Chapter 4

The door slammed shut, cutting off the noise.

Shi Bochuan paced a few steps by the door and calmed down.

He said to Shen Qinghuai, who was walking over, "I really shouldn't have."

Shen Qinghuai said, "Huh?"

Shi Bochuan blamed himself. The tall man stood in the corner and said gloomily, "I actually looked at my little brother from the worst possible angle just now. I thought he was full of bad intentions and utterly hateful. How could I think that? What did my little brother do wrong? He's still so young. He's so innocent."

"President Shi." Shen Qinghuai's expression was blank.

Shi Bochuan said, "What is it?"

"When you get up in the middle of the night to slap yourself twice, don't wake me up."

-

By the time Shi Jihan was hauled out of the restroom, he was already nearly asleep. Vaguely, he remembered being bundled up and stuffed into a car before being taken back to the villa.

When he woke up the next day, it was already afternoon. His head was splitting, as though someone had punched him in the skull.

"Ugh... it hurts." He rolled over.

[Host, don't go back to sleep yet,] Zero-Zero-Zero said cautiously. [You should check your balance first.]

"What happened?"

Shi Jihan opened the Malice Points panel—

Then let out a heart-wrenching scream. "Why did it become -184.67?!"

A millionaire debtor had been born.

[Because after your actions last night were uploaded to a short-video platform, you unexpectedly went viral. Everyone said they'd never seen such an adorable little brother. You helped Shi Corporation's reputation rise by 0.4. Mission failed.]

"How is that possible?" Shi Jihan could hardly believe it and hurriedly opened the video Zero-Zero-Zero had sent over.

It was indeed him after getting drunk last night.

But why were the comments below so bizarre?

[Another messy rich-people-circle drama... Uh, hmm, huh? Let me look again before I decide.]

[Before watching: a wealthy-family power struggle. After watching: a max-level PR expert's legendary rescue. He actually managed to smooth it over?]

[Little brother is so cute! He's even cuter when he's acting smug and triumphant. *Pinch pinch.*]

[The ultimate fantasy of college students during finals month.]

[This college student did nothing wrong, QAQ. Also, could Big Bro send one out to everyone? I want a Didi ride-discount substitute too!]

What was going on? Was he not excessive enough? Not malicious enough?

Shi Jihan stared blankly. "I'm taking out a loan to sue these bystander netizens."

Zero-Zero-Zero counted the IOUs.

[Host, people should have some basic moral limits.]

A friend request notification popped up, labeled Secretary Sun.

The moment Shi Jihan accepted it, the other party replied.

[Secretary Sun: Young Master Shi, the boss asked me to ask whether you'd be interested in working PR for our entertainment company?]

[Why Are You Still Awake?: How did you discover my talent in this area?]

[Secretary Sun: You jest, Young Master Shi. Our boss said that with your on-the-spot reaction last night, you could clean up any scandal involving a fallen celebrity in the future.]

Shi Jihan said, "..."

That little mouth of yours, shut it.

His face was full of despair. "What do I do now? Am I going to have to sell myself to pay off my debts?"

[Actually, a mission was issued this morning, but you were sleeping so deeply that I couldn't wake you—]

"Accept it, accept it!" Shi Jihan sprang upright, filled with the drive to make money. "A socialist overtime worker never admits defeat!"

[Ding. Mission issued: Encounter Zhou Jingcheng at the tennis court, humiliate him to his face, and use your ball skills to utterly overwhelm him. Mission reward: Malice Points +30.]

Zhou Jingcheng...

Shi Jihan clutched his chest and slowly collapsed backward.

He seemed to see the days after being exiled to the Australian desert to grow bananas, eating celery roots with cucumbers, broccoli with carrots, and even missing West Lake Vinegar Fish.

He was already having trouble breathing.

Chapter 4

Shi Jihan was already in the car heading to the tennis court, gnawing on a braised-meat bun he had swiped from the kitchen. Looking closely, his eyes were lifeless. As he chewed, he muttered to himself, "As the saying goes, money is hard to earn, and history is hard to swallow..."

Zero-Zero-Zero chuckled.

[Host, you've eaten it before?]

Shi Jihan's expression changed. He stuffed the bun into his mouth in a few bites and swallowed.

[Shut up. Don't talk while eating.]

He asked for the tennis court's address. By coincidence, it was the place Lip-Piercing Bro had mentioned last night. When the other man heard he was coming, he was delighted. "I thought your big brother had grounded you and wouldn't let you come."

"Oh, right, Young Master Shi. Your big brother didn't say anything to you, did he?"

Shi Jihan had no desire to recall what had happened last night. Fortunately, Shi Bochuan had gone to work early in the morning. Otherwise, he would have been tossed out the front door by the back of his neck long ago.

He said weakly, "Don't ask about things outside your social circle..."

"Wait for me. I'll be there in an hour."

"Sure. I'll pick you up at the entrance."

When Shi Jihan arrived at the tennis court, he saw Lip-Piercing Bro in a flamboyant hot-pink outfit, striking a pose that showed off every curve as he leaned against a motorcycle by the entrance. He blew him an enthusiastic kiss. "Young Master Shi, come here~"

Feeling the suggestive looks around him, Shi Jihan closed his eyes. For the first time, he realized that he was actually socially anxious.

The walk into the tennis court with Lip-Piercing Bro leading the way drew everyone's attention. It was the longest red-carpet walk of his life. If he had had a fast-forward button in his hand, he would have mashed it to pieces.

