Chapter 38: Nonsense

After listening to Gao Yun’s explanation, Zhou Tian was still puzzled. "Brother Yun, you said I failed to provide emotional value, but I gave her all the positive emotional support I could, and I didn't output any negative energy. What did I miss?"

At this moment, A-Hua walked over from the grill with two plates of food and called out, "Come, come, try the grilled razor clams and eggplant I just made."

"Mmm, tastes good."
"These clams are really fresh!"

Everyone picked up their chopsticks. Gao Yun took a few bites and continued, "I hadn't finished earlier. Why do I say love is the most demanding form of emotional value?"

"Because besides providing positive emotional value and controlling your own negative output, you also have to manipulate the emotions of your partner! You didn't do that."

So-called emotional manipulation means making your partner's emotions fluctuate. You must learn the push-pull tactics in love; it cannot remain stagnant.

As mentioned before, in a relationship, you need to make a girl love and hate you, feel annoyed yet fond, alternate between hot and cold, and let her taste every flavor—sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty. You must make the relationship feel like a roller coaster, creating a sense of unpredictability.

Never let her feel that you cannot live without her, or that she is your one and only. That is equivalent to putting your life in someone else's hands to be toyed with; in most cases, the ending is miserable.

At certain times, you can even conjure up non-existent romantic interests to create a sense of crisis for your partner. Make her nervous about you, let her know that you are excellent, a scarce resource that is highly sought after—that way, she will care about you more.

Human nature—this is human nature. Things easily obtained are rarely cherished; it is the prize snatched from many competitors that is truly treasured.

The mistake Zhou Tian made was the same one Gao Yun had made in the past: failing at emotional manipulation, constantly trying to please the other person, and considering her in everything, which led to being dumped. Empathizing with him, Gao Yun spoke at length, and the others listened intently.

"That's the mistake you made back then, understand?"
Zhou Tian sighed and nodded. "I understand."

"Do you all understand why I didn't hold Daria back?"
"To put it bluntly, I currently possess high value in every aspect. At the same time, I can provide Daria with plenty of positive emotional value and have the ability to influence and manipulate her emotions, creating a romantic sensation that ordinary people cannot provide."

Gao Yun looked slightly conflicted. "Before we parted, I even sang her a song to express my feelings. Even then, she still left, so what’s the point of begging her to stay? Besides, it’s not like we’ll never see each other again. Didn't she end up coming back to me after nearly a year of being broken up last time? This time, the gap will probably be even shorter."

He shook his head. "Whatever happens, happens." He picked up the last lamb chop on the plate and ate it nonchalantly.

"That seems to make sense."
"The logic holds up."

"But I still feel like something is wrong..."

The guys looked at each other, then fixed their eyes on Gao Yun, who was busy eating his lamb chop. They all had similar thoughts: if someone as beautiful and excellent as Daria were their girlfriend, they would do anything to keep her, even if it meant groveling, or they would just follow her wherever she went, to the ends of the earth. Yet, this kid Gao Yun acted as if he didn't care at all.

Their eyes met, and they spoke in unison: "Scumbag!"

"Hahaha!"

They burst into laughter and high-fived over their shared sentiment. Gao Yun was already used to it; he didn't even flinch, just kept eating his lamb chop, mumbling, "You guys, too young, too simple~"

In relationships, you must understand that to love others, you must first love yourself. No one is more important than you. This is not selfishness; if you don't even know how to love yourself and can't take care of yourself, how can you take care of others?

Unfortunately, many people don't understand this. Even if they do, they remain immersed in constantly sacrificing for their lover, unable to pull themselves out. It’s understandable; after all, the self-satisfaction brought by sacrificing for love feels better than being loved. That feeling is like an addiction—one cannot stop.

But Gao Yun would never do that. He would never let so-called love disrupt his life plans, nor would he abandon his original goals to become a travel influencer just for Daria, and he certainly wouldn't give his heart and soul to a woman—no one is worth that except for parents and family.

Women? Great! I love them!
Daria? Wonderful! Truly excellent!
Perhaps there is only one girl in a million with her looks, personality, and everything else, but so what?

Is there something lacking in me? Even if I didn't have the system, I would still be a one-in-a-million outstanding male!
Besides, now, am I not better than her? Can I not find someone better? Even if I can't find someone better, am I truly bound to her?

If I lose this woman, or if I stop dating, or simply never find a woman again, what would happen?
Nothing. It doesn't matter!

The more you fear loss, the more you will lose.
When a man treats love and women with an attitude of indifference, no longer fretting over these things and instead prioritizing his career and family, constantly improving his ability, status, wealth, and physique—this man becomes more attractive and more favored by women.

A man must be confident, a strong figure centered on himself, like the sun, making women revolve around him.
Women are merely accessories to a successful man.
If you revolve around a woman, you are the weak one, and the weak will eventually be abandoned.
Genetics determine all of this; it is the law of nature.

...

"Come!" Diao Jun slammed his beer bottle on the table and shouted, "A toast to love—whether it exists or not!"
"Cheers!"

Afterward, the group chatted about everything: from careers, ideals, and girls, down to the trivialities of life. Which supermarket had meat a dollar cheaper, which new restaurant tasted good—it was all within the scope of these men's discussion.

When it came to careers, among the six present, except for the suddenly wealthy Gao Yun, the rich kid Liu Ximing, and Zhou Tian who worked for a state-owned enterprise, the other three were full of grievances. The word "miserable" couldn't even begin to describe it.

Looking at their professions:
Diao Jun, foreign trade export.
Wang Xiaole, piano shop owner and music instructor.
A-Hua, primarily a lounge singer and freelance musician.

Influenced by the recent sudden situation, all three of their industries were hit hard. Diao Jun ended the pity party with a sigh.
"Sigh, it's good enough just to survive."

Gao Yun was already seven-tenths full and planned to digest a bit before eating more. He reclined in his chair, basking in the sun comfortably, sipping beer from time to time. He said lazily, "If you guys want to do something else, start a new business, I can invest. I don't have a ton, but 500,000 for each of you. If you lose it, you don't have to pay it back. Once you’re on your feet and make a fortune, just pay me back the 500,000."

Right now, these were the only close friends Gao Yun had to chat with, and their characters were absolutely reliable. Gao Yun didn't want to watch them get beaten down by life like dogs, so he would help if he could. The "investment" talk was just a cover; giving them the money was the real intent.

The scene fell silent for a few seconds. Liu Ximing, the fake rich kid, rarely cursed, pointing at Gao Yun and laughing, "Damn, look at this kid, he looks just like a landlord from the old society! Just wait until I inherit my family's business; I'll definitely outdo you!"

"Hahaha!"
Everyone laughed heartily. They all understood what he meant, and there was a heavy, warm sense of gratitude in their hearts.