Huayu: Hard fight against Zhang Weiping at the beginning

Chapter 648 Gaming Gains Fans
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Department of Asian Affairs

"Xiao Lin~"

A male voice rang out from inside the room, and a young man appeared in the doorway as he spoke: "Director, you wanted to see me?"

The middle-aged man carrying the enamel mug in the room was Zhou Mingyuan, the deputy director of the Asian Affairs Department.

"How are our three Middle Eastern friends doing?"

"Director Zhou, I was just about to bring this to you. This is the real-time reporting record."

Zhou Mingyuan's gaze swept over the three names "Salman, Hamad, and Rashid," and he casually flipped through the document, which clearly recorded the itineraries of the three princes:
In the morning, I visited Starry Sky Park and personally experienced several attractions. In the afternoon, I participated in the recording of the "Running Man" program.

Upon seeing this, Zhou Mingyuan smiled. This Zhang Chen really has a lot of nerve.

Three princes from the Middle East came to see him, and he actually took them to the park and made them work for him for free, which was unprecedented in Chinese history.

"Nothing went wrong, right?" Zhou Mingyuan asked casually.

"No, everything is normal right now. Our colleagues are on site keeping an eye on things, and there are also plainclothes special agents maintaining order."

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it will not interfere, but it dares not relax its efforts in the slightest.

No matter what, he's a prince; anything that happens to him would be an international incident.

Zhou Mingyuan hummed in agreement, picked up his enamel mug, and took a sip of the cold tea, but his thoughts were racing.

Salman is backed by the Saudi royal family's military-industrial complex, Hamad controls the global discourse of Al Jazeera, and Rashid is the cultural envoy of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

Every punctuation mark in the itinerary of these three princes may hold a deeper meaning.

On the surface, it was a visit to China taking advantage of the popularity of "Pacific Rim 2," but everyone knows that the three Middle Eastern countries have been seeking international breakthroughs in the fields of culture and technology in recent years, and this "private trip" is by no means a simple sightseeing trip.

"Alright, you can leave now. Report any issues immediately."

Zhou Mingyuan waved his hand, his gaze returning to the table. Xiaolin agreed, but hesitated slightly. Zhou Mingyuan noticed this and asked, "What's wrong? Is there something else?"

Unable to resist her curiosity, and seeing that her boss seemed to be in a good mood, Xiao Lin mustered her courage and asked, "Boss, I'm just worried, are we really okay doing this?"

"What can happen?"

"Isn't it said that 'there are no small matters in diplomacy'?"

Zhou Mingyuan chuckled upon hearing this, "Xiao Lin, it's true that there are no small matters in diplomacy, but you must also remember that in diplomacy, sometimes you need to handle things with great care, and sometimes you need to handle things with ease."

"Ah~" Xiaolin looked bewildered.

Zhou Mingyuan laughed and said, "You're still young, you'll understand later~"

……

In the afternoon, the filming location of "Running Man" was packed with people.

The second game segment was called 'Testing the Brink of Danger'.

That's right, Zhang Chen copied this game from the 2020 version of "Running Man".

A passage leads to a group of men in black with grim expressions. Between the starting point and the men in black, there are five "intelligence battles," ranging from 10 to 50 points. The higher the score, the closer you are to the men in black.

No matter how many points a player selects, the countdown will start as soon as they peel off the sticker.

The contestant has 7 seconds to unlock the box using the password posted on the back. After 7 seconds, the man in black will launch a pursuit.

The contestants' task is to obtain the intelligence and then run back to the starting point before being caught by the men in black.

It sounds simple, but it's very exciting to play because the higher your score, the closer you get to the man in black.

Let alone outrunning the men in black, just unlocking the combination lock within 7 seconds is nerve-wracking.

Deng Chao read the game rules aloud from the task card, not only for the sake of the show, but also to let the surrounding audience understand.

This program was for the purpose of promoting the movie, so tourists were allowed to watch and were not prohibited from revealing information in advance.

Even the venue for this event was provided by Xingchen Paradise. Zhang Chen had already planned that after the show's recording, this place would become a permanent attraction. With the endorsement of "Running Man," it's sure to be another wildly popular attraction.

The guests were very excited because it was their first time playing this game.

Zhang Chen stood next to the production team, holding a bottle of mineral water in his hand, glancing at the three princes in the audience from time to time.

The three princes had just learned the rules of the game through a translator, and their eyes were full of eager anticipation.

Salman, Rashid, and Hamad huddled together, seemingly discussing something.

"On your marks!"
The second challenge, 'Temptation on the Edge of Danger,' begins now!

The director's loudspeaker pierced the noise.

The first one to go on stage was Deng Chao.

Wearing his signature red team uniform, he was the first to be sent out to test the waters. Instead of choosing the highest difficulty level of 50, he rubbed his hands together and selected the 30-point level, not forgetting to give the camera a "good luck" gesture.

"30 points is just right; it allows you to score without taking risks. That's what you call tactics!"

The game began. Deng Chao rubbed his hands together, then suddenly tore off the sticker on the wall, revealing the password behind it—9876.

