Guide To Lying Flat And Getting Rich As A Kept Alpha - Chapter 28
28
The store managers from both sides called Luo Hetu, informing her that Chun Yuyan frequently visited Shanhe Tuling and Qianbao to look for her. Of course, each time, she was dragged out by Xiao Wu, Xiao Qi, and Xiao Ba, but the persistent harassment was truly annoying.
One evening, Luo Hetu had the misfortune of running into Chun Yuyan on the street. The words Chun Yuyan spoke sent chills down Luo Hetu’s spine.
With a gentle and sweet smile, Chun Yuyan grabbed the hem of Luo Hetu’s clothes and said softly, “Hetu, I misunderstood you last time. Zhang Sheng is in a terrible state now, harmed by his competitor. I’m really at my wit’s end. He’s so pitiful, and I’m exhausted taking care of him alone. I haven’t slept in days. You know my family looks down on me, and no one treats me well. I don’t have any friends here. Could you come with me to the hospital to help?”
Luo Hetu’s gaze turned ice-cold.
Chun Yuyan mentioned that Zhang Sheng’s gland was damaged and tried to coax her into going to the hospital. Luo Hetu didn’t believe for a second that these two things were unrelated.
Though she had no proof, Luo Hetu was convinced that this despicable pair had been eyeing her “defective Alpha” gland for quite some time. They either wanted her to be their tool or to use her as some sort of “medicine dreg.” They had no shame at all.
Hmph.
She didn’t give Chun Yuyan a single kind look. After returning home, the more she thought about it, the more something felt off. There were both hard and soft ways to deal with these shameless people. She didn’t want to confront them openly, as it might break the law, so she decided to quietly make things difficult for them behind the scenes.
The first step was to address their inflated sense of self-worth. For starters, when would Chun Yuyan finally realize that Luo Hetu wanted nothing to do with her?
Through Xiao Tong, Luo Hetu got the contact information for a group-casting agent in Jiang City. She reached out and hired two good-looking extras: a male Alpha and a female Omega.
Luo Hetu sent the quick-witted Lao Liu to meet them and pay them. Her request was simple: have the two extras pursue Zhang Sheng and Chun Yuyan, respectively.
“You know how to play the green tea role, right?” Lao Liu said with enthusiasm. “Act like you’re completely devoted, asking for nothing in return. Arrange occasional but not constant ‘chance’ encounters, find opportunities to express your affection, and periodically annoy them for a while before pulling back. Don’t linger too long or rush things—just keep them on edge slowly.”
The two extras assured her it was easy and that they could make it look convincingly real.
“But there are a few things to watch out for,” Lao Liu continued. “First, prioritize your safety. These two are utterly shameless and capable of anything. If you sense they’re planning to harm you, get out immediately. If they try to use you, don’t agree to anything. Hmm, how do I put it… don’t spend a dime, just provide emotional companionship. Second, under no circumstances fall for either of them. The reason? Refer to the first point.”
The two extras exchanged a smile and held hands. “Don’t worry about that,” they said. “We’re actually a couple.”
Lao Liu: …You guys are the real pros.
Luo Hetu had come up with the idea on a whim and wasn’t sure if it would work. She was more concerned that the unscrupulous pair might harm the two extras, so she instructed Lao Liu to keep a close eye on them. To her surprise, a few days later, Lao Liu came to her, excitedly praising her plan: “You’re a genius! That couple is now constantly fighting because of their ‘love rivals.’ The guy even found evidence against the person who harmed him and is plotting revenge. The female Omega is too busy to think about you—she’s either taking care of him or arguing with him. My girlfriend, who’s a nurse at the hospital, says she’s fed up with them. They’re always causing a scene, staging dramatic ‘chasing the wife’ acts, spouting cringe-worthy lines, and even pulling off wall-slams and forced kisses in the ward. The nurses are practically gagging.”
Luo Hetu: …
In any case, as long as those two shameless people shifted their focus away from her, that was good enough.
As for their fixation on her gland, she could only stay vigilant and observe them discreetly.
During this time, Luo Hetu’s internet café was fully renovated and ready. Two days after its grand opening, Ye Qingzhu left Jiang City to join the military.
When Luo Hetu saw her off, she gave her 20,000 yuan and said, “Study hard in the military. If you do well in your academic courses, you can become an officer. Ask around for details—the military makes it easier to get a degree. If you need money, write to me. Whatever you need, I’ll send.”
Ye Qingzhu laughed and vigorously ruffled Luo Hetu’s hair.
After Ye Qingzhu left, Luo Hetu felt a sense of emptiness. Fortunately, she now had her own internet café, equipped with 40 bulky CRT computers—the first of its kind in Jiang City. She hired two work-study college students to distribute flyers around the university, offering a free one-hour trial. This attracted a flood of students to the café.
To capitalize on the novelty, she set a steep price: 40 yuan per hour. Computers were expensive, and internet cafés were the only place most people could access them. After the free trial hour, students were hooked, unable to resist even simple games like those on 4399. They tightened their belts, dipping into their living expenses to “treat themselves” at the café.
