Nanaimo Inn: The Wolf Sheep Dating Game

Chapter 2：The Wolf&Sheep Dating Game

The car travels along quiet, empty nighttime roads.

By the time we reach the inn, night has fully settled in.

Stars speckled the night sky. I’d never witnessed stars this dense and brilliant.

After pausing silently by the door, I studied this modest five-storey concrete structure.

A small sign reading Nanaimo Inn hung over the doorway, accented by three tiny stars.

A typical Canadian three-star inn.

Stepping into the lobby, the PD is already waiting for me in the lounge area.

PD greets me with a broad smile，“Good evening.I’ll keep this brief since you’ve had a long trip.

Per the contract we signed earlier, all main filming will take place inside this building.

The shoot runs for a long stretch, so considering everyone’s work and personal lives, the production team will not confiscate your phones.

But while filming, you are strictly forbidden from leaking any information about the show to outsiders, or privately adding other contestants’ contact details.

If you break this rule, Clause 118 of the non-disclosure agreement will activate, and you will be liable for heavy liquidated damages.

Please hand over your passport and wallet for safekeeping.

The production team will cover all your expenses for the next three months.”

I slide my wallet and passport across the table without hesitation.

“It’s like a real-life *The Shawshank Redemption*.”

PD，“Now let’s go over the core rules of the show.

Unlike traditional dating reality shows, our biggest draw is deep audience participation.

The show features a substantial prize pool.

After each episode airs, one-tenth of the popularity votes cast by viewers in the previous round will be converted into Canadian dollars and added to your personal prize fund.

For example, Ms. Mimi earned 222,560 popularity points during the pre-release phase.

After rounding, before the first episode even airs, you already has 22,256 Canadian dollars —”

The PD stretched out his words deliberately, studying my reaction.

I cannot hold back my surprise，“That much?So my popularity must be really high, right?”

PD does not answer directly, only winks mysteriously，“Let’s continue with the rules.

One-tenth of those 22,256 CAD will be given to you immediately as spendable liquid funds — **Romance Fund**.

The **Romance Fund** covers daily costs and date expenses over these three months.

More Romance Fund will keep being issued after each new episode based on newly added popularity votes.

The remaining amount goes into your **Hidden Fund**, stored within your personal prize pool.

Once the show ends and you meet the payout requirements, the Hidden Fund will be transferred to your personal account after review and notarization.

There are several important points to note: The show has twelve cycles total.

Contestants will pair up for dates inside the inn every cycle.

Should your pairing fail this episode and your date be voided, all your prize money for the cycle resets to zero.

There are also hidden identities, voted on by the audience. Contestants are secretly split into two groups: **Wolves** and **Sheep**.

As the names suggest, Wolves hunt, and Sheep hide.

Translated to prize rules: If a Sheep pairs and goes on a date with a Wolf, all of that Sheep’s Hidden Fund for the cycle transfers into the Wolf’s prize pool.

The total Hidden Fund amount and any fund transfers remain fully confidential until the finale.

While filming, you will never know if your prize money has been stolen.

Even Wolves cannot confirm whether they have successfully stolen a Sheep’s prize money.

Pairings between two Wolves or two Sheep trigger no fund transfers.

Before the finale, every person gets exactly one chance to switch identities — your final chance.

After changing identities, the final pairing round begins.

If the final pairing is a Wolf and a Sheep, the Wolf devours all the Sheep’s Hidden Prize money.

Two Wolves paired together will plunder each other, leaving both with nothing in the end.

But if two Sheep successfully pair up, the production team will merge both of their prize pools and convert the total into a luxury honeymoon package of equal value as their blessing.”

Me，“I get it. If two Sheep end up together, they only get the honeymoon package and no cash. That means the only way to walk away with the Hidden Fund in cash is to be a Wolf and successfully pair with a Sheep.”

PD，“Exactly. Please collect your identity card and initial Romance Fund now.

No matter what happens later, even if you choose to give your heart to someone, remember never to reveal your identity trump card.

One last ban: you may not disclose your occupation or age for the entire duration of filming. Good luck. ”

I take the identity card and slowly lift its edge to read the words printed on it.

High-definition cameras capture the elusive flicker of emotion on my face.

I then stand up, nod to the PD, and follow a staff member upstairs to my room.

As I wait for the elevator, the PD presses his headset mic, “The last contestant has checked in. Over.”

I step into the room and glance up at the wall clock. It reads: 23:48.

The production team promised that to protect the contestants’ privacy, the room cameras would stop recording after 23:00 at night.

Yet I still could not fully set my mind at ease.

I rose, covered the camera with a towel, inspected every corner of the room, and then went to freshen up.

The moment the lights go out, the pale glow from a phone notification suddenly lights up my face.

Mom: How is everything over there? Is it going smoothly?

Me: I’ve arrived.

Mom: Did the crew talk to you about the prize money?

Me: Leaking show details means massive liquidated damages. Are you sure you want to discuss this?

Mom: Alright, I won’t ask for specifics. Just checking in and telling you something. Your father’s company bankruptcy petition is pending acceptance. Barring surprises, creditor claims will start soon. Once bankruptcy liquidation wraps up, there will still be millions in debt left to settle. I’m not telling you this to ruin your mood. You can focus on the show, but don’t forget why you came here. When our family was doing well, you got to enjoy all those good days too.

I lie flat on the bed, staring blankly at the carved patterns on the ceiling.

Phone notification chimes keep ringing one after another.

The faint screen light flickers across my face again and again, yet it cannot penetrate the darkness in my eyes.

That’s right. I joined this romance show not to find love, not at all.

Inside information leaks that the final prize pool for this show reaches ten million.

Long before filing for bankruptcy, my father divorced my mother to minimize the fallout for Mom and me.

But we are still family. I could never stand by and watch him bear this enormous debt all alone.