AI's Aesthetic Logic

The production team offered everyone three room types at different prices. The cheapest was a budget hotel, only a hundred dollars a night, but the living conditions were poor and it was the farthest from the meeting point.

The middle option was a guesthouse, a hundred and fifty dollars per night, with fairly moderate accommodations and distance.

The last was the five-star hotel they were currently staying in. Its conditions went without saying—luxurious! It was also close to the task location, but naturally, it was the most expensive at four hundred dollars a night.

The room types could be chosen by multiple groups, so there was no need to compete. The guests only needed to discuss it within their groups.

Chen Xiaoxuan looked at Xie Ran and Fang Huiwang enviously. "You two have it easy. Brother Ran earned so much today, so you definitely don't need to agonize over it. You can just choose the guesthouse."

Only then did Fang Huiwang belatedly begin to rejoice wildly. He and Xie Ran were in the same group!

Although Xie Ran's earnings today had completely overshadowed him and even embarrassed him at one point, there was no denying that their total budget was now far ahead of the other two groups.

As long as they did not mess up too badly from here on out, their group had practically secured victory.

Fang Huiwang looked at Xie Ran gently, as though he were looking at Ruiyan's endorsement contract. "Xiao Ran, we don't need to be so frugal now. How about we choose the guesthouse?"

Xie Ran glanced at him. "Whatever."

The corners of Fang Huiwang's mouth could not help turning up. "Okay..."

Before he could finish, Xie Ran continued, "I'll keep staying here."

Fang Huiwang's smile froze. "What?"

The guests from the other two groups also looked over in shock.

Ever since Somewhere Else with You began airing, no one had ever chosen the last room type. Even if someone was not aiming for ultimate victory, their meager funds and wages simply could not support that price.

They still had to stay for five nights. At four hundred per night, five nights would cost two thousand.

Even though Xie Ran had earned over a thousand today, staying at a five-star hotel was far too extravagant. It would practically erase the advantage they had just gained today.

That was why no one had considered from the beginning that Xie Ran would choose the five-star hotel.

Fang Huiwang immediately panicked. "No, this place is too expensive..."

Xie Ran remained unmoved. "You can choose somewhere else. I'm spending my own money."

With that one sentence, Fang Huiwang was completely silenced.

Everyone else: "..."

Good heavens, Xie Ran had unilaterally split up with Fang Huiwang again!

In his earpiece, Meng Feixuan snorted coldly. "That trash can't even manage to live off someone properly."

Xie Ran: "..."

His system knowledge had gotten even more miscellaneous.

Author's Note: Xiao Ran: Standard procedure.

Mark: Don't stop me, I'm going to curse that trash!

Everyone else: Shed tears of hard-working thriftiness.

AI's Aesthetic Logic

In the end, Fang Huiwang once again chose to yield to Xie Ran.

He had no choice but to yield. He wanted to stand firm and insist on the guesthouse, but Xie Ran was impervious to reason. He was absolutely capable of making Fang Huiwang stay at the guesthouse while he himself stayed at the five-star hotel. Not only would that be ugly, it would cost even more money.

The other two groups had originally been somewhat discouraged because they had fallen so far behind financially. Seeing that Xie Ran truly insisted on choosing the five-star hotel, hope immediately rose in their hearts again.

Xie Ran might have earned quite a bit today, but he could not withstand spending so recklessly.

Jiang Wei and Zhu Chuanjia ultimately chose the guesthouse. After choosing, they immediately did the math. Jiang Wei said, "Our starting funds and wages add up to twenty-four hundred now. Five days of room fees come to seven hundred and fifty. After paying for the rooms, we'll still have sixteen hundred and fifty.

"Xiao Ran and Little Fang's group has over thirty-eight hundred now, but their room fees are two thousand, leaving them with just over eighteen hundred. When you put it that way, the gap between us isn't that big."

"No." Zhu Chuanjia raised an eyebrow. "Xiao Ran spent quite a bit today too. He has to pay for his own taxi when he goes out, and he also spent a hundred on food just now... In that case, we should have about the same amount left."

Meng Xixi and Chen Xiaoxuan's eyes lit up. Meng Xixi said, "Then if we choose the budget hotel, won't we have more money left than Brother Ran?"

They had only eaten instant noodles just now, so they had spent even less.

Jiang Wei clapped his hands. "That's right."

Fang Huiwang: "..." Stop calculating. His heart was bleeding!

Xie Ran remained completely unfazed. With one elbow resting on the sofa armrest, he tilted his head slightly and calmly watched everyone gather around to do the math. The lively scene carried a faint hint of sorrow.

In his earpiece, Meng Feixuan spoke with great feeling. "So this is the world of the poor?"

Xie Ran thought for a moment. "Probably?"

"It actually feels pretty full of everyday life." Meng Feixuan paused, as though he had frozen or was learning to think like a human. Then he asked uncertainly, "It's called the atmosphere of everyday life, right?"

Before Xie Ran could speak, he answered himself, "I nearly forgot. Sir probably doesn't understand either. Don't worry. Once I learn it, I'll teach you."

Xie Ran: "..."

He felt like he was frantically testing the limits of failing a class.

Although the five-star hotel's price was enough to give people heart attacks, its advantages were obvious. It was very close to the task meeting point, only a twenty-minute walk away, which could save them some transportation costs.

Fang Huiwang comforted himself that at least they could reach the meeting point early tomorrow and try to get the bonus for arriving first—as long as Xie Ran did not hold him back.

Early the next morning, Fang Huiwang got up early and prepared to wake Xie Ran, only to discover that Xie Ran had risen even earlier and was already washing up in the bathroom.

Fang Huiwang felt a surge of envy.

Was Xie Ran's sleep schedule really that good?

Still, this was good. At the very least, first place today was secure. Fang Huiwang let out a breath of relief and called, "Xiao Ran, let's hurry and eat, then set off."

"Help yourself." Xie Ran came out of the bathroom wearing swimwear with a bathrobe casually draped over it. "I'm going for a swim."

Fang Huiwang: "...?"

At such a race-against-time moment, you still wanted to go swimming?