200: Chapter 199 Winter Gomoku

The next day, the temperature dropped even further, as if cursed.

The biting cold wind was like a sharp blade, ruthlessly slashing against everyone's faces.

In this brutal survival challenge, another batch of contestants couldn't hold on and were mercilessly swallowed by the extreme cold, freezing to death in the wilderness.

The scene was as if God were playing a cruel game of elimination; those with insufficient equipment or weak willpower were instantly ousted from this survival show.

Andre from the Pretty Country was practically given a "life-saving candy" by the Goddess of Luck.

Just as he was freezing to the point of saying goodbye to the world, he stumbled upon a dead moose.

It was like a traveler dying of thirst in the desert suddenly discovering a vibrant oasis.

Andre's eyes widened like copper bells. Without a word, he grabbed his stone knife and sliced toward the moose's belly.

His movements were so practiced that one couldn't help but wonder if he had done such a crazy thing in a past life.

After cutting open the moose's belly, Andre didn't care about his image anymore; he slipped inside like a nimble loach.

Surprisingly, the moose's belly was like a custom-made natural thermal sleeping bag, warm and cozy.

Andre curled up inside, only his head showing, looking like a little guard hiding in a mysterious fortress.

"Heh heh heh, this is truly a life-saving straw bestowed by God!"

Andre sighed with excitement inside the moose's belly, shifting his body from time to time to find the most comfortable position.

livestream room.

"Hahaha, the luck of our Pretty Country's contestant is really good."

"He's safe now. Not only does he not have to freeze, but he can also eat moose meat, hahaha."

"Holy crap, Andre's luck is truly something else. It's a literal version of a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse."

"As long as he doesn't die, I really can't eat or sleep in peace."

The snow outside fell continuously, dancing around as if to celebrate his peculiar way of staying warm.

But before long, Andre realized that the inside of a moose's belly wasn't as wonderful as he had imagined.

First of all, the smell was overwhelming, like an overturned giant jar filled with all sorts of strange spices—sour, foul, and fishy—all intertwined, making him want to sneeze.

"Cough, cough. This smell is way more intense than I expected." Andre frowned and pinched his nose, trying to adjust to the "unique" scent.

The strange smell inside the moose's belly reminded him of the time he fell into a latrine as a child.

Secondly, the space was quite cramped. With every slight movement, he felt the moose's skin pressing tightly against him, as if invisible hands were squeezing him.

But there was no other way. For the sake of survival, what did this minor grievance matter?

While Andre was struggling to adapt inside the moose's belly, other contestants were still struggling outside.

Some were shivering in the snow, wrapped in layers of rags, looking for Shelter; others had already run out of strength and collapsed, their eyes full of despair.

As for Andre, in this peculiar "Shelter," he began to let his imagination run wild.

"When I make it out alive, I must write a book about this experience. It might even become a bestseller!"

Thinking this, Andre gestured excitedly inside the moose's belly, imagining himself as a bestselling author being chased by fans.

Time passed minute by minute, and the wind outside continued to howl.

Andre didn't know how long he had been in the moose's belly; he only felt hungry and thirsty.

He began to miss his warm bed at home and the delicious meals his mother cooked.

"If only I could have a bite of hot pizza right now, that would be great!" Andre swallowed hard, his stomach growling in response.

Compared to the plight of contestants from other countries, the Chinese contestants seemed to handle the disaster with ease.

Lu Fan and An Lan spent the whole day comfortably in the Shelter, roasting over the fire and eating meat, turning the extreme weather into a pleasant enjoyment.

The Shelter was warm and cozy. Lu Fan gnawed on roast meat while saying animatedly to An Lan, "Look at those people outside. They're probably desperate for a warm corner right now. Unlike us, living such a cozy life."

An Lan smiled and rolled her eyes at him. "You're just being smug. It's only because we prepared well in advance. Otherwise, we'd probably be shivering in the cold wind like them."

After eating, the two of them started playing gomoku in the Shelter to pass the somewhat boring time.

The chessboard was the one they had carefully crafted before, each square carrying the joy of their leisure time.

Lu Fan played with the black pieces. He started aggressively, placing one stone after another, trying to quickly establish an advantage. He muttered, "I'm telling you, I only lost to you last time because I let you win. I won't show any mercy this time."

An Lan, however, was unhurried, considering every move carefully.

She gently picked up a white stone, pausing briefly in the air as if preparing a big move, then placed it steadily. She replied with a smile, "I'd like to see just how good you are."

Back and forth, the stones on the board gradually increased, and the situation became more intense.

Lu Fan's black stones seemed aggressive, but they were skillfully maneuvered and blocked by An Lan's white stones. Several times, just as he was about to get five in a row, An Lan intercepted him with quick eyes and hands.

"Ah, so close!"

Lu Fan slapped his thigh in frustration, but his eyes were glued to the board, not missing any potential opportunity.

An Lan pursed her lips and giggled, teasing him on purpose, "Great Hero Lu, your 'peerless martial arts' won't work on this board. Just surrender gracefully."

Lu Fan refused to give in, shaking his head like a rattle. "No way, I haven't even used my trump card yet."

Saying that, his eyes darted around, and he came up with a plan. Taking advantage of An Lan's distraction, he secretly moved a stone.

"Hey, you're cheating!" An Lan was sharp-eyed and immediately spotted the flaw, reaching out to grab Lu Fan's "criminal" hand.

Lu Fan quickly pulled his hand back, feigning composure. "No, I didn't. You must be seeing things. This is a fair competition."

At this moment, the viewers in the livestream room were also very lively.

"These two are so funny. It's freezing outside, yet they're having the time of their lives inside."

"Great God Lu Fan is even dishonest when playing games. An Lan, don't let him off the hook."

"Seeing their joy in this brutal survival challenge really warms the heart."

"Compared to this happy scene, seeing the other contestants suffer makes me even happier."

"Me too. As expected, happiness truly is built on the pain of others."

While they were having a blast, the blizzard outside continued to rage. The gale battered the Shelter, making a howling sound as if jealous of the warmth and joy inside.

Meanwhile, Lu Fan and An Lan were immersed in the world of gomoku, completely oblivious to the cold and danger outside.

As it grew dark, the two finished their games for the day. An Lan won most of them, and although Lu Fan lost many, he still had a smile on his face.

"I'll let you off today. I won't show any mercy tomorrow," Lu Fan said stubbornly while packing up the stones.

An Lan nodded with a smile. "Sure, anytime. Let's see who the real gomoku master is tomorrow."

The two lay on the warm kang bed, covered with thick animal skins. Listening to the howling wind outside, they slowly drifted into dreamland.