☆, Chapter 20: Screwing Dad Over
I don’t know who uploaded the video of Hao Ren singing and playing the guitar with Daizi and Mantou during the interview to the internet. I don’t know if that person did it on purpose, but they even gave it a sensational title like “The Most Beautiful Top Scorer in History Sings with Her Beloved Dogs.” Beautiful women and pets have always been the most click-attracting elements on video websites. Not only did that video have both, but it also had the impressive title of “top scorer,” so it was only natural that the clicks would be off the charts.
When Hao Ren saw it, the video’s clicks had already broken one million without a doubt. Hao Ren searched and was dismayed to find that it wasn’t just that one video website; many other websites had also reposted the video. The actual number of clicks was probably even more terrifying.
The reason she had played Hao Yi’s guitar back then was just to mess with Hao Weiguo. The sight of Hao Weiguo sweating profusely at that time still made her secretly delighted to think about. What she hadn’t expected was that this would not only earn her the accusation of casually entering someone’s room, but it would also inexplicably make her an internet celebrity. She had already felt that her university life would not be peaceful because she had offended the Angel Alliance. Now, the word “peaceful” was probably a luxury for her.
Hao Ren was from the future and knew the so-called internet celebrities all too well. Behind every internet celebrity, there was almost always a group of behind-the-scenes promoters with gleaming eyes, greedily seizing huge profits from someone’s popularity. As for the final fate of that internet celebrity, it was not within their consideration at all. Therefore, when she found herself inexplicably popular, her first reaction was definitely not happiness, but a bone-chilling cold.
Who was it? Who on earth did it?
She frantically used her not-yet-fully-healed hands and struggled to search for clues online. The person behind the scenes was really impatient. In just a few days, someone had already created an online encyclopedia entry for her. The moment she saw that entry, she instantly understood what was going on. Because there was a photo of her as a baby on it. Besides her and her grandmother, only Hao Weiguo had that photo.
After knowing who did it, she didn’t care if Mr. and Mrs. Hao were already resting. She rushed to Hao Weiguo’s room with a murderous look. Fortunately, Auntie Mei had gone shopping with her good sisters tonight, which saved a lot of embarrassment.
“You did it, right! Why?” Hao Ren threw Hao Yi’s tablet at him, her expression even more indignant than Hao Yi’s had been just now.
Hao Weiguo picked up the tablet and glanced at it, his reaction very calm. “That’s right! I did it! Daughter, don’t you want to be famous?”
“Famous? Ha!” Hao Ren sneered. In fact, she had already figured out Hao Weiguo’s thoughts on her way here. She had only come now to verify it.
In her past life, even when Hao Ren was paralyzed, Hao Weiguo could still use her as his bargaining chip. Now that she had such great value, it was natural for him to have even greater ambitions. Sometimes, a daughter was a far more useful tool than a son, especially when that daughter was both smart and beautiful. A rare commodity is worth hoarding. This must be his true thoughts now. No wonder he had been so quick to agree when she had said she wanted to buy clothes. This guy was truly the world’s best father at screwing over his daughter!
“Look, you’re so famous now!” Hao Weiguo flipped through the tablet, his face full of pride, as if the person praised by netizens as a celestial being was himself. “Aren’t you happy? Some third-tier starlets don’t even have your level of fame now.”
Hao Ren still hadn’t recovered from her previous shock and continued to glare at him with a murderous look.
If it were before, if she had shown such an expression to Hao Weiguo, she would have definitely been beaten. But this time, Hao Weiguo was not angry. Instead, he still looked at her with a smile, just like an ordinary father looking at his daughter in a TV drama.
“Daughter, if you want to go to Imperial University, Dad supports you. The Imperial Capital is a good place…” Hao Weiguo said, walking over and patting Hao Ren’s shoulder with deep meaning.
Hao Ren was not an idiot. Of course, she understood the meaning behind his words.
“If you don’t have enough money in the future, just tell Dad. The most important thing is to dress up beautifully!” As if to confirm Hao Ren’s guess, Hao Weiguo added with a kind look.
