Chapter 50 Class Monitor Is Coming to Eat You!

Chapter 50: The Class President Is Coming to Devour You!

Jian Sha looked at Jiang Ruotang, completely unaware of his thoughts, and waved at him. "Jiang Ruotang! Hurry up! The game Cai Cai made is so fun! But the class president is too good—he’s steamrolling everyone!"

Cai Ji also said with a smile, "Yeah! Come try it and see if you can take the class prez down!"

Lu Guifan finally lifted his gaze, his eyes meeting Jiang Ruotang’s directly and unabashedly.

"He doesn’t have time to deal with me. He’s busy listening to his precious Teacher Wang Siben’s comedy routine."

Coming from anyone else, this would have sounded sour.

But Lu Guifan had a way of making such words sound calm, matter-of-fact, and even slightly teasing.

Just then, as the ever-present background character, Teacher Wang Siben spoke again: "What’s the worst part of an unrequited crush? Summer’s here, it’s getting hot, but the crush still hasn’t turned into a romance! Can someone please share this 'buy one, get one half-off' milk tea with me instead of me drinking it alone?"

At this moment, Jiang Ruotang really wanted to snap at Old Man Wang, "Shut up!"

It was winter, getting colder by the day!

Jiang Ruotang pushed up his sleeves slightly, secretly suspecting that Lu Guifan had deliberately played Wang Siben’s crosstalk to needle him.

"I love Teacher Wang Siben’s crosstalk, but I love Lu Guifan even more—" Jiang Ruotang stared into Lu Guifan’s eyes, carefully observing every micro-expression in them.

Yet, Lu Guifan remained immovable as a mountain, flawless.

Jian Sha burst out laughing. "Love him even more for what?"

"Love him even more when he’s utterly defeated!"

Jiang Ruotang put down his Coke and walked over. "Cai Cai actually designed a game? How do I install it? Get it ready for me!"

He had assumed it was just a simple basic drag-and-drop game, but this one was surprisingly polished. Though similar to a match-3 game, it had more levels and mechanics—using bubbles to collide with other moving bubbles.

The game’s theme was bubbles, no wonder Jian Sha had complained about the class president popping her dream bubbles after losing.

And it wasn’t just single-player—it could be played via local multiplayer.

Jiang Ruotang gave it a try and grew more and more astonished. This little game shared the exact same concept as the once wildly popular "Phantom Bubble" from his previous life!

And the investor behind "Phantom Bubble" had been Lin Chengdong!

Back then, the game had exploded in popularity among students and office workers. The early levels were free, but mid-to-high levels required microtransactions. It even had features tailored for couples, like "bubble hugs" and "bubble kisses" in the chasing levels—adorable and sweet.

Many young couples used this game to flirt.

Lin Lu had once bragged that thanks to this game, Lin Chengdong earned three to four million in monthly revenue—basically making money in his sleep.

Later, when news of Chengjiang’s development broke, Lin Chengdong used the profits from this game to invest in the new district, doubling his assets and rising as one of Sheng City’s new money elite.

But now, Jiang Ruotang had discovered that the original designer of this game… was actually Cai Ji?

What was going on?

Just as Jiang Ruotang was lost in thought, Lu Guifan’s voice snapped him out of it. "Your bubble popped."

"Huh? Did it…?" Jiang Ruotang glanced at his phone screen and quickly refocused.

If this really was the "Phantom Bubble" from his previous life, Jiang Ruotang was an expert.

He had played it constantly—during breaks, in the bathroom, waiting in the car—until he reached the "Bubble God rank."

Jiang Ruotang tapped "READY GO," and the bubbles began moving. His fingers flew across the screen, and he quickly aced the first level with ease.

"Not bad, Jiang Ruotang! As expected, anything unrelated to studying, you pick up fast!" Jian Sha’s comment hit him right where it hurts.

By now, Jiang Ruotang was almost certain this was the early version of "Phantom Bubble."

He turned to Cai Ji and asked curiously, "Cai Cai, how did you come up with this game?"

Cai Ji rubbed the tip of his nose, a little embarrassed. "Well… I never had anyone to play with. I needed something to pass the time alone, so I made this little game. When I got beaten up, felt sad, or couldn’t sleep, I’d just play it on my phone. After a while, I’d forget my troubles."

Realizing the mood had turned heavy, Cai Ji quickly brightened up. "But now I have so many people to play with! That’s why I rewrote the code so we can all play together!"

Jiang Ruotang’s eyes grew misty. He took a deep breath, then hooked a finger at Lu Guifan, tilting his head with a challenging smirk.

Lu Guifan, who had been resting his chin on his hand watching him for who knows how long, casually nudged his glasses up with a knuckle. "Bring it on."

