Chapter 3: Did You Just Buy Crude Oil at the Bottom?
Chapter 3: Did You Bottom-Fish Crude Oil?
After thoroughly reading the system’s user instructions, Gao Yun was overwhelmed with emotions. At that moment, he truly wanted to pick up his guitar and sing a song titled “I’m Making Money” to express how he felt.
“I’m making money, making money—I don’t even know how!”
“With my left hand, I buy a Nokia.”
“With my right hand, I buy a Motorola.”
Since it was only seven in the morning and he didn’t want to disturb the neighbors, Gao Yun refrained from taking out his guitar. Instead, he hummed softly as he mentally flipped to his last attribute: emotions, to take a look.
[First lover: Li Yujia, attractiveness score 89, age 29, height 168 cm, details…]
[Second lover: Wang Jia, attractiveness score 88, age 19, height 173 cm, details…]
[Third lover: Wu Hui, attractiveness score 86, age 24, height 165 cm, details…]
[Fourth lover: Daria, attractiveness score 94, age 23, height 181 cm, details…]
[Fifth lover: Li Jiayin, attractiveness score 89, age 22, height 170 cm, details…]
[1,344,000 RMB reward available (already claimed)]
“How many vows have turned into the wind, blowing into the eyes of the departed? How many hearts have been ground in a stone mortar, brewed into doves’ wine, and poured into the world?”
That final poetic line from the system stirred a complex blend of feelings in Gao Yun’s heart. He had taken each of these five relationships seriously, but as the saying went: “Blame it all on fate’s cruel play!”
Shaking off the past, Gao Yun tidied himself up and headed to the kitchen.
As a fitness coach, his breakfast was the same old two staples: boiled oats and egg whites. He cooked them into a thick porridge over high heat and finished it quickly while still hot. This simple meal restored his good spirits.
Though the names of his five exes briefly brought back some bittersweet memories, it lasted no longer than two minutes. Gao Yun simply couldn’t help but feel happy—being rich was too joyful! Over two hundred million could erase all worries!
“I’m making money, making money—I don’t even know how!”
“With my left hand, I buy a Nokia.”
“With my right hand, I buy a Motorola.”
Humming a tune, he moved toward his bedroom wardrobe and sifted through the densely packed hangers. After some consideration, he put on a minimalist gray suit. Then he opened a drawer and selected a light blue perfume bottle with a metallic finish from five different bottles varying in material and color.
“Bvlgari fresh tea scent—today I’ll be an elegant boy!”
Gao Yun sprayed the perfume inside his shirt, on his back, and at his knees, then a couple of sprays on his wrists. Before the fragrance faded, he crossed his wrists behind his neck and rubbed them evenly, letting the fresh tea aroma envelop him. Satisfied, he proceeded to the bathroom.
Now it was time to style his long hair. He always believed that no matter how strikingly handsome or painfully unattractive someone was, hairstyle was crucial. It could enhance the handsome, making them even more charming, or soften the features of the less fortunate, improving their appearance.
So every day before going out, Gao Yun took care of his hair.
Today, he applied a strong gel to slick his long hair back. This compensated for the gauntness of his cheeks, caused by his extremely low body fat. He left a strand naturally draping over his right eyelid, softening the style with a touch of casual ease and nonchalance.
“Perfect!”
Standing before the mirror, he scrutinized his reflection and found no flaws. Then he took out his phone, chose a flattering angle, and snapped a full-body photo revealing only his cool side profile.
After a brief five-second search, he applied a subtly textured filter to the picture and edited it. Contemplating for six more seconds, he finally crafted a caption and posted it on social media.
“From today onward, live wildly and recklessly!”
As a corporate drone juggling three jobs, Gao Yun’s average workday last year stretched to fourteen hours, with no fixed days off in his role as a fitness coach in the service industry. To others, he always appeared ambitious, strong-willed, and career-driven.
But if life weren’t so demanding, who wouldn’t want to be a layabout?
“If I had money, would I work three jobs?”
“I’d just exercise, dance, play guitar, sing, read novels, then enjoy barbecue and drinks with friends at night!”
“Isn’t that bliss? Isn’t that happiness?”
Thinking this, Gao Yun felt a pang of melancholy. He had sacrificed so much for money.
“If I hadn’t worked so much, would I have only dated five girlfriends?”
“Surely, I could have doubled that!”
“Then my emotional reward wouldn’t be just 13.44 million RMB.”
“Even if each girlfriend averaged a score of 80, that’d be over 20 million.”
“Rounded up, I missed out on a whole hundred million!”
