Substitute Alpha Gets Confessed to by Her Ex’s Aunt on a Survival Variety Show – Chapter 4

Landing in the Competition Zone, Meeting a Teammate

The intersection of the bustling night market faced an alley leading to the Old Town.

A black nanny van¹ had been parked at the alley’s entrance for a long time, motionless.

That was how it was in the Old Town—the rules weren’t strict, and many people liked to park on the roadside to save on parking fees.

The streetlight next to the van was bright, making its window shine like a mirror.

Liu Yinxi curled her lips at the window, a bewitching smile in her eyes. She admired her own appearance from different angles, finally flicking her hair back in satisfaction.

She knew she didn’t fit everyone’s standard of beauty. She understood that no perfect individual existed.

So what?

She just loved herself.

She was madly obsessed with becoming better and better in the ways she liked.

“Liu Yinxi, you will definitely succeed. Go for it!”

The light bathed Liu Yinxi’s rosy cheeks. She pointed at her reflection in the window, raised her arm, and gave a thumbs-up.

The motion was a bit too forceful, and inertia sent her stumbling two steps toward the curb.

“Hic.” Liu Yinxi steadied herself against the lamppost and spun around dizzily. “Oh, right, this way.” She slowly walked into the depths of the alley…

Inside the nanny van.

“…”

Nan Huaixu sat in the seat farthest from the streetlight, pressed tightly against the car door.

The rearview mirror reflected her solemn face. A few strands of hair had fallen across her neatly combed forehead.

The Assistant in the driver’s seat muttered quietly, “President Nan, that person just now was the young lady who delivered the shengjian.² When she gave them to me, she even raised a wine glass and said, ‘A toast to our superior taste.’ I thought she was hilarious then, but I never expected she’d be so vain in front of a car window on the street. Did she not even consider that someone might be inside…”

Nan Huaixu frowned slightly.

She felt that a certain someone hadn’t failed to consider it.

Rather, the drama queen’s skin had just grown exponentially thicker.

“President Nan, hurry and eat the shengjian. They won’t be crispy if they get cold.”

Nan Huaixu passed the food bag to the front. “For you.”

The Assistant was overwhelmed by the favor. “Huh? President Nan, you’re not having any? Didn’t you say you wanted to store up a little meat to fight off hunger and that you weren’t controlling your carbs for a few days?”

“Drive.”

“Yes, President Nan!”

The Assistant immediately stopped her chatter and drove off quietly.

The car turned left, entering a brightly lit avenue.

Nan Huaixu looked at the car window and tidied the fallen strands of her hair. As if driven by ghosts and gods,³ an image of Liu Yinxi, arms bare, opening a beer bottle with one hand, flashed through her mind… The eyes were the same eyes, the nose was the same nose, but something felt different…

“.”

Nan Huaixu raised a slender finger to prop up her chin.

Why am I thinking about her?

How boring.

She gazed out at the night scene where the lights were waning,⁴ her expression profound.

Hopefully, the decision to participate in this variety show would bring the new studio the publicity it expected.

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Phone calendar: April 7th.

Liu Yinxi left at six in the evening to report to Hongdu Airport as required by 《Survivor 5》.

An airport ground staff member held up a welcome sign from the show’s production team. “Hello, Liu Yinxi.”

“Hello.” Liu Yinxi pulled her suitcase and looked around. Passing tourists watched them with curiosity.

Liu Yinxi asked, feigning ignorance, “Am I the only guest reporting in?”

The ground staff member smiled. “No. To keep the guests’ information confidential, there are eight reception teams in total. Each guest’s check-in route and transit hotel are separate. This way, please.”

Liu Yinxi smiled and nodded, following the staff member to check in and enter a private lounge.

The assistant assigned to look after Liu Yinxi said, “Yinxi, you don’t seem surprised at all to see our destination.”

Liu Yinxi feigned shock. “Ah? Did it say the destination?”

“It’s written on the ticket.”

“Really? I was thinking it might be a layover or something.”

The assistant smiled. “The destination of this flight is the survival competition zone for 《Survivor 5》, Jinzhou Island.”

Jinzhou Island, located on the equator, sits in the western part of the Greater Sunda Islands of Southeast Asia. It has a tropical rainforest climate, with high temperatures and heavy rainfall year-round. Precipitation is relatively lower from April to September, which is why the 《Survivor 5》 competition was scheduled to start in April.

Jinzhou Island is situated at the crossroads of Southeast Asia and Oceania. Its unique island environment has nurtured a rich variety of species, many of which are unique to the island, such as the Jinzhou Tiger, the Jinzhou Red Orangutan, the Vatak White Rhino, as well as the Rafflesia, pitcher plants, corpse flowers… the list was endless.

The assistant gave a brief introduction to Jinzhou Island, adding a special reminder: “Please rest assured, the survival competition zone has been selected in a forest park on Jinzhou Island, and there are no ferocious beasts like the Jinzhou Tiger inside. However, you may encounter animals with a certain degree of danger, like wild boars and venomous monitor lizards. If you spot any traces of them, please move away promptly and pay attention to your safety.”

