To keep the villagers from getting too enthusiastic and privately bending the rules for the guests, Director Gong had the assistant director take a few staff members aside to continue talking to them-they had actually already spoken to the villagers once before, and everyone had readily agreed at the time.
Returning to the matter at hand, Director Gong apparently wanted to avoid any more mishaps and quickly went through the procedures.
The current arrangement was that the six guests would divide four rooms among themselves. There would be no luggage inspection, and the production team would not interfere with whatever the guests had brought.
Due to special circumstances, the little shop would stay open until four that afternoon. After four, it would close, and even if items were still in stock, they would have to wait until tomorrow to buy them.
The production team had two currencies: money and points. Money could buy everything available at the little shop, while points could be exchanged for things in the shop as well as certain other things.
For example, fishing rods and bait.
Yes, at the other end of this village built halfway up the mountain, there was a privately owned fishpond. The production team had spoken with its owner, and the guests could go fishing there.
Renting a fishing set cost two points per session, while buying a set cost twenty points, bait not included.
Besides that, fishing at the pond cost one point per hour, but fishing elsewhere in the mountains was free.
Still, the fishpond at least offered a baseline guarantee. Farm-raised fish were relatively easy to catch, which amounted to a guaranteed minimum.
As for fish elsewhere in the wild... well, that depended on their skills.
In any case, points were definitely more important than money.
As for the guests whose points were already in the negatives...
Director Gong said, "The production team currently offers several daily tasks. Cleaning the pigpen earns five points, cleaning the stable earns three, chopping firewood earns three, herding cattle earns three, gathering pig fodder earns two..."
Director Gong finished rattling off a long list. The guests went from initial shock to eventual numbness, and he grinned happily at the sight. "Of course, the production team won't force anyone to do these things. It's entirely voluntary."
Meanwhile.
"What can you do with a hundred yuan! What day and age is this? Even in the countryside, a hundred yuan is far too little!" Watching the screen and seeing the guests actually accept the production team's outrageous arrangements, Old Master Fu immediately grew unhappy. "Go call Fu Chi. Ask him what he's doing as an investor. Since he's already invested, why didn't he put in more money? Is he short on spending money?"
Hearing this from beside him, the butler offered an explanation on Fu Chi's behalf. "Please don't misunderstand, Old Master. Sir isn't a stingy person. Besides, the young master is taking part in this show. Even if Sir wants him to toughen up, he wouldn't shortchange him financially."
Old Master Fu said, "Then what's going on here?"
The butler was in his forties. Aside from handling affairs inside and outside the old residence, he also managed some properties belonging to Old Master Fu and Fu Chi, and rarely watched entertainment programs like this.
As such, the butler did not know exactly what arrangements the production team had made either. After some thought, he said, "This certainly wasn't Sir's arrangement. He wouldn't do this."
Old Master Fu waved a hand. "Call him. Whether he arranged it or not, if his nephew can't even get enough to eat on the show, he's doing a terrible job as President Fu."
Hearing this, the butler had no choice but to contact Fu Chi.
Fu Chi had a meeting coming up shortly. Taking the phone from his special assistant, he listened as the butler briefly explained the situation, then frowned. "I'll have someone look into it. Tell the old master not to worry too much. The production team won't go so far as to mistreat the guests. Even if they don't have enough spending money, they'll certainly still have food."
The butler said, "That's what I told the old master too, but he's worried about the young master..."
Fu Chi said, "He's the one who spoiled that brat. He's not a three-year-old anymore. Fu Yunyi is an adult. He knows what he can and can't handle."
"If he really feels he can't carry on, he'll come back on his own."
The butler said, "Well..."
Fu Chi said, "I have a meeting. We'll discuss the rest when I get home tonight."
The butler said, "Yes, Sir."
After hanging up, Fu Chi thought of the others taking part in the show with Fu Yunyi, then of the youngest boy among them. He turned and instructed his special assistant, "Contact the production team and find out exactly what's going on. If they're really short of this little bit of money, I can increase my investment. There's no need to deprive the guests of material necessities."
After a pause, he added, "That Xia Zhiyi-didn't he only just come of age? Tell the production team to be careful. Don't let any rumors of mistreating minors get out."
The special assistant said, "..."
You just said he's come of age. How did minors even enter the conversation?
Still, thinking of Xia Zhiyi's face, he really did look about the same age as a high school student. Viewers who did not know the facts might indeed assume he was underage.
Although the special assistant had some private misgivings, he still relayed Fu Chi's words exactly.
Meanwhile, by the time Director Gong received the message, the guests had already gotten a preliminary grasp of the house rules and had each chosen their rooms and gone inside to unpack.
Director Gong said, "...Isn't restricting their funds a standard gimmick? Other variety shows have similar setups too. We even worked out the local prices. How did our daddy sponsor get the wrong idea?"
The assistant director had thought about it too and speculated, "Maybe our daddy sponsor doesn't watch many shows and doesn't know these usual gimmicks. Maybe he's also worried that us acting all stingy will affect the advertising?"
Director Gong said, "...I'm stingy?"
The assistant director looked at the redbrick house where the guests were staying a short distance away. It really was built out of red bricks, with not so much as a coat of paint on the walls. Its construction was plain for all to see, thoroughly rustic.
The assistant director said, "Well, to quite a few city dwellers these days, this house really is a little rustic."
Their daddy sponsor had come on board late. The money had arrived, but the location was one the production team had chosen beforehand.
Director Gong said, "The guests' funds have already been set. We can't change them, or constantly changing things will leave a bad impression on the viewers. Have someone compile the usual gimmicks in variety shows like ours into a document and send it over to explain."
The assistant director said, "Then, on our end..."
Director Gong said, "It's not like we're actually trying to mistreat the guests. If they really can't earn any money or points, we'll just find an excuse to give them some."
The assistant director said, "All right."
Just then, Xia Zhiyi appeared at the main entrance. Director Gong spotted him and waved him over. "Xia Zhiyi."
Xia Zhiyi and Wang Chengran had been assigned one room, the two female guests each had a room to themselves, and the remaining room went to Fu Yunyi and Zhou Kai.
He had not brought much and barely needed to unpack. Now he walked toward Director Gong while adjusting his microphone.
He had barely taken two steps when a sudden scream rang out. Xia Zhiyi stopped in his tracks and turned to look, his pupils contracting slightly.
"Ah! A snake!"
"Aaaah-"
"Why is there a snake here!"