Chapter 480

Preparing for the desert expedition, Jane wore a soft yellow long-sleeved T-shirt paired with duckling-yellow overalls embroidered with tiny flowers, topped off with a duckling-yellow rolled-brim sun hat. The outfit made her already fair skin glow like polished jade, and the adorable baby fat on her cheeks looked even more endearing. After disembarking the plane, they boarded another vehicle arranged by the production crew and headed straight for their destination—the vast Sahara Desert. During the ride, Mina was completely absorbed in tinkering with a peculiar contraption: a bamboo pole wrapped with a loop of wire and some electrical cables. Jane studied it for a long time but couldn’t figure out what her sister was holding. Unable to contain her curiosity, she finally asked, "Sis, what are you doing?" Mina looked up and raised the wired bamboo pole overhead like a magic wand. "Behold the Mina-brand homemade metal detector! The perfect companion for treasure hunting on the go!" "Jane, I think this desert location the crew picked is perfect. Rumor has it there are tons of buried ancient cities out there, plus old merchant caravans that got swallowed by sandstorms centuries ago. All their goods? Now they’re priceless antiques pure treasure!" Jane: "…" "So… you’re planning to use that thing to hunt for treasure in the desert?" "Exactly!" Mina nodded earnestly. Jane plucked the hairpin from her head and placed it inside the wire loop of the Mina brand metal detector. The device didn’t react at all. Mina furrowed her brows, looking utterly perplexed. "Huh? Why isn't it beeping? What's wrong this time?" Jane sighed and rubbed her forehead in exasperation. "Sis, have you even tested this detector before? Has it ever actually worked?" Mina scratched the back of her head sheepishly. "Well... I was planning to test it once we got to the desert?" "Sis, you didn’t even connect the wires to a battery," Jane deadpanned. "How is the alarm supposed to work without power?" She couldn’t believe her sister had simply twisted the live and neutral wires together without any power source and still expected the detector to function. "Wait, it needs a battery?" Mina blinked in confusion. "But the tutorial I found online said all I had to do was connect the two wires!" From the seat behind her, Ares Kai leaned forward and chimed in, "Wires need to be connected to a power source to work. That’s basic knowledge, right, Jane?" Xiao Qing, sitting beside Ares Kai, scratched his head in bewilderment. "Is that really common sense? I had no idea!" Hazel and Ariana exchanged glances before admitting in unison, "We didn’t know either!" The live chat erupted in laughter at the kids' adorably clueless expressions. Mina might seem a little ditzy, but she’s just too cute! And wow, Jane is so sharp for her age spotting the problem with the metal detector right away! Ares Kai is pretty great too, and Ares Kai knows it as well. Hazel and Ariana look absolutely adorable with their clueless expressions, while I, the domineering CEO Kang, maintain a cool facade—though my eyes keep darting toward Mina’s homemade metal detector. As for Elijah, the silly rich kid? Case closed! Wait a minute wasn’t there that time when Elijah and Jane were on *Adventures with Cute Kids*? Didn’t Jackson Logan try to arrange a childhood betrothal between them? Wonder if it ever happened! Seriously? You even have to ask? Of course not! The line of suitors for my precious daughter stretches all the way to France—no way some little pig like Elijah could ever snatch her up! ... The live chat was buzzing with chatter, but Mina just propped her little face in her hands, pouting in frustration. “But what do I do now that I don’t have any batteries?” Jane patted her sister’s shoulder reassuringly. “Don’t worry, sis. Once we get off the bus, we can ask the logistics uncles—they must have some batteries.” “Oh! You’re right! We’ll need flashlights in the desert, so they definitely packed extras. Mwah~! My Jane is the smartest!” Mina immediately pulled Jane into a tight hug, smothering her face with kisses. Without thinking, Jane wiped the slobber off her cheek. But then Mina’s brows instantly furrowed, her expression turning wounded. “Jane… you’re grossed out by me~~~” Jane froze mid-wipe, her little hand hovering awkwardly. After a pause, she gently rubbed her cheek again, putting on her most serious face. “No, sis! I was just… spreading it evenly!” Mina nodded in satisfaction. "Mmm, you should spread it evenly. Saliva has excellent antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties can't let it go to waste!" Hahaha, Little Jane's survival instincts are killing me! I'm laughing my head off! Damn, maybe I've gone overboard with shipping characters, but I can't help feeling there's some serious chemistry between the sisters too! You're not alone, buddy! The way Jane acted just now totally gave off "whipped husband" vibes. So submissive! "Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory" what kind of logic is that? Hahaha... Gotta confess—when I was a kid and got mosquito bites, my dad also told me to dab saliva on them... Same here, saliva gang! I used to press a cross into the bite with my nails—no one taught me, just my own invention, haha! ... After leaving the airport, the car drove deeper into desolation. Three hours later, there wasn’t a single building in sight outside the windows just endless stretches of yellow sand and the occasional patch of green shrubs. When the car finally stopped, Xing Chao led the kids out. "Fall in!" Instructor Niu’s booming voice carried far across the empty desert. The seven kids, all different heights, had already mastered the drill after their island experience. They lined up swiftly without hesitation. The children quickly lined up in order from tallest to shortest, instinctively straightening their backs and standing at attention. Yet when Leonard at the head of the line bent down to peek, the row still twisted and turned like a wriggling earthworm. She immediately dashed out, meticulously adjusting her younger siblings' shoulders one by one to straighten the line before returning to her position. "At ease!" "Attention!" After Drill Instructor Niu once more disciplined the formation, he bellowed with booming authority, "Count off!" "One!" "Two!" ... "Seven!" Inspired by Instructor Niu's commanding presence, the children shouted louder and louder, each trying to outdo the last. "Now, Mr. Bear will explain the program rules and survival tips for the desert," the instructor announced. Bear stepped forward with a large backpack slung over his shoulder. Though his Mandarin was far from perfect, he spoke with earnest effort: "Kids, for this desert survival challenge, the program allows each of us to bring five kilograms of supplies." We'll only bring the bare minimum of warm clothing for nighttime, and use all remaining capacity to carry water. Once we enter the desert, we'll figure out ways to forage for food." Elijah raised his hand eagerly. "Mr. Bear, if we find extra food this time, can we still trade with the production team?" Bear Grylls turned to Xing Chao with a questioning look. "Ahem..." Xing Chao cleared his throat and stepped forward, his expression turning serious. "This time our production team has very limited supplies, so we won't be making any trades!" Little Jane tilted her head sweetly, her big eyes twinkling as she said in her adorable baby voice, "Uncle Xing, you'd better remember those words~" Xing Chao suddenly recalled the price he'd paid for that fish last time... Now the internet-savvy netizens had turned his performance of "The Painter" song into a viral meme that spread across all platforms, even trending on social media for weeks. Though it never cracked the top three, staying around tenth place, his dignity as a grown man had been thoroughly demolished... Gritting his teeth, Xing Chao decided not to dig his own grave this time. With an exaggerated show of righteousness, he backtracked, "While our supplies are indeed limited and we theoretically shouldn't trade... as a kind and benevolent production team, if you're truly in need and have something worthwhile to exchange, we might make an exception!" [Laughter erupts] Our little Jane delivers the most powerful threats with her adorable expressions and sweet baby voice. Director Xing, you weigh nearly 200 pounds! Where's your backbone? The moment Jane speaks up you fold like a cheap suit - where's your dignity? Director Xing: Dignity? What's that? Is it edible? Does it taste better than Jane's grilled fish? ...