Page 25

You didn't really think you were here on vacation, did you?

Fang Huiwang immediately grew anxious. "Stop joking around, we're pressed for time..."

Before he could finish, the door slammed shut with a bang. Xie Ran had not listened to him at all and had already gone out on his own.

Fang Huiwang felt as though his heart had been struck by a heavy blow again.

The camera crew arriving just then: "..."

Xie Ran did not return until after swimming for half an hour. Fang Huiwang was already fuming, but Xie Ran did not care in the slightest. He changed clothes and ate breakfast in an orderly manner, composed and elegant, carrying an unshakable air of calm.

When Fang Huiwang checked the time, he knew first place was already hopeless. He simply gave up, waited patiently for Xie Ran to finish eating, then forced a smile. "Can we leave now?"

Xie Ran lifted his eyelids, seemingly unaware of the displeasure in his words. He merely hummed, then raised a hand to call over a waiter. "Please call me a taxi."

Fang Huiwang's English was mediocre, but he understood that much. His eyes widened. "You're taking a taxi? We can't get first place anyway, so why not just walk there?"

Xie Ran was brief and to the point. "You can walk there."

Without needing to ask, Fang Huiwang knew what the rest of that sentence meant—he could walk there, but Xie Ran would not change his mind.

A curse lodged in Fang Huiwang's throat, unable to come out. He had never spent money so miserably in his life.

In the end, the two arrived at the meeting point right on time and, unsurprisingly, were the last to arrive. The other two groups had not only gotten up early, but had also put considerable effort into transportation. The girl group sisters had taken the bus, while the senior pair had creatively rented two bicycles. They were cheap and environmentally friendly, though rather tiring to ride.

When everyone learned that Xie Ran and Fang Huiwang had taken a taxi despite staying so close, they were surprised—and secretly delighted. It seemed they had worried for nothing yesterday. With the way Xie Ran spent money, even if he won all the remaining mission rewards, he probably still would not be able to keep up.

It was also the first time the production crew had seen guests spend so lavishly in a budget competition. For a moment, they were dazed. If the other two groups had not remained frugal and practical, they might have thought they were making a purely travel-focused show.

Once they confirmed that all the guests had arrived, the production crew began announcing the mission.

The second day's mission required each guest to take a photograph that could represent the character and atmosphere of Old West City. The production crew would then post the photos on the official Weibo account for netizens to vote on the one they thought was best.

The group with the highest total number of votes would receive a mission reward of two hundred dollars, second place would receive one hundred dollars, and last place would receive fifty dollars.

This segment was highly interactive. Since the photographs were anonymous, no one knew who had taken them before the episode aired. While voting, netizens could freely critique the celebrities' artistic taste, making the eventual reveal during the broadcast especially thrilling.

During the first season, fans had once ruthlessly mocked a certain photo without knowing who had taken it, only to discover that its creator was their own idol. It had brought immense joy to netizens everywhere.

Once the mission was announced, the guests began making their moves, each discussing where to shoot.

Fang Huiwang and his studio had prepared for this segment long ago. Feeling confident, his mood finally improved somewhat, and he asked Xie Ran first, "Xiao Ran, do you have any ideas?"

Xie Ran glanced at him. "Yes."

Fang Huiwang had not expected him to have an idea so quickly and was momentarily surprised. "Where do you want to shoot?"

Xie Ran said, "New West Building."

New West Building was a commercial tower completed in Old West City just a few years ago. It offered a panoramic view of the city, and the scenery was undoubtedly good. But precisely because of that, it was not actually a good choice.

New West Building was an open tourist attraction, and photographs taken there were everywhere on social media. Netizens had long since grown tired of them.

Fang Huiwang had not expected Xie Ran to take any stunning photographs, but the problem was that New West Building was in the new commercial district, nearly half a city away from where they currently were.

After being tormented by Xie Ran for the past two days, he had developed a reflex and blurted out, "Are you taking a taxi again?"

Xie Ran gave him a faintly amused look. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"..." Fang Huiwang said miserably, "No."

How could he dare have a problem? Having one meant breaking up the partnership.

In the end, they still spent a fortune on a taxi to New West Building. Judging from Xie Ran's manner, they would definitely take taxis both there and back. Frugality was impossible, and even the director following them was speechless once again.

Xie Ran's artistic sense was actually rather average. Because he lacked emotions, it was difficult for him to deeply understand the feelings expressed in works of art. However, he possessed an innate sensitivity toward numbers and logic.

"Rotate the lens thirteen degrees to the left, raise it another 5.1 degrees... There's still a slight deviation. Lower it by another 0.5 degrees... There." Meng Feixuan precisely reported the coordinates through the earpiece.

The cameras issued by the production crew could connect to the internet, and wherever there was internet, Meng Feixuan was there.

As Xie Ran listened, he precisely adjusted the camera lens in his hands. Finally, just as Meng Feixuan confirmed it, he steadily pressed the shutter in one smooth motion.

Meng Feixuan said, "The angle is perfect, but the lighting is a little lacking. Let me touch it up."

Xie Ran said, "No need."

Meng Feixuan said, "Sir, you should trust my Photoshop skills. I possess a complete aesthetic logic."

"I know. Your logic was designed by me, so you should also know," Xie Ran said calmly, "too much is as bad as too little."

"Wait, let me check my code." Meng Feixuan paused. "There really is a line like that."

He sighed. "Looks like I've evolved again without realizing it."

Xie Ran: "..."

Clearly, his system had learned more random nonsense online.

Judging from how skillfully Meng Feixuan had suggested editing the photo, he had most likely spent too much time browsing Little Red Book, livestream rooms, and other beauty-filter disaster zones.