As if in the blink of an eye, it was time for the second round to begin. None of the remaining 150 participants seemed to have any more of an idea what the second round could be than they did yesterday. Pineapple Chunks, Scheherazade, and Rock Justice themselves seemed stumped on what the second round could be besides being a French children's game. They figured that they would have to wait and see for themselves. Before they could process anything else, as if on cue, the speakers began to crackle to life.
"Attention, players," began the voice from the speakers. "It is now time for the second round of the competition to begin. This second round is Jeu De La Barbichette."
The participants just murmured at each other, confused on what exactly the voice meant by "Jeu De La Barbichette."
"Ah, you must not be familiar with this game, are you?" the voice from the speakers continued. "Well, to put it simply, you have to sit across from one another, maintain eye contact, and grab each other's chins. Then you have to hold onto your opponent's chin for the duration of the game... including while singing a song. It goes like so..."
Je te tiens,
Tu me tiens,
Par la barbichette
Le premier
De nous deux
Qui rira
Aura une tapette.
"Once the song is finished, the first person to laugh or smile loses," the voice from the speakers concluded. "Whoever is left will move on to the next round. Good luck! Chairman out!"
Soon, the speakers went silent; and with that, the round had officially begun. As the 150 participants tried to comprehend the rules of Jeu De La Barbichette, they couldn't help but exchange perplexed glances. Standing across from each other and grabbing each other's chins while maintaining eye contact seemed like a strange and uncomfortable task. The added challenge of singing a song without laughing or smiling only heightened their confusion, though they soon got used to it. As such, it was time to sing that song.
Je te tiens,
Tu me tiens,
Par la barbichette
Le premier
De nous deux
Qui rira
Aura une tapette.
Ten of the contestants had already cracked by the time the song was over, and thus they were eliminated on the spot and physically removed from the arena. Soon, 140 participants were left standing. Almost as quickly as the song had ended, it began again.
Je te tiens,
Tu me tiens,
Par la barbichette
Le premier
De nous deux
Qui rira
Aura une tapette.
Five of the contestants had already cracked by the time the song was over, and thus they were eliminated on the spot and physically removed from the arena. Soon, 135 participants were left standing. Almost as quickly as the song had ended, it began again.
Je te tiens,
Tu me tiens,
Par la barbichette
Le premier
De nous deux
Qui rira
Aura une tapette.
It went on like this until the game ended with 60 participants left standing.
"Congratulations on surviving the second round!" began the voice from the speakers. "I hope you're ready for the next round. I certainly am! However, at this time, I can't reveal what it is. You'll have to find out tomorrow. Chairman out!"
The remaining participants exchanged puzzled glances as they tried to make sense of the cryptic message from the Chairman. What could the next round possibly entail? It left them with more questions than answers, so the best they could do was wait until tomorrow to find out what awaited them in the third round. In the meantime, they focused on preparing themselves mentally and physically for whatever was to come, determined to continue their journey in this bizarre competition.
Neither Victor, Anita, Jeremy, Tamara, Milou, nor Patrice could believe how well their disguises were working. None of the mooks or the presenters noticed anything off about them and had proceeded to let them board the ship to Lemuria. As the ship sailed towards Lemuria from the Canary Islands, the six disguised U.Z.Z. agents couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and nervousness as they inched closer to their destination. They were one step closer to uncovering the mysteries of this hidden continent and finding out what awaited them when it was time to rescue their respective chiefs.
As the ship arrived in Lemuria, the six entered its port along with everyone else, and they were immediately intercepted by even more mooks stationed there. Although none of them were even familiar with how the mooks specifically greeted each other, they still held their ground lest the officers see through their disguises and use them as hostages.
"Hey, guys!" Victor greeted the mooks like he'd known them for years. "It's been pretty busy around here, huh?"
The mooks looked at each other, slightly confused by Victor's casual approach.
One of them responded cautiously, "Yeah, it's been quite hectic lately. Lots of new arrivals and preparations coming in for this competition we've got going on."
"That's the one where the losers are turned into Lemurians, right?" Victor asked. "Just wanted to make sure."
"Yes, that's the one. Just come on in. We'll fill you in on the details later. Consider it a birthday present."
"Sure, I'll-" Suddenly, Victor stopped and tilted his head at the mook who'd just spoken to him. "Wait, how did you know today's my birthday?"
The mook just sighed. "Alright, if you must know, my partner and I are undercover like you and your friends."
Milou was taken aback by what she'd just heard. "Wait, what?"
The mook nodded. "That's right. We're actually U.Z.Z. agents, too, just like you."
"Are you from the South African branch?" Jeremy asked. "You sound like it."
The mook nodded again. "Yes, yes we are. In fact, it's us, Behati and Clearence."
"Wow, really? What are you guys doing here already?"
Behati just chuckled and scratched the back of her head. "Well, Clearence and I will explain it all to you later. For now, why don't we just head inside and try to act natural while we scope out the place?"
The guised U.Z.Z. agents followed Behati and Clearence inside, trying their best to blend in with the other mooks. They walked through the bustling port, taking in the sights and sounds of Lemuria. The air was filled with a sense of anticipation as preparations for the rest of the competition were underway.
"Damn, everyone sure seems busy around here," Victor commented.
"They sure are," Behati replied. "Right now, the number of contestants has gone down to 60. I hear that the third round is going to be tug-of-war, but that might just be a rumor. Who knows what the people running this thing are up to?"
As they walked through the port, Milou noticed a group of mooks huddled together, whispering and glancing around nervously. She nudged Jeremy and pointed them out.
"You think they might have figured us out already?" Milou asked Jeremy uncertainly.
"Nah, we're fine," Jeremy assured her. "Let's just keep moving, please. I'm sure we'll find our bosses soon enough."
The group continued to make their way through the port, keeping an eye out for any signs of their bosses or any suspicious activity going on around them. As they walked, they couldn't help but notice that the atmosphere seemed tense and apprehensive. Mooks hurried past them, exchanging worried glances and speaking in hushed voices. Milou wasn't wholly convinced by Jeremy's assurance, but for now, she would have to keep it to herself. They were on a mission to save their bosses as soon as possible.