“Sike Internet Café” quickly sparked a craze among university students. It opened just a week after the internet was introduced to the country, and anyone paying close attention would notice that all of Luo Hetu’s businesses—Shanhe Tuling in the milk tea industry, Qianbao in the karaoke sector, and now Sike in the internet café scene—were perfectly timed. Behind them all was Luo Hetu, who also earned dividends from Li Baitain Audio-Visual.
By the fourth day of opening, the 40 computers were insufficient to meet demand. Luo Hetu frantically completed tasks on Xiao Tong, earning one new computer every five days, slowly expanding her setup. With the internet now accessible, she happily built herself a custom computer with a bulky exterior but hardware far ahead of its time. She hired two work-study students to manage the front desk, handling registrations, payments, and selling snacks and instant noodles. She also brought in Xiao Shi and Xiao Shiyi from her crew to maintain order. Every day, she’d wake up, head to the café, sit at her exclusive spot by the counter, boot up her computer, sip tea, fiddle with her prayer beads, and surf the web—living the life of a lazy, good-for-nothing net admin.
One warm, sunny afternoon, Cheng Youqing visited Sike Internet Café. Amid the bustling young crowd playing games and watching movies, one staff member was busy delivering instant noodles and drinks, two burly Alphas were moving boxes to the back, and the front desk was diligently handling registrations and payments. Meanwhile, Luo Hetu lounged in a chair by the counter, spinning her prayer beads, her face lit with excitement as she stared at her computer screen.
She looked no different from the customers, except she wasn’t smoking or shouting. Sprawled in her chair, her clean, pretty face practically screamed “slacker” in big, bold letters.
Seeing Cheng Youqing standing silently, the front desk clerk asked, “Would you like to use the internet? It’s 40 yuan per hour, with discounts for membership top-ups.”
Cheng Youqing didn’t respond, her eyes fixed on the carefree figure playing on the computer.
The clerk followed her gaze and said, “Net admin, someone’s looking for you.”
Luo Hetu was diving into the online world, surfing foreign hacker forums that were still in their early stages but already showing potential. She was casually taking on a few jobs, negotiating prices in English, when her name was called.
She looked up, and upon seeing Cheng Youqing, she jolted upright.
It wasn’t just her presence—Cheng Youqing’s expression was colder than usual, reminiscent of how she looked at her in the hotel last time.
Puzzled, Luo Hetu stood and greeted her, “Ms. Cheng, what brings you to our little place?”
Cheng Youqing glanced at her before asking, “You opened this?”
“I’m just the net admin.” Luo Hetu replied.
Cheng Youqing hummed, her gaze lingering on her without a word.
Luo Hetu felt uneasy under her stare. She knew Cheng Youqing wasn’t here to surf the web, so she must have something to say—but she wasn’t saying it.
Luo Hetu suggested, “How about we step outside and chat?”
Cheng Youqing didn’t respond. Her eyes shifted to a frosted glass door nearby, decorated stylishly. “What’s that for?”
“It’s a storage room. Sometimes friends come by to rest there.”
Cheng Youqing nodded. “Is it convenient?”
Why wouldn’t it be?
Luo Hetu said, “One sec,” and told her client in English that she had something to attend to and would be back later. The client grumbled, worried she’d flake, but she ignored them.
The storage room was small, with boxes of instant noodles and drinks stacked on one side. By the window, there was a coffee table, a few sofas, and a decorative tea tray that had never been used.
As Luo Hetu led her in, she said, “I’ll go boil some water.”
Cheng Youqing reached out and grabbed her arm.
“I heard from Chun Yuyan that you’re a defective Alpha.”
The door was closed, and no one could see them.
Luo Hetu looked at her, stunned. Cheng Youqing’s expression wasn’t as cold now, but it didn’t show much else either.
She shrugged casually, “Yeah.”
She didn’t care about it herself and had long known that Chun Yuyan and Zhang Sheng wouldn’t keep her “secret.”
Cheng Youqing’s voice softened. “I asked her, and she told me because she wanted to curry favor with me. I haven’t told anyone.”
Luo Hetu blinked. Cheng Youqing was explaining herself.
“I understand,” she said.
Cheng Youqing fell silent again. Standing close, Luo Hetu could clearly smell her pheromones.
As a top-tier Omega, Cheng Youqing’s pheromones were indeed potent. Every time Luo Hetu saw her, she couldn’t help but feel drawn to them.
Swallowing hard to maintain composure, Luo Hetu tried to pull her sleeve free to keep a polite distance.
But Cheng Youqing tugged harder, nearly causing Luo Hetu to stumble into her.
“I need your help with something.” Cheng Youqing said, looking into her eyes.
Before Luo Hetu could ask what, Cheng Youqing leaned in.
Luo Hetu’s eyes widened.
Afternoon sunlight streamed through the slats of the blinds, illuminating the small, cluttered room. Tiny specks of dust danced in the air, twirling freely in the rays.
Luo Hetu’s lips met soft, fragrant ones, lingering without pulling away. Cheng Youqing gently deepened the kiss, effortlessly coaxing Luo Hetu’s lips apart with practiced ease.