6: Chapter 6: The Simp – In the End, He Gets Nothing.

But alas, as the saying goes, a lick dog is a lick dog. Why does he end up with nothing after all that licking!?

Time rewinds to 8:00 AM.

Just as Chen Sheng descended back to the underground parking garage via the fire escape, a crisp 'ding' sounded from the elevator lobby of Building 3, Unit 2. A girl wearing pajamas but still sporting light makeup and sheer stockings hurried out of the elevator.

The girl's name was Duoduo.

Well! Her stage name was Duoduo.

Duoduo was a streamer with 150,000 followers online.

During her break between relationships, she had, for once, given a 'fish' in her pond a chance to treat her to dinner yesterday. But this fish was utterly useless, just bringing a bouquet of flowers and sniffing around her.

It was tacky beyond belief.

The worst part was that after dinner, instead of going shopping, he actually suggested watching a movie. It was unbearably corny.

Even after she refused, he insisted on seeing her home.

Claiming he was worried about her since she'd been drinking.

Hmph~

Did he really think she didn't know what he was after?

He just wanted to go to her place to see that 'backflipping cat'.

'Ugh! Ugly and delusional!' The sweet smile she wore when they parted instantly vanished, and she almost couldn't hold back an angry snort as she turned away.

Once home, she tossed the flowers onto the coffee table and went back to discussing 'life' with the big spender she'd just met a couple of days ago.

But this big spender was a bit of a pro. He flirted until midnight without taking the bait, leaving Duoduo feeling so frustrated she thought she'd develop a breast nodule.

Waking up groggily this morning to use the bathroom, she saw the bouquet she'd carelessly thrown on the table last night. Combined with the memory of that 'fish's' painfully straightforward behavior, her anger flared anew.

Still in her pajamas, she grabbed the bouquet, went downstairs, and slammed it into the trash bin. Instant relief.

She unilaterally declared that from this moment on, this fish was expelled from her pond, never to be allowed back in.

However, life is unpredictable. No sooner had she returned home and gotten back into bed for a beauty nap than the expelled fish sent her a message.

[Duoduo, did you like the gift?]

[I saw that bracelet and immediately thought it would suit you perfectly. And didn't you say you've had bad luck lately? I believe the four-leaf clover will bring you good fortune.]

Gift?

Bracelet?

Duoduo was completely bewildered after reading the messages. She quickly typed a reply: 'What bracelet? When did you ever give me a bracelet?'

[Haha! Looks like you haven't discovered the surprise I prepared for you yet! Here's a little hint: the surprise is hidden in the bouquet.]

Seeing this message, Duoduo did a carp's leap... well, not exactly a leap. She pushed herself up from the bed with her hands, sprang up, and shuffled in her slippers toward the door.

As she ran, she cursed, 'You f***ing idiot! Hiding a gift in the f***ing flowers! Couldn't you have f***ing mentioned it...'

Duoduo raced downstairs like lightning, but her face twisted in dismay at the sight of the overflowing trash bin.

Still, the thought of a five-figure bracelet made her hold back her disgust. In the end, she couldn't resist plunging her freshly manicured hands from yesterday into the bin.

However...

'How can it not be here? I definitely threw it in this bin. Could someone have taken it already?'

After rummaging through two gray bins without finding the bouquet, Duoduo, not caring about her now-smeared hands, hurried to the property management office. She demanded they check the surveillance footage—she was determined to find out which bastard dared to take her stuff.

Unfortunately.

Although there wasn't much time left before the intel expired, Chen Sheng, who had rented here for nearly two years, had not only worn the mask and hat he'd bought on his way home after claiming the prize yesterday but had also instinctively avoided many cameras.

Most crucially, who positions security cameras to point directly at the trash bins by the main entrance?

Even more crucially, in a mid-range residential complex like Jingjiang Donghu Garden Residential Area, unless it involved a life-or-death situation or promised some benefit, the security guards wouldn't bother meticulously reviewing footage.

And the most crucial point of all: just as Duoduo was rambling on and the guard's patience was wearing thin, the big spender from last night—the one she hadn't managed to hook—sent her a message.

Obviously, compared to a mere 'fish', the big spender was the priority.

With a big spender on the line, what was a mere bracelet? Bags, clothes, and a car to match her style were within reach.

So when the guard reiterated that he couldn't find anything, Duoduo waved him off dismissively and left the surveillance room without so much as a 'thank you'.

The guard curled his lip. 'What a piece of work!'

Truth be told, a serious search might have turned up some clues. But the guard figured the bouquet had most likely been taken by the cleaning staff during the morning trash collection, and the garbage truck had just entered the complex not long ago.

He was afraid the bouquet had already been dumped into the garbage truck, which would have left the premises.

If things unfolded as he suspected, would the woman make a scene? Would she demand they retrieve the bracelet or even ask for compensation?

In today's society, that was highly probable.

So! Better to brush it off and avoid trouble for himself.

And now, wasn't this just fine?

The guard avoided potential reprimand from his superiors and indirectly earned a favor from a colleague.

Duoduo didn't really lose out either. She had already decided that if the big spender didn't deliver, she could always flip the 'fish' over and fry it on both sides.

As for Chen Sheng, he gained a gold four-leaf clover bracelet...

Alright! So the event where only the 'fish' gets hurt was accomplished.

It also served as another testament to the saying: a lick dog licks until he has nothing left.

Alright, back to the main story. Shifting the focus back to Yongshun Street, after finding the bracelet, Chen Sheng used the 'scan similar item' feature on a shopping app and quickly identified the brand and name of the bracelet.

It must be said, this bracelet was indeed worth its price. Especially the color of the four-leaf clover, which used a gradient process. Under sunlight, it would shimmer with different hues depending on the angle.

Chen Sheng liked it more and more the longer he looked. 'Perfect, my wife needs a bracelet.'

Placing the bracelet in the car's glove box, Chen Sheng got out, locked the car, disposed of the trash, and followed the navigation to the Fulong Hotel at 98 Yongshun Street. He went to a café across the street, ordered a cappuccino, and sat at a spot where he could observe the hotel entrance. While keeping watch, he pulled out his phone and started tapping away.

First, he created a new group chat. Excluding the former company boss, those usually close to the boss, and the person who first spread the news in the group yesterday about the boss absconding with the funds, he added all the remaining former colleagues to the new group.

With everyone jobless and idle, the group quickly became lively, with everyone speculating about Chen Sheng's intentions.

'Old Chen, are you planning to treat us to a farewell meal?'

'Brother Chen, did another company poach you? Are you planning to bring the team with you?'

'I have a feeling Brother Chen is brewing something big. Could it be you're planning to start your own venture? Boss Chen, if you're starting your own thing, just say the word. I'll be there whenever you call.'

'Holy crap! Brother Chen, Boss Chen, are you really planning to start your own venture?'

Seeing the speculation getting more and more outlandish, Chen Sheng quickly interjected: 'Brothers and sisters, since none of us are working right now, why not guess where I am and who I just ran into?'