I am a Gao Fushuai Villain

The first 300 chapters are really enjoyable, but after that, the quality starts to decline. The main character (MC) keeps showcasing his talents granted by the system repeatedly, yet he still can’t defeat the antagonist or win over the girls, which is frustrating. It’s particularly irritating when the MC has to keep demonstrating his abilities to impress the girls, as if he needs to prove himself over and over again. This repetition is tedious.

How can a girl be so cold and talented at 20 years old? It’s unrealistic. The MC has to display six or seven different types of talents to gain her favor, and even then, her approval remains low. It doesn’t make any sense.

Everyone has different preferences when reading, but I find myself increasingly irritated after chapter 350. The other female characters, aside from the main female lead, become annoying after chapter 300. The MC seems to degrade into a mere entertainer for the girls, constantly solving their problems and having no time to enjoy himself. He’s always on high alert, dealing with the antagonist and plotting tricks.

There were some relaxing moments when the MC was with the cake shop manager (a female lead), but by chapter 350, the number of girls around the female lead increases, and those peaceful moments disappear.

The story is effectively ruined around chapter 350, becoming really annoying. If the MC can’t defeat his primary enemy by chapter 400, how much can anyone take?

I read as much of the Manhua Translation (MTL) as I could before hitting paywalls.

This novel essentially takes story beats and character archetypes from the standard urban harem genre and swaps out the perverted soldier king main character for a more shrewd, cautious man. Lin Yuan has a system that rewards him with points based on his counterattacks against the novel’s main character (MC). These actions range from developing relationships with the MC’s harem, stealing the MC’s business opportunities, and generally defaming the MC. He can use these points to increase his base stats, such as Charm, Strength, Speed, and so on. He also gains skills from the system depending on the choices he makes in critical moments. While some readers might find the system limiting, as the choices often boil down to "do thing" or "don’t do thing," I didn’t mind this aspect.

The novel reads similarly to its contemporaries in the urban romance genre, featuring face-slapping, lots of fake smiles, and characters who are just terrible people for no real reason. Some characters feel more like NPCs. A couple of the women in the original harem act as if Lin Yuan is an infallible golden son whose attention they must have, or they’ll cry to death. However, Lin Yuan is undeniably charming, and combined with his good looks, knowledge of the novel, and pay-to-win cheat system, it’s easy for him to leave positive impressions on people.

What I enjoyed the most is that Lin Yuan acts according to his own ideas rather than just stealing the main character’s encounters. Beyond that, he actually cares about some of the side characters and actively works to improve them.

If you’re looking for a light read to kill some time, this is a pretty easy novel to pick up. The chapters are neither too long nor too short and are entertaining enough to binge. If you’re not a fan of or have no interest in the genre, you should probably skip this. But if you are interested, I can definitely recommend it to you.

I've picked up and put down this novel three separate times (chapters 54, 78, and 204). While writing my most recent review, I realized I had already written six paragraphs, so I'll keep it brief.

The short story and its quirky plot keep me coming back. However, their views on women, relationships, and hard work are deeply unsettling. Imagine the warning image Disney displays before showing offensive content.

While not directly related to the novel, I think the author has excellent taste in music, and I’ve enjoyed every piece he references in the story.

It's quite adorable. There are a lot of negative reviews, but honestly, every novel I enjoy has a lot of negative reviews, and every novel I dislike has a lot of positive reviews. People have different tastes.

It's crucial to remember that this is a novel. In fact, within the novel, it's a novel. The romance isn't always perfectly realistic, but it's not unrealistic either. The characters aren't entirely realistic, but they are literally characters from a book within a book. Do people typically act this way in these types of stories? Yes. Is the main character literally in the setting of one of these books? Yes. Complaints about how it's not what it's really like in China are invalid, thank you.

The translator's English isn't perfect, but it's acceptable. I got used to the first translator, and when it switched to the second, I initially didn't like the change. However, I think the second translator improved over time. From what I understand, the first translator dropped out due to personal issues, and the new one is much more consistent, so I suppose that's a good thing.

