The Art of Deception and the Path to Power

Frankly, if Jiang Zhe were to hear a woman he had just met propose an uninterrupted thirty-second kiss, regardless of her beauty, he would undoubtedly deliver a ‘fist of righteous indignation’ to dissuade her from such fanciful notions.

Any woman lusting after his body should keep their distance.

After some careful consideration, Jiang Zhe was certain that even if Ning Ran had been thoroughly disoriented by his words, her inherent wariness would not simply vanish. Therefore, he couldn’t make a direct request.

Even with their wager, which supposedly allowed anything short of illegal acts, such a notion was merely a fleeting thought.

It was akin to a casual ‘next time for sure’—something to be heard and then promptly forgotten, never taken to heart.

Thus, after laying the groundwork, Jiang Zhe began to prepare his fallback.

“However, I was only joking at first and didn’t truly expect you to fulfill the wager. Now, I’m suddenly at a loss for how to proceed. Perhaps you could suggest something?”

Because Ning Ran had righteously insisted on being his friend—the kind who wouldn’t leave until he agreed—Jiang Zhe’s smile returned, shining brightly. Yet, he then furrowed his brows in feigned difficulty, as if genuinely unsure how to complete the wager.

Speaking as if it were the absolute truth, crafting the persona of a sincere individual willing to go to great lengths to help a friend fulfill a promise posed no challenge for Jiang Zhe.

Naive Ning Ran fell for it completely.

She hesitated for a moment before finally speaking. “If you’re willing, we could select ten embarrassing dares online and randomly draw one.”

Jiang Zhe’s intention in having Ning Ran propose a suggestion was merely to offer her the illusion of choice, thereby preventing her from realizing any discrepancies later on.

If Ning Ran had attempted to use money or material rewards to nullify the wager, Jiang Zhe would naturally have refused. He possessed numerous methods to dissuade her, such as arguing that the bond of friendship could not be tainted by money.

Similarly, if she had proposed other unacceptable conditions, Jiang Zhe could have gently declined. He would then have unveiled his pre-planned method: writing Ning Ran’s suggested wager conditions on slips of paper for a draw.

Now, hearing that Ning Ran’s suggestion perfectly aligned with his own thoughts, Jiang Zhe no longer needed to expend effort on further inducement. He could proceed to the next stage of his plan.

As for how to ensure Ning Ran would draw the ‘kiss’ slip, that was where Jiang Zhe’s mastery of unconventional tactics came into play.

Jiang Zhe could write several slips of paper, crumple them, and then hold them in his palm for Ning Ran to choose. With just two identical slips, he could perfectly deceive her. As a child, Jiang Zhe was both incredibly curious and highly gifted, having even studied with a renowned magician for a time.

There was no need to worry about his sleight of hand or his convincing pretense; he would undoubtedly make Ning Ran believe him.

However, haste makes waste. Having already completed ninety-nine steps, the final one demanded prudence.

There was no need to arouse Ning Ran’s suspicion by rushing.

Generally, Jiang Zhe did not treat others as fools, especially not a clever girl like Ning Ran. He would never presume to be clever enough to use straightforward tricks. Mixing truth with falsehood was the only way to genuinely entrap someone.

Just as now, he would not immediately reveal his true intentions, as that could easily expose his impure motives. Instead, by waiting for a period of relaxation and proceeding unhurriedly, he would avoid suspicion.

“I think that’s a great idea. How about this: I’ll choose some options online, and we can discuss it when we meet at the fencing club after school this afternoon!”

Having quickly finalized the plan without giving Ning Ran a chance to back out, Jiang Zhe felt a pang of regret. He lacked the appropriate tools; otherwise, he could have simply programmed a lottery software, which would have been even more convenient.

In that scenario, drawing from hundreds of embarrassing dares would leave little Ning Ran with no room for suspicion.

“Okay, I’ll see you then.”

As Jiang Zhe and Ning Ran spoke, people began to trickle out of the gymnasium. Their position wasn’t concealed; they were easily visible.

Feeling an increasing number of gazes upon them, a sudden awkwardness washed over Ning Ran. She said nothing more, merely nodded, and with a composed expression, straightened her slender waist and gracefully departed.

If her steps hadn’t been quite so quick, her calm demeanor would have been even more convincing.

Standing still, Jiang Zhe’s eyes crinkled with a smile. Having resolved his biggest immediate problem, he felt exceptionally pleased.

Ning Ran, the proud little swan on the surface, was in truth a ruffled cat—sometimes even ‘showing weakness’ in peculiar ways. All in all, she truly was a delightful treasure.

Jiang Zhe didn’t consider Ning Ran, who he had so thoroughly tricked, to be foolish. On the contrary, with most other girls, Jiang Zhe might not have needed to spend so much time; a slight deception would have been enough to hook them.

Jiang Zhe found this quite satisfactory, after all, only a select few were as skilled at deception as he was.

After Ning Ran left, Jiang Zhe didn’t linger to be gawked at. The physical education teacher had declared free activity, which was akin to an early dismissal, allowing students to move about as they pleased.

However, Jiang Zhe glanced up at the gymnasium entrance, pondered for a moment, and then, going against the flow, turned and walked back inside.

Curiosity filled the faces of the students he passed, but Jiang Zhe paid them no mind. Once inside the gymnasium, he saw that the PE teacher, Wang Yi, had not yet left. He knew he could continue with his plan.

Jiang Zhe had observed Wang Yi for a considerable time, coupled with a meticulous analysis, proving that he was not one to engage in futile endeavors.

Although he had transmigrated into a game, the fundamental rules of this world were well-established and largely indistinguishable from reality. The law could still land one in a cell, eating peanuts.

Jiang Zhe had died in the real world and knew there was no hope of returning. He intended to put down roots here, so he didn’t view himself as a mere bystander. His current identity required careful and flawless management.

His academic performance could be casually faked, but his fighting skills needed careful attention.

This was one reason Jiang Zhe hadn’t directly thrashed Cheng Li. Besides the fact that this body’s physical attributes were subpar, even though Jiang Zhe had studied many martial arts styles, he was more or less influenced by military training, which would be evident in his first move.

The Jiang Zhe in the game was an ordinary high school student, with no access to military forces. If Jiang Zhe’s moves were recognized, he would have no way to explain himself.

Therefore, upon seeing Wang Yi, whose energy seemed boundless, Jiang Zhe immediately had an idea.

He could ‘apprentice’ himself to Wang Yi, learn for a few days, and then his future acts of beating people would be justified. Thinking about the upcoming game plot, Jiang Zhe, whose head ached, realized he couldn’t rely solely on ‘verbal battles’; ‘physical confrontations’ also needed to be arranged as soon as possible.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to protect Ning Ran, the villainess character!

“Jiang Zhe, why are you back? Is something the matter?”

Wang Yi, who was constantly restless due to boredom, experienced fluctuating moods. However, having just witnessed Jiang Zhe’s comeback in the basketball game as a thrilling spectacle, it was as if his empty stomach had been half-filled, and his mood had improved accordingly.

Now, seeing Jiang Zhe approach, Wang Yi smiled kindly, his robust body standing like a mountain.

Jiang Zhe returned the smile, not beating around the bush. He went straight to the point: “Teacher, I want to learn how to fight!”