When she walked out of Hao Weiguo’s room, Hao Ren’s face was frozen in an expression of not knowing whether to laugh or cry. She had never thought that Hao Weiguo, who had so readily abandoned her life for a mere five million in her past life, would one day face her with such a kind and amiable expression.
Indeed! Everything else is fake, only interests are eternal!
Although Hao Ren tried hard to convince herself that this matter was no big deal, that even if she became an internet celebrity, the earth would still turn, and she didn’t need to care about it. But when she returned to her room, she still couldn’t help but turn on her computer again.
She hadn’t seen the program when it aired before, and later, because of various things, she had forgotten about it. So now was actually the first time she had seen her own performance on the screen.
After watching the video, Hao Ren let out a long sigh. She had to admit that she looked quite good on the screen.
Although her looks couldn’t compare to Hao Yi’s, they were above average. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have attracted the attention of the “Angel Alliance.” Although she had no makeup on, she was still a pretty girl with delicate features. Because she was thin, her eyes looked large and her chin was sharp, so she was particularly photogenic. Coupled with her teary-eyed appearance while singing and crying, she looked very pitiful at first glance. Anyone with a bit of sympathy would feel a sense of pity, just like seeing a poor little animal.
That kind of non-aggressive beauty was indeed the most effective at attracting fans, which was why green tea bitches were so despised later on.
The water army hired by Hao Weiguo was quite competent. Not only did they push the video to the top, but they also went to various major forums to post and praise the top scorer sister’s purity and cuteness. The steps were linked one after another, a classic case of online promotion.
At this time, netizens were still very naive and hadn’t yet developed the sharp eyes of later generations. With just a little guidance from the water army, public opinion began to lean to one side. Looking at the unanimous praise online, even Hao Ren couldn’t help but feel a little smug, accidentally developing the wonderful illusion that she might really be a super beauty.
But the moment she thought of Hao Yi’s face, she instantly calmed down. She couldn’t even compare to a boy, what kind of beauty was she!
The higher you are held, the harder you fall. If she were a great beauty like Hao Yi, it would be one thing, but in reality, she was just a thin, ordinary girl who could at best be called a pretty girl. Hao Ren could already foresee her tragic future.
Hao Ren regretted why she had worn that outfit that day. When she bought that outfit, Auntie Zhang was not free, so she had rarely given her money to buy it herself. Hao Ren had chosen a simple cotton and linen T-shirt and a half-skirt. Paired with the expensive guitar Hao Yi had bought, it looked quite like a literary goddess on the screen.
She would rather have worn the outfit from the day she bought clothes. If her attire had been like that then, no matter how resourceful Hao Weiguo was, he wouldn’t have been able to package her as a tasteful, rich, and beautiful little fresh girl. Unfortunately, there are no “ifs” in this world.
Fortunately, for the kind of thing Hao Weiguo dreamed of, the choice was still in Hao Ren’s own hands. As long as she was unwilling, Hao Weiguo couldn’t do anything to her. Perhaps Hao Weiguo also felt that people strive for higher places, which was why he did such a thing. In his eyes, he probably thought it was a win-win situation, and there was no reason for Hao Ren to disagree. Unfortunately, after suffering so much at his hands since she was a child, Hao Ren would not be willing to be his pawn, and she had no interest in becoming a noble lady either.
This incident was not without its benefits. Originally, Hao Ren had been worried about her university living expenses, but now it seemed that was an unnecessary worry. Hao Ren had a feeling that her living expenses in the future might be even more than Hao Yi’s. In Hao Weiguo’s eyes, that money was probably just an investment. It was just a pity that this investment was destined to have no return.
Hao Ren had already made up her mind that no matter how much money he gave her, she would never spend it on dressing herself up. As long as she had money, she would use it to rescue stray dogs and cats and other small animals, spending as much as she had. Using Hao Weiguo’s money to do her own thing, and in the end, letting him discover that all his painstaking efforts were just a waste of time—that feeling would surely be very nice.
