But as the call connected and Chuck heard the voice coming from the other end of the receiver, he realized both of these answers were incorrect.
"...Is this Chuck?"
The voice ringing in his ear caused Chuck's expression to sink, and his brows to furrow accordingly.
"Why is it you?"
The person on the other end of the phone wasn't Lee So-yeon, nor Lee Na-eun, but Tang Yumo's voice.
"It's a long story..."
"Then make the long story short."
Chuck replied casually and unceremoniously, his body subconsciously leaning back against the chair.
Generally speaking, when a person gets along with someone they are not yet familiar with, there is a buffer period, or an acquaintance period.
During this period, as long as the other party's actions do not exceed the limit of tolerance, whether positive or negative, this impression will only change slightly within a reasonable range, and then gradually sketch out a complete outline.
And as the buffer period ends and this person has a clear impression in one's brain, their subsequent actions become behaviors based on this impression.
The simplest analogy: when a bad person does a good deed, the first thought is not that they have discovered their conscience, but that they have ulterior motives. Similarly, when a good person does a bad deed, it's not because they willingly degenerate, but perhaps they have unspeakable difficulties.
Between people with shallow relationships, impression directly determines attitude.
From the initial reunion with Tang Yumo until she suddenly vanished into thin air, leaving only a pair of straw sandals on the cave shoals, Chuck's impression of Tang Yumo, although gradually worsening because of those petty tricks she did in secret, hadn't reached that critical point. So he still retained a sliver of face for her until the very end.
And as Chuck explored the northern area of the deserted island, came into contact with Lee So-yeon and a group of new survivors, reunited with Tang Yumo again, and discovered that this person was still doing petty tricks in secret, still lacking self-awareness just like before...
In Chuck's heart, this former "white moonlight" had already begun to disgust him.
And this disgust only needed one more trigger to turn into murderous intent at any time.
Especially now, under the premise that Chuck already had two lives on his hands.
Therefore, when Tang Yumo suddenly called using Lee So-yeon's phone, Chuck naturally wouldn't give her a good attitude. Not hanging up immediately was already considering old ties.
But it seemed that after the previous overnight stay incident, this once unaware woman finally understood some of the simplest truths.
"In short... I've now taken over So-yeon's work, responsible for daily arrangements here and communication matters with you, but this is only temporary and won't last long."
Tang Yumo's voice sounded somewhat unconfident. After hearing her words, Chuck's tightly furrowed brows also relaxed. Combined with what happened right before he left yesterday, he had a vague guess in his heart. After a moment of thought, he asked directly.
"Did Lee So-yeon ask you to?"
"Mmh."
Chuck raised his hand and scratched his chin.
As expected.
Although Lee So-yeon wasn't at fault in yesterday's riot, she was, after all, the leader of the entire island north settlement, the spokesperson for eleven female survivors in total. To say she didn't have to bear any responsibility was ultimately somewhat unjustifiable.
Plus, she had promised to give herself to Chuck yesterday. Compared to then, she had already decided to hand over the identity of leader to someone else. He just didn't expect that the person she finally chose wasn't Lee Na-eun, but Tang Yumo.
Thinking of this, Chuck's gaze gradually grew cold, and a trace of doubt appeared in his eyes.
This Lee So-yeon... clearly knowing he was prejudiced against Tang Yumo, yet still handed the responsibility of leader to her. Could she be using this to secretly counterattack regarding yesterday's matters?
Seeing how sensible she had always been, how could she make such a decision?
And as Chuck suddenly fell silent, Tang Yumo seemed to sense the dissatisfaction in Chuck's heart. Without waiting for him to speak again, she explained.
"Also, So-yeon said this temporary decision might make you dissatisfied, so she asked me to explain it to you clearly in advance."
"Explain what? Why does she need to explain to me?"
Chuck responded plainly, but his tone still carried undisguised dissatisfaction.
Tang Yumo on the other end of the receiver fell silent for a brief moment, then continued to explain.
"It's like this. Currently, our companions who are still alive here reached a consensus last night. Everyone wants to make one last final trade with you together."
"...Final trade?"
