Chapter 279 You're Biased
The contestants swapped into old-school outfits—ladies fussed with their hair while the dudes slapped on wigs. As they queued up to get into Aevum City, they were a real sight, drawing people snapping photos from all angles. But the production crew had tight security, so no one messed with them.
At the gate, they spotted armored soldiers with spears and staff handing out entry tokens. They got these wooden plaques with the date on them, and suddenly, the whole adventure felt super fresh and fun. They either pinned the tokens to their clothes or stashed them away as they strolled into the city.
The ancient, bustling streets were packed with people in period getups and ox-drawn carriages clunking by. The starting fare was ten bucks, but no one wanted to blow their cash on a ride.
Raymond, itching to stick close to Elizabeth, suggested, "Elizabeth, how about we team up to make some cash?" It was clear he just wanted to hang with her.
Before Elizabeth could answer, a staff member jumped in, reminding them of Arthur's rules: each group had to earn money solo, no teaming up.
Elizabeth smiled at Raymond. "Then let's do our own thing. We can meet up for meals or breaks."
Raymond, bummed but nodding, said, "Alright, let's keep in touch through the group chat and plan meals."
He turned to the staff. "Can we use the money we earn to arrange meals?"
The staff nodded. "That's cool."
In another group, Ronald grinned, "We'll hustle for cash too and join you guys for meals." His group agreed enthusiastically.
The staff suggested, "You can split up now."
Raymond had a better idea. "How about we stick together for now? We've all got a hundred bucks each. Let's locate a restaurant, grab a bite, and then dive into our assignments with satisfied stomachs." His main goal was to share the first meal in Aevum City with Elizabeth. The others, feeling their stomachs growl, agreed.
Normally, they wouldn't want to eat with Enrique, Brenda, Kevin, and Eugene. But since they were stuck with them this time, they had no choice but to eat together.
Kevin chimed in cheerfully, "Sure, let's eat together." He wanted to smooth things over with everyone.
Eugene nodded. "Sounds good." As long as he could be with Elizabeth, he was down for anything.
Majority ruled, so Brenda, who wanted to object, kept quiet. Enrique, still detached from the show, didn't care about eating together.
So, the group found a restaurant and snagged a private room that could seat eleven people. The menu and dishes were all ancient-style, as were the utensils.
Raymond handed the menu to Elizabeth and said gently, "Ladies, pick what you want to eat."
This made Enrique roll his eyes. He thought, 'Raymond is really good at sucking up.'
Eugene and Kevin couldn't help but notice how Raymond was all over Elizabeth. No wonder he could tail her all day.
Elizabeth, Natalie, and Nancy skimmed the menu, each picking a dish, totally ignoring Brenda, which only fueled her simmering resentment.
Then, Elizabeth handed the menu to Raymond. "Here you go, pick something from the menu as well."
Raymond ordered a dish and skipped Brenda, passing the menu to Marlon next to him.
Marlon ordered and passed it on. When it got to Enrique, he made a point of handing it to Brenda. He said sarcastically, "Brenda, pick what you like. Some people here seem to lack basic manners."
His comment turned heads.
Raymond raised an eyebrow. "Who you talking about?"
Enrique shot back, "You know who. I'm talking about you. We're in the same group, and you didn't give the menu to Brenda but to others from another group. That's not very gentlemanly, is it?"
Brenda fumed but stayed quiet, agreeing with Enrique. Raymond played it coo. "I don't dare get close to Brenda. Given her history—the secret meet-ups with Eugene, hugging Kevin, sitting on Arnold's lap, getting cozy at a bar with her manager—I need to avoid scandals."
He laid it out bluntly, "I gotta keep my distance from her. Got it?"
No one, including the viewers on the livestream, expected Raymond to drop that bomb. But they all got it. If Raymond got tangled up with Brenda, it would be the biggest scandal of the episode.
Brenda's face turned red, and she bit her lip, glaring at Raymond with resentment. She cursed inwardly, 'Jerk! How can he see me like this? His words make it seem like I'm promiscuous.'
Enrique fired back, "If you want to keep your distance, then keep it from everyone! I see you're all over Elizabeth. Why don't you keep your distance from her?"
Eugene and Kevin nodded in agreement. Why couldn't Raymond keep his distance from Elizabeth?
Raymond shot back, "Is Elizabeth the same?"
He rolled his eyes and continued, "Please don't compare Brenda to Elizabeth. There's a huge difference, okay?"
Enrique challenged, "How are they different? They're both stars, yet you're biased."
Raymond shrugged, not caring about the live broadcast. "I am biased. Deal with it."
Enrique fell silent; there was no winning against Raymond's blunt arrogance.
Brenda, on the verge of tears, tugged Enrique's arm. "Let's just order," she said, trying to keep it together.
Enrique, having lost the verbal spat, agreed. Brenda ordered a dish, feeling slighted but determined to fit in.
The meal was straightforward—each person ordered one dish, making sure everyone was satisfied without wasting food. After eating, the groups got ready to split up.
The other two groups went off to earn money, while Elizabeth's group set out to find the mystery guest.
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