Chapter 94: The Remarkable Training Session

“Everyone here knows how to play rock-paper-scissors, right?” Liu Zhaoting asked the women in the audience.

They all nodded in unison.

Liu Zhaoting continued, “If you want to marry into a wealthy family, the first thing you need to do is understand men. Personally, I categorize men into three types: Rock, Scissors, and Paper. Regardless of their wealth, almost every man falls into one of these categories. If you want to marry rich, you must first figure out which type of man you’re dealing with! Of course, before I get into more detail, let me be clear: our training is aimed at helping you marry into a prominent family, not to become someone’s mistress. Know the difference. If your goal is only to become a mistress, you can leave now. We don’t have anyone here who lacks such ambition. Do you really think being a mistress is something difficult? Don’t use your limited experience to imagine the lives of the wealthy. The latest designer handbag you can’t afford and dream about is about as significant to them as buying a breakfast snack. Our goal is for you to secure a lifetime of wealth by marrying into high society, not just a shallow exchange of interests. That’s too easy. So, as my students, do you have the confidence you need?”

The women below responded in loud unison, “Yes!”

Liu Zhaoting nodded, “Good, that’s the attitude I want. In our training, you must be ready to challenge yourself. And don’t think your efforts will be in vain. Many of our outstanding graduates have already achieved their dreams.” As she spoke, she switched images on the screen—photos of young women, some in wedding dresses, others posing with luxury cars and mansions.

Seeing the envy in her audience’s eyes, Liu Zhaoting went on, “Our program isn’t one of those that just takes your money and does nothing. We’ll transform you into elegant ladies, improve your cultivation, and teach you the skills you need in love and marriage. We also have close partnerships with the city’s top matchmaking agencies. Every graduate of our program becomes a free member of a high-end matchmaking club. We regularly organize elite cocktail parties and salons to increase your chances of meeting wealthy men—of course, whether you can seize these opportunities depends on your own learning and adaptability.”

Hearing this, everyone in the audience looked at Liu Zhaoting with excitement, eyes sparkling as if each of them was destined to be the next to marry into high society.

Liu Zhaoting smiled, “By joining our program, you’re showing trust in us, and we won’t let you down. Let me tell you, we’re not just any training program. We have international investment. Our founder is Miss Philotes, heiress of the Nyx family. You may not have heard of them, but the Nyx family is an ancient house from the Balkans, lacking nothing in wealth or prestige. They don’t care about the resources they invest here. One reason Miss Philotes founded this program is because she believes in our country’s potential; another is to help more women achieve their dreams. Our top graduates get the chance to attend parties hosted by Miss Philotes in the Balkans, where they can meet foreign gentlemen in castles centuries old. Miss Philotes has also promised to bring elite foreign men to visit us here, and you may even get the chance to meet her in person!”

The room erupted in cheers and applause so loud it seemed the ceiling might come down.

Liu Zhaoting raised her hands to calm the crowd, “Don’t get too excited. I hope each of you will have a bright future, but that requires you to pay attention and study diligently. Only then can you achieve your goals.”

After Liu Zhaoting’s remarks, someone asked, “Ms. Liu, what’s the difference between the three types of men you mentioned?”

Liu Zhaoting explained, “Let’s start with the Rock Man. He’s the kind of ordinary man most of us encounter. He’s devoted to his family, usually has only one wife in his lifetime, and would give her everything. Of course, as the saying goes, ‘There are no cats that don’t steal fish,’ so even such men might stray, but their focus remains on their family. Even if a Rock Man cheats, he won’t let it destroy his home. Even wealthy Rock Men aren’t necessarily the best choice.”

“Next is the Scissors Man—think of him as the playboy type. He isn’t interested in marriage but is attractive, with good looks and genes. He makes a good lover but isn’t the best candidate for marrying into a wealthy family.”

“The last type is the most alluring to women and our main target: the Paper Man. Many celebrities, officials, and nobles fall into this category. Their appeal goes beyond money or looks—they may not be handsome, but their status and wealth make them magnets for women. Some women would rather be one of many lovers to a Paper Man than the only wife of an ordinary man. If you want to marry into wealth, you must first know which type you’re dealing with. These three types keep each other in check: the Rock Man holds onto his partner; the Paper Man spreads his net wide; the Scissors Man rarely has a chance with a Rock Man’s partner, since the latter is loyal, but it’s easy for a Scissors Man to lure away a Paper Man’s woman, because the Paper Man has so many he can’t treat them all equally. You must use different approaches with different men, since their expectations for partners vary.”

“Ms. Liu, what differences are there in what these men want from their partners? How do we tell them apart?” someone asked.

Liu Zhaoting smiled, “That’s an obvious question. If a man always dates women richer than himself, he’s probably a Scissors Man—he chooses his partner for her wealth. As for Paper and Rock Men, most of you are already familiar with them. Today, you’re here to learn to avoid ordinary Rock Men and to win over a Paper Man, isn’t that right?”

“Yes!” everyone shouted together.

Liu Zhaoting pointed to the screen. “Here’s an example of a Paper Man. He may not look like much and his figure isn’t great, but he’s never short of female company—his wealth speaks for itself. You can see, I’m not especially attractive and have no advantage among the competition, yet I can tell you, he’s working hard at the gym for my sake, and even though I haven’t said anything, he’s planning to propose to me.”

There were murmurs of admiration from the audience.

Liu Zhaoting waved her hand and changed the slide to a photo of herself with a young man. His face was blurred out, but if Yang Meng and her friends were here, they would have recognized Ling Feng instantly.

“This is a Rock Man, just an ordinary policeman. He may not seem as impressive as the previous Paper Man, but in my opinion, he’s a real ‘stock with potential.’ Now my dilemma is whether to choose an already successful Paper Man or a promising Rock Man. What about you, my students? Which would you pick?”

The women immediately began to argue, each voicing her opinion. Liu Zhaoting didn’t stop them, but watched with a smile from the podium.

The debate went on for a while without resolution, until someone noticed Liu Zhaoting wasn’t saying anything and asked curiously, “Ms. Liu, what would your choice be?”

Liu Zhaoting waved her hand. “You’re focused on the wrong thing. You shouldn’t be interested in which one I’ll choose, but rather in how I managed to win them over, don’t you think? That’s the main topic of today’s lesson.”

Everyone fell silent, all eyes fixed on Liu Zhaoting. They realized she was right—this was what they needed to learn. Each looked at her with eager anticipation.

Liu Zhaoting waggled her finger. “It’s really quite simple! As they say, all men are pigs. You need strategies for dealing with them. Catching a rich husband isn’t easy, because each man is different, but in general, you need to pay attention to the details. Even something as simple as making an acquaintance is harder than it looks. You have to know that wealthy men are usually turned off by women who are too forward—they’ve seen too many of them. If you want to get closer to them, you need to do your homework first, learn about their interests and favorite haunts, and then plan a coincidental meeting or approach them through shared hobbies. Why do you think so many women are hanging around golf courses nowadays? Do you really think they love golf?”

“In the next ten lessons, we’ll teach you all you need to know: the tastes of successful men, their standards for choosing a partner, how to create and seize opportunities to interact, and how to master every detail from dating to finally securing your place in a prominent family. In short, remember these four lines: ‘Get acquainted with strategy; date with acting skill; receive gifts with calculation; and maintain the relationship with careful planning.’ Now, let me use this Paper Man and this Rock Man as examples to share my own experience, so that all of you can succeed in catching your own golden husband!”

She preened on the podium, unaware that a girl in the audience had already recorded everything on her phone...