Chapter 557 Natalie, Are You Trying to Rile Me Up?
Inside the envelope was a map and a set of silhouette photos of couples – some intimate, some playful, clearly snapshots of lovebirds. There was also a card listing local delicacies.
"Your mission today is to find the locations in these photos, then recreate and capture the poses for yourselves. As for the local specialties listed on your card, find them, give 'em a try, and snap a picture to immortalize the moment. Our sponsors will serve as judges and rate your photos to determine today's rankings.
But here's the real deal! Not only will the top three earn points – your rank will also dictate the order in which you get to choose your rooms for tonight."
The organizer said with a grin, "We're not here to rough it out, folks."
Everyone heaved a sigh of relief.
The organizer added, "At worst, your room just won't have Wi-Fi or a signal."
There was a collective gasp. "…What?!"
This scheme suddenly felt a lot more threatening than cooking one's own dinner!
To young folks, skipping a meal is no big deal, even a way to diet.
But no internet might as well be the end of the world, right?
"Hope everyone has a blast today!"
With that, everyone exchanged nervous glances, the lethargic attitude from yesterday long gone. They pored over their maps and photos, dead set on avoiding a Wi-Fi-less, signal-less night.
Lilian grabbed Lucas, bubbling with excitement, and they dashed over to Natalie and Oliver, curious about their set of photos.
Turns out, among the ten photos each group had, there were two of the same location – only with different poses.
After a quick check with Mia and Cadence's bunch, it was clear that each group had overlapping photo locations.
" How can we possibly find these remote places if they're not even online?" someone exclaimed in frustrated amazement.
"Ha! We did a bit better than you — found only one," someone quipped to my side, their voice dripping with sarcasm and disbelief.
The coordinator stood calmly at the front, hands clasped, offering a secretive smile to these well-bred young adults, all while harboring his own quiet accomplishments.
"Would I really give you a whole day to search for spots you could easily find on the internet? Where would the fun be in that? How else would you bond during this challenge?"
As other groups scurried to avoid being stuck in a room without Wi-Fi, Natalie remained cool as a cucumber. She sauntered over to a nearby chair, spread out the map on the table, and asked the staff for a pen. Comparing the photos in her hand with the tips she scrolled through on her phone, she soon drew circles on the map here and there.
Planning her route in advance proved far easier than any wild goose chase these clues might send her on.
Lucas and Lilian were also hanging back. Filled with curiosity, Lilian queried, "Natalie, why are you marking those places? ...Oh, isn't this scene right here in our photo?"
Not all ten photos were going to be tough nuts to crack — a few could easily reveal their locations within a particular park or landmark.
"Did you find all the spots already?" Lilian looked at Natalie, a mix of surprise and admiration in her eyes. "How did you do that? You're so clever, Natalie!"
Lucas, hovering nearby, chimed in with a shadow of a smirk. "And why don't you ask me, huh?"
"You know them too?" Lilian's question came out before she remembered how sharp Lucas was. He had proven as much during their previous escapade in the old town, keeping pace with Natalie's quick wits.
Lucas's expression read, "Of course I know; it's just you who doesn't," without saying the words.
Lilian, a bit miffed but undeterred, turned to Oliver with a challenge. "Cousin, I bet you don't know them."
Oliver, seated opposite Natalie, was idly watching her as she industriously worked across the map. At Lilian's goad, he coolly lifted an eyelid in a look that mingled disinterest with a sliver of disdain. "Lilian, I'm starting to wonder if your college acceptance had more to do with family donations than merit."
"No way!" Lilian puffed up, indignant.
How could he say such a thing? All men are jerks! Except for Natalie, she's the only good one!
Natalie, watching their banter and unable to stay quiet, came to the girl's defense. " It's understandable that Lilian is not familiar with the regional peculiarities and has a poor sense of direction."
"Exactly!" emboldened by Natalie's support, Lilian faced Oliver with newfound confidence. "Even Natalie says it's understandable, Simon!"
[Note: The names Natalie, Lucas, Lilian, Oliver, and Simon have replaced the original Chinese names to fit the requirement of westernizing the character names. The dialogue has been adapted to sound like natural American English, and some of the original content has been paraphrased or trimmed for flow and cultural relevance.]
Oliver glanced at Natalie and dismissively yet cooperatively said, "Yes, you're excused."
After all, one must cater to a fool's pride.
Lizzie chuckled, "Only Natalie can handle you!"
Her words were tinged with a teasing warmth that implied the only women who could manage a man were a girlfriend or a wife.
Natalie subconsciously looked up, but Lizzie seemed oblivious to the hint of inappropriateness in her words, dragging Lucas to the next table to plan their itinerary.
Natalie sneaked another look at Oliver. He seemed to have ignored Lizzie's jest, intently studying the card with food names on it.
It appeared that last night's visit to the old town's food district had left him psychologically scarred, as he eyed the card with unmistakable distaste.
Relieved, Natalie thought maybe he hadn’t caught Lizzie's words. Maybe he wasn't just tacitly agreeing?
"Miss Watson, how can you be so sure about these locations?" asked the director.
A camera crew was pointed at Natalie and Oliver. Natalie's astonishing performance in the old town had won praise from the elderly viewers watching the live stream; they were impressed by her intelligence.
The game's organizers were surprised and intrigued by Natalie's rapid and accurate identification of several locations.
Three photo spots remained uncertain, and Natalie was busy on her phone, searching for information and clues, while Oliver seemed so idle that even breathing appeared superfluous.
"Ask Mr. Windsor," Natalie said, pushing Oliver into the limelight.
The director offered Oliver an eager smile. "Mr. Windsor?"
"Ah," Oliver replied, his glance cool and indifferent. "Can't be bothered."
His attitude was arrogantly irritating.
The director, rather embarrassed, thought to himself that Mr. Windsor was indeed as difficult as the rumors suggested.
"Can't be bothered, or you genuinely have no clue?" Natalie retorted, tilting her delicate chin defiantly.
The director shot Natalie a grateful look.
"You're provoking me on purpose, Natalie," Oliver said, with a faint but discernible smirk, a stark contrast to his earlier demeanor with the director.
Natalie tilted her head, unapologetically saying, "Me? Never."
Oliver gave her a look that seemed to say, “You've got quite the nerve.”
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