"Uncle? Do I look that old?" James asked, confused.
Sure, he looked a bit more mature than guys his age, but being called "uncle"? That was a new low.
Or was it a trend among young girls to call any guy older than them "uncle"?
Avril glanced at the fruit basket James was holding and said snarkily,
"Only old-fashioned people bring fruit when visiting a girl."
Since being publicly criticized and blacklisted, Avril had become a faded star.
However, her 10 million fanbase hadn't completely disappeared; she still had over a million left.
Among them, a few dedicated fans managed to track down her address and visited her to offer support with flowers, fan merchandise, and even jewelry.
But fruit? That was a first.
To her, it was a sign that her fan quality had drastically dropped, and it annoyed her.
James, meanwhile, felt a bit awkward.
Being called old-fashioned was an insult to his self-proclaimed charisma.
For someone who had been through thick and thin, it was a jab he didn't appreciate.
He chuckled awkwardly and explained,
"To be honest, I'm not actually your fan. I just heard from the sales agent that a celebrity lived next door, so I thought I'd come to say hi."
"You're not my fan?" Avril gave his words a moment's thought, then asked in surprise,
"You bought the apartment across from mine?"
"Yeah, I just closed the deal today," James said, scratching his head.
"Prove it. Open the door," Avril said, looking suspicious.
James chuckled and stepped forward, scanning his face on the smart lock's facial recognition system. The door clicked open.
"Want to come in for a look?" he offered with a grin.
"No... no need," Avril stammered, waving her hands in surprise.
She hadn't expected this mature-looking guy to be so rich.
After all, the apartment across from hers cost more than double what hers did. It wasn't something just anyone could afford.
"Don't worry, I'm a decent guy," James joked. "Since we're neighbors now, how about we exchange WhatsApp contacts?"
Avril hesitated for two seconds before pulling out her phone.
After asking for his name, she saved his number under the note: Rich Uncle.
"Uncle, you must be loaded! That apartment's supposed to cost over ten million, right?"
Realizing James was wealthy, she switched to a sweet smile, her tone suddenly enthusiastic.
"Yeah, 14 million RMB. Crazy expensive. I'll be eating dirt for a while now," James joked, half-seriously.
Compared to flaunting wealth, pretending to be humble and broke was a better way to connect with people.
Sure enough, Avril giggled and teased,
"Then why'd you still bring me fruit?"
"I figured girls like fruit," James said casually, handing over the basket.
Avril lowered her guard, took the fruit basket, and glanced inside.
Seeing it was full of summer fruits like grapes, lychees, and cantaloupe, she smiled and thanked him.
Since her new neighbor was clearly a wealthy homeowner, she figured he wouldn't do anything sketchy with the fruit.
"If you ever need anything, feel free to ask me. I'm a helpful guyâyou'll see that the longer you know me," James said, maintaining the image of a kind, reliable neighbor.
"Sure thing, Uncle," the young girl replied with a polite smile, standing at her door.
James didn't press the conversation further. With a wave, he turned and walked back into his own apartment.
Getting her contact info on the first meeting was already a win.
He could take his time to build rapport and show her what a warm-hearted guy he really was.
Back in his apartment, James flopped onto the couch and pulled up her profile. His brows furrowed slightly as he read.
[Goddess Profile Update]
Name: Avril
Age: 22
Height: 163 cm
Weight: 46 kg
Charm: 93
Profession: Idol Actress
Traits: Reserved + Sarcastic
Affection Level: 10
Relationship History: 0
Reward for Successfully Winning Her Over: God-Level Acting
Amount Spent So Far: 80 RMB
James stared at the "God-Level Acting" reward and was momentarily baffled.
"Seriously? Acting skills? What the hell am I supposed to do with that?" he muttered, mentally cursing the system for being stingy.
He thought the system would give him something more usefulâlike the perfect male god appearance, or a heavenly singing voice.
That way, he could simply stand on stage and randomly sing a tune.
Girls with a 90+ charm rating would start swooning over him, their affection levels skyrocketing to 100% instantly.
He'd harvest a bunch of superpowers every day, becoming invincible, immortal, ruling humanity, and spreading his legacy across the globe...
Acting skills? What use were those?
He wasn't planning to act in movies or become a celebrity. At most, he might cameo as some minor supporting roleâshow up for two episodes, have some fun, and then leave the screen gracefully.
That's what being a good actor should be about.
James couldn't help but doubt the system's judgment.
It could give him overpowered bodyguards and the ability to understand women's hearts, so why was this "God-Level Acting" reward so lackluster?
[God-Level Acting Explanation]
"If the host invests time in studying, analyzing, and performing a character, there is a high probability of acquiring that character's skills."
"For example: Driving, swimming, cooking, photography, housekeeping, health maintenance, art, sports, etc."
"The skill level acquired depends on the host's dedication to the role."
James's jaw dropped.
"So... if I act as a character, I can actually become that character?!"
He quickly pieced it together.
If he played the role of a professional race car driver and learned to drive, he could become a racing expert.
If he played a top-tier chef and practiced cooking for a few days, he could whip up gourmet meals like a pro.
If he acted as a piano maestro and learned the basics of "Do-Re-Mi," he could suddenly gain decades of experience.
If he played an assassin...
James was stunned.
With this ability, he could learn any skill and master it.
Invincible. Absolutely invincible.
His gaze shifted to Avril's WhatsApp profile picture, now filled with excitement.
He opened their chat window.
After hesitating for a moment, he decided against sending her 100,000 RMB as a "gift."
That approach had failed with other girlsâit was too shallow.
Instead, James decided to adopt the persona of a caring, reliable "big brother next door." He would win her over with genuine care and occasional support.
James: "I'm watching one of your movies right now. Your acting is really impressive!"
Avril's reply came quickly.
Avril: "Haha, thanks, but it's just because my co-stars weren't that great. Compared to veteran actors, I'm still far behind."
James: "Well, those veteran actors have been doing this for decades. For someone as young as you to reach this level is amazing."
Avril: "Uncle, are you complimenting me because you're into me?"
James: "Maybe a little, but not too much."
Avril: "Hehe, would you like to see my private photo collection? Only 888 RMB to join my group and see exclusive 'cute girl' content~"
James: "..."
He glanced at the TV, where Avril was elegantly wielding a sword, dancing across the screen like a goddess descending to earth. Her white robes fluttered in the wind as she stood gracefully, otherworldly and ethereal.
Then he looked at his phone, where the same girl was acting like a sleazy bootleg DVD seller.
James: "You've completely shattered the goddess image I had of you."
Avril: "Being a goddess doesn't pay the bills. Uncle, do you want to see me cosplay as a cat girl? I've got thigh-high stockings!"
James scoffed at the thought of photos.
If it's a cat girl, wouldn't it be more fun to shoot the photos himself?
As a diligent student, the photography skills he learned from Edison's lessons had never been put to good use.
Who wouldn't want to be a photographer capturing beauty when given the chance?