88: World-ending Rain

"Wake up! Wake up! Xiaofan! It's raining heavily!"

Gao Xiaofan opened his eyes in a daze. By the dim light of the camera's source, he saw Qiu Gu squatting in front of him, shaking his shoulders with an anxious look on his face.

"Mm~"

"Xiaofan, it's raining. What should we do? It's huge, really huge!"

Qiu Gu shouted incoherently in his anxiety. Even though he was shouting loudly, it sounded like the buzzing of a mosquito in Gao Xiaofan's ears, which were filled with the sound of torrential rain battering the tent.

Gao Xiaofan was startled and sat up abruptly. Qiu Gu had already unzipped the sleeping bag. He crawled to the tent opening on all fours and looked outside.

Rain! Heavy rain! Torrential rain! A downpour like cats and dogs!

As far as the eye could see, everything was a hazy grey—the mist created by the rain splashing on the ground. It was as if a hole had opened in the sky, pouring down in sheets.

He couldn't hear any other sound; there was only the pitter-patter of the relentless rain cutting through the air and smashing onto the ground.

"Xiaofan, you were right, it's really raining heavily!" Qiu Gu shouted from behind him, but even though he was right there, Gao Xiaofan couldn't hear a thing.

Qiu Gu could only grab his shoulder, wait for him to turn around, and repeat himself.

"Xiaofan, you were right, it's really raining heavily!"

Gao Xiaofan turned around, stepping into a puddle. He frowned as he looked at the ground; the earth that had only been damp moments ago was already starting to flood.

"Have you contacted the Program Production Crew?"

"I have. We're waiting for a reply from the Meteorological Bureau."

...Xiushui Village, early morning.

Inside the control room, the staff members were yawning and boredly playing with their phones.

A flash of light flickered, momentarily brightening the room before it went dark again.

While the staff were still dazed, a loud crash echoed.

"Rumble~"

Then, the sound of rain drifted in from outside.

Pitter-patter... a few seconds later, drip-drop...

Within a minute, the sound turned into a loud drumming.

A minute later, the sound of heavy splashing began to resonate through Xiushui Village.

Before the staff could react, the door was burst open, and Qu Lang rushed in, stumbling.

"Contact Gao Xiaofan, quick! Quick! Quick!"

The staff finally snapped to their senses, their expressions changing drastically. They nervously tuned the frequency, repeatedly calling for Qiu Gu.

Qu Lang squeezed past them and took control, switching through the livestream rooms.

Seeing Gao Xiaofan fast asleep, Qu Lang breathed a sigh of relief, but then, as if remembering something, he put on a headset.

The roar in the livestream room was deafening, mixed with the sound of rain hitting the tent.

Qu Lang's expression changed drastically. He hurriedly looked at the staff member next to him; fortunately, they had finally connected with Qiu Gu.

Just as Qu Lang was about to say more, the control room door was burst open again. Cheng Yan and Jing Yu both appeared with shocked faces. They were far from the control room, and by the time they arrived, they were soaked to the bone.

Qu Lang glanced at them but ignored them, quickly pulling up the microphone and turning the volume to the maximum.

"Attention all guests! A sudden rainstorm has hit. Please stay indoors and do not go out!"

"Attention all guests! A sudden rainstorm has hit. Please stay indoors and do not go out!"

"Attention all guests! A sudden rainstorm has hit. Please stay indoors and do not go out!"

The voice echoed throughout Xiushui Village, coming from cameras placed all over. The guests were also startled awake, staring blankly at the apocalyptic rain outside.

Cheng Yan had also established contact with the people at the Meteorological Bureau and was currently on the phone.

Only Jing Yu had a face full of shock mixed with confusion; she was completely stunned, not knowing what to do.

"I need a definitive answer! How long will this rain last?"

Cheng Yan roared. He had to be sure. If the Meteorological Bureau's reply was uncertain, he would immediately stop the program's livestream and quickly evacuate everyone from Xiushui Village.

After Cheng Yan finished shouting, his expression softened slightly as he listened to the voice on the other end of the line.

When he hung up, everyone in the room looked at him nervously.

"Phew~ It's fine. It's just a thundershower; it'll stop soon!"

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and slumped into their chairs.

"The Meteorological Bureau said it's because the typhoon's path shifted. It was almost dissipated, but when it reached the An River, it acted up again. However, they've detected that the typhoon has now scattered."

The people in the room suddenly snapped back to reality and looked at Gao Xiaofan's livestream room.

The staff also quickly switched the livestream audio to the speakers.

"Xiaofan, you were right, it's really raining heavily!"

"Xiaofan, you were right, it's really raining heavily!"

Hearing this, Qu Lang couldn't help but glare at Jing Yu and Cheng Yan. He then took a large stride, snatched the headset from the staff member, and spoke.

"Qiu Gu, Qiu Gu, can you hear me?"

In the livestream, Qiu Gu looked stunned for a moment, then overjoyed. He covered his headset and shouted.

"Director Qu, yes, go ahead."

"The Meteorological Bureau said the rain will stop soon! You must stay safe!"

The tension on Qiu Gu's face in the screen relaxed, and he nodded at the camera. At this moment, with the pressure lifted, he realized his throat hurt terribly. Constant shouting had already made his voice hoarse.

Qu Lang turned to look at Jing Yu, then shifted his gaze to Cheng Yan.

"Cheng Yan, we must be prepared to evacuate at any time. This is no joke. Think about what the Meteorological Bureau told us this morning, yet this rain came so suddenly without any warning."

Cheng Yan pulled out a cigarette, nodded, and stood up, about to make arrangements.

Suddenly, Jing Yu stood up and shouted.

"No! The Meteorological Bureau said it would stop soon. And didn't you hear Director Zhang? Even if it rains heavily all day, it won't flood our location."

"Have you seen it? Look at the program's popularity and traffic!!!"

Everyone looked at the livestream room and was dumbfounded.

In the early morning hours, there were 200 million popularity points.

"If we evacuate now, have you thought about the company's massive investment? Have you thought about the audience's reaction? Have you even asked the guests what they think?"

Qu Lang and Cheng Yan both fell silent. What was the goal of making a show? Wasn't it to chase popularity and become a hit?

Now, this heavy rain had directly pushed the show's popularity to heights it had never reached before.

They didn't even need to ask the guests to know they wouldn't leave. For them, this rain was a godsend; the fans' concern would turn into fuel to help their careers take off.

Qu Lang rubbed his forehead. "Fine. Then turn all the vehicles around and park them in front of every house. Ensure that no matter the situation, the people inside can get into the cars immediately and depart within three minutes."

After speaking, he looked at the large screen in the control room. The first place on the rankings was blood-red.

Gao Xiaofan: 108,950,000 popularity points.

Jing Yu's expression also relaxed, and she then couldn't help but start laughing.

A heavy rain had delivered such a massive achievement right to her doorstep.