"Your angular face, prominent brow bones, and upward-sloping eyebrows mean the currently popular textured crop wouldn't quite suit you. Instead, I've incorporated elements of a tapered pompadour to maintain layered volume..."
Zhou Wang hadn't yet had time to check the System's notifications. As Teacher Yue Fei explained the hairstyle, he carefully scrutinized his reflection in the mirror—a handsome guy.
The sides were trimmed short, while the styled hair on top was volumized and loosely arranged in a slightly forward-sweeping direction, accentuating Zhou Wang's already roguish charm.
The result was clean and refreshing yet undeniably stylish.
"Excellent! I'm very satisfied!" Zhou Wang praised generously, though his approval stemmed primarily from the System's validation.
A score of 88 clearly exceeded expectations. He pulled out his phone and saw the reimbursement funds had already arrived.
China Merchants Bank: Your account ending in 1024 received RMB 1,583 on July 1st at 11:13 AM.
This meant Zhou Wang had effectively paid only RMB 200 for the haircut. While he wasn't sure if the original RMB 1,800 price tag was justified, at this discounted rate, his answer was... absolutely worth it!
Leaving aside the unexpectedly stylish haircut, Zhou Wang was thoroughly impressed by the salon's meticulous service. There wasn't a hint of sales pressure, though perhaps the price tag alone made such tactics unnecessary.
More importantly, Teacher Yue Fei's precise cut had triggered a hidden bonus from the System. Zhou Wang had no idea what "Trist's Azure Dragon Blade" was, but he was certain its value exceeded 200 yuan.
As Zhou Wang approached the counter to pay, the assistant who had been attending to him smiled. "Mr. Zhou, would you like to add me on WeChat? You can book appointments directly with me in the future if you need anything."
Zhou Wang took another look at her. Her professional attire fit impeccably, accentuating her figure. Slim-fit trousers hugged her slender legs, and her updo framed delicate features, enhanced by charming dimples when she smiled.
Well, mostly, Zhou Wang thought, I'm just really impressed with this place.
"Sure," he replied.
Zhou Wang scanned her QR code, only for an embarrassing glitch to occur. His battered phone, likely due to internal damage from the shattered screen, froze, stubbornly refusing to load the app.
Though the young woman showed no reaction, Zhou Wang's face flushed with embarrassment.
Damn it! he thought. An 1,800-yuan haircut and a phone that performs like it cost 1,800 yuan—what kind of joke is this?!
As he left the barbershop, Zhou Wang stared at the cracked screen of his Xiaomi 12, overwhelmed by the urge to replace it immediately. But after a moment's hesitation, he suppressed the impulse.
I don't have enough money right now, he reminded himself. I still need to buy clothes. I'll just have to endure a little longer...
Ding-dong!
A WeChat notification chimed. It was the young woman he had just added, sending a smiley face emoji.
Her display name followed a lengthy marketing format: "Time Hair Studio Chief Assistant—Shell."
This must be her work account, Zhou Wang mused. But the name 'Shell' is kind of interesting. I should create a 'Seafood' group and add her to it...
He chuckled to himself at the petty thought.
Then, remembering the item he had obtained earlier, Zhou Wang mentally opened the System Interface's inventory. Inside lay a solitary, jade-green katana, identical to the one from the game.
Trist's Azure Dragon Blade: When used, it will randomly trigger a refund of 0.1 to 10 times the purchase amount on the next five transactions.
As if a trick of the mind, a sly voice chuckled softly.
The Goddess of Luck is smiling!
Holy crap!
Zhou Wang's eyes lit up. "Talk about getting exactly what I needed!"
Every purchase guaranteed at least a 10% refund, with the potential for a 10x multiplier. This was a solid positive expected value in mathematical terms!
Unless his luck was exceptionally bad, he was certain to recoup the cost of his new clothes.
Checking the countdown timer, which showed four hours remaining, Zhou Wang decided to upgrade his phone first.
