Chapter 120: Team Change Card p1
After the director’s explanation of the rules, everyone returned to their cars to repack their luggage.
Since the luggage was personal, the footage of them packing was blurred, the environment darkened, the figures and objects obscured.
However, the footage of them leaving the cars was clear. Jiang Lingling’s luxurious RV, packed with suitcases and boxes, stunned the online viewers. “I’ve never seen so much luggage! Dozens of suitcases, all brand new, designer brands!” “She even brought a house! Fully furnished!” “What’s with all the crab boxes on the table!” “Since you can’t bring them into the village, send them to me!” Jiang Lingling’s live stream comments exploded. Besides these, the most common comment was: “Rich lady, let’s be friends!”
Regardless of how much luggage they brought, when they returned, they each carried only a small cloth bag, matching their team’s color, barely large enough for two pieces of clothing.
The four teams, along with the camera crew and staff, walked towards the village, a small procession.
The initial meeting point wasn’t far from the village, just a few minutes’ walk. Reaching the village entrance, they realized that the seemingly bustling village, with its smoke rising from chimneys, was actually quite small, only a dozen or so houses.
“After spending so much time in the city, it’s nice to come to a place like this, to experience the tranquility of a small mountain village,” Jiang Duo said, looking at Zhang Zijing with a hint of excitement. “Don’t you think so?”
Zhang Zijing nodded politely.
“This village… doesn’t seem very old,” Jiang Lingling said, touching a wooden pillar at the entrance. “New wood, this was built less than six months ago, right?”
Mi Hongdou, hearing this, also touched the pillar, but she couldn’t tell. She glanced at Jiang Lingling’s magical hand and decided to trust her judgment. “Perhaps they renovated it for the show.”
“No, the whole village feels new. It lacks… the feeling of people living here for a long time,” Jiang Lingling said. Having grown up in a village, she was sensitive to its atmosphere. This village felt… empty. Although there was smoke rising from chimneys, and clothes hanging in courtyards, it lacked the feeling of a lived-in space.
“Perhaps it’s a newly built village,” Ji Junxin, who had been lagging behind, finally caught up and said.
Jiang Lingling, turning to see Ji Junxin, instinctively looked at Mi Hongdou.
On their way to the village, Mi Hongdou had been looking for a chance to talk to Ji Junxin, but Ji Junxin had been walking slowly at the back, not even catching up when Mi Hongdou slowed down. With the cameras rolling, Mi Hongdou was afraid that turning back to talk to her would be too obvious, too revealing. Now that Ji Junxin had finally caught up, she could finally ask, “What did you have for lunch?”
Seriously, is that all you can think of? Jiang Lingling mentally rolled her eyes and moved away, wanting to avoid this topic.
Ji Junxin, her lips pursed, held up the transparent plastic container in her hand.
Mi Hongdou looked at the two crucian carp inside, her expression complex. “When you kill the fish later, be careful, stun them first. And be careful of the…”
“Welcome to Dengjia Village, where you’ll be living for the next twelve days!” The director’s voice boomed through the loudspeaker, interrupting Mi Hongdou’s worried instructions. “You’ll see two large boards at the village entrance: the Supplies Board and the Props Board. The Supplies Board lists the prices for basic necessities, and the Props Board, as the name suggests, lists the prices for special props. For example, the rope on the Supplies Board is for everyday use, not for team challenges or special missions. The colorful rope on the Props Board is a special prop, and after purchasing it, you can use it in challenges and missions. Its function is described on the board, for example, ‘Throw the rope while calling out its name and a person’s name, the named person will be immobilized for five seconds.’ This is very useful in time-sensitive challenges. Of course, props are much more expensive than ordinary supplies. How you balance comfort and strategic advantage is up to you.”
Two crew members walked past, one holding a regular rope, the other a colorful one.
“This is interesting!” Yu Naihao, the gamer, said excitedly, running to the Props Board, then glancing at the Supplies Board, before dejectedly returning.
