Financial Independence through Cracked Apps-Chapter 132 - 124: Making a Move

"Done."

After helping Aria download WeChat, Lin Shen added himself as a friend and handed the phone to her.

"Thanks."

Aria sat down next to Lin Shen, resting her left arm on her bent left knee while her other leg was stretched out.

"You’re my first friend from Huaxia. I’m going back to Germany the day after tomorrow. If you ever get the chance to visit, I can teach you how to ski, rock climb, or even skydive for free!"

"Free won’t do."

Lin Shen pretended to ponder for a moment.

"If you don’t want payment, how about I act as your guide and show you around Modu tomorrow? We can call it an advance."

"Sure!"

Aria had been wanting to explore Modu properly, so she readily agreed and remarked with a sigh,

"Are all Huaxia People this warm and welcoming? I feel like I’ve only met good people in the three days I’ve been here."

"Not all of us."

Lin Shen shrugged and said, half-joking,

"It’s mainly because you’re beautiful. You’re the most beautiful German girl I’ve ever seen, so everyone naturally likes you."

A more reserved girl might feel offended upon hearing such a comment.

But a foreign girl would see it as you being open and straightforward, an honest person.

This is just a difference in personality shaped by one’s environment and cultural upbringing; neither is better or worse.

Each has its own unique charm.

"Thank you."

Aria was taken aback for a moment, and an unusual light flickered in her deep blue eyes. She immediately returned the compliment.

"Lin Shen, you’re very handsome, too."

It was the truth.

This was precisely why Aria had chosen to strike up a conversation with Lin Shen out of all the runners in the stadium.

Of course, the main reason was that his running form and pace were far superior to the average runner’s, which had immediately caught Aria’s attention.

The second was his handsome Asian face.

Thanks to the deliberate smear campaigns by many media outlets, Aria had thought that Huaxia faces all had small eyes and flat features, giving them a petty appearance.

But after actually visiting, she realized this was a fundamental misunderstanding and a form of discrimination!

Especially Lin Shen.

His features were well-defined, his facial structure sharp and distinct, and his smile radiated confidence and swagger.

He was nothing like what those media outlets described, showing no signs of "timidity" or "spinelessness" in his expression.

Instead, he possessed a grand bearing that many Europeans lacked, his every gesture exuding a deep pride in his nation’s cultural heritage.

Coupled with Lin Shen’s warm hospitality and sense of humor, he was a perfect blend of earnestness and wit.

All of these things perfectly matched Aria’s tastes.

As a result, she grew incredibly curious about Lin Shen. Their conversations soon moved beyond sports as she began to probe into his background.

She asked what he did for a living, how old he was, what he had studied abroad, and so on.

This was where the second skill Lin Shen had acquired came into play.

"My master’s was in Probability Theory and Mathematical Statistics, because German STEM programs are held in high regard."

Lin Shen casually dropped a few terms from the field of mathematics and offered explanations, completely winning Aria over. She nodded repeatedly, resting her chin in her hands and gazing at him with a smile, her beautiful eyes gradually filling with adoration and a different kind of affection.

’So Lin Shen isn’t just good at sports, he’s also an amazing student!’

As the saying goes, you can’t be too honest when talking to a girl; it will only make you seem boring.

Therefore, Lin Shen kept his words ambiguous, a mix of truth and fiction, all designed to pique her curiosity.

A relationship only truly begins when a woman becomes genuinely curious about a man.

Of course, there was one more crucial step.

Knowing when to pull back—playing hard to get.

This would give her time to savor the details of their interaction, allowing his less obvious virtues to slowly marinate in her mind.

To put it in the words of the ancestors, it was the art of "leaving blank space."

"It’s getting a little late."

Lin Shen abruptly stopped mid-sentence and glanced at his watch.

Unfortunately, he was wearing a digital watch for his run, not his green and gold Daytona.

Otherwise, he could have shown off his wealth and boosted his personal Charm.

’But she can afford to travel internationally and is a coach for all sorts of extreme sports. She’s probably not short on cash.’

"I’ve got to go. What about you?"

"Let’s go together."

Although Aria felt the conversation was ending too soon, she had no reason to stay at the stadium now that Lin Shen was leaving.

"Want me to drive you back to your hotel?"

Lin Shen suggested, dangling the keys in his hand. Aria was pleasantly surprised and thanked him with a smile.

"You’re more of a gentleman than most people I know. Thank you."

"You’re welcome."

Lin Shen led Aria to his Jaguar XFL and chuckled.

"I was actually thinking of buying a German car, a Mercedes-Benz, but I don’t like to be flashy, so I got this British car instead."

"I know. You Huaxia People like to be low-key."

After Aria got into the passenger seat, Lin Shen drove toward the hotel, following the address she gave him.

The twenty-minute drive passed quickly.

"Message me on WeChat if you need anything."

The car stopped at the hotel entrance. Lin Shen waved his phone at Aria and smiled.

"Sweet dreams. Good night."

"Good night."

After unbuckling her seatbelt, Aria leaned over and kissed Lin Shen on the cheek. Her expression held no trace of shyness, only endless affection coalescing in her eyes.

