By the time summer vacation ended, Lin Ruoxuan's attribute panel had completely taken on a new look:
[Appearance: 92/100 (Bright eyes and white teeth, abundant vitality and blood, skin brighter than snow; already possessing initial world-toppling beauty in her backward glances)]
[Figure: 85/100 (Curves becoming increasingly exquisite and graceful, waist-to-hip ratio approaching perfection; vitality and gentle charm coexisting just right)]
[Knowledge: 44/100 (Cultural course progress obviously lagging due to focus on investing; needs to study bitterly after school starts. Foundation potential waiting to be tapped)]
[Temperament: 60/100 (Money and skills have nourished an initial calm confidence, but inner foundation is still shallow; needs more life experience to settle)]
[Influence: 15/100 (Has gained an initial reputation among close classmates and small-scale investment circles; the title of 'Little Beauty Stock God' has spread like wildfire)]
[Comprehensive Charm Value: 59.2/100 (Significant progress, but the road to becoming a true goddess is long and arduous)]
[Hidden Talent: Business Prodigy (Activated 5%)]
[Currently Controlled Wealth: ~50,000,000 Yuan (Liquid value in the capital market; the first pot of gold has been solidified)]
On Xu Yunzhou's end, however, only two hours had passed in real time; it was just past nine in the evening."Listen."
Adopting the posture of a strict instructor, he typed out a command:
"During college, your core task is to study, and use this time to expand a high-quality, valuable network of contacts to pave the way for your future business empire."
"But dating is strictly prohibited; that will only affect the speed at which you draw your sword and dull your judgment! There must also be no slacking off in your daily exercise and study plans, understand? Hmm... I need to leave for a bit, so keep yourself disciplined."
(TL: "Affect the speed at which you draw your sword" is an internet meme implying that romance hinders a person's skill or ambition.)
"Got it, Tyrant Daddy System! Then when are you coming back?"
Lin Ruoxuan's voice carried an obvious attachment and reluctance to part.
"Just long enough to take a piss."
Anxious to resolve his immediate physiological needs, Xu Yunzhou casually replied with the blunt truth.
"Ew—Tyrant, you're so vulgar! This will pollute my pure soul and lower my lady-like temperament score!"
She protested loudly and exaggeratedly on her end, though her tone carried an intimate, playful warmth.
Xu Yunzhou smiled and shook his head, then got up, left the computer, and walked toward the bathroom.
When he returned and his gaze swept across the screen, his heart suddenly sank heavily.
The time in the game had quietly jumped forward by a month.
Looking closely at the data panel again, apart from her Influence increasing to 20 points due to the spread of her reputation as the "Beauty Stock God," and her wealth breaking through one hundred million under his preset automated trading strategies, her other attributes had actually fallen across the board!
Figure (-3), Temperament (-2), and even her Appearance had dropped by 1 point due to a completely disordered daily routine!
In the footage, Lin Ruoxuan was throwing a late-night snack carnival in her dorm room with several fashionably dressed roommates.
Fried chicken, skewers, and high-sugar milk teas littered the desks. They were eating with their mouths slick with grease, continuous laughter and chatter filling the air.
She was clearly loving the feeling of being surrounded and flattered by everyone.
This generous "Sister Xuan" was being thoroughly swept up in her roommates' sweet talk of "sugar mommy, please" and "take us with you to get rich" until she felt light-headed, the corners of her mouth and brows lifted with undisguised smugness, deeply enjoying her spot at the center of the crowd.
Xu Yunzhou's brows instantly twisted together. A dark surge of exasperation—the classic frustration of "hating iron for not turning into steel"—welled up inside him.
Without another word, he moved his mouse and ruthlessly slammed the [Punish] button, which was flashing with a faint blue electric light.
"Zzzt—!"
Lin Ruoxuan, who was just raising her milk tea cup for a hearty gulp, was instantly struck as if by an invisible, high-voltage electric whip. Her whole body convulsed violently as the current passed through her.
