Chapter 1: My Dignity Lies in Ruins Before the School Beauty
On the streets of Manhattan, the neon lights were ablaze, and the hustle and bustle intertwined with opulence. At the base of an apartment building, a new foot - massage parlor had opened. The yellow neon signs flickered wildly, melding with the pinkish glow seeping from within. Behind the half - drawn curtain, an alluring and ambiguous atmosphere lingered.
Entering the establishment, one would see several massage beds neatly arranged. Every day, two or three young and beautiful American women lounged there. Clad in black stockings, they either sat idly or reclined comfortably, their fingers idly swiping across their phone screens, their alluring figures on full display.
The moment a man stepped through the door, they would spring to their feet like startled fawns, their faces lighting up with warm, sweet smiles. Those smiles were like the gentle rays of spring sunlight, instantly banishing the outside chill. Whether it was a new or regular customer, they would attentively bring foot - washing water, their movements as delicate as if handling a precious artifact, accompanied by a coquettish and endearing demeanor and solicitous greetings. What man could resist such tender allure? Particularly the No. 8 technician. What set her apart was her lack of demands for cars, houses, or betrothal gifts. Although the time spent with customers was merely an hour, at her prime age, the warm companionship and professional, attentive massage she offered were unforgettable. Truly, love blossoms with the passage of time, and it's hard to let go when the time is up.
When Aaron emerged from the parlor, his expression was that of a man defeated, desolate and forlorn. He leaned weakly against the doorway, his hand trembling as he lit a cigarette. He took a deep drag, the smoke billowing in his mouth before slowly exhaling through his nostrils. His eyes were vacant and bewildered, as if his very soul had been ripped away by the harsh reality. Adult relationships often resemble fleeting dreams, arriving unexpectedly and vanishing without a trace. Today, the No. 8 technician was absent. He learned from the other girls that she had returned to her hometown to get married. Upon hearing this, Aaron's eyes welled up with tears. His lips quivered. Just as he had mustered the courage to enter her world and offer her warmth and solace, she had already left him behind. Few things in this world could be more agonizing.
This No. 8 technician had a sweet countenance. When she smiled, the dimples at the corners of her mouth bore a resemblance to the girl he had been pining after. A few days prior, he had inquired about the price, a mere $298. The cost was tantalizing. Seizing the day seemed the right approach to life. Toiling under the blazing sun during the day to earn a living, then indulging in this haven of comfort at night. Why push himself to the limit? Having lost his father at a young age and with his mother remarried, he had no one to rein him in, allowing him to live as he pleased. By the time he realized this, youth had slipped through his fingers, and he was already 26.
Previously, he had been smitten with a woman, his every thought consumed by how to bring her happiness. He became like a wind - up machine. During the day, he stood guard at the entrance of an office building, barring deliverymen from entering. At night, he zipped through the city streets on his electric bike, delivering food, as if driven by an inner demon. Then, one evening, while making a delivery as usual, he witnessed his beloved girl chatting intimately with a middle - aged, balding man beside a luxury car on the roadside. In that instant, his world crumbled. He frantically sent a WeChat message to question her, but it vanished into the void without a response. It wasn't until the next day that he received a curt reply: "I was swamped at work and didn't see your message."
Aaron lay awake all night, a maelstrom of grievances and anger churning within him, seeking an outlet but finding none. After all, the girl had never been his girlfriend; she had every right to choose her own path and partner. Disheartened, he resolved to indulge himself just this once. He entered the foot - massage parlor, hoping to experience the life of a "bad boy." However, the sudden departure of the No. 8 technician only compounded his misery.
After finishing his cigarette, he looked around in a daze. The road ahead seemed veiled in uncertainty, and he had no idea which direction to take. Just then, a sharp creak of the door sounded from behind. A voluptuous American girl sauntered out. She approached Aaron with a swaying gait and crouched down beside him, a cigarette twirling between her fingers. "Hey, handsome, got a light?" she purred, a sultry smile playing on her lips. Her figure was a perfect hourglass, every curve accentuated, as if she'd stepped straight out of a fashion magazine. In an instant, the desire that had been simmering within Aaron flared to life. His hand trembled as he fished out his lighter and held it out. In the flickering flame, the girl's snow - white shoulders and the tantalizing hint of cleavage sent his heart racing. He was transfixed, unable to tear his eyes away.
The girl lit her cigarette, then looked up and burst out laughing at his dumbstruck expression. "What's the matter? Weren't you dead - set on No. 8 earlier?" she teased. Aaron's face flushed scarlet, and he stammered, "I just... I just wanted some closure." Amused by his awkwardness, the girl took a drag of her cigarette and blew the smoke in his face. "Closure? You men are always coming up with excuses. You show up here and then start making excuses," she scoffed. Girls in this line of work were all glib - tongued and fearless. She continued, "We noticed you eyeing the place every time you delivered food. We even bet on when you'd finally come in. And here you are. How about coming back inside with me? I'll give you a full - body massage and throw in a discount. Forget about No. 8. She's got some nasty. A customer came storming in because of it, and the manager had to kick her out. We said she was getting married, but she actually went to get treated."
