Chapter 73

"Sigh, that's right!" Edward gently slapped his forehead, sighing as he remembered that smartphones were not as widespread at this time as they will be in the future.

Well, to be fair... He's just casually asking them if they had it or not, and it doesn't matter whether they did or didn't.

However, their answer open his eyes as he remembered another issue that had been troubling him and the group for some time now.

That is, the group's way of communicating was still through texting, which, in his opinion, was still very inefficient.

After all, unlike in the future, text messages at this time have many restrictions, such as message length limits, real-time delays, etc., and the reason behind them is because most members of the group were still using keypad phones!

That's right, most members of the group don't have a smartphone at all, and most of the time, they have to go to an internet cafe to be able to communicate in the group's GC.

That is also the reason why, even though there are many members in the group, writing a script is still challenging. That is because they cannot communicate in real time... Well, technically, they can if several members are online at the same time.

However, it's unlikely to happen as they have different schedules, as some members can only go online in the morning, whereas others can only go online in the afternoon.

Now that he thinks about it... Edward couldn't help but mumbled... Perhaps he could also...

His eyes lit up at the sudden idea, and he thought it was feasible.

"You know... Every member of our group will also have their own smartphone in the future," Edward told them of the idea he had come up with out of the blue.

Anyway, since their communication method is too slow, why not upgrade it? Also, isn't it another way of hitting two birds with one stone?

Not only will it make communication within the group more convenient, but it will also increase the members' trust in him... Well, it's not that he's saying they didn't trust him enough... I mean, at least in the future, after they've learned how much money their account made, they won't think that he's being stingy with them.

Edward found himself immersed in a whirlwind of thoughts, carefully considering and strategizing the steps needed to set his plans in motion.

Meanwhile, Kaycee and the other two wore expressions of surprise at the unexpected perks... The idea of being given a smartphone just by joining the group left them feeling doubtful, questioning the reasoning behind such an offer.

"For real?" The three looked at each other and were stunned upon hearing his words.

"Yep." Edward shrugged and didn't think too much about their reaction, after all... Smartphone giveaways weren't popular today.

Smartphone give-aways are a future common routine for content creators to get more views on their videos... It's the cheat code to get views, and if you look closely, those who gave smartphones weren't even giving a fraction of what they earned from their views.

People think they are philanthropists or nice individuals whatever, so they choose to support them, but in reality, those people were taking advantage of them, giving them smartphones to get views and earning more than what they gave.

Right now, there are not many people doing it, so people still think that smartphone giveaways are still extravagant acts.

Now that he has thought about it, maybe he could also take advantage of these aspects to get more views on his videos.

"No way, but.. isn't it expensive?"

"Well.. it's fine." Edward thought for a moment and then answered.

Regardless, he's not buying them an iPhone or whatever high-end smartphone model; at least the Samsung Champ model, similar to Patricia's, should be enough for now, the performance is good enough to meet the requirements of the group.

"T-then, what if people get the smartphone and suddenly leave the group?" Kaycee asked hesitantly.

"Now that you said that..." Edward was stunned for a moment, as he had forgotten to consider such a situation.

"This...." Edward pondered for a moment and then thought of a solution. "Well, not everyone who joined the group can get a smartphone immediately... Well, the first batch, which is the original group members, will definitely get their own, but the second batch, which is the three of you, will take one month to be able to get it."

Thinking that he couldn't just give every member a smartphone, as that would be stupid... At least let them contribute to the group first; otherwise, it would definitely be his lost if they suddenly left the group.

Well... He can afford it right now; at least, after all, they aren't hiring many members to the group currently, but what about in the future?

As the number of members increases, the expenses will also rise, potentially putting a strain on his finances.

With the increase in members, expenses will inevitably rise, potentially straining his finances, which raises another concern, as the group's growth could deplete his resources if not managed carefully.

After all, it's uncertain if there are individuals joining the group solely to snag a smartphone and then leave quickly afterwards.

If that's indeed the case, he might as well have them contribute to the group's efforts for a while, ensuring a minimum level of commitment before they're eligible for the smartphone incentive.

In that way, the smartphone that was given is not completely free, but something that they have worked for. Of course, only smart people can understand it... However, if that's really the case, doesn't that mean that it's not a give-away anymore?

In a way, it's a routine akin to what future content creators would do when gifting smartphones to their viewers.

He never invested money in the smartphones he's planning to give; instead, he's having the members pay for them through their labor by creating valuable content for the group, and technically, he's earning money without any expenses.

"One month? Like, we had to join the shooting and do stuff?" Kaycee and others nodded, thinking that such a requirement was logical. However, they still thought such an act was extravagant.

"Yes, there's also a GC, and you must also be active on the tasks that were given to you."

"That's fine, but... what if we can't do the tasks?"

"You don't have to worry about that.. The tasks in the GC are not that many, and usually, we don't assign tasks to those who can't do it.. Also, even if you don't do the tasks, as long as you're active, it's enough."

"I see." The three sighed and nodded their heads in understanding.

"Other than that, there's also a talent fee."

Time passed.

As they ate their meal, Edward kept talking about the benefits of joining their group, including the talent fee, boodle fight, and other minor perks, and the more he talked, the more they realized that joining the group is not as simple as shooting skits and having fun; it's also a kind of job.

"Well, congratulations! You passed the final interview," Edward said as he wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin.

Looking at their faces, he couldn't help but smile at their stunned look.

"W-what? We're having an interview already?" Kaycee asked confusedly, and the other two also nodded in confusion as they weren't aware that the interview had already started.

"Why? What do you expect an interview to be?" Edward asked them playfully.

"Well, shouldn't we be in a more formal place, and the question will be like, Why should I allow you to join? What's your talent? What's your positive quality?"

"Hehe, it's not a job interview; what are you guys thinking? And the questions... we don't have to be that formal." Edward smiled at her.

"So all my preparations are for nothing?" Kaycee asked with a lost expression.

"You did preparation?" Edward looked at her with a strange expression.

"D-dont at me like that.'" Noticing their gazes, Kaycee blushed and went to explain, "I.. I usually take everything seriously, so.. I kind of took this interview seriously too."

"Oh well." Shrugging his shoulder, Edward didn't dwell on it further and went to ask. "Alrigt, any more questions?"

The three looked at each other hesitantly, and finally one raised his hand. "I have one... It's like this... The shooting begins at around 9 to 10 in the morning and ends at around six or seven... Well, it's kind of hard to get a jeepney at that time."

"I see." Nodding his head, Edward couldn't help but ponder for a moment.

In fact, he had already thought long about this particular problem before...

Transportation is indeed the biggest hurdle that the group will face in the foreseeable future. As the group's members increase, arranging efficient transportation will become more complicated.

Right now, they can still do it; after all, they don't have that many members. But what about in the future? when their numbers grow and the other location exceeds the scope of the city?

"Well, for now, I can cover your taxi expenses to ensure each one of you can safely return home," he explained, leaning back in his chair with a thoughtful expression. "What do you think?"