Late afternoon at the residence of Virardo Nugraha, or Ardo—an influencer known for extreme sports and automotive content. With millions of followers across all his social media platforms, he was currently engaged in a live stream on one of his favorite apps, chatting with his fans alongside Tomi.
Today's meeting at Ardo's house was at Indra's request; there was something important that needed to be discussed in person. Indra had been furious and tense ever since Priska disappeared last night. Even now, there was still no clear news about her whereabouts.
"Personally, I prefer the brand of engine oil that always appears in my videos. And no, this isn't because of an endorsement—I genuinely use it for some of my own motorcycles," Ardo explained when a fan asked about the type of oil he used for a particular bike.
Likes and gifts kept flooding the screen. Tomi occasionally made funny remarks, keeping the fans entertained, as shown by the abundance of smiley and laughing emojis filling the chat.
"Bang Ardo, which Hong Kong actor does your handsome friend look like?" Tomi read out a comment that caught his attention.
He pointed at the screen and turned to Ardo, whose face had darkened upon realizing exactly who the comment was referring to. The Manado-blooded man pressed his lips together before responding with a thin smile.
It wasn’t the first or even the second time that fans had asked about Aldo—the dashing journalist—during one of Ardo’s live streams.
"He's busy, as always… journalist stuff," Ardo replied nonchalantly.
But just at that moment, Rey and Aldo entered the garden inside Ardo's house, where the live stream was taking place.
"Where's Indra?" Aldo asked.
Naturally, his voice was picked up by the live stream. Ardo felt a wave of frustration as some fans immediately recognized Aldo’s voice, but he still maintained a friendly smile to keep up appearances.
"See? Bang Ardo lied!" Tomi exclaimed, reading out another comment.
Within seconds, dozens of identical messages flooded Ardo’s account. Fans were demanding that Aldo join the live stream. Even though Aldo rarely appeared in content, whenever he did, his face alone was enough to amass a legion of female admirers.
Ardo’s eyes widened when he noticed a comment from an account named ‘Nom-nom-Ai,’ offering a massive gift if Revaldo Aditya would dance live on screen.
His eyes gleamed with excitement upon seeing the promised amount—a staggering seven million rupiahs. That wasn’t a small sum, and Ardo wasn’t about to let this golden opportunity slip away. Especially since Aldo was right here—he had to make the most of it.
"Damn, having a good-looking friend finally pays off!" Tomi exclaimed, playfully smacking Ardo’s shoulder.
"Okay, Naomi! You better not be bluffing. Wait a sec!" Ardo grinned and immediately sprinted toward Aldo, with Tomi hot on his heels.
"What the hell—?! Damn it!" Aldo cursed as he suddenly felt threatened.
Meanwhile, Rey merely chuckled, watching Ardo and Tomi chase after Aldo like two men possessed—all for money. They looked like they were filming an over-the-top Bollywood scene, complete with dramatic running and exaggerated gestures.
What followed was a chaotic struggle, shirts being yanked, and bodies being dragged through the house. After about ten minutes, the duo finally managed to haul Aldo into Ardo’s room.
"Seven million, Do. I’ve spent way too much on that ridiculous lottery. We’ll split it—me and Ardo," Tomi bargained.
"And what exactly are you planning to do to me?" Aldo asked, clearly annoyed.
Ardo rummaged through his wardrobe, then moved to another closet, searching for something specific. His eyes lit up when he found a box containing his collection of gemstone rings.
"Perfect!" Ardo cheered as he pulled out a Hawaiian shirt with a bright floral pattern.
"Guys, please," Rey commented, leaning against the doorway.
But Ardo and Tomi ignored him. They quickly yanked off Aldo’s black T-shirt and forced him into the obnoxiously colorful shirt. Aldo could only sigh in resignation as his two friends played dress-up with him. To complete the look, Tomi slipped gemstone rings onto both of Aldo’s ring fingers, solidifying his transformation into a sleazy middle-aged man.
"Lend me your watch, Rey," Tomi requested.
Rey happily took off his Rolex and passed it over. The luxurious watch was promptly fastened around Aldo’s wrist. To top it off, Ardo undid three of Aldo’s shirt buttons, exposing part of his chest.
"Here, take these car and Harley keys. Perfect!" Virardo Nugraha admired his handiwork with pride.
Aldo glanced at his reflection in the mirror and smirked. "Damn it, why do I look like Sugar Daddy from that soap opera?" he muttered.
"Quit complaining—it’s all about the money, Do," Tomi retorted, dragging Aldo out of the room.
By the time they returned to the live stream, Ardo was shocked to see that the viewer count had skyrocketed. It seemed that during their little makeover session, some viewers had invited their friends to tune in.
"Holy crap, you look like the Cassanova of Tanah Jeruk Purut!" Ardo read aloud from a comment.
"A fierce Hong Kong actor caught in a street dance battle," Tomi added, laughing.
"Looks like a boyband member… but I forgot which one. Just the local version," Ardo mused as he read another amusing comment.
Ardo couldn't hold back his laughter. The comments were absolutely hilarious. After briefing Aldo on the trending dance moves, he wasted no time getting him to perform. Almost instantly, hundreds of gifts poured in, urging Aldo to dance a few more times.
The account ‘Nom-nom-Ai’ followed through on its promise, sending an absurdly large sum. The other viewers were left in awe. Aldo furrowed his brows as his eyes landed on the username, while Ardo and Tomi practically jumped for joy. They leaped around the room, ecstatic over their sudden windfall.
"Hey, Nao—" Aldo started, but before he could finish, Tomi clamped a hand over his mouth, preventing him from blurting out the name.
Naomi—an oriental beauty who had harbored feelings for Aldo for ages. And her monthly allowance easily exceeded seven million. Rey and Tomi quickly ushered Aldo out of the garden and into the living room. Aldo struggled at first but then burst into laughter, realizing how ridiculous the entire situation was.
"That was Naomi, wasn’t it? That girl loves attention," Aldo muttered, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"No harm done, though," Tomi shrugged, justifying their actions.
"That girl gets even more relentless when you give in to her requests, Tom," Aldo countered. A few minutes later, Ardo returned, looking noticeably refreshed despite not having done much.
"I’m grabbing a drink," Ardo said, slipping his phone into his pocket.
"Do, you haven’t forgotten about our bet, have you?" Rey asked.
"Yeah, yeah, Rey… be patient." Aldo absentmindedly fiddled with the gemstone rings on his fingers.