Chapter 202 - 200: The Child’s Surname

Chapter 202: Chapter 200: The Child’s Surname

If the dating market had secret martial arts manuals, the one ranked first on the righteous path would undoubtedly be *Same-Sex Competition*.

The manual reads:

You can find any kind of partner you want, provided you can outcompete others. If you can’t, you lose your priority in mate selection.

The guy who just called in was a loser in this same-sex competition.

In high school, he couldn’t compete with the bad boys and the jocks.

In college, he was steamrolled by the handsome guys and the rich kids.

Now that he’d finally started working, he could only watch as rich men and senior colleagues got picked up and dropped off by their partners.

This is where the number one secret of the unorthodox path comes in: *Asymmetrical Competition*.

If you can’t compete with your peers, can’t compete with the Lao Dengs, and can’t even compete with guys a year or two younger, then go compete for those who are five, or even ten years younger than you.

A lot of guys get too hung up on this, thinking it’s wrong to date someone so much younger. But the thing is, plenty of rich men find younger partners when they get old.

Of course, if you choose a younger partner, you also have to accept the typical shortcomings of youth, like emotional instability, poor financial standing, and being more demanding.

But the problem is, this is because you can’t win the same-sex competition, right?

You’ve been cultivating on the righteous path for a hundred years and you’re still at the first level of Qi Refining. Your lifespan is almost up. Why not walk the path of an unorthodox cultivator and risk it all? What if you reach Foundation Establishment?

"Bro, just go give it a try."

"Anyway, since you’ve already figured out who I am, it shouldn’t be hard to get my contact information from the guys at the company."

"If that really doesn’t work, just make a trip to Qing City, and I can give you some in-person coaching."

"Huh?" the man asked curiously. "Brother Zhang, you do in-person sessions too? In that case, can I pay you to come to Shencheng City?"

"When you say ’in-person,’ you mean for legitimate business, right?" Zhang Zhe frowned. "Alternatively, once you’ve found a girlfriend, you can bring her to me in person, and I can help you vet her."

"It’ll just be a 99-yuan consultation fee."

"I bring my girlfriend over for you to see, and you’re still going to charge me?"

"Of course. I’m just looking, not touching." Zhang Zhe knew the guy on the call was teasing him, so he rolled his eyes.

[Is it really that cheap?]

[Brother Zhang, are you open tomorrow? I kind of want to come.]

[How many hours of consultation do you get for 99 yuan? You should probably clarify that.]

"Ninety-nine yuan for a minimum of two hours."

"No, wait, let’s make it a one-hour minimum."

"Otherwise, I’d feel like I was selling myself too cheap." Zhang Zhe did a quick calculation. At 99 yuan an hour, working a 996 schedule, his monthly salary would be 25,000 yuan—about what he was making a few years ago.

"Alright, if I really can’t pull it off, I’ll come find you in Qing City," the man said with a laugh. "I’ll go ask HR for your information later."

"Make sure you keep it confidential. Don’t get me doxxed."

"Yeah, yeah, don’t worry, Brother Zhang. I know the drill."

After the man disconnected, Zhang Zhe glanced at the live comments and gave everyone a brief description of his shop’s address.

He decided to just go ahead and list the 99-yuan in-person consultation package on Xiaohongshu. He’d test the waters first and raise the price if business got too good.

...

After waiting a while for another caller, Zhang Zhe began his usual segment of reading private messages.

This time, a girl with an IP from Hedong was the most persistent. She’d used three different accounts to send the same private message:

"Brother Zhang, I want to ask what the requirements are for recruiting a live-in son-in-law. What kind of man who’s willing to marry into my family can I find?"

This question immediately piqued Zhang Zhe’s interest.

’It’s so weird for a woman that young to be looking for a live-in son-in-law.’

He sent her a private message, letting her know he was live-streaming and that she should call in now if she wanted to talk.

A moment later, he got a reply: "Brother Zhang, I just got off work. I’m hopping online now!"

Two minutes later, this "Sister-in-law" joined the call.

"Brother Zhang, let me start by introducing my situation."