Right! If some clueless young master really came to pursue her then, she would give them a cold shoulder and trample them into the mud, as harshly as she could. Anyway, now the whole world knew that she was Hao Weiguo’s daughter. Let’s see how he would clean up her mess then. The Imperial Capital was full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. A small-time rich man from H City was nothing. She didn’t believe she couldn’t bring him down!
After figuring out a way to deal with it, Hao Ren not only no longer felt bad, but she even had the urge to laugh up at the sky. Screwing Dad over! Was there a better way to get revenge than this?
When you’re in a good mood, everything looks beautiful. Even the originally annoying water army was not so annoying anymore. She had to admit that the water army hired by Hao Weiguo was really quite dedicated. At this moment, they were still constantly expressing their envy, jealousy, and hatred for the top scorer sister. Hao Ren smiled as she scrolled through the comments, treating it as entertainment.
“This year’s Z province science top scorer is a rich and beautiful girl! God, it’s so unfair!”
This was definitely trying to stir up hatred for her! God is too unfair? Hao Ren smiled wryly. When had God ever been fair? She would probably be mistaken for a rich and beautiful girl until she died, even though she had never lived a single day of that life. The more she thought about it, the more sad it became.
“Sob, sob, so inspiring. A song that can make people cry. The top scorer sister could totally be a singer!”
Hao Ren smiled wryly. Was Hao Weiguo planning to push her into the entertainment industry if selling his daughter didn’t work out?
“Stunningly beautiful! That aura, it’s like a breath of fresh air!”
She wondered if the person who wrote this comment felt a pang of guilt.
…
The monotonous, water-army-style comments made Hao Ren a little uninspired. Just as she was about to turn off her computer, she accidentally saw a new post.
“The Most Beautiful Top Scorer Cheated!” The title was short and concise. But the content inside was very detailed. Not only did it describe Hao Ren’s performance in school in detail, but it also attached a high school mock exam paper. The score on the paper was a bright red 89, but unfortunately, it was a paper with a total score of 150.
“Cheating! Definitely cheating! Her English mock exams have never passed!”
Since they could even get evidence like the exam paper, Hao Ren’s first reaction was to think of the young ladies of the Angel Alliance. Other than them, she really couldn’t think of anyone else who would go to such lengths to deal with her. They weren’t lying. Hao Ren’s English scores were indeed terrible. Otherwise, with her scores in other subjects, she would have been recommended for admission long ago.
Originally, she had deeply detested the Angel Alliance. If it weren’t for what Hao Weiguo had done, she would have definitely gritted her teeth in hatred upon seeing such a revelation. But because of Hao Weiguo’s existence, now that she saw them stand up, Hao Ren couldn’t help but secretly cheer in her heart. Although she was the person involved, she began to look forward to the confrontation between the two sides with malicious glee, as if she were watching a play.
Hao Weiguo was indeed not to be trifled with. As soon as this revelation came out, his water army immediately took action.
“Cheating? Do you think all that modern equipment in the exam hall is just for show?”
The Angel Alliance was not so easily defeated and immediately responded, “Don’t forget who she is. With her father’s financial resources, what advanced cheating equipment can’t he buy? Maybe it’s the latest equipment that the exam hall’s equipment can’t detect?”
Hao Weiguo’s side reacted very quickly and immediately had someone create a bounty post, publicly offering a high price globally for reliable, advanced cheating equipment.
“Where is the new equipment? I’m willing to pay ten million for it. My son is also taking the college entrance exam next year! Ten million is not enough? One hundred million is also fine! What’s more important than my son’s future?”
The Angel Alliance insisted that Hao Ren had cheated, while Hao Weiguo’s side kept clamoring for them to produce evidence. The two sides began to bicker endlessly. The thread grew longer and longer, but there was no substantive content at all.
At first, it was quite interesting to watch them fight like dogs, but after a while, seeing them repeat the same few sentences over and over, even Hao Ren, as the person involved, quickly became bored. So, she decisively turned off her computer and went to bed.