Chapter 28: Rewards From The Program Team

"Hi, Sister Bird, are you okay?" Director James asked, his gruff voice cutting through the air. He was a burly man with a thick beard, resembling more of a truck driver than a program director. His unkempt appearance contrasted with the seriousness of the situation.

To ensure fairness in the program, directors from all national teams were interspersed, and the staff was the same. There were only a few members from the Kyushu team, and their job was primarily to monitor whether players from their own country were being treated fairly.

Sister Bird looked up at him, her face clouded with frustration. "Not very good," she replied, her voice low and weary.

James sighed and shrugged. "Unfortunately, it seems like you'll need some treatment."

Sister Bird nodded silently, too exhausted to say anything further. Her body was battered, and the emotional toll of the situation had left her drained.

Noticing how downhearted Sister Bird appeared, James tried to lighten the mood. "Don't worry too much. This is just a small setback in the grand scheme of your life. You'll be back on your feet before you know it."

Chris, who had been standing nearby, couldn't hold back his frustration. "Director James, I think what Sister Bird needs right now is treatment, not motivational speeches," he snapped. "Can we get to the point? She's seriously injured."

"Ah, yes, you're right, Chris," James replied with an understanding nod. Without further delay, he called for the medical team. The team quickly arrived, cleaned Sister Bird's wound, stopped the bleeding, and bandaged her up. They carefully loaded her into a helicopter for evacuation.

Before leaving, James looked back at Steve, who was still standing there, silently watching the scene unfold. "Steve, are you sure you don't need medical attention for your wound?"

Steve, his face pale and his expression tight with pain, glanced at James. "If I had the option to get treated without quitting, I'd be happy to take it," he replied dryly.

James raised his hands in a gesture of helplessness. "I wish I could help you, Steve, but I don't have the authority to make that decision."

Steve gave a curt nod. "Then goodbye, Director James."

"Goodbye, Steve. Take care and good luck," James said before boarding the helicopter and leaving with the medical team.

Steve was left alone in the dense forest, surrounded by the thick heat of the afternoon sun, the air heavy with humidity. It was around one or two o'clock—by far the hottest part of the day.

Steve picked up the machete that Sister Bird had dropped earlier, sighed, and continued on his way. Now that he had found the water source, he wasn't about to just stop there. He needed to see it for himself, to confirm it was a viable option for the team.

He unzipped his shirt, using his knife to cut a piece of the lining and fashioning it into a makeshift strap to wrap around his injured hands. The wounds were deep, but at least the bleeding had stopped. It still hurt, a lot. He could only hope that his physical fitness—boosted by the system's upgrades—would speed up the healing process.

When he'd added points to his physical fitness the previous night, he'd noticed some changes in his body, like how the mosquito bites had disappeared. Increasing his fitness seemed to have a healing effect, though he wasn't sure if it would work for such a severe wound. If it didn't, he would likely be forced to quit the competition before things got worse.

Though disappointed by the injury, Steve wasn't desperate. With or without the system, he had resources in another world to back him up. He knew that, sooner or later, he would rise above the rest. For now, he had no regrets about getting hurt while saving others.

Cautiously, he walked through the dense underbrush and soon reached the river. The water was flowing fast, about two or three meters wide. It cascaded down from a cliff above, creating a deep pool before flowing away. The sight was a relief—finding the water source meant they were one step closer to survival.

But as he stood there, examining the river, Steve's thoughts returned to his hands. The injuries were still fresh, and the last thing he wanted was to expose them to river water, which was teeming with bacteria that could cause infection. For now, he had no choice but to leave the wound untreated.

Sighing, Steve knelt by the river and took a drink. The water was cool and refreshing, with a hint of sweetness. It was clear and clean, a much-needed reprieve from the harsh environment around him.

Looking up at the blazing sun, Steve realized it was far too hot to continue pushing forward right now. He decided to rest for a while, find some shade, and wait until the temperature dropped a little before continuing on his journey.

Meanwhile, back at the live broadcast, viewers were reacting strongly to what had happened.

"I feel so bad for Steve," one viewer wrote. "The production team is being heartless. All they need to do is give him some basic disinfectant and bandages."

"Yeah, that's way too much to ask? He saved two lives today. Shouldn't he be rewarded for his heroism?" another person chimed in.

"If Steve hadn't saved people today, he wouldn't have gotten hurt, but Sister Bird would have definitely died. That pit was so deep—at least ten stories—and there were rocks at the bottom. If she'd fallen, she would've been done for," one viewer pointed out.

"Exactly. He saved two lives. We can't just let the hero suffer like this."

"Those who work for the greater good should never be left out in the cold. Let's head to the official website and demand they give Steve some medical help."

"Yes, let's go! We can't let the hero bleed without doing something."

"I'm in. Let's do it for Steve!"

Before long, the number of people commenting skyrocketed, and the official website of the program was nearly overloaded. The sheer volume of feedback forced the program team to take action. James hesitated for a moment, unsure if he should make the call himself, but ultimately decided to escalate the matter to the headquarters of the joint program team.

After some discussion, the decision was made. In recognition of Steve's selfless actions and to promote his heroism, the program team would reward him with a bottle of disinfectant and two rolls of bandages to treat his injuries. Crucially, this reward would not require Steve to quit the competition.

Naturally, some representatives from other countries disagreed, but Kyushu, as one of the dominant powers in the world, had enough support to make the decision stand. The announcement was quickly made, and the audience in Kyushu was pleased with the program team's decision.

However, the fans of Xiaobaga and Xiaobang were not as happy.

Still, their dissatisfaction was irrelevant. The decision had been made, and there was nothing they could do about it.

So, as Steve rested by the river, a drone carrying a plastic bag flew in front of him, its buzzing noise breaking the silence.

Steve blinked in surprise, staring at the drone. What was this? He hadn't expected anything more from the production team.

When the drone hovered near him, it dropped the bag of supplies. Inside, Steve found a bottle of disinfectant and bandages.

Confused, he looked up at the drone. "What's this? I told you I'm not quitting."

The program team's voice responded from the drone's speaker. "Contestant Steve, due to your heroic performance in saving lives, the program team held a meeting and decided to reward you with a bottle of disinfectant and two rolls of bandages to treat your injuries. The use of these items does not require you to quit the competition."

Steve's lips twitched into a small, reluctant smile. He hadn't expected this, but it was a nice gesture. At least the program team acknowledged his efforts.

With a deep breath, Steve prepared to continue his journey. The challenges were far from over, but he wasn't about to give up now.

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