"I was born in ’01, I have a bachelor’s degree, I’m 5’5" and about 99 pounds. As for my looks, I’m the type who’s been pursued by guys my whole life—the ’prettiest girl in class’ type."

"I have a pretty dominant personality, and most guys can’t handle it in a normal relationship. That’s why I want to find a husband who will marry into my family."

[She’s already looking for a live-in son-in-law at 24?]

[Sis has such a clear plan, props to you!]

[Sister, I don’t want to work hard anymore!]

[What kind of guy is she even looking for? This is melting my brain.]

Zhang Zhe couldn’t help but frown when he heard "dominant personality."

"Sis, how dominant are we talking? Like the female equivalent of a male chauvinist? The Miss Dong type?"

"Yes. My classmates and colleagues all say I give off a bit of an ’Iron Lady’ vibe."

"..." Zhang Zhe could already picture her perfectly.

He always kept his distance from women like that in his personal life. They tended to be sharp-tongued, and their words and actions could easily hurt people.

"A dominant personality is indeed well-suited for a woman who’s out there competing with men. That’s not a huge problem; there are plenty of women like that these days."

"But it’s rare for them to get married at your age. They usually stay single until they’re about thirty, and then use their own money and resources to find a younger man."

"I don’t want that ’boy toy’ type of guy," the woman said dismissively. "I can accept a man with a low income. I can support the family. The only condition is that our children have to take my last name."

"Those younger guys are just for fun. I don’t consider that a real marriage. Besides, by the time I’m older, it won’t be as easy to have kids."

[Mid-Value Intel]

[Your matchmaking target, Zhang Yue, comes from a family with a severe patriarchal bias. She was raised as a boy from a young age, resulting in a very dominant personality that makes normal romantic relationships difficult.]

[Due to her traditional desire to carry on the family line, she wishes to find a husband who will marry into her family. However, her family’s financial situation lacks sufficient capital for this. It is recommended that the Host vet this situation carefully.]

After reading the intel, Zhang Zhe glanced at the live comments.

The guys in the chat were all very open-minded. None of them cared if the kids took their last name, as long as the woman could support them.

"Sis, is the child’s last name very important to you?"

"Are you looking for a live-in son-in-law just to carry on your family line?"

"More or less," the woman said, emphasizing her IP location. "I’m from Lunan, and patriarchal ideas are pretty strong here."

"I was raised as a boy, and my parents hope my children can take our family name. That way, our family line won’t be broken."

"Around here, children almost always take the father’s last name, unless he marries into the wife’s family."

"Okay, I get it now." Zhang Zhe nodded. That clarified the woman’s line of thinking.

"You can find someone, but it all depends on your family’s circumstances. Roughly how much are your family’s assets worth?"

"My family... well, we’re just an ordinary working-class family. We’re not millionaires or anything."

[A working-class family is trying to recruit a live-in son-in-law?]

[What kind of man would be crazy enough to marry into your family for a few tens of thousands of yuan?]

[This girl is something else. First time I’ve seen one like this.]

[I thought her family owned a mine or something! My hometown is in Hedong, and even I was getting excited!]

"Sis, you do know that when looking for a live-in son-in-law, you’re supposed to marry down, right? Not look for someone in the same social class."

"Only a man whose family is a whole tier below yours would be willing to marry into your family like that."

"Someone with even less than your family? Are you going to go find some bachelor from the countryside?"

"To be honest, with the customs in Hedong, a man from the countryside would rather stay single than marry into a working-class family, wouldn’t he?"

"That’s pretty much it." The woman had looked into the "market" before, and she didn’t know what to do either. "The guys here are very concerned about their pride. The moment they hear ’marrying in,’ they won’t even consider dating..."

"It has nothing to do with pride. It’s a cost-benefit analysis."

"The number one requirement for a man to become a live-in son-in-law is that your family’s financial situation has to be strong enough to guarantee he’ll be set for life. If he moves in and still has to struggle alongside you, what’s in it for him?"

"You actually don’t need to recruit a live-in son-in-law at all."

"Why not just date normally and find a guy who’s willing to let the children take your family’s name?"