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But far from home in a foreign country, without the glow of stardom and with a language barrier to contend with, making money was no easy task.

Yet that was precisely why this segment had always been popular with viewers. Watching these glamorous stars struggle and hustle for a living like ordinary people made the distance between celebrities and the audience seem to shrink all at once.

This was also the segment where celebrity guests could most easily win goodwill. As long as they came across as down-to-earth, their public reception generally would not be bad. In previous seasons, some stars had seen their popularity soar because they appeared approachable and hardworking here.

After the production crew arrived at the hotel, they ate and returned to their rooms to rest and adjust to the time difference. That evening, the six guests went to the buffet together, then gathered to discuss how they would choose their next jobs.

Since the guests were unfamiliar with the country, the production team had arranged several simple jobs in advance. The guests could either figure out how to earn money on their own or directly choose one of the jobs provided by the show.

Over the past few seasons, though, most guests had chosen the jobs provided by the production team. The reason was simple: stars usually focused their energy on entertainment work and rarely had other marketable survival skills. Even if they did, finding work abroad on their own within such a short period was basically impossible, especially with the language barrier in front of them.

Some guests had tried being street performers before, but the income was highly unstable. If they were unlucky, they might not even earn enough in a whole day to cover one night's lodging. By comparison, the jobs provided by the production team were tiring, but at least they guaranteed a basic income.

This time, the production team had offered three different jobs at a local scenic area. The first was working as a Chinese-language guide, specifically receiving tourists from Huaxia. The second was selling travel souvenirs in the scenic area. The third was working as a waiter at a restaurant there.

The pay structures for the three jobs were different as well. Chinese-language guides earned the highest wage, one hundred dollars a day, but it was fixed. Souvenir salespeople and waiters earned only half that base pay, but salespeople could receive commissions, while waiters could collect tips from customers.

At the same time, no two guest groups could choose the same job. That meant they had to analyze and judge the options, then compete for their positions.

After hearing the production team's introduction, the guests began discussing things enthusiastically. Unsurprisingly, everyone wanted to be a Chinese-language guide. Compared with the other two jobs, it came with no language barrier, high income, low risk, and was obviously easier.

Meng Xixi was the liveliest. She immediately clasped her hands together and blinked at the others. "Seniors, as the saying goes, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Country Y cares most about ladies first. Please let us choose first!"

"That won't do." Jiang Wei immediately rebutted her with sound reasoning. "We're from Huaxia. Huaxia values respecting the elderly and caring for the young, so the older ones should choose first!"

Chen Xiaoxuan protested, "Then what about caring for the young?"

Zhu Chuanjia quipped, "The problem is, you aren't young either..."

Chen Xiaoxuan puffed out her cheeks. "Then the seniors aren't old enough either!"

The two groups refused to yield, arguing heatedly and delivering plenty of entertainment. Naturally, Fang Huiwang could not let them steal all the camera time, but Xie Ran had not said a word from beginning to end. He simply sat there silently drinking coffee, with no intention of joining the discussion.

Fang Huiwang had no choice but to cue him himself. Leaning closer with a slight smile, he said, "Xiao Ran, which job do you think is better?"

He also wanted to compete for the Chinese-language guide position, but it would not look good to decide unilaterally in front of the cameras. He had to discuss it with his partner first.

Xie Ran was fairly cooperative when it came to work. Hearing this, he set down his coffee, paused slightly as though considering it, then said, "If we rank them by income, souvenir sales come first. Chinese-language guide and waiter are about the same."

Xie Ran rarely spoke, so everyone looked over at his words. Yet they clearly disagreed with his answer. They had analyzed souvenir sales just now too. Although there were commissions, the base pay was low, the language requirements were high, and the risk was too great. It was not even as good as being a waiter.

Fang Huiwang did not agree either, but he continued asking, "Why do you think that?"

"It's not what I think. It's data." Xie Ran glanced at him, then listed several figures: the scenic area's average daily winter visitor traffic, the number of restaurants and restaurant waiters, the revenue of souvenir shops and the number of salespeople, and so on. "...Based on table turnover and Old West City's tipping habits, waiters at the scenic area's restaurants receive roughly forty-five to sixty dollars in tips per day during this season. Add their base pay, and it's about the same as a Chinese-language guide.

"Likewise, based on souvenir shop sales and commission rates, salespeople earn roughly fifty to sixty dollars in commission per day. Under normal circumstances, the income from these three jobs is basically equal."

He spoke neither quickly nor slowly, reciting the relevant figures one by one, every single one accurate down to the dollar. The other guests were left utterly bewildered.

Chen Xiaoxuan was stunned on the spot. "Brother Ran, how do you know all this?"

Naturally, Meng Feixuan had just reported it to him.

Xie Ran said, "It's in the scenic area's financial reports."

This scenic area belonged to a listed company, and its financial reports were public. They really could be viewed directly online.

The problem was, who would think to check that while filming a variety show?! Besides, none of them had phones right now, so he would have had to prepare in advance.

Xie Ran was trying way too hard, wasn't he??!

For a moment, not only the guests but the entire production team was speechless. Xie Ran's conclusion had been completely correct. The three jobs they provided had actually been carefully designed so that their final earnings would be roughly equal, preventing the gap in the guests' funds from becoming too wide too quickly.

The difference was that they had obtained the data directly from the scenic area, while Xie Ran had analyzed it himself using financial reports disclosed online...

Production team: Felt like our IQ had been rubbed into the ground.jpg

Fang Huiwang was still the first to recover. He asked again, "Since they're basically equal, why did you say souvenir sales had the highest income?"

"Because filming the show adds another variable." Xie Ran remained as unhurried as ever. "Visitor traffic and tips are fixed, but with the show being filmed, souvenir sales will be more likely to close deals. If they encounter customers from Huaxia, the transaction amount may increase further."