Chapter Fourteen: You’re So Wicked!

Chapter Fourteen: You’re So Bad!

“I don’t know,” Tang Zhong shook his head. These questions were too difficult—each one harder than the last. He was only a freshman in the School of Psychology, not a professor.

Besides, even a psychology professor would probably struggle to answer such bizarre questions.

“When I was little, I was too mischievous, so I was always getting punished—so I started trying to figure out what adults were thinking. I wanted to know what would make them angry, what I could say to make them happy or get myself out of trouble. Luckily, most of the time, I guessed right. So gradually, I developed a sense of pride.” Hua Ming spoke with a look of satisfaction. “You know, when a child starts feeling proud, it can be pretty terrifying. So not only did I start guessing what my parents were thinking, I tried to figure out what everyone around me was thinking, watching their actions, listening to their tone, catching their little gestures—over time, it became a habit.”

Tang Zhong could accept this explanation. He, too, had chosen to study applied psychology because of his curiosity about the minds of criminals. Applied psychology included criminal psychology, after all.

But then he pointed at the rabbit, still nibbling contentedly on carrot shreds, and asked, “What does studying psychology have to do with keeping a rabbit?”

When Tang Zhong asked this, Hua Ming appeared even more pleased with himself. “Do you know why I have a nickname, ‘Hua the Unmatched’?”

“Because your surname is Hua?”

“No. Because I’m really good at picking up girls.”

Pfft—

Tang Zhong tried to hold back, but he just couldn’t.

He was honestly, deeply curious about what kind of mindset could say something like that with a straight face.

“Don’t laugh. I’m telling the truth.” Hua Ming took in Tang Zhong’s reaction without a hint of offense. In this respect, he seemed to have an open mind.

Of course, maybe it was just that he was used to this sort of response.

“I know what you’re thinking. With this face of mine, I’m not just failing to attract girls—sometimes even I get startled when I look in the mirror. The ultimate tragedy in life is to have a love for beauty but not the looks to match. With a naturally ‘unfortunate’ face like mine, if I don’t find some ways to compensate, when will I ever find a wife?”

“Anyway, the secret lies in this rabbit.” He pointed at the little white rabbit and said, “Seriously, do you think this rabbit is cute?”

“Cute,” Tang Zhong nodded earnestly. Judging by the rabbit itself, it was indeed adorable. But when you looked at the person and the rabbit together, the effect became a bit… unsettling.

“Exactly. It’s very cute,” Hua Ming said. “If even a man thinks it’s cute, how could any girl not squeal when she sees it? Even if my face is hard to look at, they’ll still come up to me to play with the rabbit or borrow it. Someone once said, ‘Give me a lever and I can move the world.’ For me, Hua the Unmatched, just give me an opening and I can win over a woman.”

“So that’s your secret weapon for picking up girls,” Tang Zhong said with understanding.

“No, you’re wrong,” Hua Ming denied. “It’s just one part of the process. Lots of men find themselves with such opportunities, but not everyone can take advantage of them. I’m different. I just need an opening, and then everything goes smoothly from there. That’s the power of psychology. The rabbit is just the beginning: a clean appearance, a pleasant hairstyle, tasteful clothes, an appropriate watch or other accessories, and then adjusting your manner and speech style to fit the girl’s personality or the mood—these are all my tools for picking up girls. None of them can be left out.”

——

Tang Zhong suddenly felt a sense of crisis.

These two new roommates he’d just met—one could see straight through people’s pasts, the other seemed pretty gifted in his own field. And yet here he was, unprepared, plunging in headfirst, and still not even sure what applied psychology really meant.

“What? You don’t believe me?” Seeing Tang Zhong lost in thought, Hua Ming chuckled. “How about we make a bet to see who finds a girlfriend at Nanda first?”

“No thanks,” Tang Zhong waved his hand. With his old face, girls would have come up to talk to him without any need for a rabbit. But since he’d promised them to play his “star” role, he could only appear on campus in his current “nobody” getup. “I’m not used to betting on things like that.”

“Just for fun, no big deal.” Hua Ming laughed. “Fine, no bet then. But I’ll prove my true skills to you all eventually—otherwise, you’ll just think I’m full of hot air.”

He moved his luggage to the lower bunk by the door and said, “For the next four years, my little darling and I will be settling down right here.”

