When Leon Chen announced he wouldn't be a good guy anymore, his three dormitory roommates couldn't help but laugh.
The eldest, John Wu, said, "Leon, you were born to be a good guy."
The other two nodded in agreement, echoing that John Wu was absolutely right.
Though Leon Chen wasn't strikingly handsome, his eyes were incredibly clear, giving off a pure and innocent vibe. Ninety percent of people, upon meeting him for the first time, would think: "This kid is so kind."
As their third roommate, David Zhang, often said, "Even if Leon accidentally touched a woman's butt, she'd probably apologize to him, saying she shouldn't have put it so close."
In short, he was the epitome of kindness, the very embodiment of it.
With his demeanor and looks, if he didn't play the good guy, then there'd be no good guys left in the world.
Leon felt frustrated with his carefree roommates.
"Did a pretty girl hit on you or something?" the loyal second roommate asked, reminiscing about past "glorious" incidents while laughing.
Leon rolled his eyes. "I was insulted by an old lady!"
"What the hell, Leon! Did you go to the bank to end your virginity or something?" the second roommate exclaimed.
"Leon, what really happened?" John Wu, the eldest, asked more seriously.
It turned out that Leon had gone to the bank at the start of the new semester to withdraw some money. There, he encountered a woman. Seeing his innocent demeanor, she animatedly shared how she had received a winning call about a car prize but needed to pay 20% of the prize's value as tax, requiring her to transfer 100,000 yuan at the bank.
Leon was stunned. It was a classic scam. He kindly advised her not to believe it, explaining that such winning and money transfer calls were scams. To his surprise, the woman got upset, thinking he was calling her stupid. She accused him of being jealous and envious.
Leon was baffled. "Why would I be jealous of your lack of sense?" Initially considering calling the police, he refrained when she claimed her husband was a high-ranking official. He thought, "Why should I meddle in this?"
"Leon, there's no need to worry about such people. You did the right thing," his roommates comforted him.
"Such women are driven by greed! Serves them right."
That evening, as the new semester began and the freshmen arrived, the roommates suggested there might be some breathtaking newcomers. Leon rolled his eyes and stayed in the dorm, browsing news online. He saw a story about someone who fell for a scam, ignored all attempts to stop them by bank staff and the police, and transferred the money, only to regret it later. Greed was the root of these scams.
"Hopeless idiots," Leon muttered.
While scrolling through a forum, his phone suddenly vibrated.
"Hello? Who's this?" Leon answered nonchalantly.
"Hello, Mr. Leon Chen!" A sweet voice greeted him, almost making his bones melt.
"Hello, beautiful." Leon chuckled. According to his roommates, he was a wolf in sheep's clothing.
"This is Lina, a customer service representative from 'Heavenly Realm.' Congratulations, Mr. Leon Chen, you've won a prize!" Her voice was so gentle that Leon swore even the college's top beauty couldn't compare.
"Won a prize?"
Hearing this snapped Leon out of his daze. Damn, a scammer called him. Normally, he would just hang up after a bit of advice, but Lina's voice was too enticing, making him want to play along.
"I won a prize? How's that?"
"Yes. According to the laws of the Heavenly Realm, Mr. Leon Chen, you've completed a good deed and thus will receive a prize from the Heavenly Realm." Lina's respectful tone didn't change, despite Leon's sarcastic undertone.
Of course, in Leon's mind, this was just the scammer's professional courtesy.
"Oh, I haven't heard of this 'Heavenly Realm.' What's the website?" Leon asked casually.
"Sorry, Mr. Leon Chen, the Heavenly Realm's information is not accessible to the mortal world."
Yeah, right. "Heavenly Realm," "mortal world." Leon rolled his eyes and grinned slyly, "Hey, beauty, call me 'darling,' and I'll give you the prize."
The line went silent for a moment. Leon imagined the scammer on the verge of losing it, but the voice remained as gentle as ever, making him chuckle.
"Mr. Leon Chen, please don't joke. Now, I'll announce your prizes. You can choose one of them," she quickly continued, "The first prize is a book titled 'Demon Rules,' the second is a 'Space Ring,' and the third is a '108 Superpowers Watch'…"
"Your scam is pretty sloppy. This stuff is ridiculous," Leon laughed.
"Please respect my work!" Lina replied calmly. "Mr. Leon Chen, please choose one!"
She was really playing along. Leon randomly said, "The watch."
"Alright, enjoy! Your prize will be sent out immediately." The girl smiled slightly and hung up quickly.
Still wanting to toy with the scammer a bit more, Leon was left speechless. This scam was really unprofessional; they didn't even ask for a bank account or mailing address. Thinking about the ridiculous prizes, he wondered if his roommates were playing a prank on him.
Leon checked the incoming call number—it was eight zeros. He tried calling back, but the number didn't exist. Frustrated, he gave up.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, startling Leon as he was watching a Japanese romantic action movie.
"Why are they back so soon?" Leon muttered, turning off the video and going to open the door. No one was there, but he found a beautifully wrapped gift box addressed to him.
Could it be a secret admirer? Leon shamelessly fantasized, looking around to make sure there was no one suspicious.
He opened the elegant gift box to find a crystal case containing an extremely exquisite watch.
Leon chuckled, now sure his roommates were behind this. Otherwise, there was no way the prize could arrive so quickly. They were really considerate idiots.
The watch was impeccably crafted, like a flawless piece of jade, soft yet unknown in material. It had Roman numerals from 0 to 9, a red glow around the edges, and a complex mechanical gear in the center, with some faint mysterious characters on the back.
It was unbelievably cool.
Being a fan of anime, Leon immediately loved it and put it on.
The moment the watch touched his skin, it felt like it melded with him, light as a feather, without any weight.
There was a postcard in the box. Leon picked it up and was speechless.
In elegant handwriting, it read: "Mr. Leon Chen, please continue being a good person! Best regards, The Heavenly Realm."
"Damn it, I have decided to be a bad guy from today…"
A howl of frustration echoed from Room 502.