Chapter 182: Olivia's Trap is Set

The participants’ campsites were spaced far enough apart to allow for privacy, but close enough to see each other with a short walk. By the time Olivia’s cameraman finally arrived, she had already set up her gear, explored the surroundings, and was calmly boiling water over a campfire.

Out of breath, Harry hurriedly pointed the camera at Olivia. Since the others were still on their way, Olivia had some free time. She pulled out a tablecloth from her bag and began scribbling on it with a piece of charcoal.

Harry, knowing Olivia was the least popular contestant, didn’t bother paying much attention. Most of her footage would likely end up on the cutting room floor in favor of the bigger stars.

While Olivia settled in easily, the journey for the others was much harder. Jocelyn was nearly in tears, the challenging terrain and relentless insects pushing her to the edge of her patience. The three men weren’t doing much better. Laden with heavy supplies, they trudged up the mountain path, visibly struggling.

As the sky darkened, Louis finally arrived as the second participant to reach the campsite. Hudson and Shawn followed shortly after, with Jocelyn barely making it before nightfall. The live stream showed their arduous journeys, alternating between sympathy and laughter from the audience.

When the four finally reached their destinations, they were utterly exhausted. They hastily set up their tents and hid their gold bars before collapsing to catch their breath.

Starving after the day’s exertion, they opened their meager supplies—compressed biscuits. Sitting around their camps, they gnawed on the dry food, muttering curses toward the merciless production team.

The audience, torn between pity and amusement, couldn’t believe how harsh the conditions were. The tents had only emergency lamps and sleeping bags, nothing more.

“Poor Hudson, what a way to debut on screen!”

“Jocelyn, you’ve got this! You’re amazing!”

“Louis’s endurance is unreal. He’s incredible!”

“Watching Shawn eat those dry biscuits makes me want to deliver my hot wings to him.”

As everyone struggled, a tantalizing aroma suddenly wafted through the forest. A warm firelight flickered in the distance, in stark contrast to the dim emergency lamps in the camps.

Shawn froze mid-bite, sniffing the air. “Is that… steam pot? Am I hallucinating because I’m starving?” Curious, he stood and followed the enticing scent.

On the way, Shawn encountered Louis, who had also been drawn by the aroma. Bubbling over it, the unmistakable scent of steam pot filled the air.

Behind the fire, Olivia was calmly adding beef meatballs to the steaming pot. The rich aroma was irresistible, drawing Shawn and Louis closer.

Noticing them wandering into her domain, Olivia’s radiant smile lit up her face. “Care to join me?”

It was an offer too good to refuse, steam pot over dry biscuits any day.

The audience in live stream cheered, “Olivia, if you give my bias steam pot, I’ll forgive everything I’ve said about you.”

“Open your eyes, fans! She’s just using this to latch onto your idols’ popularity. Feeding them is just a ploy to gain attention. So cunning.”