Now, onto my personal thoughts. The female characters are cute, and they grow on you. One review mentioned something about "training women" — that's fairly accurate. I won't deny it. But I definitely feel that the girls have distinct personalities, and I enjoy the interactions and banter with each one. Maybe it gets worse a few hundred chapters into the raws, maybe it doesn't. If I quit every novel that gets bad in the raws, I wouldn't have anything to read. I mostly enjoy the beginnings anyway.

The main character (MC) and his abilities, and how he surpasses the original character, well, for one, it went from being a novel to being a real world based on one. So, there's that. How things were before and how they are now wouldn't necessarily be the same. Plus, he has a system, which changes the rules entirely.

This is definitely a feel-good type of novel. If you want someone to cultivate from scratch and face numerous challenges... You're mistaken for reading past the title, no offense.

Please give it a chance, and allow the translators many chapters to improve. It's definitely worth it.

The feedback was quite positive overall. I noticed some readers complaining along the lines of, "Oh my god, the main character (MC) can't just treat a traumatized girl like that. It's so inhumane." But come on, it’s a harem-seeking novel with a villain as the MC; of course, he’s going to manipulate everyone. Duh.

Still, there are some really good romance scenes, especially those involving ChiQian. They stand out as the best. However, there are plot holes, like a girl he just met giving herself to him or something similar.

The novel is quite good up until around chapter 1270. After that, the author basically says, "Screw everything I’ve built; I’m going to write filler and make a completely new novel with a new enemy, without any of the previous girls." Honestly, if it weren’t for that, it would have been a pretty good novel.

A typical wish-fulfillment novel where the main character knows everything and has flawless plans for every event in his quest to claim the original protagonist’s beautiful harem. It certainly delivered on the ‘rich and handsome villain’ trope, with new characters and settings continuously introduced to make his counterattack against the original protagonist a seamless and smooth journey. Surprisingly, it wasn’t as dull as I expected... I actually enjoyed reading it so far. However, I really disliked the poorly written sex scenes (I won’t go into specific critiques).

The story is quite refreshing; it’s not your typical weak-to-strong narrative because the protagonist is already incredibly wealthy. This makes for a unique experience, especially after reading so many underdog stories. However, don’t expect too much romance, as it’s more of a wish-fulfillment type of tale.

But when you decide to read it, the translator’s paywall will likely stop you, with almost 30 chapters ahead for those who donate.

Set in an urban romance setting, the "original novel" features a villain who is thoroughly defeated by the hero, Ye Feng. The villain suffers humiliation, loses his fiancée to Ye Feng, and sees his family fall into bankruptcy. However, in this new iteration, the protagonist, Lin Yuan, travels from our world into the role of the villain with an unwavering resolve to destroy Ye Feng. Lin Yuan’s goal is to make Ye Feng’s life worse than death, and he is determined to see this through until the end.

Despite Ye Feng’s plot armor, which allows him to evade death and major setbacks, Lin Yuan’s prior knowledge of the plot, his ruthless mindset, and his overpowered (OP) system give him an insurmountable advantage. Lin Yuan is a Mary Sue character who remains undefeated throughout the story. Even the setbacks he faces are minor and do not significantly hinder his progress, but this is part of the appeal for readers who enjoy the wish-fulfillment aspect of the narrative.

Lin Yuan is portrayed as a single-minded, wealthy scoundrel, but he is refreshingly honest about his nature. He acknowledges his flaws, and both his romantic interests and the readers are aware of them. In contrast, Ye Feng is depicted as an arrogant individual who expects everything to go his way and considers himself the protagonist. When Lin Yuan delivers a well-deserved slap to Ye Feng, it is deeply satisfying for the readers. The plot, while predictable, remains engaging due to the satisfying confrontations between the two characters.

