The sun blazed overhead as Cao Shengming sat on the roadside in Linhai City, facing the photographer. The two locked eyes in silence for a long time.
Finally, the photographer, who had been starving all day, couldn't take it anymore. He hesitated before speaking:
"Brother, I know you don't like being told what to do, but… we haven't eaten all day. Maybe we should find a job first?"
"The other contestants have probably started making money already, but we're still sitting here, starving..."
Cao Shengming shook his head. "That's a bad mindset."
Having experienced a life of strict control in the past, he was now a firm believer in letting fate take its course. With a serious face, he said, "Our ancestors taught us: 'The car will find its way when it reaches the mountain, and the boat will naturally straighten at the bridge.'
"The reason we're still hungry is simple—we haven't starved to death yet. I'm sure something will happen before that point."
The photographer nearly cried. "Brother… is that really what the ancestors meant? Even if the boat straightens at the bridge, we can't just sit here waiting for money to drop from the sky—"
Before he could finish—
—SMACK!
A stack of cash landed right at their feet, cutting off their argument.
Photographer: "!!!"
Cao Shengming: "!!!"
Cao Shengming quickly scooped up the money. "Quick, quick! Start bowing to the heavens!"
[Popularity]+1+1+1+1+1...
Meanwhile, in the live broadcast room of Perfect Man, over 20,000 viewers were left speechless.
—["WTF, money actually fell from the sky?!"]—["666~~ His words have power! Say it, and it happens! "]—["Uh… I think someone probably dropped that money. Are they really not going to return it?"]—["(laughing) Finders keepers, right?"]—["Nah, they'll definitely return it! ...Wait, WTF?! Why is he stuffing it into his pocket?!"]
The photographer stared at Cao Shengming in disbelief as he tucked the money away. "Brother… I think someone lost that."
Cao Shengming blinked. "Oh? Really?"
"Definitely!"
"If you hadn't said anything, I would've thought it was abandoned money."
Photographer: "???"
Cao Shengming took out the stack and counted—ten bills, totaling 1,000 yuan. "Whoever lost this must be panicking."
"Should we look for them?"
Then, he hesitated. "Or… do you think this money was meant to be lost?"
The photographer groaned. "Brother… I literally just said that!"
"Oh, right. Then let me think about it."
With a deep breath, Cao Shengming scanned the area before calling out in low voice and half-heartedly and in low voice "Anyone lost money? If you lost money, speak up… One hundred, two hundred… No one? Okay, I'll keep it."
He stood up. "Guess no one lost money. Let's eat!"
Photographer: "!!!"
"Brother, you called out so softly! Even I could barely hear you, and I'm sitting right next to you!"
"We're starving, aren't we?" Cao Shengming waved a hand dismissively. "I don't have the strength to shout. Let's eat first—once I'm full, I'll have the energy to call out properly."
The photographer was speechless. "By the time we come back, the owner will be long gone!"
Cao Shengming gasped in shock. "What?! Even better! Let's go, let's go—there's a small restaurant two miles away in Eighth Alley. Hardly anyone knows about it!"
Photographer: "..."
[Popularity]+1+1+1+1+1...
—["(crying) He technically looked for the owner, but he definitely wasn't serious about it."]—["I'd bet my life savings that he's not giving that money back."]—["LMAO, you sure? Bet your life savings? "]—["I swear on my third-floor neighbor's head—he's not returning it!"]
1,000 yuan.
For a contestant on Perfect Man, that was a lot of fortune already.
The show had stripped all participants of their belongings at the start, leaving them with nothing but a set of clothes and a tablet to check their rankings.
They were, quite literally, penniless.
At the restaurant, Cao Shengming casually handed the menu to the photographer. "Order whatever you want."
The photographer, stomach growling, eyed the delicious-looking rice bowls—twice-cooked pork, spicy chicken—but hesitated. "Since this money isn't ours, we should spend carefully... I'll just get shredded potatoes with rice. Cheap and filling."
"By the way, are you sure it's okay to use this money?"
Cao Shengming thought for a second. "It's fine. We'll just spend a little."
The photographer nodded. "Alright, what do you want? I'll order for you."
"I'm not picky. I'll eat whatever you get."
Then, without hesitation, Cao Shengming turned to the owner. "Boss! One plate of shrimp tails, two chicken legs, three bowls of rice, and four cans of Coke!"
Photographer: "PFFT—!!!"
Live Chat: "PFFT—!!!"