As soon as the car stopped, the back door was opened, and a tall woman stepped down, holding a huge backpack, but her stance was relaxed.
The woman appeared to be twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with delicate features, short smart hair, bright eyes, wearing a jacket and military pants, with military boots on her feet—very efficient.
"Hello everyone." Andrea greeted them with a smile, "My na is Andrea, and I will be your guide for the next three days."
Valeria Young imdiately chid in, "Hello, guide. Hello, Andrea."
Clent Winter nodded, "Hello."
Nora Scott stood quietly aside, watching, without speaking.
Marcus Shaw and Oliver both remained silent.
Nelson, tasked by the show to welco newcors, stepped forward eagerly, "Hello, hello, I’ve heard a lot about you."
Valeria Young cooperatively asked, "Andrea, what’s your role?"
"Andrea is amazing, a very famous survival expert who’s recently participated in a survival show. Aweso stuff. I recall you eating a snake on the show, right? Was it real or fake?"
Andrea smiled, "It was real."
The three of them smoothly revealed Andrea’s role through their conversation.
In short, Andrea is a recent sensation in a wilderness survival reality show, a forr survival expert, attractive, with ample experience, gaining viewers’ admiration with her hard-edged survival skills and unyielding courage.
However, being on reality shows consecutively ans she’s probably moving towards the entertainnt industry, likely having signed with an agency already.
After brief introductions, Andrea got acquainted with the group and then smiled, pulling out a red note, "I heard there’s a budget of a hundred bucks, should we go shopping first?"
She seed pretty easy-going.
Amidst the bright sunlight, the group, in a mighty procession, set off.
Originally, the plan was for Nora Scott and Clent Winter to decide on the hundred dollars, but with Andrea’s appearance, this arrangent was selectively overlooked. Marcus Shaw and Oliver were unaware, but Valeria Young and Nelson tacitly agreed to let Andrea manage the hundred dollars.
After all—
This is an expert!
If Nora Scott and Clent Winter were to spend the money, it certainly wouldn’t be as wisely spent as Andrea would.
A hundred dollars, seven people. Buying formal als was out of the question; they could only buy so dry food, like chocolates, Snickers bars, and compressed biscuits, but there wasn’t much to buy.
These items were obviously not enough, so for their formal als, the production team would make separate arrangents.
Nora Scott, Clent Winter, Marcus Shaw, and Oliver didn’t have much enthusiasm, trailing along leisurely, occasionally listening to Andrea share wilderness survival knowledge, and with Nelson and Valeria Young playing along, it was simply a way to pass ti and watch the scene unfold.
Nora Scott had high expectations for her fellow survival companions—experience mattered, but so did character and conduct. In the wilderness, blind arrogance and conceit could cost lives. Yet after spending so ti with Andrea, Nora Scott faintly felt—this guide might not have been a good choice.
Probably had so hiking experience, but little survival experience; read so resource books, lacked field experience.
In short: all talk, no action.
Andrea seed approachable and easygoing, but in fact carried the pride of a professional, a bit conceited.
In ten minutes, Andrea spent the hundred bucks, and with Valeria Young’s skillful negotiation, they got a twenty-percent discount from the shopkeeper and two extra Snickers bars.
"The gear of both boys might be inadequate." After buying the stuff, Andrea looked over Marcus Shaw and Oliver, her expression a bit quirky, "I discussed with the production team, your hiking equipnt isn’t up to standard, so we need to repurchase. Let’s head to the city first."
Nora Scott raised an eyebrow.
She glanced at her own full desert hiking gear. —Was this not "up to standard"?
However, Marcus Shaw and Oliver weren’t prepared for hiking, and indeed their gear was insufficient, so they stayed silent, letting Andrea confidently ramble on.
Clent Winter was actually a bit annoyed. —The gear was prepared by Mrs. Winter, and he felt it was excellent, not a single thing missing, nothing unnecessary, so he didn’t quite agree with Andrea’s statent.
But, the decision had been made.
On the way to the city, Andrea gave each person directions and listed necessary items for them.
"You—"
Andrea was the last to approach Nora Scott.
Nora Scott imdiately said, "I don’t need anything."
Andrea was stunned for a mont, and then carefully studied Nora Scott.
