Chapter 4: Could It Be That She Works in That Kind of Profession?

Three opportunities to transform into a male idol—that’s simple enough: image, clothing, accessories. The first step is the hairstyle; it determines the upper limit of one’s looks. Without a good hairstyle, how can you call yourself a male idol?

Back in university, Lin Ran always sported a tin foil perm—cool and a bit wild. Now that he’s graduated and looking for a job, he ditched the perm for interviews, letting his hair fall naturally over his head—no style, just the picture of honest simplicity.

But now, it’s time to return to my true self—let’s get bold!

“Let’s go! Haircut time!”

Lin Ran’s hair grows quickly—he gets it trimmed nearly every two weeks. A wash, cut, and blow-dry costs fifty yuan; a tin foil perm or other treatments cost extra. All told, a men’s hairstyle never exceeds four hundred, which Lin Ran considers reasonable. Any pricier, and he’d feel like a fool.

At regular salons, the stylists are called Tony; at high-end places, they’re image consultants. Once you walk in, they don’t ask if you want a haircut but whether you have an appointment. All those flashy gimmicks—prestige, isn’t it? And soon thousands have disappeared from your wallet!

Just for a haircut? Lin Ran isn’t a fan—what suits him is best.

He knew a barber with great skill, but when he arrived, he found the place had become a fruit shop.

Out of business?

“Woof! Woof!”

At that moment, a dog barked behind him.

Turning around, Lin Ran saw Jane Wei’an walking her dog. Bai Bai was straining at the leash, lunging toward Lin Ran.

“Bai Bai, slow down—you’re crazy!” Jane was nearly being dragged along.

Bai Bai ran up to Lin Ran, sat down, wagged his tail, and panted happily.

“Oh, Bai Bai still remembers me. Good boy.” Lin Ran patted Bai Bai’s head.

“Stupid Bai Bai nearly made me fall. I thought he’d seen someone he knew!” Jane put her hands on her hips, catching her breath.

“Your Bai Bai seems to like me; he runs straight for me every time.”

“That’s so weird. He’s been listless since yesterday, but the moment he saw you, he perked up.”

Today, Jane was dressed casually—a white T-shirt hid her figure, but even with loose clothing, the wind pressed the fabric to her curves, revealing her shape. Judging by eye… at least a C cup.

She wore denim shorts, exposing long, slender legs—fair and luminous in the sunlight, as if a pinch would bring out the dew. Her jet-black hair and delicate face, enhanced by subtle makeup, made her even more attractive.

This woman could be called a true beauty.

Thinking that she might be his ex-wife, Lin Ran felt it was a pity.

If I were Cao Cao, I wouldn’t be so disappointed.

“Lin Ran, are you here to buy fruit?”

Though they’d had a small argument over the dog yesterday, they were both young, and Jane wasn’t the type to hold grudges.

“I came for a haircut, but it’s a fruit shop now. I hadn’t noticed when it changed.”

“About half a month ago. There’s a new salon up ahead.”

“Are they any good?”

Lin Ran cared about skill—after all, someone once said, ‘No one leaves the barbershop smiling.’

In this male idol transformation, if the cut went wrong, how could he make a stunning impression?

“My best friend said someone there is skilled. Hold on, I’ll ask her.” Jane dialed her friend and pointed to the pet grooming shop nearby, signaling that she’d take Bai Bai for a beauty treatment first.

“It’s too hot out—I’ll wait inside the salon,” Lin Ran said.

Jane gave him an OK sign, called her friend, and took Bai Bai into the grooming shop.

The call connected.

“Missing me already?”

“Oh, come on, Shuyao. I have a question. Which stylist at that salon is best for men’s hair?”

“Men’s hair? Wei’an, what’s going on?”

“What do you think? I just ran into that dog-man—no, Lin Ran. He’s getting a haircut, so I recommended your salon.”

“You’re really invested, huh? Tsk tsk tsk…”

“Don’t overthink it. He’s getting a haircut for job hunting. Since I know him, I might as well help.”

