Culinary God in Wilderness

Chapter 218: Chapter 172: Sudden Downpour (2)

He had traveled all day yesterday and was already exhausted. After that, he spent half the day searching the beach without finding any sign of coconut crabs.

Building a shelter in his current state would have completely drained his energy. So, in a flash of inspiration, he chose these two Bamboo Trees to serve as a temporary shelter.

He just had to pull their leaves down to the right position, cut down the coconuts that were on the other side, bind them with bark rope, and secure them with branches to fashion a crude shelter.

The wide, thick, and long banana leaves could block sunlight, wind, and rain.

His plan seemed solid, but he never imagined it would actually rain.

When the raindrops pelted him awake in the middle of the night, he immediately realized the gravity of the situation.

His first instinct wasn’t to reinforce his shelter, but to wrap the firewood he had collected before bed in his jacket and clutch it to his chest.

He didn’t care if he got soaked; the firewood absolutely could not get wet.

As long as he could protect this bundle of firewood, the rain would be nothing to worry about.

「Meanwhile.」

「Inside the production team’s cabin.」

The entire production crew had also been awakened by the sudden downpour, and they gathered anxiously in front of the monitors.

"All departments, listen up! Everyone, keep a close eye on the contestants’ conditions. Report anything unusual immediately!"

"Hei, you take the door. Bring all your gear."

"Aili, you get the first-aid supplies ready. Be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice. Put your raincoat on now."

"Daniel, you’re running point. Any issues, it’s your call."

As the orders were issued, a palpable tension filled the room. Everyone crowded around the monitors, each person focused on a few of the contestants.

「On the screen.」

Well over half of the contestants were huddled inside crude shelters of wood and leaves, which looked ready to collapse in the downpour. All they could do was wrap themselves tightly in their waterproof jackets, curled into balls to prevent losing body heat too quickly.

A few contestants chose to venture out into the storm, trying to find a better place to take shelter.

Only about ten contestants had shelters or hiding spots reliable enough to completely withstand the onslaught of the storm.

"D-Daniel! You need to see this! Contestant #7 looks a little pale."

A staffer had barely raised his hand before Daniel was already in front of him, eyes glued to the feed from camera #7.

On the screen, a man with wavy brown hair was curled up in the hollow of a tree. He was soaked to the bone, his face was pale, and his lips were drained of color.

"How long has he been exposed to the rain? Aili, come take a look."

"He’s been out in it since last night, so... more than five hours now," the staffer said, flipping through a notebook. "According to our logs, Contestant #7 has only eaten a dozen or so West Indian cherries in the past two days. No protein, fat, or carb intake whatsoever."

"He also hasn’t found a water source. He risked a few sips from Lake Lagobaiano, and we’ve spotted animal tracks nearby."

"That’s not important," Daniel said with a wave of his hand, turning his gaze to Ariana at his side. "What’s your take?"

"The contestant is showing clear signs of hypothermia. Judging by his face and the color of his lips, his circulation is slowing down. Combined with massive energy expenditure and almost zero intake, his body has already initiated its defense mechanisms."

"If he stays in the rain, he’ll likely pass out within the next hour or two."

Though Ariana was usually aloof and loved playing pranks, she was a true professional when it mattered. She had assessed the contestant’s condition in just a few seconds.

This contestant was smart, too. He hadn’t clipped the camera to his chest, but had wedged it inside the tree trunk so the lens had a clear shot of his face.

As a contestant with some wilderness survival experience, he knew what to do in a crisis.

He knew that as long as the camera could see him, the production team could rescue him immediately if he passed out. His life wouldn’t be in danger.

Even so, he was still gritting his teeth and toughing it out, showing no sign of wanting to quit.

"Aili! Come look at this!"

Nearby, another staff member called out.

"Contestant #43 looks like he’s in a lot of pain. It seems like he’s gritting his teeth, trying to endure something."

Ariana’s gaze shifted downward, instantly locating the feed.

But this view wasn’t as clear as the one for Contestant #7. The camera was in the contestant’s hand, shaking with his movements and blurred by the rain, making the image hazy.

"You’re right. A healthy person’s body wouldn’t tremble that violently. Has he eaten anything in the last few hours?"

"He ate five unripe green bananas."

"Were they cooked?"

"He hasn’t managed to make a fire."

Ariana thought for a moment before speaking. "He must have an upset stomach. Unripe fruits like bananas contain large amounts of tannins and resistant starch. Eating too many can impede gastrointestinal motility, making them difficult to digest and causing symptoms like bloating, constipation, and nausea."

"The hypothermia from the rain is likely aggravating the abdominal pain. Keep a close eye on him. He could tap out at any moment."

"Got it."

"Aili!"

"Aili, take a look at this one..."

In the span of just over ten minutes, Aili’s name was called out constantly. At least seven or eight contestants were now showing signs of physical distress.

The hearts of all the staff members were in their throats. It felt like at any second, they would have to rush out into the rain to rescue someone.

Meanwhile, the audience watching from home was also growing worried for the contestants.

[Is this how tough a tropical rainforest is? A long downpour with no warning... The contestants who’ve been soaked for hours probably can’t take much more, can they?]