C18 I Got What I Wanted!

Every time Zhou Baobao thought of Xu Wenn, the person she despised, she couldn't contain her laughter.

"Who do you think you are? Daring to cross me? I'll make sure you won't even know what hit you!"

She then noticed the clicks on her online post skyrocketing, catapulting her to the top of the trending searches in no time!

Her laughter was so intense, it seemed her mouth might just split.

But the smile quickly vanished from her face, and she made a phone call.

"Brother Zhang, yes, it's me, Zhou Baobao. Remember the incident where I was harassed on the bus? Could you help fan the flames a bit? You see, I might have a shot at a new acting gig."

"What? Naturally. Once I wrap up things here, we'll have a proper catch-up. Brother Zhang, you seem to be missing me quite a bit!"

"Sure thing! Just remember to bring your protective gear and ID. Alright, catch you later, Trojan!"

With that, she ended the call and lay down on her bed, eyes tightly shut.

She caressed the designer bag beside her, basking in the feel of luxury, and allowed herself a slight smile.

"With this break, if I push a little harder with Mr. Zhang, I'm confident I could land the lead role in the movie!"

"And if my blockbuster hits it big again, the Best Female Lead Award is as good as mine!"

"In the future, won't I have everything I desire?"

"There's absolutely no room for error," Zhou Baobao said with conviction.

Meanwhile, Xu Wenn remained deeply engrossed in his research.

"Prof. Xu, we've hit another roadblock in our research. It's going to take a considerable amount of time to resolve this issue." Xu Wenn was engrossed in his data when his assistant approached, looking deeply concerned.

"What?"

Pulled from his calculations, Xu Wenn snapped back to reality.

After a moment, he spoke softly to his assistant.

"Call everyone together. I need to address the team."

"Right away, Prof. Xu. I'll notify them to pause their current tasks," the assistant replied, hurrying off to gather the team.

Xu Wenn had a sudden thought and added, "Actually, not everyone needs to come. Those who aren't busy with urgent work should join first. The others can continue with their tasks."

Before long, Xu Wenn's office was bustling with over a dozen researchers, most of whom appeared to be in their thirties or forties. Like Xu Wenn, they didn't sweat the small stuff, yet their eyes sparkled with intelligence and resolve.

Xu Wenn ceased his calculations and swiveled back to his seat, savoring the brief respite.

Without mincing words, he addressed the group.

"Could you tell me, where do we intend to apply our research efforts?"

The response from the researchers, almost in unison, didn't require a second thought.

"National technology."

"Exactly!" Xu Wenn's voice surged with excitement. "It's precisely because our research serves our nation that we've received such substantial support from the government. It's why we're granted privileges others lack, and why we've earned greater respect and honor..."

His tone shifted.

"But..."

"Since our research is dedicated to our country, everything we possess now is the nation's property. We are committed to this research project, to our country, to our people!"

"Until this research is complete, it is our sole hope for survival! All else is secondary."

"I'm aware that some of you might have heard rumors about me. Yet, when weighed against the success of our project, such things are trivial."

"Our project is currently pushing through a critical bottleneck. This is the most crucial and challenging phase!"

With that thought, he drew a deep breath, his eyes alight with unwavering purpose.

"Therefore, I urge you all to persevere, not just for our motherland, but for the years of diligent effort we've all invested!"

"We must not squander our prime years, nor fail ourselves."

As these words left his lips, a wave of fiery enthusiasm swept through Xu Wenn's colleagues. Any prior setbacks and disappointments seemed to vanish in that instant.

After delegating a few tasks, Xu Wenn dismissed everyone to resume their work.

Back in his office, an idea flickered through Xu Wenn's mind, and the system interface reappeared before him.

He murmured quietly.

"Open the interface."

With his command, the system's voice echoed.

"Ding! Interface successfully activated."

"Host: Xu Wenn."

"Technology upper limit: Level Two."

"Contribution Value: 88,541."

"Ding! Due to your recent contributions, you have earned a free lottery draw!"

Xu Wenn's heart skipped a beat, yet he didn't let any surprise show. His thoughts were wholly consumed by the final stages of his research project. Without hesitation, he made his decision clear.

"I'll hold onto my lottery chance for now."

Elsewhere.

"Director Zhou, you were incredible earlier!"

In a spacious room, a bare Zhou Baobao was nestled in the arms of a bald man, both sharing laughs and conversation.

A sleazy grin spread across the bald man's face as he caressed Zhou Baobao, his smile growing even more lecherous.

This man was Zhou Wancai, one of China's most renowned businessmen.

"Brother Zhou, what about the lead actress role I mentioned before?"

The bald man flashed a toothy smile.

"Patience, the lead role is as good as yours, darling!"

At his words, a delighted smile flickered across Zhou Baobao's face, and she snuggled deeper into his embrace.

Her long hair draped around her, hiding her nakedness, as a smug curve played at the edges of her lips.

Time raced on, and in no time at all, over half a month had slipped by.

Throughout this time, Xu Wenn had been diligently tackling the challenges of his research.

Meanwhile, Zhou Baobao had earned the investors' nod of approval, securing her spot as the lead actress.

On set, Zhou Baobao carried herself with an air of haughtiness.

But her arrival threw the film crew into disarray.

Being the newcomer, she hadn't found a place to rest and promptly intercepted a female assistant burdened with a hefty load, demanding to be shown to the lounge.

The assistant, however, gently rebuffed Zhou Baobao, citing the crew's hectic schedule and the urgency of her tasks. This rebuff irked Zhou Baobao to no end.