Idol Chapter 99

The second task was about drawing animal specimens.

At the Shi Du Zoo, some animals, after their death, were sent to universities for dissection research, while others were preserved as animal specimens by professional staff for future educational exhibitions.

When Huo Ren and his team arrived at the scene, they saw two wild horses with a height of nearly two meters.

The creation of such large specimens took several months, and they were now in the middle to later stages of the painting and fur attachment process. At first glance, they looked like finished products.

“Hello,” the specimen artist, Old Feng, greeted them with a smile and explained the specific requirements of the task. “Right now, this horse still has many insect holes and scars that need to be beautified and repaired with spray paint.”

“After the skin and mane adjustments,” he pointed to a plate of resin beads resembling contact lenses nearby, “we will install its eyes together.”

Bo Jue quickly got into action, taking the spray gun and immediately getting into the zone.

Huo Ren was responsible for finding the insect holes, and Long Jia assisted by handing over various tools.

This task was similar to makeup in some ways, but the difference was that the wild horse had a majestic and intimidating presence in its lifeless state.

Bo Jue was used to tying up his long hair during program recordings, but because he had moved around a lot, his hairband had loosened.

He gestured for Huo Ren to take over and re-tie his hair, and he didn’t resist when Long Jia offered him a sip of water.

“By the way,” he asked curiously, “how many spies do you think we have this time?”

Huo Ren, with no pressure on his identity this time, combed through the fine hairs on the specimen’s abdomen with a fine-toothed comb.

“We had one in the previous round, this time… it’s hard to say.”

Bo Jue placed his thermos aside and helped him wipe off sweat.

“Our team should be clean, right?” Huo Ren looked at Long Jia and asked.

Long Jia blinked.

“It’s been pretty smooth sailing all the way, haven’t you noticed?”

As they were about to finish up, Xie Lianyun’s team rushed over to end their time penalty.

“Let’s go, see you later,” Huo Ren wiped the horse’s ears with a cloth. Bo Jue had already collected the rewards and the task card. He mounted Long Jia’s bicycle.

As they were about to part ways again, Mei Shengyao suddenly chased after them with a thermos in hand.

“Brother Ren, your cup!”

“Oh, right, I forgot it next to the toolbox.”

As Huo Ren reached out to take the cup, Mei Shengyao quickly slipped something hard into his palm. Huo Ren’s gaze subtly changed, and Mei Shengyao smiled, blinked, and hurriedly ran back to his teammates.

“Ren Ren, let’s go!”

Back at the rear of their three-person bicycle, Huo Ren discreetly opened the note, feeling a bit nervous.

“The otter exhibit is just to the right at the intersection, and it’s a great spot for taking photos.”

“Remember to rendezvous with me.”

One of the little spies was really daring…

As the bicycle reached a three-way intersection, Huo Ren looked up in time and called out, “Brother, there’s an otter exhibit over there, let’s go.”

Long Jia had already veered to the left, but he stopped abruptly, causing Bo Jue to almost cling to him.

“Why are we going to the otter exhibit?”

“To take photos,” Huo Ren checked the time and added, “we can earn an extra fifty coins.”

“Let’s go!”

The semi-open otter exhibit had always been quite popular, with a large group of young ladies gathering around to take group photos with the fluffy aquatic creatures swimming on their backs.

When Huo Ren and Long Jia entered the exhibit, dozens of squeals erupted from the crowd, like a chorus of whistling kettles.

“It’s them!”

“Are you really them?”

Huo Ren quickly signaled them to quiet down as they were scaring the animals, and he held up his phone, approaching.

Originally, with dozens of people converging from different directions, it was like a mob scene. However, as soon as he stepped forward, the crowd seemed to part like the Red Sea, opening up a clear path to the best spot for taking pictures.

The tour guide did her duty and said, “Otter babies like to sleep while floating on the water. If they’re not holding onto their companions, they might drift off to an unfamiliar place…”

Bo Jue lay on the glass wall, looking dazed while watching a pair of otters sleep while holding hands, rendering him speechless due to their cuteness.

“Otters don’t just hold hands with their lovers or family, they’ll also hold the paws of good friends. Would you boys like to hold hands here for a photo?”

The fans hiding behind the cameras were trying their best to control their breathing.

Hold hands!! Hurry, hold hands!! It’s fine if all three of you hold hands together!!!

Bo Jue had already figured out their expressions and said, propping his head on his hand, “Don’t get any funny ideas.”

On his left stood his real lover, and on his right was his previous fling. The situation couldn’t get any more awkward.

They all nodded vigorously in unison, shaking their heads like sunflowers. “No! Absolutely not! We know it’s just team camaraderie!”

Long Jia put his arm around Bo Jue’s shoulders and gestured for Huo Ren to wait nearby.

“Smile, say ‘eggplant’!”

Bo Jue hadn’t expected him to be so straightforward, and he unconsciously let out a laugh, still feeling a bit bewildered.

“Come on, Ren Ren, come over for a photo.”

Huo Ren quickly joined them and set off a smoke bomb. After Long Jia stepped out of the frame, he held Bo Jue’s left hand.

The moment the two of them successfully held hands, the fans let out a long, excited scream.

I’ll take this opportunity to feast on some dog food!

Long-ge is indeed a magical assist. Today, Ren Jue also served some delicious dog food!!

On the other side, Xie Lianyun had quickly completed the task and waved his task card, saying, “Let’s go—”

The members Mei Chi who had been squatting in a corner playing with stray cats responded reluctantly and stood up to follow him.

“By the way, you’ve been playing with cats for so long, did you take any photos?”

Mei Shengyao slapped his forehead. “We forgot about the photos!”

Xie Lianyun’s pupils dilated in shock. “You played with it for twenty minutes and didn’t remember to take a photo??”

