Midnight Horror Alert! The Island Survival Game Begins!

Without warning, a sharp red alarm, so piercing it seemed to burst eardrums, suddenly tore through the tranquil night sky above the island!

The sound was ridiculously loud, like an air raid siren blaring right next to someone's ear.

The cozy little house, which was originally shrouded in the deep darkness of night, was instantly illuminated as bright as day by countless powerful searchlights that lit up all around.

The blinding red and blue flashing lights frantically cut through the darkness of the room through the cracks in the window.

"Bang--!"

A deafening explosion rang out in the side room of Building C.

The dilapidated wooden door, which was already on the verge of collapse and was barely reinforced by Lin Mo using mortise and tenon joints, was violently kicked open from the outside by a great force.

Several blinding beams of high-lumen flashlights swept into the room like sharp swords, heading straight for the bed.

Normally, if you were to encounter such a sudden attack at 3 a.m., like a SWAT team breaking down a door, your first reaction would be to cover your head and scream, or be so scared that you would roll off the bed.

But Lin Mo is no ordinary person.

His foundation from two lifetimes, coupled with the abnormal alertness he developed from traveling all over the country in his previous life, allowed his body to react with pure muscle memory in the mere second it received the loud noise, bypassing any thought from his brain.

His eyes weren't even fully open yet, but he sprang up like a startled beast, instantly rising from his lying position.

With a sharp whooshing sound, his right leg, like a steel whip, hurtled towards the face of the dark figure who had kicked the door open amidst the interplay of darkness and bright light.

If that kick had landed, the opponent would probably have to rely on IV fluids to survive for the rest of their life.

"ah--!"

The assistant director who led the team to break down the goal felt a blur before his eyes, and a strong sense of life and death crisis instantly enveloped his entire body.

His eyes widened in terror, and he couldn't even manage to dodge.

Just as the powerful instep was less than half a centimeter away from the assistant director's nose, it abruptly stopped.

Lin Mo finally opened his eyes fully, a cold glint flashing in his deep eyes, which was quickly replaced by a strong sense of morning grumpiness.

He slowly withdrew his right leg, stepping barefoot onto the cold wooden floor, his brow furrowed into a deep frown.

The assistant director stood frozen in place, his black tactical vest instantly soaked with cold sweat.

For a brief moment, he truly felt as if he had just walked through the gates of hell.

Looking at the young man in front of him, who was only wearing a white T-shirt and shorts but exuded a terrifying sense of oppression, the assistant director swallowed hard, and even the powerful flashlight in his hand was trembling slightly.

"Teacher Lin... Teacher Lin..." The assistant director's voice trembled uncontrollably.

Lin Mo ignored him, only irritably rubbing her messy hair and letting out a long sigh.

Are these people making this show out of their minds?

Are they really filming a dating reality show like a Wolf Warrior movie? I just wanted to quietly make it to the end of the month and get eliminated, how come even sleeping has to be a life-threatening situation?

Before Lin Mo could even complain, Director Wang's deafening, almost manic roar suddenly blared from the loudspeakers in the lobby:

"Everyone! Get dressed immediately and come downstairs to the lobby!"

"You only have five minutes! Being even a second late will result in the deduction of all your survival points for the week!"

"I'll repeat myself, five-minute countdown, starting now!"

As the broadcast ended, the entire Heartbeat House descended into complete chaos.

Inside the luxurious villa in Building A, screams and the sounds of collisions echoed throughout.

Zhao Kuo was having a sweet dream wrapped in a velvet quilt when the alarm sounded so loudly that he rolled off his 1.8-meter-long bed.

He scrambled to tear off the silk sheet wrapped around his neck, banging his head hard against the bedside table, the pain making him see stars.

"Earthquake?! Or fire?! Where are my bodyguards?! Where are my bodyguards?!" Zhao Kuo ran wildly down the corridor, his clothes disheveled, and he was even wearing two slippers of different colors.

Lin Chacha in the next room was even more devastated.

