China. Okay, I've been to Shanghai, not Beijing. More bootleg stuff than you've ever seen, including a defective cheongsam that I had to throw away two months later because the button kept coming loose and then the hem started coming off. Here's a fun fact – the sound and the TV visuals are separate. And in my hotel, they were piped into the bathroom. I was playing a DVD of The Simpsons, and I was recovering from a cold, so…point is, I didn't bother to pause the episode, but I could still hear everything I missed (if you're interested, look for The Great Louse Detective from Season 14, because it's on Disney+, and for reference, it's a Sideshow Bob episode). As for Chinese food…well, it's awesome, but you probably know that in China, you should leave a little food on your plate. Finishing all your food means that you're still hungry. Thanks for reviewing, OmnipotentUltraInstinctZenoOG, lordgemini and AnonBrowser.

And one more thing. Six contestants are left in this 'verse. Six contestants, one less thing to get you across the wall. In this case, something significant to Chinese culture, I'm afraid.

After a New York-style breakfast in First Class, Chris called me to the cockpit. He told me "We'll be in Beijing just after their sunrise. It's still a little cold there, so you can wear your cardigan if you want."

"What's the challenge?" I asked, wide-eyed. China had to be a cool spot to land. So much history!

"There's a race along the Great Wall." Chris explained. "We expect it to take all morning. You can warn the contestants about the fireworks and traps along the way if you want, or not. There's a good variety of different things for everyone to use to get there faster. You need to ring the gong for them at exactly eleven-thirty, because then we have an eating challenge. The grossest traditional feast ever. Make sure they open their mouths after each course – I know this cast has people who'll want to cheat."

I nodded. "All good, Chrissy. Sounds like fun, actually."

Soon enough, I was standing on the wall in front of the seven contestants, telling them all about the Great Wall and linking it to the Disney movie about Hua Mulan, the Chinese woman who dressed as a man and joined the army to fight the Huns, eventually winning and only being found out when her friends visited her at her home. "Of course," I added, "While Chinese women now might be able to get away with it, for a long time after Mulan, Chinese women were deliberately made gruesomely disabled, by having their toes broken, folded and kept in place with strips of cloth when they were tiny, until the toes just grew that way, never healing." Everyone was starting to look solemn now, so I hurried on, "Your challenge would have been very difficult for them. But for you all, your feet are fine, so you should be okay." I went on to explain the race along the Wall, adding "There's a few objects up there to help you on your way. Take what you will. And be careful along the tracks – watch where you're going if you want to stay ahead. Don't worry too much about winning – just make sure you're there before eleven-thirty if you want to play for immunity. If you're not there on time, you'll be at risk, no matter what."

I got to hang out with one of Chris' jet packs to see what was going on. Duncan was the luckiest with his object. He got the bike. Alejandro happily took the skateboard. A strange three-wheeled contraption was claimed by Gwen, and Bridgette quickly went for the pogo stick. Cody managed to grab the donkey and Heather was left with some weird Chinese shoes that would give you a taste of bound feet. Yeah, talking all about that was a warning. I could tell from Heather's eyes and hair that she had Chinese heritage herself, so she probably had distant ancestors with bound feet. Now she found out a bit of what it might have felt like.

I didn't monitor them the whole time. As it was, Bridgette was the only one who didn't make it in time. Heather couldn't slow the momentum of her shoes and made it just on time, while the pogo stick…yeah, she didn't get a chance to see the fireworks box until she landed on it. She was fine, but she couldn't compete for immunity. The other five all made it, although Alejandro and Duncan kept up an argument over who won the race.

By twelve, everyone was seated in an authentic Chinese restaurant. "Now, I have to warn you, this is a good Chinese restaurant, but what you think of as Chinese food is not what they'll be serving you. We'll be serving up food you'll find unusual, but is totally normal here. Your job is to eat whatever we serve each round, and open your mouth to prove you've swallowed. The last person to finish each round goes to sit on the other bench with Bridgette." I indicated the one on the other side of me. Bridgette's eyes went to her lap before I could give her a reassuring smile. Whatever happened, I didn't think she was on the chopping block from what I'd heard in confessionals. She'd been good at challenges so far, but not great. And everybody liked her, which allowed her to stay under the radar. Sort of like how Cody had until Sierra was gone.

