X-ray Vision Protagonist

"Apologize." Wang Haoran uttered two words coldly.

"Did you hear that? Apologize now." Fan Jian, though clueless as to why his boss wanted Xu Muyan to apologize, still bared his teeth and repeated the demand at her out of underling instinct.

But no sooner had the words left his mouth than his forehead got smacked.

"Boss, why'd you hit me?" He was baffled.

"I told you to apologize to Xu Muyan. And from now on, don't call her Sister-in-law." Wang Haoran said.

"Huh?"

"Don't 'huh' me. Apologize, now."

"Oh." Fan Jian obediently bowed to Xu Muyan. "Sorry, Xu Muyan. I was wrong. I won't call you that again."

Wang Haoran turned to Xu Muyan, who stood there stunned. "That 'Sister-in-law' thing was just them joking around. It had nothing to do with me. I won't let them call you that anymore. Anyone who does, I'll smash their mouth.

As for those rumors—that I like you, that I'm dead set on winning you over—I need to clear that up. It's fake.

We're in senior year now, academics come first. I really don't have any thoughts about dating or anything. Don't overthink it.

Alright, that's it."

With that, Wang Haoran walked toward the classroom without looking back, leaving Xu Muyan frozen in place.

Ding, altered Female Lead Xu Muyan's impression of the host. Affinity increased by 20. Current total affinity: 10 (Acquaintance).

Ding, host influenced the original plot direction. Gained 200 Villain Points.

Just as Wang Haoran reached the classroom door, he heard the system's notification.

He wasn't particularly surprised.

The main reason Xu Muyan had disliked him before was largely due to those "rumors," plus his underlings always teasing her about it, calling her Sister-in-law.

Think about it—a young girl who'd never been in a relationship, thin-skinned by nature.

She wanted to focus on her studies, so of course she'd find it annoying.

Wang Haoran himself hadn't actually done anything unreasonable or offensive to Xu Muyan yet.

Once he clarified things and warned his underlings not to use that title anymore, naturally, Xu Muyan wouldn't hold a grudge against him.

10 points of affinity—the system rated it as "Acquaintance," basically the goodwill between ordinary classmates.

In terms of his current relationship with Xu Muyan, Wang Haoran was now on the same starting line as the protagonist.

Besides the affinity boost, he'd also gained Villain Points.

Wang Haoran checked his current stat panel.

Host: Wang Haoran

Combat Power: 89

Charm: 198

Villain Halo: 99

Villain Points: 300

Skills: None

"Hmm, 300 Villain Points. Another 200 and I can unlock the System Shop. I wonder what's in there. Hope there's something to boost Combat Power." Wang Haoran looked forward to it.

Judging by how the protagonist effortlessly took on three opponents at once, his Combat Power had to be far above the average of 100.

And as the story progressed, the protagonist's combat strength would only grow.

Wang Haoran couldn't even reach the average of 100. In a straight-up fight, he'd be no match at all.

Just as Wang Haoran was thinking this, he suddenly felt a pair of eyes in the classroom sizing him up.

Deep in that gaze lurked a hint of hatred.

The owner of those eyes was the bottom-ranked protagonist, named Chu Bai.

Just the name alone sounded extraordinary—likely carrying a Protagonist Halo.

Why?

Because the four major surnames for web novel protagonists were Ye, Lin, Xiao, and Chu.

And Chu was ranked fourth!

Wang Haoran could guess the reason for Chu Bai's hateful stare.

Yesterday after school, Fan Jian, Fan Tong, and Qin Shousheng had blocked Chu Bai's path.

Chu Bai must have thought Wang Haoran ordered it.

But in truth, those three had acted on their own.

Still, Wang Haoran wasn't about to explain.

No need for that.

He was a villain, born to be irreconcilably opposed to the protagonist.

"System, pull up Chu Bai's attribute data." Wang Haoran issued a command.

Query costs 100 Villain Points. Proceed?

"Yes!"

Though Wang Haoran had gleaned some original plot info from the system, it was vague and general—just stuff like how miserable his own ending would be, how miserable his relatives' endings would be, how blissful the protagonist would be, and so on.

After spending the Villain Points, Chu Bai's panel attributes appeared.

Protagonist: Chu Bai

Combat Power: 155

Charm: 100

Protagonist Halo: 357

Ability: X-ray Vision

"Oh, so he's a protagonist with X-ray Vision."

Wang Haoran had been feeling the sting of those 100 Villain Points, but after getting this key intel, he figured it was worth it.

As they say, know yourself and know your enemy, and you'll never lose a battle. Now that he knew Chu Bai's Plot Device, dealing with him became a bit simpler.

Charm at 100—barely average, just a plain face.

And yet, in the original plot, this guy had scored so many gorgeous girls.

It made no sense! Meanwhile, he himself had a maxed-out Charm of 198 and hadn't landed a single girl.

Totally unfair! Combat Power at 155 was impressive, though—half above average.

In the original plot, relying on that standout Combat Power, Chu Bai had pulled off countless "Hero Saves Beauty" moments, winning the hearts of pretty girls.

But this was one thing Wang Haoran really wanted to call out.

In today's peaceful society, where were all these thugs coming from, and why did Chu Bai always run into them?

And fine, even if he saved them.

Those girls actually ended up falling for Chu Bai because of it.

That was just too ridiculous.

In this economy, being handsome and rich was the real deal.

A plain-faced guy who could fight—what gave him the right to win a girl's heart with one "Hero Saves Beauty" stunt? And him, a ridiculously charming rich second generation, was despised by the Female Lead.

Why?! "System, what are the odds if I hire someone to just kill Chu Bai outright?" Wang Haoran steeled himself, opting for a direct approach.

The target's Protagonist Halo points are high. With your current Villain Halo points, the success rate is near zero.

Damn, I knew it.

Wang Haoran grumbled internally, refusing to accept it, and said:

"Near zero means there's still a tiny chance, right? I can at least try, can't I?"

It is not recommended for the host to attempt such an operation. Protected by the Protagonist Halo, when faced with a major crisis, the protagonist will inevitably trigger a stroke of fortune. Not only will he resolve the crisis, but he will also grow stronger, which is extremely disadvantageous for the host.

"The Protagonist Halo is way too OP." Wang Haoran was frustrated.

Please do not be discouraged, host. You can weaken the Protagonist Halo by plundering the protagonist's opportunities and winning over the Female Lead's heart, among other methods. Once your Villain Halo points are raised, you can proceed with such operations.

"Looks like I'll have to take his opportunities and his girls step by step, shatter his Protagonist Halo. If I don't, I'm dead for sure."

Wang Haoran steeled his resolve.