Chapter 484

"Ahhh! Did you see how cool Mina was when she stabbed that scorpion just now?!" "Though... I mean... Mina is seriously fearless. Meanwhile, I'd freak out if I saw a single cockroach at home!" "Hahaha, don't even compare yourself to Mina. She's the real deal—to her, everything's edible!" ... After their first successful catch, Mina shifted her focus from treasure hunting to foraging for food. Before long, her relentless efforts paid off several scorpions, two rattlesnakes, and three jerboas. The production team launched an online poll asking whether they should provide portable stoves for the contestants. Viewers, who'd been heartbroken seeing their "daughters" and "sons" suffer, immediately flooded in with supportive votes. Once the stoves arrived, Mina swiftly prepped the ingredients—skinning and gutting the jerboas and snakes, removing the scorpions' venom glands. She dry-fried the scorpions and stewed the snakes and jerboas into a thick, nearly oil-free broth (water was too precious to use generously). Ariana and Hazel were hesitant at first, but seeing everyone else dig in, they eventually gave in. Though lightly seasoned, the meal tasted heavenly to their starved stomachs. With their bellies full, the team pressed on. The desert trek grew monotonous. To conserve energy, Bear Grylls eventually instructed everyone to walk in silence. When Ariana and Hazel began struggling, Leonard and Elijah stepped up, each supporting one of them. Meanwhile, Mina and Jane leaned on each other, sister helping sister. Not a single word was spoken, nor was there any complaint. The live broadcast showed nothing but a silent, almost monotonous scene. Yet, despite its dullness, the screen was flooded with a constant stream of viewer comments. "Stay strong!" and "My heart aches for them!" filled the entire display. The production team is ruthless they’re taking this way too seriously. But these kids are unbelievably brave and resilient. Even Ariana hasn’t shed a tear. My mom asked why I was crying while watching this. Honestly… I don’t think I could’ve handled it better than these little kids, even if I were the one participating! Hang in there! The children of our nation will never break! I don’t know what to say… Just keep going, kids! Stay strong +1 Stay strong +10086 ... "Caw, caw..." Just then, a vulture circled overhead before gliding past. Mina sniffled, her voice hoarse from thirst and lack of speaking. "The smell of blood is so strong!" Led by Bear, they hadn’t walked far when they stumbled upon the carcass of a large ostrich. Mina rushed over excitedly to inspect it. "Jane, this ostrich hasn’t been dead long—the wounds are still fresh. It’s edible!" However, Bell's expression turned grave as he waved his hands urgently, calling out to the group in his broken Mandarin, "Go, go! Hurry up and leave!" Mina looked puzzled. "Teacher Bell..." she began, her voice trailing off. *Shouldn't we take this amazing food with us?* Before she could finish her question, Jane tugged at her hand, his tiny legs working double-time as he pulled her forward. "Sis, hurry! If we don't, *we'll* become the food!" Mina opened her mouth to ask more, but Jane cut her off with just three words: "Food chain." The realization hit her like a bolt of lightning. Without another word, she quickened her pace, fear propelling her forward.