Though the avid anti-fan of Bright, George, has a strange personality, and is easily angered, and also foul-mouthed, he is top-class when it comes to his profession.
Using the materials the cameras of the two other staff members have, he made a short 5-minute long video, and put it in his personal collection, rewatching it every so often, savouring it. He imagines that he is the alligator, and chases him from the water onto the shore, tackles him, rips him into pieces, feeling his shred meat and blood flowing into his oesophagus. Immersed in the wails and cries of the despicable man, he would eat him bit by bit.
Just imagining it makes satisfaction well up and gush forth from his body.
His whole body shivers, emitting a sigh.
The leader chases him out to the loo, criticising with dissatisfaction, “at least do it when you’re off work.”
When George has cleaned up and comes back, the leader says again, “send me what you’ve done. Don’t lie to me; I saw your download record.”
George unwillingly sends it to him. Though it’s a personal collection, all materials were technically the show’s property. If the leader actually presses him with this, he would also be stuck between a rock and a hard place.
The video is choreographed in reverse chronological order, starting from when Bright is enjoying his feast. The fresh, bloodied alligator meat slowly glimmers with oil, making one salivate and desirous. In the end, a desire for food and desire for sex is closely connected with its commonalities of craving to fulfil the emptiness inside.
Following that is the snippet where the man undresses, full of eroticism. The camera kept a detailed recording of his body, with footage from every angle at different zoom levels. The screen shows a gorgeous man with wide shoulders, a narrow waist and long legs. The skin shining under the sun is bright and smooth, absolutely flawless. You can’t even see his pores. His muscles are firm, with a great contour. Accompanying that is his noble-looking face. It is full of masculine appeal.
He walks to the shore quickly, and jumps in in one fell swoop. Water droplets splashes around his robust body, disappearing slowly. Then the atmosphere rapidly changes to danger and tension. An alligator suddenly appears, swimming towards the man with haste. The man flies out of the water in time. As if to tease the audience on purpose, it only shows a blurred wet back silhouette.
As the background music enters its climax, the alligator was smashed into a blossom of blood splatter. The editing was done expertly, making it appear as if it was killed by him. The Dwarf and the Giant pair was removed completely. In the end, accompanied by a vigorous musical score, he slashes open the belly of the alligator. Deep crimson blood sprays all over, some splashing onto his face.
The last frame is fixed onto the eyes of the man. The brown iris are cold and indifferent. A bloodstain lies between his eyebrows.
When you tear away the façade of the hero, he is a ruthless predator.
This proves irrefutably that, the one who understands you the most, is your anti-fan ——no, I’m kidding.
The leader saves it after watching, and sends the video into the discussion group of the managers.
It is immediately commented on, “Editing and Post-FX A, actor D. He didn’t even fucking bare his shit. Wasted 5 minutes of my life!”
“I’ll give it a C, on the basis of how well-endowed he is.”
The Director who only ever lurks in the group suddenly asks, “what number is he?”
The leader replies hastily, “number 199; a staff made the video for fun.”
The vice director also surfaces, “he’s a target of seed contestant number 56. The team of number 56 is also by the lake. They’re waiting until Team 40 finishes the wooden rafts before their ambush.”
Number 56 has some connections, and is highly valuable commercially. Number 199 is completely incomparable. When the two are in conflict, of course you’d make the latter into cannon fodder.
The Director is silent again. The group chat starts talking about something else.
The leader thinks it’s a pity, but his body moves honestly, contacting the team leader of number 56, and working out details of the filming to follow. Protagonist would be number 56, and number 199 is the deuteragonist. The script is to kill and be killed.
Despite only being in charge of filming the deuteragonist, the task is not simple either. They have to present the audience with the destruction of number 199 eloquently, like a piece of art. It is also that number 199 has yet to demonstrate his abilities with killing and fighting. It is unknown what chemistry he would have against number 56.
Team 40 has finished making the wooden raft. Old Veteran is currently doing his last round of checks, and all that is left is christening it.
The storehouse manager who was searching for food is back, with a few unidentifiable fruits in his hands.
“Where’s Thin Bamboo and co.?”
Old Veteran answers, “the big guy was hungry, so they’re trying their luck by the shore to see if they can find some more eggs. We’ll go after they come back.”
The storehouse manager replies with an ‘oh,’ his eyes flicker for a bit. He walks towards Bright, who is looking towards the horizon on the shore.
“I found some fruits. They’re juicy.”
The brown eyes of the man focuses on him, looking calm. There’s as if a feeling of him already seeing through everything, as if he saw through his deepest secrets clearly.
The storehouse manager’s body freezes. Did he know he betrayed him?
George, who is focusing on number 199, shouts, “leader, something’s wrong! It’s a trap!”
The leader is shocked, “what?!”
“Number 199 managed to sway the traitor. Fuck! How did he do that?!”
“Quickly contact the other team, tell them to be careful of unforeseen changes. It’s best to hold number 56 back for now.”
Though they’re too late. Number 56 has led his team members in an assault.
The leader is speaking at his receiver, “the current situation is… yes… understood.” He retrieves his calm, ordering the staff members, “pay close attention. If necessary, drive the alligators to attack everyone other than number 56.”
The staff members are all glued to the screen.
Number 199 has always appeared docile. He never actively provoked or attacked anyone to now. This gives people the impression that he is mild-tempered, or a pushover. People mistake him for a good person.
Ochrehair comes forth triumphantly. Team 40 only has 2 members right now, but he has 6. It’s his win.
He declared arrogantly at the celebration after the first episode that he would have Bright. Now, he is about to keep to that declaration.
However, that storehouse manager, who is so average that he ignored completely, suddenly attacks him with an axe!
“You dog! You dare betray me?!”
Facing his former master who is fuming at the moment, the storehouse manager is shaking violently. Both because of fear and excitation.
Look at me! Hey, look at me!! Look how I toyed with and tricked this strong and scary man in front of me!
You can tell this betrayal of the storehouse manager in advance.
First, he is not averse to betrayals. As he already planned to betray Bright, he has no loyalty to anyone. If he can carry out a betrayal once, of course he can do it twice.
Second, Bright sees that he is pretty conscious of his appearance, despite his lacking appearance that you wouldn’t notice if he was thrown into a crowd. He had zero characteristics that Bright can’t even nickname him something like Old Veteran or Thin Bamboo. Yet he still takes care of his hair and clothes, trying to appear more prim and proper in front of the camera.
So, Bright asks him, “do you want to be the protagonist?”
The storehouse manager’s eyes and pupils widen.
Holy, the protagonist!
Attracting everyone’s attention, have everyone focused only on his voice, to scream for him, to lose their minds for him!
Yes! Of course it’s a yes!
In that dirty, metallic storehouse, doing simple, uninteresting work, day in, day out – his soul was dead. He wanted to be seen, even if it’s gazes of disdain or hatred. It’s better than being nameless, being ignored, being forgotten.
“How?” He looks at the man beseechingly. From the man’s mouth spilled out words of the devil.
Hehehehahahaha! What an idea! It’s the best idea he’s ever heard in his entire life!
What kind of tedious script betraying number 199 is! He’s going to betray the one that all are scared of!
Author’s notes: Everyone wants different things. Bright wants to live, the storehouse manager wants to become famous. Everyone is thus satisfied.