Chapter 416: Suspected of "Carrying Weapons"? That's a Water Gun Your Mom Gave You!
The program crew arranged for everyone to assemble in Star City.
Star City International Airport, Terminal 3.
The live stream of the pilot episode of Romantic Trip with Family was already buzzing with an almost overwhelming energy.
Hundreds of fans were gathered outside the cordon line.
Inside the VIP lounge, the three guest groups had already taken their seats.
Veteran actor Huang Jiahui kept a low profile, but his custom-made Tang Suit exuded an air of sophistication;
Traffic idol Lin Ouyang was touching up his makeup in front of a mirror, with four assistants bustling around him;
The most eye-catching was socialite Zhao Kuo Tai, who was directing her bodyguards to arrange six hard-shell Louis Vuitton trunks.
“Set them down gently!” Zhao Kuo Tai said, showing off her battle gear to the camera.
“I had these custom-made in Paris specifically for this trip. If you scratch the cases, you couldn’t afford to pay for it even if I sold you all.”
After speaking, she shot a meaningful glance at the entrance: “Some nouveau riche just don’t get it. They think getting on a show means they’ve entered high society, but they don’t even know basic travel etiquette.”
The bullet comments were a flurry of “Rich lady, let me stick close!” and “Now that’s old money elegance.”
Just then, the automatic doors slid open.
Jiang Ci walked in wearing sunglasses, pushing a luggage cart.
Behind him followed Chu Hong.
On the luggage cart, stacked conspicuously, were two camouflage canvas bags large enough to hold a whole pig.
The canvas bags were bulging at the seams, the zippers straining under the load.
Chu Hong had bound them tightly with the kind of red string used to tie up hairy crabs, crisscrossing it in every direction.
The look was so absurd that no one would believe it was a trip to Sanya, but it would fit right in at a train station during the Spring Festival travel rush.
“Pfft—” Lin Ouyang couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Zhao Kuo Tai wrinkled her nose in disgust and covered it with her handkerchief.
The bullet comments exploded.
[Hahahaha! Is this the legendary Film Emperor’s style? Way too hardcore!]
[That red string… my grandma uses the same stuff to tie up her pickled vegetable jar!]
[Is this the so-called “Jiang-style aesthetics”? I love it!]
Wu Tong, the head director, saw the buzz heating up and immediately raised his megaphone: “Alright, everyone, to ensure the safety and fairness of our trip, we need to do a baggage check. Contraband and extra snacks all need to be handed over.”
The camera first focused on Zhao Kuo Tai.
The case opened, and it was all gleaming gold.
Full of haute couture dresses, complete sets of jewelry, and a whole case of skincare products alone.
“Wow—” A chorus of exclamations filled the scene.
Next was Lin Ouyang.
His case was packed with protein powder, dumbbells, and various health supplements with unpronounceable names.
Finally, the camera moved to Jiang Ci’s family.
Chu Hong, however, was unfazed. She stepped forward and quickly untied the red strings.
“Zzzzrip—”
As soon as the zipper opened, the contents burst out with a thump.
No clothes, no makeup.
A gleaming stainless steel wok sat firmly in the center position.
Tucked inside the wok were two cleavers, a cutting board, and a collapsible folding stool.
The scene fell dead silent.
Even Wu Tong stammered: “Ah… Auntie, we’re going on vacation. The hotel has…”
“Has what?” Chu Hong shot back as she organized the items.
“I read your guide for this so-called ‘luxury trip.’ You’re feeding us grass and flowers. The plates are bigger than your face, but the food is less than cat kibble.”
She patted the bag of rice: “My son has a weak stomach, and he’s still growing. I need to make sure he doesn’t starve.”
Jiang Ci: ”…”
Mom, I’m twenty-three this year. I’ve stopped growing.
The bullet comments went wild.
[That’s his real mom! One hundred percent biological mom!]
[This isn’t a vacation; it’s a survival challenge!]
[Jiang Ci: I want to find a hole to crawl into. Chu Hong: Is there rice in the hole? If not, don’t bother.]
After the inspection, the group filed toward the security checkpoint.
“Beep—”
As soon as the bag went through, the security officer stared at the screen, his expression suddenly shifting.
“Stop! Halt the machine!”
The security officer stood up, his hand instinctively moving toward his waist, and barked: “Passenger, step back!”
This sudden turn of events startled everyone.
Nearby security officers quickly closed in, the tension in the air reaching a breaking point.
Wu Tong panicked: “What’s wrong? What happened?”
The security officer pointed at the X-ray image on the screen, his voice stern: “There’s a suspected firearm and a tube-shaped explosive in the bag! Please cooperate with the inspection!”
On the big screen, the transparent view of the camouflage bag was clearly visible.
Among the jumble of pots and pans lay a handgun-shaped object.
And beside it was a tube wrapped in tin foil, looking exactly like the detonators in movies.
The live stream suddenly went black.
