<b>Chapter </b><b>452 </b>


    When they arrived, it was still early. The crew was busy fine–tuning the camera equipment<b>, </b>and the other three groups of guests were gradually showing up.


    Before stepping out of the car, Mirabe meticulously secured her face mask. Today, her hair was colled into a neat bun, and she wore a ck hoodie paired with denim jeans – a casual look yet tinged with a cool vibe. She was a natural fashionista and easily pulled off any style.


    “Collins, what’s the theme today?” Mirabe casually asked Collins. Even though the production crew didn’t provide a script, they must have shared some intel with the guests beforehand, especially considering all the hints Collins had dropped on the drive over.


    Collins shot Mirabe a silent nce. She had never asked about the theme before; how did she guess he had received advance notice from the production? Her perceptiveness was downright scary.


    ‘Today’s theme revolves around money,” Collins divulged reluctantly, knowing too well that as this was a live broadcast, guests knowing too much beforehand could lead to slip–ups.


    “Alright,” replied Mirabe nonchntly, adjusting her mask without further inquiry.


    Meanwhile, Leo, who’d been thumbing through Twitter on his phone, looked up, his handsome features a picture of confusion. “What are you guys talking about?<b>” </b>


    Collins nced at Leo, his eyes brimming with disdain. “Zip it, Leo. You’re not exactly the poster child for ambition.”


    The live stream kicked off promptly at ten.


    The chat was flooded with greetings, and Leo, now with headphones on, greeted the viewers with a smile. On the other hand, Mirabe merely poked her head into the frame for a quick hello before retreating to the background, ying the perfect secondary character.


    Soon enough, the host emerged, spouting a slew of ad pitches before delving into the day’s theme. “Today’s task is an easy one.”


    “Every time you say it’s easy, it turns out to be anything but,” retorted Hans, the guest who loved to banter with the host.


    The host shot Hans a sideways re. “Keep it up, and I’ll make sure you get the short end of the stick.”


    Hans, undeterred, addressed the audience directly, “Folks, if I fail today’s task, it’s all because our host’s pulling strings behind the


    scenes.”


    The chat erupted withughter, instantly lightening the mood.


    Taking a deep breath, the host ignored Hans‘ jab and snapped his fingers. A crew member approached, holding several envelopes. “This is your budget for grocery shopping. Shortly, a production vehicle will take you to the local farmers‘ market. Whatever you buy with this money is what you’ll have to whip up for lunch.”


    With that, the crew members distributed the envelopes to each group.


    1 P F 3 3 9 8 2 2 3 3/9


    Leo, feeling the thickness of the envelope, expressed his surprise. “Feels pretty stuffed.” He opened it, and his expression froze upon seeing the contents.


    Noticing his puzzled look, Mirabe inquired, “How much is in there?”


    Before Leo could answer, a gasp came from Hans‘ group. “The production team sure knows how to y. This thickness made me think we had a decent sum, and it’s just twenty bucks?”


    <b>Twenty </b>single dor bills sure made for a thick stack. Mirabe’s lips twitched in amusement.


    Leo pulled out the cash, counted it, and turned to his sister,pletely baffled, “What can we buy with twenty bucks<b>?</b><b>” </b>