FLME Ch21.1: End of the Recording

The production team prepared a barbecue grill, and lunch was resolved at the third supply point. They cleaned the mountain goods they had picked, brushed them with sauce, and slowly grilled them over a low fire, making a simple yet delicious lunch.

Yu Wen sat on the steps, holding a bowl full of mushrooms, lost in thought.

The mushrooms in his bowl were snatched by Chu Han and Tong Li from the mouths of a few starving ghosts who were worried he wouldn’t have enough to eat. They told him to finish it all and then went back to the battlefield.

Yu Wen knew the food was hard-earned, but he really had no appetite.

He was so tired.

The soreness from climbing the mountain yesterday hadn’t subsided, and today’s high-intensity activities didn’t help. Although he adapted a bit better in the morning, once he relaxed, he felt like he’d been run over by a wheel.

“Are you going to eat that?” Xi Su sat on the step two levels above him, struggling to swallow his food as he said unclearly, “If not, give it to me…”

Yu Wen knew he wasn’t being kind; from the look in his eyes, he genuinely wanted to eat it.

Yu Wen turned his head and stared at him for two seconds, realizing that although Xi Su had the appearance of a young master, he ate like a dog digging for food. This show required a lot of physical effort, making the guests eat heartily, providing many memorable moments. Among all the MCs, only Xi Su truly deserved the title of “starving ghost reincarnated.”

“Go fight for it yourself,” Yu Wen said weakly.

They reached the campsite at the top of the mountain around five or six in the evening. Along the way, they were “invited” by local residents to help with farm work, delaying them by two to three hours. It was obviously a setup by the production team.

Yu Wen, having spent the afternoon weeding, collapsed next to the tent, playing dead.

Tong Li called everyone to handle the dinner ingredients. Although everyone looked tired, they gradually got up to reward their hungry stomachs.

Responding to the call, Yu Wen dragged his exhausted body, inching like a caterpillar to the stove.

Tong Li turned and handed him a large pancake, “Go play, wounded soldiers don’t go to battle.”

Yu Wen: “…”

Song Chenglei also noticed his lack of energy and found an excuse to send him to the nearby woods to rest away from the cameras.

Yu Wen rolled into the small woods to eat his pancake.

The signal on the mountain was bad and got worse the higher they went. Yu Wen took out his phone and saw a delayed greeting message from his boss in the group chat.

It was still the four core members of StarLight Media. The group name had been changed to “StarLight Media: Future Fortune 500…”

The full name couldn’t be displayed.

Xie Jiamao: [Xiao Yu, how’s the show going? Tired? Peeking.jpg]

The message was from two hours ago.

Yu Wen, with the pancake in his mouth, freed his hands to type.

Yu Wen: [After this show, all the sins Xiao Yu committed in his first half of life will be written off.]

Xie Jiamao always replied quickly, as if his eyes were glued to his phone.

Xie Jiamao: [What’s wrong? Very tired?]

Yu Wen: [Don’t worry, boss, not tired, just dead.]

Xie Jiamao: [??? Who’s dead?]

Xie Jiamao: [Shouldn’t be, it’s rare for someone to die in a variety show.]

“……”

Yu Wen looked up at the sky.

Oops.

His mind was so scattered that even his boss couldn’t keep up.

Xie Jiamao was still asking in the group who had died, and Yu Wen, resting his chin on his hand, was thinking about how to explain when a message from Xie Heyu popped up at the top.

Xie Heyu: [Should I pick you up tomorrow? It’s on the way.]

Yu Wen cheered softly; he was worrying about how to catch his flight tomorrow. Having someone to pick him up was perfect.

Yu Wen: [Yes, yes, are you also in H City? What a coincidence.]

Xie Heyu: [Yes. What time tomorrow? Address.]

Yu Wen quickly sent the schedule.

Then he sensed something off.

Yu Wen: [Where are you now?]

Xie Heyu: [School.]

Yu Wen: [Confused.jpg]

Yu Wen: [You’re in S City, I’m in H City, how is it on the way?]

Xie Heyu: […]

–

After dinner, everyone sat on chairs, chatting in groups. This was a rare leisurely time in the show, usually followed by resting in their rooms, but today was different.

Everyone knew there was still an important part of today’s process left unfinished.

“Everyone’s had their fill, so now it’s time for the last segment of the day, and also the question that’s been on everyone’s mind all day—

“Who is the ‘Gold Thief’?”

Song Chenglei was the first to raise his hand, “Honestly, please don’t set up tasks that require intelligence next time. We’ve all been so exhausted today that we can’t think at all…”

Tong Li: “Don’t blame the road for being rough if you’re not good. If you’re not smart, don’t blame the setup.”

Song Chenglei: “If you keep this up, I’ll really call a cab home.”

The others burst out laughing. The director’s team interrupted their bickering just in time: “Now, let’s announce the members’ points—”

It wasn’t much different from noon. Most members’ points had increased by ten to dozens after a day of tasks. Chu Han had been stolen from again, losing more than twenty points since noon, and he couldn’t figure out what had happened.

Overall, the points were trending upwards, except for Yu Wen, whose points were tanking.

“Mr. Yu, -66.”

Yu Wen’s expression didn’t change, looking at life and death indifferently.

Negative points were fine; they couldn’t really demand money from him, after all. He was only recording one episode, aiming to be the first person in variety show history to leave in debt!

Xi Su didn’t have much chance to act in the afternoon. Yu Wen had earned more than thirty points in the afternoon but still ended up with a negative score, all thanks to Song Chenglei.

Teacher Song had targeted him all day, and Yu Wen lost count of how many times he had cleaned shoes, even using a brush once on Song Chenglei’s orders.

With such a negative score, Teacher Song deserved major credit!

Tong Li glanced at him discreetly through the crowd, thinking this partner was bold and creative. Although he was negative sixty-six, as an undercover, he had also earned sixty-six points. If the undercover mission succeeded, the doubled points would result in an astronomical net gain.

Moreover, seeing the sympathetic looks from others, Tong Li knew that Yu Wen had fully established himself as a good guy.

Their success was within reach!

Hearing this absurd number, Song Chenglei felt a bit guilty. Clearing his throat, he asked, “Cough, cough, Xiao Yu, do you have any thoughts?”

Yu Wen took a leisurely sip of hot milk tea, shaking his head, “Not at all.”

“Everyone has three voting chances. If we can vote out the undercover agent in three rounds, today’s points are safe. If not, the undercover wins. All members’ points except the undercover will be reset to zero.”

“Let me speak,” Tong Li took the lead, launching the first attack for the undercover camp, “Teacher Song, as an old friend, your behavior all day today has seemed suspicious to me…”

Yu Wen ate slowly. While the others were engaged in a heated debate, he was still picking at his food.

Chu Han frowned as he listened, feeling that everyone had valid points. He quietly leaned towards Yu Wen and whispered, “Who do you suspect?”

Yu Wen glanced up.

The main debaters were three people: Tong Li suspected Song Chenglei; Song Chenglei suspected Xi Su; Xi Su tried to ally with Song Chenglei but failed and suspected Tong Li instead.

The three undercover agents formed a perfect loop.

No wonder they could all be undercover together, their thought processes were clearly similar.

“Don’t worry, we’ll just choose one of these three to trust and follow their vote,” Yu Wen said nonchalantly as he continued to eat, showing little interest.

Chu Han frowned even more, “Is that okay? When the show airs, won’t the viewers say we’re… passive?”

He originally wanted to say boring but reconsidered and chose a more appropriate word.

Yu Wen didn’t care, “It’s fine, they’re all undercover.”

He said it casually, completely unaware of the bombshell it was to those who heard it.

Chu Han: “?!”

Chu Han looked like he had been struck by lightning, his mind going blank. It took him a while to stammer, “Re-Really? How do you know?”

Yu Wen propped his chin, looking troubled about where to start.

“…Forget it, you’ll see when the show airs.”

Yu Wen was too lazy to explain further.

In his mind, Xi Su and Song Chenglei were definitely wolves. Tong Li was initially uncertain, but after some probing in the afternoon and his current defense, his identity was confirmed.

So, the current situation was the undercover agents fighting among themselves. No need to intervene, just stir the pot. With his and Chu Han’s votes, they could lock in the outcome no matter whom they chose.

A guaranteed win.

“You…” Chu Han hesitated, “Do you have some kind of future-predicting superpower?”

Yu Wen paused for two beats and turned to look at him.

“Teacher Chu, you’re joking now,” Yu Wen said, “That’s really funny, hahaha.”

“I’m not joking, I’m serious,” Chu Han said solemnly.