“A colorful rope… twenty game coins! A regular rope is only one coin!” He complained. “And the prices here are insane! Five coins for an egg, eight for a piece of tofu! Pork is sold by the liang (about 50 grams), ten coins per liang! With our initial fifty coins, even if we don’t spend a single coin, it’s only enough for… half a jin (about 500 grams) of pork! With these prices, who can afford a five-second immobilization prop?”
“It seems like that steak earlier wasn’t such a bad deal after all,” Lu Changhuai said, trying to comfort him. “Let’s go check how much steak costs now.”
“A cooked steak like the one earlier is now 120 coins. So, that was indeed a special offer. Although props seem expensive compared to pork, they’re essential for challenges and missions, and the rewards are often more than twenty coins, at least thirty, with hidden bonus drops. And completing daily tasks might also yield ingredients, so don’t worry.” The director, always keeping up with the conversation, added, “And purchases of regular supplies won’t be announced to the other teams. But before each challenge, we’ll announce the props each team possesses and their functions. After all, there are so many props, and it’s easy to forget, which might cost you points during challenges. We’re very considerate!”
“I don’t find it considerate at all to be immobilized for five seconds by a colorful rope…” Jiang Lingling said, exasperated. “I can’t imagine how ridiculous it would be, colorful ropes flying everywhere during a team challenge.”
“Don’t worry, you can’t afford that many,” Ji Junxin said, holding the plastic container, her expression indifferent, as she walked past Jiang Lingling.
Did I just sense some hostility?
Before entering the village, everyone examined the two boards. The prices were indeed as outrageous as Yu Naihao had described. Both boards were densely filled with items. The Supplies Board even listed different cuts of pork, priced by the liang… six coins for a liang of fatty pork, ten for lean pork or pork belly, not to mention the prices for bones and other parts. They also found the prices for the ingredients they had received earlier: forty coins for a live fish, 180 for a live chicken, 220 for a live goose, 300 for a basket of bullfrogs, and thirty for slaughtering.
Considering that the reward for winning a challenge was only thirty coins, they felt like after eating the provided ingredients, they wouldn’t be able to afford meat again.
And the prices for cooked food were even more outrageous. A cooked steak was 120 coins, a roasted chicken over 400… It seemed that if they didn’t cook, they would have to survive on plain rice and pickled cucumbers.
“Sister… Junxin… do you know how to cook?” Bao Yueqiao asked cautiously, after examining the Supplies Board and counting on her fingers.
Ji Junxin, also shocked by the prices, looked at Bao Yueqiao.
“Yes,” she replied calmly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“I don’t know how to cook,” Bao Yueqiao said, relieved, patting her chest. “That’s great, we won’t have to eat just rice and pickled cucumbers.”
Ji Junxin pointed at the last few items on the Supplies Board. “I only know how to make egg fried rice, and I can’t use a traditional stove. I need a gas stove and these tools.”
Bao Yueqiao followed her finger. Okay, not being able to use a traditional stove and needing a 3,000-coin gas stove… that’s fine. But why do you need a 300-coin set of measuring cups, an electronic scale, and a whisk just to make egg fried rice?!
“Sister Junxin…” Bao Yueqiao’s face crumpled. “Are you serious?”
Ji Junxin thought for a moment. “We can skip the whisk, just the gas stove, measuring cups, and the scale.”
Bao Yueqiao: “…”
After seeing the prices on the Supplies Board, except for Yu Naihao, the gamer, the others only glanced at the Props Board. They couldn’t afford anything anyway, so what was the point?
The director didn’t give them much time to study the boards and urged them to enter the village.
Meanwhile, the online comments were filled with discussions about the essential tools for making egg fried rice. The viewers were eager to see Ji Junxin cook, especially with such strange requirements, but the prices seemed too high. They complained about the unreasonable prices, and Ji Junxin’s fans demanded that Qiong Yu open a donation system, allowing them to exchange real money for game coins. Don’t worry, Xinxin, we’ll crowdfund for you!
