Their image of Gu Zhaoping had completely collapsed.
Martial arts, business games, breaking off the engagement—what else could she possibly do?
Li Xunxi suddenly shivered, realizing something.
She looked up at Li Xunwen.
“You’re still going through with that bet?”
It was the first time the naturally arrogant Li Xunxi had ever felt a hint of retreat in her mind.
“I…”
To be honest, Li Xunwen also wanted to back out.
But then he suddenly remembered the contract he had signed with Gu Zhaoping—and his face turned green.
Even if he didn’t want to bet anymore, it was too late!
Gu Zhaoping had already set the breach-of-contract penalties.
Now the two of them looked like total clowns!
“…Forget it, let’s just bet.”
Li Xunxi gritted her teeth and sighed.
“Anyway, she’s broken off the engagement with Yifeng. After this, we’ll have nothing more to do with her. This will be the last time we get involved with her.”
“Besides, whether it’s skiing or chess, there’s no way we’ll lose.”
“Let’s hope so…let’s hope so.”
They should’ve felt confident—but Li Xunwen still trembled slightly.
Compared to their farcical drama, domestic audiences were completely unaware of what had happened and were eagerly awaiting episode 2 of Seasons of the Elite.
Everyone was itching with anticipation, dying to know—why did the Gu siblings, Gu Zhaoping and Gu Zhaoye, get into a fight?
Would the show explain it?
In the first episode, audiences were most looking forward to Gu Zhaoye’s appearance—but now, no one was waiting for him.
They were just excited to see how he got beaten up!
[So Gu Zhaoping actually holds such a high position in the Gu family? She can even beat up the heir?]
[I’m starting to wonder now…Could it be that everything she said about herself was actually true? Maybe we thought she was bragging, but she was just telling the truth?]
[I’ll hold judgment. Sure, she can fight, and she stood up for Liang Zhiwei—but that only proves she’s strong and has a good relationship with Liang. Doesn’t mean anything else.]
[But if she’s got brains, looks, and strength, and is so disciplined on top of that…That kind of character only exists in fiction!]
[Exactly. If she was that capable, wouldn’t she already be the Gu family’s heir? Why would she need to join this variety show?]
[Why not? Can’t someone actually be that capable?]
[………Whatever. Let’s just watch the show first!]
Amid all the hype, episode two finally aired.
So the second episode’s theme is…a business game?
Huh, now that’s interesting.
Normally, audiences wouldn’t care much about variety shows where guests play entrepreneurs.
But this show was different—its cast was full of hot topics!
The Li siblings, who were already famous, had both received professional training.
Though their character had recently come under fire, they were still bona fide children of the elite.
And now there was Gu Zhaoping, who had been the center of all the recent buzz!
Not to mention, according to earlier leaks, Gu Zhaoye might also appear.
Would this Gu family CEO really take part in their business game?
How intriguing—a real CEO playing a business simulation on a variety show?
That’s like using a cannon to shoot a mosquito.
Only this show could pull off something so crazy.
The show had begun.
The first segment was wagering, and the director announced the rules:
“Each team can bet on another team to either win or lose. But the stakes will all go to the winning team—deal with the consequences yourselves.”
【This is intense.】
【Nice, the tension is already sky-high.】
【Li Xunxi’s team and Gu Zhaoping’s team are definitely going to be at each other’s throats. I wonder who they’ll bet on—any spoilers?】
【Top-secret intel here: someone I trust at the scene said Gu Zhaoye might join Li Xunxi’s team in the end. I’m guessing they’re the final winners—doesn’t seem that surprising.】
【Suddenly I think maybe the conflict between the Gu siblings wasn’t just about Liang Zhiwei. What if it was because Gu Zhaoping realized Gu Zhaoye bet on their win, and that’s why she got so mad?】
【That guess actually makes a lot of sense.】
Netizens were enthusiastically throwing out their own theories.
Some thought this, some thought that—
But none of them saw the next scene coming.
Li Xunxi’s team directly bet on their own win and Gu Zhaoping’s team to lose.
