Chapter 192 - 190: It’s All My Fault
"She might think you’re ugly, but it could also be that you didn’t offer enough money," Zhang Zhe said, trying to console the man. "Do you have any other qualities that might impress someone?"
"I used to be in debt, and I just finished paying it off not too long ago. I’ve managed to save a few hundred thousand, and aside from that, I have two properties."
The man said, a little embarrassed:
"I let my younger brother live in one of them, and I live in the other, which is right next to the school."
"Man, what year were you born?"
"1985. I have a PhD."
"A PhD and you’ve only saved this much? That doesn’t add up. Did you run into a gold digger?"
𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞
"Something even scarier than a gold digger. I started a business." The man gave a wry smile. "My startup in Lin’an failed. I’m currently a teacher at a local vocational college, and it’s a tenured position."
[A PhD going for a kindergarten teacher?]
[This guy is ugly, so he can’t find anyone. He’s getting desperate.]
[A PhD only proves his academic achievements. Marriage is about your ability to provide for a family.]
[He was born in the wrong era. A few decades ago, someone would’ve been specially assigned to solve his ’personal problem’ for him.]
"Then this matchmaking event isn’t for you." Zhang Zhe figured the guy was getting desperate. ’If he’s not married by 40, his next stop will be finding romance in his golden years.’
But his hope of finding a 28-year-old "7/10" beauty was just wishful thinking. He clearly had no idea how the matchmaking market worked.
These days, a degree by itself doesn’t hold much weight in the matchmaking market. Most women are more focused on a man’s earning potential—or, to put it another way, his ability to provide for them.
For a 28-year-old kindergarten teacher, a 40-year-old PhD had practically zero natural appeal, unless she was just after his property and money.
But the female guest herself had mentioned that she was doted on by two families growing up, so she wasn’t like a girl from a poor background who would be overly focused on money.
"Bro, you should go to one of the events specifically for divorcees. You’d be a good match for a single woman under 30 who divorced because her ex-husband was at fault, and who either has no kids or has a young daughter."
"And remember, you should basically rule out anyone over 30, because you can’t be sure how serious they really are about getting married."
"One more thing: when you go on these dates, stop focusing on their looks. You need to focus on their character."
"If I were you, I wouldn’t have even bothered getting in this line. It’s a total waste of time."
"Look for a divorcee? Would that really work?" The man was skeptical of Zhang Zhe’s advice. "I’ve never been married. Should I really be looking for someone who’s divorced?"
"There’s no rule that says only divorcees can date other divorcees. If you stay single until you’re 80, are you going to insist on finding an 80-year-old grandma for her first marriage too?"
"If you date a divorcee, you’ll be in a better position to state your own terms. For example, you can require that she be willing to have children with you, agree on how to handle prenuptial assets, offer a smaller betrothal gift, and so on."
"If you go for someone young and beautiful, the money you have won’t even cover her spending."
"Just listen to the Matchmaker," the female guest couldn’t help but chime in. "Sir, let me be blunt. If a young woman like me married you, it would be purely for your money, and I would absolutely cheat on you."
"Your son wouldn’t even end up being your own."
"Young women don’t care about your PhD. They want a guy who will spoil them and take them out to have fun, not an honest man they have to wash clothes and raise kids for."
[Damn, that’s brutal.]
[This girl is actually pretty honest.]
[She’s not being honest, she just really doesn’t like the guy and wants to drive him away.]
[If you’re not rich, don’t even think about getting a young girl. You can’t handle her.]
Coming from a "7/10" beauty, those words carried too much weight. The balding man had been hesitant, but after her sharp retort, he immediately lost his stubbornness.
The woman might as well have pulled a green hat out of her pocket and plopped it directly on his head. How could the man possibly argue back?
Zhang Zhe watched the balding man leave in silence but had no time to feel sorry for him. Next in line were two young men with glasses.
Both were probably younger than Zhang Zhe and about the same age as the female guest. Each was ugly in his own unique way: one had small eyes, and the other had a unibrow.
"Alright, gentlemen, who wants to go first?" Zhang Zhe asked with a gesture.
"I’ll go first." The guy with the small eyes adjusted his glasses. He had a scholarly air about him, but his words were brutal. "I have a master’s from a top-tier university. Let’s be honest, with your kind of diploma, you shouldn’t even be fantasizing about grad school."
"There’s no need to lie to yourself."
"I hope you’ll be realistic and just get a teaching position at an elementary school. Then I might think you’re the kind of woman one could settle down with."
"Bro, you took the words right out of my mouth." The guy with the unibrow smiled and nodded. "Ma’am, my opinion is the same."
"For someone in the system to date a kindergarten teacher, especially a young, pretty one... people will laugh at you. But an elementary school teacher? That’s a lot better."
"In that case, you can both leave," the female guest said, crossing her arms. "You’re both mansplaining way too much. I can’t stand it."
"Besides, you’re not much better looking than that PhD, just a little younger."
[Damn, you guys are brave, giving advice to one of *them*.]
[He’s not wrong, though. For a guy in the system, a tenured kindergarten teacher is acceptable, but a contract worker? Her status is just too low.]
[If she could actually take advice, she wouldn’t still be in this position at 28.]
[How dare you! The young lady is *studying* for the tenure exam. That’s basically the same as a guy who already *has* a tenured position.]
"Heh." The small-eyed man who had spoken first let out a sarcastic laugh. "I knew you’d react like this."
"Don’t worry. You’ll learn to be more realistic by the time you’re 35."
"That’s right," the other guy added. "Haven’t you noticed? We’re the last two guys in line."
"Basically every single man with a government job in Qing City came to this event today. Did even one of them show any interest in you? You can just keep clinging to your high standards and stay single."
After saying their piece, the two men left immediately, not lingering for even a second.
Zhang Zhe watched them leave and let out a sudden laugh, but he quickly suppressed it.
’Those two were genuinely thinking about the woman’s marriage prospects, and their advice was actually pretty sound. But they completely forgot to factor in her personality.’
’I’ve said it so many times—she’s different. She’s the sole heir of two families, with a temper even worse than a typical only child.’
’And those two tried to map out her career path for her? What were they even thinking?’
"Is that everyone?" The woman was stunned. "Didn’t I get a ton of votes on the official social media account?"
"It just shows that guys in the system are pretty rational when it comes to finding a partner nowadays," Zhang Zhe said, stroking his chin.
There were still twenty minutes left in the round, yet he’d already completed his task. It was incredible.
Most of the credit, however, went to the woman herself. She had the kind of face that made most men want to steal a kiss, but her understanding of the matchmaking process was completely disconnected from reality.
She was the type to demand whatever popped into her head.
Any man genuinely looking to get married would hear her demands and instantly lose all interest in getting to know her better. They would just want to keep their distance.
Only men looking for a short-term fling would go for her.
But Zhang Zhe’s method of publicizing the woman’s requirements had subtly scared off many of the male guests who were only looking for something short-term.
Since they clearly didn’t meet her criteria, if they still tried to hit on her, anyone who knew them would instantly see that their intentions were not pure.
Letting their dicks do the thinking to trick a pretty kindergarten teacher was one thing if done in secret, but they didn’t have the nerve to try it in front of such a large crowd.
The end result was that the woman started with a god-tier hand but was the first one knocked out of the game.
After thinking for a moment, the young woman came to a conclusion:
"I know what it is! It’s your fault, Matchmaker!"
"Yes, it’s my fault." Zhang Zhe nodded in agreement. "I’m Yuri. I mind-controlled all of them. I’m the one who made them leave."
"Should I mind-control them to come back?"