Liu Yinxi: “I’ll remember that. Thanks for the reminder.”

She had already mastered all this information. The competition zone was consistent with what was written in the original book. For now, it seemed the progress of 《Survivor 5》 was following the novel’s plot.

As more time passed since she transmigrated into the book, her memory of the original story was slowly fading, and some details were not as clear as they used to be.

To solve this problem, she had recorded the important plot points of the original book when she rented her apartment, creating tables to fill in the details and reciting them daily to deepen her memory.

Before boarding, the production team collected all the guests’ electronic devices. The memories in her brain were Liu Yinxi’s most precious resource.

At 11:30 PM on April 7th, Liu Yinxi prepared to board with the production team.

At 12:05 AM on April 8th, the international flight carrying Liu Yinxi took off.

The plane accelerated down the runway, lifted off with a roar, and soared through the clouds in the night sky.

At the same time, TV channels and major video platforms were broadcasting the live feed of 《Survivor 5》.

《Survivor 5》 Host: 【Hello, friends in the audience! After two years, it’s great to see you all again!】

【What you are seeing now are the eight survival guests of the fifth season of the Survivor competition. They are currently on an international flight to Jinzhou Island. Before landing at the survival point, none of the guests know any information about each other.】

【Next, let’s begin one of the most exciting segments of every season of 《Survivor》!】

【The! Lucky! Lottery! Machine!】

—The Lucky Lottery Machine, the main event for guest pairings! Yingma Outdoors, your guardian for outdoor travel! Watch 《Survivor 5》, use Yingma Outdoors! Yingma Outdoors reminds you that the livestream will get even more exciting later!

A flood of bullet comments scrolled across the screen.

【I knew there’d be sponsored content⁵ [dog head]⁶】

【This old lady⁷ paid for the super VIP early access livestream, and this is what you show this old lady???】

【Place your bets, I made a connection chart, everyone can use it to draw lines, you’re welcome~ [Attached image with the names and numbers of the eight guests]】

【I’m a face dog,⁸ so I’m connecting my goddess Nan Huaixu with the most beautiful alpha first [smug]】

【Nan Huaixu was on hiatus for three years, and she comes back with a bang! A huge star on a survival show, just thinking about it is so exci.ting! I’ve looked at all eight guests, and the only one whose fame and looks can compare to hers is the Figure Skating Queen, Xue Yunshao!】

【Ahhh my goddess Yunshao! She just retired due to injury at the end of last year! Will her body be okay for a survival show? Isn’t survival skill more important than looks? I hope Yunshao gets paired with the most capable omega guest!】

【Just based on first impressions, who do you guys think will win this season?】

【How can we guess before the lottery? We have to watch at least one episode of the survival live broadcast.】

【Uh, just based on appearance, I think Number 7 will probably win.】

【Number 7? You’re just looking at muscle mass, aren’t you. But u1s1,⁹ Number 7 has a calm but crazy vibe, like a taciturn lumberjack from the Siberian forests [eating melon]¹⁰】

【Doesn’t look like a lumberjack, those eyes… I’m a hat auntie,¹¹ my years of case-solving intuition tell me Number 7 is definitely not simple.】

A few minutes later, the livestream continued.

A transparent lottery machine had been set up on the main stage, filled with eight numbered balls of different colors.

With a command from the host, a mechanism was manually pressed. The lottery machine rumbled, and two balls dropped simultaneously into the transparent tubes on the left and right.

【Number 3 and Number 8 are a team!】

The process was repeated.

【Number 5 and Number 2 are a team!】

【Number 1 and Number 7 are a team!】

【Number 6 and Number 4 are a team!】

【Guest pairing is complete! Now, please watch the video introductions for our eight guests. Based on the pairings, you can vote for the guests you support via the voting method at the bottom of the screen and choose who you think is most likely to win this season’s survival competition!】

【Who is the survivor—let us wipe our eyes and wait!¹²】

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Calendar date: April 9th.

Mulang City, the capital of Jinzhou Island.

At the crack of dawn, Liu Yinxi changed into the outdoor clothing she had carefully prepared. She washed her face and saw the new tattoo sticker on the back of her left hand: 6.

This was the number given by the production team, distributed to each guest in the form of a tattoo sticker. The guests could stick it anywhere on their bodies, as long as it was visible enough for other guests to know they were fellow contestants.

Six, liù, sounded similar to her surname, Liǔ. It felt quite fateful.

Liu Yinxi looked at herself in the mirror for a moment, then raised her hand and kissed the back of it where the number was.

Six six big smooth, Liu Liu will be victorious!¹³

The azure sea reflected the layered clouds in the sky.

Rumble—

A helicopter cut through the white clouds and mist, descending slowly. As it neared the beach, the cabin door opened from the inside. With the help of the staff, Liu Yinxi got into position for landing.

Her personal assistant was beside her, confirming the key points one last time. “Yinxi, you’ve memorized all the rules in the pre-competition notice, right? Each team only has one chance for outside assistance; there are indigenous tribes in the forest park, try not to disturb them; after landing, first check the standard pack, activate the Survivor wristband, and be sure to browse the calendar in the wristband. It will notify you of the date and location of each supply airdrop.”

