Chapter 12
The production team did not reveal any information to the guests in advance, but as soon as they arrived at the recording location, Berlin had a hunch about the type of challenge they would face.
The car stopped at the entrance of an outdoor stadium. The production team had rented out the venue to ensure that the recording wouldn't be interrupted or disturbed.
The site had been set up in advance, and three targets were visible at varying distances.
A young man holding a bow stood beside the host. Facing the camera, he nodded slightly at Skye, showing a somewhat reserved demeanor.
It was their first meeting, and after a brief exchange of pleasantries, the host fluently delivered a long opening speech, mainly thanking the show's sponsors.
This show was known for its fast pace, and the host quickly moved on to the main topic: "Today, we have invited Mr. Li Guangmin. Mr. Li has won one silver and one bronze in the World Archery Championships. After retiring, he became a content creator, developing many interesting challenges."
"Today, he has prepared three challenges for our guests, with difficulty levels ranging from low to high. Now, let's have Mr. Li introduce the challenges."
Li Guangmin took over. He had mostly remained silent earlier, but once in his familiar territory, he noticeably relaxed. He raised the bow in his hand to demonstrate: "The World Archery Championships use recurve bows, but today we'll be challenging with compound bows."
Skye’s position was not fixed and was rather casual. Berlin, who had originally been standing at the back of the team, furthest from Li Guangmin, decisively jogged to the front to listen once Li began his explanation.
Even from afar, Berlin couldn't hear clearly, but when he got closer, Jiang Shuran, who was standing next to Li Guangmin, kindly moved aside to make space for him.
Having successfully “cut in line,” Berlin quietly thanked Jiang Shuran, then focused intently on Li Guangmin.
Sensing Berlin's curious and eager gaze, Li Guangmin couldn't help but smile a little, reminded of a diligent student eager to ask questions during class.
Initially planning to give a brief explanation, Li Guangmin became more enthusiastic, seeing that someone was paying close attention. His tone shifted from being flat to more engaging: "Compared to recurve bows, compound bows are more suitable for beginners. The pulley system helps save effort, effectively doubling the draw weight. For example, a five-pound draw weight feels like ten pounds thanks to the pulleys."
While most of the team members showed no particular reaction, Berlin nodded in understanding: "So it’s more efficient. With more force, the arrow can fly farther."
Li Guangmin smiled: "Exactly, that's the idea."
In fact, Berlin knew his teammates weren’t ignoring the explanation—it’s just that you couldn't expect non-humans to comprehend the nuances of physics. Trying to explain the difference between five pounds and ten pounds to a mermaid, vampire, demon, or werewolf was like explaining Beethoven to a tabby cat.
Berlin's eyes sparkled as he continued to ask: "What’s this?"
Li Guangmin answered patiently: "That’s a release aid. It’s another feature that makes compound bows more beginner-friendly, as it helps with stability, naturally improving accuracy."
Whether a teacher is responsible often depends on the student’s attitude.
Before coming, Li Guangmin had watched a few episodes of the show. While there was an entertaining aspect to it, ultimately it was still a variety show, not a competitive event. The guests took it with varying degrees of seriousness, and most would give up after a few failures, humbly praising the experts.
While this approach was safe, Li Guangmin didn't like just being a background figure. He preferred guests who were willing to push their limits, whose first reaction was to try, rather than give up.
Li Guangmin had initially thought that spending an afternoon playing along with celebrities would be enough. The editing could be manipulated, the audience would get their entertainment, the stars would gain some buzz, and he’d get paid to fund his hobbies—everyone would be happy.
But his mindset shifted after meeting Berlin.
Berlin was like a walking book of "10,000 Whys," bombarding Li Guangmin with questions and showing sincere enthusiasm. It was clear he was absorbing and thinking carefully about what he was learning. Encountering such a diligent student, Li Guangmin felt a sense of gratification and accomplishment.
Without realizing it, he became much more invested, demonstrating and explaining in great detail.
"Like this..."
His breathing was steady as he drew the bow without the slightest tremor, aimed, and released in one smooth motion.
The arrow shot through the air with barely a sound, hitting the bullseye dead center.
Berlin exclaimed, "Wow!!"
Each guest had their own follow PD, responsible for capturing their individual footage. The cameraman filming Berlin couldn’t help but smile slightly as he watched the guest’s excited expression through the lens. This was the first time he had seen such an enthusiastic and lively guest, with every expression radiating positivity.
The director, watching the multi-screen display in a small room, also smiled. Having worked with Skye on previous projects, he wasn’t surprised. It was typical of Berlin. Seeing a guest who genuinely wanted to learn, rather than just pretending for the camera, made the director very happy.
Berlin raised his hand expectantly: "Mr. Li, can I give it a try?"
Li Guangmin shook his head: "The production team said no prior practice is allowed. They want to track how many attempts a complete novice needs to complete the challenge."