A significant part of the novel involves Lin Yuan’s interactions with various female characters. He finds the process of winning their affections more thrilling than the end result. Each woman has her own ambitions and standards, and Lin Yuan must navigate these challenges to win their hearts. His approach to each woman is unique:

- **Wanxi**: He is emotionally invested and tender.
- **Ruyan**: He maintains a stoic and controlled demeanor.
- **Chi Qiyan**: He is accommodating and understanding.

Additionally, Lin Yuan’s preference for mature women adds another layer of appeal to the story. The translation is generally good, although the quality of the plot does show a slight decline after chapter 1000, it remains enjoyable overall.

An intriguing novel that highlights the hypocrisy and significant flaws of typical urban romance Chinese novel protagonists through satire. Our main character, Lin Yuan, is a modern individual who finds himself transmigrating into the role of the primary antagonist in a Chinese urban romance novel he once read. To avoid being killed by the novel’s ‘protagonist,’ Lin Yuan devises a plan to undermine the protagonist by systematically removing his support systems, primarily by seducing and winning over his harem members.

What I appreciate about this novel is Lin Yuan’s self-awareness. He is portrayed as highly manipulative, cunning, and driven when it comes to achieving his survival goals. Despite his underhanded tactics, he maintains a moral底线 (bottom line) and shows a tender side to his family and loved ones. Lin Yuan is also honest about the reprehensible nature of his actions, even admitting to one of his targets that he is a scumbag.

Lin Yuan’s adversary, the ‘protagonist’ of the urban romance novel, Ye Feng, embodies a stereotypical Chinese novel hero. Ye Feng can be described as a dumbed-down version of Yun Che from "Against the Gods." He possesses all of Yun Che’s negative traits and few of his positive ones, aside from being exceptionally powerful. The author emphasizes these disliked characteristics, resonating with readers who are tired of such tropes in Chinese novels.

The relationships between Lin Yuan and the female leads form the core of the novel. Depending on the female lead he interacts with, Lin Yuan adjusts his demeanor, ranging from gentle and playful to cold and detached. This dynamic is a key element that keeps me engaged, alongside the satisfaction of seeing Lin Yuan outmaneuver and undermine a character reminiscent of Yun Che 0.5.

As for the system Lin Yuan possesses, it is undeniably overpowered. Coupled with Lin Yuan’s strategic mind, he can fully exploit the system’s capabilities, eventually maximizing his physical attributes and mastering any skill he sets his mind to. While this is a testament to the protagonist’s resourcefulness, it does feel like a downside, as the system’s functions border on being too overpowered.

This novel is the epitome of a power fantasy with little to no consequences for the main character.

The core premise of the story is that the main character has become the villain and must alter his circumstances to prevent the protagonist from defeating him. For me, the appeal of such stories lies in witnessing the main character’s efforts to change their fate. However, this novel focuses solely on showcasing how "great" the main character is, while everyone else is either trash or serves to emphasize his greatness.

Let's start with the first few "heroines" we encounter. The author, like many poor writers of Chinese harem novels, opts to describe women in the most clichéd manner possible. Here’s an example for the first heroine, Yan Ruyue:

**Spoiler**
> "An extremely beautiful woman was seated opposite to him. Her beauty made it seem like she had come out of a painting. Her long hair dangled over her shoulders like a waterfall. Her facial features were truly flawless. When you combine the two, it was enough to stupefy most people. Any person would find it enjoyable to just look at her face alone. The perfect figure under her blue dress would make it more difficult for any man to gaze away from her. It was hard to find any shortcomings in her appearance. Alas, her pretty face was icy cold at the moment and impatience could be seen in her eyes."

Nearly every heroine is described in the same way: goddess-like beauty, perfect body, flawless, etc. There is minimal actual development of their characters; most of the plot revolves around how "infatuated" they will become with the main character.

For instance, Yan Ruyue is the fiancée of Lin Yuan, the character the main character "transmigrated" into. **Spoiler**
> Before his takeover, Yan Ruyue hated how Lin Yuan constantly hounded her, never listened to her, and objectified her. After his takeover, he breaks off the engagement. Now Yan Ruyue thinks there is something wrong with her because he no longer pursues her. What kind of characterization is this when someone you hated for the majority of your relationship suddenly becomes appealing just because they stop pursuing you?

