Chapter 42: 41 Superconductor Loser

Chapter 42: 41 Superconductor Loser

“An Le, help Dad go downstairs and buy a bundle of scallions, and also pick up a bag of salt and soy sauce; otherwise, there won’t be any food to eat tomorrow.”

After dinner, An Le’s father, An Bang, who was washing the dishes in the kitchen, called out. An Le, glancing at the wardrobe, quickly turned her head and replied,

“Okay, Dad~”

On her shoulder, a white snake with a flickering tongue took a look at the clothes in the wardrobe and rolled its eyes, saying,

“Look at you, what the heck is in this wardrobe? So drab and old-fashioned! No matter how you pick, that outfit for meeting Yan Huan next week is just going to be short on style.”

“…”

An Le awkwardly glanced at Little Pinky, unsure of what to say, finally muttering softly,

“Then I’ll just use my pocket money to pick something next weekend; it’s been ages since I bought new clothes.”

“Is that so? Wearing that school uniform every day is so lame.”

In reality, An Le’s family wasn’t poor to the point of being unable to buy clothes; it’s just that there were very few outfits suitable for her.

Occasionally, she found a few she liked but didn’t have the guts to wear to school.

Because they were cheap, they couldn’t compare to the expensive brand name clothes her classmates wore.

More importantly, she was worried about being criticized for her figure.

Boys would always sneakily observe her with eyeing gazes, whispering among themselves.

Though she couldn’t hear clearly, it was easy to guess what they were saying.

Girls often teased her about her figure too; for instance, Park Shuwen and her friends frequently insulted her with “milk cow.”

An Le disdained that nickname.

So, she was left with no choice but to wear the very conservative school uniform like back when she attended school in the Dragon Kingdom.

However, here, she stuck out like a sore thumb.

At this moment, having returned home, An Le changed into a white casual dress and was picking out her outfit for meeting Yan Huan next week.

Under the dueling pressure from Little Pinky and reality, An Le finally made up her mind. Instead of sending letters via Ya Qiao Mu, she would go find him directly.

Of course, due to An Le’s timid nature, she wouldn’t set out without thorough preparation.

What hairstyle to wear that day?

Should she put on some makeup?

Which outfit to choose?

All these points required consideration.

Though according to Little Pinky’s idea, she could just rush in with a burst of pleasure and win instantly—why complicate things?

But no matter what, An Le refused to listen, and Little Pinky couldn’t argue against her; after all, she was the host.

Having agreed to her father’s request, An Le was ready to leave and called out to her mother, who was watching TV in the living room,

“Mom, I’m going downstairs.”

“Hey, bring me a cup of milk tea, less sugar.”

“Okay~”

An Le put on her shoes and walked to the corridor of the old apartment building, pressing the elevator button.

“How about going down to buy some things and also get clothes?”

Little Pinky suddenly said while looking at the numbers in the elevator.

But An Le immediately shook her head, raising her phone to open an online shopping app,

“Eh? I’m thinking of buying online.”

“Buying online? Why not buy offline?”

An Le nodded, flustered, explaining,

“Because… um… buying clothes offline is very expensive; online is cheaper.”

Little Pinky squinted at An Le, then suddenly exploded in fury,

“I see you have social anxiety! You’re too shy to even buy clothes offline, right? I just saw you; there are so many ill-fitting clothes, including your underwear—all bought online!!”

Little Pinky had already seen through An Le; she would browse for days online, have to wait for the delivery, and then hesitate again after it arrived.

Geez!

When the time came, she’d be flustered and not dare to go out!

So it dragged on—dragged on—until the food was cold, while others were off enjoying their meals, and you were happy!

Little Pinky angrily swatted An Le’s face with its tail, causing her to babble as she tried to stop it,

“Your figure is already top-notch; how can clothes fit if you don’t try them on offline?! And the clothes you bought online that don’t fit, you won’t return? Just keeping them like that?!!”

“Because… returning clothes would bother others, right? They only managed to sell it after all.”

“Stop it right there!! Don’t think I didn’t see this; even if you don’t return, are you leaving good reviews without ever wearing them?! Why?!”

“Because that customer service… was so nice and looked like a good person; they begged me to leave a good review, so I just…”

“Are you dumb?! Their script is all standardized training; do you think they’re nice to you because they’re good people?”

“I-I know, but…”

An Le bit her lip; she knew well those customer services had the same lines, yet she just found it hard to refuse requests.

Especially when they repeatedly begged her, saying they were just short of a good review for the month to meet their targets.

Just a little finger movement could help them achieve their work, why not help out?

An Le thought this way.

Looking at An Le’s meek appearance, Little Pinky was on the verge of exploding dozens of times.