Hearing this somewhat unusual wording, Chuck raised an eyebrow.
"That's right."
Tang Yumo paused again. An imperceptible sigh could be faintly heard on the other end of the receiver, and then her voice sounded again.
"He Xiaoyu, Wang Xinrui, Nicole Patterson, Sofia Martinez, Matsuzaka Emi, Lee So-yeon... and Tang Yumo."
"Seven people in total. Except for Sofia, who already had... that with you that night, the rest are all virgins keeping their chastity. We are willing to follow all your instructions from now on. At the same time, if you need it, we will dedicate our bodies and chastity to you anytime..."
"..."
As soon as these words came out, even Chuck was inevitably shocked.
But after the surprise, thinking carefully, he felt things weren't that simple, so he responded indifferently.
"Since you say it's the last trade, what do you want to exchange this time?"
"Lee Na-eun."
As soon as this name came out, Chuck's eyes narrowed.
So that's how it is.
Always appearing selfless and taking on the safety of her companions alone, he didn't expect this Lee So-yeon... to actually be selfish once at the final juncture.
But it was also thanks to the image and trust she had established in her companions' hearts before, that even if she was selfish at this time, she could receive unconditional support from the companions around her. Only then could he receive such an unexpected phone call now.
Chuck thought for a moment and didn't reply immediately, but asked back: "What does Lee Na-eun think?"
"This..."
Tang Yumo's tone unsurprisingly became hesitant, and Chuck got his answer.
Lee Na-eun naturally wouldn't accept it, and was very likely to demand that the object of this trade be swapped with her sister.
But unfortunately, in this situation of sisters "opposing" each other, the remaining six would definitely stand on Lee So-yeon's side.
Chuck shook his head helplessly, and only then continued to inquire.
"What's the specific method of trade?"
"Lee Na-eun, like us, will also follow your instructions. She will do any work as long as it's within her ability. But we also ask you not to make a move on her, this is our only expectation."
Hearing this, Chuck couldn't help but sigh.
"To put it bluntly, you also know I'm not short of women here. Why do I look like a guy with an unsatisfied sex drive in your eyes?"
"We... didn't mean that."
"Fine, I know."
Chuck sighed again.
His tactic of using both tough and soft methods, sugar-coated bullets—a trick that never failed in the past—actually failed for the first time on these two sisters. Although it only failed "halfway," it was ultimately cracked by this Lee So-yeon finding the only countermeasure in such a situation.
It seemed his initial thought wasn't wrong. This time, Lee So-yeon probably really meant to counterattack him.
Although this counterattack seemed resolute yet powerless, it truly made Chuck feel uncomfortable for a moment.
What Lee So-yeon asked for was merely a promise not to make a move on her sister. Chuck could naturally break his word afterwards, but in past negotiations, he had already proven to Lee So-yeon that he wasn't a shameless scoundrel, but a reasonable man with a bottom line.
Therefore, what Lee So-yeon was betting on was that Chuck wouldn't break this promise.
Unfortunately, she really bet right this time.
The Chuck of the past would absolutely never have imagined that after repeatedly using women's care for important people and desire for a stable life to train and conquer them one by one, one day he would actually be used by a woman taking advantage of his kindness to find the solution to this trick.
Chuck clenched his fists tightly, silent for a long time. Not planning to just admit defeat like this, he unwillingly pressed.
"What if, one day, she wants to make love with me herself?"
"Unless So-yeon nods, please refuse her. Sorry... this is our only request, we don't need anything besides this."
"Fine, deal."
Chuck waved his hand irritably, not wanting to hear the rest, and hung up the phone directly. He sat alone by the dining table, deep in thought.
What should be done...
For this trade itself, Chuck could hardly find any reason to refuse. After all, he was currently short of manpower, whether he could fuck was actually secondary.
And honestly, he didn't have that much "craving" for Lee Na-eun. After all, there were women prettier than Lee Na-eun around him now.
He just found it hard to accept the existence of a woman around him who could only be looked at but not touched.
In short, I can choose not to fuck you, but you can't tell me I can't fuck you.
