Chapter 121

Chi Qi continued to eat the steamed bun with a bitter look on his face.

Niu Kulu, "Does anyone else want to buy breakfast?"

Fu Boci bought Chi Sulu a rice ball for twenty yuan. After discussing it with Kuang Ye and Qiao Yujing, they bought pot stickers to eat together, which cost forty yuan.

As a result, except for the two groups of Chi Qi and Meng Tianyu, and Fu Chenglin and Xia Xianyin, the numbers of the other three groups have changed.

After the meal, the guests filled their stomachs and recovered their strength. They automatically switched to business mode and were no longer half-dead.

Niu Kulu had a good meal and was in good spirits. He began to announce today's schedule, "We are going to visit Xuan Guiquan next. Everyone, get ready."

Xuan Gui Spring is a famous local natural attraction. The spring water is clear and transparent, and the water flows like jade. The beautiful scenery is well-known. Many tourists drive thousands of miles from other places just to see Xuan Gui Spring.

The program crew was rarely kind enough to provide the vehicle for free.

This event did not require competition, the atmosphere was somewhat relaxed, and everyone boarded the bus in a mighty procession with the intention of going out for fun.

In order to introduce the attractions, the program team also invited a professional tour guide.

She was a young girl, dressed very smartly, with her hair tied up and clipped behind her, a work ID hanging on her chest, and a small red flag in her hand.

The tour guide greeted everyone with a confident and cheerful smile and briefly introduced himself. He waved a flag and reminded them, "After getting off the bus, everyone follow me and be careful not to get separated."

During the rest of the journey, she introduced the culture and history of Xuan Guiquan to everyone in detail.

The story was not boring and everyone was listening attentively. Chi Qi also looked up relevant information on the Internet.

When they arrived at the destination, the guests got off the bus and went to buy tickets under the guidance of the tour guide.

The ticket seller in the ticket office said skillfully, "Adult tickets are 40 yuan per person. How do you pay?"

"Forty yuan?" Lu Jin knew the price after reading it, and turned to leave with Jiang Bieshan, "We can't afford the ticket, so we won't go in."

Their group currently only has 45 yuan left, and at most one Jiang Bieshan and one-eighth of Lu Jinyue can go in.

Niu Kulu, who was standing at the end of the team, picked up the loudspeaker and shouted, "You can't leave. If you don't have enough money, borrow from other groups."

Lu Jinyue was already in debt of thirty-five dollars before he even earned any money. He was devastated. "I've spent all my money. What am I going to do with my lunch?"

Niu Kulu snorted coldly, "Find a way to solve it yourself."

Not only Lu Jinyue didn't want to buy a ticket, all the guests present didn't want to buy a ticket. After spending the eighty yuan, their fate would not be much better than those two.

It may be the difference between skipping one meal and skipping two meals.

Chi Sulu asked worriedly, "Is there any way to buy tickets cheaper?"

After buying the tickets at the original price, she and Fu Boci only had six yuan left. If they had known that money was so tight, they would not have spent money on breakfast.

Chi Qi didn't know what he was thinking of. His eyes lit up and he squeezed to the front of the line. "Hello, is there any discount if I buy with my student ID?"

"Student tickets are half price." The ticket seller looked up, "Show your ID, please."

Chi Qi didn't bring his student ID, "Is an electronic version okay?"

The conductor said, “Yes.”

A minute later, Chi Qi happily raised the half-price ticket in his hand.

Chi Sulu was surprised, "Why do you have a student ID?"

“Because I’m a student.”

“…”

Inspired by this, Qiao Yujing, who had found a way to save money, shouted, "We can buy group tickets together!"

Next to him, Kuang Ye asked in confusion, "What is group buying?"

It was the first time he heard this word.

"Group buying means group shopping. There are discounts when more people buy together." Qiao Yujing explained, "Nowadays, group buying is available in many places, such as tourist attractions and restaurants..."

Kuang Ye learned a word and said in an admiring tone, "You are amazing. You know all this."

He then discovered that Qiao Yujing had a very comprehensive reserve of common sense. There were many things that he had never understood and were in the blank areas, but Qiao Yujing not only knew them, but could also use them skillfully.

Kuang Ye realized belatedly, "I have always bought things at the original price in the past. Isn't that a big loss?"

[What I mean is, is it that wealth limits your imagination? 】

Qiao Yujing smiled and replied, "There's nothing I can do. You've suffered a loss because of your wealth."

[Suffering a loss at the hands of the rich… Such a niche sentence. ]

[Let me bear this kind of loss, I am willing to bear it for the rest of my life. ]

[Kuang Ye certainly couldn’t imagine what the first thing to do after activating the 9.9 continuous monthly membership is? ]

Less than two minutes later, Qiao Yujing said, "I found it. We can save 5 yuan per person if we buy tickets in a group." He turned to the crowd and asked, "Do you want to buy tickets together?"

“Buy, buy, buy.”

"Buy two for our group."

“Yes.”

After preliminary discussions, Xia Xianyin lent Jiang Bieshan 25 yuan, and with the help of the staff, he bought nine group tickets.

Now that the tickets have been purchased, it’s time to set off.

Led by the tour guide, everyone arrived at the entrance of Xuan Guiquan.

The entrance is very special. It is a narrow hole that can only accommodate one person. But when you walk forward for dozens of steps, the view in front of you will suddenly become clear.

It was very dark inside the cave, with only a little light.

The terrain above was rugged, but the road underfoot was flat, so there was no need to worry about falling. Chi Qi walked at the end, looking around curiously.

"The entrance to the cave is less than 100 meters long, and it will take about three minutes to get outside." The tour guide kindly reminded, "If there are tourists who are afraid of the dark, please hold on to the hands of fellow tourists."

Afraid of the dark?

Lu Jinyue remembered that Jiang Bieshan had night blindness, which would cause his vision to deteriorate and he could not see clearly in dim conditions. The scene in front of him just met the conditions for his disease to develop.

Fearing that Jiang Bieshan would pretend to be uncomfortable for the sake of his reputation, the kind and enthusiastic Lu Jinyue decisively extended a helping hand and touched the back of his hand.

Without looking at each other or communicating, Jiang Bieshan instantly understood what he meant. He chased after the hand that was about to move away and shook it forcefully.

[You guys are so sweet! Apologize to me! ]

[I am so happy just holding hands, I can’t imagine how excited I would be if they did it? ]

The two's quiet behavior could not be hidden from the eyes and ears of the people behind them, and the small movement of their fingers clasped together was seen clearly.

Meng Tianyu, "!"

What kind of happy day could it be today that made her get sweets again and again? She covered her mouth and tried hard to suppress the scream that was rising in her throat.

Chi Qi, who was alone, curled his lips.

[It is a bit dark, but not eerie, nor is it so dark that you can't see anything clearly. Holding hands at this time probably means simply wanting to hold hands. 】

Walking out of the cave and into the light, the two of them were still holding hands, not letting go.

The tour guide said: "Go a little further and you will reach Xuan Gui Spring."

Xuangui Spring is clear and shallow, with large stone masonry surrounding it. People can stand on the railing and overlook the marvelous sight of three springs gushing out of the pool.

No one spoke, it was very quiet all around, and everyone was enjoying the show quietly.

The photographer aimed the camera at the surface of the spring so that netizens in the live broadcast room could also feel the beauty through the screen.

The spring water gurgled, and the sunlight sprinkled on the crystal clear bubbles, like stars scattered all over the river.

This continued throughout the year, day and night. Chi Qi stared blankly for a few minutes, feeling the greatness of nature so much that he dared not look at it again.

He turned half of his body to look at the landscaping of the scenic area.

There are green trees and lush flowers and plants. Looking ahead, pavilions and towers are scattered around, which contrast with the clear spring water and form a moving landscape scroll.

Cross the bridge across the Xuangui Spring Pool and come to the side, where there is a free water collection point where interested tourists can get drinking water.

Follow the tour guide north, there is a stream flowing slowly.

There are many tiny springs in the stream, forming layers of ripples. Even on a sunny day, people will still think of the scene of drizzle falling on the calm stream.

"In front is the Koi Wishing Pond. You can tell the Koi in the pond what you wish for, and they will help you realize it." The tour guide added, "You can pray for academic, financial, and career success."

When they heard the word "make a wish", everyone immediately became interested and quickened their pace to rush to the wishing well.

Chi Qi thought of the information he had just found. Many tourists said that the red koi in the wishing pond was very smart and would approach with its mouth open when it saw someone feeding it.

If you can touch the koi head, you will be very lucky for a period of time.

There are not many koi in the wishing pond, but each one is plump and round, and extremely cute.

Chi Qi spotted the red koi at a glance. It was slightly smaller but rounder. He pinched a handful of fish food and thought about how to attract the little red koi.

Before he could come up with a solution, the little red koi seemed to sense something and actually looked up at him. Then it waved its tail and swam towards him briskly.

Chi Qi quickly squatted down and reached his hand towards the water through the railing.

The little red koi stopped and didn't rush to eat the fish food. Instead, it touched his palm first. Seeing that it was not afraid of people, Chi Qi gently touched the koi's head with his fingertips.

[Touch the koi's head and you won't have to worry about anything.] 】

After visiting the most worthwhile attractions, the program team will no longer make any requirements. In the remaining time, the guests can walk around the scenic area on their own or choose to rest in the pavilion.

The morning passed quickly, and it was time again for the "one penny makes a hero fall" phase.

After buying the tickets, each group had very little money left. With the team spirit of unity and friendship, those who had money lent it to those who had no money, and they scraped together their money to help each other buy lunch.

If we don’t find a way to make money, we’ll all go hungry and sleep on the streets at night.

Chi Qi sighed.

Then, as if a switch was turned on, sighs began to sound one after another.

Seeing the guests so embarrassed, Niu Kulu couldn't contain his joy. This was exactly the effect he wanted!

He hid his true colors and acted like a good guy, "Don't panic, the production team will give you money in the next game."

Someone asked, "What game?"

Niu Kulu announced mysteriously, "The next scene is a small town escape."

"The game venue is half of the ancient town, and the game time is three hours. Twenty minutes after the guests enter the ancient town, the program team will release six hunters. The hunters will patrol everywhere. Once they find your figure, they will trigger the chase mode. Be careful, don't get caught by the hunters!"

"After the game is over, you will be paid according to the time you hid. If you hide for one hour, you will get an extra 20 yuan. If you hide for less than one hour, you will get a proportional discount."

The guests listened quietly to the complicated rules. "In addition, the program team has arranged NPCs. They are hiding in the town. In addition to avoiding hunters, you also need to be careful not to come into contact with the NPCs or have conversations with them. Please remember to ignore all the actions of the NPCs, otherwise you will automatically trigger the extra buff."

After the rules were explained, everyone understood them. To put it simply, the longer you hide, the more money you make.

"Is one hour and twenty too little?"

Niu Kulu said: "Don't worry, there are additional conditions. The program team has marked two check-in points in the ancient town. Guests who perform designated actions at the check-in points will receive a card that doubles their income."

As the saying goes, fortune and wealth are sought in danger. While you have the chance to obtain a doubling card, the risk of being caught will also increase.

"The maps have been distributed to everyone. You can open them and take a look first."

Chi Qi opened the map and took a quick look, and found that the alleys of the ancient town were intricate and winding, like a maze, which was conducive to hiding.

He doesn't like excitement and prefers to stay quietly, ready to find a safe place to hide and wait until the game is over.

Each group had worked out a strategy, and the program crew dispersed the people and brought them to different entrances. It would be easier to create highlights if they were separated.

Chi Qi looked at the map on his phone and walked as far as possible. When it was almost twenty minutes, he turned into a remote alley.

He gave up taking the main road outside and kept wandering in the alleys. Before going out each time, he would stick his head out cautiously and observe his surroundings carefully.

The progress was relatively smooth and he managed to survive the first hour.

Just when Chi Qi was about to continue this method, he heard a wailing sound.

Chi Qi walked over to the source of the sound and saw an old man who had fallen to the ground. He asked, "Uncle, are you okay?"

He was too concerned and confused to think carefully about why the old man was here.

The old man looked painful and pointed at his thigh, crying out in pain.

"Can you still get up? Do you want me to help you up?" Chi Qi asked. He glanced at the old man's clean clothes and felt something was wrong, but he didn't ask. "Do you need to call your family?"

He didn't know the old man's specific condition and didn't dare to help him rashly, fearing that improper operation would make the old man's injuries worse.

The old man said in a very dignified tone, "I am old, my waist and legs are not under my control, I was walking just fine, but somehow I fell down, young man, help me up."

Chi Qi bent down and supported the old man's arm.

The old man used his strength to get up, suddenly shook off his hand, smiled as if he had finally "taken the bait", and ran away briskly without any sign of injury.

Chi Qi, "???"

It's over.

He finally remembered one of the rules Niu Kulu said, don't touch the NPC, otherwise...

"I'm here! Come and catch me! I'm here! Come and catch me! I'm here! Come and catch me!" The inconspicuous small voice machine pinned on the clothes shouted arrogantly.

The location was exposed instantly, and nearby hunters came over after hearing the noise.

[Your uncle is still your uncle.] ]

[The program team actually took advantage of the kindness of the guests... This is very bad. ]

[Oh my god, who could have thought of this? ]

[Good people don't get rewarded and instead get fooled.] ]

Chi Qi knew that the hunters had all undergone professional training and could easily catch up with people like him who didn't like to exercise, so he didn't struggle too much.

