The Miraculous Simone Gray

Chapter 7 The Slyness Of The Production Team

As Zac stepped out of the car, the live chat was flooded with comments. One viewer wrote, ‘I can’t believe they managed to get Zeus on the show! This production team is impressive.’ ‘No wonder he’s one of the surprise guests. He’s definitely the showstopper.’ ‘Of course, he’s the showstopper! Both Mr. Foster and Zeus have millions of fans, you know.’ ‘Thumbs up to the production team for getting our dear Zachy on the show! He’s not a fan of self-promotion, actually.’ Another viewer commented, ‘Ahem! Considering Zachy’s fussy and spoiled personality, I seriously doubt he can adapt to this place and this show.’ ‘That seems impossible. What should I do? I suddenly feel like seeing him do something embarrassing.’ ‘Haha! Same here.’

‘It seems challenging to make Zeus fend for himself in a place like this.’ ‘I wonder if there’ll be team challenges or something similar after this. If there are, I can’t help but feel sorry for Zachy’s teammates.’ ‘If that happens, I’d sympathize with his teammates, too.’ The fans of the other guests, as well as casual viewers of the live stream, were slightly taken aback by the comments left by Zac’s fans. At the same time, they couldn’t help but feel that his fan community was eccentric… Everyone greeted Zac as he walked towards them. Even though Aaron didn’t get along with Zac, he wouldn’t publicly show hostility towards anyone on the air.

Now, let me tell you all about what’s planned next. You’ll be staying here for three weeks, during which time your daily lives will be live-streamed for the audience. We’ll provide you with tools, kitchenware, and a roof over your heads, but everything else is your responsibility.” Aaron had never participated in a reality show like this before and couldn’t help but ask, “How are we responsible for that? Can we use our own money?” Jonah gave him a look as if to say, ‘How can you be so naive?’ He replied, “You can’t use your own money, of course. Your phones will also be confiscated for the time being, though we’ll provide each of you with a new one.” Then, he continued with a shrug. “As for how you’re going to live in the next few weeks, I don’t know. It’s up to you.” Curious, Eric asked, “What tools will you guys provide, then?” He had participated in a survival-themed reality show before, where participants were only allowed to bring three items with them while everything else was not provided. Jonah replied, “We’ll provide you with as many tools as possible as long as you need them.” This show was not about pranks, making it different from other variety shows. He added, “For instance, if you need to

labor for something to eat.” In other similar reality shows, the production teams would usually assign tasks for the guests to complete. However, this show’s production team wanted something new, so they were letting the guests have free rein to do whatever they wanted in the first episode. After all, this was a live show, and there might be more excitement this way. If the response wasn’t great, they would assign tasks in the next episode. In an instant, the guests understood what he meant. Jonah then had his assistant bring eight password-protected boxes over, each labeled with a guest’s name. “Alright, please hand in your phones for now,” he instructed. “Place your phones in the corresponding boxes. The initial password is six zeros, but you can set your own passwords. After this episode is over, you can open the boxes and retrieve your phones.” This was to safeguard the privacy of the show’s guests and make sure that no one from the production team could access their phones without their knowledge. Zac asked in puzzlement, “Since you’re providing us with new cell phones, why can’t we use our own?” Jonah explained, “It’s because the phones we’re giving you have been set up by professional technicians so that you can’t download any software or browse the internet on them.” He continued, “Each new phone already has a temporary messaging app installed, on which the production team has added everyone else to your list of contacts and created a group chat exclusively for the eight of you, making it easy for you to contact one another.” This was also to prevent any guest from adding another guest on their communication apps and harassing them with unwanted calls and messages

sending messages, and navigation!” We’re going to be bored to death in the next few weeks! Jonah replied with a smile, “We want you to experience life without digital entertainment. It’s all about returning to simplicity, isn’t it?” Zac was rendered speechless. Suddenly, he regretted listening to his talent agent’s nonsense and participating in this variety show. Jonah inquired, “Do you have any other questions? If not, let’s proceed to the place where you’ll be staying.” The guests shook their heads in response. “No, we don’t have any more questions.” The director then led everyone towards a mountain path. “The place you’ll be staying is up on the mountain. The path is not easy to navigate, so please be cautious.” Upon realizing that they not only had to walk on their own but also tackle the mountain path, Jodie’s expression changed. She was dressed inappropriately