The tennis club was quite large, nestled at the foot of a mountain. Towering clubhouse and leisure buildings faced lush lawns across a lake.

When Shi Jihan reached this spot, poetic inspiration struck. He clasped his hands behind his back and stood on the pebble path, emotionally letting out an "Ah!" "You only regret having read too little when the need arises; one house, so much grass."

[What a poem! An impromptu masterpiece, perfectly natural and not lacking in humor!]

Lip-Piercing Bro silently stepped farther away and pushed him. "The changing rooms are up ahead. Go by yourself."

Shi Jihan was shoved inside, and the door swiftly closed behind him.

Holding his locker tag, he wandered around the changing room full of doors for a few laps before asking Zero-Zero-Zero, "Can you locate Zhou Jingcheng's exact position?"

White-person meals or whatever, what was that gibberish? He needed to make money first.

Humiliate him thoroughly, right? Shi Jihan rubbed his hands together, ready for action.

[Yes, but it will cost 0.5 Malice Points.]

...An inauspicious start.

After adding another entry to his debt, Zhou Jingcheng's location appeared on his phone.

He was twenty meters away in a straight line.

"So close?"

-

Inside the shower room, water flowed.

Zhou Jingcheng had not wanted to come out in the first place, but his mother thought he had really been too idle lately and forcibly packed him up and kicked him out of the house.

Mother Zhou said, "My older sister's son's younger uncle's paternal cousin's younger brother recently opened a tennis club with someone. Go have some fun. If you can bring back a creature—male, female, cat, or dog—Mom will be happy."

Such a distant relationship—was she trying to reduce the similarity score on a paternity report?

He had been infected by that PR genius.

He turned off the showerhead and casually dried his soaking-wet hair a few times.

The instant he opened the door, a force yanked him over.

Zhou Jingcheng grabbed the intruder's shoulder, about to counterattack. But after recognizing the face, a look of what the hell is this flashed through his eyes. He relaxed his strength and was forcibly pressed against the wall.

He frowned and gave a muffled grunt.

Imitating the original owner, Shi Jihan looked down arrogantly at the person he had dragged over and rendered unable to resist. One hand braced against the wall, trapping him with nowhere to escape, Shi Jihan gave a wicked smile—and bit his tongue. "Yo, ow, isn't this Zhou Jingcheng? Ow, ow, ow, one night apart and why, why, why aren't you wearing clothes?!"

As if scalded, he hurriedly covered his eyes. His hand flailed blindly in the air, not knowing where to put itself, and in his panic, he nearly smacked the fire alarm.

Zhou Jingcheng's pupils suddenly constricted.

Countless thoughts flashed through his head in a second, all of them scenes of everyone rushing in after the alarm sounded and watching the two of them chat naked.

And he would be the naked one.

[Ding. Malice Points +5!]

His hands had never moved so quickly. At the crucial moment, he grabbed Shi Jihan's hand and flung it away!

He would defend his dignity to the death.

With the crisis resolved, a layer of cold sweat broke out on Zhou Jingcheng's back. He pointed at his bath towel. "The Emperor's New Clothes?" He lifted his eyes and demanded, "You're the one not wearing clothes."

He had worked up a sweat playing tennis and had only just showered. A towel was wrapped around his lower body, while large expanses of cool pale skin were exposed, openly displaying his perfect broad shoulders and narrow waist. Strings of water droplets slid along the lines of his muscles and disappeared from view.

Shi Jihan covered his eyes, but his fingers were spread wide apart. "But you can't, can't come out wearing so little either! This is a public place, understand!"

Zhou Jingcheng curled his lip and pointed at the sign outside. His voice rose and fell clearly as he enunciated each word. "Come on, repeat after me: 'VIP exclusive lounge.' Shi Jihan, I haven't even asked how you got in here."

"Uh..." Shi Jihan blinked, secretly glanced over, then glanced again.

Zhou Jingcheng laughed in exasperation. "How about I pull off the rest and let you have a look?"

His hand hooked the edge of the towel.

Shi Jihan said shyly, "Wouldn't that be inappropriate?"

He did not move an inch.

"You really want to see it??" Zhou Jingcheng took a deep breath, feeling like some escort working at an upscale club.

He maintained the last shreds of his collapsing composure. "Get out!"

[Ding. "Humiliate him to his face" mission completed. Reward received: +15.]

[Remaining mission: Overwhelming Ball Skills.]

[Warning: Failure will deduct 300 Malice Points.]

The door behind Shi Jihan slammed shut with a bang, the panel trembling faintly.

Shi Jihan scratched his cheek, went to the room on his locker tag to change clothes, and poked Zero-Zero-Zero. "That Qidian male lead's body is pretty damn good."

His abs were firm and defined. You could practically play hide-and-seek in the grooves.

"I've decided. Starting today, I'm going to exercise seriously too."

Zero-Zero-Zero watched him order a spicy crispy chicken and an Original Recipe chicken.

[Aren't you supposed to be exercising? Why did you start eating?]

"How narrow-minded," Shi Jihan criticized. "Training your chewing strength is also a form of exercise."

One door away.

Zhou Jingcheng dried his hair, closed his eyes, and took deep breaths.

Yes, just like that. Relax. Stay calm.

He was a civilized person, one of the highly civilized sort. He would not stoop to the level of certain people.