Chapter 313: In the Face of Money, Pride and Dignity Mean Nothing!

After the male staff member finished speaking, the studio fell silent for a moment.

It was true. Surviving just one day in the show came with a reward of 20 million. Even a dog could start talking for that kind of money, let alone a person. And especially someone like Wang Yun, a young man seemingly without a girlfriend or family obligations. At his age, he’d surely want to earn as much as possible.

Even extras on the show understood this logic, so how could someone as sharp as Wang Yun not?

“But you can’t put it that way,” another male staff member chimed in. “He’s already survived for nearly 100 days. The money he’s earned could last multiple lifetimes. Plus, he’s smart enough to plan for the future.” 

“He knows his influence and the consequences of making bold claims. I trust that Wang Yun has thought this through. He wouldn’t risk ruining his future for a mere 20 million,” another one added.

However, most of the crew leaned toward the first male staff member’s perspective.

The executive producer was getting a headache. He regretted even asking these people for their opinions. All their back-and-forth only made him more frustrated.

“Enough. There’s just over an hour left. We’ll know the truth soon enough,” he said impatiently, waving them off as he stood and left the studio.

He stepped out onto the balcony alone, lighting a cigarette with a sense of dejection.

Ever since starting this show, his smoking habit had worsened significantly. He had no idea how to calm his growing anxiety. Watching Wang Yun’s live escape footage was too thrilling, almost too real.

Sometimes, he’d even have nightmares where he became Wang Yun, living through the same relentless chase.

The negative comments online only made him more anxious and angry.

And now, on top of it all, there was talk of an earthquake.

This wasn’t a trivial matter. If it turned out to be false, the backlash would be catastrophic. This was a national issue. It was affecting countless locals. One misstep could spark widespread outrage.

The rooftop was filled with smoke, and the wind was struggling to keep up with the cigarette haze spiraling upward.

***

Meanwhile, Wang Yun was making significant progress. He had successfully found a safe place to take shelter.

In front of him lay a wide plain.

Calling it a plain was generous. It was more of an irregular, barren expanse, roughly 1,000 square meters.

While the entire area was visible at a glance, it offered one key advantage. There were no surrounding buildings to collapse on them during an earthquake. As long as the ground didn’t crack open, they wouldn’t be in immediate danger.

“Boss, I have to say, ever since I started following you, my luck has been getting better,” Brother Hu said with a gruff voice, adding a playful tone at the end that made Wang Yun and Xiao Gang shudder.

“If you’re going to talk, just talk normally. Don’t turn into one of those cringy types,” Xiao Gang shot him a look of disdain.

Brother Hu, however, was unfazed.

He had been the one to discover this spot. While walking, he’d felt a slightly stronger breeze from the left.

The wind was noticeably stronger than before.

If the wind could pass through, it meant the area ahead was open and barren, free of obstructions like trees or buildings.

Where the wind was weaker, likely obstacles were blocking its flow.

Trusting this logic, Brother Hu had determined the direction—and he was right.

“It’s almost time. Let’s fill our stomachs first,” Wang Yun said, glancing into the distance. 

“We don’t know how long the earthquake will last. All we can do now is leave it to fate,” he added.

Using his enhanced hearing ability, Wang Yun had tried to pick up sounds from the surrounding area. Being far from the coast, he couldn’t hear the waves anymore, which meant he couldn’t estimate how much time remained.

But judging by the increasingly strong winds, he was certain an earthquake was coming.

Moreover, the sea level had dropped noticeably, and when they entered the ocean earlier, Wang Yun had detected a stronger salt concentration in the water.

Based on these observations, he estimated the earthquake’s magnitude wouldn’t be less than a 6.

A magnitude 6 quake was classified as strong, and anything beyond that was considered a major earthquake.

Xiao Gang and Brother Hu pulled out their remaining food supplies. It was the last of their provisions. Once it was gone, they’d truly have nothing left.

“Boss, have something to eat,” Xiao Gang offered Wang Yun a piece of bread.

Wang Yun waved him off.

“I’m not hungry,” he said.

It wasn’t a lie. With his superior physical conditioning, he didn’t feel the need to eat. He was waiting—waiting for the winds to reach their peak.

At this moment, the entire nation’s attention was on the escape show.

This was the first time a live broadcast had coincided with an earthquake.

Wang Yun’s live perspective placed him at the epicenter of the predicted quake. Though the situation was dangerous, the influx of viewers into his livestream was staggering.

Some were worried, some curious. Even geologists downloaded the broadcast to study the event in real-time.

The server crashed due to a surge in traffic.

As the predicted time drew nearer, Wang Yun’s livestream had accumulated 500 million viewers.

Five hundred million. It was a figure equivalent to nearly the entire mobile and internet-connected population of the country.

This number also included international viewers, some of whom spent significant amounts on data to bypass restrictions and tune in.