“Useless! Now, this minute, go downstairs and buy a new outfit! No more online shopping!”

It desperately wanted to burrow into this silly girl’s mind to see what in the world was making her brain work this way.

A tumor, perhaps?

“And get your hair done while you’re at it; looking like a ghost every day! Are you not scared at night when getting up? Shampooing is such a hassle, watching you struggle every night about washing your hair is driving me insane!”

“Alright, alright.”

An Le stroked her long hair, nodding; this was one of the few points where she and Little Pinky agreed.

Washing hair is annoying for girls; if you don’t wash, it gets greasy, and if you do wash, it takes so long and needs to be dried strand by strand—what a hassle.

Let alone An Le’s thick, long hair.

“Ding Dong~”

The elevator arrived.

An Le straightened her hair and stepped inside, pressing the button to the first floor.

The elevator was plastered with many advertisements, looking almost as grungy as the dimly lit hallway.

Linyi Gate’s housing prices were high; a part of Liao Qiao District and a large portion of the South District were the older, cheaper areas of Linyi Gate.

An Le’s dad, An Bang, had returned from a failed business venture in the Dragon Kingdom and used all his savings to buy a second-hand apartment of over sixty square meters in Liao Qiao District, just managing to settle down.

While they weren’t exactly rich, they could at least afford a house in Linyi Gate, which qualifies as a moderately comfortable family.

After passing through a few narrow and dark corridors on the first floor and emerging from an alleyway, she finally walked back into the bustling streets of Linyi Gate.

Little Pinky took a glance around and pointed in a direction,

“Let’s go over there and get your hair cut!”

“Okay.”

An Le nodded and walked a bit, pushing open the door of a barbershop, softly saying as she entered,

“Sorry to disturb you.”

“Disturb you my foot! You’re the customer, you’re the God! Now straighten your back!”

“Okay.”

An Le foolishly straightened her back, but when the barber’s gaze fell upon her, she shyly lowered her head, nearly causing Little Pinky to faint.

“Alright, you first need to wash your hair, okay?”

“Mm.”

After heading to the back to have another apprentice wash her hair, when she sat up later, her hair fell flat and unruly without being blow-dried, and An Le honestly resembled a ghost.

She could practically perfectly replicate Sadako from “The Ring,” causing the patrons getting buzz cuts to stare with wide eyes.

“How do you want it cut, miss?”

“Just… trim it a little shorter. Thanks.”

“Sure, let’s give you a more normal hairstyle, shall we?”

“Mm, thanks.”

An Le nodded; even surrounded by the barber cloth, the rise and fall of her chest were still very noticeable.

“Snip snip snip.”

The bangs that fell under the cutting were akin to mountains, suspended above.

“Miss, do you want a membership card? Just recharging now gives you 20% off; it’s a great deal!”

“Ah?”

An Le blinked her sparkling big eyes, turning her gaze to the smiling barber behind her.

Just as she started to respond, Little Pinky’s snake head suddenly appeared in front of her face, expressionless.

Its scarlet eyes widened, so close to hers.

It was a look of “I will stare at you forever.”

“An Le, if you dare agree, do you believe I’ll kill you right now?!”

An Le’s pale little face was terrified; she bit her lip and hurriedly turned back to the barber, stammering,

“Um, I think I’ll pass. Thank you.”

“Okay.”

Phew.

An Le watched the barber, now casually continuing to cut, and carefully withdrew her gaze.

Turns out,

Even if she rejected, nothing would happen.

This thought suddenly popped up in her mind.

It was such a normal realization, yet when she thought this, it felt like a stone had dropped from her heart, mixed with various emotions.

When An Le got her haircut, the result was most evident. When the barber asked, “How does this look?” An Le saw a stranger in the mirror, despite the fact that her bangs had finally revealed her bright, lovely face, the weight of her long hair had finally lifted, making her head feel less heavy.

She had big watery eyes, but they seemed to lack a little vitality, making her look adorably dazed.

Her pink lips were slightly parted in surprise, not wearing makeup yet gleaming with a beautiful luster, making one unable to resist exclaiming,

“Who would dare kiss?!”

An Le blinked, and the beauty in the mirror blinked back.

It was only after this action that she seemed to realize the person in the mirror was herself.

“Just like this. Thanks.”

“Okay, let’s wash it again.”

“Mm, thank you.”

After another wash and blow-dry, the refreshed beauty finally stepped out of the barbershop, feeling relieved.

After parting from a social setting, she let out a breath and touched her chest.

But Little Pinky on her shoulder was too domineering; it flicked its tongue and pointed to another direction,

“Next stop! Go buy clothes!!”

An Le blinked, following Little Pinky’s arrangement to a clothing store.