Just as they were complaining about the prices and demanding a donation system, some observant viewers, constantly refreshing the page, noticed an update.
In the personal attribute system, each celebrity’s inventory now showed their current ingredients and game coins, labeled “Team.” And Jiang Lingling’s skill bar had a new word: “Rich.”
Some perceptive viewers seemed to understand the show’s format. The information updated in real time, so they wouldn’t miss anything. And the appearance of Jiang Lingling’s skill suggested that… the audience’s comments could influence the game?
Their guess was confirmed by the website’s latest update.
[“Welfare Mission System”: Every day, viewers can submit mission requests for the celebrities on the designated page. The submissions will be reviewed by the show’s staff, and a selection of approved missions will be posted on the website for voting. It’s a crowdfunding system, one yuan equals one vote. The voting ends at 9 PM daily, and the top five missions will be sent to Dengjia Village. The assigned celebrity can choose to accept or reject the mission. If accepted and completed, the crowdfunded amount will be donated to charity. If rejected, the money will be refunded.]
The “Welfare Mission System” announcement caused an uproar online.
For the fans, this level of interaction, being able to influence the celebrities’ lives, was incredible!
And for the general public, like the Ice Bucket Challenge, this charitable aspect was appealing. Fans and concerned citizens flooded the website, their enthusiasm spreading like wildfire.
This charity-focused reality show also attracted media attention. Entertainment news outlets and online influencers started reporting and reposting about the show. Many who had planned to watch the edited version later decided to join the live stream.
Unbeknownst to the eight celebrities, as they nervously entered the village, their audience was growing exponentially.
As Jiang Lingling and Ji Junxin had observed, the village didn’t feel… old. Although the roads and houses looked weathered, the first house they passed, with its chili peppers and corn hanging under the eaves, and clothes drying in the courtyard, seemed… too clean. It felt… deliberately aged.
This feeling was confirmed when they encountered their first villager.
A young man, dressed as a scholar, approached them with a smile and a bow… was he cosplaying?
Of course not.
Then they saw a woman in traditional clothes, carrying a wooden basin, a wooden hairpin in her hair, a man with a hoe, also in traditional clothes… As they walked through the village, they saw a group of women by the river, washing clothes.
Recalling their own uniforms, they finally understood. This was a time-travel reality show!
Of course, they didn’t know that it was actually… a real-life game. The name “Reality Online” was a clue.
The crew led them through the village, along the right side, to the very end, almost outside the village.
The houses they had seen earlier, although old, were made of brick and tile, looking relatively clean and spacious. But at the edge of the village, the style changed abruptly…
Four lonely thatched huts, mud walls, straw roofs, each one seemingly less than forty square meters.
One, two, three, four… Seeing the four huts, the four teams’ expressions darkened.
“Ta-da! These are your free accommodations! No need to spend any game coins!” the director announced.
As expected…
“You said ‘shelter’! This is all straw, where are the tiles!” Jiang Lingling pointed at the huts angrily.
“…” The director was momentarily silent.
Everyone mentally gave Jiang Lingling a thumbs-up. Whether they could sleep under a tiled roof tonight depended on her!
However… four crew members walked forward, one to each hut, and… placed a single tile on the roof.
“Okay, free accommodations, with tiled roofs, these are yours. You can go in and check. Don’t worry, they’re all the same, absolutely fair!” the director said cheerfully.
The four teams didn’t move, stunned by his shamelessness!
The new viewers, drawn in by the charity aspect, were amused by the crew’s blatant trickery. Those poor celebrities…
The thatched huts, which looked dilapidated from the outside… were naturally also dilapidated inside!
A mud bed, a mud table, not even a stool… and even smaller than forty square meters.
Hmph, what “you can survive for twelve days without earning any coins,” who can live in these for twelve days!
