Regardless of their ulterior motives, everyone felt excited when they first arrived on the island. Even when the director asked them to hand over their luggage, they only complained a few times and it didn't dampen their enthusiasm.
Chen Zaimin and Song Yunjian each had a large suitcase, Yi Xiao had a small suitcase, Xue Ninglu and Su Yanchen each had two large suitcases, and only Xu Zifan had the fewest things, not even a single backpack was full.
The production team allowed each person to bring two survival items, but electronic devices were absolutely prohibited. No amount of bargaining worked; everyone had to open their luggage and choose what to bring.
As soon as Xu Zifan opened his backpack, it attracted attention again. Chen Zaimin praised, "These are all useful. It would be a pity to give any of them up."
Xu Zifan asked, "Brother Chen, what are you bringing?"
Chen Zaimin looked at his luggage, picked up a solar-powered flashlight, and said, "I think this should be useful. Nothing else can compare to your tools. I'll take one of your military shovels."
Xu Zifan handed him the military shovel, while he took the wood-chopping knife and seasonings. "With these foods, we'll be fine. It's a bit of a shame we can't take the wet wipes and rope. We'll look for substitutes in the woods later, like herbs and vines."
He spoke too quickly, and Chen Zaimin couldn't stop him even if he wanted to. Helplessly, he whispered, "Zifan, don't always set up flags. You'll get scolded if you fail."
Xu Zifan smiled sincerely and said, "I only ever tell the truth. I only say things I can do, so don't worry, Brother Chen."
Okay, this is another flag. Chen Zaimin really thinks this kid is a bit silly. Unexpectedly, the director suddenly suppressed a laugh and said, "This time we're using the best equipment in the company. The sound recording effect is super strong. All your whispers have been picked up."
Chen Zaimin then noticed an egg-sized drone behind him, which was for taking pictures and recording audio, and could record their real situation in the most comprehensive way. Each of the six of them was accompanied by a drone, and the wristbands they had just been given were used to locate the drones.
This means they have no secrets anymore; they have to inform the production crew beforehand if they need to use the restroom, otherwise they'll be filmed. However, this is also to protect their safety, as they can use the wristband to call for help in emergencies.
Chen Zaimin shook his head and laughed, "This equipment isn't cheap. I didn't realize our production team was so generous."
The director also joked, "I definitely have to make sure the show I planned is filmed well. I begged and pleaded with everyone to lend me this equipment, so everyone has to make sure it's filmed well."
After chatting and joking with him for a while and playing with the drone for a bit, Song Yunjian finally chose something. He picked a multi-functional knife and a first-aid kit. The knife was a bit small, but he thought it would be very useful for eating various things, and the first-aid kit was a thoughtful touch in case someone got sick.
Yi Xiao chose a large bottle of insect repellent spray and a sleeping bag. He is allergic to some insect bites, so he tends to protect himself.
Su Yanchen chose a pot and a dagger. The dagger could be used to cut tree branches and to strike things with the handle. The pot could be used to boil water for drinking and to cook food for eating. He thought it was very practical.
Xue Ninglu chose a watch and a backpack, saying that everyone needed to know the time, and it would be more convenient to put everything in the backpack, as if she were very thoughtful and considerate.
Chen Zaimin felt that the knife and hammer could be omitted, as they were somewhat redundant, so he said, "Should we discuss this again? Should we replace them with something else useful? Like disinfectant napkins or something, since they're redundant."
Although he is the eldest brother and has more experience, he should be able to manage the entire team. However, everyone has just met, is not familiar with each other, and has not yet formed a cohesive group, so naturally they will not listen to him.
Su Yanchen laughed and said, "No, Brother Chen, we'll definitely have to split up, and it'll be inconvenient if we don't have enough tools. Besides, didn't Zifan say he can find a lot of things in nature? I believe him. We should bring more tools; these are things that don't exist in nature. Zifan, can you find something useful?"
Xu Zifan nodded, glanced at the sky, and said, "We need to decide as soon as possible and then set off to find a suitable place to build a camp. We also need to find water and food, otherwise we'll suffer when it gets dark."
He spoke quite seriously, and because of his good looks and young age, this earnestness created a charming contrast that was particularly appealing. Especially since he had just gotten a look that suited him perfectly, wearing a tracksuit that made him look incredibly energetic and even more handsome and charming than in his previous online photos.
Su Yanchen was secretly resentful. He had originally wanted to use Xu Zifan's haggard appearance due to the online backlash to highlight himself, but now he had become Xu Zifan's foil. So he deliberately said, "Everyone, listen to my junior brother. He seems very confident in wilderness survival. He must have experience. Let's listen to his arrangements to avoid being clueless."
Xue Ninglu also wanted to teach Xu Zifan a lesson, so she chimed in, "Then let's go. Let the youngest go first and lead us to explore this island."
Song Yoon-geon smiled nonchalantly and said, "I hope we can find food soon; I'm getting a little hungry."
Seeing that they had all said that, Chen Zaimin sighed inwardly and looked at Xu Zifan, "Zifan, do you have any ideas? How about we split up and explore different directions first?"
Xu Zifan nodded and said earnestly without any hesitation, "Since everyone trusts me, I'll share my thoughts. We've just arrived on this unfamiliar island and are unfamiliar with the terrain and the distribution of flora and fauna. We can't go it alone for now; it's best to go in pairs and explore in different directions."
While scouting, take notes of the terrain and observe for dry branches, dry fallen leaves, or hands.
A sapling as thick as an arm, food, water, and dangerous things.
Everyone, please be careful. Don't go near anything that seems suspicious. Go back first. We'll meet back here in an hour, set up a temporary campsite, and then divide the work: find useful materials to build shelters and cook. What do you all think?