Little Pinky’s critical gaze swept over the mannequin in the window, and then it seemed to spot a dress that it absolutely adored.

So, it turned back to An Le, issuing a command,

“Hurry! Go to this store!! That dress is amazing; it will definitely suit you!”

However, An Le opened her mouth, looking somewhat hesitant to speak.

But upon seeing her, Little Pinky exploded with anger, yelling,

“Stop being such a scaredy-cat! Are you alive or not?! Not daring to try clothes offline? There are just female salespeople inside, what’s there to be afraid of? Go in!!”

“Alright, alright.”

An Le swallowed hard, yet mustered the courage to walk inside.

“Welcome! Take a look and see which ones you like; you can try them on.”

“Not this one! That one! Yes, that dress! Have her take it down for you to try!”

Under Little Pinky’s urging, An Le trembled, grabbed a floral high-waisted dress hanging and asked the clerk to fetch her size before heading into the fitting room.

When she walked out again, the staff waiting at the door couldn’t help but cover their mouths in surprise.

The body-hugging high-waisted dress showcased An Le’s figure perfectly, the curves accentuated by her chest flowing along the dress’s contour, finally culminating in a slightly pleated princess dress hem.

Her figure was impressive but not bulky, appearing youthful and pure.

Yet, despite everything fitting perfectly, the girl’s face was flushed with shyness, and her gaze was evasive.

She looked like the cherry on top of a cream cake, the seductive red standing out on a snowy white base, making one salivate.

“Oh dear, young lady, you have quite the eye! With your bust, it’s hard to pick clothes; this one suits you beautifully.”

“R-really?”

An Le swayed the hem of her skirt in front of the mirror, while Little Pinky’s nose was almost pointed to the sky.

“Don’t joke; I’m the smartest little pinky here, with a first-rate eye and mind. What do you think, little An Le, are you convinced yet?”

“Ah?”

An Le blinked her eyes but still seemed hesitant to speak.

But looking at Little Pinky’s smug face, she kindly refrained from interrupting, nodding earnestly,

“Mm.”

“Alright, buy it! This will be your outfit when you meet Yan Huan next week; he’ll be mesmerized!”

Mesmerized?

Little Huan?

This version of herself?

An Le’s face turned even redder; she was a bit hesitant to look at her reflection in the mirror but also couldn’t hide her excitement because of Little Pinky’s fawning.

Thinking of Yan Huan made her feel this way.

“Oh, don’t think too much; it’ll be a win! Hurry up and checkout; we still have the next stop to go! We need to get new underwear too; you need to carefully consider the essential underwear for that kind of thing.”

“D-doing that kind of thing?!!”

An Le’s face instantly turned beet red, resembling a boiling kettle, shocking all the nearby staff.

“What’s wrong, madam?”

“N-nothing!”

An Le flusteredly responded to the sales clerk, then turned to Little Pinky in her mind, saying,

“Little Pinky, you… have you already thought that far ahead? I’m going to see Little Huan, not…”

“Ha?”

Little Pinky merely shot her a sideways glance and calmly replied,

“Don’t tell me you’ve never thought about doing that with Yan Huan?”

“W-what?”

That single phrase extinguished An Le’s fire completely.

Her face burned, her mouth trembled like a sieve, but she couldn’t squeeze out a single word for a long time.

“Or are you saying you want a spiritual relationship with Yan Huan?”

“Of course not!”

Alright, alright, it’s clear now that you want to date Yan Huan, isn’t it?

Previously you were all tough, just wanting to meet him.

Oh ho, look at you, good kid~

Little Pinky transformed into the iron judge in court, launching its final blow to An Le, asking bluntly,

“Just say it outright; tell me, after you started high school, did you ever use Yan Huan as a side dish at night?”

“…”

After stammering for a long time under Little Pinky’s scrutinizing gaze, An Le finally blushed and spoke softly in her mind,

“Mm.”

An Le was an honest child.

“Ha!”

Little Pinky scoffed disdainfully, then flicked its tongue,

“Look at that, fast, let’s checkout, and head for the next stop!!”

“But… but…”

“But what? How else do you want me to lay out your psychological groundwork?!”

Before Little Pinky could explode again, An Le had already glanced around nervously, finally muttering,

“This dress… I can’t afford it.”

“Ah?”

Suddenly, Little Pinky fell into a daze, looking at An Le with a bewildered expression.

Then it buried its slender head into An Le’s black hair to sneak a peek at the tag at her neck.

A second later, it seemed as if it had reached enlightenment and quickly retracted its head.

“…”

“…”

The two exchanged glances.

An Le sweated nervously, while Little Pinky also felt a twinge of guilt.

Oh no, it was a snake, so it wouldn’t sweat.

