The Double Drop Buff Surviving The Endless Ocean novel Chapter 68

Chapter 68

Chapter 68

Robin cursed under his breath and fell silent.

Alina’s face darkened.

5 vouchers

Alina thought, ‘Seriously, where’s the justice in this world? Someone as heartless, treacherous, and scheming as Robin actually made it into the top ten with his entry?

‘And now he’s trying to use me again.

‘Dream on!‘

Not only was she refusing to help him, she was determined to find a real contender, vote for it, hype it up, and catapult it into the top ten, just to kick Robin out of the rankings.

Alina scrolled through the entries, her face growing darker with every picture. She spent two hours flipping through them, one after another.

She thought, ‘This one’s no good, just a bunch of stuff thrown together, no real quality. That one’s not much better. Sure, the supplies look decent, but the composition’s terrible, and the photos are all blurry or poorly shot.’

She kept sifting through the entries, going through nearly four or five hundred submissions, but still couldn’t find anything that stood out.

None of them could even come close to Robin’s work.

Alina was starting to get restless. ‘I’m already at number 482. Should I even bother going any further?‘ she wondered.

After all, anyone with even a bit of skill who made it into the top few hundred had already gotten their local supporters to vote for them.

That was why most of the top–ranked entries were in the top five hundred. Anything below that was basically a waste of time.

Alina kept going for a few more entries, but by the time she hit number 502, she was ready to give up.

“What is this garbage at the bottom? Are they just messing around? Some of these are even less capable than me Alins muttered to herself.

Alina closed her eyes, ready to close out all the entries, but with a slip of her finger, she accidentally opened entry number

503. 503.

Alina was even more annoyed, about to click away, when suddenly, her eyes went wide and she stared at the image on the screen, unable to look away.

It was an overhead shot of a table, with a cozy brazier set right in the middle

In the center sat a white ceramic coffee pot, surrounded by a few sweet potatoes, a dozen chestnuts, a handful of peanuts, plus a couple of oranges and some yellow pears.

Everything was laid out in a relaxed, homey way around the stove.

On the table, there were also two plates of sunflower seeds, a basket of strawberries, a plate of waterinelon, and some small, mysterious red fruits.

1/4

12:31 pm &

Chapter 68

She could tell four people were gathered around the stove, chatting and enjoying the moment together.

8019

5 vouchers

There were four white ceramic coffee cups, with little bamboo plates nearby holding sunflower seed shells and orange peels.

The coffee inside the cups had a soft orange glow, clear and sparkling. She could tell it was top–notch at a glance.

Two hands happened to be holding the coffee cups. One was slender and pale, with long, graceful fingers.

The other, probably a girl’s too, was elegant but a little rough around the edges, with a scar on the index finger, barely visible in the shadows.

Alina’s gaze swept past, without paying much attention.

All in all, the whole picture radiated a cozy warmth, making her heart settle down and feel peaceful.

Just this one picture could totally crush Robin’s three entries.

Alina’s heart was pounding with excitement as she moved on to the second picture.

The second photo showed a wooden gazebo, with the words “Coffee Room” carved into a wooden board over the doorway. the strokes bold and graceful.

Two lights hung from the eaves, their light bright but gentle, casting a warm glow over the scene.

Through the gaps between the wooden pillars, she could see the brazier, coffee, and fruit on the table inside.

But the photographer had deliberately blurred the background, so all she could make out were a few people sitting inside, their figures hazy and indistinct.

Beyond the hut, the deep blue sea stretched out, with waves reflecting a faint red glow.

A vine leisurely stretched out from one of the pillars, its leaves a fresh, lively green, with a few purple or pink blossoms sprinkled on top.

In the softly blurred background, Alina could vaguely see another pillar, with another vine climbing up, dotted with a handful of tiny flowers.

The whole vibe was hazy and beautiful, like something out of a dream.

The third photo was all about an archery target and some lights, with a row of houses just barely showing through the blurred background.

‘Lights? Now that’s how you set the vibe. Who’s got the skills to pull this off? Not only did they get their hands on red lights, they even built a coffee room, and there are vines, too, Alina thought, genuinely impressed.

Entry ID: 666888. Title: [Stove Night Talk). Contestant: Hidden. District: Hidden.

‘Stove Night Talk? Even the name’s got style, Alina thought, feeling a spark of excitement.

The contestant had kept both their district and name under wraps, definitely someone who prefers to stay out of the spotlight.

“This is the one!‘ Alina decided.

She had no doubt, this entry was sure to break into the top ten.

2/4

12:31 pm

Chapter 68

5 vouchers

Whether it could snag first place was another matter entirely. After all, the contestant wasn’t doing any self–promotion at all, so they might not be able to compete with those going all out begging for votes or even buying them.

She immediately sent Leeanne’s entry ID to a private group chat. [This person’s work is really good, you guys should check it out!]

Then she posted the same message in the Local Chat for district 34.

She was pretty famous in district 34, so whenever she spoke up, lots of people paid attention and got curious enough to check out Leeanne’s entry.

As soon as they saw it, everyone was stunned.

A person wrote: [Who is this? How did they manage to have coffee already? Seriously, they’re living the dream!]

Another wrote: [That’s not even the half of it. Count all the food on their table, chestnuts, peanuts, sunflower seeds, sweet potatoes, oranges, pears, strawberries, watermelon… Man, that’s some real baller stuff!]

Someone wrote: [Damn, the whole vibe is beautiful! Those red lights look amazing, seriously, this is just gorgeous!]

Someone else wrote: [This blows the other contestants‘ entries out of the water. Everyone else is desperate to show off their rare supplies, but this one? Quiet flex, pure class.]

A person wrote: [With all those snacks on her table, you really think her food supply isn’t loaded? No way!]

Another wrote: [Weird, which district is she from anyway? Most people flaunt their district, but she’s hiding hers. Talk about keeping it low–key!]

Seeing the chat blowing up, Alina quickly jumped in to redirect the topic. [This is my friend’s work, guys! Show some love and vote, thanks a ton.]

Honestly, her claim didn’t really add up. The contestant obviously wasn’t from district 34, and both their district and name were hidden, so Alina could not possibly even recognize them.

But nobody bothered to overthink it. Even if the thought crossed their minds, they didn’t dig any deeper. Everyone just went along and started voting.

A person wrote: [Easy call, gotta vote. This one’s gotta take first place!]

Another wrote: [Hey, if Alina vouches for her, she’s one of us. Vote!]

Someone wrote: [Too bad. I already used my vote on Robin. I thought he was decent, and he’s from our district, so I wanted to help. Now I’m out, only one vote per person, sigh…]

Alina quickly replied: [You can actually change your vote!]

Someone perked up. [Seriously? Then I’m switching for sure. Alina, you’ve got my support!]

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify