Yuan Shi was the guide. Before coming, he had obtained the route map from the production team and knew where the first stop was, so he had prepared in advance and booked the hotel early.
After the six guests each put away their money, they exchanged it for euros at the airport and planned to leave the airport and head to the hotel to rest first.
The journey from the airport to the hotel was quite long. Yuan Shi called a car and found that the fare was relatively expensive. One family per car was not very cost-effective, so after discussing it with everyone, they decided that two families would share one car to split the rental cost.
The others all agreed, each finding someone to team up with. The five families discussed things in an orderly manner.
At this moment, the lonely figures of the Ji family of three became rather eye-catching.
Yuan Shi’s mother noticed and nudged her son.
Yuan Shi turned his head in confusion and followed his mother’s gesture, his gaze landing on Ji Xiu’s family.
“Let’s share a car with them,” Yuan Shi’s mother said.
Yuan Shi hesitated briefly, then agreed.
He had good rapport with people and could pair up with any guest, but the Ji family had just arrived and would probably find it difficult to match with others.
“Then let’s go talk to them.” Seeing her son agree, Yuan Shi’s mother was very happy. She pulled him along and took the initiative to walk over.
Ji Xiu and Ji Linlang were discussing ways to earn money. Hearing the movement, they looked up.
After learning Yuan Shi’s intention, Ji Xiu was somewhat surprised. However, after exchanging a glance with Ji Linlang, they still agreed.
The other party meant well. Refusing would instead make them seem ignorant.
Moreover, the other side had already abandoned their original partners to invite them. If they refused, would that not put the other party in an awkward position?
Thus, Ji Xiu and the other two gave up their original plan of going separately and got into the same car as Yuan Shi’s family.
The car was an ordinary seven-seater taxi. Sitting inside and chatting, they soon arrived at the hotel.
When getting out of the car, however, Yuan Shi’s mother seemed to misunderstand something and became even more affectionate toward Ji Xian, repeatedly telling him that if he did not understand anything, he could go to them, and that she would have Yuan Shi help him.
Yuan Shi had grown up under his parents’ protection. Even at forty, he still had a bit of a childlike temperament. Seeing his mother be so enthusiastic toward another child for the first time, he felt both helpless and jealous.
“Mom, why do you care so much about Ji Xian?”
Yuan Shi’s mother glanced at him and said matter-of-factly, “Xianxian is so cute. What’s wrong with me liking him a bit more?”
Yuan Shi was suspicious. “Is it really that simple?”
Yuan Shi’s mother hesitated, some words stuck at the tip of her tongue, unsure whether she should say them.
In the car, she had noticed that Ji Xian’s father and sister were always talking to each other. Ji Xian tried to join in, but no one paid attention to him. Watching that made her feel a bit sorry for him.
Although favoring boys over girls was not good, favoring girls over boys was also not good.
When children were born, they should be treated equally. Only then would one child not be hurt.
But thinking of the cameras everywhere, she ultimately did not say this out loud and only planned to take extra care of that child in the future.
…
The six families arrived at the hotel in batches and, according to the room numbers Yuan Shi had booked, checked into their respective rooms.
The Ji family of three was assigned a double-bed suite. The single bed was left for Ji Linlang, while Ji Xiu and Ji Xian slept on the double bed. The three of them were busy familiarizing themselves with the environment and connecting to the network, completely unaware that their behavior in the car had caused misunderstandings.
Between Ji Xian and Ji Linlang, Ji Xiu was indeed relatively more protective of Ji Linlang, because she was a girl. In modern society, girls were always treated with many prejudices, so being a bit nicer to her was natural.
Of course, that did not mean he had no feelings for Ji Xian.
Perhaps the original body had favored Ji Linlang somewhat because of certain events when the two children were young. However, after Ji Xiu arrived, the effort he put into Ji Xian was not the slightest bit less than what he put into Ji Linlang.
The reason he did not let Ji Xian join in was mainly because Ji Xian was only seventeen now. He had grown up under his family’s protection and knew little about the outside world, so he could not help much.
If asked to manage the group, which was his area of expertise, he could still hold on for a few days and adapt on the fly.
But asking him to start from scratch was making things difficult for him, because it was a field he had never touched before.
On the contrary, both Ji Xiu and Ji Linlang had experienced life changes and had their own ideas and confidence when it came to making money. They could discuss things effectively and avoid wasting the time in the car.
By the time they got out of the car, Ji Xiu and Ji Linlang had already come up with a rough plan.
Before entering the room, Ji Xiu first went to the cameraman to exchange some virtual currency. After returning to the room, he urged Ji Xian to open his suitcase, borrowed the newly bought gaming laptop, connected to the internet, and logged online.
Opportunities on the internet were more plentiful than in reality. As long as there was internet access, making money was simply too easy for him.
Ji Xiu’s ten fingers flew across the keyboard. Although his operations were not as exquisite as those of a professional esports player, his speed was astonishing. The pages jumped rapidly, changing nonstop.
Very quickly, he found the website he wanted, entered it, and immersed himself in it.
But before that, he first went to
Young Master Ji Xian was traveling for the first time without servants or assistants. Sharing a room with Ji Xiu, he could not very well let his father make the bed, so he worked hard on it himself. After finishing, he let out a sigh of relief and turned back to tell Ji Xiu.
“Dad, the bed is made. You can sleep…”
The rest of the words got stuck in his throat. Ji Xian stared at the computer screen in shock. After freezing for three seconds, he lunged over like the wind and pressed down on Ji Xiu’s hand.
“Dad, what are you doing? This is illegal!”
Ji Xiu’s brows knit together. He stopped his hand and glanced at him, revealing a look of frustration mixed with disappointment.
Idiot. There are cameras in the room. What nonsense are you shouting?