The song? I'd literally been given lyrics, so I actually had to sing to the contestants and they had to sing a line back. I won't go through the song. The challenge was – okay, first the contestants were given a cube of donkey meat. Cody became totally convinced it was the donkey he'd ridden on across the Wall and didn't even try. Alejandro did it, although just as he put it in his mouth, he ducked under the table, saying "Dropped something," then proved it was gone.

Duncan had the most trouble, but he still finished it, which is more than Cody did. Finally, he hung his head, got up, and moved over to sit with Bridgette.

Heather dropped out next, unable to finish the live meal worms. Alejandro did the same thing again, this time saying his hair tie had fallen.

As Heather got to her feet, she was almost sick all over me, but I jumped out of the way in time. Then we were finally able to serve the starfish on a skewer to the last three. Alejandro did the same thing again, saying "I don't know why I'm having such hair tie problems today."

This time, it was Gwen who didn't finish it. She was nearly done, but she still had it in her mouth by the time Duncan opened his, proving he was done.

We finally served them something that even I didn't recognize. But before I could start the last round, Heather jumped up, saying "Wait! Stop! Why does Alejandro keep bending over while he's eating?"

"Isn't he allowed?" I challenged. "What's the problem?"

"The problem is that he's cheating!" Heather declared, jumping up to lift up the tablecloth on the eating table. She pointed at something that was now crawling towards one of Alejandro's boots. One of the worms.

She'd been right. Alejandro had cheated. I had to admit, I was taken aback. I mean, yeah, evil, whatever, but I'd never thought he'd outright cheat. He'd been good at everything else – I figured he wouldn't have to.

"All right." I said eventually. "You two get a reprieve and don't have to eat whatever that is, and Duncan, congratulations. You get immunity. Everyone else is fair game."

I'll be honest, I expected Alejandro to go home after that. Who would keep a cheater in the game? I knew Bridgette and Gwen would probably vote for him. Duncan, too. I wasn't sure of Heather's vote, but Cody too.

And I think Alejandro expected to go home, too, because an hour or so before the elimination ceremony, he approached me, asking "I don't suppose there's any way I could cast my vote early?"

I stood my ground and said "Course not. That would be considered cheating. I'm sure you don't want another blemish like that on your Total Drama record."

Alejandro at least had the grace to blush. "I happen to take care of myself, and I only eat food that my body appreciates. No negative fats, nothing processed, nothing that might cause any negative effect whatsoever. Surely you wouldn't want me to damage this, either?"

Well, it did explain why he was in perfect shape, but I just shrugged. "If you're still asking to vote early, or to try and get the votes rigged so you don't go home, don't. It's not my choice who goes home. You're free to appeal to anyone who does have power, of course, but I don't."

I'm not sure how it happened, to be honest. When I spoke to Duncan, he said he didn't want to vote for Alejandro. "I'm voting Heather. He's probably voting for her after she busted him. I'd rather get the majority than lose, and she's more likely to turn on me once he's gone."

I frowned. "Anyone else? You need at least three votes to swing this."

"I convinced Gwen to vote with me." Duncan explained. "I don't know if she will, but I'm hoping for it."

As it was, Duncan was totally wrong. I read the votes before I announced anything. There were only two votes for Heather, and neither of them were from Alejandro. Bridgette had voted for Alejandro, which I'd expected. Cody's vote was totally random – I thought he'd probably just closed his eyes, because he'd stamped the passport of someone I knew he'd never vote for.

"What a shocker." I told the cast as I sat down. "I didn't expect this vote, but I can tell you right now…Gwen, it's time for you to go. Sorry."

I spoke sincerely, and Gwen took the Drop of Shame without much drama. And Duncan and I headed back to First Class.

Ugh, I had a hard time writing this thing. Sorry it was very lacklustre. China's not easy to write, and with one less person, I had a hard time justifying Gwen's elimination. I really couldn't think of how Cody would vote, which is why he seems to have accidentally voted Gwen. Or maybe he meant to vote another way. I think Duncan would have been his first choice (it doesn't matter that he's not with Gwen, he noticed her crush and they were "married" last challenge), so maybe it was accidental?

Also, as a note, you might have noticed no one else was invited to First Class. Nope, this time, I want to give Toni some one-on-one time with the contestants, so she's going to be the companion in First Class with them instead.

Oh, and btw, Happy Halloween! Trick-or-treating has been cancelled for this year, so looks like I'll just buy some gourmet chocolate and watch it over Treehouse of Horror V...or IV. Or I think I've got all the Nightmare on Elm Street films on some stream...