Chapter 61
It all boiled down to this retired mountaineer wanting to make some money.
If the team leader gave the opportunity to someone else, it might cost him his salary.
Ha, a workhorse is still a workhorse, especially a retired one. He couldn’t hold a candle to someone like him, a rising star.
“Don’t worry, Uncle! I practiced at Shaolin when I was a kid, and I still have my ‘童子尿’ (tongzi niao, literally "child's urine," a term referring to the pure energy of a child in martial arts). I haven’t lost my skills! I’m super strong; even if a bear shows up on the way, I can take it down!”
Cai Yifan flexed his ‘superb’ muscles.
He had indeed trained at Shaolin, but he left after less than a month.
Before he became famous, he didn’t think much of that experience, but after his rise, his agent and the company packaged him as a disciple of Shaolin, instantly slapping on a bunch of positive labels.
“Pure-hearted, raised in Shaolin.”
“Practiced martial arts since childhood, strong physique.”
“Trained in martial arts, resilient and hardworking…”
To make him look more convincing, the company even trained him in martial arts moves for a month, not requiring strength but just good looks—those brainless fans wouldn’t notice the difference.
Now, Cai Yifan himself felt a bit lost.
Every time he lit a post-game cigarette in the quiet of the night, he sometimes genuinely felt like a martial arts master.
So, every time he led a team, he would tell the support player, “Hey, I’m really strong, just hang in there.”
But in reality, even after a month of grinding, he still couldn’t last more than five minutes before getting knocked out.
Even so, Cai Yifan felt good and frequently led teams.
The uncle knew Cai Yifan was not to be trifled with, so he could only give the director a questioning look.
The director was the one paying him, so if the director agreed, he would let it happen.
Director Zhang pondered for a long time but couldn’t figure out what Cai Yifan was up to.
He assumed Cai Yifan just wanted to prove himself and build a persona to salvage his image.
Pineapple TV and the entertainment company behind Cai Yifan, Xingying Entertainment, had a cooperative relationship. As the program director for Pineapple TV, he naturally had to cooperate with the higher-ups and give Cai Yifan a chance to shine.
Even if he didn’t want to do it.
“Give it to him,” Director Zhang signaled to the uncle.
The uncle nodded and quietly moved to the back of the line.
This was the second most important position.
Wolves, when they spot a large prey, will follow from behind while calling their companions, waiting for the right moment to attack. But the production team clearly lacked this kind of vigilance, only hiring him as a professional.
At that moment, the live chat room started buzzing again:
“Is Brother Fan leading the team? Wow, so brave, even if he’s not as handsome as Bald Brother~”
“Is Brother Fan going to collaborate with Brother Huai’an? Let’s ship them hard~”
“Brother Huai’an is the most handsome in the world; smelly Fan fans, don’t come near!”
“What do you mean don’t come near? I can like both Brother Fan and Brother Huai’an~”
“Exactly, Brother Huai’an, we love you too~”
…
Chen Huai’an was unaware that he was starting to attract a large number of female fans.
And these female fans had already begun to clash with Cai Yifan’s fans.
The strange thing was, the intensity of the conflict felt more like a playful scratch than a real fight.
Because Cai Yifan’s fans were also hesitant about whether to retaliate.
After all, this guy was just too good-looking.
He had a whole bunch of buffs that made him shine like a Buddha.
Flawless, nothing to criticize!
And they couldn’t even find the words to attack him.
Just looking at that face made their anger dissipate; all they wanted was to quietly enjoy the screen, without any desire to disrespect him.
Once Cai Yifan gained the power of team leader, he began his performance.
“Come on, everyone!” He spread his arms wide, beaming with sunshine, and shouted, “At this speed, how long until we reach the summit? Don’t you want to see the first sunrise at Tianmen Mountain?”
“One, two, three, let’s charge!”
Cai Yifan sped ahead.
The cameraman had no choice but to grit his teeth and keep up.
Other artists, seeing the cameraman had moved to the front, could only endure their fatigue and catch up; otherwise, they wouldn’t get any screen time at all.