She screamed as she covered her smudged eye makeup, which hadn't been properly removed, and ran around the room like a headless fly, clutching a contour brush tightly in her hand, trying to salvage her image in the last few minutes.

Throughout the entire camp, only Lin Mo maintained that outrageously relaxed demeanor.

He sighed, slowly pulled out a pair of plastic flip-flops from under the bed that made a "clattering" sound when he walked, and slipped his feet into them.

Then, he walked to the table, picked up the weathered stainless steel thermos, and tightened the lid.

After doing all this, he walked out of the side room of Building C with a cold, oppressive expression that suggested he was ready to chop someone up at any moment.

The corridor was filled with blinding spotlights and constantly moving staff in black.

As Lin Mo reached the corner of the corridor connecting Building A and Building C, he felt a soft, faintly fragrant object bump straight into his arms.

"Waaah..."

A plaintive sob, thick with nasal tones, rose from his chest.

Jiang Ruoyun was wearing a wine-red silk nightgown, her bare, slender white feet resting on the cold floor.

Her hair was disheveled and fell over her shoulders. Her usually aloof and noble fox eyes were now half-open and half-closed, filled with bewilderment and tears from shock.

She was still clutching a pillow tightly in her hands, like a kitten lost in a storm.

Upon seeing that the man in front of her was Lin Mo, Jiang Ruoyun's panicked gaze instantly calmed down.

Without any hesitation, she reached out and grabbed the hem of Lin Mo's T-shirt tightly, leaning most of her weight against it.

"Lin Mo... is it a tsunami?" The young lady's voice carried a hint of sleepiness.

Looking at her unguarded appearance, without even wearing shoes, Lin Mo's annoyance at being woken up inexplicably dissipated by more than half.

This woman, the daughter of Beijing's richest man, usually needs eight bodyguards to clear the way when she goes out.

Faced with this chaotic scene, she wasn't afraid of those fierce-looking men in black at all; instead, she placed all her sense of security in herself, a penniless nobody.

"There was no tsunami, but there was a director who had a brain fart."

Lin Mo sighed helplessly and reached out to grasp her somewhat cold wrist.

"Why aren't you wearing shoes? There are all sorts of messy threads on the ground. I don't have money to give you a tetanus shot if you prick your foot."

Although Lin Mo complained, his actions were exceptionally gentle. He pulled her behind him and used his broad back to block the glaring searchlights.

Jiang Ruoyun hid behind him and secretly yawned, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curve into a beautiful smile.

As long as he's around, she doesn't think it's a big deal whether the production team is causing trouble in the middle of the night or even if it's the real end of the world.

At this moment, the night owl netizens who were staying up late to watch the live stream were completely excited by this sudden scene in the middle of the night.

The screen was densely covered with bullet comments.

[Holy crap! Is the production team serious? A midnight raid at 3 AM?!]

[When they broke down the door just now, I swear I saw Lin Shen kick! That assistant director almost got his head blown off on the spot!]

[Lin Shen's gaze just now was incredible, brimming with murderous intent, a completely instinctive defensive reaction. What did this guy do before? This level of skill is definitely not something an ordinary person should have!]

Forget about her fighting skills, look at the young lady! She actually ran out barefoot and threw herself into Lin Mo's arms! Is this really the aloof heiress of a wealthy family?

[Double standards! This is blatant double standards! While others are screaming in terror, she's secretly yawning behind Lin Mo's back!]

[Lin Shen's protective gesture towards his child was so natural; it was practically overflowing with fatherly boyfriend charm!]

Two minutes later, in the lobby on the first floor of the Heartbeat House.

The intense cold lights illuminated the entire hall in every detail, and the surrounding area was filled with fully armed, expressionless staff in black.

The somber atmosphere was just like a major crime squad's arrest scene.

The guests stood in the center of the hall, looking disheveled and looking miserable, creating a stark contrast.

Zhao Kuo had a messy, unkempt hairstyle, his pajamas were buttoned up, and his mismatched slippers looked ridiculous. He was pale and breathing heavily, clearly still shaken.

