Chapter 303 Victory Is Within Our Grasp
Sophia was sixteen when she was first approached by a talent scout, but she did not accept the offer since she had never considered joining the entertainment industry.
When she had just gotten into a university, an agent even contacted her counselor to see if she would be willing to sign a contract. Even though Sophia was promised a fortune if she signed the document, she was not moved.
Had it not been for Katherine’s coaxing, Sophia would never have agreed to participate in the recording.
The game show was called Going Forward and had to be recorded mostly outdoors because it consisted of games that required both brains and brawn.
A total of five teams joined the first phase of Going Forward, and they all consisted of both celebrities and non-celebrities. Among the participants were Amos Collins, the star who won the Best Supporting Actor award, and his non-celebrity friend, Phil Jonas. Others who joined included the trending Sharon Xerxes and her best friend, Luna Zipori, and the up-and-coming singer Lily Jameson and her brother, Gideon Jameson. Last but not least were the previous year’s actor sensation, Esteban Wolfhard, and his friend, Floyd Clooney.
After the makeup session, the host gathered everyone outside and introduced all the participants. Then, he gave everybody a few minutes to get to know each other.
Since Sophia had an exceptional appearance, not many in the entertainment industry could claim to be prettier than she was.
Many could not help but wonder if Katherine wanted to make a celebrity out of Sophia when they saw the outstanding woman.
Even though it was not said, they were all well aware that only those who met certain conditions would be allowed to be part of the show.
The host began to explain the games after the brief introduction.
To put it simply, the participants would be awarded points according to the missions they accomplished in each phase, and starting from phase three, the teams with the lowest score would be eliminated.
The scripts they got from the production team were no help at all since the papers only showed the name of the mission of every phase. The one for phase one was called Blindfolded.
In order to preserve the authenticity of the show, none of the production crew members gave the participants any hints during the recording. The participants had no one but themselves to depend on.
Despite being a guest in the first phase since she financed the game show, Katherine was not given any special treatment.
Intelligence was not something that Katherine would usually say she lacked. However, her mind went blank when she read the poem before her. “Green is the color of my soul. Pine is the extension of my soul. Mountain is the manifestation of my soul. You just have to learn to appreciate the tree.”
Katherine was not the only one dumbfounded, though, for the others reacted the same way after receiving their clue cards.
“Oh, my goodness! What the heck does the clue mean? Is this some kind of riddle?” exclaimed Sharon with her face covered.
Katherine could not help but feel the same way as Sharon, but she decided to suppress her emotions since her image required her to be indifferent.
When Amos heard Sharon, he chuckled. “Maybe you’re right.”
Sophia did not join the discussion. Instead, she calmly glanced at Katherine before breaking into a smirk. “I got it. Come on.”
Everyone was stunned when they heard what Sophia said, including Sharon’s influencer friend, Luna, who was quite impressed by Sophia’s appearance when she first saw the woman.
“She couldn’t have figured it out in such a short time, could she?” inquired Luna in disbelief since it had only been a few minutes.
She wanted to accuse Sophia of bluffing but changed her mind since the cameramen had already begun shooting.
“Sophia aced her university entrance exams; her intelligence is far beyond average Janes like us!” scoffed Katherine, who was not about to let others question her friend’s capability.
Katherine did not mean to belittle the others. Having been in the entertainment industry for a while, she knew what to say and what not to say during a shoot.
That was why even though she put Sophia on a pedestal, she grouped herself with the others as an average Jane.
“Sophia’s pretty impressive, but Sharon’s not bad either. She was the top of her class!” Luna plastered on a smile despite feeling displeased with her competitors.
In response, Sharon pretended to be shy. “Come on. That was a long time ago!”
At that point, even a fool could tell that the atmosphere was getting tense.
Just when Katherine was about to retort, Sophia gave her friend a look. “Are you coming or what?”
Katherine then immediately stopped. “I’ll do whatever you say, Soph!”
After Sophia and Katherine turned around to walk away, Esteban, Amos, and their teams secretly followed the two. Even though Esteban and the others could not figure out where to go, they were smart enough to know who could.
It did not take long for Sharon and Luna, the only ones left in the gathering spot, to realize that they should follow suit.
Sophia had just left the garden and was about to hail a ride on her phone when she saw a worker hurrying over to stop her. With an eyebrow raised, she suddenly noticed several taxis parked across from her.
Sophia immediately understood the situation, so she smiled before voicing, “Come on. Let’s grab a taxi.”
“Okay!”
Having known Sophia for more than twenty years, Katherine had complete faith in Sophia even though she did not know what her friend had in mind.
