CHAPTER 430: CHAPTER 430: PIONEERING AN INITIATIVE

Sang Ning struggled and finally broke free from the confines of her body, sitting up with a scream.

She looked around, finding herself surrounded by darkness. Her back was drenched in sweat, soaking her clothes.

She got out of bed and pulled the curtains open. Sunlight streamed through the window, spilling a golden hue over the carpet.

"What a nightmare!" Sang Ning muttered to herself, baffled by the bizarre dream she’d had.

Dreams are projections of a person’s subconscious thoughts, and Sang Ning was chilled to the bone.

Could she really be developing a romantic brain? Thinking that any woman who showed animosity toward her had feelings for Li Juezhou?

Terrifying, absolutely terrifying!

After sleeping—despite having the air conditioning on—she’d broken out in a sweat again, leaving her no choice but to head to the bathroom for another shower.

Living in a hot island city came with this downside: sweating at any given moment.

Once she tidied herself up and walked out, she glanced at the wall clock. It’s currently 9 a.m. local time on New Island.

Sang Ning felt sulky. What kind of "sleeping in" was this? It’s not even 9 yet. All thanks to that cursed nightmare.

After finishing her preparations, she headed to the courtyard on the first floor, where cameras were already set up and waiting for her.

She wasn’t sure if the live stream had started yet but still walked up to the lens and greeted, "Hi, babies, good morning!"

Realizing that there’s a time difference between New Island and China—while it’s daytime on New Island, it’s nighttime in China—Sang Ning corrected herself, saying, "Hi, babies, good evening! I’ll take you to see the ocean in a bit."

The comment section scrolled quickly.

[Why does Sister Ning’s dark circles look so bad? Didn’t she sleep well last night?]

[Maybe it’s the first day on New Island, and she hasn’t adjusted to the jet lag yet.]

[Sister Ning, stop talking and take us to see the beauty of New Island already. If I keep watching, I might fall asleep!]

The show crew was always present in the courtyard, though they stayed in the corners and out of the shot.

Aside from the crew, Sang Ning didn’t see any other guest participants filming the show.

"Director Zhou, where are the other guests? What’s today’s schedule? Don’t tell me the plan is to stick around the villa all day," Sang Ning asked.

Zhou Rui pointed to the restaurant on the left side of the courtyard. "This morning’s activity is already arranged. The other guests had breakfast and went back to their rooms to rest. You’re the only one left. Go eat breakfast and fill your belly. We’ll head out shortly."

"What?" Sang Ning looked shocked. "I’m the only one who hasn’t had breakfast yet?"

Zhou Rui nodded. "That’s right."

Sang Ning felt a bit embarrassed. They’d all pulled all-nighters too, so why were they all so impressive, waking up earlier than her?

The restaurant’s breakfast was a buffet with limited options: bacon sandwiches, milk, and the like. It seemed like the accommodation chosen by the show wasn’t top-notch, just passable.

But Sang Ning wasn’t picky. The variety might be small, but it was enough to fill her stomach.

The restaurant had air conditioning, but the moment she stepped out after finishing breakfast, waves of heat slammed into her.

It wasn’t even 10 yet, and it was already this hot. No wonder everyone preferred staying inside their rooms to avoid the heat.

Sang Ning was about to head back to her room to enjoy some air conditioning when she bumped into a group of other guests walking together through the hall.

"Sangsang, didn’t you say you’d sleep until you naturally woke up? Why are you up so early?" Song Shiye greeted her, thinking Sang Ning would sleep until the sky turned dark. That’s why he hadn’t bothered waking her.

"Morning, Sang Ning!" Jiang Xiaoti waved enthusiastically at her, looking full of energy.

Sang Ning suddenly sighed, "Have you all upgraded your sleep patterns, no longer needing any rest?"

Even Lu Yujing, who had been glaring at her with hostility, looked healthy and in high spirits.

"It’s just that traveling makes me too excited. I couldn’t wait to see New Island’s beauty, so I couldn’t sleep," Jiang Xiaoti said, her eyes glowing with anticipation.

Li Haidong, noticing that Sang Ning paid him no attention and didn’t even greet her elders, deliberately coughed several times to assert his presence.

Sang Ning spoke up, but it wasn’t a greeting. Instead, she asked, "Uncle, are you sick?"

This comment left Li Haidong utterly speechless. He choked on his own saliva and genuinely started coughing uncontrollably, sounding like he was about to cough his lungs out.

Wei Lan quickly patted his back, helping him catch his breath, left momentarily wordless. How could someone of his age choke on saliva?

Once Li Haidong’s breathing stabilized somewhat, Wei Lan turned to Sang Ning and said, "Xiao Sang, we’re heading to the mall for shopping this morning. Want to join us?"

"Shopping?" Sang Ning exclaimed in surprise. "So the first activity today is shopping?"

"Of course." Wei Lan nodded. "A big fire last night burned all our luggage. Don’t we need to buy some clothes?"

"Are we leaving now?" Sang Ning asked again.

Wei Lan responded, "Yes, now. It’s too hot to enjoy outdoor activities on the island during the day. The best time to explore is in the afternoon, so for now, shopping is our mission."

Sang Ning originally intended to sneak in a nap, but with the group heading out, she figured she couldn’t stay behind alone. After all, it was a group trip, so she had to prioritize the collective plan.

Ultimately, Sang Ning joined the group. But what shocked her was their choice of transportation to the mall—a helicopter!

Even though she’d seen helicopters just last night, Sang Ning was still taken aback. This was entirely different from what she’d experienced before. As they were about to board, she jokingly teased Zhou Rui: "Director Zhou, you’re really pulling out all the stops. Three helicopters for a mall trip? That’s some serious budget flexing!"

[The show crew is absolutely outrageous! Just to go shopping and they’re using helicopters? Ridiculous!]

[I get it now. This season’s innovation is extravagant tourism—showing us how having money while traveling means you can do whatever you want.]

Lu Yujing secretly despised Sang Ning for being small-minded and tacky, sneering at her internally.

What’s the big deal with a helicopter? Sang Ning acted as if she’d never seen the world before.

Zhou Rui awkwardly touched his nose, chuckling nervously, "It’s all about ensuring the best travel experience for our guests. It’s expected."

Li Haidong was already giving him significant side-eye. Zhou Rui could hardly admit publicly that the helicopters had been arranged by the guests themselves.

Zhou Rui was equally amazed. Li Haidong and Wei Lan had such impressive networks, managing to arrange helicopters at the drop of a hat. These two amateurs were real treasures. Thanks to them, the show’s prestige had skyrocketed.

A travel show using helicopters to shuttle guests to the mall? They were probably the first.

Three helicopters were arranged. Li Haidong and Wei Lan shared one, the male guests took another, and the female guests boarded the last. The division worked out perfectly.

Sang Ning ended up in the same helicopter with Lu Yujing and Jiang Xiaoti. Lu Yujing, dissatisfied with Sang Ning, avoided interacting with her. Sang Ning, likewise, didn’t bother speaking to her.