"Oh." Berlin nodded, grasping the main point quickly: "Then let's get started!"
Li Guangmin couldn't help but laugh: "Don’t rush. Let me explain the rules first."
In the small room, the director sighed: "At first, I thought Mr. Li was the serious, no-nonsense type, but he smiles a lot more than I expected."
Skye, who had been suggested for the show by the assistant director, smiled while sipping tea: "Of course. Even a stone-cold person would warm up around our little Lin."
The director was speechless: "You sound like Berlin’s dad."
The assistant director chuckled: "I wish Berlin was my son..."
He paused, then clarified seriously: "Not that I’m trying to take advantage."
The director's mouth twitched: "..."
He seriously suspected the assistant director had personal bias when choosing the cast.
While the two of them bantered, Li Guangmin finished explaining the first challenge.
The arrow must first pass through a coin-sized hole suspended 15 meters from the starting point, then hit a stack of dice placed 30 meters away. The dice were stacked in three blocks, and the middle one had to be knocked out while the remaining two cubes had to stay balanced on their five-centimeter-wide platform.
This was the easiest of the three challenges.
As the show’s name suggested, it was nearly an impossible mission.
High-speed cameras had already been set up, capturing 250 frames per second, allowing for slow-motion playback at any time.
Berlin’s eyes widened slightly after hearing the explanation.
Li Guangmin couldn’t suppress a serious expression as he teased: "Scared?"
Berlin’s eyes gleamed, and without hesitating, he replied: "This is so interesting! If I succeed, it proves I’m awesome. If I fail, it’s no big deal."
The nearby staff paused in surprise.
They were used to seeing guests react with shock and exaggeration to challenges for comedic effect, or respond with hesitation or playful defeat. Berlin’s simple and straightforward response, combined with his eagerness to try, made him stand out as the only one of his kind so far.
It wasn’t difficult to understand. Famous celebrities often had reputations to maintain and overthought things, setting limitations for themselves. They feared looking foolish or too confident, worried about being out of character or embarrassing themselves.
But Berlin didn’t care about any of that.
After speaking, he glanced around at his teammates, asking if any of them wanted to try first. His teammates gestured for him to go ahead, so Berlin took the compound bow from Li Guangmin.
Recalling what he had just learned, Berlin adjusted his grip and stance, then without hesitation, drew the bow.
The staff on-site watched, feeling an unexpected rush of adrenaline, their hearts beating a little faster.
It was as if everyone saw in Berlin the carefree courage of youth.
Adults overthink things. The young simply laugh and run toward the sun.
Berlin drew the bow and aimed. The entire movement was smooth and steady as he fully drew the bow, calmly closing one eye to adjust his aim—
The arrow shot forward like a speeding meteor, cutting through the air.
His stance was slightly awkward, showing the inexperience of a beginner, but he was utterly focused.
Han Yuzhe, who had been lazily half-watching, suddenly narrowed his eyes, looking at Berlin.
In his view, Berlin’s soul was like a radiant sun in the night sky, impossible to ignore, shining brilliantly.
Humans are weak because they possess too many fears.
Han Yuzhe had never tried to understand humans. They feared too many intangible things, cared too much about how others saw them, worried whether their choices aligned with the majority, afraid to stand out or be different, anxious that being too noticeable would invite trouble.
Every soul starts out unique, but humans desperately try to make themselves look the same as everyone else.
The process of growing up for most humans is about painting over their distinctiveness with a uniform color.
But not everyone has the courage to simply let the arrow fly.
The arrow cut through the air, tracing a curve as it flew. It lost altitude as it traveled, eventually clattering to the ground.
The arrow had missed the coin entirely, flying wide of the target.
Berlin scratched his head, curiously flexing his fingers: "Archery is so cool!"
Li Guangmin, who had expected Berlin to feel embarrassed or disappointed, was momentarily stunned. His smile widened: "Right? There’s nothing to be afraid of."
Mental fortitude is a crucial aspect of both archery and shooting sports. Many highly skilled competitors lose focus under pressure, their minds going blank, their hands trembling uncontrollably.
Even the smallest tremor can affect the outcome—just a slight shake can cause the arrow to miss its mark.
Li Guangmin thought, this is a simple truth, but many people struggle to achieve it.
Berlin, still holding the bow, leaned over to whisper to Wu Hengyao: "Do you want to give it a try?"
The production team had prepared enough compound bows, and there were targets set up for all five members of Skye, allowing everyone to practice simultaneously.
Wu Hengyao, arms crossed, leaned close to Berlin and replied in a low voice: "I could try, but I can’t guarantee my strength won’t send the arrow from here all the way across Eurasia."
Berlin’s eyes widened in shock. He quickly tightened his grip on the bow: "…I’ll handle it!"
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