Chapter Sixty-Three: I Grew Up Breathing Coal Gas
"You're disgusting!"
With those words, the beautiful woman strode away, leaving Old Wang standing there in bewilderment.
He simply couldn't understand it.
Such a pretty girl—why did she insult him?
He hadn't done anything wrong; he followed Bai Qingming's instructions exactly. So why was the outcome so different?
Brother Wang was utterly baffled.
The whole scene was witnessed by the viewers, many of whom lay in their beds, laughing so hard they nearly rolled out.
"I can't take it anymore, I'm going to die laughing because of Brother Wang."
"My mom asked why I'm giggling in bed in the middle of the night instead of sleeping. I told her what just happened, and now we're both lying here giggling."
"I'm new here—could someone explain what just happened?"
...
Truth be told, Bai Qingming hadn't expected this outcome either.
It didn't make sense!
He had always used this approach to charm women.
Not just carrying tissues, but even at the bank—he would take two queue numbers, and if a pretty girl walked in, he'd hand her one, sparking a conversation.
This was Bai Qingming's philosophy.
A man need not be romantic, but he must be meticulous.
Yet this rule failed miserably with Old Wang, and it was awkward.
Awkward enough that Bai Qingming was curling his toes inside his shoes, wishing he could dig out a three-bedroom apartment.
To be fair, this round was his oversight.
He forgot the most basic and crucial factor: appearance.
If you're handsome, girls will engage with you.
If you're unattractive and still try to strike up a conversation, you'll end up like Old Wang.
Honestly, Bai Qingming wasn't trying to set Old Wang up—he'd only just realized this principle himself.
He'd never failed at flirting before, so he'd naturally overlooked this element.
He thought, "How hard can flirting be? All you need is a mouth!"
Turns out, it was because he was good-looking!
On the other side, Brother Wang was wounded.
Back in the day after he stopped boxing, he'd spent some time as a mercenary abroad. But even fighting in Syria, he'd never been wounded so badly!
Did things have to be so blunt?
Was the gap between people really that wide?
Seeing Old Wang's look, Bai Qingming couldn't bear it.
The second round of love lessons seemed doomed, but Bai Qingming remained unruffled.
Just a minor setback—nothing to worry about.
"Ahem!"
After a bout of coughing, Bai Qingming spoke again: "Brothers, did you see that? What just happened was actually an example of what not to do, performed by me and Old Wang for your benefit. In the future, if you're not confident about your looks, don't attempt this."
With one sentence, Bai Qingming deftly turned the situation around.
"Come on, you should've said so earlier!"
"Exactly, streamer, weren't you setting us up?"
"Yeah, good thing I didn't try it myself but taught my roommate instead. Now I can't reach him by phone—what do I do? Should I run? Waiting online, urgent!"
"Run, quick! Why stick around?"
...
The chat was flooded with messages from the goofy viewers.
At this moment, Bai Qingming spoke again.
"Don't panic, everyone. That method was the most basic one. Now I'll teach you a more advanced way to win a girl's heart, one that works regardless of your looks—guaranteed success every time."
At these words, the audience fell silent.
Who could resist a foolproof flirting technique?
"Wang, this time listen to me—you won't fail. I guarantee you'll bring a beautiful girl home tonight."
"Really?"
Wang was doubtful.
"Really. I'll teach you a few lines, just remember them."
As he spoke, Bai Qingming leaned in close to Wang's ear.
After a whispered exchange, they parted.
Soon, Bai Qingming vanished from the camera, and when he reappeared, his clothes had changed—he'd somehow gotten hold of a bartender's uniform.
The chat erupted once more.
"I sense the streamer is about to pull some tricks."
"Looks like the spiritual leader is going all out this time."
"Help, my roommate is banging on the door with a knife, saying he's bringing me some local specialties."
"Why are you panicking up there? Haven't you watched enough of the Single Father’s streams? In this situation, you should call your neighbor and let him handle the delivery!"
...
As the banter flew in the chat, Bai Qingming began his new lesson.
Under the viewers’ watchful eyes, Wang picked up a cocktail, stood, looked around, and walked toward a certain direction.
"Hello, beautiful."
He greeted a girl.
"You again?"
The girl frowned.
Indeed, she was the one who had just called Wang disgusting.
"May I have a drink with you?"
Ignoring her disdain, Wang pressed on.
Just as she seemed about to rebuff him, Bai Qingming’s voice rang out.
"Whose limited edition Bugatti Veyron is parked at the entrance? It's blocking the way."
His voice was moderate, but perfectly timed.
As he spoke, Bai Qingming gave Wang a meaningful look; Wang understood immediately.
"Mine. I'll move it in a bit."
Instantly, the girl's expression changed.
When Wang turned back, her demeanor shifted to warmth, even leaning in closer, taking the initiative.
"Handsome, what was it you said just now?"
Wang's heart leapt and he asked again.
"May I have a drink with you?"
"Of course, it'd be my pleasure."
Her tone was worlds apart from before; even her mother probably wouldn't recognize such tenderness in her daughter.
At that moment, the chat was flooded with "666"—the ultimate sign of approval.
Everyone stood up in awe.
"This actually works?"
"Learning fast—off to the bar!"
"But I have a question: what if the girl asks Wang to drive her home in his Bugatti Veyron? Wouldn't he get found out?"
...
"Can't anyone draw inferences? Just say you've been drinking and can't drive, then take a cab to the hotel!"
"By the way, is the guy who got blocked by his roommate still alive? If you are, pop up in the chat—show your roommate this and maybe he won't stab you."
"I'm his roommate—even Jesus couldn't save him, I'm telling you!"
...
As the chat buzzed, Wang was making progress.
"I'm not really used to drinking, feeling a bit dizzy."
Clearly, the girl's attitude was now entirely different.
Anyone could see it was an obvious hint.
But it wasn't over.
"Oh, right," the girl seemed to remember something, asking indirectly: "How much did that limited edition Bugatti Veyron cost?"
"That car's not mine—it’s my friend's, left at my place for repairs."
This was exactly what Bai Qingming had instructed him to say.
"So you are...?"
She was puzzled.
"I'm a mechanic."
Instantly, her face darkened.
"Suddenly remembered—I forgot to turn off the gas at home, need to leave."
"But didn't you just say you felt dizzy?"
Wang was bewildered.
Just then, Bai Qingming reappeared, addressing Wang: "Young Master Wang, how many branches does your family's auto repair chain have nationwide?"
"Oh, not many, just over three hundred."
Wang answered casually.
That hit the mark.
Hearing this, the girl who hadn't gone far swung back and immediately took Wang's arm.
"Managing so many repair shops must be exhausting, right?"
"Not really," Wang shook his head, "Most are about to go under anyway."
The girl: "My gas is really on, I have to leave."
Bai Qingming chimed in again: "Young Master Wang, didn't someone owe your family over a hundred million? Weren't they saying they'd pay back soon?"
The girl returned once more: "Who owes your family that much money?"
Wang: "Weren't you forgetting to turn off the gas?"
The girl: "I'll let you in on a secret—I grew up inhaling gas. If I go a day without it, I feel awful. By the way, I'm feeling dizzy now—why don't we find a place to rest? There's a Home Inn right by the door, I'm a member there."
...
Mission accomplished, Bai Qingming smiled faintly.
The viewers in the stream were stunned.
"Streamer, are you just playing games with us?"
...
(ps: Due to some private matters lately, updates have been lacking. I apologize to all the esteemed readers.
I'll not only make up for missed updates soon, but also send out a few big red envelopes in the book club group. Club group: 681612723—join in and grab a red envelope.)