Only Ren Yifei enjoyed the meal.
People in the entertainment industry think of 'golden light' as soon as they see food, while those outside the entertainment industry use all their strength to hold back their laughter: they never expected that the first test they would face would be to hold back their laughter.
When the half-hour dining time was up, the waiter deftly took away the plates and cleared the table, and that sound appeared again.
"You'll have a half-hour break after lunch. Perhaps you can go back to your rooms. There, besides your personal belongings, you'll find an envelope. Inside is your first task. Please make sure to complete it before dinner. Best of luck."
Room 63 wasn't on the sixth floor, but on the third. Ren Yifei took the stairs directly. He had long legs, so he climbed two steps at a time and arrived in no time.
Walking down a corridor covered with a luxurious carpet and identifying room numbers under the bright wall lamps, Ren Yifei felt for a moment as if he had traveled back to the 20th century.
The corridor has a very retro style, with oil paintings of people hanging on both sides.
Although the painting technique used is very classical and involves multiple layers, the subjects in these oil paintings are all dressed in modern clothes. They are not all in suits and ties; you can even see homeless people wearing gray hats sitting under bridges.
Ren Yifei looked at each painting for a long time.
"These paintings didn't just hang here for no reason; they might become clues later," he told the live-streaming fly, and then opened door number sixty-three.
The small single room has a wardrobe and bathroom at the entrance, followed by a mini tea room and a small living room, and then a bed and bedside table.
Everything is very modern. If there's anything special about it, it's probably the decorating style, which uses a lot of marine elements, and there are even ship's wheel decorations in the rooms.
"It seems to be Mediterranean style." He introduced the room to the camera, then stood in front of the ship's wheel decoration and said in a deep baritone voice an extremely cringeworthy line, "Before us lies the sea of stars! ... Hahahaha, look, the view outside the window is nice."
Outside the window is a neatly manicured garden; beyond the pines and cypresses, the sea stretches out in the distance—a truly beautiful view. Even if you're not coming for a detective-themed activity, it's still a great place to come and enjoy the sea.
"The scenery is amazing, but the most important thing right now is the mission," Ren Yifei muttered to himself. He turned and walked to the made-up bed. On the bedside table was a small wicker basket containing a cell phone, a watch, and a letter. The letter probably contained clues.
"Rose Street, Jinpu Residential Complex, Building B, Apartment 606?" He showed the card to everyone. "It looks like an apartment number."
He glanced at his watch; it had only been about ten minutes since he finished eating.
"Since the organizers said it's a half-hour lunch break, then it's definitely a half-hour lunch break. Going down now won't do any good. I can either use this time to rest or take a shower. I feel like I smell of sweat, so I'll choose option two."
His explanation surprised the viewers watching the live stream, because he was absolutely right. The gates below the castle were already closed and wouldn't open until the appointed time. Some people who had rushed down were still squatting on the living room sofa, waiting for the gates to open.
"Strange, how did he know what we wanted to ask?"
Although it was a one-way street live stream, Ren Yifei's demeanor made it seem like they were having an interactive live stream, which gave people a pleasant feeling.
As mentioned before, this game not only tests a person's crime-solving ability, but also their entertainment value, which translates to popularity and attention in reality.Entertainment Center
Therefore, compared to amateurs who have no idea how to interact with the audience and are very ashamed, people in the entertainment industry have some advantages in this regard. They know how to arouse the audience's interest and what the audience wants to see.
Just as Ren Yifei had anticipated, the majority of those watching this event were still streaming the livestreams of celebrities. The ordinary people were good-looking and highly professional, but... they weren't interesting, a bit boring, and made people drowsy. Some even completely lacked interaction.
They know the participants over there can't interact with the audience here, but at least say something, right? Don't make it seem like they're watching a silent play they don't understand at all.
As for He Zhaoming, he is a controversial figure. There are indeed many people who dislike him, but surprisingly, there are also many viewers.
"I'm watching to see when he'll be eliminated."
"I think this guy is too foul-mouthed, I'm just waiting to see him get his comeuppance."
Viewers make excuses for themselves. They are reluctant to admit that they enjoy watching his live stream.
This real-time information was collected by the organizers and used as a basis for adjusting the plan.
"Should we put some pressure on him? This player is exceeding our expectations." Their entire team is studying the rankings. The rankings are created internally, taking into account factors such as attention, buzz, and audience favorability, and are monitored and adjusted in real time.
"Not yet. This person has a bad reputation. Judging from his past records, he doesn't have any special talents. His singing and dancing are just average. He only relies on his face. However, the audience has lost interest in this face, so he won't go far."
