04 | CTQ

[ CHART TOPPER QUEEN ]

CHAPTER 04

last edited on ZLT: 10.01.22

This translation is hosted at ZHANLANN.COM

Ai Bei had been observing the earlier interaction between the three of them. While the windbreaker guy #1 and the alluring girl #3 had joint forces to face off their “common energy”, the two of them didn’t know each other before this. Their temporary alliance was instead motivated by their disapproval of #2’s immoral behaviour. 

Ai Bei turned to flicker her gaze between the expressionless girl #4 and the alluring girl #3 before she blinked her eyes adorably. 

Everyone was now waiting for the winderbeaker guy #1 to start the story. 

After familiarising himself with the rules, #1 figured things out quickly. He changed the background setting of the plot to a school set during the Earthen Period, no mechas, no galactic spaceships — it was as clean a setting as it could get. The moment #2 started, he disappeared from his chair and appeared in the holographic projection in the centre.

The character #2 assumed one a guy with a hooligan-esque face. He was rakish, and wickedly so from head to toe — exactly the way #1 pictured him to be. 

“What task did you set for him?” The alluring girl #3 asked #1. She couldn’t help but be curious when she saw #2’s angry face from her perspective. 

#1 appeared almost a little bored, “nothing much, he has to chase the prettiest girl in school and get her to be his girlfriend in one week.”

Romance related genre was really not his forte. Due to technological limitations, TITR has pre-simplified all their data for the elims. If it weren’t for the fact that his galactic school setting automatically changed into Earthen Period school setting, he wouldn’t have set such a task. 

Despite so, he still had a way with currying favour. After all, helping to enact revenge for #3 would also win him a temporary ally. 

When #3 understood what he was trying to do, her face immediately bloomed into a smile. Her prior rage from #2’s visual violation subdued as she watched the condemnation and criticism he received for his lofty ambition, as well as the chilly rejection he received from his task subject. 

To their surprise, #2 proved to be more capable than they had anticipated. After several futile attempts in the beginning, he turned to made some other preparations in the background. He managed to exchange the avant-grande technology and theories prevalent in the galactic times for some quick bucks. Within two days, he re-packaged himself as though he hailed from a weathly family. Armed with fancy new wheels, his confession was successful and he managed to get the girl.

When #2 reappeared on his seat, he seemed a little different from before. Unlike how he’d been bulldozed into silence earlier, his experience in the virtual world had him in glee, and he was in unafraid to show it. In place of his previous inappropriate gaze, #3 was now taunting and malevolent. 

As expected, #3 previous elation quickly extinguished. #2 clicked away on the keyboard and completed the setting he customised for her. 

— #3 had to assume the character of the prettiest girl in school, she had to do as he said for an entire week, and she had to be docile and obedient.

Her widened eyes expressed her visible shock as she disappeared from her seat. 

As the participants figured their way through the round, the elims manifested into a battle of revenge.  

The task set by #2 was a tricky one, he’d indirectly transformed one task into many tasks, as though someone had rubbed Aladdin’s lamp to ask for the Djinn to fulfill all his future wishes. Even though the duration was a week, the torment #3 had weathered through was unspeakably  miserable. 

She had to fake enthusiasm to her greatest ability in front of the person she’d otherwise abhor. Not only so, she had to publicly confess her love for #2, bring a handmade bento for him every day, endure his nitpicking and sneering at the food, run to a store a dozen kilometres away as a result to buy him the fried dumpling he liked, only to receive an “I’m full” in reply after returning and watch him bin the dumplings she’d bought right before her eyes.

In her anger, she exploded in retaliation at #2.

#2 then inputted a new command — she must not say things that he didn’t like to hear. 

Before entering the virtual world, she’d thought the worst thing that could happen was if he were to force her to do that with him. But he didn’t. She’d also been confident that she would be able to tolerate all the other tricks he had up his sleeve. However, reality was more cruel than she’d thought it’d be. 

When #3 returned to the room, she turned away and cried. 

“Barely did anything.” #2 mocked coldly.

Everyone else glared at him save for Ai Bei. He snorted in the same manner his earlier character in the virtual world would do, before turning his head away. 

He’d figured it out — they were already been plotting to eliminate him together. The rule “participants must comply and coordinate with the task of other participants, else your points will be deducted” required him to participate in every task even though they weren’t assigned to him. If he did it well he wouldn’t be awarded, but if he screwed up, he’ll be at the risk of loosing more points for no reason. 

As expected, #3 and #4’s tasks tried to pull him down. ♢ CHART TOPPER QUEEN, CHAPTER 04 is hosted at ZHANLANN.COM ♢

#4 succeeded. As an academic scholar even in the galactic times, she pulled the rug out from under him. After revealing even more revolutionary technology as bait, she managed to accuse #2 of research plagiarism and sent him to prison. 

#4 remained silent, but her actions drew the shocked gazes of the other participants in their room. 

Though she was like a fish in water in the virtual world, she found herself into a dilemma when it was her turn to set a task for Ai Bei — she had no idea where or how to start. One look at Ai Bei and she knew instantly that #5 Bei wasn’t someone that excelled in virtual games like these. 

When it was finally Ai Bei’s turn, she shifted her focus to her virtual interface. 

On the other end, #4 propped her spectacles and made her decision. 

At the same time, Ai Bei’s assigned character and task appeared on her personal interface: 

Your character is a male schoolmate that has a crush on #2. You must listen and obey #2’s wishes for one week.

Evidently, a duplicate of the off-putting task that #3 had abandoned halfway. 

Ai Bei’s gaze flitted past the word “male”. Before she selected the “begin the competition” button, she surveyed everyone in the room, her gaze pausing on each of them. 

If the rest of them had now became a greedy snake that had locked her as their next prey, who was the heart — critical weakness — of this newfound predator? 

TRANSLATOR & EDITOR: WYNNE. This translation is hosted at ZHANLANN.COM

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