Chapter 300 - 199: The Raging Tide Stirred Up by the Storm (Part 3)

Chapter 300: Chapter 199: The Raging Tide Stirred Up by the Storm (Part 3)

Erica had wanted to tease him a little more, but when she heard it might start to stink if it got cold, her expression changed. She quickly lifted the stingray wing and took a huge bite.

She’d already noticed while butchering it that the stingray had no bones to speak of, aside from those near its abdominal cavity. Its wings, in particular, were composed almost entirely of muscle and cartilage.

The first bite was unlike anything she’d ever tasted, and her eyes shot wide open in surprise.

The grilled fish she was used to was either so delicate it melted in your mouth or had the slightly firm, flaky texture of cod. But the stingray wing was different. It was exceptionally springy and chewy, yet still possessed the tenderness of fish.

The tender cartilage crunched satisfyingly. The skin was part crispy, part chewy, and so rich with fragrant oil that her lips felt stuck together.

Even though it was only seasoned with a little sea salt, the meat tasted incredibly fresh and savory.

She glanced at the grilled stingray wing in her hand with astonishment before taking another huge bite.

[Enjoying a delicious grilled stingray wing on the Panama coast. Happiness +2.]

Lin Chen felt much the same. The stingray’s unexpected deliciousness was a whole new culinary experience. He had rushed to get up and start working before dawn and was ravenous, which made the grilled wing taste even more exquisite.

"So? How is it? Is there anything I need to improve?"

Erica’s cheeks were stuffed as she chewed, and she looked at him with an expression that was half-expectant, half-apprehensive.

"Unfortunately, no."

Lin Chen shook his head, pointing to the bite mark. "The meat is cooked through and still full of juice. The outer layer of skin is crisp but not burnt, while the inner layer is still soft and chewy. There’s no bitterness from charring anywhere. You could call it perfect heat control."

"If I absolutely had to find a fault, it would only be the lack of seasonings and sauces."

"With the Great Xia barbecue method, a thick-fleshed fish like this would usually get a coat of secret sauce when it’s halfway done. Once that sauce has dried from the heat, you brush on another layer. That lets the flavor of the sauce fully penetrate the meat and skin."

"Then, once the skin is crispy, you sprinkle on some chili and cumin powder to add another layer of flavor. It’s a whole different level of delicious. Of course, the original flavor is great too. You’re really tasting the freshness. It all comes down to personal preference."

"Really? My grilling skills are perfect? HAHAHAHA!!"

Erica jumped up and down with glee, then suddenly leaned in toward the camera on his chest.

"Did you all hear that? Lin said the fish I cooked is delicious! Flawless!"

"HAHAHAHAHA!!!"

After running two gleeful laps around the wooden hut, Erica suddenly leaped back into the deep pit, still holding the half-eaten stingray wing.

"You eat! I’ll keep grilling~!"

...

"This is bad! Three contestants’ shelters have been destroyed by the storm, and two of them just told the camera they want to quit!"

"I have a contestant who wants to quit too. It’s the one who had a fever a couple of days ago. It just broke, and she’s still weak. She was planning to go out for food today but got hit with this extreme weather. Her mental state is on the verge of collapse."

"Contestant 40 was picking coconuts when the downpour started. The sudden rain and lightning startled him. He tried to climb down, but his limbs kept slipping in the rain. He slid straight down from a coconut tree over five meters high. He has multiple scrapes all over his body and a sprained right ankle, but thankfully no fractures."

"A tree blown over by the storm landed right on Contestant 9’s shelter, smashing it to pieces. He hasn’t given up yet, but the forecast says this storm will last for at least half a day. If he can’t find somewhere to get out of the rain, he’ll be in danger of hypothermia."

One by one, the staff members behind the large screens reported the grim news, making Robert and the others, who were standing anxiously at the door staring out at the downpour, grow increasingly agitated.

"Haven’t the people from the local forestry department arrived yet? If they don’t get here soon, our contestants’ lives will be at risk!"

"Boss, the signal’s bad during the downpour. We’re in the middle of nowhere, so the network is already spotty. I’m worried we might lose our connection completely if this keeps up."

"Impossible. This kind of torrential rain is common in Panama. The government built this emergency outpost; they took everything into account. Don’t worry about the network."

"They’re here!"

Daniel suddenly shouted, pointing to the yellow beams of light cutting through the rain at the far end of the highway.

"Hei! Flash the lights!"

Hei, who was already in the SUV, immediately flashed the high beams several times. The approaching yellow lights flashed back in response.

"Thank God for the Pan-American Highway. Without it, this would be a real disaster."

Robert breathed a sigh of relief and looked back inside. "Get the locations of all the contestants who are quitting marked on the map! As fast as you can!"

They didn’t need his reminder. The staff were already prepared, rising to circle the corresponding locations on the giant map covering the back wall.

This was where the benefits of their divided labor became apparent. Each staff member was only responsible for the small group of contestants they were monitoring, so the amount of information they had to process was manageable, allowing them to react in the shortest possible time.

As more contestants quit, their workload would gradually decrease. It was only this busy at the very start of the competition.

Guided by the map, the rescue team—composed of Robert and his people, along with the two SUVs from the Panama Forestry Department—split up, each vehicle responsible for rescuing a few contestants. After driving for a while on the Pan-American Highway, they turned off in different directions into the forest.

All three rescue vehicles were fitted with special tires designed for driving on muddy forest trails in the rain. As long as the terrain wasn’t too steep or slippery, they could pass through almost anything.

From the moment the storm began until the last quitting contestant was safely in a vehicle, a mere three hours had passed. In that time, a full eight contestants had been eliminated.

Robert had a feeling that more contestants would soon be announcing their withdrawal.