“Oh, my goodness! Whot the heck does the clue meon? Is this some kind of riddle?” excloimed Shoron with her foce covered.
Kotherine could not help but feel the some woy os Shoron, but she decided to suppress her emotions since her imoge required her to be indifferent.
When Amos heord Shoron, he chuckled. “Moybe you’re right.”
Sophio did not join the discussion. Insteod, she colmly glonced ot Kotherine before breoking into o smirk. “I got it. Come on.”
Everyone wos stunned when they heord whot Sophio soid, including Shoron’s influencer friend, Luno, who wos quite impressed by Sophio’s oppeoronce when she first sow the womon.
“She couldn’t hove figured it out in such o short time, could she?” inquired Luno in disbelief since it hod only been o few minutes.
She wonted to occuse Sophio of bluffing but chonged her mind since the comeromen hod olreody begun shooting.
“Sophio oced her university entronce exoms; her intelligence is for beyond overoge Jones like us!” scoffed Kotherine, who wos not obout to let others question her friend’s copobility.
Kotherine did not meon to belittle the others. Hoving been in the entertoinment industry for o while, she knew whot to soy ond whot not to soy during o shoot.
Thot wos why even though she put Sophio on o pedestol, she grouped herself with the others os on overoge Jone.
“Sophio’s pretty impressive, but Shoron’s not bod either. She wos the top of her closs!” Luno plostered on o smile despite feeling displeosed with her competitors.
In response, Shoron pretended to be shy. “Come on. Thot wos o long time ogo!”
At thot point, even o fool could tell thot the otmosphere wos getting tense.
Just when Kotherine wos obout to retort, Sophio gove her friend o look. “Are you coming or whot?”
Kotherine then immediotely stopped. “I’ll do whotever you soy, Soph!”
After Sophio ond Kotherine turned oround to wolk owoy, Estebon, Amos, ond their teoms secretly followed the two. Even though Estebon ond the others could not figure out where to go, they were smort enough to know who could.
Sophio immediotely understood the situotion, so she smiled before voicing, “Come on. Let’s grob o toxi.”
“Okoy!”
Hoving known Sophio for more thon twenty yeors, Kotherine hod complete foith in Sophio even though she did not know whot her friend hod in mind.
The two then quickly got into one of the taxis. When Sophia lifted her head and saw the camera in front, she realized the vehicle was prepared by the production team.
Smirking, Sophia addressed the taxi driver. “Take us to Green Pine Mountain.”
“Sure! Fasten your seat belts and sit tight, ladies,” chirped the driver after turning off the vacant taxi sign.
As the vehicle began to drive away, Sophia glanced at the rear view mirror and snorted when she saw the other taxis move too. The other participants probably decided to follow me because they couldn’t figure out what the clue meant.
“Soph, you have to tell me. How did you know we were supposed to go to Green Pine Mountain?” inquired Katherine curiously when she was finally alone with Sophia.
After glancing at her friend, Sophia took the card and pointed at the words on it. “The clue is ‘Green is the color of my soul. Pine is the extension of my soul. Mountain is the manifestation of my soul. You just have to learn to appreciate the tree.’ Put the first words of the first three sentences together, and you’ll have ‘Green Pine Mountain.’ We just so happen to have a place in Jadeborough with that name.”
“You have to stick with me until the very end, Soph!” uttered Katherine, impressed by the revelation.
Even though Katherine financed the game show, she did not want any special privileges because she despised secret dealings in show business. After all, she invested in the show.
“Don’t worry,” reassured Sophia with a smile, which was enough to convince Katherine that victory was within their grasp.
After celebrating for a while, Katherine realized there was something she still did not understand. “What does the last sentence mean?”
“I’ll tell you later,” replied Sophia, looking at Katherine with a half smile.
More than forty minutes later, the two were the first team to arrive at the foot of Green Pine Mountain, where a worker handed them another envelope and told them to pick one of the three routes up the mountain.
Katherine chose the cableway, the easiest route up the mountain, without a second thought. However, Sophia immediately shot down the idea and suggested climbing the mountain on foot, ignoring even the route with the car.
“It’s probably going to take more than two hours to reach the top that way. My feet will kill me, Soph!” complained Katherine, who completely forgot about her image as a celebrity when she tried to change Sophia’s mind.
“Do you want to win or not?” questioned Sophia.
Immediately after hearing that, Katherine released Sophia’s arm. “Let’s go! It’s been a while since I last enjoyed a good hike. This is a brilliant idea!”
Sophia then smiled as she stepped onto the trail with the envelope in hand.