The two appeared in the game’s PvP mode. Jiang Ruotang’s bubble zipped around swiftly, dodging attacks while snatching up power-ups to replenish health. But Lu Guifan was like his shadow, relentlessly chasing him, nearly colliding each time—only for Jiang Ruotang to snag a speed boost and barely escape.

It was like a game of cat and mouse.

Cai Ji and Jian Sha bookended Jiang Ruotang—one on his left, the other on his right—while Zhao Zhangfeng peered over his shoulder, using his height to see.

"Ahhh—the class president’s coming to eat you… run, run!"

"He’s about to bite your butt, OMG—"

"Ah! The class president stole your health bubble! He took another bite—three in a row! Is there anything left of you?!"

Jiang Ruotang was so harassed by the three of them he almost wanted to go supernova on them and turn them all to dust. But Lu Guifan was too close—his bubble got hit again, barely surviving thanks to a last-minute health boost.

Finally, the exit was in sight. Go for it—!

Jiang Ruotang’s heart raced, but just as he was about to escape, Lu Guifan suddenly pulled his ultimate move, swelling up at the last second and devouring Jiang Ruotang’s bubble in one gulp.

GAME OVER!

"Aiya!" Zhao Zhangfeng slapped his thigh. "Another one taken down by the class president!"

Cai Ji chuckled beside him. "You got mauled the hardest out of all of us."

"Did he chew you guys too?" Jiang Ruotang asked, tilting his head.

"Nope, he just wiped us out immediately," Cai Ji scratched his head.

At this, Jian Sha sighed dramatically. "Jiang Ruotang, you really do get special treatment from the class president!"

"Huh? What special treatment?"

"When the class president plays badminton with us, it’s all kill shots. With you, it’s 360-degree perfect setups from every angle! When he games with us, it’s a total annihilation. But with you? He bumps you, takes little bites, lets you run—then finally swallows you whole with an 'nom nom'!"

Jian Sha’s brilliant summary sent a flurry of butterflies bouncing wildly in Jiang Ruotang’s chest.

He tilted back, looking at Lu Guifan, who sat alone on the sofa. "Class president, were you really holding back just now?"

Lu Guifan set aside his phone and cut him a glance. "What do you think?"

"Then you should’ve taken it easy the whole time! I was about to escape, and you got me at the finish line—that’s just mean!"

"I thought that's where the fun of the game lies."

That murderous urge surged in Jiang Ruotang again.

"You're doomed to eternal bachelorhood, destined to die single!"

Zhao Zhangfeng looked puzzled. "How did this turn into a life sentence?"

Clearly, even Lu Guifan's expression showed he didn’t understand what Jiang Ruotang meant.

Jiang Ruotang smirked smugly. "Don’t you know what 'a life sentence without a wife' means? It means no wife, destined to be alone forever!"

Clueless as ever, Zhao Zhangfeng asked again, "What did the class monitor do to deserve no wife?"

"Obviously, if he played this game with his wife, and after going through hell, she was about to escape, only to be KO'd by him at the last second! That’s a grudge for life—that's breakup material!"

Jiang Ruotang gave a playful noogie to Zhao Zhangfeng’s head. "Remember this: when pursuing someone you like, whether in games or basketball, always let them save face."

To which Lu Guifan replied coolly, "I thought eating you at the very end was already saving face."

Jian Sha stroked her chin and chimed in with: "Isn’t this more like 'He runs, I chase, he can’t escape if he grew wings'?"

Hearing this, Lu Guifan actually let out a soft chuckle. "How about another round? Let’s see if I’m destined to be alone, or if you’re the one who can’t escape."

If he couldn’t beat him in academics, could he really lose in gaming too?

"Bring it on!"

Jiang Ruotang got ready for round two, only for his Phantom Bubble to be outmaneuvered and gobbled up by Lu Guifan within a minute.

"Yikes... savage," Zhao Zhangfeng commented.

Jiang Ruotang refused to accept it. "Again!"

In the third round, just as Jiang Ruotang used a bounce power-up to grab a health bubble, Lu Guifan’s bubble pulled off perfect timing, accelerating from behind and slamming into his like a snooker shot, devouring both Jiang Ruotang and the health bubble in one go—setting a new high score.

"Argh! Argh! Argh!" Jiang Ruotang stomped the floor in frustration, shot daggers at Lu Guifan.

The latter, however, was completely relaxed, leaning back in his chair, his glasses sliding down his nose, exuding the aura of a lazy king.

"Maybe you should switch with the class monitor, Ruo Tang. Let him start first, and you chase him?" Jian Sha suggested helpfully.

Jiang Ruotang immediately agreed. "Lu Guifan, I’ll chase you this time!"

"Sure," Lu Guifan replied, still completely unbothered.

