air conditioning was probably turned on.]
[But those rats and the underground rat statues, they were really creepy. I felt like their eyes were staring at me.]
Meanwhile, the official personnel on the other side were busy, and here Yan Shixun lounged lazily on the sofa, two strands of ink-black hair falling over his eyes.
He squinted slightly, feeling that the sun at Wild Wolf Peak was exceptionally bright today.
“It’s just psychological suggestion. Those statues look so ugly that even I find them disgusting. They probably spent all their budget on buying the electric action figure. The ones in the basement are likely cheaply made.”
[But, Brother Yan, you kicked and broke the wall. Then there was the chanting, followed by the golden light.]
“That’s because the Mountain God Temple has been neglected for years. The walls have soaked through from the rain, it’s just a dangerous building. Even if you kick it, it’ll crumble.”
A shadow suddenly blocked the overly bright sunlight for Yan Shixun. He had just opened his eyes slightly to shield them from the sun and, as he looked towards the shadow, he saw a man leaning over the back of the sofa, his hands supporting him. The man lowered his gaze to look at Yan Shixun.
In that moment, as their eyes met, Yan Shixun got his first up-close look at the man’s face. He also observed those cold and sharp eyes, unlike many others with irises that were brown or amber. The man’s eyes were pure black. When facing away from the sunlight, with no light falling into his eyes, they appeared as deep as a black hole that reached straight to the depths of the earth. Just one glance would make people shudder with fear.
However, at this moment, because those eyes were filled with a hint of a smile, that coldness was neutralized and replaced with a kind of beauty.
Yan Shixun raised an eyebrow, and his attention shifted gradually towards the man. As a result, his response to the barrage of comments about ghosts began to sound more casual.
“You mentioned that I was reading something. Well, that’s just me cheering myself on and comforting myself. After all, I’m an ordinary person and quite timid. As for the light? The split-screen camera angles automatically adjust the aperture when changing, nothing more.”
The viewers in front of their screens were left dumbfounded. They didn’t expect that they had just opened the door to a new world because of Yan Shixun, and now he was personally shutting it on them.
Some fans were getting anxious, eager to prove that what they saw wasn’t an illusion: [Brother Yan, in the morning, you were talking to the air! Although we couldn’t see it, what you said was coherent, not like you were talking to yourself.]
Yan Shixun glanced at the screen with a raised eyebrow and replied, “Because I have schizophrenia. I like to imagine there’s someone standing beside me, and I’m talking to them.”
Water can cover earth, and soldiers can block the enemy.
Give it up; he would never admit there were ghosts.
[…………]
The barrage comments fell into silence for a moment.
Many fans in front of their screens felt like their shattered worldviews had just been reassembled after accepting the existence of ghosts, only to be shattered and reassembled once again.
For a moment, many people were in a daze, questioning their life choices.
Meanwhile, Yan Shixun nodded in satisfaction, extending his slender arm towards the main screen device, ready to move the main screen camera over to the members of the official public relations team.
“Don’t believe in supernatural stuff. Those are all people pretending. The ghosts on the surface are actually the ghosts in your hearts. Good children should believe in science, be obedient.”
Yan Shixun’s voice was low, magnetic, and tinged with a hint of laziness from being bathed in the sun, as it transmitted through electronic devices to the fans’ ears. Many people felt their faces heating up due to this mature and charming voice.
Regardless of how the fans begged Yan Shixun to broadcast a bit longer, Yan Shixun, who had completed his mission, remained unmoved and just wanted to finish work.
His slender hand gradually approached the main screen camera. Under the high-definition lens, his hand, which had a few scratches and a thin callus from years of gripping weapons, had long and beautifully shaped fingers that looked impeccable even when magnified infinitely. Many hand enthusiasts began to excitedly scream and take screenshots.
In the next moment, the camera was thrown away, following a perfect trajectory and landing perfectly in the hands of the official public relations spokesperson standing by.
Spokesperson: “???”
Audience: [!!!]
Brother Yan, you said you didn’t know martial arts! This is not just about accurately throwing trash into a trash can. Your precision is incredible. You truly have great skill and daring.
The spokesperson, thinking they were discreet, glanced at Yan Shixun, who was still lying lazily on the side, several times before reluctantly regaining their composure and putting on a smile to take over the live broadcast Q&A session for the audience.
