“Clack clack clack!” Zhao Mengyao frantically pressed the elevator button, her head still turned toward the wide-open apartment door—
The moment she stabbed Chen Qin just now,
she admitted she panicked. If she had to go to jail for this...
“No way am I going to prison! I’m still so young!” The real reason Zhao Mengyao brought a knife was to threaten Ye Shuang. If Ye Shuang really ignored her, Zhao Mengyao planned to slash her wrist to scare him.
But when she saw Ye Shuang’s cold, almost psychotic stare toward a stranger, and how he shielded Chen Qin—who she hated the most—behind him, she lost control and charged forward with the knife.
“Ding.” Just then, the elevator doors slowly opened. Zhao Mengyao rushed inside, hit the button for the first floor, and finally exhaled in relief.
Luckily, no one followed.
“What now...” Zhao Mengyao stared at the descending elevator, her face darkening.
Maybe... maybe she could find someone to take the fall. Just say it was them who stabbed him.
There were no cameras anyway. If she didn’t confess, nothing could be proven, right?
Right, her own father. He was old anyway—what did a few years in prison matter? She was still young...
Still had a future.
The elevator doors opened again. Zhao Mengyao hurried out and pulled out her phone.
“Hey, Yaoyao, didn’t I tell you not to call Dad right now?”
“Da—Dad, I’m in trouble. Can you come over?”
“What trouble?”
“I think I killed someone. You... you come over and say it was you who did it! Boohoo, I’m still young. I don’t want to go to jail!”
“...” Silence on the other end. Maybe he didn’t expect his daughter to say something so outrageous.
Standing by the roadside, Zhao Mengyao suddenly heard the wail of police sirens.
“Po-police?!”
Like a startled bird, even though the police car was just passing by, she panicked and dashed onto the crosswalk, completely ignoring the light changing from green to red.
But she hadn’t run far when a gust of wind brushed past her, followed by the screech of tires slamming on the brakes!
“Ah?!!!!!!!”
A red semi-trailer truck, taller than her by a head, appeared. The terrified expression of the driver was clear as the truck’s front slammed into Zhao Mengyao, pushing her all the way into the guardrail!
“Boom boom boom!”
The dozens-of-meters-long guardrail was torn up and flung aside by the unstoppable momentum of the semi.
It finally came to a halt after crashing into the greenery on the opposite side of the road.
Her phone had long since fallen to the ground, but Father Zhao’s voice still echoed from it:
“Sigh... Yaoyao... don’t be afraid. Dad will take the blame for you.”
“Why’s it so noisy over there?”
“Yaoyao, where are you?”
“Yaoyao?”
But the phone’s owner could no longer pick it up. Only a spreading pool of fresh blood remained.
The perspective seemed to pull away, as nearby vehicles stopped and passersby hurried over to see what had happened.
This world is always full of drama.
Life is just like that—no one knows what will happen in the next moment, nor who will bring surprises or misfortunes first tomorrow.
All I can recall is the scorching asphalt beneath the blazing sun, its searing heat unyielding no matter how much blood you pour over it—just like this world, which keeps turning regardless of who’s missing.
……
Abroad, in Los Angeles.
“What?! Where’s my money?!” Tang Hao held his phone, disbelief etched across his face as he listened to the voice on the other end.
“Money? What money?” The man on the phone chuckled. “Hey, Hao bro, we’re brothers here. Why bring up money between us?”
“You actually betrayed me?!” Tang Hao’s hands nearly slipped from shock. His eyes widened, and he struggled to catch his breath.
He never imagined the funds he transferred would end up being used as a bridal dowry.
“Tsk tsk tsk, Hao bro, you sound harsh. Betrayal? What betrayal?”
The man continued,
“Didn’t you treat Mr. Ye the same way?”
“Back then, you should’ve thought about whether one day you’d be treated like this. Isn’t that right, you bastard?”
“You?!” Tang Hao suddenly pieced it together.
“You’re one of Ye Shuang’s men?!”
“Not exactly, but Brother Ye treats his guys pretty well. What goes around comes around. If there’s a chance, of course I’m going to step on you.”
“Don’t blame me for being heartless though—I do have some conscience. By the way, I know a Chinese restaurant that hires illegal dishwashers. If you’re interested, just hit me up.”
After saying that, the call was abruptly cut off.
“Damn it!!!” Tang Hao roared in anger, about to smash his phone. But thinking of the few remaining dollars in his pocket, he clenched his fist instead and shook his hand hard.
“Fuck! Shit! Shit! Shit!”
Tang Hao was now stuck abroad. Returning home was out of the question—if he set foot back, the police would arrest him immediately.
After the Zhao family went bankrupt, many of his covert dealings were exposed. Returning home meant certain death.
“Looks like I can only rely on relatives now,” Tang Hao muttered, holding his phone as if to make a call.
Unbeknownst to him, several dark-skinned men approached, greeting him in a friendly manner.
“Hey, bro!”
Tang Hao hesitated for a moment, instinctively replying, “Yeah, what’s up, brothers?”
The men burst into laughter. “Hey, let’s be friends.”
Before he could react, they snatched the phone from his hands.
“Hey, what are you doing?!” Tang Hao froze, reaching out to grab his phone back—but the next second, another man was rifling through his clothes, pulling out his wallet and passport.
“Just borrowing these for a bit, making friends,” they said, exchanging glances before shoving Tang Hao to the ground and sprinting away.
“Give it back!!!” Tang Hao shouted, staring helplessly at the spot where they’d disappeared. Realizing he’d been robbed zero-dollar style, he scrambled up and gave chase.
They vanished into an alleyway, and even his Rolex watch was gone.
“Fuck!”
Tang Hao was desperate. Realizing he couldn’t catch up, he spotted a patrol car passing by—
“Help me!” he rushed over, “I—I’ve been robbed!”
The two foreign police officers exchanged a glance, then said, “Oh, friend, we’re really sorry.”
Tang Hao was stunned for a moment. “That’s it? What now?”
“Aren’t you going to help me get my money back?” he asked.
“Hahaha, yes, yes, I will help you find it. Please go back and wait patiently,” they said, laughing as they climbed into the patrol car and drove off, leaving Tang Hao standing there, completely bewildered.
They didn’t even bother to ask for any details.
Instinctively, Tang Hao reached into his empty pocket. Alone in a strange land, he felt utterly abandoned by the world.
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
u Chenyuan transmigrated into a female-oriented novel about a real and fake heiress, becoming the CEO elder brother of both. Unfortunately, the entire Lu family—including himself, the CEO—were mere cannon fodder in the story. Determined to save himself, Lu Chenyuan took action. The spoiled, attention-seeking fake heiress? Thrown into the harsh realities of the working class to learn humility. The love-struck real heiress? Pushed toward academic excellence, so lofty goals would blind her to trivial romances. As for the betrayed, vengeful arranged marriage wife… the plot hadn’t even begun yet. There was still time—if he couldn’t handle her, he could at least avoid her. "CEO Lu, are you avoiding me?" Mo Qingli fixed her gaze on Lu Chenyuan. For the first time, the shrewd and calculating Lu Chenyuan felt a flicker of unease.
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
