They saw Leon’s team heading towards the entrance of the village to ask the first household if they needed help. Simone’s team asked a villager and found the village committee. The village head was aware of the production team’s plan to shoot a variety show in the village, and they had agreed to it. They had already informed the villagers about it before the team’s arrival. The village head was surprised that these celebrities had come to him.
He stood up, smiling, and greeted the celebrities warmly. He asked, “So, what brings you here?”
Simone replied, “We would like to learn more about the village and see if anyone needs our help. In return, we only ask for food.” She added, “And please let it be tasks that we can handle.”
Oh, they came for information first. Smart move. “This village is somewhat remote due to its location and transportation issues. We have around a hundred households here. Most of the able-bodied men and women have gone to work elsewhere, so it’s mostly children and the elderly here,” the village head explained.
After a moment of contemplation, he continued, “There are a few households that might need your help more. Deuce’s family is currently harvesting their fruits, and they could use more assistance. Then there’s Fivo’s family…”
Simone borrowed a pen from the village head and wrote down everything he said. She asked him about the locations where the villagers lived and drew a simple map based on the village head’s description.
After finishing their conversation, the village head bid them farewell. Simone pointed at the broken tractor in the courtyard and asked, “Is that tractor out of order?”
The village head nodded. “Yes, it broke down suddenly two weeks ago. We tried to find someone to fix it, but nothing happened.” Due to budget constraints, they were still debating whether to purchase a new one.
Curious, Zac inquired, “Can a tractor even navigate through the village’s roads?” But the director said it’s difficult for a motorbike to enter.
The village head smiled. “You came through a smaller path. We have a wider and less steep road that leads to the town. A tractor can pass through that road.”
The team finally realized that the director had deceived them. Simone refocused her attention on the tractor. “It must be inconvenient that the tractor is broken, isn’t it?”
The village head sighed. “Yes, it is. We were planning to get some fertilizer from the town, but since the tractor broke down, that plan had to be put on hold.”
Simone smiled and proposed, “If we can repair that item for you, would it be possible for us to receive some food in return?” She was determined not to miss this opportunity to have dinner.
The village head was taken aback. “Are you all capable of repairing tractors?”
Simone’s team members were momentarily stunned, then they turned to look at Simone. “You can repair tractors?” We can’t. The fact that she’s asking implies that she can?
Simone affirmed, “I can.” Having gained extensive knowledge about machines from her travels through different worlds, she had acquired considerable expertise. Fixing a tractor was a straightforward task for her.
Everyone was astonished by her ability to repair a tractor.
The village head had his doubts, but he smiled at Simone anyway. “I see. We’re counting on you then, Miss Gray.” The tractor was already broken. He didn’t mind letting the celebrity play with it. If she could fix it, they wouldn’t have to get a new one, and the money could be used for something else.
Since she had received permission, Simone checked the tractor and quickly found the issue. There were some tools in the committee’s office, so she took them and started fixing the tractor. The live stream’s viewers watched curiously.
‘Can she really fix tractors?’
‘There’s no way. This must be some clickbait.’
‘The village head just said they hired someone to fix it, but they failed. There’s no way she can fix this.’
‘She’s going to end up failing hours later, but she still volunteered herself. All to set up an onscreen persona.’
‘Hey, you have a point.’
‘This is a waste of everyone’s time.’
‘What a fake.’
Jodie’s, Aaron’s, and Leon’s fans quickly left hate comments for Simone. They claimed to be detectives and said Simone would show her true colors eventually. Simone’s fans never heard her claim she knew how to fix tractors, but they defended her.
The other viewers were swayed by the hate comments and thought Simone had no idea how to fix tractors. According to them, this was just a show.
Twenty minutes later, Simone put the tools back. She told the village head, “Done.”
The village head was surprised. “Done?”
Simone said, “See for yourself.”
