Chapter 35: Who Owes Whom Money

Quan Hao crossed his arms over his chest, his face dark with displeasure. "So tell me, what are we supposed to do now? The two of us—me and that other guy—we worked so hard for a reason. We wanted to have a little breathing room with the funds on the first day, so the next two days could be easier. I used to think Li Wanbai only earning three hundred was humiliating, but now I realize among us, there are hidden dragons and phoenix chicks."
His words were sharp and unkind. Even Teacher Wang, a veteran in the industry, had never witnessed such a scene. Though it had nothing to do with him, he felt strangely uneasy.
If he was unsettled, those directly targeted—Ye Xiruo and Ma Xu—looked even more uncomfortable.

[Honestly, Quan Hao is being too harsh. Breaking the vase wasn't Ye Xiruo's fault. If she could choose, she certainly wouldn't have caused such trouble for everyone!]
[No matter what, the outcome is clear. If you make a mistake, you have to face the consequences!]
[Imagine being in Quan Hao and Yu Baichuan's shoes—working hard outside, thinking you'd get a break at home, but things are even tougher. Who wouldn't crack under that pressure?]
[Just a passerby, but to be fair, you can't blame Ye Xiruo! Quan Hao decided to work more, not because Ye Xiruo begged him. Why blame her?]
[Get lost!]
[The one above is pretending to be neutral? Your fan badge is showing!]
[How disheartening. Quan Hao worked so hard hoping the girls could have it easier, and now Ye Xiruo’s fans are criticizing him. Like master, like fan.]
[Please don’t conflate fans’ actions with the artist.]
[You get lost too!]
[...]

In the entertainment industry, Yu Baichuan's fans, the "Fish Sisters," are notorious for their ferocity, always ranked first. Quan Hao's fans, the "Gold Chains," are universally acknowledged as the second most daunting. Ye Xiruo is just starting to gain some fame, but offending Quan Hao from the start meant her fans were being hunted down by the Gold Chains.
In an instant, what was once a bustling barrage of comments became dominated by the Gold Chains, controlling the entire screen.
Quan Hao’s fans, just like him, were hot-tempered and couldn’t stand seeing their idol treated poorly. Their "Powder Keg" finally showed some conscience, but others treated him as the scapegoat.
Quan Hao shot Ye Xiruo a hostile glance, then turned to Ma Xu. "And you? What’s your story?"

Ma Xu stumbled over his words for a long time, unable to form a complete sentence.
"You didn’t slack off at the steel mill because it was too exhausting, did you?" Li Wanbai chimed in, referring to the tasks drawn earlier—Ye Xiruo worked at a flower shop, Ma Xu at the steel mill.
Even at a steel mill, they wouldn’t let a celebrity with no skills or knowledge do actual work; Ma Xu’s job was probably like Li Wanbai’s, helping out on the side, serving as a charming mascot.
It was unlikely he would abandon his post.
There was no reason, and the payoff was zero.
Ma Xu’s expression shifted repeatedly, retorting, "Wanbai, can’t you be less harsh? The production team assigned me the task, so of course I did my best."
Li Wanbai was momentarily taken aback, then asked, "So what about the money?"
Quan Hao had moved on, and the Gold Chains withdrew from the screen, replaced by Ma Xu’s fans.

[Wow, she’s so rude! As if she actually worked hard herself!]
[Exactly! I watched the whole thing. She stood around like a mascot, sometimes even getting in the way. What right does she have to accuse Ma Xu of not working hard?]
[No need to be angry. She’s always spreading rumors.]
[She just runs her mouth and doesn’t realize how much trouble she creates for Ma Xu! Before criticizing others, maybe she should check her own behavior.]
[Can a certain animal’s fans chill out? Wanbai is right—if he worked hard, where’s the money? No money means no work was done.]
[To the person claiming to have watched the whole stream, aren’t you feeling guilty? I watched it too. Ma Xu thought the steel mill was too hot and never went in, just wandered around the entrance. He didn’t consult the production team and decided on his own to act as the gatekeeper. He shouldn’t have received a dime, but another elderly gatekeeper spoke up for him, and the production team generously gave him a hundred.]
[Hilarious. Did he think no one would watch his personal stream because he’s not popular?]
[Honestly, his stream is pretty quiet—only a thousand or two viewers—but it’s the internet! If one person sees it, everyone does!]
[Even if Ma Xu messed up, Li Wanbai has no right to question him. Neither is better than the other.]
[...]

Hearing this, Quan Hao’s eyes sharpened. "Yeah, where’s your money? You claim you worked hard, so where’s your earnings?"
Ma Xu’s gaze flickered, sneaking a glance at Ye Xiruo.
Ye Xiruo cursed inwardly but calmly spoke up for him. "Teacher Quan, I think this isn’t right. You’re placing too much importance on money. There’s no need to be so calculative on a variety show. The whole point of reality TV is enjoying the experience of gathering together and making friends."
"Don’t force your feelings onto me. I came here to relax, and now, what do I have? Fourteen hundred, six people, three days. Are you asking me to play extreme survival?" Quan Hao grumbled.
Yu Baichuan quietly added, "Especially since we don’t even have a pack of tissues now."
Li Wanbai looked bewildered—what was the point of mentioning tissues now?
Still, she let it go.
Yu Baichuan rarely spoke up like this unless he had a reason, but Li Wanbai didn’t bother to dwell on it for now.
Teacher Wang gave a dry laugh, trying to smooth things over. "Come on, it’s just the first day—do we really need to make it this ugly? I know everyone feels a bit unsettled, but let’s each take a step back, for the sake of our little family. If my old bones could pull their weight, maybe we wouldn’t be arguing now."
Quan Hao shot Ma Xu a disgruntled look, snorted softly. "Fine, it’s only the first day. I’ll let it slide—for now! It’s almost dark, so let’s hurry up, buy what we need!"
After all, they couldn’t really go without toilet paper at night, or toothpaste in the morning—that would be miserable.
Ye Xiruo and Ma Xu, knowing they’d messed up, had nothing to say and simply nodded.
Sometimes, it’s better to do nothing than to make a mistake.