CHAPTER 337: CHAPTER 176: AWE [GREAT CHAPTER TICKETS]_2

Yu Yun cursed inwardly, forcing a smile that didn’t reach her eyes as she replied, "Of course. Brother Lie is usually very busy. He barely has time to socialize and is indeed not easy to get to know."

"Ah! No wonder he’s so successful..."

The girls’ eyes sparkled with admiration, all of them thinking that this version of Han Lie was the perfect male idol of their dreams.

Alas, your misunderstandings about my Brother Lie run deep...

Yu Yun knew the truth, but she couldn’t figure out why that scumbag made himself seem so... er, so out of touch.

Could it be that the scumbag really doesn’t have any bad intentions?

Smart people know that if you really want to pick up girls, acting aloof is definitely not a good strategy. If you’re both impressive and aloof, you’ll only make girls feel an intense sense of distance. They’ll be too scared to get close, too scared to interact, too scared to even think about you. Instead, you’ll likely be respected from afar.

The truly smart approach is to be a bit sweeter, a bit naughtier, and to express your emotions more openly.

Like when a girl shows concern for you, "It’s so late, why aren’t you sleeping yet?"

Straight guy: "Sleep? Hell, our boss is a complete idiot..."

Bootlicker: "Where are you? Haven’t you gone home yet? Should I come pick you up? Are you there? Why aren’t you replying to my messages again?"

A well-meaning guy who thinks he’s not a bootlicker: "I’m okay, but you shouldn’t stay up late, you know? It’s bad for your health and will give you dark circles. Fix yourself a cup of hot water and go to sleep quickly!"

Aloof guy: "Oh, right away."

Casanova: "It feels so good to be cared about, I’m so touched~~~ Okay, I’ll listen to you and go to sleep right now~~~"

If I were a woman, I’d damn well prefer the Casanova too!

Every effort you make receives clear feedback. That sense of accomplishment and sweetness washes over you in waves—it’s so intoxicating!

Have you all learned your lesson? When you’re dating, you absolutely must express your emotions! When someone shows concern for you, it’s not so they can listen to your complaints, your indecisiveness, your endless drivel, or be met with your cold indifference. That’s completely missing the point! Class dismissed!

...

Of course, Han Lie understood all this, but the current situation was entirely different.

Women are creatures who, if you get too close, will treat you with disdain; if you stay too distant, they will harbor resentment.

With one person, you can play the push-and-pull game. But one against dozens? What room is there to maneuver?

There were simply too many girls in the Literature and Art Department, which inevitably led to countless internal conflicts and the formation of all sorts of messy little cliques.

So, you absolutely must not get drawn into their battlefield, and don’t even think about trying to become one of them. Crucial to remember!

Otherwise, you won’t get anything else done. You’d spend half your day refereeing their disputes and the other half serving as a prop for their jealous rivalries and charm offensives...

Sound fun? Take it from someone who’s been there—it’s not fun at all!

You’d be mentally exhausted day in and day out, with nothing to show for it, constantly under scrutiny. It’s about as miserable as it gets...

Therefore, you must maintain distance and project an attitude of treating everyone equally.

The more distant and impartial you appear, the more striking the effect will be when you later treat someone special in private.

She’ll feel incredibly flattered and surprised, get it?

All you little buddies who’ve learned this, make sure you adopt this composed, aloof stance when you go back!

Remember, smart people only treat their targets differently!

As for the rest, if they’re useful, they’re tools. If not, they’re nobodies—don’t even give them a second thought.

Take Han Lie’s treatment of Yin Qin, for example. This Wan Wan, a veritable human tool, has been working incredibly hard lately, getting all sorts of tasks handled with perfect order. But have you seen Han Lie give her the time of day?

Aside from work-related matters, he doesn’t reply to a single casual chat message from her, yet she ends up working even harder...

It’s not just Yin Qin. Lü Shuli, whom he met drinking yesterday—Brother Lie hasn’t replied to a single casual message from her either.

He did, however, exchange a few words with Miss Yue Xiu.

The reason?

Of course, it wasn’t because Yue Xiu was prettier than Lü Shuli; they’re both beauties of the same caliber, each with her own charm.

The real reason is—

Lü Shuli has no choice but to continue interacting with Han Lie, whereas Yue Xiu is free to choose.

Pretty easy to understand, right?

Liu Minghao is set to help Han Lie establish a fund company for long-term collaboration. Lü Shuli is Liu Minghao’s subordinate, so she’ll always have legitimate reasons for face-to-face contact.

Yue Xiu, however, isn’t Old Sun’s subordinate; she’s just a part-time pianist. It’s uncertain when, or if, they’ll have a chance to meet again.

So, with whom should one be more proactive?

It’s quite obvious!

This is the strategic thinking of "allying with distant states while attacking near ones" from The Thirty-Six Stratagems, applied to the social domain.

Those who are distant require more effort to maintain the connection. As for those right under your nose, you can afford to let them wait, don’t rush things; you can even afford to needle them a bit.

The same principle applies to the girls in the Literature and Art Department.

When physical proximity is too great, you mustn’t be the one to take the initiative.

Since they interact frequently anyway, they’ll come to appreciate Han Lie’s charm on their own. It’s not worth the extra effort.

With so many of them, losing half wouldn’t be a pity.

Han Lie already has his hands full trying to choose among the ’Top Four’; how could he possibly spare a thought for the ’Next Eighteen’ down the line?

Of course, whether to spare them a thought is one thing; organizing a grand feast today is quite another.

"Quiet down, everyone!"

Han Lie stood up and clapped his hands, drawing the attention of all members. He then announced the arrangements in a clear voice.

"Today is a momentous occasion—the official formation of our Literature and Art Department. I reckon opportunities for all of us to gather like this will be few and far between, so it’s absolutely necessary to celebrate today.

"I’ve already booked the banquet hall at the Baohua Marriott. Everyone should make their own way there. We’ll gather in the Minghua Garden on the second floor before 6:00 PM.

"Given the special circumstances today, please don’t bring guests or family members.

"After the New Year’s Gala successfully concludes, it’ll be my personal treat again. Then, we’ll bring our families and guests to celebrate seeing in the New Year together with a bang!

"Alright, that’s the plan. Let’s get a move on, everyone!"

"WOW!"

A wave of enthusiastic cheering erupted in the activity room.

"Long live Director Han!"