However, her heart still fluttered a bit: Even if I want to believe in science… Mr. Yan, could you at least try to tone it down a bit? Pretend to be a regular person for appearances’ sake! With you like this, who would believe that you’re just an ordinary person?
After the camera was moved away, Yan Shixun tilted his head slightly upwards, a lazy smile playing on his lips as he watched her lackadaisical demeanor.
“Why did you come here? Zhang Wubing is over there squatting. You’re an assistant director, shouldn’t you go and check on him? You haven’t done what an assistant director is supposed to do throughout the whole process.”
Ye Li lowered his head, and his long hair slid down from his firm shoulders. His silky, slightly curled black hair fell in front of Yan Shixun. A light breeze swept over his face, making him feel a bit ticklish.
“Why haven’t I done it? Isn’t an assistant supposed to assist with the things that the person they’re assisting needs to do regularly? Zhang Wubing needs you by his side most of the time. I think I’ve been helping him quite well.”
Ye Li smiled and asked, “Since the sunlight is so bright, why don’t you get inside the car and take a nap? You didn’t sleep much last night, right? You can rest for a while. If you’re worried, I can keep an eye on things for you and make sure no one gets close to you.”
Yan Shixun glanced sideways at Zhang Wubing, who was wearing a mournful expression, and felt that if this silly guy heard what his assistant, whom he had invited, was saying, he might burst into tears on the spot.
The boss normally handles the expenses, including hiring a work assistant, who also stays in the boss’s house?
“No need, there are still many things to deal with; it’s not time to sleep yet. Let’s talk later.”
Yan Shixun, seemingly reluctant, gave the still relatively soft sofa a slight rub before slowly getting up from it. His leather boots made contact with the floor again.
A night without sleep, combined with the physiological fatigue of his body and the physical exhaustion after a fierce battle, made Yan Shixun relax warmly under the sun. His previous vigilance towards the man seemed to subside.
Yan Shixun appeared as if he had just woken up, half-squinting his eyes. After losing the man’s shade, he was blinded by the sun. His handsome face, once sharp and unapproachable, now carried a leisurely relaxation. His half-opened eyes exuded an extremely lazy and seductive charm.
He raised a hand to tousle his slightly disheveled hair, and his long legs stretched out to the floor. The blood on his Martin boots silently recounted the intensity of the battle that had taken place earlier.
He looked like a feline stretching and yawning in the sunlight, his muscles, usually full of explosive power, now relaxing into a soft, supple texture. Unbeknownst to himself in the sunlight, he freely displayed his beauty and the wild sensuality of his strength.
Ye Li’s expression froze for a moment. His fingers, resting on the sofa, unconsciously curled, tempted by Yan Shixun’s lazy feline-like posture, making him itch to reach out and touch the loose strands of hair scattered around Yan Shixun’s neck.
However, he quickly restrained himself with strong willpower, retracting the hand that had just reached out.
He must not.
Yan Shixun remained too cautious of him. Acting rashly would only heighten Yan Shixun’s vigilance, and then he wouldn’t be able to openly stand by Yan Shixun’s side to observe him, and to watch him.
He had to wait.
Wait for Yan Shixun to slowly get used to his presence, to slowly trust him…
“Brother Yan.”
Seeing Yan Shixun approaching, Zhang Wubing, who had just been asked by the officials that his eyes twirled around in circles, immediately rushed over as if he had found his backbone, relieved as if he could finally let his guard down with Yan Shixun around.
“Wuwuwu, Brother Yan, my show almost got canceled, it was so scary.” Zhang Wubing’s eyes still held a teardrop, he wanted to cry, but he had to consider his image in front of the official personnel, so he endured and didn’t let them fall.
“But you said it yourself on the phone earlier, not to wipe your tears on my clothes anymore.” Yan Shixun raised an eyebrow, cautiously raising his hand to block Zhang Wubing’s approach when he rushed at him with open arms, preventing his dirty face from getting too close.
Joking aside, he had almost been disgusted to death by those rats in the underground temple. After coming up, he was afraid of getting infected by any virus, so he quickly used the Five Thunder Spell to burn his clothes clean and changed into fresh ones. If Zhang Dabing, this fool, got his clothes dirty again, he would have to endure wearing dirty clothes temporarily.
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