5. The Pretend Boyfriend (With heartfelt thanks to the patron who mentioned my name!)

Seeing that his daughter had made up her mind, Director Liu walked over to Chen Ling. Just as he was about to speak, Chen Ling had already handed over the model he was holding.

“Thank you,” Director Liu said with a kindly smile, accepting it and confirming with his daughter, “Do you like this one?”

“Anything’s fine. Just get it done quickly,” Liu Xinyue replied. She didn’t enjoy being the center of attention, finding the situation rather uncomfortable.

Director Liu nodded and turned to Manager Li, “Xiao Li, I’ll trouble you with this.”

“No problem!” Manager Li beckoned to the lobby manager, “Fetch a new unit from the storeroom and handle this quickly.”

The lobby manager replied obsequiously, “Rest assured, Manager Li.”

With that, the subordinate hurried off, while Manager Li stayed behind to chat with Director Liu.

“This won’t do; I can’t make an opening like this,” Chen Ling frowned, pondering options. Then, an idea struck him.

He glanced over at Liu Xinyue, who looked bored out of her mind. He was about to greet her and draw her attention when, unexpectedly, she walked toward him of her own accord.

“Oh, my wretched, overwhelming charm—nowhere to put it!” Chen Ling felt a flicker of excitement, preparing himself for his first experience of being approached by a girl. He put on his best smile—only for Liu Xinyue to walk straight past him, not even glancing his way, and head directly out of the business hall.

“Was I just being self-absorbed?” Chen Ling laughed at himself wryly, then followed her outside on a sudden impulse.

This scene, however, did not escape Manager Li’s notice.

Outside, Liu Xinyue was bored out of her wits. She only wanted to buy a new phone, but her father, who usually used work as an excuse to avoid such errands, insisted on accompanying her this time, dragging her to the service center.

As a daughter, what she couldn’t stand most was her father’s constant display of authority, which she found pretentious. So he’s an official—what’s there to show off about?

She glanced back to see if her father had followed, and when he hadn’t, she slipped to the side, fished out a cigarette and lighter from her bag, and, feeling utterly bored, lit up.

Chen Ling noticed and took out his own cigarette, walking over to her. “Could I borrow your lighter?” he asked.

Recognizing him as the boy from earlier, Liu Xinyue handed him the lighter.

“Thanks.” Chen Ling lit his cigarette and said nothing more, puffing quietly beside her.

This left Liu Xinyue a little puzzled. Normally, when a guy struck up a conversation, ninety-nine times out of a hundred it was to ask for her phone number or contact, followed by the same old tired lines. Then she could just reply with a perfunctory “I’m eating” or “off to shower,” ending the exchange.

But this boy didn’t say another word—was he really just borrowing a light? Was she now so unattractive?

Thinking this, she couldn’t help but look at Chen Ling a few more times. He wasn’t especially handsome, but his features were pleasant and neat, making him easy on the eyes. His clothes were old but clean and fresh, and there was a faint scent of soap about him, reminding her of childhood days, sitting on a little stool and watching her mother do the laundry.

Compared to the so-called artistic boys at her school, reeking of cologne, this young man gave her a sense of simple warmth—a sunny, unpretentious charm that quietly stirred her heart.

If it weren’t for her feminine reserve, she would have wanted to ask for his phone number and contact herself!

By the time she finished her cigarette, Liu Xinyue tossed the stub and headed back into the service hall. Naturally, Chen Ling followed.

Ordinarily, this might have seemed a little creepy, but Liu Xinyue felt not the slightest aversion. On the contrary, she even felt a tinge of anticipation, though she couldn’t have said what she was expecting.

She couldn’t help glancing back at Chen Ling, who was smiling at her. Turning forward again, she found herself smiling too.

They returned to the counter where they’d been before. Chen Ling kept a respectful distance, though this small gesture only made Manager Li more suspicious.

He looked at Director Liu, who seemed unaware, and smiled without revealing his thoughts. “Director Liu, I’ll leave this matter in your capable hands! Next time, allow me to treat you to a meal in thanks.”