Yu Wen: “…Yes, I am a superpower holder about to save the world.”

Chu Han: “I knew it.”

Yu Wen: “You believe that too?”

Chu Han widened his eyes, “Why not? You always know everything.”

Last time, he knew about Xi Su’s background, a very secretive family matter. He must have some extraordinary ability!

The microphone was hanging on his collar, and Chu Han didn’t say the second half out loud.

Yu Wen was quiet for a while and then admitted it.

“This is between you, me, and the heavens. No one else can know.”

Chu Han: “Understood, it would affect your mission to save the world.”

Yu Wen’s pale face grew serious.

“Yes, if the evil forces find out about me, my situation would be dire.”

Chu Han nodded heavily.

After a while, Chu Han covered his microphone and leaned in to whisper, “Remember to have the production team cut this part out, don’t let it get out…”

Yu Wen patted his hand, signaling that everything was under control.

“Don’t worry. What should be aired will be aired, what shouldn’t be won’t.”

Chu Han thought about it and felt that his words implied there was a dedicated department handling the post-production.

Chu Han was relieved.

“…Teacher Song, after saying so much, you still haven’t explained why you lost the most points when you were with Yu Wen. If you can’t clarify this, all your arguments seem like sophistry to me,” Tong Li said.

While Yu Wen and Chu Han were discussing saving the world, the debate was heated, mainly between Tong Li and Song Chenglei. Xi Su occasionally chimed in, while Cao Lingyun seemed confused, listening to everyone’s points and believing a bit of each.

Song Chenglei: “I don’t need to prove anything, I am innocent. You can believe what you want, but I suspect Xiao Xi.”

Xi Su spread his hands helplessly, “I didn’t touch Brother Chu Han at all today. By your logic, I’m innocent too. Right, Brother Chu Han?”

Chu Han: “Huh?”

Xi Su glanced over at them, his gaze suddenly softening, and his voice lowered, “Brother, do you suspect me?”

Yu Wen was impressed.

At such a critical moment, he still couldn’t forget to act, truly a die-hard professional.

Receiving Chu Han’s pleading look, Yu Wen chewed his food and swallowed before calmly saying, “No point in arguing anymore, let’s vote.”

One sentence brought the focus back.

Where the camera couldn’t see, Xi Su shifted his gaze from Chu Han to Yu Wen, raising his eyebrows slightly, looking displeased.

He hadn’t completed his KPI today. If Chu Han had answered, whether he believed it or not, it would have provided material for CP fans. Yu Wen’s interruption meant there might not be any “shippable” moments in the entire episode.

What’s with this guy? They were on the same team, why was he sabotaging his earnings?

Xi Su pouted.

“Xiao Yu, who do you want to vote for?” Tong Li asked.

All eyes turned to Yu Wen. He dazed for a moment, looking confused, “Hmm… I think everyone makes sense. I’ll vote for Teacher Song.”

Chu Han quickly followed suit, “I also vote for Teacher Song.”

Cao Lingyun raised her hand, “I trust Sister Tong, I also vote for Teacher Song.”

Song Chenglei was so angry that he leaned back.

In the first round, Song Chenglei was voted out with four votes.

He was invited to the viewing area, shaking his head repeatedly as he got up, “It’s not me, really… you will regret this.”

Tong Li: “You’re being mysterious.”

The second round began, and Tong Li gave Yu Wen a look, indicating that victory was in sight; Xi Su also gave Yu Wen a look, meaning we talked about this in the afternoon, Tong Li is very suspicious, remember?

Yu Wen gave each of them a reassuring look, meaning he understood, he understood everything.

Then he followed Xi Su’s vote and voted Tong Li out.

When Teacher Tong was voted out, her expression was full of disbelief. Yu Wen felt she even wanted to rush over and grab his shoulders, questioning if he had lost his mind.

Yu Wen could only do his best to appear remorseful, as if his mind had been clouded by greed.

In the third round, Xi Su looked around the field, looking for the next suitable unlucky candidate to frame.

However, when he glanced around, he saw Yu Wen and Chu Han huddled in a corner, like two outsiders, stuffing grilled meat into their mouths and chewing while watching him.

Cao Lingyun had finished eating, but for the last spot, she obviously suspected Xi Su more than Yu Wen and Chu Han.

Facing her hesitant gaze, Xi Su: “…”

In the final round, without any dispute, Xi Su was voted out.

