Chapter 231: Two Protagonists Get Played, Wang Haoran Crafts an Online Romance Persona
Su Chen zoomed through the campus on his electric bike, his heart burning with indignation.
“Hmph, I thought Xu Muyan was a good girl, but she’s just a gold digger!”
Protagonists in feel-good novels often lack self-awareness, and Su Chen was no different. To him, Xu Muyan’s preference for a wealthy second-generation like Wang Haoran over him made her unworthy.
From an objective perspective, Wang Haoran was handsome and wealthy, an understandable attraction for many. In contrast, Su Chen was a struggling student delivering packages. He lacked the looks and often engaged in baseless chatter. Therefore, why would a beautiful woman choose him?
However, Su Chen failed to recognize these realities and refused to reflect on his own shortcomings. His current focus was simply to continue delivering packages.
After some time, he figured out the reward mechanism of his system. Rewards only came when he delivered packages to particularly beautiful clients who gave him a five-star rating—it counted as a special delivery.
He hadn’t encountered another beauty like Xu Muyan yet, but he remained hopeful. Qingling University had its share of beautiful juniors, senior students, and goddess-like teachers, such as Liu Yue, Ji Shuiyao, and Qiu Qianwei.
In front of a girls’ dormitory, Su Chen unloaded some packages and started contacting the clients.
“Qin Yunhan? Is this one of the freshmen’s top three campus beauties?” Su Chen was thrilled when he saw her name on a slip.
After dialing her number, he said, “Hello, is this Qin Yunhan? Your package is here. Could you come to the dormitory’s first floor to pick it up?”
“I’ll be right there,” came the brisk reply before the call ended.
Soon, a tall and stunning girl emerged from the dormitory. Su Chen’s spirits soared upon seeing her. This girl was indeed one of the top campus beauties, Qin Yunhan.
Pointing to the slip, Su Chen said, “Hi, your package, please sign for it!”
Without much expression, Qin Yunhan took the pen and signed her name.
“Qin Yunhan, could you give me a five-star rating?” Su Chen requested, hopeful. Her approval would mean completing another special delivery, and he anticipated rewards of great value, considering previous gifts like a Bugatti Veyron.
Suddenly, Qin Yunhan paused and asked, “What’s your name?”
“Su Chen!” he replied.
“You’re Su Chen?!” Her tone shifted to one of surprise.
“Do you know me?” Su Chen asked, excited.
“Hmph, no,” she replied with a sneer, then rated him on the app.
Checking the app eagerly, Su Chen was taken aback by the bad rating.
“Did I offend you? Why the bad rating?” he asked, baffled.
“Just don’t like you, that’s all,” Qin Yunhan pouted before leaving.
[Ding, the host’s manipulation caused protagonist Su Chen to receive a bad rating, unable to complete the special delivery, earning 600 villain points, Su Chen’s protagonist halo -30, host’s villain halo +30!]
As she departed, Su Chen stood there dumbfounded but quickly tried to shake it off. He was naturally resilient, brushing off past rejections with optimistic phrases like, “The next one will be better.”
He completed more deliveries, but none were special enough to earn a system reward. After finishing at the dorm, he moved to the music department, hopeful for better prospects.
There, he retrieved a small, discreetly shipped box. Based on its shape and his experience, he guessed it contained condoms.
Reaching out to the client, a woman answered with an eager, “Be right there!”
In under a minute, an elegant woman appeared, taking Su Chen’s breath away.
“Your package, please sign,” he said, mesmerized by her beauty.
She quickly signed, revealing her name: Qiu Qianwei, the esteemed professor from the music department.
Realization dawned on Su Chen; this goddess-level professor had likely purchased the confidential item for someone significant, possibly a boyfriend.
Before he could dwell on it, he asked for a five-star rating, carefully avoiding her name to prevent discomfort.
“Sure,” replied Qiu Qianwei, seemingly agreeable.
Su Chen, anticipating a reward, watched her operate on her phone. But upon seeing his name, her expression shifted.
“You’re Su Chen?” she asked with a curious smile before giving him a bad rating, leaving.
[Ding, the host’s manipulation caused protagonist Su Chen to receive a bad rating, unable to complete the special delivery, earning 600 villain points, Su Chen’s protagonist halo -30, host’s villain halo +30!]