To Jiang Ruotang’s dismay, Lu Guifan breezed ahead effortlessly in the first round, while Jiang Ruotang wasted time jumping for speed boosts, could only watch helplessly as Lu Guifan cleared the level.

This made Jiang Ruotang pause. He noticed Lu Guifan didn’t go for every power-up he encountered—because jumping wasted time. He only took them when his health dropped below a third or when Jiang Ruotang got a speed boost.

Basically, this guy was calculating even in games!

The infuriating part was that Jiang Ruotang couldn’t outsmart his opponent’s eight hundred tricks.

After several rounds, Jiang Ruotang still hadn’t managed to get a nibble of Lu Guifan’s bubble.

"Under the class monitor’s relentless beating, I’ve realized I’m the one doomed to be alone. I’m better off playing single-player games—no more competing with others! I’ll embrace being a happy slacker."

Jiang Ruotang concluded.

Lu Guifan set his phone on the coffee table and leaned slightly forward, studying him. "I thought you’d persist and keep chasing. Didn’t expect you to give up so quickly."

Jiang Ruotang’s face remained neutral, but his mind inexplicably drifted to his past self.

He had been just as persistent back then—only, he'd persisted in all the wrong things, just being stubborn.

"I don’t want to exhaust myself like that. The sea of misery is endless; turning back is the way." Jiang Ruotang mocked himself.

"Is that so..." Lu Guifan tipped his head back slightly, as if pondering or weighing something, then turned to Jiang Ruotang with a small smirk. "I, on the other hand, am quite good at persistence. That’s why I always catch you in the end."

This time, it was Jian Sha who grabbed Cai Ji’s shoulders and nearly shaken silly. "Cai Cai, listen to them! So corny! Your game is totally a romance game—relentless pursuit, fated to meet at the end of the world!"

Cai Ji was dizzy from the shaking.

Jiang Ruotang swallowed back his comment: "This was originally a popular dating game."

After spending some time at Cai Ji’s newly rented place, where Cai Ji’s mom prepared a full home-cooked meal for them, they headed downstairs for night prep class. Xiao Gao was already waiting at the school gate to take Jiang Ruotang to the art studio.

Passing by a newly opened FAIRY milk tea shop, Jiang Ruotang’s eyes caught the sign: "Second Pearl Milk Tea Half Price."

Teacher Wang Siben’s teasing words echoed in his mind: "Can someone please share this half-price second cup with me?"

Jiang Ruotang lowered his eyes and gave a wry smile.

Lu Guifan didn’t drink milk tea. Even with a half-price second cup, it had nothing to do with him.

After saying goodbye to his friends, he got into the car to the art studio.

Propping his chin on his hand, Jiang Ruotang watched the passing streetlights outside the window, wondering how the little game that had made Lin Chengdong so much money in his past life could have been designed by Cai Ji.

He took out his phone and searched for "Phantom Bubble." Sure enough, the game didn’t exist yet.

So it couldn’t have been inspired by any existing game—it was 100% Cai Ji's original work.

Lost in thought, Jiang Ruotang’s head eventually lolled against the window, and he fell asleep.

The tides of time seemed to surge in different directions. When they receded, Jiang Ruotang snapped awake, finding himself back in the classroom.

During lunch break, Lin Lu pulled a fashion magazine from his bag and said, "Ruo Tang, this is Bai Yingchuan’s special edition. It’s not even on sale yet—his agent, Sister Yu, gave me this sample copy!"

"Thank you! You’re amazing!" Jiang Ruotang’s eyes lit up with excitement as he took the magazine like it was gold, as if nothing else in the world mattered anymore.

Lin Lu smiled. "Take your time. I’ll go grab some milk tea."

When Lin Lu returned with the drinks, he entered through the back door, passing by Cai Ji’s seat.

Cai Ji was slumped over his desk, playing a mobile game by himself. Lin Lu stopped behind him, watching with interest.

When the round ended, sensing someone behind him, Cai Ji turned and saw Lin Lu standing there.

"Wow, what game is this? It looks really fun—I want to download it too!"

Cai Ji looked flustered but pleased. Having few friends and not great at social stuff, he eagerly spilled all the details.

"It’s a little game I coded myself. There are eight levels. The trick to the first level is not to take the speed boost at this corner—if you do, you’ll lose control and crash into the wall. For the second level, if you grab this health bubble, don’t be greedy for the next one, or you won’t have time to dodge the spikes on the wall..."

Lin Lu listened intently, nodding along. "Cai Ji, you’re incredible! We’re just students, yet you can code your own game! Can you send it to me to play?"

"Sure, no problem." Cai Ji was thrilled to share his creation.

After playing with it for a few days, Lin Lu bought Cai Ji another milk tea and asked, smiling, "Can this game only be played alone? Could you design levels where multiple people can compete or chase each other?"