Meanwhile, Lin Yuan meets the second heroine, Qiu Wanxi. **Spoiler**
> Just because he boosts his Charm stat through the broken game system, when he meets her for the first time, he can constantly pat her head without her objecting, and she ends up following him around without even knowing his name. Then, just because he feeds her favorite foods, she immediately opens up to him about her dream of owning a baking shop, and since he's wealthy, he immediately gives her a baking shop. How easy and convenient?

Another significant issue with the story is the "power" system that Lin Yuan possesses. He is given choices to make, and with each choice, he automatically acquires godlike skills without any consequences. There is no struggle for him to develop his powers.

For example, he gets his first choice with Yan Ruyue: **Spoiler**
> He has to choose between continuing the relationship with her or breaking the engagement. However, in either choice, he automatically sees the reward, so there isn’t exactly a wrong answer. Whatever choice-reward he picks is conveniently beneficial for future plot events.

Since he chose to break the engagement with Yan Ruyue, he automatically learns godlike medical skills, which miraculously allow him to cure Yan Ruyue's mother, despite the presence of "top medical doctors." How convenient, huh?

Here’s an even more absurd reward. He manages to get a reward that makes him **Spoiler**
> a god-expert at the stock market, which he uses to convince his parents to invest 5 billion into "Spanish Stock Trade" instead of another stock recommended by their financial advisor. Yes, he has "knowledge" of the future, but the event plays out in a way that highlights the extreme power fantasy.

Just within one day, his "investment" makes 20 billion, while the other stock crashes. Now he’s considered "the Chinese Warren Buffett," everyone lauds his skills, and even the financial advisor calls him her savior because if they had followed her advice, she would have lost the company billions. Seriously?

The final straw that made me drop this novel is how the author treats Ye Feng, the original protagonist. **Spoiler**
> Using Lin Yuan’s resources, he tracks when Ye Feng arrives. He immediately tries to frame Ye Feng for groping females, starting fights, and property destruction, all in front of Yan Ruyue to prevent them from forming a bond as they did in the previous story.

This shows that Ye Feng, like every other plot device so far, is merely a tool to highlight how great Lin Yuan is. Unlike other novels with villain reincarnations, there isn’t anything that Lin Yuan struggles with. There’s no good humor in the story. Every scene emphasizes how handsome or amazing Lin Yuan is. Every woman is merely an object for the main character. The world lacks depth, and Lin Yuan already starts off as a rich millionaire in a modern setting with some Chinese martial fantasy. The power system lacks any sense of innovation and only serves to heavily reward Lin Yuan with convenient skills to navigate the next plot event.

It’s a fun and easy read, but there isn’t much tension. This is a pretty extreme case of a wish-fulfillment harem novel centered around an anti-hero who is only mildly scummy. Everything comes too easily for the main character, and he never faces any real losses.

I plan to continue reading because I enjoy tropey harem novels, but that’s all this really is.

The character development is inconsistent, but it’s not terrible. The main flaw is that everything is heavily skewed in favor of the main character.

A very good novel. My favorite!

The only parts I dislike are how the heroines seem so unrealistic and how the protagonist’s influence seems to lower everyone else’s intelligence.

I think this novel from Faloo best describes how I feel about the protagonist of this book.

The antagonist: snooping through diaries, causing the heroines’ characters to fall apart.

Everything the protagonist does is put on a pedestal and praised as good.

Lin Yuan commits terrible acts that make him worse than scum, yet no one sees it as bad or even acknowledges it.

The worst part is that the heroines appear to have no intelligence when compared to the protagonist.

I guess if you enjoy reading a novel that feels unrealistic, then go for it. It is a fairly good quality novel if it’s your first time reading a harem novel, but after reading a few hundred, it makes me more picky.

Most harem novels are really bad, bad to the point of being disgusting.