Jane had added Lin Ran’s contact and WeChat yesterday, just in case Bai Bai got pregnant and she needed to find the dog’s owner. Last night, she’d checked Lin Ran’s Moments—only seven days visible, but in those seven days:

[Graduated. World, here I come! (hands on hips, laughing)]

[Sigh… finding a job is so hard.]

From ambitious graduate to being battered by reality—already losing his spark.

So realistic.

His latest post was from just over ten minutes ago.

[Starting from scratch.]

“He’s starting from scratch—means he hasn’t lost hope in job hunting. That’s something to learn from. So, what’s the stylist’s name? He’s waiting in the salon.”

“All right, all right, you’re such a good person. Li Tao is your man. You can’t go wrong.”

“Bye.”

Jane hung up and headed to the salon.

Lin Ran was having his hair washed and chatting with the shampoo girl about membership deals.

Jane approached. “Are you going to buy a membership?”

“Five hundred gets you a hundred bonus—pretty good,” Lin Ran replied.

The shampoo girl chimed in, “Yes, we’re running a grand opening special. Recharge five hundred, get a hundred free. Members get twenty percent off haircuts and washes. Would you like a card? You and your girlfriend can both use it.”

Lin Ran joked, “We’re not a couple—we’re… in-laws.”

“Pfft.” Jane rolled her eyes flirtatiously. “Don’t mention it.”

Lin Ran grinned, “Five hundred gets a hundred—I’ll recharge thirty-three hundred.”

Jane was startled. “That much?”

Lin Ran smiled. “I’ll be coming here regularly. My parents can use it too.”

Jane said, “Didn’t expect you to be so savvy. Hey, beautiful, he’s putting thirty-three hundred on the card—give him a little extra, and I’ll send more clients your way.”

The shampoo girl hesitated. “Uh… all right. Bring more customers, and I’ll give this handsome guy eight hundred extra. That’s forty-one hundred on the card.”

Lin Ran gave Jane a thumbs-up.

Jane tilted her chin in satisfaction.

[Tenfold Male Idol Transformation spending has been credited: 33,000 yuan.]

[Remaining transformations: 2]

Any expenditure on changing his image counted.

Spending thirty-three hundred on a single haircut was different from recharging thirty-three hundred for multiple visits.

In the first case, it’s all spent at once.

In the second, he got an extra eight hundred for free.

Lin Ran was not only frugal but knew how to maximize benefits.

“My initial transformation funds are limited. Should I find a way to get more money to keep going?”

[The mission is to awaken the Suzhou Male Idol consciousness and improve your taste at each stage. Maliciously faking transactions will be invalid.]

That made sense. The three chances were for enhancing his aesthetic awareness—what kind of idol borrows money to spend? That’s not the idol way.

Do what you can with what you have—that’s what an idol should do.

After recharging, Jane smiled. “Excuse me, is Li Tao available? Could he give my friend a haircut?”

The shampoo girl nodded, “Teacher Li, please give this gentleman a cut.”

“Wash my in-law’s hair and put it on my card,” Lin Ran said, tousling his hair as he moved to the stylist’s chair.

Jane said, “No need, I washed my hair at home this morning. Go get your hair cut. I asked my best friend—Li Tao is the best with men’s styles. Start fresh, and you’ll find good luck and a great job.”

A job?

What job am I looking for? As long as I work hard and quietly become an idol, when the system realizes it picked the wrong person, I still won’t lose out.

By then, why work at all? I could wake up every day in a mansion, living as a wealthy, dreamless, ambitionless layabout for the rest of my life—wouldn’t that be perfect?

Lin Ran’s dream was simple: total relaxation.

Li Tao studied Lin Ran’s head. “What kind of hairstyle would you like?”

“Hmm… let me see, just a moment…” Lin Ran searched hairstyles online.

“This one.”

“Let me see.” Jane gathered her hair and leaned in.

It was the stylish look Hu Ge sported for an international brand endorsement.

What?

Jane was stunned.

“You want this hairstyle?”

“Doesn’t suit me?”

“It’s not that it doesn’t suit you, but…”

Jane wanted to say—aren’t you going for an interview? A model cut for a job interview—are you entering a beauty pageant?

Lin Ran’s job filled Jane with curiosity.

What does he actually do?

Does his work require a model’s look?

Would that attract more clients?