I'm a senior in high school, and the Emperor Development System has arrived!

Chapter 100 Friend, give me some air! Give me some air!
The golden glow of the setting sun, like melting honey, gently gilded the edges of the observation deck.

Stephen Chow spread out the picnic mat.

The Van Gogh starry night pattern on a deep blue background is directly opposite the gradually changing sunset on the horizon.

Jiang Xia patted the corner of the cushion, her short hair, ruffled by the mountain wind, brushed against her cheek, and said to Chen Zhou:

"Come sit down! This is the best view!"

"I'm coming!"

Chen Zhou sat down cross-legged next to Jiang Xia.

Then Li Bin pounced on the mat, limbs outstretched, looking like a sprawled beetle, muttering to himself:

"Oh dear, my back is going to break if I don't rest for a bit."

He grabbed a bag of potato chips and crunched them loudly, then picked up a can of cola and exclaimed in surprise:
"No, Mr. Bai, is that backpack of yours Doraemon's pocket? It even has iced cola in it!"

Bai Qianqian blushed at the praise and sat down, taking out several cans of cola from her insulated bag and distributing them to everyone.

"It's...it's an insulated bag that my mom prepared for me. She said I might get hot after climbing the mountain..."

She always habitually twisted the hem of her clothes when she spoke, and her clear almond-shaped eyes looked like two pools of spring water in the setting sun.

Chen Zhou noticed Jiang Xia drooling over the bag of Zhou Hei Ya (a type of braised duck), so he proactively opened it and placed it among the girls:

"Try this? You girls should love it."

Chen Zhou looked around and felt that he couldn't just take the snacks that Bai Qianqian brought, so he took the initiative to rummage through the pile of snacks next to Zhou Xinglun.

Seeing the thing he had casually pulled out, Chen Zhou coughed twice and asked him:
"Hey Xinglun, what's with this bag of 'booger-flavored jelly' you brought? Are you planning to poison me so you can inherit my Ant Forest?"

Stephen Chow chuckled:
"I brought these game props because I was afraid of getting bored. Want to play Truth or Dare?"

The loser eats weird-flavored beans.

Lu Mi suddenly chuckled softly, her fingertips tracing the starry sky pattern on the picnic mat:

"This game is great, it's a good opportunity to ask everyone about their crushes."

As she spoke, her gaze swept over Chen Zhou almost imperceptibly.

Chen Zhou noticed Lu Mi's gaze. He took a sip of his cola expressionlessly, thinking to himself:

What trick is this girl up to now?

He nodded and said:

"I have no opinion."

Jiang Xia, completely unaware of the danger, chuckled and said:

"Great! I've never played this game before!"

Hearing what Lu Mi said, Bai Qianqian blushed slightly and whispered:
"Okay... okay."

Her eyes secretly glanced at Chen Zhou, her heart pounding like a rabbit's.

Seeing that everyone agreed, Chen Zhou nodded and said:

"Okay, let's play Truth or Dare then."

Upon hearing this, Li Bin realized what was happening:
"Wait... they haven't even asked for my opinion yet!"

Then, ignoring Li Bin's opinion, everyone reached a consensus and began the game.

Truth or Dare

Round 1
Stephen Chow pulled out a die from somewhere and held it high:
"The one with the highest number asks for the one with the lowest number!"

As he spoke, he shook the dice vigorously. The dice spun around in his hand a few times before finally stopping at a 5. He proudly raised his chin.

Everyone took turns rolling the dice. When it was Bai Qianqian's turn, her hand trembled slightly. The dice rolled in her hand and finally stopped at 2.

Bai Qianqian's face flushed red instantly. She thought she was the lowest in the rankings and was extremely anxious.

Fortunately, Li Bin made his grand entrance last, but returned as a clown, rolling a bright red 1.

The guy had just stuffed the last potato chip into his mouth and was mumbling incoherently:
"Truth or dare! I choose truth or dare!"

Stephen Chow, who had the highest score, reluctantly took off his sunglasses, muttering to himself:

"I don't know what this guy has to ask."

Li Bin nodded repeatedly:

"Exactly, exactly, haven't I opened everything up to you?"

Stephen Chow gave him a disdainful look:
"Get lost, you dead gay!"

Li Bin winked at him:
"Brother, I've just developed hemorrhoids these past few days, and they feel quite gritty. How about you do me a favor this time?"