Despite the setback, Su Chen remained puzzled.
“What is going on?… I didn’t do anything!”
The third attempt brought further disappointment. He sighed, knowing it wasn’t his day. Reflecting inward was painful, but necessary.
On his way to deliver another package, Su Chen became more strategic, targeting clients whose names suggested beauty.
Finally arriving at the Marine Biology Department, he thought about the goddess professor Ji Shuiyao, hoping she would be the exception.
Ten minutes later, he was met yet again with another bad rating.
“This is ridiculous…” Even Su Chen’s usual optimism wavered, unable to wrap his head around the continuous failures.
[Ding, the host’s manipulation caused protagonist Su Chen to receive a bad rating, unable to complete the special delivery, earning 600 villain points, Su Chen’s protagonist halo -30, host’s villain halo +30!]
[Ding, the host’s manipulation caused protagonist Su Chen’s mindset to be damaged, earning 800 villain points, Su Chen’s protagonist halo -40, host’s villain halo +40!]
Meanwhile, Wang Haoran walked casually into the finance department for an evening class. His recent system notifications showed that Su Chen’s failed encounters were to his advantage.
By 7:30 PM, the night class session just began, set to continue until 10:30 PM with three sessions, all taught by Liu Yue. Wang Haoran, needless to say, had his reasons for attending. Lin Chen, eager to flaunt, was an opportunity Wang Haoran couldn’t ignore.
Lin Chen feared risking his stocks in the earlier theoretical classes. However, it was during the practical sessions where he planned a grand display.
Still trading M stocks during the evening practical, Wang Haoran’s account balance surged tremendously. Liu Yue, noticing this, approached him with curiosity, “How can your predictions be so accurate? How do you do it?!”
Wang Haoran smiled, “Professor Liu, do you really want to know?”
Eagerly, Liu Yue nodded.
Wang Haoran teased, “I can tell you, but you need to promise me one thing.”
“What is it?” Liu Yue inquired.
“Call me ‘good brother,’ and I’ll divulge the details,” he joked.
Liu Yue’s expression froze, then she retorted, slamming his computer desk, “Do you know what ethics and morals are?”
Wang Haoran backpedaled, realizing his joke crossed a line, “Professor Liu, it was just a joke.”
After a brief exchange, Liu Yue softened, restoring her previous favorability towards him.
Seeing her serious attitude, Wang Haoran chuckled internally, planning to someday win her over.
“Quickly tell me, why are your predictions so accurate?” Liu Yue persisted.
Casually, Wang Haoran fabricated, “I have a master guiding me.”
Wang Haoran knew that without showcasing a financial genius, he wouldn’t captivate Liu Yue. So, he crafted a narrative, weaving mystique around his persona—the “Peerless Stock God.”
Liu Yue inquired further, “Who is your master?”
“I’ve sworn not to reveal his identity, lest lightning strike. Surely, Professor Liu wouldn’t want to force me into that situation?”
Liu Yue relented, mulling over the “Peerless Stock God,” attributing the alias with deserved reverence.
[Ding, female lead Liu Yue’s favorability towards the host’s ‘Peerless Stock God’ alias increased by 10, current total favorability is 40 (Very Friendly).]
Deliberating on this relationship, Wang Haoran knew he needed to flesh out this alias, making him more believable to enrapture Liu Yue further.
As Lin Chen attempted to showcase his stock trading skills in the computer lab, Mu Zhaozhao, attempting to disrupt him subtly, discovered his reliance on tricks to manipulate trades.
Despite his attempts, every computer Lin Chen used malfunctioned. Lin Chen, seeking to impress, faced repeated frustration.
[Ding, the host’s manipulation ruined protagonist Lin Chen’s chance to show off, earning 600 villain points, Lin Chen’s protagonist halo -30, host’s villain halo +30!]
Finally, after the night class ended, Wang Haoran retreated to the villa given to him by Tang Bingyun. There, amidst a backdrop of luxury and privacy, he mulled over enhancing his “Peerless Stock God” persona.
Flaunting sophistication, discipline, and mystery, Wang Haoran crafted an enticing online presence that would capture Liu Yue’s attention—it wasn’t the end, merely the beginning of a carefully played game.