Liu Yinxi didn’t speak, just nodded amidst the roar of the wind. She didn’t want to waste a single bit of energy.

“In about half an hour, your teammate will also land here. You can move around freely during this time, but don’t go too far from the landing point, so you don’t miss meeting your teammate. The other three teams are your competitors. They are landing at other locations along the coast, and each landing point is more than a two-hour walk apart.”

Liu Yinxi nodded again.

The assistant: “Very good, prepare to land! Three, two—land!”

Liu Yinxi jumped out of the cabin, descending against the wind amidst the staff’s cheers. Her feet splashed into the seawater at the edge of the beach, and she landed steadily.

The glass-clear, blue-green seawater lapped against the beach, leaving behind lines of white foam.

Liu Yinxi walked onto the sand and stood under a coconut tree, looking up to wave goodbye to the helicopter.

The downdraft from the propellers swept over the top of the coconut tree. Liu Yinxi sat cross-legged in the shade, opened the standard survival pack provided by the production team, and took out all the contents, laying them on a coconut leaf to inspect:

Swedish Mora knife x1
Magnesium alloy fire starter x1
Aluminum mess tin x1
Satellite phone x1 (for calling for outside assistance)
Solar-powered waterproof outdoor wristband x1 (includes time display, date, alarm, airdrop day reminder, flashlight, and compass functions)
Medical kit x1 (contains a small amount of emergency medical supplies, tranquilizers for fever/susceptible periods, and sanitary pads)
Biodegradable bags x2 (as required by the Jinzhou environmental protection department, for collecting non-biodegradable waste generated during the competition)

Liu Yinxi took out the Mora knife. It was a classic model, a bit lacking for fine tasks like chopping vegetables, but very effective for chopping trees and shaving wood.

She slid the knife into the sheath on her belt, put on the wristband, and powered it on to activate it. The time and date were already set, and a simple user guide appeared on the screen.

Liu Yinxi quickly browsed the calendar. The date boxes for airdrop days had a hot air balloon icon, and the notification bars were all question marks. Tapping a question mark brought up a pop-up: The location hint for the airdrop will be refreshed at 10 PM the night before the airdrop.

Counting from today, the first ten days were a novice protection period. During this time, there would be an airdrop every three days, always at seven in the morning.

Liu Yinxi thought for a moment, set an alarm for six in the morning, and then repacked the survival supplies into her backpack according to the principle of light items on top, heavy items on the bottom.

In the original book, the first airdrop point was a shipwreck on the beach.

Liu Yinxi shouldered her pack and walked for a while along the edge of the coconut grove. In the distance, she saw an overturned, broken fishing boat next to two mangrove trees.

Any spot the production team chose as an airdrop point would have to be a unique landmark. There wouldn’t be any other shipwrecks on this stretch of beach.

That’s it.

Liu Yinxi smiled and wiggled the hand with the number 6 on it. What did she say? Six was just smooth~

In a survival competition, stamina was king. Being able to take a shorter path to get the airdrop meant saving more energy and increasing the chances of survival.

Having found the first airdrop point, Liu Yinxi surveyed her surroundings. She needed to find a suitable spot in the nearby woods to build a shelter.

She didn’t plan to build a very complex shelter in the first few days. Firstly, she needed to familiarize herself with the environment and gather resources in the initial phase, so time was tight. Secondly, the airdrop points would gradually get farther away, and the interval between airdrops would lengthen. Therefore, spending a lot of energy early on to build a shelter she was destined to move away from was not a wise move.

The sun on the beach was vicious, and she felt thirsty after just a short walk.

Liu Yinxi picked up a few fallen green coconuts and opened them for their juice. She drank half of one to quench her thirst and would bring the rest back later after meeting her teammate and setting up a shelter.

She moved around the landing point, searching the beach for useful trash. She used her knife to cut open a plastic bucket, buried it in the sand above the shell line, and put some small bugs she caught inside as bait. A simple sand crab trap was made. Those little crabs on the beach were clumsy, always scuttling about recklessly, so they would easily fall into the pit. Roasted, they would be a fragrant, crunchy little snack~

Thinking of the satisfying crunch of roasted sand crabs, Liu Yinxi slurped and couldn’t help but smile.

Rumble—

The sound of the wind brought by propellers arrived. Liu Yinxi immediately turned around. A helicopter hovered in mid-air, and a figure jumped out, landing in the shallow water.

Her teammate was here!

Liu Yinxi strode over. Between the turquoise sea and the white sand, the slender figure slowly approached.

“Hello! My name is Liu Yinxi!” Liu Yinxi saw the person’s face clearly and suddenly stopped in her tracks. “How is it you?!”

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The author has something to say:

This novel is set in a fictional world. The survival content in the text is purely fictional. The geographical environment and some of the biological species of Jinzhou Island are also fictional. Please do not take it as fact!

ps: Wishing all the babies taking exams today good results! (Good luck spray pss pss~)

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