Jason, Alice, and Grace arrived at the university and parked in the public lot adjacent to the main entrance gate.
Since neither woman possessed personal vehicles, they'd arranged rideshare transportation back to their respective destinations.
Grace, conversely, radiated genuine cheerfulness and waved enthusiastically. "See you tomorrow, Jason! I'll be returning to the auto show. You should definitely stop by if your schedule permits."
Jason nodded casually, offering a reserved smile. "If I'm available, I'll consider it."
After both women departed, Jason discretely removed his newly acquired Richard Mille, slipped it into his jacket pocket, and began walking toward the dormitory complex.
Shortly after his departure, a modest Volkswagen Jetta entered the parking area. A young couple emerged from the vehicle, engaged in casual conversation.
As they prepared to leave, the male student suddenly froze mid-stride, his gaze locking onto the brilliant yellow Lamborghini parked nearby.
His girlfriend gasped audibly, her voice trembling with excitement. "Oh my God... is that actually a Lamborghini?"
Her boyfriend's jaw dropped in amazement. "That's impossible. That's the brand-new Revuelto! It just launched in the United States this year—how does someone at our university already own one?"
Her eyes practically sparkled with wonder. "How much could something like that possibly cost?"
He swallowed nervously. "Fully loaded with options? Minimum six hundred thousand dollars."
The girl's mouth fell open in shock. "Six... hundred... I absolutely need photographs. Right now."
"Stand beside it—I'll capture some shots for you." The guy retrieved his smartphone and was adjusting the camera angle when his girlfriend suddenly spotted something else entirely.
"Wait—stop everything! Is that... is that a Rolls-Royce Cullinan?!" she shrieked excitedly, sprinting toward the elegant black SUV positioned several feet away.
Her boyfriend groaned in disbelief. "Two ultra-luxury vehicles? Parked at our school? What universe are we living in?"
They frantically captured numerous photographs, immediately uploading them to the campus social media forum. Within thirty minutes, news spread across the entire university, and students began flocking to the parking area to stare and document the exotic automobiles.
Dormitory Revelations
Meanwhile, Jason successfully reached his residence hall. His three roommates—Mike, Ryan, and Chris—were waiting with peculiar expressions mixing amusement and something resembling jealousy.
Mike finally broke the uncomfortable silence. "Dude, where were you today? Emma came searching for you specifically. She refused to believe you weren't here and waited downstairs for approximately thirty minutes. Every guy in the building was going absolutely insane."
Previously, they'd sympathized with Jason, assuming he simply struggled with romantic relationships. Now, witnessing his apparent lifestyle transformation, they felt equal measures of envy and bewilderment.
Jason shrugged indifferently, his expression remaining neutral. "I was occupied elsewhere. Don't concern yourself with her activities."
She never bothered waiting before, he thought grimly. Now she wants to demonstrate interest? Far too late for that.
He proceeded to shower, then relaxed on his bed while accessing the system interface:
Current Favorability Standings:
Megan's favorability: 18 → 53 Quinn's favorability: 31 → 56 Holly Larson's favorability: 30 Emma's favorability: 62 Grace: 0 → 35 Alice's favorability: 0 → 35
Megan's rating had initially declined before surging by 35 total points. Quinn increased by 25, while both Alice and the Grace campus beauty rose by 35 points each.
Main Quest 3 Progress: 170/200
"Only thirty points remaining until Quest Three completion."
"I've already impressed four campus beauties... perhaps I should pursue the final one as well?"
Jason contemplated this briefly, then smirked with growing confidence. "Actually... maybe I should attempt winning over the campus queen herself."
Retrieving his phone, he opened the student forum application to review messages.
Three new notifications appeared immediately.
The first originated from Emma requesting friend status. That woman possessed remarkable persistence. He'd ignored her previously, but she continued attempting contact through different accounts until he finally accepted.
The second message came from Quinn: "So... how was your experience? Spending time with those two models?"
Jason chuckled softly and responded: "I'm simultaneously happy... and somewhat disappointed."
Quinn replied almost instantly: "What's that supposed to mean exactly?"
Jason typed: "Happy because they're undeniably gorgeous. Disappointed because... well, they simply don't compare to your stunning beauty. You've rather spoiled my standards, Quinn. How do you plan on compensating me for this dilemma?"