“The undercover game is over, now announcing the results—”

The director deliberately dragged out his words, keeping everyone in suspense.

The guests had already returned to their seats, waiting for the director to announce the results. Although Tong Li was very puzzled when she was voted out by Yu Wen, she soon understood that Yu Wen’s intention was to draw a line. She was quite satisfied with the current result, unable to suppress the corners of her mouth from curving up.

But in the next second, the director’s words made her doubt her life.

“All three undercover agents have been found, the guest team wins!”

?

Tong Li was stunned for a moment.

Song Chenglei: “What? How many?”

Xi Su pointed his finger among the three of them, “Us? The three of us?”

Song Chenglei: “All three of us are undercover?!”

Everyone looked at each other in disbelief, Chu Han also couldn’t hide his surprise. Although Yu Wen had told him, it was still incredible to confirm the truth.

Undercover agents attacking each other? Oh my god, this could go down in variety show history as a classic moment.

Everyone was in an uproar, while Yu Wen was clearing his plate, half-heartedly joining in, “What? Oh my god, no way, what’s going on…”

“No, wait.” Tong Li snapped out of it, looking at Yu Wen across the crowd, “Only three undercover agents… you’re not one? I was deceived?”

Yu Wen denied flatly, “Impossible! Xiao Yu never lies!”

Xiao Yu just spouts nonsense!

With the focus on Yu Wen, the production team decided to tease, “I’m sure everyone is curious about what exactly happened, how it ended up like this… Teacher Yu, please tell everyone the process and your thoughts on identifying the undercover agents.”

Yu Wen had just put two slices of potato on the grill and was about to brush oil, “Me?” He pointed to himself, his cat-like eyes widening, looking innocent and pure, “What could I know, I only know how to eat.”

Song Chenglei: “Wait, wait! Does this mean Xiao Yu knew all along that the three of us were undercover? When did I slip up? I thought I disguised myself very well!”

The director chuckled, “Every time you asked Xiao Yu to wipe your shoes.”

Song Chenglei: “…”

Maybe seeing Yu Wen hadn’t eaten enough, Chu Han exchanged a plate of pork belly with the production team. Yu Wen was eating happily, his cheeks bulging, and he met Song Chenglei’s reproachful gaze, only to put his hands together and sway back and forth, apologizing.

“For your cuteness, I’ll let it go—” Song Chenglei sighed, “But if you knew I was undercover, why did you still clean your shoes every time I reminded you?”

Yu Wen took a sip of water, swallowed his food, “The more my points fluctuated, the harder it was for you to calculate. If you couldn’t figure it out, you wouldn’t think of having allies, so you’d attack whoever you wanted recklessly.”

Similarly, Chu Han’s points fluctuated greatly because he kept exchanging various items for Yu Wen, so the twenty points Tong Li stole went unnoticed.

“Oh my god.” Tong Li finally realized, covering her forehead, walking behind Yu Wen, gripping his shoulders and shaking him angrily, “You have such an innocent face, how can you be so bad, Xiao Yu! You tricked me!… Ah! Crazy!”

Xi Su still hadn’t figured out all the rules, but he understood one thing: Yu Wen had spotted the flaws in the three of them from the beginning and used some clever tactics to sow discord, preventing the undercover agents from recognizing each other.

He scratched his fluffy blue hair and clicked his tongue, “Fooled.”

Sticking to the principle that no one should be embarrassed alone, Song Chenglei asked Tong Li, “What did he do to you? Tell us, let’s be embarrassed together.”

Tong Li laughed angrily, “No need, you’ll see in the broadcast how embarrassed I was. At that time, I asked him if wiping shoes was something Song Chenglei asked him to do, and he told me ‘maybe I just wanted to wipe them.’ I thought, someone who didn’t receive a task card couldn’t come up with such a lie, either he was making it up or revealing his identity to me, definitely the latter! His expression at that time!

“Turns out he was acting! He was acting! Director, please replay his expression, eyes, and tone three times. With that face, anyone would believe him!”

Cao Lingyun couldn’t help but sigh, “Teacher Yu is so smart.”

Almost all the guests were marveling at Yu Wen’s powerful reasoning and observational skills, but Chu Han didn’t think much of it.

He knew that Yu Wen didn’t rely on these to see through everything, but on his greatest secret—superpowers.

Having a friend with superpowers.

This made Chu Han feel proud.