The village head nodded. He took the keys and revved the tractor up. The engine started to roar a little. Surprised, he said, “Oh, it’s fixed.” He drove the tractor around. “You’re awesome, Miss Gray. The guy I hired couldn’t even fix it, and he spent hours on it, but you did it in less than thirty minutes.”
Simone’s team members were surprised by her success. Wow. She knows how to fix tractors.
Curious, Keira asked, “How did you learn how to fix a tractor?”
Simone smiled. “I took an elective in machinery back in university.”
Keira stared into Simone’s eyes. She did not expect Simone to have taken up that kind of elective. Curious, she asked, “So what did you major in? Something related?”
Simone didn’t lie. She said, “I majored in geomancy.” That was no secret. Anyone could find out about that if they wanted to. Geomancy was popular in this world. Many higher education institutions offered that kind of course. She learned geomancy from her mentor since she was a child, and she applied for the course because she liked it. Everyone was surprised that Simone majored in geomancy.
Keira smiled. “So, you know physiognomy and geomancy, then?” Many in the entertainment industry believed in geomancy. Her manager loved asking geomancers to predict the future.
Simone smiled. “Of course.”
Keira asked, “Can you read my fortune, then?”
“Sure. When we have a break,” said Simone.
Keira wasn’t going to ask Simone to do it right away. It wouldn’t be right to do it in a live stream. The viewers, on the other hand, were shocked that Simone fixed the tractor, majored in geomancy, and took machinery as an elective.
‘Wow, she actually fixed it. It wasn’t a show. I almost believed you guys.’
‘Hey, fans of the other guys, feel embarrassed yet? I feel embarrassed for your ignorance.’
‘Ooh, she’s awesome. I took up a course in machinery too. She’s a pro.’
‘Hey, she came up with a good plan and fixed a tractor. She’s not just a pretty face like the internet claims her to be.’
‘I don’t think so either. She could’ve made a ton of money just showing her face around, but she went for something that requires skills.’
‘That’s right. Simone fixed that tractor and got her team dinner.’
‘Simone’s awesome. She knows so much.’
Because of Simone’s actions, she gained some affection from the viewers.
Aside from the crasser fans of Jodie, Aaron, and Leon, the others shut up after they were proven wrong. Only a small part kept spewing trash talk.
The village head was a lot more welcoming toward the celebrities after the tractor was fixed. “You fixed the tractor. Come have lunch at my place.” He promised he’d give Simone food if she could fix the tractor. The director did tell him that the guests of this show had to work because they had to earn their meals themselves.
Simone talked to her teammates and smiled at the village head. “Pardon the intrusion, then. Oh, but can you make a bit more food? We have a task, and…” She told him about the task of exchanging food for bed supplies.
The village head waved her down, smiling. “Sure thing. We’d have to spend a lot more than food money just to fix the tractor anyway, and we thought no one could fix that thing, so we might have had to buy a new one. That would’ve cost a lot more. You helped a ton. A meal is nothing.”
They’d have to provide food for the mechanic from town if work took too long. The reward Simone asked for in exchange was dirt cheap compared to that. He’d also made up his mind to give Simone and her team preferential treatment during the show’s shooting.
After they were promised dinner, Simone and her team left the committee’s office. They came out, and Zac smiled at Eric. “I’m a genius for making this team. We just hit the jackpot.”
Eric smiled. “We did. We finished our task and got ourselves dinner. If we’d gone the other route, I’d never have come up with a good enough dish to get our bed supplies. I’m a lousy cook.”
He had chefs back at home, so he had never done any cooking before.
Zac smiled. “I’m a bad cook too.”
Keira raised her hand. “Same.” Her parents would cook for her back at home. If she was living alone, she’d eat out or order delivery. She then added, “But I can at least make something simple like eggs or instant ramen.” She turned to Simone. “Can you cook, Simone?”
Simone smiled. “Yes. I’ve learned how to cook.” She and her mentor would take turns cooking, and she had cooked a lot back in Gray Residence. Then, she traveled to a ton of worlds and learned their recipes.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.