With thoughts like these, the urge to quit his jobs sprouted wildly from his heart.
“Quit! All three!”
He glanced once more at his bank balance. That nine-digit figure gave him full confidence.
Looking ahead, with attributes, skills, honors, and emotions all able to yield astonishing rewards if nurtured, why waste his life on these jobs?
A career bureaucrat? Tenure and job security? No thanks, not needed!
Fitness coach? Ten thousand yuan a month? Too exhausting! Too little!
Freelance model? Gao Yun hesitated. This part-time job demanded little time and energy, so he decided to keep it. Most importantly, it gave him access to many domestic and international female models—his fourth girlfriend, the Russian Daria, was met through this connection.
“Decision made, happily so.”
Gao Yun felt a relaxation he had never known, as if breaking free from layers of shackles. Now he truly understood the meaning of financial freedom.
No more rushing daily to make ends meet. No more forced smiles for colleagues, bosses, or clients. No more doing things against his heart or speaking words he did not mean.
To live entirely on one’s own terms—that was pure bliss.
One word: freedom.
From now on, only pleasure matters. What’s melancholy to me?
Determined, Gao Yun put on his shoes and stepped out, planning to first resign from his bureaucratic job at the government office.
Heading downstairs, he took out his phone and replied to every friend who had messaged him that morning with concern or comfort.
Qianqian: “Brother Yun, what’s going on? Feeling down?”
Qianqian: “[Picture] Here’s the fat-loss breakfast I made. What do you think?”
Gao Yun: “(Laughs) Nothing serious, it’s all in the past. Your fat-loss meal looks great—already at thirty percent of my cooking skill. Keep it up!”
This girl, Li Qianqian, was a primary school teacher and an only child. Introduced to Gao Yun by their elders for matchmaking, their relationship had evolved into close friendship and personal training membership—the only matchmaking connection Gao Yun still maintained.
Wealthy Woman: “(Sneaky smile) Something happened? Money trouble or love trouble? I can help with either.”
Wealthy Woman: “(Playful) Don’t get me wrong—financially, I can lend you money; romantically, I can introduce some girlfriends.”
Wealthy Woman: “I’m off for Labor Day and will be home. Training at your place tonight—can you help me out?”
Gao Yun: “(Joking) Forget other girls. The doctor said I can only ‘eat soft rice’ [be dependent]. You’re always welcome to train anytime, day or night.”
Gao Yun: “(Playful) Don’t misunderstand—I just mean training!”
The “wealthy woman” was Du Yuan, Gao Yun’s middle school classmate who worked at the local court. Her parents owned Yaqi Swimwear Company, a prosperous local business worth over a hundred million.
Du Yuan liked Gao Yun, and their mutual friends knew it. Whether chatting casually or through subtle gestures, she had shown her affection openly.
Gao Yun had not rejected her nor pursued her actively. First, he felt her personality was a bit spoiled, which might make future relationships difficult. Second, their families differed vastly in social status—mismatched backgrounds.
No matter how much lovers love each other, social class always exists.
Couples with similar family wealth and status have a more stable foundation. Even though Gao Yun was confident Du Yuan admired him greatly, living together would be uncomfortable for both.
But if Du Yuan pursued him, he might consider giving it a try.
“I’m not the type to take the initiative. Only if pursued can I think about it.”
“There are so many girls around me who speak sweetly and are beautiful—I really like them.”
“Can’t forget the whole forest because of one tree.”
Honestly, the idea of “eating soft rice” had crossed Gao Yun’s mind before.
Especially at the moment of financial collapse, he seriously considered pursuing Du Yuan for support. But when it came to action, his principles became an impassable barrier. He couldn’t even bring himself to ask for a loan to pay off his credit cards.
Now, with the situation reversed and the system in hand, the thought of being dependent vanished completely.
You don’t love her—you love her money. How low of you!
Soft rice? I won’t eat it. Whoever wants to, can go ahead!
Shifting his thoughts, Gao Yun looked again at his bank balance and happily continued checking his WeChat messages.
In the four-person group chat “Waste Alliance”:
Diao Jun: “@Gao Yun, what’s up, scumbag? Dumped last night?”
Zhou Tian: “Doesn’t look like it. This guy’s used to being dumped. Why bother posting on social media?”
Liu Ximing: “He’s probably speculating on futures! @Gao Yun, did you bottom-fish crude oil? (Terrified)”
Diao Jun: “(Terrified)”
Zhou Tian: “(Terrified)”
Gao Yun silently cursed. These bastards were truly his good brothers—always spot on with their guesses.
(End of chapter)