90: Panic! Run!!!

Gao Xiaofan forced himself to calm down, thought for a moment, and said,

"The signal probably cut out because of the weather. Let's find a higher, more open spot; maybe we can get a connection there."

Qiu Gu nodded. "That's possible. How about this: I'll climb up first. It's too dark here, so you wait for me down below."

After hearing this, Gao Xiaofan glanced at the small hill behind them. It wasn't very high, so he nodded.

"That works. Go ahead. The rain has stopped, so I'll go grab the entrenching tool over there."

Having agreed on the plan and seeing no issues, Qiu Gu jogged toward the hilltop, cradling the camera.

Gao Xiaofan stood at the foot of the hill and watched Qiu Gu climb to the top step by step before finally breathing a sigh of relief. Mountain paths were slippery to begin with, and even more so after the rain.

Once at the top, Qiu Gu kept adjusting the equipment and even tried switching to several other livestream rooms, but nothing worked.

For a moment, Qiu Gu was at a loss. He hadn't slept well all night and had been caught in the heavy rain; his whole body was aching. Seeing a tree nearby, he casually hung the camera on it and shouted down.

"Still no signal! I'll take a break before coming back down!"

Gao Xiaofan shouted back, "Then wait for me! I'll grab the shovel and come find you. Don't bother coming down!"

With that, Gao Xiaofan turned on his headlamp and trudged toward the fishing spot, his feet sinking unevenly into the ground.

Qiu Gu sat on the ground, watching Gao Xiaofan's receding figure, and couldn't help but sigh with admiration.

"Young men really do have better physical stamina!"

...Xiushui Village.

A group of people, each holding a flashlight, huddled around the spot where the lightning had struck.

"The lightning strike just now hit the Signal Booster's lines, which is why Gao Xiaofan's livestream room, being a bit far from us, lost its signal."

An staff member said while shining a flashlight and inspecting the equipment.

"Good grief, this Clodhopper really is something else. Even the heavens can't stand him and struck him with lightning!"

Jing Yu said with a smile.

Qu Lang couldn't help but look back and glare at her, then asked.

"How long will it take to fix?"

"An hour should be enough. Luckily, the equipment itself wasn't hit, just a few lines were fried. We just need to replace them."

"Then hurry up and fix it, the faster the better."

Qu Lang said urgently, then ignored the others and headed back inside.

Jing Yu smiled and was about to speak when she felt her phone vibrate. She glanced at the caller ID and quickly answered.

"Hello, CEO You. Everything is normal. Yes, it's just a broken line."

"Yes, yes, I understand what you're saying. We'll absolutely ensure personal safety, you can rest assured."

"Yes, the show is very popular right now, and I want to strike while the iron is hot. I'll definitely keep your instructions in mind, don't worry."

After hanging up, Jing Yu's face lit up with joy. Just now, the Big Boss of iQiyi had personally said on the phone that once this show ended, they would consider issuing incentive stocks.

With a company as massive as iQiyi, even a tiny bit of profit trickling down would mean she wouldn't have to worry for the rest of her life.

When Jing Yu returned to the room and saw the information on the large screen, she felt as if her whole body was soaking in a hot spring.

Due to the disconnection of Gao Xiaofan's livestream room, a full 100 million viewers had instantly flooded into the other livestream rooms.

She watched the guests in the remaining seven livestream rooms constantly interacting and showcasing their talents, hoping to capture this massive wave of traffic and convert them into their own fans.

"This Clodhopper finally has his day, huh? Hmph!"

Meanwhile, the Program Production Crew's official website also posted an announcement.

"Due to a lightning strike on the Signal Booster, the signal for Gao Xiaofan's livestream room has been interrupted. Please rest assured that the guests are all very safe. The rain in Xiushui Village has stopped, and the equipment is currently being repaired. It is expected to be restored within an hour."

The fans, who had been worried, began to wait patiently after seeing this news.

After all, they had been watching the livestream and did indeed see that the rain had stopped. Gao Xiaofan was with the Cameraman, and it didn't look like they were in any danger... Gao Xiaofan stumbled along toward the shore, using the light from his headlamp to look at the Rebar Fishing Rod still sitting on the bank.

It was actually still there; he had thought the strong wind would have blown it away.

Gao Xiaofan stepped carefully onto the mud, walking over step by step, preparing to pack up the fishing rod.

Since it was still there, there was no reason to leave it behind.

Before even reaching the shore, Gao Xiaofan looked at the water and was startled.

The water level had originally been at least 50 centimeters below the bank, but now, it was basically level with it.

Just how much rain had fallen?

The water surface surged continuously, slapping against the shore with crisp sounds.

There was no wind, so how could there be waves? Keeping his distance, Gao Xiaofan slowly felt his way to where the fishing rod was and carefully grabbed the handle section, preparing to retract it.

He didn't plan on getting any closer to the shore. If a wave hit and swept him away, it would be a total disaster. But there was no wind right now; the entire mountain was so quiet, without a breath of air. How could there be waves?

Gao Xiaofan's mind wandered as he packed up the rod. Once he was finished, he caught a casual glimpse of the water's surface, and what he saw made his breath stop, leaving him utterly terrified.

On the hillside, Qiu Gu grew anxious when he saw the small figure at the foot of the hill suddenly stop moving. Just as he was about to shout, he noticed the figure moving closer to the water, getting nearer and nearer.

This worried him sick, and a raspy voice escaped his throat.

"Xiaofan, come back! Don't go near the water!"

The small figure at the foot of the hill ignored him and continued to draw closer.

Gao Xiaofan couldn't believe his eyes. He approached step by step, looking by the light of his lamp.

The color of the water wasn't right.

Was it yellow? Was it yellow?

Gao Xiaofan finally reached the shore. Looking at the water that resembled thick mud, he refused to give up and knelt down, afraid his eyes were deceiving him.

Lying on the ground, he cupped a palmful of the liquid and brought it close to his eyes.

Under the headlamp, that wasn't water at all—it was clearly liquid mud!!!

His two hands trembled as he rubbed them together. That viscous texture once again shattered any lingering hope in his heart!

*Crack!* Another sound of a wave.

Gao Xiaofan, crouching low with his eyes wide, stared at the spot where Lü Tao had been sitting earlier.

Just then, the muddy flow collapsed that patch of earth, turning it into part of the sludge.

Gao Xiaofan almost pissed himself. Trembling, he stood up and slowly backed away. Once he was clear of the shore, he turned and bolted. These weren't waves—this was a fucking debris flow!

Why did he always run into this kind of stuff!

Finding a corpse while night fishing was just scary, but a goddamn debris flow was life-threatening terror. At this moment, Gao Xiaofan wished he could fly.

Looking at the figure on the hilltop, Gao Xiaofan shouted with all his might.

"Run! Run! RUN!!! debris flow!!! Go back and warn them!!! Quick... Ow, holy shit!"

Gao Xiaofan stumbled and fell flat on his face.