The next day at noon, having finally rested properly, Rahul freshened up and spent some time styling his hair in front of the mirror.
His naturally wavy hair, styled with a bit of texture, made him look even more striking and refreshed. Putting his heavy power bank and phone into his tactical chest bag, Rahul grabbed his DJI camera, pocketed his room card, and headed out.
He didn't even bother applying sunscreen. The sun in Bangladesh had been brutal, but after two weeks there, Rahul still maintained his healthy, golden complexion. It seemed the System's physical upgrades extended to UV resistance as well.
Stepping out of the elevator, he noticed the two receptionists from the early morning had already finished their shift and been replaced by two others. Rahul didn't linger and walked straight out of the hotel lobby.
At this moment, Rahul was genuinely looking forward to what kind of "target" the System would recommend to him in a place like Thailand. But the current priority was solving the problem of his empty stomach.
Rahul turned on his camera, pointed it at himself, and began recording a vlog intro as he walked down the alleyway connecting to the main street.
"Guys, I have safely arrived in Bangkok."
"Today we have no specific destination; we're just going to wander around and see how ordinary people in Thailand live. We're going to soak in the vibes."
"And remember our golden rule: no script, we're playing it 100% real!"
Walking out onto the bustling main road, Rahul spotted a 7-Eleven. He wanted to grab a quick, cheap bite to start the day.
As soon as he walked through the sliding doors, his appearance immediately caught the attention of everyone inside. Whether they were Thai locals or blonde-haired, blue-eyed Western backpackers, they all cast surprised, lingering glances at him.
But unlike Dhaka, there wasn't a grand spectacle of people swarming him for photos.
The reason was simple: Bangladesh rarely saw foreign tourists, and with Rahul being exceptionally handsome, standing there made him as eye-catching as a firework in a dark room. But Bangkok was different. As a major international hub, the locals had seen millions of foreigners. They wouldn't aggressively surround him; only the teenage girl at the back of the store was secretly filming him on her phone.
More importantly, the System hadn't triggered any notifications, which meant there were no high-quality "Karma targets" in the immediate vicinity.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Rahul grabbed a vegetarian croissant and a bottle of iced coffee, and went to wait in line to pay.
At that moment, the closed checkout counter near the door suddenly opened. A convenience store clerk with a bright smile waved at Rahul and shouted enthusiastically in English:
"Sir! Please come here to check out. No waiting!"
Being handsome means I can even skip the queue at a 7-Eleven? Rahul thought with amusement. Where is the justice in that?
Rahul walked up to the counter and handed her the two items. As she scanned them, the clerk's fingers accidentally brushed against Rahul's, and she immediately became visibly shy.
"105 Baht, sir."
Rahul took out his phone and said smoothly in native-sounding Thai, "Can I scan with Alipay?"
Digital wallets like Alipay and WeChat Pay were practically ubiquitous in major Thai cities; they could even be used to buy subway tickets. Plus, the digital exchange rate was slightly better than using cash.
"Sir! You can speak Thai?" The clerk looked incredibly surprised.
She acted as if a foreigner speaking her language fluently was a national achievement. "You are truly amazing! Are you studying or working here in Bangkok? It's my first time meeting an Indian tourist who speaks Thai so perfectly!"
Rahul replied casually, "Oh, I'm a student at Chulalongkorn University."
When traveling abroad, your identity is whatever you decide it is.
Rahul showed his payment QR code to the clerk. As she leaned in to scan it, he noticed she was wearing heavy wire braces on her teeth.
Just as Rahul finished paying and grabbed his plastic bag to leave, the girl suddenly reached out and touched the edge of the bag.
"Sir... can I add you on Line?" she asked, referencing the popular messaging app in Thailand.
"Sorry, I don't use Line," Rahul lied smoothly.
After saying that, he walked out of the store without looking back.
Putting aside the fact that she wasn't a System target, Rahul genuinely had no romantic interest in a girl with heavy metal braces. He had no desire to experience the sensation of making out with a steel wool scrubber. He was here for an adventure, not an orthodontics lesson.
The 7-Eleven was very close to Siam Square; he just had to cross a massive pedestrian skywalk.
Rahul finished his croissant as he walked. After getting onto the elevated bridge, he looked down and saw a massive open-air stage set up in the plaza in front of the Paragon Mall.
Several fashionably dressed, striking men and women were walking a runway on stage, showcasing avant-garde streetwear to a large audience. It was clearly a local Thai fashion brand doing a major promotion or a launch event.
At this moment, Rahul's intuition flared. An event site like that—packed with models and influencers—might just activate the System's recommendation mechanism.
Thinking of this, Rahul stepped off the bridge and walked down toward the event plaza.
Various handsome men and beautiful women were gathered around the perimeter. Judging by their meticulous hair and makeup, they seemed to be there hoping to get scouted. Rahul glanced around and realized that there were countless stunning women in the crowd. They all had flawless skin and incredible proportions.
He remembered that Thailand's entertainment industry was massive, producing actors and models who could rival Bollywood stars. The average looks of its top-tier population were definitely world-class. As his gaze shifted, he even spotted several girls with delicate, Eurasian features who were clearly of mixed race.
Rahul also noticed that some of the male models at the event looked quite effeminate, lacking raw masculine energy—likely a product of the booming "BL Drama" culture that dominated Thai media. And looking at their heights, they were generally on the shorter side. Some weren't even as tall as the female models next to them.
A tall, broad-shouldered, incredibly handsome guy like Rahul stood out like a lone tiger in a flock of sheep.
Busy filming "b-roll" footage with his camera, Rahul didn't notice that one of the event's professional broadcast cameras had quietly swiveled and focused tightly on his face.
Simultaneously, Rahul's striking features were projected onto the massive LED screen looming behind the stage.
Sitting in the VIP section below the stage, a stunningly beautiful woman wearing designer sunglasses and a wide-brimmed sun hat had maintained a look of utter boredom throughout the show. But when she saw the face appear on the massive screen, she immediately took off her sunglasses. Her sharp, striking eyes stared fixedly at Rahul on the LED display.
"That's the one," she murmured. "He's perfect."
Suddenly, the models walking the runway stopped and moved to the edges of the stage. An energetic female host holding a microphone walked to the center and shouted loudly in Thai:
"Will the lucky person currently on our big screen please come up to the stage!"
The crowd of models and influencers erupted in cheers.
Rahul had no idea what was happening; he was still looking through his DJI camera monitor, focused on filming the atmosphere of the event. As he was filming, he felt a sudden shift in energy. A beautiful woman who had her back to him suddenly turned around and looked directly into his lens.
She wasn't just looking at him; she was staring at him with a gaze of intense, burning envy.
Rahul immediately lowered his camera and looked up. He found his own face staring back at him from the massive stage screen.
"Sir! Yes, you! Congratulations on becoming the wild-card candidate to be our new brand spokesperson!" the host yelled over the speakers. "Please come to the stage right now! Khop khun kha!"
Only then did Rahul realize what was happening. How did I just wander my way into becoming a candidate for a brand campaign?
System, why do you always have to use such incredibly unexpected methods to start a plotline?
The host urged him again.
Before Rahul could move, the ice-cold beauty wearing the sun hat in the VIP section stood up. She took off her hat, handed it to an assistant, and walked directly toward Rahul in towering high heels.
As she moved, the dense crowd automatically parted to make a path for her, as if a queen were walking through.
When Rahul finally saw this beauty's unshielded face up close, he couldn't help but freeze, entirely captivated by her exquisite features.