Then he began to unpack his bedding and other items, quickly covering the entire bed with his things.

Knock, knock—

There was a knock at the door.

Hua Ming dashed over and flung it open, startling the middle-aged man outside into stumbling two steps back.

“Who are you looking for?” Hua Ming asked.

“Student—you’re a student, right?” the bespectacled middle-aged man asked.

“I’m a student’s parent,” Hua Ming replied with a grin.

“Oh,” the man finally understood. If he were a student, that face would look far too mature. “This is Room 307?”

“Yes,” Hua Ming replied.

“Oh, we’re in this dorm too—Liang Tao, come in, this is the place.” The middle-aged man called to the young man behind him, who was carrying a bag with an air of nonchalance.

“Thank you, Secretary Zhao,” the young man said with a smile, following the bespectacled man inside.

Secretary Zhao glanced around the room and immediately frowned. “Why are there no lower bunks left? They’re all upper bunks?”

“Looks like we got here a bit late,” Liang Tao shrugged.

“I’ll go talk to the dorm supervisor,” Secretary Zhao said.

“It’s no use,” Liang Tao stopped him. “This is college, not high school. Going there won’t help. Someone just tried to get their dorm reassigned and was turned away.”

“Then…” Secretary Zhao, quick-witted as ever, paused for just a moment before walking over to Tang Zhong with a smile, pointing to the lower bunk. “Is this your bed?”

“Yes,” Tang Zhong nodded.

“You see, it’s like this,” Secretary Zhao began. “Liang Tao’s health isn’t great, and constantly climbing up and down is really too risky. If he accidentally fell, he could seriously injure his leg—could you switch places with him?”

Tang Zhong glanced at Liang Tao and had to admit, the guy had a handsome face. He bore a strong resemblance to that Hong Kong star whose reputation had been ruined by a photo scandal—same hairstyle, an earring, and a classical-style bag covered in Xs slung over his shoulder. Tang Zhong had seen Bai Su carrying this brand in the villa; it was called “LV.”

He wore jeans with an LV belt, its gaudy gold buckle flashy and ostentatious. The only shortcoming was his height—probably only about one-seventy, which made Tang Zhong feel a little better about himself.

“No,” Tang Zhong said simply.

His reason was straightforward. When Secretary Zhao made the request, Liang Tao was still chewing gum, sizing Tang Zhong up with a condescending air.

Secretary Zhao’s expression darkened, but remembering this wasn’t his own turf, he kept his anger in check.

“What would it take for you to switch?” Secretary Zhao asked.

“No matter what, I won’t switch,” Tang Zhong replied.

“No, no, no, Secretary Zhao,” Liang Tao strolled over, still chewing his gum. He grinned, “That’s a terrible negotiation tactic. Outdated, too.”

He pulled out an LV wallet, took out five hundred yuan, and offered the money to Tang Zhong. “Give me this spot, and this money’s yours.”

Five hundred for a lower bunk—a generous offer.

Tang Zhong stared at him coolly, making no move to take the money.

“Too little?” Liang Tao asked with a smile. “I agree, it’s a bit stingy.” He pulled out a few more notes. “Here’s a thousand. The spot’s yours if you want it.”

Tang Zhong still didn’t take the cash.

Liang Tao smiled, drew out a thick wad, and said, “Two thousand. For a lower bunk. Seems like a fair price to me. Add a little more and you could buy an iPhone 4S.”

“Three thousand,” Tang Zhong said.

Liang Tao laughed—a brash, self-satisfied laugh.

He’d always known: there’s nothing in this world that can’t be bought. And money was something he had in abundance.

He pointed a finger at Tang Zhong. “You’re so bad. And greedy, too.”

But he still counted out three thousand yuan and handed it over.

Tang Zhong took the money and said, “Alright. The spot is yours.”

“Then I won’t stand on ceremony.” Liang Tao sat down heavily on the bed Tang Zhong had carefully cleaned and lined with newspaper. He wanted to savor the feeling of a bunk bought for three thousand yuan—and the admiring looks from others.

Things snatched from others always gave him a special thrill.

Crunch—

The bunk suddenly collapsed downward. Liang Tao toppled backward, his head slamming hard against the bed frame.

Thud—

His head and the thick sheet metal made intimate contact, ringing out with a crisp sound.

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