Aaron's eyes widened in shock. He could never have imagined such a secret lurked behind the No. 8 he'd been longing for. Before he could recover, the girl pressed closer, her body brushing against his hand. "Handsome, I'm new to this. I'm squeaky clean. How about giving me a try?" she cooed. Aaron felt a twinge of temptation. Just as he was about to cave, a sudden "ding" echoed in his mind. In an instant, a flurry of codes danced before his eyes like snowflakes. A few seconds later, a line of small text materialized: "Auxiliary scanning function activated."
Aaron stared in disbelief, his eyes bulging. Then, a wave of elation washed over him. Could this be the long - awaited system? Finally, he could be like those protagonists in novels and turn his life around! The thought of ascending to the heights of success filled him with such excitement that he almost prostrated himself before the system right then and there. Moments later, the system chimed again: "To activate this system, you must spend on a member of the opposite sex with a charm value of 90 or above." Before Aaron could fully comprehend, a blue scanning window materialized before him. It seemed to respond to his thoughts, opening and closing at his will. Curious and eager, he turned his gaze to the girl beside him. Above her head, several lines of information gradually appeared:
Name: Emily
Age: 31
Charm: 72
Number of romantic relationships: 349
Note: The number of romantic relationships refers to the number of people she has dated.
Aaron was stunned. This woman had dated nearly 350 people and was still claiming to be new to the business? If it weren't for the system's timely warning, he would've been deceived by her alluring exterior. Alarmed, Aaron leaped to his feet as if electrocuted and firmly declined her offer. He quickly scanned the room and realized that none of the girls had a charm value exceeding 80. Without hesitation, he mounted his electric bike and sped off, paying no heed to Emily's attempts to detain him. After all, activating the system was his top priority. He couldn't afford to waste time on such distractions.
As he rode, Aaron became a relentless explorer, constantly using the scanning function to search for a 90 - charm beauty. But the late - night streets were deserted, and the few passers - by were unremarkable. After some experimentation, he discovered that as long as he could clearly see a person's appearance and figure, the scanning function could retrieve their details. An idea struck him. He swiftly opened his phone's photo album and began scanning the pictures one by one. Sure enough, the charm values of the people in the photos were displayed. His fingers flew through the images, and soon, a breathtaking photo caught his eye.
The details read:
Name: Sophia
Age: 25
Charm: 93
Number of romantic relationships: 1
Sophia, his college classmate, was the undisputed school beauty. Her long, jet - black hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall. Her eyes were like the twinkling stars of the night sky, bright and captivating. Beneath her slender nose was a dainty, upturned mouth that seemed to light up the world when she smiled. Her beauty was of the kind that left an indelible mark, the unattainable goddess in every boy's dreams. Aaron had never dared to dream of having any connection with her. But now, driven by the need to activate this mysterious system, he found the courage to reach out. He nervously retrieved the number he'd long - stored in his phone and sent a friend request. The verification question read: [What's my name?] With bated breath, he typed: [Sophia]. After sending the request, Aaron sat on his bike, trembling like a leaf. He was terrified that Sophia would reject him and equally worried that this system was a hoax that would disappear without a trace. He'd read countless novels, but never had he seen a system that required manual activation. In those stories, with a simple "ding," the protagonist was off to an invincible start. This one, however, demanded spending on the opposite sex to activate. Could it really be a "sycophant system"?
Just as he was lost in his thoughts, his phone screen lit up. Sophia had accepted his request and sent a simple "Hello." Aaron was so thrilled that he nearly dropped his phone. Since activation required spending, sending a red envelope seemed like the way to go. He eagerly opened the red - envelope feature, initially typing in $1. But then he hesitated, thinking it might seem too stingy. After a moment of deliberation, he gritted his teeth and added a zero before hitting send. Soon, the red envelope was accepted, and then, he heard the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard:
"Ding! Consumption successful. Sycophant system activated."
"When spending on a beauty with a charm value of 90 or above, you can use the Sycophant Fund for payment."
"Current fund balance: 0"
"$1 in cash can be exchanged for $10,000 in Sycophant Funds."
"When you raise a goddess's favorability to 80 (adoration), the funds spent on her will be returned in full as cash."
"When you raise a goddess's favorability to 100 (utter devotion), you will receive a strategy reward."
Upon hearing this, Aaron nearly swore. As he'd suspected, it was indeed a "sycophant system," and he had to recharge it! He'd always played pirated games and read books for free, never spending a dime. Now, being asked to spend money made him feel cheated. If it weren't for the voices in his head and the sudden appearance of a shimmering golden card, he wouldn't have believed in this strange system. After much hesitation, he reluctantly recharged $10.
"Ding. System balance: $100,000"
Just like that, he had 100,000 dollars? There wasn't even a first - recharge bonus. This system really seemed like a shoddy browser - based game. He wrinkled his nose in disdain but nonetheless linked the golden card to WeChat with a sense of unease. At that moment, Sophia replied: [Who are you? You actually have the nerve to send only $10?]