Chapter 245 - 243: Offline Reality

Chapter 245: Chapter 243: Offline Reality

"I’ve probably spent over 6,000 in total."

"And how long has it been?" Zhang Zhe pressed.

"Let me see... We met on the 7th, so it’s been a little over twenty days now."

"Wow." Zhang Zhe made a gesture at the man, a smile of understanding on his face.

’Spending over six thousand in just twenty days on a girl he met online... Even if it was through a legitimate dating site, the guy would still be a total sucker.’

’And it wasn’t even a proper date. He found a "Healer," which sounds sketchy as hell... ’

’This guy is definitely a sexually repressed "nice guy."’

Zhang Zhe asked curiously, "How far have things gone? Have you even met yet?"

"No, we’re not in the same place. I’m in Xinjiang, she’s in Lin’an. We haven’t met yet."

"Huh?" Zhang Zhe scratched his head.

’They’ve never met, which means they’ve never even held hands, and he’s already out six thousand yuan?’

[This guy probably doesn’t get how things work in the big cities.]

[Are you serious? Do guys this naive still exist?]

[Is this what they call being a human ATM online?]

[You can tell he’s really repressed. The signs were there when he hired a "Healer" online.]

"Bro, I don’t care that you’re just dropping cash on her. From the sound of it, I can tell you’ve got some money to burn."

"What I’m curious about is why you think this is a relationship issue. Did the woman even talk about feelings with you?"

The man replied, "Because after we chatted on the platform, I added her as a contact. I sent her 660 yuan, and then she got on a video call with me."

"And on the call, she... well, she showed me everything."

"What?" Xia Yi gasped in shock.

Zhang Zhe, on the other hand, completely lost it. He was laughing so hard he felt light-headed.

’She showed him everything, huh? Not bad. This guy’s really something else.’

"The price is a little steep for that, my friend."

"But, how should I put this... at least you got what you paid for."

"She’s got professional integrity. Honest business, payment for services rendered. I think you shouldn’t be trying to catch feelings. That’s just insulting her profession."

"I’m not insulting her," the man said, his voice bewildered. "I think she’s a very sincere girl."

"She, uh... she showed me everything. I think we’re a good match."

"A good match in what way?" Zhang Zhe was momentarily stunned by the man’s words. "Do you like her face? Her figure?"

"Or did some fortune teller tell you that you’re destined to be with a woman with her exact body type?"

"No, no, I just feel like she’s right for me."

"Fine, let’s drop the ’good match’ discussion." Zhang Zhe moved past the pointless argument. "You’ve never been in a relationship, have you?"

"No, I haven’t."

"Do you think you have to be responsible for a woman just because you’ve seen her body?"

"That’s not it, either."

"Then... is it that you have trouble finding a girl who likes you when you try to date seriously?"

"..." The man was silent for a moment, then said in a dejected tone, "Yes."

"Okay, that explains it."

"Your current mental state is a twisted mix of naivete and thirst. Alright, regulars in the chat, help me out here. Roast this guy for me."

[Bro, do you really have to be this thirsty?]

[It costs you 660 just to look. Where she lives, 660 could probably get you the whole night.]

[If you two get together and I send her 660, what are you gonna do about it?]

[Hey man, are they still running this "get paid without meeting" promotion?]

[Does gender matter? I’m a guy, but I’m open-minded. I’d like to earn 600 too. I’ll even do it for half off.]

"Bro, you see the chat?" Zhang Zhe asked, crossing his arms. "Any thoughts?"

"I don’t think she’s that kind of person."

"What kind of person?"

"The kind of person who shows herself for money. Because I gave her money and told her to stop doing this kind of work."

"Besides, I’m not that desperate," the man tried to explain. "It’s not like I haven’t seen girls in that line of work before. But she’s really different."

"When she called me, she wasn’t using any beauty filters. It was her bare face, and she was in bed, hair like a bird’s nest."

"That’s what made me feel she’s so genuine."

"She’s not like other girls at all."

"..." Zhang Zhe rubbed the corners of his eyes, trying to relax the facial muscles that were sore from laughing so much.

’Listening to how stubborn this guy was, it was obvious that trying to reason with him was pointless.’

’As long as that Healer wants to keep making money, she could bleed this guy dry.’

’The only thing to do now was...’

"My friend, if you think you’re such a great match, why don’t you go find her?"

"It’s just Lin’an, right? The flight can’t be that long."

"The flight is five hours. I’ve already looked it up."

"Exactly, just five hours. So go," Zhang Zhe encouraged him. "But once you get there, don’t rush to meet her right away."

"Why?"

"Because think about it. You’re new in town, you don’t know the lay of the land. You need to get a feel for the local customs, figure out what kind of gift to bring when you first meet, where to take a girl for dinner, right?"

"Oh, you’re right. Streamer, you make a good point."

"Can you teach me?"

"I can’t teach you," Zhang Zhe said, waving his hand modestly. "When you get there, take a walk around the streets at night. Look for one of those fancy, brightly lit KTV places—the business kind. Go inside and ask around."

"Once you’re inside, be generous. Tell them you’re very picky and want to take your time choosing. Have them line up the staff for you to choose from."

"Just pick the one you like best and ask her for advice on how to woo the Healer you’ve got your heart set on."

[Holy shit, Brother Zhang is showing him the enlightened path.]

[What if he ends up falling for one of the KTV girls?]

[I guarantee he’ll fall for a hostess. Guys like him fall for every girl they meet.]

[The most important thing for a guy like this is to be disillusioned about women. Otherwise, he’s just a total mark.]

"Bro, you get it?"

"Yeah, I get it," the man replied, summarizing Zhang Zhe’s advice for himself. "So I should go to Lin’an and bring her a gift."

"..." Zhang Zhe’s expression darkened. The guy had completely missed the most critical part.

’But it didn’t matter. As long as he went there in person, he was bound to have a reality check one way or another.’

’It was better than getting fleeced from a thousand kilometers away.’

"Let me ask a question for the audience: Where do you get your money? Do you work for it?"

"No, my family is just rich. They own a chain of restaurants, so I don’t have to work."

"I see. Well then, you’d better go get ready."

As the man was about to sign off, Zhang Zhe gave him a double thumbs-up. It was hard to imagine that in the year 2025, a man this pure could still exist.

Then again, considering the endless fraud cases you hear about every year, it was understandable. Some people are just sheltered and inexperienced.

"’Why didn’t I just talk him out of it?’" Zhang Zhe said, laughing as he read the chat. "My friend, the fact that you’re even asking that question means you’re almost as naive as he is."

"Didn’t you see the chat? People were telling him directly: ’You paid 660 to see her, but I can pay 660 to see her too. If we’ve all seen her, how is she the one for *you*?’"

"But the guy just ignored it completely. What can you do?"

"The solution I gave him was the best one possible."

In Zhang Zhe’s experience, a man who had already spent over six thousand yuan on a woman would definitely go after her in person, even if they eventually lost contact online.

Because the sunk cost was too high.

But by that point, he might have spent tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands. It was better he goes now and gets that reality check sooner rather than later.