Deconstructing a system is no easy task. Last time he dealt with a system, he invested in top domestic scientists who spent a long time researching and destroying it, even incorporating hacking techniques. Although he learned a lot from that experience and understood the general theory, it would still take time to develop something capable of dealing with the system again. This idea had to be put on hold for now; he didn't even have the money to invest in a research lab.
Thinking about money, Xu Zifan checked the original owner's assets after dinner. The original owner owned a lakeside villa where he was currently living, a hillside villa, a sea-view villa, and fifteen well-located residential apartments. His family owned real estate; they had a lot of houses, and the company would reserve one for the original owner for every project they developed, unless the location was not good and the original owner didn't like it, in which case he would refuse it.
The original owner owned six supercars, two of which were limited editions, along with ten other vehicles including SUVs, minivans, and RVs, parked in the underground garage—a truly impressive sight. Xu Hao also bought the original owner a yacht and had his assistant transfer 20 million yuan to him monthly as pocket money, with extra for holidays. Therefore, people in the industry said Xu Hao doted on his nephew, assuming a deep uncle-nephew bond. They forgot that Xu Hao was now a significant threat to the original owner, the heir. A truly loving uncle would never allow his nephew to indulge in pleasure but would instead groom him to take over the company. Xu Hao perfectly concealed his ambition within the aura of his elders.
Xu Zifan discovered that the original owner of this body had around 100 million yuan in savings. He didn't always spend lavishly when he went out; he had unknowingly saved a lot over the years, which explained why he gave 30 million yuan as a breakup fee. Since the savings were decent, he decided to make some small moves first.
Xu Zifan went to the media room, turned on the TV, and searched for several currently popular actresses. He then started watching their movies and TV series, mainly focusing on their looks and acting skills. There was a rising starlet, Shi Xueman, whose position wasn't yet secure. She had risen from child stardom, so audiences had higher expectations of her. However, she was beautiful, had a sweet smile, and could also exude a cool, aloof aura when made up. Her acting was quite good. There was a second-tier actress, similar in status to Xia Shuangshuang, a frequent competitor compared by the media and netizens. She was strikingly beautiful and her acting was slightly better than Xia Shuangshuang's. Her name was Yang Jiaru. Finally, there was a third-tier actress, with little fame, having only played two supporting roles. However, she was very beautiful and possessed exceptional acting talent. Given the opportunity, she was sure to rise to the top. Her name was Yao Kexin.
Xu Zifan selected these three actresses from a group of female stars and sent their names to Li Ping, asking him to investigate their character and temperament, and whether they had any bad habits such as being arrogant or unprofessional. Li Ping was woken up by Xu Zifan's WeChat message in the middle of the night and immediately replied, "Okay, young master." He didn't know what his young master wanted to do, but he just needed to do his job well.
Xu Zifan glanced at the time; it was already past 1 a.m. He rubbed his temples, got up, stretched, and went back to his bedroom to sleep. Xia Shuangshuang and Xu Hao were also still awake at this time. Xia Shuangshuang hadn't responded all afternoon not because she didn't want to, but because she hadn't seen the message. In order to quickly cheat on Xu Zifan before they could finalize the breakup, she splashed water on him, then turned off her phone, went to a spa and got her hair and makeup done, and then planned to bump into Xu Hao at his hotel while he was on a business trip.
As for why she chose Xu Hao, it's because in her past life, Xu Hao had reprimanded Xu Zifan for changing girlfriends too frequently and for not being chaste. Ten years later, Xu Hao even took over Xu Zifan's shares, making him a spoiled rich kid for life. Xia Shuangshuang felt that with her newfound power, she needed a man like him to be a good match. Not only was he unmarried and childless, but he was also handsome, composed, and controlled Xu Zifan's financial lifeline. Marrying Xu Hao would be the only way for her to turn her life around. Besides, there really wasn't a man as young and wealthy as him in the country; he was the best!
Xu Hao's location was of course found by the system. In her words, "I need to find a powerful sugar daddy to develop in the entertainment industry. Haven't you seen that actress who only has a pretty face but no acting skills become famous all over the country? It's because someone is supporting her! Finding a handsome and rich boyfriend is the shortcut to becoming a superstar. Of course, you, the superstar system, should help me."
The Superstar System judges what's most beneficial for the host to become a superstar, and since Xia Shuangshuang was right, it granted her immense convenience. As for how Xia Shuangshuang successfully seduced Xu Hao after their chance encounter, that's her skill. Having been forced to die, she was reborn and possessed the system. Her powerful confidence and sense of superiority gave her a unique aura, allowing her to handle any unexpected situation with ease. She considered Xu Hao hers for the taking, and even her seductive demeanor was exceptionally well-executed, surpassing her acting skills on television.
Xu Hao harbored a secret resentment towards his nephew. His nephew's girlfriend had offered herself up and seduced him, and she even suited his tastes, providing him with a plausible reason to provoke his nephew's rebellion. Naturally, he took Xia Shuangshuang to bed, treating her as a dispensable plaything. Especially since he had been drinking, even if things went wrong afterward, he could simply claim he was drunk and mistook her for someone else—just a minor celebrity, nothing serious.