Having read many novels, Stephen Chow has a rich imagination, and he was soon disgusted by them.

Chen Zhou coughed and said seriously:
"Bin, watch out, there are women here!"

At this moment, Jiang Xia and Lu Mi are also commuting to school through the Turtle Office.

The turtle couldn't stop laughing.

Jiang Xia clutched her stomach, her shoulders trembling, while Lu Mi covered her mouth with her hand, secretly laughing.

Only Bai Qianqian, a new internet user, stared blankly at the smiling or helpless expressions of the others, unable to keep up with their thought processes.

At this moment, Zhou Xinglun thought for a moment and said to Li Bin:
"No, I don't have any questions. You should choose Truth or Dare."

Li Bin nodded helplessly, but then added:
"First, it cannot insult my dignity; second, it cannot cause me harm."

Stephen Chow rolled his eyes:

"Good good."

Li Bin nodded:

"Alright, what kind of dare?"

Stephen Chow chuckled and said:

"I'll edit a message for you, and you can send it to the class group."

Upon hearing this, Li Bin immediately jumped up, his voice rising eight octaves:
"Damn it, can you please stop getting me into trouble?"

Stephen Chow said:
"Let's see first, let's see first."

As he spoke, he copied a message from his notes and sent it to Li Bin's QQ.

Seeing this, Li Bin's expression shifted between light and dark, his brows furrowed deeply, his eyes darting back and forth across the phone screen, before finally saying helplessly:

"Fine, fine, I accept my fate, okay?"

As he spoke, he sent the message to the class group chat.

Chen Zhou quickly turned on his phone, and Bai Qianqian belatedly picked up her phone as well.

Jiang Xia and Lu Mi also became curious, so they found a nearby phone to peek at the screen.

In the long-dormant class group chat, Li Bin posted three messages:
"Hello everyone, I am a senior high school student and I will be taking the college entrance examination soon. I hope the older sisters in the group can send me a photo of myself wearing a cheongsam and wish me good luck."

"Or send me a picture of me wearing a fishing net, wishing me a successful catch, and another picture of me covering my chest with bamboo leaves, wishing me confidence."

"Ideally, my bust size should be C or higher, wishing me a debut as the center of attention. Also, send me a swimsuit photo so I can swim forward and the guy will call the police."

As soon as these words were spoken, the class group chat exploded instantly, with a string of "???" messages popping up at a rate of three per second.

Most of the students in the liberal arts class were girls, and most of them didn't find the news funny; they just found it distasteful.

"Damn! Li Bin, you've got guts!"

Wang Rui's message included a voice message, with the sound of a basketball bouncing on the ground in the background.

Zhou Mo didn't speak, but instead sent a private message to Chen Zhou's phone:

"Bro, did Brother Bin's account get hacked? If not, hurry up and tell him, Jiang Yuyan is in the group!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Zhou nearly dropped his phone in shock and quickly asked:
"When did this happen? Wasn't there a teacher in the class group chat?"

Zhou Mo replied:

"Last time, after you and Zhang Xiaoling had a fight, Jiang Yuyan added you using a fake account. Didn't you know that, brother?"

However, just as Chen Zhou was chatting with Zhou Mo, a message came from someone in the group with the ID "momo":

"Li Bin, come to my office on Monday."

Upon seeing the message, Li Bin chuckled and said via voice message:

"Who is this pretty girl? She's anonymously cosplaying Jiang Yuyan here to amuse me. Tell me her name, and I'll definitely fall in love with her."

Upon hearing Li Bin speak, Chen Zhou glanced at the class group chat and realized something was terribly wrong, so he quickly reminded him:

"Don't send it, that really is Jiang Yuyan!"

Unfortunately, it was too late. Li Bin had already played the voice message before he heard those words.

That flippant voice message was like a time bomb, causing an uproar in the group chat.

Li Bin immediately chose to withdraw the message, but as soon as the "withdrawal successful" message appeared, "momo" replied with a message:
"I've already saved the voice message. Also, my name isn't Jiang Yuyan, it's Shen! En! Xi! /smile/"

With a thud, Li Bin knelt stiffly on the picnic mat, his eyes glazed over.
"I'm finished!"

Li Bin, remembering the culprit, jumped up in anger and locked Zhou Xinglun's neck tightly.

Stephen Chow nearly suffocated, patting his hand repeatedly and saying:

"Hey friend, give me some air! Give me some air!"

The living are slightly dead.