Quinn responded: "Ha. As if I'd believe such obvious flattery."
She claimed disbelief... yet still—
[System Notification: Quinn's Favorability +2]
Jason grinned knowingly. Women consistently said one thing while feeling entirely different emotions.
The third message arrived from Holly Larson: "Hey Jason, remember that hot spring resort I mentioned for this weekend? Are you interested in joining us?"
Jason had been planning to focus exclusively on the remaining campus beauty and the queen herself, but this invitation immediately captured his attention. "Who else will be attending?" he typed back.
If he could spend a relaxing weekend at hot springs while simultaneously earning additional points with Holly... the opportunity seemed both simple and perfect.
Holly replied promptly: "My roommate Lisa and her boyfriend Liam—you met them previously. Another roommate, Chloe, and her boyfriend Matt. Several other students as well. They already have extra people joining, so adding you won't be problematic. There's this one guy who's somewhat of a show-off though... I'd prefer riding with you rather than dealing with his attitude."
Jason responded: "Sounds excellent. Count me in definitely."
Holly confirmed: "Tomorrow at five o'clock. Meet at the campus main gate. Please don't be late."
The Gathering Storm
The following day, Jason attended his regular Friday classes before heading toward the campus entrance that evening.
From a distance, he observed a group of students assembled near the gate. Holly spotted him first and waved with genuine enthusiasm.
She was dressed casually yet effortlessly stunning—loose-fitting joggers paired with a black cropped jacket unzipped just enough to reveal a simple white tank top underneath. Her toned midriff and sculpted shoulders drew appreciative glances from several male students passing by.
Jason quickened his pace appropriately. During his last encounter with Holly's friend group, they'd already seemed impressed by him. Now, as he approached, he noticed Lisa, Liam, and the others pausing their conversations, clearly surprised by his dramatically improved appearance and confident demeanor.
Holly herself, who typically prioritized personality over physical appearance, couldn't resist stealing several admiring glances.
The other students whispered among themselves—Who exactly is this guy?
Holly introduced him to the remaining group members: Chloe, her boyfriend Matt, and several other students. Everyone appeared friendly enough, though Jason detected Matt offering him a subtle look of disdain and territorial suspicion.
Jason remained completely unbothered. He was here for Holly and the hot spring experience. Everyone else represented mere background noise.
Just as they completed introductions, three imposing off-road vehicles approached—a Ford F-150 Raptor, a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, and a fully-loaded GMC Hummer EV.
Even random passersby stopped to stare appreciatively. The engines roared impressively as the vehicles pulled alongside the curb, and the drivers clearly relished the attention their expensive machinery commanded.
Holly glanced once at the vehicles with mild interest, then shrugged dismissively and continued her conversation with Jason.
Matt, however, practically sprinted toward the Hummer with embarrassing eagerness. The driver, a young man sporting slicked-back hair and expensive designer sunglasses, emerged from the vehicle with the swagger of someone who believed he owned the entire world.
"Bro, these rides are absolutely insane!" Matt exclaimed with obvious flattery and social climbing desperation.
His enthusiastic tone represented a sharp contrast to the subtle hostility he'd displayed toward Jason mere moments earlier.
The driver smirked with practiced arrogance. "Yeah, the Hummer's my baby. Fully electric, but still packs more torque than most muscle cars. Cost me about a hundred and ten grand, but when you've got it, why not flaunt it?"
Several students gathered around admiringly, clearly impressed by both the vehicle and its owner's casual display of wealth.
Holly rolled her eyes slightly at the performance. "That's Derek," she whispered to Jason. "Rich kid from California. His parents own some tech company. He's... exactly what you'd expect."
Jason nodded understanding, observing Derek's theatrical display with mild amusement.
A hundred and ten thousand dollars, Jason thought with internal humor. I spent nearly that much on a Random watch yesterday.
Derek's gaze eventually found Jason and Holly standing slightly apart from the admiring crowd. His expression shifted subtly, territorial instincts clearly activating as he noticed Holly's obvious comfort with Jason's presence.
"And you are?" Derek asked with barely concealed challenge in his voice.
"Jason," he replied calmly, extending his hand with confident ease.
Derek's grip was deliberately firm—a juvenile power play that Jason met with equal pressure while maintaining perfect composure.
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