At the chip exchange counter.
Chu Bai's face was flushed, and he could hardly contain his excitement.
He had just counted his chips and realized he had won 35,000 yuan.
With this, he could cover the medical compensation and still have a few thousand left for himself.
Chu Bai had actually wanted to win more, but being cautious, he feared drawing attention and causing unnecessary trouble.
Of course, having tasted success, he wasn't planning to stop.
He had already decided to move to another casino and continue his winning streak.
With his X-ray vision, the casino was like an ATM for him.
Getting rich was almost too easy.
"I'm done playing. Cash me out," Chu Bai handed his chips to the woman at the counter.
But before she could count them, seven or eight men with unfriendly expressions surrounded him.
The scarred man, Sang Kun, walked over and said coldly:
"Kid, you dare cheat in my casino? Are you tired of living?"
"Cheat? How did I cheat? Show me the proof!" Chu Bai felt a pang of guilt but tried to stay calm.
Although he had technically "cheated," there was no evidence to prove it.
"That's what I should be asking you," Sang Kun glared at Chu Bai and barked at his men:
"Tie him up first!"
"Screw you!"
Chu Bai wasn't weak in combat and was a ruthless character. Seeing the situation turn against him, he kicked Sang Kun in the groin, sending him to the ground.
The other men were shocked and rushed to help their boss.
The scene turned chaotic.
Chu Bai punched two men blocking his way and bolted out the door.
"Boss, boss, are you okay?"
The men helped Sang Kun up.
Sang Kun clutched his groin, grimacing in pain.
He never expected a kid who looked under twenty to be so vicious.
"Chase him! Go after him and bring him back!"
Sang Kun roared at his men.
Just for cheating, Sang Kun would have cut off one of Chu Bai's hands. Now, with this added insult, he wanted to take a leg as well.
——
On a street corner outside the casino.
Wang Haoran sat in his Rolls-Royce Cullinan and saw someone running out of the casino.
The狼狈 (disheveled) figure was none other than Chu Bai.
Behind him, seven or eight men were shouting and chasing him.
The chase quickly disappeared from view.
About five minutes later, the men returned empty-handed.
Clearly, Chu Bai had escaped.
Wang Haoran wasn't surprised by this outcome.
Even though Chu Bai's protagonist halo had weakened, he was still the protagonist. It wasn't easy to catch him.
[Ding! The host has successfully prevented the protagonist Chu Bai from earning his first bucket of gold. Chu Bai's protagonist halo has decreased by 20. Host's villain halo has increased by 20. Reward: 200 villain points.]
After all the effort and spending 500,000 yuan, there was finally some reward.
Wang Haoran happily checked his stats:
[Host: Wang Haoran]
[Combat Power: 89]
[Charm: 268]
[Villain Halo: 169]
[Villain Points: 500]
[Skills: None]
500 villain points were just enough for a lottery draw, but Wang Haoran decided to hold off.
If he spent the 500 points, he'd be left with nothing.
If he encountered a potential female lead or another important character, he wouldn't have the points to check their information.
Better to save up a few hundred more before trying his luck.
——
For the rest of the holiday, Wang Haoran kept a close eye on Chu Bai's movements.
After escaping from Sang Kun's casino, Chu Bai didn't dare to visit other casinos, as Sang Kun had alerted the industry.
Monday arrived, and classes resumed as usual.
Wang Haoran whistled as he entered the classroom and opened his desk, only to find it filled with envelopes.
He opened a few and discovered they were love letters from girls confessing their feelings for him.
Such were the烦恼 (troubles) of being the school heartthrob.
Reading the letters was quite satisfying, though.
Each girl poured her heart out, using every poetic phrase to express her feelings and hoping for a response.
Wang Haoran enjoyed reading them but could hardly remember any of the girls' names.
However, one unsigned letter stood out.
The handwriting looked familiar.
But Wang Haoran didn't dig deeper. After reading the unsigned letter, he tossed it back into the desk.
On the other side of the classroom.
Chu Bai also came to class.
But his expression was grim, clearly weighed down by something.
Chen Zishi pulled Chu Bai aside for a chat.
"Did you win any money during the holiday?" Chen Zishi asked nervously.
"I won over 30,000 yuan, but something happened, and it's all gone," Chu Bai said with a frown.
"You bragged about winning for sure! How did you lose?! When can you pay me back? I need that 1,000 yuan to buy Wen Jing a gift by the end of the month!" Chen Zishi was visibly upset.
"Don't worry, Wen Jing's birthday isn't for a while. I'll find a way to pay you back," Chu Bai reassured him.
"You'd better!" Chen Zishi was clearly unhappy.
While male friendships could form quickly, they could also sour just as fast, especially over women.
Chen Zishi was infatuated with Wen Jing. He had saved 1,000 yuan over half a year, sometimes even skipping meals to do so.
All that suffering was just to buy Wen Jing a decent gift.
If Chu Bai's actions ruined this plan, Chen Zishi's anger and frustration would be unimaginable.
——
"Brother Wang, Chu Bai and Chen Zishi almost got into a fight."
Wang Haoran had instructed his lackeys to keep an eye on Chu Bai and report any unusual activity.
So, after Chu Bai and Chen Zishi's conversation, someone immediately came to tattle.
"What did they talk about?" Wang Haoran asked.
The lackey relayed the conversation in detail.
"Chu Bai's initial 1,200 yuan included 1,000 yuan borrowed from Chen Zishi. Their relationship seems pretty close."
"Then Chen Zishi is probably a supporting character in the protagonist's camp, right?"
Wang Haoran speculated.
Following the套路 (trope) of urban novels, many protagonists had a loyal fat friend.
Chen Zishi's appearance fit the bill perfectly.
"System, check Chen Zishi's information," Wang Haoran wanted to confirm.
[Querying requires 100 villain points. Proceed?]
"Yes."
The information soon appeared.
[Important Supporting Character: Chen Zishi (Protagonist's Camp)]
[Combat Power: 69]
[Charm: 57]
[Supporting Character Halo: None]
[Skills: None]
"Just as I thought," Wang Haoran confirmed. He then asked:
"System, if I disrupt the relationship between important supporting characters in the protagonist's camp, can I earn villain points and halo points?"
[Host, such actions will affect the original plot and can reward villain points and halo points.]
"Got it!"
Wang Haoran nodded to himself and began to think.
Chen Zishi and Chu Bai were already at odds, and the key issue was Wen Jing.
This was the perfect angle to exploit.
But how?
Wen Jing...
Just as Wang Haoran thought of her, something clicked.
He picked up the unsigned love letter and smiled.
No wonder the handwriting looked familiar.
It was Wen Jing's!
Wen Jing often stuck study notes on her desk, and Wang Haoran had seen her handwriting when they swapped seats.
"She has a crush on me? This makes things easier."