The jarring countdown echoed throughout the venue, while Deng Chao nervously fiddled with the knob on the combination lock.

Simply align the knob on the combination lock with the numbers, and the lock will open.

These actions, which usually seem incredibly simple, are now impossible to complete due to nervousness.

Oh no, oh no, oh no~
The other guests had already started to cheer, because there were only two seconds left on the countdown, but Deng Chao's combination lock still hadn't been opened.

Finally, at the last second, Deng Chao unlocked the combination lock, grabbed the intelligence inside, and ran away.

At the same time, a row of men in black at the finish line also began to sprint.

They're so fast!

The guests in the distance exclaimed in surprise, "Where did the production team find these men in black? They all look like sprinters!"

"Haha, some of them are actually sprinters, and a few are even retired firefighters!"

The information Zhang Chen inadvertently revealed shocked and frightened everyone, while the onlookers around them were overjoyed.

"Ah~"

A wail came from afar. Deng Chao had run very hard, but he was still caught before the finish line.

"No way! Did you guys eat rocket fuel? That's way too fast!"

The audience burst into laughter, and Shen Teng added, "Brother Chao, your tactics aren't working. Why don't you learn from me and just lie down?"

But when it was his turn to go on stage, this guest, who was positioned as the "comedic relief," had only taken three steps when he was surrounded by two men in black. Helpless, he raised his hands and said, "I surrender! This job is inhuman!"

Zheng Kai arrogantly chose the 40-point difficulty level, thinking that he could pass the level with his physical advantage from years of fitness training. However, he overestimated himself and underestimated the man in black.

The man in black was like a gust of wind, but just as he was about to reach the finish line, he suddenly accelerated and grabbed the corner of his clothes.

He struggled forward, but ultimately missed by half a finger's width. Frustrated, he pounded the ground: "Just a little bit more! These men in black really don't hold back at all!"

The guests were wailing and howling, but the audience was thoroughly enjoying themselves.

One of the charms of variety shows is watching celebrities get embarrassed.

"Let me do it~"

Rashid was the one who boasted the most. He stood up, patted Salman on the shoulder, hugged Hamad, and walked straight to the treasure, pointing to the 40-point sign: "I choose this one."

The director paused for a moment, then turned to look at Zhang Chen, as if to ask whether they should go easy on him.
"No need, just do it the same way as before."

There are so many spectators watching, and winning or losing isn't really important; it's the participation that matters.

Rashid waved to those around him, looking confident of victory.

The moment the sticker was peeled off, everyone's heart clenched.

The jarring countdown continued, the red numbers so glaring.

Rashid's fingers were very dexterous; he could unlock locks much faster than others.

With two seconds left in the countdown, he unlocked the lock, grabbed the intelligence, and started running.

As the countdown ended, the men in black poured out, and the distance between them visibly decreased.

"Faster, faster, faster~" Everyone was cheering him on. It was clear that Rashid's athletic talent was only at the level of an average person, but he still had an advantage.

Rashid was running desperately, the wind whistling past his ears. According to the audience's estimation, he had a chance to win, but at that moment he made a wrong decision: he turned back.

Rashid tried to look back at the location of the man in black, but was startled by the man's speed.

Observing from a distance and experiencing it firsthand are completely different. Observing from a distance, you already feel that the man in black is running very fast, but experiencing it firsthand, you will only feel that he is running even faster.

Rashid was startled, stumbled, and fell heavily, groaning in pain.

Oh no, the prince is injured!

Now, everyone tensed up.

Zhang Chen rushed over, but the prince's attendants and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were even faster.

The men in black immediately stopped. Rashid was surrounded by the crowd. He was holding his arm, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead. His face turned pale instantly.

"I think I can't move my arm."

Everyone thought he was injured in the foot, but it turned out to be his arm.

The medical staff from the program finally arrived and, after examining him, said, "It's nothing serious, just a dislocated arm."

"Can you cure it?"

"can."

The prince's side had already discussed sending him to the hospital with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but Zhang Chen suddenly stopped them.

"His Highness has dislocated his shoulder, and our team doctor happens to be able to treat him."

The translator relayed Zhang Chen's words to Rashid and the others, and the princes looked at each other in bewilderment.

You've injured a bone, and you actually say you can cure it?
Despite the doubts of the crowd, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Zhang Chen's endorsement, the two princes decided to give it a try.

Under everyone's gaze, the team doctor gently felt around Prince Rashid's arm joints. After a few touches, he seemed to have grasped the situation, and then gently pulled and pushed.

Click~
A soft, crisp sound rang out, and then everyone saw a look of surprise on Prince Rashid's face: "It's alright, it's actually alright, I can move again!"

Anyone who has ever dislocated their shoulder knows that it is extremely painful, but once it is reset, the pain will be reduced by more than 90%.

At that moment, Rashid was thinking, "It doesn't hurt anymore? That's amazing!"

He flexed his arms repeatedly, his voice filled with disbelief, “It works ten times faster than our royal physician’s ointment!”