"Lin Shen, I really enjoyed our chat tonight. I’m looking forward to our date tomorrow."

Huh?

’It’s a date already?’

Even with his thick skin, Lin Shen was momentarily stunned.

He’d figured Aria might be quite open, but who would have thought that a single evening of conversation would earn him a kiss?

’This is insane!’

Lin Shen chuckled and shook his head, watching as Aria walked into the hotel before he drove home.

「11:30 PM.」

After Lin Shen got home, he saw that Aria had sent him a flurry of messages.

They started in German, then switched to English, and finally ended with a "good night" sent as a voice message with stickers.

She seemed fascinated by WeChat’s features and was apparently determined to try them all.

Lin Shen smiled knowingly, sent a brief reply, and went to the bathroom to take a shower.

Afterward, he decided to try the Body-Shaping Body Milk he had just obtained.

The bottle was about the same size as the one for the Vitality Body Milk, but the liquid was a pale yellow instead of off-white.

Lin Shen squeezed a little into his palm, rubbed his hands together, and applied it to his pecs.

After a moment, he could clearly feel a surging warmth radiating from deep within his muscles, which eased a short while later.

WHOOSH—!

Lin Shen let out a long breath. He wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt like his pecs had gotten much bigger.

He then applied the Vitality Body Milk all over his body to relieve the fatigue from his run and from cleaning.

The effect was instantaneous!

Lin Shen stood before a full-length mirror and struck a few poses. He felt like he could run another three 5Ks without breaking a sweat.

He returned to his bed and casually opened the Shuaiyang app, which was showing a Red Point notification. He saw that the Goddess Conquest Manual had been updated.

First up was the newcomer, Aria.

[Goddess Name: Aria Schmidt]

[Looks: 6/10 (A classic German athletic beauty with defined features. To each their own.)]

[Body: 8/10 (A healthy, sun-kissed, fitness-model physique. Well-defined muscle tone and a powerful presence.)]

[Personality: 7/10 (Loves life and maintains a positive, can-do attitude toward everything. Never gets discouraged by setbacks and is particularly open-minded about... certain activities.)]

[Abilities: 9/10 (Proficient in various extreme sports. Outstanding Constitution; her physical fitness is on par with an average man’s.)]

[Conquest Progress: 10% (Kiss on the cheek)]

[Please increase your conquest progress with this goddess to unlock more information!]

’This assessment is quite objective.’

Lin Shen nodded in agreement.

Aria’s looks couldn’t quite match Qin Yuenan’s, but her body and abilities were on par, and she had a very likable personality.

Lin Shen especially liked her open-mindedness.

’At this rate, I might be able to seal the deal tomorrow!’

After closing Aria’s profile, Lin Shen was puzzled by the second goddess who appeared.

[Goddess Name: Gu Wanqing]

[Looks: 9/10 (Elegant and delicate, the epitome of the "pale, tender, and youthful" type. Though she hasn’t fully matured, this pure young girl is already admired by many. Once she’s an adult, her Charm will rival that of any current female celebrity!)]

[Body: 5/10 (Slender, straight legs. Possesses an Innate White Silk Saint Body + Innate JK Uniform Saint Body. Petite and on the shorter side.)]

[Personality: 7/10 (Charming and cute, lively and cheerful. Has a strong interest in new things and is particularly clingy, especially with people she likes.)]

[Abilities: 4/10 (Proficient in English, excellent learning ability. However, she is naive and lacks real-world experience, making her easy to deceive.)]

[Conquest Progress: 10% (Kiss on the cheek)]

[Please increase your conquest progress with this goddess to unlock more information!]

A kiss on the cheek?

Seeing the conquest progress, Lin Shen froze.

’When did Qingqing kiss my face?’

’I’m pretty sure I kept my distance when she was staying at my place. We didn’t have any overly intimate physical contact... right?’

"Strange."

Lin Shen was puzzled, but he didn’t think the system would lie to him about something like this.

’Maybe I just didn’t notice it.’

’Still, Qingqing is really something else. Her looks actually surpass Nan’s?’

Lin Shen found it hard to believe.

He thought that while Gu Wanqing was pretty, with an innocent face...

...her features were so youthful that he didn’t feel any particular romantic attraction to her. His feelings were more like the affection an older brother has for his younger sister.

Besides, despite the three-year age gap, Gu Wanqing still bore some resemblance to her older sister.

This made things a bit awkward for Lin Shen.

Regardless, he still considered Qin Yuenan the pinnacle of beauty among all the women he knew.

’Maybe it’s because Gu Wanqing hasn’t learned how to wear makeup yet?’

Lin Shen thought that was highly probable.

Gu Wanqing was always barefaced, wearing lip balm at most.

Perhaps once she matured a little more, her true potential in the looks department would be revealed.

Lin Shen closed the Shuaiyang app and began to think about where he should take Aria tomorrow.

It had all happened so suddenly that he hadn’t made any preparations.

’Of course, no matter where they went during the day, the night had only one destination...’

’...the hotel.’