Unfortunately, he was eliminated and was taken to a room. After stepping over the threshold, he found that there were already several people sitting inside.

After asking, I found out that everyone was informed because of the NPC leaked the traces.

[Does the production crew treat us as a simple routine? 】

Before I could even sit down on the bench, another person was brought in.

Seeing who it was, Chi Qi was happy and deliberately asked, "Who is this? How come he was eliminated too?"

Fu Chenglin had just finished a very fast long-distance run. He was sweating, panting, and too tired to talk.

Chi Qi leaned over and asked, "Didn't you say you were very fast and you weren't worried about hunters chasing you?"

"What do you know?" Fu Chenglin paused for a moment and said frantically, "The program team invited the long-distance running champions of various competitions."

No matter how good he is at running, he can never outrun the professionals who treat running as a job.

Half an hour later, all the guests were eliminated, the game was over, and Niu Kulu came over to share the money.

The one who hid the longest was Jiang Bieshan, who hid for two hours and successfully checked in at a check-in point, but he only got 80 yuan.

After paying off the debt, I couldn’t even afford the accommodation fee.

Not only could he not afford it, but after calculation, everyone found that none of the five groups could afford the hundred yuan.

The guests were in a bad mood because they had been busy all day but had not made any money.

Chi Sulu couldn't help but ask, "Director Niu, your rules are too unreasonable. If Group 1 didn't have money to pay the rent, it would be understandable. But now Group 5 can't pay the rent. Are you really going to let us wander around?"

"There are always more solutions than problems." Niu Kulu did not give a direct answer, but consoled them, "The rest of the time is up to you all. Everyone should try to come back early to rest and not delay tomorrow's filming."

He didn't explain clearly, just said a few words and left, leaving the ten people in a state of panic.

Everyone started discussing.

"Director Niu means that we should find a way to make money ourselves?"

"How do I make money? Street performances? Can singing attract people?"

"What about dancing? Would anyone want to see it?"

"I know a little bit about portrait sketching. Can I make money with this?"

Chi Qi, who only knows how to back down, "..."

[It doesn't matter, just take it one step at a time. If it doesn't work out, I'll just die halfway.] 】

"See if there are any temporary workers, such as handing out flyers?"

"Everyone should be off work at this time, right?"

"It's definitely not a good idea to stay here." Xia Xianyin suggested, "Let's go to the commercial street first."

"OK."

Everyone agreed, and the group followed the navigation to the nearest commercial street.

Because we had to walk there, it took quite a while and the sky gradually darkened.

Chi Qi dragged his tired body and walked slowly forward.

Qiao Yujing in the team suddenly said, "There are so many people gathered over there."

Chi Qi followed his gaze and saw that it was indeed true. There were heads everywhere and a large stage. He didn't know what kind of event was being held there.

It happened to be on the only way to go, and when passing by, everyone stretched their necks to look.

[Everyone has really engraved the three words "join in the fun" into their bones. ]

[It’s just me. Every time I see people gathered together, I will run over to take a look. ]

Walking closer, Chi Qi looked up at the banner hanging high above and softly read out the words on it, "The Sixth Big Eater Competition..."

Wait, isn’t a big eating competition just about who can eat the most?

If he attends, won't he be able to eat for free?

So eating contest = free buffet.

After figuring this out, Chi Qi's eyes lit up brightly.

[Great, it’s a big eating contest, we are saved!] 】

The host holding the microphone on the stage was livening up the atmosphere and motivating people, "Anyone else wants to participate? There is still one spot available."

Chi Qi in the audience raised his hand, "Me, me, me! I want to participate!"

"I deeply feel everyone's enthusiasm." The host made an inviting gesture, "This friend, please come up."

Chi Qi couldn't wait to go up, sat in his seat, and stared at the plate eagerly.

[It’s time to eat, I want to eat!] I want to eat! I want to eat! 】

"Good evening, dear friends. Welcome to the Big Eater Contest hosted by Delicious Pot. Currently, 32 contestants have taken their seats... The first place winner will receive a cash prize of 5,000 yuan, the second place winner 3,000 yuan, and the third place winner 2,000 yuan."

"After the specified time is up, the number of plates eaten by the contestants will be the main basis and recorded on the spot. If the number of plates is the same, the one with the least remaining food will win."

The host faced the audience and said with a smile: "Well, I declare that the third I am a Big Eater Competition will start from now on."