“Why didn’t you tell me this store is so expensive!?”

“I-I wanted to tell you when we were at the door, but you kept interrupting me!”

“…”

Little Pinky squinted its eyes and let out a deep sigh, quietly grumbling,

“It was supposed to be a power you unlock later, but I guess this girl’s desires are about ripe enough to use…”

“Uh, Little Pinky, what are you talking about?”

Little Pinky turned around, sighing, and said,

“I’ll teach you a new way to use your ability, which will allow us to take this dress away, and make your Little Huan easily fall for you. Are you listening?”

“Y-yes, go ahead.”

“When your ability evolves later, you’ll have to choose between manipulating pleasure and pain to unlock your subsequent abilities. First, tell me, do you want to keep manipulating pleasure or pain?”

An Le opened her mouth, almost instinctively saying,

“…Pleasure, I guess.”

Little Pinky showed an expression of “I knew it.” It continued,

“Then it’s settled; the so-called pleasure, as when you infused it into Yan Huan earlier, was actually quite sudden, easily noticeable, right?”

“Exactly; I had been worried about that.”

“Now, you can determine the source of that pleasure to be yourself.”

“Myself?”

Little Pinky squinted, explaining word by word,

“People often say ‘it feels good to be around someone,’ which is actually because being with that person brings positive feedback based on their actions.

And you can use the ability I grant you to skip this process, allowing people to experience positive feedback directly, that is, pleasure.”

An Le wasn’t dumb; she almost immediately understood Little Pinky’s meaning,

“So I can use this ability to make myself more popular?”

Little Pinky smirked, its tone turning darker as it spoke meaningfully,

“Not just that. Just try it and you’ll know.”

Upon this, a line of illusory text appeared before An Le,

【Do you choose the pleasure evolution route?】

“Yes.”

An Le chose so.

Then, the illusory text slightly transformed,

【Congratulations, you can activate ‘Superconductor Mode’!】

【In this mode, you can designate a target within 15 meters, and when you’re near them, they will constantly feel pleasure. Moreover, their consciousness will automatically correct itself, subconsciously viewing you as the source of pleasure.】

【Duration: 15 minutes. Once it all comes to an end, their memory will correct any unreasonable aspects, but beware of exposure risks from third parties or other uncontrollable factors.】

【Would you like to activate ‘Superconductor Mode’?】

An Le blinked and then clicked confirm.

Little Pinky glanced back at the shop assistant and said,

“Her, designate her as the target.”

“Eh?”

As an invisible large circle with a radius of fifteen meters spread out, it enveloped the shop assistant behind her, and a white mist instantly formed a bridge between An Le and her, flowing continuously.

“!!”

The shop assistant froze momentarily, and then her face turned red instantly, her gaze toward An Le becoming intensely fiery.

An Le blinked, seemingly not yet aware of what was happening, but Little Pinky was already speaking beside her,

“Now’s the time, ask her if you can take the dress!”

An Le subconsciously followed Little Pinky’s command, asking,

“Can I take this dress?”

“Of course!”

The shop assistant blushed, her fingers tentatively wanting to approach An Le, as if there was a certain magnetism around her that made people feel good just by being near her,

“Just take it; you don’t need to pay! I’ll cover it later, haha.”

An Le opened her mouth, while Little Pinky moved its head sideways, telling An Le,

“Why are you still dawdling? Go!”

An Le blinked, glancing down at the dress she was earlier holding.

She looked back at the now-flushed and dazed shop assistant behind her, instinctively wanting to follow Little Pinky’s instructions and leave.

Walking out with a dress worth thousands for free, doesn’t this seem outstandingly advantageous?

An Le exhaled as she approached the door, but just as her hand reached for the ice-cold doorknob, she suddenly halted.

That coldness seemed to transfer back into her body bit by bit.

“What’s wrong? Let’s go!?”

Little Pinky turned its head to look at her, urging loudly.

An Le’s eyes widened in disbelief, still panting.

Her long eyelashes fluttered like a butterfly’s wings, her pink lips pursed slightly, and her gaze drifted to the recruitment advertisement posted on the door,

“Now hiring staff, salary ranging from 4000 to 6000 monthly.”

This dress she was trying on cost over a quarter of that staff member’s monthly salary.

An Le gradually loosened her grip on the doorknob, and Little Pinky was also beginning to grow agitated beside her.

But An Le remained hesitant; she turned to look back at Little Pinky, her gaze gradually rising, culminating in a firm, unyielding stare.

After a moment of silence, she focused on Little Pinky’s slightly startled scarlet eyes, timid yet undeniably resolute as she opened her mouth,

“I,

“I can’t do that, Little Pinky.”