“Of course. You’re the one supporting my work, after all,” Director Liu replied, now in visibly better spirits.

At that moment, the lobby manager returned with the new phone, the transaction was quickly completed, and Director Liu handed the phone to his daughter, leading her out. Liu Xinyue glanced back at Chen Ling once more before leaving.

After the father and daughter left, Chen Ling didn’t go right away, instead wandering the hall, looking around.

He also noticed that Manager Li hadn’t returned upstairs but was lingering in the lobby, observing him.

“He’s taken the bait!” Chen Ling thought. His purpose in following Liu Xinyue out and back in was precisely to give the impression that he was her boyfriend, unable to make their relationship public in front of her father, so he had to accompany her in this roundabout way.

Of course, he could have approached Li directly, offered benefits, and sought cooperation. But that would have made things much more difficult.

Why not make use of his “Sea God Template”? There was, admittedly, an element of risk—if Manager Li was too dense, he might not pick up on these cues.

But if it worked, the matter would be much simpler.

“Use every resource at your disposal”—that was the system’s advice.

Sure enough, after a few minutes of Chen Ling’s aimless wandering, Manager Li strode over with confidence.

“Hey, classmate,” he began, “you’re here with Director Liu’s daughter, aren’t you?”

Chen Ling feigned a startled, then forcibly composed expression, as if Manager Li had seen through him. He nodded slowly, “Yes. Hello, Manager Li. My name is Chen Ling.”

“Is there something I can help you with?” Manager Li asked with a broad smile.

Chen Ling pressed his lips together, looking nervous. “Actually, yes, there is…”

He lowered his voice. “Here’s the thing: Xinyue and I have started a small business together, and we could use your help…”

“I understand!” Manager Li raised a hand to stop him. “It’s noisy here—let’s talk in my office.”

Chen Ling nodded and followed him upstairs to the end of the corridor, where the nameplate read “General Manager Li Mingjiang.”

“Please, come in,” Li Mingjiang said, opening the door. “Sit, and tell me what you need.”

Chen Ling knew full well that this courtesy was on account of Liu Xinyue’s father, so he responded politely, sitting properly before beginning.

“Manager Li, here’s the situation,” he began earnestly. “Xinyue and I joined a campus team project—a small side business recharging phone credit for classmates. We wanted to gain some experience and earn a little pocket money, so…”

“Phone credit recharging?” Li Mingjiang laughed. “That’s a simple service—just process it directly. There’s no need for me to get involved.”

“No,” Chen Ling shook his head. “We also want to join the business hall’s ‘Top up 200, get 200 supermarket card’ promotion. To do that, we need to recharge through the hall.”

Hearing this, Li Mingjiang asked with some confusion, “And the point of that is…?”

Now, Chen Ling truly felt nervous. Human greed was unpredictable—if he revealed his entire plan, there was no guarantee Li Mingjiang wouldn’t seize the opportunity for himself. Given his influence, he could easily shut Chen Ling out.

But if he revealed nothing, it would be hard to justify his request right now.

After a moment’s thought, Chen Ling replied cautiously, “This is Xinyue’s initiative, apparently with her father’s suggestion. We help classmates top up their phone credit—pay 200, get 400 value—and then resell the supermarket cards to earn a little profit.”

“Of course, we wouldn’t ask for your help for nothing. If things work out, we’re willing to give you ten percent of the net profit.”

Chen Ling deliberately downplayed the scale, to avoid Manager Li making excessive demands, while also invoking Liu Xinyue’s father as a shield.

He was about to add more, but Li Mingjiang waved his hand repeatedly, “How could I take your money? You’re students—hard enough to make a little cash. Helping you is the least I can do. Especially for Director Liu’s daughter… Here’s what we’ll do: I’ll assign someone specifically to assist you. Afterward, you can give them a little something as a token. How does that sound?”

Things were going more smoothly than expected; Li Mingjiang agreed without asking many questions. This made Chen Ling reevaluate the influence of Liu Xinyue’s father.

Director Liu—just which bureau was he from?