Rebate System: From Poor Student To Billionaire Playboy

Chapter 21. The Date With Alicia II

Harry could already tell this date was nothing like the one he’d had with Melissa. With Melissa, everything had felt easy, she laughed, she glowed, she actually wanted to be there. But Alicia? She was playing a different game entirely. Every glance, every smile, every word came with a price tag. He could practically see the dollar signs in her eyes.

Still, Harry didn’t really mind. He wasn’t here for love or sincerity. Tonight was about strategy, about testing what truly worked on her, what didn’t, and how far he could push that glowing little affection bar he saw in his mind’s eye.

He’d already figured out one thing: Alicia loved being admired. She thrived on attention, the kind that made heads turn and whispers start. So if giving her the spotlight was what it took to win, then he’d make sure every beam of light in the room pointed her way.

They ate slowly, though “ate” was generous, Alicia picked at her food like it was poison. She was a model, after all, and self-control came with the job. Harry didn’t mind; he was more interested in watching how she carried herself.

Not once did she mention what happened at Marcus's dorm room. There was no apology, no awkward small talk. It was as if that whole messy situation had never happened. For Harry, that was perfect. It meant he could follow through with what he’d planned tonight without feeling the faintest twinge of guilt or having to relive a painful moment in his life.

The drinks were expensive enough to make most people cry, but Harry didn’t flinch when the waiter brought the bill. This was part of the plan. And besides, the buzz that came after a few glasses was doing its job, Alicia was loosening up.

“I can’t believe I’ve had this much fun,” she said with a soft laugh, resting her chin in her hand, her eyes half-lidded as she studied him.

Harry smirked. “Luckily for you, the night’s still young.”

Alicia’s lips curved into a sly grin. “Oh? Is this where you try to convince me to follow you into your room, Harry?”

He leaned forward slightly, voice dropping to a low purr. “No. This is where you convince me why I should take you there.”

Her laughter was light, genuine. “You really are something else, you know that?”

“I was worried after I didn't see you in school. Tell me Harry, what have you been up to lately?” Alicia asked, her eyes fixed on he's.

At that moment, it occurred to Harry that he hasn't thought about school since he awakened the system. Was school even important to him?

Harry’s thought out plan before being blessed with the system was to graduate school, get a 9 to 5 job, work the corporate ladder and then marry Alicia. But all of that has changed, in his final year in Crestview university, Harry doesn't see himself graduating. What was the point? He thought to himself.

“Give me your hand,” Harry said suddenly.

She blinked in surprise, then shrugged and reached across the table. “What’s this? You gonna read my palm now?”

“Something like that,” he said, playing along with exaggerated seriousness.

“Oh really? Then tell me, what do you see?” she teased.

Harry held her hand gently, pretending to trace invisible lines across her skin. “I see a woman who’s going to get everything she wants. Magazines, spotlights, runways, even movies. But only if she doesn’t quit. Not now, not ever.”

Alicia froze for a heartbeat. For all her poise and playfulness, those words seemed to hit somewhere deep. The shift in her expression was small, but Harry caught it immediately.

He’d only been bluffing, reading her the way a salesman reads a client, but it worked.

“You’re a weird one. Were you always this weird?” she said softly, smiling now, really smiling.

> [Update in affection bar!]

[Alicia’s affection: 30%!]

“I actually… got accepted into an agency recently,” she admitted, her voice quieter this time. “And I didn’t have anyone to tell.”

Wait a minute, isn't she in a relationship with Marcus, why the fuck doesn't she have anyone to tell? Is this some sort of mind game she is playing?

Harry was perplexed, but didn't show it.

He grinned at her. “Well, now you do. You’ve got me.”

And just like that, the armor she wore cracked a little. Beneath all that vanity and attitude was just another girl, ambitious, and desperate to be seen.

She gave a shy little smile. “You’re… different from the Harry I know.”

“How so?” he asked, meeting her gaze directly.

Her eyes flicked over his face, studying him. “I don’t know,” she murmured, biting her bottom lip. “You are just… different.”

Harry smirked. He could feel her staring at his lips, and that told him everything.

“So,” she said, her tone suddenly sultry, “about dessert…” She let the words hang in the air before locking eyes with him. “I think I’d like to have some now.”

Harry didn’t need a dictionary to know what that meant.

“Is that so?” he asked, his gaze dipping briefly toward her chest, and Alicia caught it immediately.

“Looks like you can’t wait either,” she teased, leaning back in her seat.

He chuckled, unbothered by her boldness. The tension between them was heavy now, thick enough to taste. He knew exactly where this was heading.

“How about,” she said slowly, “we continue this conversation somewhere a little more… private?”

That was all the invitation he needed. Harry signaled the waiter for the check.

The total was absurd, over five grand, but he paid it without hesitation. He’d spent more on less, and besides, this was an investment.

> [Ding!]

[Spent $5,000. 10X Critical Hit. Earned $50,000! 4X Bonus Critical Hit. Earned $200,000! The money has been transferred to account XXX-XXX-XXX!]

[Spent at least $5,000 on a beautiful lady!]

Harry glanced at his screen, satisfaction curling in his chest. His balance was approaching four million, but it still wasn’t enough. He needed to hit the next level, and fast.

As they rose from their seats, Alicia’s perfume drifted toward him, rich and heady. Her skin practically glowed under the dim restaurant lights, her body language unmistakable.

She wanted him.

And he wanted her too.

Dinner was over. Their stomachs were full.

Now, it was time to satisfy a different kind of hunger.