With a loud "pfft," she wildly sprayed a mist of milk tea from her mouth. Her entire body seemed to have its bones ripped out as she went limp, slid helplessly from her chair to the cold floor, and curled up, twitching uncontrollably.
"Xuanxuan! What's wrong with you?!"
Her roommates turned pale with fright and immediately surrounded her, all talking over one another:
"What happened? Food poisoning?"
"My god! Quick! Quick, call 120 for an ambulance!"
"No... no need..."
Lin Ruoxuan tremulously raised a hand to wave them off, her face pale as a sheet, her voice carrying the desperate, weeping tone of someone surviving a disaster,
"It's... it's my dad... he's... he's back..."
The roommates looked at each other, their faces a mix of profound confusion and terror—Dad?
Isn't her dad back home in Huzhou? Is this a sudden bout of hysteria or an epileptic fit?
Waiting until the intense soreness subsided slightly, she hurriedly used her sleeve to haphazardly wipe the milk tea stains and tear marks from her face.
Amid her roommates' suspicious, fearful gazes, as if they were looking at a monster, she scrambled awkwardly on her hands and knees toward her upper bunk.
With a sharp "swish," she forcefully pulled the mosquito net tight, completely isolating herself to create a small, safe, private space.
She knelt on the mattress, her hands placed properly on her knees, and faced the empty space in front of her, mumbling timidly:
"Daddy System... You, you're back... I, I know I was wrong..."
Xu Yunzhou's voice was as cold as ice:
"How long was I gone? A mere month! And you've ruined yourself to this extent? Your body fat percentage went up, muscle mass went down, skin glossiness diminished, and even your eyes have become cloudy! Lin Ruoxuan, are you trying to anger me to death so you can inherit this string of System source code early?"
Lin Ruoxuan pouted, her eyes instantly turning red. She tried to deflect with her grievances, vainly attempting to act cute to get away with it:
"I... I really missed you so much I couldn't eat or drink, and I felt so down... Without Daddy by my side urging me on, I felt like life lost its direction and meaning... My heart felt so empty and sad, so I could only rely on eating some delicious food to numb myself and fill the void... I know I was wrong, Daddy, please don't be mad anymore, okay..."
"You couldn't eat or drink, so you ate some good food? Which language arts teacher taught you to string those two thoughts together?"
Xu Yunzhou was so exasperated he nearly laughed at her shameless logic, letting out a cold snort:
"Tomorrow, go rent an apartment immediately and move out to live alone! What positive value can these so-called 'good sisters' of yours bring you besides dragging you out to overindulge and feeding you empty flattery?"
"Cut ties immediately! Stay away from people who only consume you! Reflect on your mistakes properly by yourself! Starting tomorrow, double the intensity of your daily exercise plan!"
Hearing that the punishment wasn't a more terrifying, continuous electric shock session, Lin Ruoxuan immediately broke into a smile through her tears:
"Got it! I knew Daddy dotes on me the most, and deep down, you still can't bear to really shock me into a little idiot~"
She paused, and suddenly, as if remembering something, lowered her voice, leaned forward slightly, and asked softly:
"Um... then... Daddy, as my only audience... do you think... this new lace-trimmed bra I'm wearing today is... pretty? I... I specially picked it out for you..."
Xu Yunzhou took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the trace of inexplicable restlessness in his heart, and completely ignored the dangerous, ambiguous question:
"It seems the electric shock intensity wasn't high enough if you still have the mind to think about this nonsense."
"Starting tomorrow, the milk tea shop entrepreneurship plan commences; I'll send you the specific proposal. After you digest it, give me fifty standard crunches to burn off the junk food calories you just ingested!"
"Ah! I'll do it! I'll do it right now! Don't shock me, Daddy!"
Lin Ruoxuan instantly admitted defeat, frantically getting into position on the bed while still muttering unconvincingly in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzzing,
"Smelly block of wood! Damn straight man! Not understanding romance at all..."