【Whoa?? Are they just tearing off the mask now? Not even pretending anymore?】
【I thought there was just some sibling rivalry between the two teams, but this level of hostility? Not even bothering to act nice?】
Then they asked Gu Zhaoping’s team if they wanted to bet too.
Without hesitation, Gu Zhaoping put in 10,000, betting on her own team to win.
She even taunted,
“Li Xunxi, don’t tell me your stake is less than mine?”
【OMG, they’re treating each other like mortal enemies now?】
【What did I miss?? When did things get this cutthroat?】
【Li Xunxi really can’t take a hit, huh? Gu Zhaoping throws shade and she actually bets a huge amount in response. I’m worried they won’t have enough left for the actual competition!】
【Is she really a rich heiress with a business education? Because this isn’t business strategy—this is pure emotional gambling!】
【Honestly, Gu Zhaoping isn’t exactly calm either. She could’ve skipped the betting and invested the funds in their restaurant instead.】
These two heiresses didn’t even blink as they threw large sums into the wager, making many viewers feel the sting of heartache on their behalf.
To them, money didn’t seem like money at all—especially since it was just virtual currency.
It looked like a game.
【Didn’t Gu Zhaoping graduate from Stanford with a double major in business and law? She doesn’t seem to be using her head at all—just throwing money into a grudge match. What about the actual business?】
【If she loses in the end, it’ll be a real joke.】
【Kinda disappointed…feels like they were way overhyped.】
But that feeling didn’t last long.
The director announced the start of the bidding round for essential supplies.
That’s when Gu Zhaoping coolly said: “Our team is skipping the kitchenware purchase—we already bought them last time.”
【(???)】
【Wait, what?? They already bought kitchenware before the show started? How is that even allowed?】
【Isn’t that cheating? Did the crew seriously approve this?】
【The rules are like this. They were all given funds beforehand, and what to buy was up to them. But it seems the other two teams just bought stuff they liked—no one remembered to get essential items.】
【So basically Gu Zhaoping’s team saved 10–20k in base capital? No wonder she dared to make that big bet earlier—she knew.】
【In that case…isn’t Li Xunxi the only one who actually made a dumb move?】
If their shock so far was just mild—
The next bidding scene completely blew the audience’s minds.
Gu Zhaoping’s team didn’t bid even once at the start.
They just sat there, calm and composed, while the other two teams fought over ingredients.
Like monks in deep meditation, unmoving.
Viewers were getting anxious.
【Come on! They’ve still got decent funds left. Why aren’t they grabbing these key ingredients? Don’t they know how important they are for running a restaurant?】
【I heard their restaurant ends up doing pretty well—so maybe they bid for stuff later?】
Speculation filled the comment section.
But even near the end of the round, they still hadn’t moved.
People were yelling in the live chat.
Then—finally—
Gu Zhaoping raised her card for the first time.
To compete with Li Xunxi’s team over…truffles.
【Yes!! Finally these ladies are showing some fight!】
【I wonder if she waited because she used too much in the bet earlier—maybe she’s just letting the others drain their budgets first. Smart or stupid, I really can’t tell.】
【Sure, she waited until no one else could compete, but what good stuff is even left? If she hadn’t bet so hard early on, maybe she could’ve secured better ingredients. It’s kind of a shame.】
【They must really want that truffle. Li Xunxi’s team probably won’t get it.】
…Only to be proven wrong in seconds.
Gu Zhaoping immediately gave up the bid for the truffle.
【?? Huh?? Gave up again? Are they even trying to run a restaurant at this point??】
【Only a few items left—what can they even get now? Their early decisions were bad, and now they’re moving so slowly it’s frustrating. Can’t they just be decisive for once?】
Seeing Li Xunxi’s team win nearly everything they wanted, some viewers finally relaxed.
The comments section exploded.
【I thought Li Xunxi’s team had the least money and wouldn’t win anything, but who would’ve guessed Gu Zhaoping’s team wouldn’t even try? They didn’t challenge them once! What a waste of an advantage—are they trying to finish last or what?】
【If Li Xunxi’s team bet so much and still wins, that’ll be hilarious. I wonder if Gu Zhaoping’s team will even have funds left to pay up.】
【People say these two heiresses are trained in business and act decisively, even under tough conditions. I guess that’s what a privileged upbringing gets you—better education than most.】
【Their arrogance might be off-putting, but maybe it comes from genuinely knowing more than the average person.】
【Okay, but where’s Gu Zhaoping’s “business acumen” now??】
Within minutes, someone had already started a wave of praise for the Li siblings’ boldness and decisiveness.
