"My grades in school were just average, but even I know that certain chemical substances can react when they come into contact with each other. For example, combustion is one type of reaction, and then there are things like explosions."

Xie Fu Yao wore a confident smile, as if he could already see a "’Genius Scholar’" trending topic with his name on it striding toward him.

Meng Xiaoyi clapped.

Xu Jiali asked curiously, "So what substances are they, exactly? Xie Fu Yao, why don’t you enlighten us? Since you know so much, anyway."

"There are a lot of them. I can’t name any specific ones off the top of my head."

"Then just give us a couple of examples. Everyone will definitely think you’re so smart then."

Xie Fu Yao suddenly felt like he’d dug a hole for himself.

’It’s all because of Wen Ying and her group,’ he thought. ’If it weren’t for them, my persona would have been a success!’

"Let’s not. This is a survival show. There’s not much point in talking about this stuff," Xie Fu Yao said, trying to deflect.

"Don’t tell me you’re just a scrub?" Xu Jiali looked at Xie Fu Yao with curiosity. "Were you just making all that up? I really thought you knew what you were talking about."

"My grades in school were average, so I didn’t memorize that much," Xie Fu Yao said with a strained smile.

"Average?" Wen Ying suddenly spoke up. "But you were once first in your grade back in elementary school. How is that ’average’?"

"Brother Xie, you were first in your grade?" Meng Xiaoyi exclaimed with great exaggeration, conveniently ignoring the words "elementary school" and "once."

Xie Fu Yao waved his hand dismissively. "Let’s be low-key, low-key. Why bring that up? It’s all in the past."

Though he didn’t know why Wen Ying was speaking up for him, Xie Fu Yao still took credit for "once" being "first."

"That’s right. After all, you only got first place that time because you stole your deskmate’s cheat sheet and threatened him not to tell his parents or the teachers. Of course you have to be low-key."

Wen Ying added.

Everyone, "..."

Xie Fu Yao, "!!!"

[I almost thought Xie Fu Yao was really a genius. That reversal came out of nowhere!]

[First in his grade, lmao! The key part is that Xie Fu Yao actually admitted it! He didn’t expect this twist, did he?]

[Stealing someone’s stuff and threatening them as a kid... Isn’t that straight-up school bullying???]

[I really didn’t see this coming from Xie Fu Yao! Damn it! The thing I hate most in this world is school bullying! But it happened so long ago, he probably can’t be held accountable! No, we have to get him trending for this!]

[Same as above. My friend’s daughter was also bullied at school and almost committed suicide! The things I hate most in life are human traffickers and school bullies! They must be severely punished!]

"Doctor Wen, did you read that rumor somewhere?" Xie Fu Yao asked. After all, he and Wen Ying didn’t know each other at all before the show!

Their paths hadn’t crossed in the slightest!

’How could Wen Ying possibly know about something from my elementary school days!’

’As long as I refute her with sound reasoning, the netizens should take my side.’

"Doctor Wen, we don’t know each other at all, so you couldn’t possibly know about my elementary school days, right? I know there have always been some rumors online, but I’ve never paid attention to them. I didn’t realize they’d gotten so ridiculous."

Xie Fu Yao sounded so convincing that it almost seemed like he was telling the truth.

"A rumor, you say?" Wen Ying smiled, but her smile seemed to hold a hint of malice.

"If it’s a rumor, then why did you admit to what Sister Yingying said about you getting first in your grade? So you just admit to the good parts and deny the bad parts, is that it?" Xu Jiali said mockingly.

The cameraman could only think that this episode was turning out to be incredibly exciting!

"If you think this is a rumor, then you were lying when you admitted to being first, weren’t you?"

Meng Xiaoyi could see Xie Fu Yao suppressing his anger. "Alright, alright, it’s getting late. Soon we won’t be able to see a thing. Let’s drop this and focus on making our beds for the night. And maybe get something to eat?"

"Xiao Yi is right. Let’s just call it a day for today’s task. We’ll admit that we lost."

Xie Fu Yao breathed a sigh of relief, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

’Going hungry is better than being completely finished, at least,’ he thought.

Xu Jiali let out a dry laugh but said nothing more.

Zhao Qi, having finished the food Song Jiayan gave him, was standing to the side, clearly having no intention of sharing in his teammates’ adversity.

"Doctor Wen, this two-story building is so big. Can Song Jiayan and I take one of the floors? The production team never said I couldn’t sleep with you guys, right? Anyway, I did my part for the group task. We lost, so you guys can take pity on me."

Wen Ying smilingly agreed.

Xu Jiali didn’t object either.

’In Xie Fu Yao’s group, Zhao Qi is the only one who’s even tolerable!’

When they had been in danger earlier, only Zhao Qi had rushed to save them without a second thought.

’Even though Zhao Qi seems to have a bad temper sometimes, you have to give credit where it’s due.’

’He’s also the only one in Xie Fu Yao’s group with a decent moral compass!’

Xie Fu Yao and Meng Xiaoyi sat on the mat of leaves and vines they had made. After they admitted defeat, the cameraman reported to the director.

The director then announced the end of that day’s filming.

Xie Fu Yao asked the cameraman for his phone. After all, filming for the day was over. They couldn’t just keep his phone, could they?

The director said he would arrange for someone to bring them, but an hour passed before the phones finally reached his and Meng Xiaoyi’s hands.

Starving, the two of them opened their phones.

’There’s no way the trending topics are all about Doctor Wen and her group!’ Xie Fu Yao thought.

’Doctor Wen was so nasty to us. Surely the netizens must feel some pity for us!’

Meng Xiaoyi, on the other hand, didn’t have high hopes. After all, Xu Jiali had already shown her the trending topics.

Green-Tea-Talk Meng Xiaoyi.

No matter how you looked at it, that was not a compliment.

’This trending topic... I guess this is what it means to be infamous!’

’When I think about it that way, it’s actually not bad. After all, being infamous is still a form of fame!’

Xie Fu Yao opened his phone, logged into Weibo, and immediately looked at the trending topics.

He scanned it once. ’Not a single trace of us?’

’Impossible!’

’I must have misread it!’

He scanned it again, then a second time. Still nothing!

Only then did Xie Fu Yao look at the other trending topics. Of course, the sheer scale of Doctor Wen’s presence made him feel sick.

’Is this Doctor Wen the darling daughter of the trending list or something?’

’How can one person take up half the damn list?’

’With such powerful backing, why would she join a show for newcomers?’

’Isn’t that fucking crazy!’

’And she pretends to be a rookie, too. So treacherous!’

Seeing so many trending topics about Doctor Wen, Xie Fu Yao lost all desire to even click on them.

If there had only been one or two, he might have been curious enough to look.

’Song Jiayan singing?’

’Did Song Jiayan even sing on the show?’

Driven by curiosity, Xie Fu Yao clicked on the trending topic.

’Damn it!’

’How did this Song Jiayan gain so many followers?’

’Are music platforms even contacting him?’

’How is that possible!’

’Why would a silent idiot like him get favor from investors!’

’Are these netizens all idiots!’

’And what’s this about his song being better than sixty percent of professional singers!’

’Just listen to that. Isn’t that bragging a bit too much?’

’This trending topic must have been bought!’

’I can’t believe someone so quiet could be so scheming!’