Ji Xian had panicked and acted on impulse. He quickly came back to his senses and realized he had done something wrong.
Even if what Ji Xiu was doing was wrong, he should not have shouted it out.
“I, I’m sorry.”
Even so, he did not let go of Ji Xiu’s hand.
Ji Xiu was helpless and had no choice but to explain, “Illegal parking is illegal. Making noise is illegal. But illegal does not equal criminal. Besides, it is just some gray industries. They are not acceptable at home, but abroad they are very common. You do not need to make such a fuss.”
Ji Xian was stunned by his words and hesitantly let go.
“Is that so? Are you sure?”
Ji Xiu nodded and patted his foolish son’s shoulder, carrying a bit of helpless indulgence toward a silly young master of a landlord family.
“Let go already.”
Ji Xian obediently released his hand.
Ji Xiu was satisfied and turned back to continue when there was a knock at the door.
Opening it, the director with slight signs of a receding hairline stood outside, panting, lowering his raised hand. “Ji, Ji sir, this, this will not do. Your behavior does not align with socialist core values in our program. Even though we are abroad, the show is broadcast domestically. You must stop using this method.”
Ji Xiu paused and turned to glance at Ji Xian.
Ji Xian knew he had done something stupid again. He pressed his lips together and avoided Ji Xiu’s gaze.
If he had not shouted that sentence in front of the cameras, the production team would not have understood what Ji Xiu was doing and would not have come to interfere.
“Alright. I will not mess around anymore.”
The director had a backbone and extended his hand. “We also need to take the laptop.”
Ji Xian, who had been pretending to play dead, instantly exploded.
“No!” he shouted, pouncing on the desk and hugging the gaming laptop tightly to his chest. “This is my only joy on this trip!”
The director froze, a look of confusion appearing on his face.
Was not the joy of traveling supposed to be seeing the scenery? Why did it fall on a computer?
Seeing Ji Xian and the director deadlocked, Ji Xiu, having enjoyed enough of the show, stepped forward to mediate. “I will not touch the computer anymore. Leave it here so the kid can play some games.”
The director was helpless and reluctantly agreed, repeatedly begging Ji Xiu not to touch the computer again.
The show was broadcast domestically. What kind of clip would that be? He did not even dare to edit it in. But if he did not include it, during the day the Ji family’s spending had clearly exceeded the living expenses, and then the audience would accuse the program of being fake.
The director was truly in a difficult position.
He lowered his stance, threw away his pride, and hoped Ji Xiu would stop using these methods that skirted the gray edge to make money.
He did not even dare to say that the program’s games and competitions had not yet started, and that Ji Xiu’s actions counted as jumping the gun and did not conform to the program’s rules. He was afraid that if he said too much, the Ji family would pay the penalty and leave in anger.
Having such a high-heat yet untouchable guest was good for the program, but for him personally as the director, he did not know whether it was good or bad.
All he hoped for now was that Ji Xiu would make money through legal means. Whether it counted as jumping the gun was another matter.
After listening to the director, Ji Xiu fell into thought and readily agreed, absolutely legal.
For some reason, the director felt even more uneasy.
But saying more would only make him annoying. He did not have the nerve to continue. He took the money from Ji Xiu’s account, refunded an equivalent amount in euros, and left the room.
Ji Xiu turned back to look at Ji Xian.
Ji Xian stayed silent, put down the gaming laptop, and, without being taught, learned how to appease someone. He walked over and started massaging Ji Xiu’s shoulders. “Dad, I’m sorry.”
“Forget it. Sleep first. We will see tomorrow.” Ji Xiu glanced around the room. “Such a small room, I am absolutely not staying a second day. Tomorrow we move!”
Ji Xian immediately agreed. “Okay. Tomorrow we earn money together and move at night!”
After making vows for tomorrow, seeing that it was already late, the father and son washed up and rested.
But before resting, looking at the only bed in the room, both of them showed expressions of dislike mixed with something subtle.
This bed would be spacious enough for two girls, but for two grown men, it was far too cramped.
Still, this was the first time the father and son slept in the same bed.
What Ji Xiu thought in his heart was unknown, but Ji Xian felt a bit of anticipation about this first experience of sharing a bed with his father.
“Rest,” Ji Xiu said, taking the inner half of the bed first.
Ji Xian responded and took the other side.
The bed was indeed not big enough, a bit crowded. Yet Ji Xian suddenly did not mind it at all.
“Dad, thank you for supporting my esports dream,” Ji Xian said in the quiet room.
Ji Xiu was silent for a moment, then replied with a helpless tone. “Our family is not short on money. If you have a dream, of course you should chase it. After we return home, practice properly and do not embarrass me.”
Ji Xian was full of passion. “I will not!”
“That is good. Sleep now. We still have to go out tomorrow.”
Ji Xian hummed in response and said nothing more. Both father and son fell asleep, leaving only the camera in the room, silently working in the darkness.
…
The next day, the Ji family of three woke up very early. After washing up one after another, they gathered in the hotel lobby and received the tasks from the production team.
Travel variety shows did not immediately require guests to earn money. The initial tasks were all about visiting certain attractions.
Today they were going to five places, all famous local sights.
Everyone could check in at some or all of them. The first three families to arrive at each place could check in. After successfully checking in, they would receive points. Families arriving later would only be sightseeing and would not get check-in points.
At the end of the day, the family with the most check-ins would receive luxury accommodation and a Michelin dinner provided by the production team.
Of course, some places were too far away. The cost of going there might make their already limited funds even tighter, so everyone needed to choose carefully. To obtain check-in points, some strategy was also required, to avoid ending up with no points and all the money spent.
Ji Xiu’s eyes immediately landed on one of the locations. He chose it without hesitation as the first target.