Song Yunjian and Yi Xiao initially thought he was trying to show off, but after hearing his explanation, they found it quite logical and clearly pointed out that it was the most important thing to do first. So they both agreed.
Xu Zifan immediately said, "Then I'll team up with Brother Chen."
Chen Zaimin laughed and said, "We're the oldest and the youngest, which is perfect. I can take care of the youngest one."
Su Yanchen and Xue Ninglu were going to create a CP (couple pairing), so they naturally formed one group. Song Yunjian and Yi Xiao formed another group, and they each chose a direction and set off.
Seeing Xu Zifan walking calmly on the road, Chen Zaimin asked curiously, "Youngest brother, do you really know about wilderness survival?"
Xu Zifan nodded, "Of course, I'm not lying. Don't worry, Brother Chen, this place is much better than I expected. I've already seen two kinds of herbs and one kind of edible wild fruit along this stretch of road. The plants are plentiful, and there must be plenty of animals too." He pointed ahead, "Brother Chen, look over there, coconut trees. We can even drink coconut juice, so we won't be thirsty and won't be in such a hurry for water."
Chen Zaimin asked in surprise, "You saw herbs and wild fruits? Where are they? I didn't see anything?"
Xu Zifan pulled him back more than a hundred meters, walked into the grass and opened it to show him, "This leaf can be crushed and applied to wounds to stop bleeding, and this leaf can be boiled in water to relieve heat. They are all very useful. We will come to pick them after we have settled on our campsite."
He walked a little further and pointed to the inconspicuous little fruits on the bushes, saying, "These are the wild fruits I was talking about. They're very sour and not tasty, but they're great for seasoning dishes. The sourness will lessen if you cook them. If you really have nothing else to eat, you can cook these alone and they'll keep you full for a meal. Look how many there are here. We'll come and pick them when we need them."
Chen Zaimin asked hesitantly, "Really? How did you know?"
Xu Zifan laughed and said, "I'm interested in this. I've been exposed to a lot of things in the wild since I was a child. After I grew up, I searched online and learned a lot. Don't worry, Brother Chen, this island is rich in resources."
Chen Zaimin looked around and saw that it was a messy island with nothing much to offer. He felt that the production team was deliberately making things difficult for them, just to film them looking disheveled. It was nothing like the easy thing that Xu Zifan made it sound. However, he thought Xu Zifan sounded very sincere, so he decided to believe him for the time being. He was just a little worried that if Xu Zifan didn't manage to get things done in the end, he might get a lot of flak if the show aired.
He watched as Xu Zifan left without picking anything and couldn't help but ask, "Aren't we going to pick some now? What if we forget where we left it later?"
Xu Zifan said, "I have a good memory, I won't forget. That's why I brought you back. The worst thing in wilderness survival is to have a confused target. We have limited time during the day, so we must prioritize our campsite and food."
Now we need to scout ahead, so we should use this hour to explore as much as possible. The more we explore, the better we'll understand this place. After setting up camp, we can quickly run off to gather the necessary supplies for the next step.
If we collect resources while scouting, and by the time we run out of time, we haven't explored much, and the resources we collected might not be the most needed or best.
Chen Zaimin thought about it and agreed. He nodded in understanding and trusted Xu Zifan even more. He laughed and said, "I was just saying I'd take care of you. It seems I'll have to rely on you for protection. Everyone around here looks the same. I can't tell east from west at all. To be honest, I'm afraid I won't be able to find my way back if I go too far. Luckily, you have a good memory. That's a good thing about you. You won't have any trouble memorizing your lines in the future."
Xu Zifan laughed and said, "It can save a lot of time, and the time saved can be used to do many other things." As he spoke, he looked around, and Shao Hua was also scanning the surrounding 500-meter range, keeping a close watch in case of any danger.
The two chatted and laughed as they walked, which Chen Zaimin considered like a leisurely stroll. When they reached the coconut trees, Xu Zifan glanced at the sky and said that they had arrived in half an hour and it was time to turn back. He was a little reluctant to leave the coconut trees, as they had gone to great lengths to find them, and wanted to take a few back with him. However, the coconut trees were quite tall and not easy to carry, so Xu Zifan directly refused his request and led him back to the starting point.
On the way, Xu Zifan continued to observe their surroundings, saying he was checking to see if he had forgotten anything. Chen Zaimin remained oblivious, unsure of what he could do. When they returned to their starting point, the four people were nowhere to be seen.
Xu Zifan asked the director, "Has an hour been up?"
The director glanced at his watch and said, "You've been back for exactly fifty-five minutes. Now it's been one hour and ten minutes."
Xu Zifan frowned. The director was waiting for him to get angry or say something, as this was his dirt on him. But Xu Zifan relaxed and said, "They're inexperienced. Let's wait a little longer. Brother Chen, you rest. I'll go chop some firewood up ahead. It's not far from here. I can hear them when they come back."
Chen Zaimin was indeed tired. He nodded and sat down on the ground to rest, advising, "You shouldn't go either. You must be exhausted from walking for so long. Rest for a bit and wait for them to come back."
Xu Zifan laughed and said, "I'm not tired. We need to hurry up. Anyway, we're free right now, so I'll get some firewood to save time."
He grabbed his machete and ran out, immediately followed by the cameraman and drone. He located the nearest dry tree and began chopping wood with practiced ease.
After a while, the four men returned one after another. Chen Zaimin ran to find Xu Zifan and was surprised to find that he had already chopped a large bundle!
Chen Zaimin exclaimed, "You're so capable!"
How do I get this over there?
"Tie it up." Xu Zifan put down his wood-chopping knife and started twisting straw rope. He finished twisting it in two minutes and tied up all the firewood, then carried it on his back.
Chen Zaimin gave a thumbs up, "That's amazing! They'll be shocked when they see this. Let's go back and see what everyone has gained."