Truth or Dare Member 2.

Seeing that the situation was beyond repair, everyone comforted Li Bin for a while and then started another game.

Round 2
Lu Mi rolled a six, her eyes sparkling, a smug smile on her face. Then she looked at Chen Zhou, who rolled a two, the lowest possible number.

She raised an eyebrow, a sly glint in her eyes:
"Senior, truth or dare?"

Chen Zhou's heart skipped a beat. He knew Lu Mi had ill intentions. He took a deep breath and said:

"Truthfully."

"The senior said..."

Lu Mi suddenly leaned closer, her doe-like eyes meeting Chen Zhou's gaze:
Who is your favorite girl? It can't be an older person!

The evening breeze carried the scent of her citrus perfume, mixed with the fragrance of mountain grass, making one's heart itch.

Bai Qianqian's fingers suddenly tightened, her nails digging into her palms. She sat to the side, her eyes fixed on Chen Zhou, her gaze filled with anticipation and nervousness.

Jiang Xia, sitting next to Bai Qianqian, noticed her actions and stopped putting snacks into her mouth.

Her expression froze slightly, and the bag of snacks in her hand stopped in mid-air.

The evening breeze suddenly stopped, and even the noise of the distant city seemed to be muted.

Li Bin and Zhou Xinglun exchanged a glance and wiped the sweat from their foreheads.

They knew in their hearts that this problem was deadly, and the slightest mistake could lead to a bloody end.

Li Bin wondered how he would answer this question if he were Chen Zhou.

He glanced at Jiang Xia, who was Chen Zhou's childhood sweetheart. It was impossible for Chen Zhou to have no feelings for Jiang Xia.

Moreover, after six years of friendship, he genuinely wanted Chen Zhou to choose Jiang Xia.

but……

Li Bin's gaze shifted to Bai Qianqian's face, to this classmate who was a bit naive and had a slight stutter.

If she heard a name that wasn't hers from Chen Zhou, she would definitely feel terrible, right?
Maybe she'll cry in bed at night?
Is Chen Zhou really willing to do that?
As for Lu Mi...

She's the school beauty, you bastard!!
Don't you understand that good looks are everything?!
Li Bin's gaze darted back and forth between the three men, but he ultimately gave up on the idea of ​​helping Chen Zhou make a choice.

No matter which one of them, they are all irreplaceable in Chen Zhou's heart.

No matter what Chen Zhou chooses, as his best friend, he will definitely support him unconditionally.

only……

Li Bin sighed inwardly.

This damn winner in life, I'm so envious!
Zhou Xinglun and Li Bin had different focuses. As a seasoned strategist, he was using this issue to analyze the three women's attitudes toward Chen Zhou.

Bai Qianqian, needless to say, was under some kind of spell, her heart practically leaping into Chen Zhou's arms.

Jiang Xia, standing nearby, had also made it pretty clear. But what was up with Lu Mi? She didn't seem to like Chen Zhou much, yet there was a sense that she was deliberately stirring up trouble.

Stephen Chow frowned, indicating that he didn't quite understand.

However, given the current situation, Lu Mi is definitely out of the question; it remains to be seen how Chen Zhou will choose between the two options.

At this moment, Chen Zhou could clearly feel two burning gazes—

On the left, Bai Qianqian's knuckles were slightly white as she gripped the wild rose, her eyes filled with anticipation.

To his right, Lu Mi's doe-like eyes were fixed on him, a smile of anticipation playing on her lips.

Only Jiang Xia wasn't looking at him; instead, she casually opened a bag of potato chips and teased Lu Mi:

"Junior, you've asked a pointless question."

"Oh?"

Lu Mi raised an eyebrow and looked at Jiang Xia:

"What do you mean by that, senior?"

Jiang Xia held the bag of potato chips to his mouth, took a big gulp, and then slowly said:

"Because of our classmate Chen Zhou—"

She drew out her words, deliberately building up the anticipation:

"I already have someone in my heart."

Bai Qianqian's small hands suddenly tightened, looking inexplicably nervous.

Lu Mi looked at Chen Zhou and found that he was just smiling slightly and did not intend to refute Jiang Xia's words.

She was somewhat surprised; it seemed that what Jiang Xia said was actually true.

Chen Zhou not only has someone in her heart, but that person is not Jiang Xia, otherwise she would never have this expression.

Lu Mi couldn't help but wonder who this person was.