After a quick look inside, they didn’t bother checking the other huts, they were all the same anyway.
“Don’t be discouraged! These are just the free accommodations! You can always upgrade with your game coins!” The director said, and a large signpost with a cartoon face appeared, pointing towards a few tiled houses closer to the village center.
They looked similar to the other houses in the village, brick walls and tiled roofs. Everyone’s expressions brightened.
“How much?” Mi Hongdou calculated, both her team and Ji Junxin’s still had their initial fifty coins. She hoped the price wasn’t too high. With eggs costing five coins each, they wouldn’t be able to afford a house even after twelve days.
“Talking about money is so vulgar, let’s take a tour first,” the director said, leading them towards the tiled houses.
The tiled houses were a definite upgrade.
There were four, each with a small courtyard, about ninety square meters including the courtyard, two bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom, a living room facing the courtyard, and a small storage shed.
Everything was covered in dust… filthy. The beds and furniture in the bedrooms were wooden, the beds sturdy, the tables and chairs a little wobbly, the doors creaky, the windows broken. The kitchen had a traditional stove, the bathroom a squat toilet, but there was a shower, a small mercy from the show.
Jiang Lingling examined everything, even touching and rubbing the dust, then ran back to Mi Hongdou. “The houses and the furniture are new, just made to look old. The dust is fake dirt. This village… it’s newly built, right? Did they build it just for this show?”
Mi Hongdou looked at the rickety windows. “And they broke the doors and windows too?”
“Of course,” Jiang Lingling said confidently. “Otherwise, how could all four houses be broken in the same way?”
How… pointless.
Having seen the houses, everyone had made their decision. Although the tiled houses were also dilapidated, who would want to live in a thatched hut!
After the tour came the price: thirty-five coins to upgrade from a hut to a tiled house, non-negotiable.
Compared to five coins for an egg, thirty-five for a house was a bargain.
But with only twenty coins left, Zhang Zijing and Jiang Duo, and with thirty coins, Lu Changhuai and Yu Naihao, couldn’t afford it.
Ji Junxin, who had suspected that the show was trying to make them spend their coins, although agreeing that they should upgrade, hesitated at the price. After all, they still had twelve days.
Bao Yueqiao, impressed by Ji Junxin’s earlier frugality, although not wanting to live in a hut, said she would follow Ji Junxin’s decision.
Mi Hongdou and Jiang Lingling quickly agreed to upgrade. But Ji Junxin was still hesitating. Mi Hongdou became anxious. Even if it was difficult to earn coins, they couldn’t live in a thatched hut! Remembering that all the earlier offers were limited-time only, she couldn’t help herself and rushed over to Ji Junxin, tugging at her sleeve. “We have to change, we have to!”
Ji Junxin looked at Mi Hongdou. “Why?”
Mi Hongdou was stunned, wasn’t it obvious!
“You’re not on my team,” Ji Junxin said, her head lowered, scuffing her foot on the ground.
That almost petulant “you’re not on my team” tugged at Mi Hongdou’s heartstrings. So she also wanted to be on the same team… Mi Hongdou felt a sudden surge of affection for Ji Junxin and a surge of resentment towards the director.
“I…” She wanted to explain, it wasn’t her choice, she had also wanted to be on the same team…
“We’ll change.” Ji Junxin raised her hand, interrupting Mi Hongdou, then glanced at her reproachfully. “Go back to your team. We’re being filmed.”
Mi Hongdou, who had almost forgotten about the cameras, swallowed her words.
The viewers watching their live streams thought… they had only exchanged a few words, but it was so… heart-wrenching! It must be the aftereffects of “Imperial Secrets”!
Two teams, having paid thirty-five coins each, now had tiled houses. And because of the rule against sharing or trading, the other two teams were stuck with the huts.
The director reassured them that although there were no team challenges today, they could explore the village and look for tasks to earn coins. Perhaps they could earn enough for an upgrade before bedtime.
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