“I’m going back now— Huh? Where’s the cat?”

“Mei Shengyao!!”

Fortunately, they were lucky enough to take three specified photos along the way and promptly exchanged them for a 98k rifle and a handful of hoop throwers.

After wandering around most of the zoo, a fan rushed over with information, “Huo Huo is just ahead, take a left and go fifty meters!”

Xie Lianyun’s eyes lit up, and he signaled for Chi Ji and Mei Shengyao to find a hiding spot. He took his task card and went to the second floor of the western restaurant.

Meanwhile, Bo Jue’s team was waiting for the referee to confirm the completion results. They were killing time by popping balloons at a nearby vendor.

Xie Lianyun had made sure to test the rifle’s range before, squinting as he adjusted his position through the scope.

The gun was aimed at the huge crown logo on Bo Jue’s back.

Hold still—yes—

One second before he pulled the trigger, Long Jia discreetly moved to stand beside him, making direct eye contact with Xie Lianyun.

Xie Lianyun instinctively lowered the rifle, and they exchanged meaningful glances across the distance.

Did you see that?

Yes.

One of ours?

Yes.

Long Jia slowly mouthed five words to Xie Lianyun.

“Let him play a bit more.”

Xie Lianyun looked frustrated, wondering which side Long Jia was on and why he was being so protective.

He shifted his aim to Huo Ren, who was tying a heart-shaped balloon around his wrist. He aimed for a while but couldn’t bring himself to shoot.

The scope’s clarity was too high; it could even capture the tiny, nearly invisible scar on Huo Ren’s wrist.

He couldn’t kill the spy, he couldn’t kill his buddy’s boyfriend, and he couldn’t bear to kill Ren Ren either.

What was the use of buying this damn rifle?

Mei Shengyao came back with cotton candy for Chi Ji, twirling a bamboo hoop as he said, “Has Brother Xie finished off anyone yet?”

“Never mind,” Xie Lianyun muttered, cleaning his gun. “There are too many people around, and it’s easy to miss the shot.”

Chi Ji handed him a green rabbit-shaped cotton candy. “Would you like a bite?”

Although the Shi Du Zoo was spacious, the two teams seemed to bump into each other every half an hour. Even though their tasks were miles apart, they still managed to run into each other.

Various comical incidents occurred.

Either Mei Shengyao was chasing Long Jia, who was trying to loop a hoop over his wrist, with Xie Lianyun panting behind, shouting to stop since they were all on the same side. Or the entire team was busy cleaning cages and cutting bamboo for half an hour, only to turn around and find that the pandas had eaten the hoop.

Crunch, just like they were eating onion rings.

The last task before the break was “Mermaids of the Deep.”

Participants had to join a mermaid performance at the aquarium, wearing custom-made mermaid costumes and dancing with sharks.

Huo Ren hesitated.

He subconsciously lacked a sense of security and disliked exposing any part of his body in public.

“Should I go?” Long Jia turned his head. “You guys take a break?”

“You were just chased by Mei Shengyao for three blocks, forget it,” Bo Jue stood up. “I’ll go.”

Although his physical fitness was relatively lower within the team, it was still much better than an average person’s. He had obtained his scuba diving certification three years ago.

On the other side, Mei Shengyao was already picking out the color of the mermaid tail.

Chi Ji turned to Xie Lianyun. “Weren’t you going to play too, Lianyun?”

“It’s too awkward. I refuse,” Xie Lianyun took a deep breath. “It’s just too awkward.”

Chi Ji looked perplexed. “Brother, I’ve been learning Chinese for many years, but why does it feel like I still can’t understand what you’re saying…”

The program organizers had thoughtfully designed the mermaid costumes as two pieces, ensuring no private parts were exposed.

When they got into the water, Bo Jue signaled to the guide with a gesture and gracefully leaped into the water with exceptional agility. His deep blue mermaid tail shimmered with translucent iridescence, creating a mesmerizing spectacle among the corals.

His jet-black hair flowed like long satin tassels, cascading down his shoulders and neck, exuding an enchanting and regal classical beauty.

Long Jia stood outside the glass wall, gazing at his mermaid with tender affection in his eyes.

Mei Shengyao, who also had diving experience, played around with the guide for a while before starting to tickle the rays, displaying similar grace and ease in the water.

“Haven’t you gone to play today, Chi Chi?” Huo Ren asked curiously.

“I need to protect my hearing, so I can’t go diving,” Chi Ji said regretfully. “But even so, Yao Yao looks stunning.”

The program organizers didn’t disperse the fans, and large groups of boys and girls were nearby, raising their phones high to take pictures. Various forum threads were filled with posts, and their candid photos had already topped the trending charts.

After completing the final task, they went to a nearby place to rest and eat, awaiting the ultimate showdown in the evening.

“Let me explain,” the director brought the revitalized group of six to the entrance of the new venue, his tone filled with anticipation. “For this indoor hunting battle, the venue is only as big as a playground.”

“However, each team needs to send out two representatives.”

“What are they going to do?” Long Jia asked.

The assistant director handed a basket of corn to Huo Ren.

“Ride ostriches.”

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The author has a message to share:

Suddenly, I really want to write, “The sharks ate them all, and CORONA disbanded. The end. Thank you for watching.”

Tomorrow morning, I will update Chapter 100, and at the same time, I’ll be giving away red envelopes and sharing new character concept art on Weibo. Stay tuned!

Additionally, considering that many people don’t use Weibo, I want to ask again: Is anyone going to CP25 this year? For fans attending, I’m preparing Crown All-Member Fanmade Badges (non-saleable) that you can collect in person at the event. You can collect them based on your subscription records.

Location: Shanghai CP Exhibition
Dates: December 21/22

If you’re attending, please let me know in the comments for counting purposes. Thank you!