Most people think that this unplanned pawn should be ignored; it's just a minor piece.
"Hey, is he changing his look?" someone pointed at the screen.
Each contestant's room has a large wardrobe containing ten different outfits, all in their own size and sponsored by various fashion brands. The contestants choose their own clothes and accessories, which is a highlight of the live stream.
Without consultants, viewers are eager to know what these people's actual fashion sense is like.
Ren Yifei roughly knew what they wanted to see, but he didn't bother to choose carefully. He just grabbed two items and went into the bathroom. The original owner of this body was in good shape; probably because he danced for many years, his muscle proportions were much better than Ren Yifei's—eight-pack abs, eight-pack!
With such good looks, the more streamlined and simple the clothing, the better it will accentuate his good appearance.
"Bang!" The live-streaming fly was trapped outside, and the audience could only hear the sound of water being released inside.
Because He Zhaoming's appearance is really good, even though all that was said was the sound of water being released, he still managed to attract a group of viewers.
"I just saw him holding an old man's shirt. I'll take a screenshot and throw the ugly picture in the faces of those brainless fans."
"I just wanted to see how ugly he looked when he didn't try to dress up."
This group of viewers remains as stubborn as ever.
He turned on the water, applied shampoo and shower gel, turned on the water again, and that was it. Less than ten minutes later, Ren Yifei emerged, drying his hair. Viewers watching the live stream exclaimed in amazement: "What an incredibly fast shower for a straight man!"
Dark skinny jeans and a white heart-shaped T-shirt—this is the kind of outfit you see everywhere. But I don't know if it's because his legs are particularly long or because they're particularly straight, but he actually looks pretty good.
"It's almost time." He put on a military green trench coat, chose black Doc Martens, and the high boots covered his trouser legs, making his legs look particularly long and giving him a very energetic appearance.
Then he put on a watch, a mechanical watch, which had no other special functions besides telling time.
Besides watches and letters, another very useful thing is a mobile phone.
This phone cannot access the internet; its function is to contact specific groups of people and send and receive text messages, also known as private messages.
These specific groups include the town's police chief, a landlord, and representatives from various offices...
Judging solely from the phone's contacts, the entire island is like a detective movie, with these contacts acting as NPCs who can provide clues, and even including victims and murderers.
"I have a feeling that a case is waiting for me ahead." Ren Yifei interacted with the live-streaming fly as he walked up the stairs.
"It asked me to give an answer before dinner. There was a service menu in the hotel that said dinner time was from 5:30 to 6:30, so I had less than five hours."
"I wonder what kind of case can be solved in five hours."
He arrived downstairs quickly, and just as the door opened again, the contestants who had been blocking the entrance scattered like birds released from their cages.
"How do I get here?" Ren Yifei asked the doorman, pointing to the address on the card, and even asked, "Does the hotel offer a shuttle service?"
He just asked casually, shamelessly, but the doorman's expression immediately changed: "You're going here?"
Ren Yifei perked up and stopped leaving: "Is there a problem?"
"There have been many home invasion robberies in this neighborhood, including some involving rape. They are extremely heinous, but the perpetrators can't be found. People are afraid to go that way, especially young girls."
"It's alright, that's why I came here. To be honest, I'm probably the detective's... assistant."
Ren Yifei took a deep breath: "The main purpose of this trip is to gather enough information to speed up the resolution of this case and bring justice to the victims."
Ren Yifei spoke with such conviction that the doorman seemed to believe him, looking at him excitedly: "Really?"
"Mm." Ren Yifei nodded.
Then he got a ride. The hotel staff happened to be going to do some shopping in the area and could give him a ride.
"Thanks."
"You're welcome. That place is quite far; it would take you more than an hour to walk there. We'll give you a ride."
"We also hope to find the murderer as soon as possible. He hasn't been caught yet, so people haven't dared to come, and the hotel's business has been affected." After the doorman finished speaking, the delivery truck arrived.
Seeing Ren Yifei get into a small truck and drive away with two beeps, the eyes of the others who were preparing to walk turned red: "Why can he ride in a car?"
"He's a detective's assistant, here to help solve the case; his time is precious," the doorman said matter-of-factly.
Claiming to be a detective's assistant and still getting a ride?! Is this some kind of hidden trigger condition?
"But I'm also a detective's assistant."
"Me too, me too."
The contestants went all out for this ride, braving the sweltering heat and the long distance to reach their destination. By the time they arrived, it would be too late.
However, the doorman looked them over for a moment and then shook his head: "You won't make it."
"Why?"
"Just that one delivery truck."