Lin Chacha's eyeliner smudged, making her look like a panda, and she stood to the side, covering her face and secretly sobbing.

Lin Mo, standing on the very edge, is completely out of place here.

He still maintained that unwavering, old-fashioned stance, one hand in his pocket and the other holding his signature stainless steel thermos.

Jiang Ruoyun stood obediently beside him, one hand still tightly clutching the hem of his clothes, half her body hidden in his shadow, her head down, digging her toes into the floor.

Lin Mo raised his head, his gaze sweeping coldly across the second-floor railing against the glaring light.

His brows were slightly lowered, and his deep eyes exuded a chilling aura that could freeze a person to death.

"Director, why are you working so hard in the middle of the night, herding us down like ducks?"

Lin Mo's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a powerful resonance in the empty hall. "What? The production team ran out of budget, so they switched to making a Resident Evil film?"

The moment those words, laced with sarcasm, were uttered, the air in the hall seemed to freeze for a moment.

Zhao Kuo gasped in fright and desperately tried to make himself as inconspicuous as possible.

Has Lin Mo really gone mad? How dare he provoke the production team at a time like this?

However, a low, smug laugh came from the second-floor stairwell.

Director Wang held an oversized megaphone and looked down at everyone in the hall.

His gaze lingered on Lin Mo's fearless face for a moment, and a sinister smile, hard to conceal, curled at the corner of his mouth.

"Lin Mo, you don't need to be sarcastic. I've already said that I'm in charge of setting the rules for this show."

Director Wang slowly walked down two steps, deliberately drawing out his voice, enjoying the thrill of being in control.

"Audiences are tired of seeing you enjoying a peaceful life on the beach, and sponsors need more impactful visuals."

The director paused, his eyes suddenly turning icy cold.

"Everyone, now that the troublesome guest has left, we don't need to wait any longer for our special project that was originally scheduled to be postponed."

He raised the loudspeaker, and the sound was deafening.

"I hereby announce that the 'Island Survival Edition' officially begins tonight!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Kuo's legs went weak, and he almost knelt on the ground.

That's the legendary wilderness survival segment that's said to torture you half to death!

"From this moment forward, all your supplies, food, cosmetics, and electronic devices are confiscated!"

Every word Director Wang uttered was like a heavy hammer, striking the fragile nerves of the guests.

"You'll only be wearing the clothes you're wearing now, and carrying a basic machete we've provided. Depart immediately and be airdropped into the pristine wilderness on the other side of the island!"

"Are you all ready for real hell?"

As Director Wang finished speaking...

A deathly silence fell over the hall.

You could hear the sound of a pin dropping on the ground clearly.

Immediately afterwards, Zhao Kuo and Lin Chacha burst into a desperate wail, the sound of which was even more miserable than the sound of a pig being slaughtered.

Lin Mo, who had been unusually calm the whole time, and who had just thought that the person she disliked the night before was gone and that she could finally live a peaceful life until elimination, was now completely frozen.

His mind, still half-asleep, was already contemplating whether to use the leftover flour to make a pancake for breakfast or to go to the beach to collect some seashells to make a soup.

And now, they're telling him not only there's no food, but he also has to go into the primeval forest? And they're confiscating his supplies?

The words "confiscation of supplies" and "desert island" struck Lin Mo like a thunderbolt, shattering his meager fantasies of retirement.

He slowly lowered his head, looked at the plastic flip-flops on his feet, and then at the goji berry tea in his hand that he had only taken a half-sip of.

"Smack."

A crisp sound.

The thermos cup that had accompanied Lin Mo through two lifetimes and withstood countless storms slipped helplessly from his hand, fell onto the cold marble floor, and rolled a long way away.

This mastermind, who remained unfazed even when faced with the collapse of capital and treated variety shows like a retirement home, finally broke down at this moment.

He looked up at the glaring incandescent light on the ceiling and let out a wail that echoed throughout the entire Heartbeat House, filled with endless bitterness and despair:

"What a tragedy!!!"