To solve this problem, unless Chuck was willing to abandon his bottom line for this and be a man who breaks his promises. But that way, Chuck would only feel worse in his heart than not being able to fuck Lee Na-eun, so it was out of the question.
Wanting to get Lee So-yeon's "consent", that was almost impossible to happen. After all, everything she had done in the negotiations so far, what she finally got in exchange was nothing more than this promise, how could she proactively give it up?
Chuck lowered his head, swaying his body somewhat irritably.
But the more he thought, the more he realized Lee So-yeon's move was almost unsolvable.
However, just at this moment, a slightly lazy voice sounded from behind him.
"Brother, why the long face?"
...
Ten minutes later.
By the dining table, having listened to the rough cause and effect of the matter, Jiang Qi, resting her chin on her hands and sitting opposite Chuck, blinked her eyes. Beneath her long eyelashes, those agile pupils carried a trace of sour resentment.
"Having so many women like me, Julia, and Sister Yitong around, you actually still long for a Korean idol. Brother, you really are greedy..."
"Alright, stop mocking me. So do you have a good idea?"
"Mmh, I do have one, but..."
Hearing this, Chuck couldn't help but widen his eyes.
The enhancement of mental quality brought by the blue potion indeed improved Chuck's memory and logical thinking, but it was still hard to bring much help in this kind of matter. Therefore, when Jiang Qi suddenly appeared just now, he had the idea to let this same-age ex-girlfriend, whose mind was relatively deep, come up with ideas, to see if he could find a breakthrough point from a woman's perspective.
He didn't expect she actually had a way?
But looking at the cute curve on Jiang Qi's pink, moist lips and the tempting shallow dimples on her cheeks, Chuck had to spread his hands.
"But what, tell me."
Jiang Qi smiled sweetly.
"Since they can make a trade with you, then I also want to make a trade with Brother."
"Mmh, what do you want?"
"Haven't thought of it yet, but I can note it down first. Count it as you owing me a wish, how about that?"
"Deal, can you tell me now?"
After getting Chuck's agreement, the sweet smile on Jiang Qi's face grew even brighter. She leaned forward a bit, and a pair of small hands gently rested on Chuck's wrist across the dining table.
"Brother, women are all emotional animals... and something like feelings, can't be traded~"
"..."
Hearing Jiang Qi's sentence, Chuck was stunned for a moment, then seemed to vaguely grasp a thread, but couldn't think of the result for a while, so he could only patiently press.
"Speak clearly, stop being the Riddler, be careful or I'll pick you up and fuck you until you cry."
"Hmph..."
Jiang Qi blushed and rolled her eyes at him. Her soft fingertips rubbed Chuck's wrist. After organizing her words in her heart, she added.
"Brother, you are a very excellent, very charming man, so now you have to learn to think as a 'charming' man."
"Her sister doesn't want you to touch her, but if you can make her fall in love with you, fall in love with you from the bottom of her heart, would her sister still stop it? Of course, if you can make both sisters fall in love with you, then things would be even simpler~"
Chuck looked bewildered, silent for a long time, then stretched his other hand towards her.
"What?"
"Give it to me."
Jiang Qi had a question mark face.
"Give you what?"
"A potion that can hypnotize women and make them inexplicably fall in love with me."
Jiang Qi was furious.
"There's no such thing! You have to rely on your own efforts!"
Hearing this, Chuck looked up, covered his face, and collapsed directly into the chair.
"What you said is as good as not saying it."
"What—it clearly hit the nail on the head, okay!"
"Alright, alright, go do your work."
Shooed away by Chuck's waving hand, Jiang Qi had to get up from the dining table, stuck out her pink tongue at him and made a fierce grimace, then quickly stepped into the kitchen to help Yitong prepare lunch.
Chuck looked up at the ceiling, Jiang Qi's words from just now echoing in his mind, and sighed helplessly again.
Although it sounded like nonsense, honestly speaking, the idea Jiang Qi gave was probably really the only way to change this situation.
But the problem is, Chuck knows how to train them, but as for "how to make a woman fall in love with himself"?
To say he is completely clueless about it really isn't an exaggeration.