CHAPTER 334: CHAPTER 334: THE RAINSTORM

It was past eight in the evening, and while everyone was still studying, a rumbling sound was suddenly heard.

What followed was a heavy downpour.

The rainwater fiercely pounded on the eaves, windows, and ground, making a ’pitter-patter’ sound.

The guests and viewers were startled.

The camera immediately turned its lenses to the window, and it was seen that the rain curtain had already connected the sky and the ground.

Duan Ling, sitting by the window, was startled by the sound of thunder.

"The weather forecast didn’t say it would rain today, did it?"

The production team planned to shoot in the mountains, and to ensure the guests’ safety, as well as the normal broadcast of the show, they kept an eye on the weather changes at all times.

If it was going to rain, they would indeed need to consult the locals on whether it was still possible to go into the mountains. If they received a rain notice while on the mountain, they would promptly notify the guests to evacuate.

Director Chen, after all, had experience filming survival shows in the wild, which was why the head of the forestry bureau strongly invited him. If the production team couldn’t even ensure the guests’ safety, there would be no point in continuing with this program.

Forester Zhao, with his extensive experience, said, "The weather is always unpredictable near the mountains. Sometimes it’s normal that meteorological departments can’t detect it in time, but they’ll notify us soon. This kind of weather is usually a thunderstorm, and it will clear up soon enough."

Since the locals said this, everyone continued with their studies.

However, some guests and viewers were still a bit worried.

They were afraid that the rain could cause landslides or affect the filming of tomorrow’s program.

Once the mountain roads become muddy, and given the already varied terrain in the area, there would be many uncertainties.

[I hope it clears up soon, otherwise, I feel we might not be able to broadcast live tomorrow]

[We should be able to broadcast, but it would be indoors, not on the mountain]

[For the safety of the guests and staff, that’s the only way]

[I say, don’t you guys think too highly of the guests? The forester goes up the mountain regardless of the weather, why can’t the guests do the same?]

[To the person above, you’re the one saying this now. When the guests get hurt on the mountain, you’ll be the first to condemn the production team]

Director Chen didn’t have time to pay attention to the live chat debates.

Similar debates often happen in many outdoor shows; he’s used to it.

He was also concerned about this rain.

The class continued until after nine in the evening, yet the heavy rain hadn’t stopped; it only grew stronger.

Even Forester Zhao, who had been calm, became uneasy. After hurriedly bidding farewell to the guests, he went to find his colleagues.

If an accident really happened on the mountain, these people familiar with the terrain would definitely have to work overtime to help.

Due to the rain, the guests couldn’t rest either, staying either in the study room or heading to the entrance of the guest house.

Both locations had fixed cameras; the live room remained open, allowing viewers who wanted to watch the show to continue doing so.

Most cameramen had gone to rest, with only a few on shift staying behind just in case.

Tuanzi squatted on the ground, looking up as the eaves water fell like broken strings of pearls.

Gu Che didn’t care about his image either, squatting next to her, staring at the dark scenery ahead.

"Don’t like rain?"

"I don’t like heavy rain."

Tuanzi pouted unhappily, "It causes floods, water disasters, many people die, and many people leave their hometowns."

She was talking about life in ancient times.

She recalled experiencing three heavy rains in a year. The flooding caused by the three heavy rains dealt a heavy blow to a country already fraught with internal troubles and external threats.

Even her master, who was so powerful, couldn’t save more people when faced with the heavy rain, only managing to take her and the villagers at the foot of the mountain to take refuge.

Before that, she was smug about being a martial arts prodigy. But in front of the heavy rain, she became someone who needed her master’s protection.

They barely got through the three floods, and bandits sprang up everywhere.

Some were genuinely bad people, while others were disaster victims who could not survive. If it were the latter robbing the imperial grain out of desperation, she and her master might have turned a blind eye. But they were robbing from other civilians, taking their money, and their lives.

During that time, she and her master were very busy, capturing people all over the place.

While she was thinking, a large hand appeared on her head.

"Then I don’t like heavy rain either."

Tuanzi turned to look at Gu Che, "Did Second Brother like rain before?"

"I had no feelings towards it, nothing I particularly liked or disliked."

Gu Che also tilted his head to watch the rain curtain.

"Initially, it was just out of defiance that I wanted to enter the talent show to get Big Brother’s attention, but later, I genuinely liked this profession. Although I would occasionally feel very tired, apart from this, there was nothing that I particularly liked."

"Not even games?"

"Just a way to pass the time."

Tuanzi thought about it and, maintaining her squatting position, inched closer with tiny steps and patted his head.

"Miaomiao can share what she likes with you."

Gu Che looked at her with amusement, "Like food?"

Tuanzi nodded.

"Like martial arts?"

Tuanzi nodded again.

"Like gardening? But your success rate with flowers isn’t high."

Tuanzi puffed her cheeks, "Skills need to be cultivated gradually. Miaomiao is still young; there’ll be times for success."

They kidded around for a bit, and after a while, the rain subsided. Everyone felt slightly relieved and went to rest.

But before six the next morning, the guest house was bustling with noise.

Tuanzi, with her sleep-tousled hair, groggily opened the door.

The doors of the opposite rooms were also open.

The guests looked at each other, "What’s going on?"

Yang Jin yawned, "Could it be that we can’t go into the mountains? The director must be having a headache."

Wu Ti, who was all packed up, said, "I’ll go ask, you all wash up and get ready. Even if we can’t go into the mountains, we definitely have to broadcast live today."

Tuanzi ’zipped’ back inside, sorted everything out in a few minutes, and jumped out the window, landing steadily and startling Director Chen who was talking to someone.

"You scared me to death."

He patted his chest, looking helplessly at Tuanzi’s innocent face.

"Miaomiao, next time, give a shout before you jump down."

Tuanzi grinned, "Okay, okay."

She agreed readily, but whether she’d remember next time was hard to say.

"Uncle Director, what’s happened?"

Director Chen sighed sorrowfully.

"The rain last night was too heavy. People from villages near the mountain were evacuated in time, but some of their houses got damaged. Also, many places on the mountain have collapsed, so it’s estimated that many animals are injured or even... In short, various parties are now organizing rescues."

Wu Ti was also there, frowning as he seemed somewhat angry, which was rare, "Yesterday, aside from the tourists we found, there were others who ran into non-tourist areas. Their families can’t contact them and know they came to the scenic area for fun..."

He didn’t finish the sentence, but Tuanzi understood.

Those who didn’t follow the rules were likely trapped on the mountain.

Moreover, having just come for a fun trip, they might only have brought some snacks and water, but not warm clothes or first-aid kits. If an accident happens on the mountain, the outlook isn’t good.

The comments exploded again—with people cursing and worrying about the trapped tourists.

Director Chen cleared his throat and said to the guests who were gradually gathering, "The main issue is there’s not enough rescue personnel, and we’re relatively familiar with this mountain, so I’m thinking, could we possibly help out as well?"