Soon, only a few ingredients remained.
That’s when Gu Zhaoping finally raised her card again.
“Our team bids 5,000—for oil.”
As soon as she spoke—
The whole room fell silent.
…Everyone froze.
The cameraman immediately zoomed in on Li Xunxi’s team’s remaining funds.
After a sudden, stunned silence, the entire place instantly exploded into chaos!
Their team only had 4,500 left!!
Even if they pooled all their remaining money together, they still couldn’t afford that oil!
If you want to open a restaurant, isn’t oil supposed to be the most essential thing?!
Wait, what’s going on?
How did this suddenly flip?
So Gu Zhaoping’s team stayed still for so long just to bid on this oil at the last moment and catch everyone off guard??
No way—could it be that Gu Zhaoping had planned this from the very beginning??
But that can’t be right!
Even if they got the oil, they don’t have any other ingredients!
Are they planning to serve oil to their customers??
Customers aren’t going to their restaurant just to drink oil!
All the ingredients are with the other teams!
She’s holding something over them, but the other teams are holding something over her too!
And yet, at that moment, someone suddenly realized—could it be…
Could it be…
Was this Gu Zhaoping’s plan all along??
Sure enough, in the next second, Gu Zhaoping spoke up calmly:
“If any team wants to trade ingredients for our oil, you have one minute.”
She even had a full list prepared of all the ingredients they were missing.
The heavy jar of oil was already carried over to their table by Chu Yanze, who looked provocatively at the other teams, clearly waiting for them to pay the price.
What the heck??
What kind of move is this??
Using the emperor to command the feudal lords??
So Gu Zhaoping had planned all this from the start—to monopolize without spending much money, and then force the others to trade resources??
Holy crap, this is like pulling the rug out from under them!
By now, both of the other teams barely had any money left, so not one of them thought to bid against her for the oil?
Her team, at this moment, still had nearly full funds, completely untouched!
【Wait a minute, that’s not right. She can use the oil to threaten the other two teams, but can’t they also use their ingredients to threaten her?】
【Both sides are holding something the other needs! If Gu Zhaoping doesn’t agree to a trade, then all she’s got is oil—she can’t do anything with just that!】
【No, you’re missing the point. The key is that there are two other teams!】
One of the viewers had caught on and suddenly chimed in:【The two other teams are also competing with each other! If they can’t reach an agreement, each of them will be afraid the other will stab them in the back, trading first to get the oil and open their restaurant before the other can.】
【The one who trades later might face higher prices, or worse—by then, Gu Zhaoping’s team might already have all the ingredients they need and refuse to trade! Neither team knows what the other is thinking, so they can only race to act first!】
【And what’s more!】
【Gu Zhaoping offered the trade opportunity right when everyone was still in shock, giving them just one minute. No one had time to think or discuss!】
【She left no fallback plan—her words carried a strong sense of direction, making others instinctively follow her lead!】
Gu Zhaoping was decisive.
The other two teams were disunited.
So she took control of the whole situation.
A viewer quickly finished their analysis—and was stunned by their own conclusion.
What the hell?
Was this really all part of Gu Zhaoping’s plan from the beginning?
Sure enough, Team 3 panicked and immediately offered their ingredients in exchange!
Not long after, Li Xunxi’s team also grew anxious.
Even Ruan Nian couldn’t hold back anymore—she grabbed their ingredients and ran over!
Just like that, Gu Zhaoping, without spending a single extra coin, not only got the ingredients she needed, but also forced the other two teams to humbly make trades with her?
Is this Gu Zhaoping’s true ability?
Who was it just now who said she doesn’t use her brain?
Who said she’s impulsive and hot-tempered?
Who said it would’ve been better if she didn’t place that bid??
Hurts, doesn’t it?
I’m just asking—does your face hurt now??