Bai Qianqian also looked at Jiang Xia nervously, seemingly afraid to get the answer from her.

But soon, Jiang Xia swallowed the potato chip, smiling and keeping everyone in suspense:

"I'll give you a hint: twin tails!"

"Double tail?"

Upon hearing this, Bai Qianqian lowered her head in disappointment; she always wore her hair in a high ponytail.

Li Bin hissed, wondering what other secret romances Chen Zhou had that he didn't know about.

He suddenly remembered that Lin Xiaomeng had liked to wear pigtails for a while, and his heart tightened. The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed.

As everyone knows, Chen Zhou likes things that are different from others. In the class, if we're talking about contrast, who can match the contrast of this bespectacled girl?

Holy crap! Did Chen Zhou already start talking to Lin Xiaomeng?
You deserve to die, elbow!

Lu Mi noticed Li Bin's gasp, her eyes lighting up instantly as if she had discovered a new continent, and asked him:
"Senior Li Bin, Senior Chen Zhou, is there anyone in your class who likes to wear pigtails?"

Li Bin glanced at Chen Zhou, then at Lu Mi, and said cautiously:

"Yes... but it also seems like no."

Lu Mi looked at Chen Zhou, rested her chin on her hand, and asked:
So, does it exist or not?

Li Bin finally gave a positive answer:

"No, definitely not."

During the exchange between Lu Mi and Li Bin, Jiang Xia and Chen Zhou exchanged a glance, both secretly suppressing their laughter.

Lu Mi noticed this detail, and in a flash of inspiration, immediately said:
"I know! The twin-tailed girl that senior likes isn't a real person!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xia laughed so hard he tilted his head back, slapping his thigh as he said:
"My junior finally guessed it, I almost burst out laughing."

Having received the answer, Lu Mi sat back down in disappointment, patted her head regretfully, and said:

"You only said it couldn't be an elder, but forgot to add other conditions."

With that, she mustered all her strength and shouted:
"One more game!"

At this moment, realizing that the truth was not as he had imagined, Li Bin couldn't help but ask Chen Zhou, "What's going on?"

"So who exactly is the one with the twin tails?"

Chen Zhou said righteously:

"That must be Mother of Ultra! You looked so strange just now, what were you thinking about?"

Li Bin quickly shook his head and said:

"No, what could I possibly be thinking about?"

After all that misunderstanding, he realized his initial thoughts were a bit ridiculous.

How could someone as obsessed with points as Lin Xiaomeng possibly get together with Chen Zhou?

Seeing that Lu Mi still wanted to play Truth or Dare, Stephen Chow quickly pulled out a deck of UNO cards from his bag and said:

"Let's play a different game. We're all classmates, we know each other well, truth or dare isn't fun."

Upon hearing this, Li Bin's eyes widened:

"Fine, so in the end I'm the only one who gets hurt, right?"

Chen Zhou shrugged and laughed:
"It's your bad luck, maybe playing a different game will change your fortune!"

Jiang Xia was already a long-time UNO player, so naturally he had no objections.

Only Lu Mi, seeing that the situation was settled, secretly pouted.

Next, everyone indulged in eating and drinking while playing casual games.

Jiang Xia was on a winning streak, winning three hands in a row. A smug smile spread across her face, her eyes sparkling. She placed the cards on the mat and said:

"Haha, I'm having a really good day."

Li Bin, meanwhile, was slapping the mat beside him, muttering to himself:

"This is so unfair, why do I always lose?"

In the fourth round, Lu Mi held a +4 card, a sly smile playing on her lips. She deliberately shook the card and then said:
"Watch me, I'm going to play a +4 card."

Bai Qianqian, a UNO newbie, always forgot to shout "UNO" and couldn't keep up with the others' typing speed, making her face turn red with anxiety.

Chen Zhou leisurely sipped his cola beside her, a relaxed smile on his face. He would occasionally glance at the card game and offer some pointers to Bai Qianqian.

Seeing the relaxed and cheerful atmosphere, Stephen Chow couldn't help but smile.

Then, on a whim, he took advantage of everyone's inattention and raised his phone to capture the moment—

The smiling faces of the boys and girls in the afterglow were brighter than the starry sky on the picnic mat.

Not long after, Chen Zhou glanced at his phone and reminded him:

"It's time to go down the mountain, or we'll be heading into the dark."

Upon hearing Chen Zhou's words, everyone got up and started packing their things.