The medical staff explained with a smile, "This is a little trick we use in orthopedics, called bone setting, which is specifically for dealing with this kind of situation."

"Amazing!"

Rashid still couldn't believe it, his eyes shining with curiosity.

"Rashid, let's call it a day and go get some rest." Salman knelt down, his voice full of concern.

Rashid shook his head and, with the help of others, slowly stood up.

He tried moving his arm again, and although it still hurt, it was clearly not a big deal anymore.

Zhang Chen handed over a bottle of mineral water and couldn't help but advise, "Your Highness, your health is the most important thing; the challenge is not."

Rashid looked up, the sunlight shining on his sweat-dampened hair, his eyes revealing an undeniable stubbornness.

He gently shook his head and spoke something in Arabic. The others looked at the accompanying translator, puzzled. The translator hesitated for a moment, then finally said, "His Highness said that when they get lost in the desert, they never abandon their companions. Even if someone is injured, everyone will stop and wait for him, find water together, and get out of the sandstorm together. The Hamad race hasn't even started yet, the competition can't be stopped..."

These words, spoken casually, instantly silenced the noisy scene.

Shen Teng dropped his joking expression, Zheng Kai quietly gave him a thumbs up, and even the black-clad captain, who had been keeping a tense face, showed more respect in his eyes.

Salman patted him on the back and said "Well done" in Arabic, and Rashid finally smiled.

Zhang Chen gave a wry smile—why take it so seriously? It's just a game.

At Prince Rashid's insistence, the game continued.

Janice Man steps onto the starting line.

She chose the difficulty level of 20, and perhaps because the earlier incident made the men in black hesitant to act, Janice Man actually won.

"Success!"

She held up the intelligence report and waved at the camera, a happy smile on her face. "Actually, 20 points is good enough. Safety first."

Next up was Hamad. The director looked over again, and Zhang Chen hesitated for a moment before shaking his head.

It's not good to release water in front of everyone.

He wanted the prince's side to win, but not in this way.

"I choose 50 points."

Hamad walked straight to the 50-point zone, the first time anyone had chosen 50 points.

We were really too close to the man in black, only a few steps away.

The scene erupted in cheers because of his choice.

Salman chuckled and whistled, and Rashid, seemingly forgetting the discomfort in his arm, clapped enthusiastically.

Hamad was taking his final moments of relaxation, while five men in black lined up in a row.

Both the audience and the guests were worried for Hamad because they were standing so close together.

Hamad stretched his wrists and legs, then suddenly made a "bring it on" gesture to the man in black.

He was wearing a black sports vest today, showing off his well-defined arm muscles—no one would have guessed that this pampered prince was actually a fitness enthusiast and a former member of the Qatari royal equestrian team.

"3, 2, 1, start!"

The moment the starting gun fired, Hamad ripped off the sticker—5556.

No one expected that the password would be so simple, but upon reflection, it made sense. The two sides were so close, and a slightly simpler password would give the guests a better chance of succeeding.

5~
4~
3~
With three seconds left, Hamad unlocked the box, opened it, took the intelligence, and ran away.

Behind them, the countdown reached zero, and five men in black flew out like arrows.

Hamad did not make the same mistake as Rashid, and instead ran headlong into the desert.

"He's so fast!" the audience exclaimed.

Hamad was incredibly fast, his footsteps leaving afterimages on the track.

The man in black was not slow either, and the distance between them was visibly decreasing.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry~"

Hamad was getting closer and closer to the finish line, but the fastest man in black behind him had caught up and seemed to be able to touch him with a single hand.

"Run!"

Hamad could feel the man in black behind him catching up to his heels. Just a meter from the finish line, he suddenly slipped and made a beautiful sliding tackle, crossing the line steadily. The man in black missed and fell heavily onto the mat.

"Won!"

Salman excitedly waved his fist, almost throwing the water bottle in his hand.

Rashid also forgot his composure, pounding on the railing and shouting "Fantastic!" in Arabic.

The cheers from the crowd nearly lifted the roof off the tent. Deng Chao ran over and hugged Hamad, exclaiming, "Brother, your stamina is incredible! You've been hiding your true abilities!"

Hamad proudly waved the intelligence report in his hand, sweat trickling down his chin: "I won, I won!"

He looked at Rashid, then at Salman, "Brother, I haven't let us down, have I?"

The two brothers nodded with smiles, their eyes full of agreement.

Seeing this, Ms. Li, an attaché from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs standing next to the production team, finally breathed a sigh of relief and quietly took out her phone to send a message to Xiao Lin: "The crisis is over, Prince Rashid is fine, Prince Hamad won first place, and the traditional Chinese medicine bone setting was an unexpected bonus. Everything went smoothly!"

A reply quickly popped up on my phone: "Keep a close eye on the follow-up interactions; we absolutely cannot allow any more mishaps~"

Sister Li looked up at the rest area and saw the three Hamad brothers embracing, which then turned into a big hug from everyone, bringing the atmosphere to its peak.

(End of this chapter)