Chapter 38: Desert Challenge

Perhaps because it rained for seven days straight, our entire drone team had already returned to their hotel in Mingsha County seven days ago.

A staff member mumbled, unable to meet Yang Yuan’s gaze.

There was nothing to be done. While the rescue team could hold down Hongsha Gang Village, the drone team was completely unnecessary – drones just can’t fly in the rain.

Naturally, there was no point in defending against large animals anymore.

“What on earth is going on?”

Liu Qing gave the staff member an exaggerated glare. It was all part of his job – if he were the one reporting, he’d likely get a scolding.

“Everything was normal at first. Xu Hao and Zhu Qiang were busy repairing the wooden ladder leading to Shaji when, suddenly, two camels appeared at the other side of the Shadou area. Judging by their path, they should have just been passing by, but somehow, the camels took an unusual interest in Xu Hao’s log cabin, eventually even wandering into the fenced courtyard.”

Now, the two camels have been corralled by Xu Hao and Zhu Qiang. According to Xu Hao, they’re even planning on building a camel pen.

When recounting the incident, the staff member’s face only betrayed a sense of deep grievance.

They had truly done everything by the book, yet Xu Hao seemed like a chosen one – completely impossible to manage.

Rabbits hop into their own traps, wild chickens are delivered by vultures, and camels come to you on their own. Who has such luck? No novel would dare write a tale like this.

“This kid’s luck is unreal!”

After hearing the story, Liu Qing was utterly dumbfounded. Yang Yuan, seated behind the desk, shared his shock – on any normal day, catching a camel here would be impossible.

“Boss, what do we do now? Ever since the camels showed up, Xu Hao’s live stream has soared. His viewership has far exceeded our official channel, and his fans have even surpassed half a million.”

After a brief pause, the staff member whispered further,

“That’s not all – in Xu Hao’s area, numerous tiny green dots have started to appear. It seems the grass lattice is sprouting.”

“Got it. You handle other matters for now,”

Yang Yuan waved irritably, signaling that the staff member was free to leave.

He couldn’t bear to listen any longer – he was terrified that more of such news might give him a heart attack.

After the staff member left, Yang Yuan sat in silence for a few minutes before turning to Liu Qing.

“So what’s our plan now? Do we continue?”

At that moment, Yang Yuan completely lost his temper.

Ever since Xu Hao had refused a million and voluntarily withdrawn from the challenge, Yang Yuan had been determined to bring him down – but before the rainy day could even end, reality had smacked him hard.

With these two camels in play, Xu Hao could survive three months in the desert on his own – even with Zhu Qiang by his side, it wouldn’t be a problem.

More importantly, who knows if Xu Hao’s extraordinary luck will ever run out.

“Yang, may I be frank?”

Liu Qing bit his lip.

“Go ahead!”

“Yang, my feeling is that this challenge has lost its point. We might as well give Xu Hao five million and let him handle things on his own.”

“And why is that?”

Rather than arguing as before, Yang Yuan casually lit a cigar.

“Yang, Xu Hao’s consumption is off the charts. Many viewers who originally tuned in for our channel have ended up as his diehard fans.”

With every minute he streams, his fanbase only grows! In the end, we’d not only have to shell out a five-million bonus but also leave behind the streaming and rescue teams, incurring hefty labor costs. It’s better to pay him off now and focus all our energy on a new project.

As long as the new project grabs attention, recouping five million will be a cinch.

“So you’re saying that once our team withdraws, Xu Hao will lose fans?”

Yang Yuan straightened up.

“Absolutely. Without our company’s backing, a solo desert live stream no longer counts as a challenge – and viewers will soon lose interest.”

“One more thing. Would pre-announcing the bonus as a sign of Xu Hao’s success be considered a breach? I’m worried he might insist on staying for three months.”

“Yang, of course not! The final interpretation of the event is in our hands. We just need to issue an announcement, stating that after a comprehensive evaluation, Xu Hao has met the challenge requirements.”

“In that case, call Xu Hao and transfer the money! Once Ning An Cultural Tourism and I finalize the new project, we’ll make an official announcement.”

“Alright, Yang.”

For some reason, at that moment Liu Qing seemed to have shed a huge burden, his voice unintentionally rising in pitch.

Tengli Desert, Fenced Courtyard

Xu Hao had just ended his live stream and was planning to go set up some more wooden stakes.

To be honest, he never expected to be so lucky.

Not only did his chat explode with comments from netizens and fans, but he even began to wonder if he was blessed with some sort of protagonist aura.

“Hao, you’ve really earned my respect!”

Nearby, Zhu Qiang glanced at the two massive camels quietly standing in the fenced courtyard, managing nothing but a bitter smile.

Only those who have experienced such events can truly appreciate how miraculous it is.

“It’s all about luck! Let’s get moving so we can set up the camel pen quickly, or we’ll be spending the night with them.”

Xu Hao smiled as he turned towards the withered poplar forest.

Building a plank walkway involves dealing with wooden railings and boards, but setting up a camel pen is a breeze in comparison.

“Fine!”

Ding-ling-ling. But barely had he taken a few steps when his phone rang.

“Huh?”

He pulled out his phone, frowned slightly, and after a moment’s pause, answered.

“What’s wrong?”

It was Liu Qing calling.

“Xu Hao, you’ve won. In a bit, the company’s finance department will credit your account with a five-million bonus. In an hour, our streaming team will withdraw, and we’ll remove all streaming equipment from your area.

Prepare yourself! From now on, whether you’re in the desert or anywhere else, you’re no longer associated with our company. You must not use our company’s name to promote live streams, or Tianchen Culture will take legal action against you.”

“Oh? Ending so soon? Not sticking it out for three months?”

Surprisingly, Xu Hao couldn’t help but laugh.

It seems Tianchen Culture has also been completely thrown off by the sudden appearance of these two camels.

“Forget about sticking it out!” followed by a series of beeps.

On the other end, a curse was hurled before the call was abruptly disconnected.

“What’s wrong, Hao?”

Nearby, Zhu Qiang couldn’t help but ask when he heard the mention of three months.

“Tianchen Culture just called and admitted that I’ve successfully completed the challenge. The bonus will be transferred soon!”

Xu Hao smiled as he spoke.

“Really? That’s fantastic! Now we can openly start our bed and breakfast business!”

Hearing this, Zhu Qiang felt more relieved than surprised.

Besides taking on some small gigs these days, he and Xu Hao have been diligently refining their desert development plan. Frankly, being restricted by Tianchen Culture has hampered many of their plans.

Just like tourists…

Only when restrictions are lifted can tourists immediately flock to the desert cabin to experience life – watching the starry desert skies and breathtaking sunsets.