Chapter 30: This Is Not the Surprise I Wanted

Knowing that Qin Ruowei was still waiting in the car, the three of them didn't say much more.

"Got it, Boss. You go handle your business, leave the rest to us! Hehehe..."

The three huddled around Wang Peichuan, while Chen Zhe cracked his knuckles menacingly. Lin Bai nodded, turned, and walked toward the room's exit. He paid no mind to the chaotic scuffle breaking out behind him.

He pushed the door open and stepped out. As he went to close it, a hand held the edge, and Li Ruonan followed him out. She closed the door with her back against it, biting her lip slightly as she looked at Lin Bai.

"What was it you wanted to say earlier?"

Lin Bai couldn't even remember what he had intended to say, but he was certain of one thing: this girl, Li Ruonan, definitely had feelings for him. What troubled him now was how to claim Li Ruonan’s "first time" within a week.

Setting aside the difficulty of the task itself, if he actually succeeded, what would happen to Qin Ruowei? And what about Li Ruonan? Was he supposed to play both sides? Wouldn't that make him a scumbag?

No, no, no!

If the mission failed, he would lose his life. Who cared about being a scumbag? Being a scumbag was better than being dead!

With that thought, Lin Bai made his decision. He leaned in close to Li Ruonan, leaving only a fist’s distance between them. With the door at her back, she had nowhere to retreat, and the atmosphere grew thick and intimate.

"I wanted to ask you to dinner tomorrow night. Would you like that?"

Lin Bai’s voice was low, but Li Ruonan heard him clearly. Her face flushed a deep red. Facing his direct invitation, she hardly hesitated, nodding shyly. "Um, okay."

Seeing her expression—a mix of secret joy and bashfulness—Lin Bai felt a sudden urge to kiss her. But he knew that would surely scare her off. Instead, he gently patted her head.

"Go back inside and have fun. I have some things to take care of, so I'll be leaving. Let's keep in touch by phone."

"Okay, stay safe."

Lin Bai didn't say another word. He turned and left, taking the elevator down and vanishing from her sight. Only then did Li Ruonan breathe a long sigh of relief, gently patting her chest. At the thought of their date tomorrow, a smile blossomed on her face.

***

In the elevator, Lin Bai pondered.

Between the side quest and the main quest, he now had five hundred points each, totaling 1,000! That meant as long as he claimed the "first time" from both Qin Ruowei and Li Ruonan, he would meet the requirements to upgrade the system. Once it reached level three, his daily subsidy would increase to ten thousand!

Ten thousand a day! Three hundred thousand a month! Three point six million a year!

What a terrifying level of income! Although he would likely hurt many people in the process, well... hurting others was better than losing his own life.

*Ding!*

The elevator reached the ground floor. Lin Bai stepped out and returned to the car.

"You're back..."

Inside the car, Qin Ruowei’s face immediately lit up with a sweet smile upon seeing him. At the same time, a number appeared above her head, visible only to Lin Bai: 8.

On a scale of ten, her beauty score was an 8! That was high enough to be considered the campus belle. Looking at her, a sudden, inexplicable sense of guilt welled up in him. He reached out and stroked her cheek.

"Did you wait long?"

Qin Ruowei shook her head vigorously. "No, no! Guess what gift I got for you?" She kept her hands behind her back, looking mysterious.

Lin Bai raised an eyebrow. "A watch?"

Qin Ruowei froze. "Ah? How... how did you know? Did you peek?"

Caught off guard, she pouted, clearly unhappy. Lin Bai couldn't help but laugh; it had been a wild guess. "What kind of watch? Let me see."

Reluctantly, she handed him the box. Lin Bai took it, recognizing the logo at a glance: Blancpain, the Fifty Fathoms! A brown leather strap with a sapphire dial. He knew a bit about watches and recognized it as a classic model; the cheapest ones cost over a hundred thousand.

"Ruowei, this is too expensive. I can't take it." He closed the lid and tried to hand it back.

Qin Ruowei pouted. "If you don't want it, who am I supposed to give it to? You don't want it? Fine, I'll just throw it away." She lowered the window and held the box out, looking entirely serious.

Lin Bai quickly snatched it back. "I want it! I do!"

Qin Ruowei smiled, tapping his nose with her finger. "That's better. Remember, you aren't allowed to refuse my gifts from now on, hear me? Give me your hand; I'll put it on for you."

Lin Bai obediently extended his left hand.

A beauty’s favor is the hardest to repay. Especially with the system's new mission in mind, his guilt toward her only deepened. The only way to alleviate this feeling was to ensure he secured her "first time" first.

With that thought, he reached out, pulled her close, and kissed her domineeringly.

"Mmph—"

Two or three minutes later, they pulled apart, their breathing slightly ragged.

"Baby, that’s not the surprise I wanted."

Qin Ruowei didn't understand, looking at him innocently. "Ah? Then what did you want..." She stopped, realizing what he meant, and turned her head away, blushing. "No, Lin Bai, it's too fast."

Her hesitation was the biggest problem Lin Bai faced—it was too soon. They had only been together for two weeks. For any pure university student who took a relationship seriously, this was moving too fast.

Lin Bai didn't push. "Alright, let's go. Let's get some food."

***

The next day, Saturday.

Lin Bai went for his usual morning run, while Qin Ruowei drove home. When he returned, he brought breakfast for his three roommates, who were still sound asleep. They had drank quite a bit the night before, and the room was thick with the smell of alcohol.

Lin Bai opened the window to let in fresh air and sat at his desk.

"Brother System, withdraw all subsidies."

[Beep! Acknowledged. Current withdrawable subsidy: 6,000 yuan. The transfer has been completed; please check your account.]

[XX Bank: Your account ending in 6832 has received 6,000 yuan. Current balance: 7,004.8 yuan.]

With over seven thousand in his account, Lin Bai’s hands trembled as he held his phone. This was just one week of income at level two. Now, he had to figure out how to make money work for him. Keeping it in the bank was too slow, he didn't understand investing, and he had neither the time nor the experience to start a business.

After mulling it over, he couldn't find a good solution and decided to shelve the idea for now.

By eleven in the morning, the others finally woke up. After eating the now-cold breakfast, they started playing games at Zhao Fangting's urging. Lin Bai wasn't very good at League of Legends; after two games, he was cursed at relentlessly by Zhao Fangting, leading him to smash his keyboard and storm out of the room.

The entire afternoon, Lin Bai rented a bike and rode across the campus.