Several phone brand stores were conveniently located on the fifth floor of the mall, but since he needed to trade in his old phone, he opted for a comprehensive store from a local chain.
The purchase went remarkably smoothly. Having already decided on the model, Zhou Wang walked out with a black 1TB iPhone 15 Pro Max in under ten minutes.
His choice of Apple was purely out of curiosity. Having used domestic brands all his life, he wanted to experience something different. There was no deeper reason.
However, Zhou Wang, a first-time iPhone buyer, discovered a particularly frustrating issue.
Apple's official explanation for no longer including a charger with the iPhone 12 was to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. This forced Zhou Wang to purchase a separate power adapter and Bluetooth earphones.
In total, the iPhone 12 cost 12,699 yuan (after a discount of over 1,000 yuan), the third-generation AirPods were 1,299 yuan, and the official charging adapter was 149 yuan, bringing the total to 14,147 yuan.
The salesperson also recommended a phone case, but Zhou Wang declined, as he wasn't a fan of using them.
After scanning the QR code to pay, a notification from the System chimed in Zhou Wang's mind.
Ding!
Consumption detected. The effect of "Trist's Azure Dragon Blade" has been triggered, granting double the consumption refund.
"China Merchants Bank: Your account ending in 1024 received RMB 26,846 on July 1st at 11:27 AM."
With five opportunities in total, Zhou Wang triggered the double refund on his very first try. His mood could be summed up in one word...
"Awesome!"
For the first time, Zhou Wang realized that spending money could be this exhilarating.
Next came activating his new phone, swapping SIM cards, and transferring his chat history. Since his photos and other data were backed up to the cloud, that part was easy. Once everything was set up, Zhou Wang took his old phone to the store's trade-in center.
His Xiaomi 12, which he'd bought for over 3,000 yuan, was now valued at just 490 yuan after inspection.
He could probably haggle for a bit more, but Zhou Wang didn't want to bother. He accepted the offer swiftly and left.
Stepping out of the phone store, Zhou Wang glanced at the countdown timer on the System Interface. With over three hours remaining until the round ended, he felt a bit parched and headed to a café on the third floor.
This was the perfect opportunity to download some apps and watch short videos on outfit styling.
He blamed himself for being so out of touch with trends. With his handsome face, he used to think anything looked good on him. Now, he was cramming like a student before an exam, hoping to boost the System's fashion score before buying clothes later.
Looking down at Henglong Plaza, he realized the clothes here were anything but cheap. Every brand was a top-tier international luxury label.
Zhou Wang had never cared for luxury goods before—he'd never even dared to dream of them. But with the double advantage of expense reimbursement and spending rebates, he could finally indulge a little.
Zhou Wang sat on a rattan chair outside the café, waiting for someone to take his order. When no one came after a while, he looked up in confusion and waved at a waiter who was serving another table in the distance.
Instead of the waiter, his gesture caught the attention of a girl who had been peering into the café from the entrance.
Zhou Wang stared dumbfounded as the girl walked straight toward him. Her chestnut-brown hair cascaded down her back in loose waves, ending in soft curls. She wore a Chanel-inspired white blouse, a black mini-skirt, and chunky black knee-high boots that left a sliver of pale thigh exposed.
Her delicate, oval face, framed by pure, lightly made-up features, would easily earn an eighty out of a hundred in terms of beauty. Though not particularly tall, her impeccable proportions gave her the illusion of exceptionally long legs.
Overall, she was the kind of stunning girl who would undoubtedly turn heads. Up close, she bore a striking resemblance to Lee So-young, a South Korean model that one of Zhou Wang's roommates was particularly fond of. Zhou Wang had once glimpsed the "educational videos" hidden in his roommate's "graduate school materials" folder... and yeah, she was still a solid 10/10.
"Hello, oppa! Are you the one who ordered the companion service?"
While Zhou Wang was still reeling from the shock, a floral fragrance filled the air. The girl had already pulled up a chair beside him and greeted him with a radiant smile:
"I'm Ranran. It's nice to meet you—please take good care of me!"