Chapter 489: Wang Yun Arrives on the Island

“Whoa! This BeiBei girl’s skill set is wild!”

“Right? Under specialties, it literally says acting cute!”

“Wait, that’s a skill? How does acting cute even qualify as A-rank?”

“She’s also listed as skilled in costume changes! What even are these skills?!”

People were left scratching their heads when they saw BeiBei’s profile.

One skill was acting cute, the other was changing outfits. Weren’t those just things little girls did naturally?

But while many were baffled at first, a few sharp viewers quickly caught on.

Anyone who made it onto this show was guaranteed to have some kind of real talent. Even if her listed abilities seemed superficial, there had to be something deeper at play. BeiBei’s adorable appearance and the dissonance between her looks and her mysterious background sparked massive online interest.

Viewers flooded into her livestream, and she quickly became the second most-watched fugitive, only behind Wang Yun.

There were other Dragon Kingdom women who had joined the program as well, each with impressive abilities. One of them was none other than this year’s Latte Cup martial arts champion.

The Latte Cup was considered a global milestone in martial arts. To win it required an elite physique, exceptional technique, and lightning-fast reflexes.

In previous years, the title had always gone to foreign men, bulky powerhouses. Only once had someone from the Dragon Kingdom claimed the title.

And that winner had been a woman.

Which just showed how formidable she must be.

Her name, like her persona, had a quirky charm to it.

Lu Susu.

Her popularity was sky-high.

Last season, there hadn’t been a single female contestant. So this year, female fugitives were being warmly welcomed by the public.

Besides, the women chosen by the production team were perfect blends of beauty and skill, tailored exactly to the viewers’ preferences.

Right now, the top trending topic online was:

“Director Zhou Really Understands Men.”

A tongue-in-cheek hashtag, but it had held the #1 spot for over half an hour.

***

There was only one airport on the entire island. And the only way to reach it was by plane. That meant all 500 fugitives would be coming out through this same entry point.

Of course, the program also had some unwritten rules.

For instance, inspectors weren’t allowed to make any arrests until thirty minutes after a fugitive left the airport.

Otherwise, they’d just camp the exit and snatch everyone the moment they stepped out—instant game over.

At this point, thirty-eight fugitives had already disembarked and entered the survival phase.

Program inspectors had also mobilized, though none of them were allowed within five kilometers of the airport, giving the fugitives some much-needed breathing room.

Thirty-eight escapees meant thirty-eight livestreams were now active.

Viewers scrambled to keep up, switching between Ying Yuezi’s feed and BeiBei’s, then back again.

It was more exhausting than taking college entrance exams.

And the chaos only grew as more livestreams activated in real-time, new fugitives joining, one after another. 

Each new entry was announced in bold red text across the top of every screen.

“Contestant 0416 has entered the escape phase. Redirecting to livestream.”

The message lingered for five seconds, enough to tempt thousands to click over.

Still, the most anticipated contestant hadn’t yet appeared.

Wang Yun had just begun disembarking from his flight.

Director Zhou had personally come to the airport to welcome him.

Now, he stood waiting in the VIP lounge, eyes full of anticipation.

Behind him stood five others—each dressed distinctly, ribbons around their wrists embroidered with bold S-rank letters.

Yes, these five were none other than Wang Yun’s teammates.

Thud, thud, thud.

Footsteps echoed from beyond the door.

A second later, it opened.

And when Director Zhou saw that familiar, striking face, he couldn’t hold back—he rushed forward, arms wide.

“You’re finally here!”

He pulled Wang Yun into an emotional hug. Wang Yun smiled warmly.

“Not late, right? Has the show already started?”

Wang Yun jumped right into the conversation. Director Zhou gave a quick nod to Xiao Gang and Old Hu behind him, then turned back to Wang Yun with a twinkle in his eye, though not from joy. It was more like guilt.

“It’s been going for a while now. Nearly a hundred million people are watching, all waiting for you to show up!”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Old Hu said eagerly from the back. “Let’s get this escape started!”

Director Zhou quickly raised a hand.

“No rush. Let me explain this season’s scoring system first.”

And with that, he began laying out the point-based rules—how to gain points, how to lose them.

After hearing the breakdown, all three men—Wang Yun, Xiao Gang, and Old Hu—had a gleam in their eyes.

“These rules are great,” Wang Yun said. “We’re not the type to just run. We’ll go on the offensive.”

“Exactly!” Old Hu added. 

“There’s serious cash for eliminating inspectors. This time, boss, we aim to attack. I want to earn myself a dowry,” he said with a grin. “Whether I can kick back and enjoy life later, it all depends on this.”

Old Hu looked like he could already see the piles of money waving at him.

Even Xiao Gang’s face started to betray his excitement.

He couldn’t help imagining what life might be like after all this, because following Wang Yun meant they would be taking the initiative.

Last season, how many inspectors had they eliminated?

Even a few captains.

This season, that meant tens of millions in reward money.

Though both men were fired up, Wang Yun’s expression remained thoughtful.

Ever since stepping into the room, his gaze had been fixed on the five figures standing quietly in the back corner.