Chapter 496: Boss, I Want to Rent Eight Raincoats and Rubber Boots!

After Wang Yun spoke, the boss holding the money froze for a moment. Then, without hesitation, he shoved the cash back into Wang Yun’s hands.

“I only sell seafood. I’ve got nothing else to offer you.”

Judging by the look on his face, the boss clearly thought Wang Yun was some kind of prankster; his expression was filled with wariness.

But Wang Yun simply smiled and didn’t pocket the money.

“Boss, you’ve misunderstood. I just want to rent your rubber boots and raincoats. My brothers and I are vacationing nearby and thought it’d be fun to try catching seafood ourselves. Especially my little brother, he wouldn’t shut up about coming to the beach. But we didn’t bring any change of clothes, so we’re hoping you’ll do us a favor.”

He said it all with warm sincerity.

“Rent raincoats and boots? That’s all?” the boss asked, puzzled. “You don’t need to pay that much…”

He muttered the last part under his breath, glancing at the group behind Wang Yun.

Sure enough, a young boy stood there beaming at the ocean, eyes filled with excitement.

Free money is still money.

Besides, those eight sets of rain gear were old and worn out. Even if he gave them away, they wouldn’t be worth much.

After a moment’s thought, the boss waved to his brother nearby and murmured a few words.

The man shot Wang Yun a sharp look, his eyes gleaming, then gave a nod. Within a minute, all eight sets of raincoats and rubber boots were brought over.

“Much appreciated, boss.”

Wang Yun gave the man a wave, then turned to his teammates.

Though still confused, everyone stepped forward and got changed into their gear without complaint. Of course, the wristbands on their arms—the ones marking them as fugitives—remained exposed.

“This bucket of shells is on the house,” the boss offered. “With your inexperience, I doubt you’ll find much out there.”

He was a decent guy, generous even.

The shells looked large, but they barely had any meat inside.

Still, Wang Yun accepted them with a smile and headed down toward the shoreline.

***

“Boss, are we really going out to sea to catch seafood?” Old Hu asked, puzzled.

Wang Yun nodded, then glanced back over his shoulder.

Right now, his system’s shock value was spiking rapidly.

It was climbing at an alarming rate—clearly, the program inspectors were close.

Even so, they weren’t specifically targeting them yet. There were too many people along the beach to search everyone.

And once his group ventured farther out to sea, the inspectors certainly wouldn’t follow them into the water just to check their wrists.

“Yeah. The inspectors are almost here. Let’s head into the water and lay low. Everyone move as far from the shore as you can. Stay in the shallows, and make sure each of you fills a small bucket with food. If you spot any inspectors or drones, don’t panic. Keep your heads down and pretend you’re focused on foraging. Keep your wrists completely submerged! Don’t let the wristbands show. And listen, whether or not you eat tonight depends on how hard you work. If you come back empty-handed, you go hungry. Understood?”

Standing at the water’s edge, Wang Yun spoke with quiet authority, his voice carried by the sea breeze.

Every word felt like a command chiseled in iron, resolute and unwavering.

Only now did everyone fully grasp what he had planned.

They were nervous, but above all, they were in awe.

To come up with such a perfect evasion tactic in such a short time… And even solve the problem of food at the same time… He truly was the most brilliant mind among them.

But one question lingered in everyone’s heart—none dared ask it aloud:

How had he known there was a beach to the north, without ever seeing a map of Lidao?

And how had he known there would be locals here fishing—that they could blend in with them?

None of them voiced their doubts.

“Let’s go, let’s go, into the water! I love seafood! Boss, I’m definitely coming back with two full buckets!”

Old Hu was completely unbothered by the looming presence of the inspectors.

Xiao Gang handed him his bucket as well, motioning for Old Hu to fill that one too.

Old Hu pretended not to notice.

The other five, however, weren’t nearly as relaxed. They rushed toward the sea. Even Xiang Xiang, only 1.65 meters tall, was striding as fast as his legs could carry him. He was terrified of being caught near the shoreline.

Before joining the show, his school principal had personally encouraged him to stick it out as long as possible.

Make friends with Wang Yun, win some airtime, and find a way to promote their school.

The task of revitalizing their reputation rested on his shoulders. He couldn’t afford to get eliminated early.

“Xiang Xiang! That’s far enough. If you bend down now, your head’s gonna be underwater. How are you going to forage like that?” Old Zhou called out.

Xiang Xiang paused. Sure enough, the water was already up to his chest.

“Oh, right!” he said, backing up a little.

But he still looked reluctant.

Big Mouth, noticing his hesitation, chuckled. “You should back up a bit more. You’re the shortest one here, yet you’re standing in the deepest water? That’ll definitely look suspicious. Relax. Just follow the boss’s plan. I trust him; he hasn’t been wrong yet.”

True to his name, Big Mouth was hearty in both build and spirit.

Among the five, he was by far the most carefree.

After he spoke, Xiang Xiang reluctantly retreated a little further from the deeper water.

Meanwhile, the tallest of them—Xiao Gao—hadn’t gone very far out. Instead, he remained standing upright, his eyes fixed steadily on the beach behind them.