"I've lived for over 20 years, and this is the first time I've realized that the kung fu from TV shows is real! Amazing!"
"Don't get too excited yet, everyone. We only have the parachute cords so far. Not even a single parachute canopy has been recovered."
"Let's all calm down. We can't just be happy about finding a rope; we need to maintain some dignity."
After the initial outburst of exclamations in the comments, the viewers also composed themselves.
They finally realized a significant problem that stood between Jiang Fan and Zhou Niannian.
The other parachute had not yet been found, and its condition was uncertain.
If that parachute canopy couldn't be recovered, they wouldn't have enough time to build a shelter.
In the commentary booth, Bear Grylls pondered for a moment and accurately described their current situation.
"Jiang Fan's team has spent a considerable amount of time searching for parachutes."
"While obtaining parachute cords is good, if they don't head back now, they'll likely have to camp outdoors tonight."
After a moment of elation, they were now faced with a major challenge.
Should they return immediately to speed up the construction of a makeshift shelter?
Or should they continue searching, hoping that the nearby parachutes could be salvaged?
This was a choice that this team urgently needed to make.
Without much thought, Zhou Niannian was the first to stop Jiang Fan, who was about to move forward.
"Let's forget about it. It's already been incredibly difficult to obtain so many parachute cords today. Moving further doesn't guarantee any more gains."
"Besides, we can come back tomorrow to search. There's no need to rush."
She glanced at her watch. It was 1:30 PM after lunch.
It had taken about an hour to walk over and find the parachute cords.
Zhou Niannian considered herself a novice and knew she couldn't help Jiang Fan much.
Even with both of them working together, building a proper shelter would take considerable time.
There were too many uncertainties. For the sake of stability, she preferred to return now and focus on building a shelter.
Zhou Niannian had already made up her mind.
Unbeknownst to her, Jiang Fan's initial decision was also firm—
He wouldn't return until he found a salvageable parachute.
Hearing the woman beside him speak, Jiang Fan shook his head without hesitation.
"Let's search a little longer."
His tone was resolute. He scanned the direction, took a step forward, and moved without the slightest pause.
Despite her reluctance, Zhou Niannian, recalling his previous feats, gritted her teeth and followed him.
The rainforest was dense with trees.
With nothing to use as a reference overhead, Zhou Niannian quickly lost her sense of direction.
She could only painstakingly follow Jiang Fan, walking deeper into the increasingly thick undergrowth.
Constantly pushing through branches, Zhou Niannian's mind felt like mush, dizzy and disoriented.
"Did you find anything?"
"Wait for me."
"Where are we?"
Getting lost in the rainforest was extremely dangerous.
Fortunately, there was still a teammate ahead.
Zhou Niannian didn't know if he was lost, and she dared not even consider it.
Her mind struggled to function, occasionally checking her watch.
This time, they had been traveling for quite a while.
An hour and a half had passed, and there was still no end in sight.
The viewers, who had already been harboring doubts, were now unable to contain themselves and growing anxious.
"What's going on? Where is Brother Jiang actually heading? The camera cuts are so frequent, I'm losing track of where we are."
"Wasn't he supposed to be looking for parachutes? I remember Daixiaomei and Brother Jiang were both relatively close to Sister Zhou at the time. Where has he been walking for so long?"
"What are they still looking for? If they don't go back soon, it'll be dark. Are they not planning to build a shelter?"
"Is it possible he's lost his direction and is just wandering aimlessly now?"
The audience, already uneasy, was now like a stone thrown into a ripple, their anxieties exploding.
The director, at the opportune moment, switched the camera to other contestants.
Teacher Piao and Xiao Zhongma's makeshift shelter was already taking shape. Although their technique was clumsy and it looked far from sturdy, it was at least livable.
Daixiaomei and Mu Zi, despite being female, were not falling behind.
The two of them had found many broken branches and were attempting to tie them together.
Dahou and Tuanzi Jiejie were fortunate enough to find a relatively dry cave, with no signs of any wild animals.
Inside the dry cave, they were even beginning to experiment with the techniques of friction fire.
Worth mentioning are a pair of lesser-known contestants.
One was Wang Jun, a niche streamer from a rural background, who had accumulated a small following through his craftwork in the countryside.
The other was an unknown streamer, whom no one had ever seen before, known only by the single character "Yao."
When the camera cut to them, it panned over their small hut.
At some point, their shelter had already been built.
It was a single-story wooden hut, covered with large leaves on top and thatched with straw below, bound together with vines at the joints.
Although it looked precarious, and they would have to be extremely careful when tossing and turning in their sleep at night, it was, at least, a place to shield them from the wind and rain.
The area where they landed didn't have abundant meat, but it had a clearing that could shelter them from the elements, sufficient for them to build their shelter.
Wang Jun looked at the small hut in front of him and, with a beaming smile, patted his teammate's shoulder.
"Great! Yao, our shelter is finally built!"
He wiped the sparse sweat from his forehead and plopped down on the bed of the hut.
The already unstable bed creaked loudly.
Yao, beside him, merely glanced at Wang Jun without a word, then turned to pick up a few pieces of wood to start a fire.
Seeing the seemingly well-constructed small wooden house, the viewers were utterly stunned.
"Wow, what am I seeing? A team has already finished building, and it's such a luxurious wooden hut."
"Why do I suddenly feel a sense of inadequacy? As expected of a craftsman from the countryside, Wang Jun is truly amazing!"
"It's over. This is just pure self-deprecation. Brother Jiang is still walking."
"Damn it, what is Brother Jiang trying to do? Does anyone know? I'm completely lost."
Many people marveled.
The streamers were indeed full of hidden talents; they had already finished so quickly.
It was like a game.
In contrast, Jiang Fan and Zhou Niannian were still walking through a dense thicket of bushes.
Lele looked up at the content on the big screen, paused, and said regretfully.
"This is so frustrating. Their initial advantage has been lost. I wonder if they're lost."
"Probably not."
Bear Grylls shook his head, seeing through the situation.
"Sister Zhou is just following Jiang Fan, but Jiang Fan must have a destination."
"He's constantly adjusting his direction, likely gambling to find a new parachute."
His words brought a little relief to the anxious viewers, but they also began to wonder where they might sleep that night.
A usable parachute.
This item had become indispensable for Jiang Fan and Zhou Niannian's team at this point.
Yet, it was so difficult to obtain.
The director's tense face finally broke into a smile as he watched Jiang Fan explore.
"We confirmed this when we first landed. All parachutes, except those by the sea, were caught in the trees."
Having said this, the director specifically glanced at the monitor.
Jiang Fan was still walking forward, having found nothing.
He then leaned back in his chair with a relaxed air and continued leisurely.
"Retrieving them is absolutely a pipe dream..."