She was slightly surprised.
All the outdoor gear was branded and chosen from the expensive ones, one piece of clothing costing more than Andrea’s whole outfit.
—Probably bought all at once with recomndations from brand store staff.
Andrea had no patience for such overconfident people without experience, her expression imdiately soured, her enthusiasm waning a bit, "Are you sure?"
"Yes."
Nora Scott lazily closed her eyes.
"Alright then."
Andrea said no more.
—Anyway, whether it ends in embarrassnt or a bad experience, it’s her own business.
*
The whole morning was spent rummaging, and by the ti the production crew drove to the starting point of the hiking trail, it was already one in the afternoon.
The sun was scorching.
As soon as Nora Scott got off the car, she tossed her backpack on the ground, and sat down carelessly, taking out a sunhat, sunglasses, headscarf, fanny pack, and trekking poles from her bag.
She moved quickly and efficiently, and in no ti, she had all her gear on, her stunningly beautiful face completely hidden by the headscarf, not a glimpse could be seen.
Andrea specifically ca over to see Nora Scott’s embarrassing look, but when she saw Nora’s complete gear, she was stunned, then smirked after a while and walked away.
—What good is having full equipnt? There will be a ti for her to cry.
"Everyone, check your equipnt to make sure nothing goes wrong."
Andrea said loudly.
Everyone did as instructed.
Nora Scott got up, carrying her backpack, dusted off the sand from her body, taking in the world through her sunglasses with thorough protection, leisurely.
—This hiking trail is just too easy.
—Not a challenge at all.
"Sis, let’s go!"
Oliver Scott waved to Nora Scott.
Nora held the trekking poles, strolling over as if taking a leisurely walk, trailing at the end of the group.
Valeria Young: "Andrea, what do we need to watch out for when hiking in the desert?"
Andrea: "Sun and sand protection are definitely the priorities. Also, drinking water is important. Rember to drink before you’re thirsty, just a small sip each ti, to optimize absorption..."
Valeria Young: "Andrea, have you hiked a trail like this before?"
Andrea: "I have, we did a seven days, six nights hike before, and it was during the peak of sumr..."
...
Before, it was only Valeria Young chattering nonstop, but now Andrea joined in, and the atmosphere of the whole trip was extrely lively (noisy).
Nora Scott wanted to ask Clent Winter for earplugs, but seeing the cara zooming in, she sighed and gave up.
At least at this point, the sun was scorching the earth, with ground temperatures exceeding forty degrees. Valeria Young, excited for a ti, got worn out by the sun and quieted down quickly. Andrea, with a dry mouth from talking, kept drinking, and by the ti she realized she drank too much, it was already too late.
—At this rate, the water sack she prepared for a day wouldn’t last.
They have backup water sacks for ergencies, but inexperienced guests could use them, not her type, a "seasoned" survival expert, who should strictly control water usage, can’t afford such a rookie mistake...
Andrea bowed her head in deep thought, considering arranging a "find water" segnt.
...
As ti passed, the harsh environnt greatly reduced their speed, and the guests started to feel tired. Even Andrea felt overwheld. The twenty-kiloter journey involved countless breaks, and by seven or eight in the evening, they still hadn’t reached their destination.
"Sis, are you tired?"
Oliver Scott was amazed to see Nora Scott’s pace, which hadn’t changed since the start.
When the sun was about to set, Nora Scott took off her sunglasses and headscarf, leaving only the sunhat. She turned to look at Oliver and calmly said, "Not tired."
"Your stamina is really..." Oliver marveled, then shook his head, "At this pace, we won’t reach the destination, so we may camp nearby."
"Hmm."
For Nora, who treated it like a casual stroll, it didn’t matter, she had no objections.
But after a while, Andrea gathered everyone and said, "It’s too late, we’ll camp nearby. We’ll set off early tomorrow. I’ll find a spot, then we’ll split into two groups, one to find water, see if we can find so cacti or sothing, and the other according to the program’s arrangents to find food."
Nora Scott furrowed her brows.
Having listened to them chatter the whole way, Nora Scott finally couldn’t help but speak: "There’s a river less than two kiloters away, why are we looking for water?"
Andrea: "..."
Guests Production Team: "..."
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