This was Cai Ji's first time ever getting something from a classmate, and he was overjoyed. "Sure, sure! I'll give it a try!"

With the upgraded game, Lin Lu often played it with Cai Ji for a while, and Cai Ji had expanded it to over twenty levels.

Then Lin Lu said to Cai Ji, "Cai Ji, I really like your game. I want my dad to publish it so more people can play with us."

"Really?" Cai Ji was simply happy.

"If you agree, I'll have my dad draw up a contract to buy the rights of this game."

"No, no need! I'm just glad you like it—I can give it to you!"

That was Cai Ji—when someone was nice to him, he would give them the shirt off his back.

"But you should take it. I know things are tough for you at home. With the copyright fee, it could help you out."

"Lin Lu, you're so kind!"

And just like that, Lin Chengdong bought Cai Ji’s game's concept and code for 20,000 yuan.

A month later, *Phantom Bubble* was released, taking university campuses by storm and sweeping through office worker crowds, raking in big money.

But all of this barely benefited Cai Ji.

When Li Chun caught wind of it at an internet café, he immediately found Cai Chuan. They did the math—monthly revenue in the millions, yet Cai Ji had sold it for just 20,000 yuan! In a rage, they hauled Cai Ji to Lin Chengdong’s doorstep to raise hell, but Lin Chengdong wouldn't even come to the door.

Cai Chuan and Li Chun were so enraged that they called Cai Ji a traitor, chased him down and beat him, screaming at him to get the code back and force Lin Chengdong to pay at least a million!

Frantically trying to get away from these two bloodsuckers, Cai Ji ran blindly without seeing the traffic light. A motorcycle came barreling around the corner without slowing down...

Jiang Ruotang’s eyes snapped open, gasping, his chest aching sharply, his back drenched in cold sweat.

"Ruo Tang, what’s wrong?" Xiao Gao asked with concern.

"N-nothing... Must've been that scary story I heard earlier and I accidentally fell asleep, freaked myself out in the dream." Jiang Ruotang grabbed a couple of tissues to wipe off his cold sweat.

So this was how Cai Ji’s last life ended?

No wonder Ruo Tang couldn't recall which school Cai Ji had gotten into or whether he had appeared at the final class reunion.

In that life, Cai Ji’s life had ended just like that.

This time, Jiang Ruotang wouldn't let history repeat itself.

That night, after returning from the art studio, Jiang Ruotang called Mr. Zheng, saying he wanted to start a gaming company to develop small games.

Mr. Zheng suggested that kind of thing needed professionals—unless he bought an entire team.

Jiang Ruotang also understood it was no simple task.

Cai Ji’s little game shouldn’t be underestimated—it was pretty solid already in many aspects. Just needed some polish and tweaks, it would be almost identical to the game Jiang Ruotang had played in his past life...

The tricky part was finding the right team—game testing, approval, distribution—none of which Mr. Zheng could handle for him.

But… the most important thing was Cai Ji’s consent.

Even if Jiang Ruotang knew he wasn’t the type to take advantage or burn bridges, this was Cai Ji’s hard work, his companion during lonely times—not a "business deal."

If Cai Ji didn’t want to commercialize the game, Jiang Ruotang would help him apply for intellectual property protection, ensuring no one could take it away.

At noon the next day, Jiang Ruotang went downstairs to pick up takeout. Though Cai Ji had a homemade lunch from his mom, Jiang Ruotang still dragged him along.

Cai Ji followed cheerfully as they left the classroom.

As they walked, Jiang Ruotang tentatively asked, "Cai Cai, what if I said I really like your little game and want to develop it… Would you be okay with that?"

Cai Ji’s eyes lit up. "Really? Is my game really that good?"

Jiang Ruotang nodded. "Your game is amazing! It’s so addictive—almost impossible to put down!"

"Then of course I’d agree! Does your dad have a gaming company?"

After all, Jiang Ruotang’s father was a director, and gaming was part of the entertainment industry. If Jiang Huaiyuan had invested in games, it wouldn’t be surprising.

Wait, that’s right—Jiang Ruotang rubbed the back of his head. Though his dad was a bit unreliable, entrusting Zhao Yunshu with the investment and leveraging his dad’s industry connections would be much better than doing it himself.

Plus, with professionals handling it, he and Cai Ji—both high school seniors—could focus more on their studies.

"Then I’ll go back and discuss it with them. But first, we should secure the copyright..."

The more he thought about it, the more Jiang Ruotang felt copyright registration was more urgent than development.

He immediately called Lawyer Dai. Though Lawyer Dai didn’t know how important this little game was, anything Ruo Tang called him about personally, he took very seriously.

"Cai Cai, where’s your game code and stuff?" Jiang Ruotang asked.

"It’s on my laptop, back at my place."