This was the precursor to a major broadcast incident!
Jiang Ci stared at the screen, his brows furrowed tightly.
Before he could say a word, Chu Hong stepped forward.
“What’s all this? What’s going on?” Chu Hong pushed past the security officer blocking her way, her demeanor even more commanding than a cop’s.
“Ma’am! Please don’t move! This is a dangerous item!” the security officer shouted in warning.
“Dangerous, my foot.”
Right in front of everyone, Chu Hong reached straight into the bag.
The next second.
Chu Hong pulled out the “gun.”
It was a pink, children’s water gun.
The body was plastered with stickers of Sailor Moon.
Everyone on scene: ”…”
The security officer: ”…”
“This is my son’s toy from when he was little.”
Chu Hong explained calmly: “His dad gave it to him for his fifth birthday. It’s a good luck charm, understand?”
Jiang Ci stared at the water gun, a forgotten childhood memory surfacing.
At that moment, the peak of social death hit him.
Here he was, a Golden Rooster Award winner, and he had a Sailor Moon water gun in his bag?
“And… and that tube-shaped item?” the security officer persisted, pointing at the “detonators.”
Chu Hong reached into the bag again.
She tore off the tin foil.
A rich, savory meat aroma flooded the entire security checkpoint area.
It was air-dried sausages.
Neatly sliced, each one wrapped in thick foil to keep it fresh.
“These sausages are too hard.” Chu Hong handed one to the now-petrified security officer.
“You have to eat them sliced. Don’t try to bite the whole thing, or you’ll choke. Want to try some? I made them myself, no preservatives.”
The security officer looked at the sausage in his hand, then at the water gun, his expression a mix of confusion and disbelief.
“Misunderstanding… all a misunderstanding.” Wu Tong wiped the cold sweat from his brow and quickly signaled for the live stream to resume.
The bullet comments erupted again.
[HAHAHAHA! I’m laughing so hard I’m looking for my head!]
[What the hell, bringing a water gun for “fire protection”? I’m sold on this superstition!]
[I misjudged Jiang Ci. Turns out he’s this kind of adorable with an unexpected contrast! Sailor Moon water gun—is that the gear a badass should have?]
After the false alarm, everyone finally boarded the plane.
In first class, the flight attendant brought champagne.
Zhao Kuo Tai elegantly swirled her glass, a look of lingering shock mixed with disdain on her face.
Just as Jiang Ci sat down, Chu Hong pulled two thermos cups from her bag—which seemed like a magic treasure chest.
“Here.”
Jiang Ci took them and unscrewed the lid.
The warm aroma of red date and goji berry tea wafted up.
“The air conditioning on the plane is cold. Drink something hot.”
Chu Hong cradled her own cup and blew on the steam.
“Don’t be like those people drinking cold booze. You’ll get a stomachache, and then I’ll have to take care of you.”
Jiang Ci looked at the goji berries floating up and down in his cup, then out the window at the clouds.
Amidst the helplessness of being so thoroughly managed, a strange sense of long-lost stability emerged.
Three hours later.
The plane landed at Sanya Phoenix Airport.
A wave of heat rolled in.
As the group walked out of the arrivals gate, before they could even savor the island atmosphere, the program crew stopped them.
Wu Tong stood in front of a beat-up old bus, a sly smile on his face.
“Welcome, everyone, to the beautiful Deer City.”
“But our romantic trip has a small rule.”
Wu Tong clapped his hands, and a few staff members walked over carrying storage bins.
“Please hand over all cash, bank cards, and phones.”
“For the next three days, each family will have a starting fund of just one hundred yuan.”
Zhao Kuo Tai immediately blew her top: “One hundred? That won’t even cover a taxi! I’m staying at the Atlantis!”
Lin Ouyang frowned too: “Director, isn’t this a bit too harsh?”
Only Chu Hong, calm and collected, patted the canvas bag at her side.
Inside, there was rice, flour, and enough air-dried sausage to last a week.
She shot Jiang Ci a look, her face clearly saying, “See? I told you these people couldn’t be trusted.”
“Alright, please board the bus.”
Wu Tong gestured to the ancient bus behind him, whose air conditioner was even dripping water.
“Our destination is—a fishing village.”
The group reluctantly boarded the bus.
But no sooner had the bus exited the airport expressway and not even entered the city—
“Screech—”
With a harsh, grating noise, the bus shuddered and came to a halt on the side of the road.
Black smoke billowed from under the hood.
The driver tried to restart the engine.
Duh-duh-duh… No response.
The temperature inside the cabin shot up rapidly. Zhao Kuo Tai’s makeup was starting to run.
Wu Tong grabbed his walkie-talkie, his expression awkward: “Uh… everyone, it seems the bus has broken down.”
“The rescue vehicle will probably take… about two hours.”
At that moment, they were still twenty kilometers from the city.
The midday sun was mercilessly baking the earth.