Because Bai Qianqian brought too much stuff, even though everyone tried their best, they only managed to solve half of the problem.

Chen Zhou put the remaining half back into his backpack, intending to carry it down the mountain later.

Everyone packed their things one by one and then walked down the mountain together.

As the last rays of the setting sun completely disappeared into the mountains, the group slowly descended the rugged mountain path.

The night breeze, carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees, gently caressed everyone's face.

Li Bin walked in the middle, still muttering about the blunder in the class group chat today, his tone full of helplessness and a hint of teasing:

"Hey, Stephen Chow, that's a really ruthless trick of yours. I'm going to settle the score with you tomorrow!"

Stephen Chow responded with a smile:

"Come on, you're just unlucky, haha!"

Finally, we reached the foot of the mountain, and the city lights began to come on one by one.

Upon arriving at the park entrance, Chen Zhou took out his phone and greeted everyone:
"Come on, everyone, let's make a lasting memory of this day!"

"I'll form the head!"

Li Bin and Zhou Xinglun immediately rushed over, taking the positions of Chen Zhou's left and right protectors.

Three headshots instantly appeared on the phone screen.

Li Bin's funny expressions and Zhou Xinglun's exaggerated mannerisms occupied most of the screen.

Jiang Xia gracefully stood behind Chen Zhou and even winked playfully at the camera.

Bai Qianqian blushed and slowly moved over, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes again, but her eyes secretly peeked into the camera.

Lu Mi stood gracefully with a faint smile on her lips.

"One, two, three! Eggplant!"

Seeing the bright smiles on everyone's faces, Chen Zhou smiled too and pressed the shutter.

……

After taking photos and recording the event, everyone exchanged pleasantries for a while and made plans to have hot pot together again next time. Li Bin and Zhou Xinglun then left first.

Chen Zhou took a Didi (ride-hailing service) to first send Bai Qianqian back to Lido No. 1, and then took Jiang Xia and Lu Mi home.

When he got home, he ran into Chen Fang cooking. He asked:

"Have you eaten? Would you like some more?"

Chen Zhou quickly shook his head:
"I'm full from snacking, I really can't eat anything else."

Lu Mi smiled faintly and gave the same reply.

After watching TV on the sofa for a while, Chen Zhou changed into a more mature-looking outfit and then went out of the house under the pretext of going for a run.

He has another special operation tonight.

He opened the system panel:

[The empire has enjoyed peace for many years, yet a decadent lifestyle has grown increasingly prevalent. If allowed to continue, it risks the collapse of moral order and threatens the very survival of the nation. We humbly request Your Majesty to issue an edict to shut down this brothel and entertainment venue to rectify this uncivilized custom.]

[Task Reward 1: 500 Imperial Prestige]

[Task Reward 2: Skill Card *1 (Upgrades any skill, level +1)]

Chen Zhou let out a soft breath.

Tonight, he will try to complete this task and get the skill card!

Adhering to the principle of saving money where possible and spending money where appropriate, Chen Zhou arrived at the entrance of the foot massage parlor.

The gilded signboard of "Golden Impression" exudes nobility, but the technicians coming and going inside are dressed in a rather vulgar manner.

Not only was the skirt ridiculously short, but the neckline was also extremely low. It would be really inexcusable not to go in and criticize it.

Chen Zhou stopped at the front desk and said to the receptionist who looked somewhat like Tifa:

"Hello, I bought a meal deal on Meituan."

As everyone knows, if a new customer comes to such a place and suddenly asks to experience illegal activities, the staff will be wary.

Who knows if you're an undercover officer or someone trying to set a trap for law enforcement?

So Chen Zhou only bought a regular massage package on Meituan, thinking he would make further plans after he got in.

Tifa glanced at Chen Zhou, then called out to the store. Soon, a female manager came over and said to Chen Zhou:
"Young man, come with me."

The female manager led Chen Zhou upstairs to a small room, which was dimly lit and had a great atmosphere.

There were two beds in the room, similar to the layout of a hotel double room, I don’t know if it was for the purpose of separating the wet and dry areas.

The TV screen is quite big, but I wonder if anyone watches it.

The female manager took out an iPad, swiped her finger, and soon the much-anticipated "choose your favorite concubine" segment began:
"Hey buddy, how about you pick one you like?"

Chen Zhou glanced at the first page; it was full of older people. He shook his head knowingly.

"Change the batch!"

(End of this chapter)