Chapter 145
Reece only wanted to team up with Phoebe. Since she had already turned him down, he did not push the matter any further. Jamar noticed that Reece looked quite miserable; getting rejected in front of everyone was a little embarrassing.
Meanwhile, Joshua felt relieved that he hadn't tried to pair up with Phoebe, or he would have ended up in the same awkward situation. Sensing the tension, Jamar grinned and said, “A four-person team is actually great! With an extra person, we can earn more money. We’ll be living the good life by the end of this!”
Sienna chimed in, still pretending to be considerate. “Yeah, let’s give it our best shot.”
The production team first collected everyone’s personal phones and handed out new ones. Then, they gave each contestant $500 and left them to figure things out on their own.
Maddox turned to Phoebe. “Pheebs, what's our plan?”
“Let’s grab a meal first, then find a way to make some money so we can stay somewhere nice tonight,” Phoebe suggested.
Maddox chuckled. “Sounds good. Gotta eat well if we want to work hard.”
The phones given by the production team had an app installed that allowed them to look up restaurants, and Maddox checked the app. “How about we spend all $1,500? I found a pretty good restaurant nearby.”
Phoebe gave him an approving look. “That was my thought too. Let’s spend first and earn later.” She turned to Quintus. “What do you think?”
With one hand tucked into his pocket, Quintus responded lazily, “I’m in. Living in the moment sounds perfect.”
And just like that, the three of them made their decision. After saying goodbye to James’s group, they hailed a cab and headed straight to the restaurant Maddox had found.
The others stood there, stunned. James sighed. “Those three are way too carefree. They’re actually planning to blow through all their money. I could never do that,” James wondered.
Lexie chuckled. “That’s why they ended up together.” She then asked, “So, what’s our plan? Are we going to splurge or be frugal?”
James thought for a moment. “I’d say we save today. If we make good money later, we can upgrade our lifestyle.”
Jimmy nodded in agreement. “I second that.”
Given the way the production team operated, if they ran out of money and failed to earn more, no one would step in to help them. Jimmy couldn’t help but worry about those three. Not only were they reckless, but they were also incredibly bold.
James’s group quickly found an affordable restaurant nearby and walked there after saying goodbye to Reece’s group. That left the last four standing there, exchanging glances, surprised at how quickly the others had left. Jamar looked at them and asked, “So, which route are we taking?”
Reece, feeling indifferent about everything, simply said, “Do whatever you want.”
Joshua spoke up. “Let’s go with the live-for-the-moment approach too.” He had no interest in eating cheap fast food, nor did he want to go through the hassle of walking just to save a few bucks.
Senna agreed. “I’m confident in our ability to make money, so let’s enjoy a nice meal.”
“If Phoebe’s group can do it, so can we,” she wondered.
Chapter 115
They were in a big city, where they had the freedom to earn and spend however they liked. That played to their strengths. Sienna firmly believed they would make even more money than Phoebe’s group. That decision made, she picked a restaurant, and the four of them took a cab there.
Meanwhile, the live stream had split into three channels. Phoebe’s group had the highest viewer count, followed by Reece’s group, and lastly, James’s group.
At the restaurant, Phoebe’s group carefully calculated their order. Since they had chosen a high-end restaurant, their lunch ended up costing them $1,200. The cab ride had been $37, leaving them with $263.
On the other side, Sienna’s group had also picked a restaurant of similar caliber, spending the full $1,500. Only James’s group spent just $130 on their meal. The gap between the rich and the poor is obvious. Lexie’s group just became the richest; the other two groups are spending like crazy. If they do not make any money, are they going to sleep on the streets tonight?! I believe Phoebe will earn a lot, but I am not so sure about the other group. Joshua’s team is full of talented people. They will definitely make even more money.
Fans of each group flooded the chat, debating who would earn the most today. If they failed to make money, both Phoebe’s and Reece’s groups would be in big trouble.
After finishing their meal, Quintus asked, “How are we making money this afternoon? Are we performing on the streets?” He had watched plenty of similar variety shows, and street performances were always the go-to way for contestants to make money. Another option was doing labor-intensive work, like washing dishes in a restaurant, waiting tables, or handing out flyers.
Maddox chuckled. “If it is performing, we are pretty good at singing and dancing.” He turned to Phoebe. “You decide.”
Just as he finished speaking, his phone rang; it was a call from Sebastian’s group. Sebastian made it clear that street performances were allowed, and the production team could even provide instruments or other necessary equipment. However, there was one condition: only tips from locals would count toward their earnings. This rule was in place to prevent fans from flooding in and stuffing them with cash, which would make things way too easy and boring.
After hanging up, Maddox said, “With that rule in place, I do not think we can make much money from performing.” There were plenty of street performers around, singing, dancing, and playing instruments. Darmechia was known for this kind of thing. They had already seen several musicians and singers while taking a cab here. Making money this way would not be easy.
Phoebe was not surprised by Sebastian’s group’s rule. Without restrictions, it would have been blatant cheating. She said, “I already have a plan for how we are going to make money this afternoon. I just saw on the app that there is an event at a fencing club. Anyone can participate, and if you win first place, the prize is $30,000. Second place gets $20,000, and third place gets $10,000.”
She stood up. “Let’s aim for the top three and secure our food and lodging for today.”
Quintus blinked in surprise. “Fencing? I do not know how to do that.”
Maddox, who knew Phoebe well, patted Quintus on the shoulder. “That does not matter. Pheebs knows how. She will be a huge help. Trust me.” Maddox had no shame about sitting back and letting Phoebe carry them to victory. In fact, he was quite proud of it. Other teams would love to have someone to carry them, but they did not even have the chance.
Quintus quickly caught on. “That is perfect, then!” He looked at Phoebe with a big grin. “Phoebe, we are counting on you.” If he could sit back and let someone else do the heavy lifting, he was more than happy to do so.
Chapter 145
Phoebe smiled confidently. “No problem. I will carry you guys. Once we win the money, we will stay at the best hotel and have dinner at the most famous local restaurant.”
Since this show was about having fun, they had to eat well, stay in nice places, and enjoy themselves. That way, the audience could experience something different from other variety shows, where contestants had to work for their own money and usually ended up on a budget trip.
Maddox and Quintus stood up. “Sounds great!”
The three of them took a cab to the fencing club.
Meanwhile, Sienna’s group decided to go with street performances. They headed toward a busy square with a large crowd.