Chapter 77 - 76: Kindness is Rewarded

Chapter 77: Chapter 76: Kindness is Rewarded

Shan Zhu wasn’t the only medic on the production team’s staff. The unconscious guests were all carried into a makeshift tent for the doctors to perform a simple check-up.

However, before the examinations were even finished, they started to wake up. They were all groggy and disoriented, with a dazed look that suggested they didn’t know what day it was. Their faces were filled with terror, and they wouldn’t let anyone near them. The moment someone approached, they would start screaming like mad.

The doctors exchanged helpless glances, completely at a loss.

Meanwhile, Huo Xinghai, with Gu Qingyin by his side, was explaining to the director what had happened inside the cave. Of course, the mother and son duo were giving him the doctored version of the story.

Gu Qingyin explained, "By the time we found them, they had already been poisoned. Two of them were lying on the ground, their faces a deathly bluish-purple. It took us some time to administer the antidote. On the way back, we made stretchers out of branches and vines. I suppose everyone was exhausted, because their personal protection grew a bit lax, and one by one, they all got bitten by venomous insects."

Gu Qingyin shrugged. "Thankfully, we weren’t too far from the exit by then. I neutralized the venom, moved them near the entrance, and then went to find you all."

Huo Xinghai added, "...Right. That’s exactly what happened."

The director didn’t suspect a thing. Instead, he said gratefully, "We owe you big time for this, Teacher Gu. On behalf of the production team, I’d like to draw up a new contract for you with a thirty percent pay raise!"

Gu Qingyin’s eyes lit up. ’Good deeds really do get rewarded!’ She didn’t feign modesty for a second, accepting with a broad smile.

The director kept smiling, but inwardly, he was grumbling. ’Wouldn’t a normal person at least pretend to refuse? My opening offer was going to be twenty percent...’

Just as the director was telling someone to draft a new contract, one of the doctors rushed in, looking only at Gu Qingyin. "Teacher Gu, the guests are awake, but something’s wrong with their mental state. We don’t know if it’s a side effect of the antidote. Could you please come take a look?"

Gu Qingyin stood up immediately, following the doctor out without a moment’s hesitation.

Worried about the guests’ safety, the director followed them.

Only Huo Xinghai remained in the tent. He had wanted to follow, but on second thought, he took advantage of the privacy to call Huo Xingye.

’Some things are better confessed personally. Hearing it from someone else would lead to a completely different, and much worse, outcome.’

When Gu Qingyin entered the makeshift infirmary, she diagnosed their condition at a glance: instinctual panic caused by memory confusion.

To put it simply, the conflict between their real and fabricated memories was throwing their minds into chaos, making them act as if they were going insane.

"The toxins weren’t completely flushed out. It’s nothing serious," Gu Qingyin said nonchalantly. "Why don’t you all step outside? They’ll be fine in a moment."

The doctors were baffled. "Don’t you need us to stay and assist?" When these people had their episodes, one person alone couldn’t possibly control them.

Gu Qingyin turned and smiled. "No need. Please wait outside. It’ll be very quick."

The doctors felt their minds go fuzzy for a second, and they all obediently filed out of the tent. Once outside, the sea breeze snapped them back to their senses. ’Why did we just listen to her and leave like that?’ But what was done was done. They couldn’t just barge back in, could they?

’Oh, well. Let’s just wait and see.’

Less than two minutes later, Gu Qingyin emerged. The doctors collectively peeked toward the tent, but the curtain flap blocked their view.

"Do you need any help?" one of the male doctors asked.

"No need. It’s all taken care of." After saying that, Gu Qingyin rubbed her stomach. "When are we eating? I’m starving."

The afternoon had been utterly exhausting. By the time she registered her hunger, she was already famished.

No one paid any mind to her second sentence. The only thing the doctors on site heard was "It’s all taken care of." They immediately swarmed into the tent, rushed to the patients who had once again fallen into a deep sleep, and began another frantic round of check-ups.

They soon discovered that the patients’ vital signs were stable. It seemed they were, in fact, just sleeping.

Only when the examinations were complete did someone finally realize. "Wait, didn’t Teacher Gu just say she was hungry?"

A silence fell over the group. After a long moment, someone spoke up again. "Teacher Gu’s a grown woman. I’m sure she’s already found something to eat by now."

And that was exactly what happened. Seeing that the doctors had ignored her, Gu Qingyin went straight to the director, successfully securing a lavish meal and signing her new contract right there at the dinner table.

Before she could even finish her meal, the sleeping guests began to wake up again. This time, they seemed much more normal. They were still physically weak, but they were clearly in good spirits. They all, however, mentioned having had a nightmare.

Something about a cave floor littered with bones, a man-eating Candle Dragon, and a hairy monster. The most absurd part, however, was that they also dreamed that Gu Qingyin was a Heavenly Master who protected them like a hero...

The dream was so absurd and embarrassing that no one dared speak of it. They all kept it buried deep down. Whenever asked, they would just claim they couldn’t remember the details. If the specifics got out, wouldn’t people assume they had a secret crush on Gu Qingyin?

And so, the whole incident was vaguely swept under the rug.

「That night」, the production team had a meeting. They decided not to leave the island, but instead planned a new segment: a heart-to-heart chat session around a beach campfire.

From a humanitarian standpoint, everyone should have been given the night off to rest. But they really couldn’t afford any more delays. They couldn’t just claim it took a full day and night to repair a camera, could they? How could a production this large not even have a single backup camera on hand? It would be a joke.

So, the planners wracked their brains and came up with this segment. The guests wouldn’t have to move; all they had to do was sit still and talk.

There was no set topic for conversation; the guests were free to talk about whatever they wanted.

Before the broadcast began, the guests filled their stomachs and then returned to their rooms on the yacht to change clothes.

Seizing the opportunity, Gu Qingyin found Mao Mao and asked the question she had been holding back for hours. "How much do you remember about when you were little?"

Mao Mao tilted its head and let out a questioning squeak.

"Do you remember how you ended up like this?" Gu Qingyin pressed on, not giving up.

Mao Mao just stared with its large, crystal-clear eyes, not even making a sound.

Gu Qingyin: ’...Great. The last of my hope just died.’

’This piece of gossip is officially a dead end, folks. The only one who knows what happened really doesn’t remember a thing!’

Gu Qingyin thought to herself, ’This one can officially be listed among the Top Ten Unsolved Gossips.’

With no new developments to look forward to, Gu Qingyin was clearly unmotivated, and it showed in her passive-aggressive slacking. She changed into a sweatsuit and emerged without even bothering to apply any primer. Hood up, world out.

Her entire being radiated an aura of pure, unadulterated half-heartedness.

The director frowned at the sight. He was about to tell her to go back and get properly dressed up, but to his surprise, the moment she appeared on the livestream, she caused a stir.

[Sister Qing’s outfit is so fire! I want it!]

[So hot! Step on me, queen!]

[That vibe of absolute reluctance... Isn’t that just me having to crawl out of bed in the middle of the night to work on a presentation?!]

[Has the world gone mad, or have I?! I’m actually getting a ’corporate drone’ vibe from a rich socialite!]

[Suddenly, working overtime doesn’t feel so bad anymore.]

[Before seeing this, my attitude was: What kind of crappy job deserves my overtime? After seeing this: Sister Qing is that rich and still has to work, so what right do I, a broke loser, have to quit?]

[Let’s discuss this rationally and stop with the personal attacks, please.]

...