Su Xingchen initially wanted to follow, but then she turned and saw Chen Huai’an leaning on his cane, her heart softened: “Brother An, are you okay? Do you want me to help you?”
“No need,” Chen Huai’an waved his hand, smiling, “I’m used to this cane; it might be easier for me than for you regular folks. I can keep up, don’t worry!”
What a joke!
He was a superhuman with a gene lock!
Did he need someone to help him??
With that, Chen Huai’an began to speed up.
For some reason tonight, his right leg felt like it had a little motor in it, full of energy, and he didn’t feel tired at all. He wasn’t afraid of being exposed; after all, the bone tumor in his leg was real, not some special effect.
Su Xingchen watched in astonishment as Chen Huai’an sped past her.
This… is this the speed of a disabled person?
A hint of doubt flickered in her mind, but it was quickly smoothed over by guilt and emotion.
‘He must be doing this so we won’t worry, right?’
‘Can he really not be in pain walking like this?’
‘He’s already disabled, and in the late stages of cancer, yet he still cares about everyone’s feelings!’
‘I’m really going to cry QAQ…’
…
Meanwhile, up ahead, Cai Yifan noticed Chen Huai’an keeping pace and a sly glint flashed in his eyes:
“Ha, I knew you couldn’t sit still… You want to steal the spotlight, huh?
Then I’ll expose you! I’ll ruin your reputation!”
Everything was going as he expected.
Soon, he figured someone would notice Chen Huai’an’s abnormality without him having to push it.
How could a disabled person keep up with the team at such speed?
It was clearly fake!
At the same time—
On the edge of the forest beside the trail,
On a tree crown that no one noticed.
A leg dangled down, the tip of a shoe hooked onto a backpack.
Looking up, a girl in a high school uniform was resting her head on her hands, pretending to sleep.
The night breeze blew, and a few leaves fluttered down.
She sniffed, and a cold glint flashed in her eyes.
There’s something sinister here!
…
---
**Chapter 64: A Pat on the Shoulder**
“Brother Fan, slow down a bit!”
“Yeah, Brother Fan, did you practice when you were a kid like we did?”
Song Zichen and Wang Yitao were even weaker than Cai Yifan. At first, they could keep up, but soon they fell behind Chen Huai’an and the other two female artists. Not wanting to miss the camera, they were all running out of breath.
Cai Yifan was also feeling exhausted, his face pale and drenched in sweat.
He was all in to expose Chen Huai’an.
Seeing the moment was ripe, he stopped to catch his breath and pointed at Song Zichen and Wang Yitao, mocking them:
“Come on, you two big guys, what’s going on? Look at Chen Huai’an; he’s a disabled person and can climb better than you two, and he hasn’t even broken a sweat while you’re both already this tired?”
His words were quite cutting.
On the surface, it seemed like he was praising Chen Huai’an, but in reality, he was exposing the abnormalities surrounding Chen Huai’an, drawing everyone’s attention to him and raising doubts.
Song Zichen and Wang Yitao stared at Chen Huai’an, stunned.
It was true.
They had been climbing for half an hour now. Chen Huai’an not only kept up with everyone but also hadn’t broken a sweat, his breathing steady, forming a stark contrast with everyone else.
Faced with the scrutinizing gazes around him, Chen Huai’an simply flashed a straightforward smile: “Hehe~”
Song Zichen and Wang Yitao certainly didn’t want to admit they were weak. Even if they took a step back and said they were weak, surely the mountaineer wouldn’t be, right? The uncle at the back of the line was sweating a bit, and here he was, a late-stage cancer patient, climbing up so easily?!
Everyone started to sense something was off.
The looks directed at Chen Huai’an turned strange.
Only Su Xingchen remained blissfully unaware, unable to help but praise Chen Huai’an beside her: “Brother Huai’an, your stamina is really impressive, you have such willpower!”
Director Zhang had seen Chen Huai’an’s profile and verified the authenticity of his illness. Not long ago, Chen Huai’an was in the mid-stages, but after a recent check-up, he had indeed entered the late stages.
As for whether there was any hope for a cure, he wasn’t sure.
Table of Contents