The Superstar System doesn't have a concept of favorability, so in Xia Shuangshuang's view, Xu Hao was simply attracted by her charm, and they immediately became deeply engrossed in their passionate encounter. He had no time to pay attention to what was happening online. She and Xu Hao had only just stopped when Xu Zifan went to sleep.
Xia Shuangshuang nestled in Xu Hao's arms, breathing into his ear and saying in a seductive voice, "Uncle, how does it feel to sleep with your nephew's woman? Isn't it a forbidden pleasure?"
Xu Hao lit a cigarette, glanced at her sideways, and said, "What do you want?"
Xia Shuangshuang said, feigning indifference, "Of course I want you. Unfortunately, you, the dignified president of the Xu Group, probably won't cause trouble for your nephew because of me, and I don't want to be a secret lover."
Of course, you won't get anything.
Her fingers slid from Xu Hao's chest to his abdomen, and as she was about to move further down, Xu Hao grabbed her hand and warned in a low voice, "Stop it, do you want me to die from exhaustion?"
Xia Shuangshuang covered her mouth and let out a string of silvery laughter, looking at him with alluring eyes and said, "Yes, I do. If I had known you were this good, I would have come to find you long ago. I want to be a pair of romantic ghosts with you."
Xu Hao stared at her with deep, unfathomable eyes, as if trying to see into the depths of her soul. However, Xia Shuangshuang was not afraid of him at all. Instead, she leaned in and kissed him, licking her lips with the tip of her tongue and saying with a smile, "Sweet."
Xu Hao stubbed out his cigarette, rolled over and pinned her down, asking, "You broke up with Xu Zifan?"
Xia Shuangshuang hugged his neck and laughed, "If you find a better man, break up with him; if not, think about it some more."
"Go back and break up. Don't let me see you seeing him again. Also, don't call me 'little uncle' anymore." After saying that, Xu Hao and Xia Shuangshuang began another round of infatuation.
Each had their own agenda, yet they acted as if they'd fallen in love at first sight when they were face to face. No one forced them, since neither of them had much sense of propriety. One was handsome, the other beautiful, and they genuinely enjoyed being together. The thought of cheating on Xu Zifan only excited them more.
The next day, the two enjoyed a delicious breakfast together and flew back together. Although Xia Shuangshuang had deliberately cheated on Xu Zifan, she still needed to maintain her career in the entertainment industry and was mindful of her reputation, so she waited until Xu Hao left half an hour after landing before leaving herself. When she got home, she turned on her phone and was startled by the barrage of messages and missed calls. She opened WeChat and saw a message from her manager, learning about Xu Zifan's statement on Weibo. She immediately went online to check the trending topics; netizens were still discussing their breakup and the water-throwing incident. Because she had remained silent, Xu Zifan had gained the upper hand.
Xia Shuangshuang frowned, a surge of anger rising within her. Since her rebirth, she had believed her life would be smooth sailing, and her actions—splashing water on Xu Zifan and seducing Xu Hao—proved this. Who knew Xu Zifan would stab her in the back, immediately turning the tables on her? What could she say now? That her relationship with Xu Zifan was genuine? Given Xu Zifan's penchant for lying, few online would believe her, and it would likely backfire, earning her contempt. That it was only she who had fallen for him? Then splashing water would be seen as unreasonable and would definitely be met with ridicule.
Xu Zifan has never mentioned his past relationships or breakups with his girlfriends, regardless of online discussions or how they tried to create hype. He ignores them completely. He doesn't respond to interviews, and he certainly won't mention them on Weibo. That's why she thought of splashing water to mislead others and then using it as an opportunity for publicity. In her mind, even if everyone criticizes Xu Zifan as a scumbag, he will just laugh it off and not bother to explain.
But what happened this time? Was he too angry about being splashed with water? Xu Zifan actually posted on Weibo for the first time ever, clearly stating that they had agreed from the beginning not to talk about feelings. Isn't he afraid of being criticized by those moralists online? What is he thinking?
Xia Shuangshuang was completely baffled, but regardless, she knew her original plan had fallen through and this publicity stunt was ruined. She still needed to carefully consider and find a plausible reason to splash water in order to preserve her good reputation. Xia Shuangshuang's bright mood turned gloomy; this was the first time since her rebirth that she felt so angry and frustrated.
She called her agent, who was frantic, "Shuangshuang, are you crazy? Everyone knows Xu Zifan doesn't care about relationships. Even if he dumped you, it's not shameful. You were his girlfriend for six months, which is the longest he's ever had. You even refused a house and a 30 million breakup fee, and you threw water on him? What's wrong with you? How are you going to survive now that you've offended him? Xu Zifan won't forgive you just for the sake of his reputation! And..."
"Alright!" Xia Shuangshuang interrupted her impatiently. "Since I dared to do it, I'm naturally not afraid of him. He can't suppress me. The most important thing now is to respond to and guide public opinion. Contact the public relations department and help me think of a way to explain things reasonably in a way that everyone can accept, preferably in a way that earns some sympathy. You said it yourself, I'm his longest-serving employee, which is quite special. If we use careful wording, we might be able to turn the tide and improve our positive image. Hurry up and tell me what you've said as soon as you've thought of it."
The agent was stunned for a moment, and when she tried to ask, the call had already ended. She cursed under her breath, "Damn it, what kind of mess is this!"