The hospital room was suddenly her launching pad. Ye Xia spent the next few hours meticulously researching on her old smartphone. She had to be smart about this. Spending a billion dollars on clothes and food would be impossible, and it would raise too many red flags. She needed to make calculated moves, investments that would not only help her spend the money but also build the foundations of her future empire.
"Mom, I need you to do something for me," Ye Xia said, her voice filled with an uncharacteristic maturity.
Li Meilin looked up from her book, her brow furrowed. "Anything, honey. Are you okay?"
"I'm better than okay. I need you to call a real estate agent. I want to buy something. Something big," Ye Xia stated.
Li Meilin's jaw went slack. "Buy something? Ye Xia, honey, we can't afford a thing. Your father…"
"Don't worry about Dad," Ye Xia said, a cold determination in her eyes. "I have the money. Just trust me."
She had to get out of her father's home. Her new stepmother, a woman named Wang Feng, was already starting to poison his mind against her. Her half-siblings, Ye Lei and Ye Xin, were little vipers in waiting. She needed a safe space, a fortress.
A few hours later, a bewildered but trusting Li Meilin had set up an appointment with a real estate agent. Ye Xia, still in her hospital gown, insisted on going. The agent, a sleek, suited man named Mr. Gao, was clearly skeptical of the two-hundred-pound teenager and her mother.
"I'm sorry, but this is a listing for a villa in the most exclusive part of the city. The asking price is… significant," he said, his tone dripping with condescension.
Ye Xia didn't even flinch. "I know. I want to buy it. And I want to pay in cash."
Mr. Gao's eyes widened. "Cash? Ma'am, the price is over 500 million yuan. That's… a lot of cash."
"I'm not paying in yuan," Ye Xia said coolly, a smirk playing on her lips. "I'm paying in USD. I'll wire transfer the equivalent of 75 million US dollars to your account as a deposit right now. Call the owner and tell them to have the papers ready by tomorrow."
She pulled out her phone and, using the System interface, initiated a wire transfer. The numbers blurred on the screen, and a notification appeared: [Transaction Complete. Funds remaining: $49,925,000,000.]
Mr. Gao stared at his phone, his face paling as he saw the notification from his bank. His professional demeanor completely shattered. "Miss Ye… I…"
"I'll take it. And I'll also take the two villas next to it. And the land behind them. I want to merge all four properties into one," she said, her voice now commanding and full of authority. "Calculate the total cost and send me the contracts by tonight. I want to move in within a week."
The total for the four properties was well over 2 billion yuan, close to 300 million US dollars. It was a massive chunk of her initial fund, but it was a solid investment that would serve as her base. After she left the dazed real estate agent, her next stop was a high-end luxury car dealership. She didn't want just one car; she bought an entire collection—the most expensive models, from Rolls-Royce to Lamborghini. The cost was astronomical, but with each purchase, the system's notification pinged with her progress.
[Transaction Complete. Funds remaining: $49,600,000,000.]
[Transaction Complete. Funds remaining: $49,550,000,000.]
She was meticulously spending money, a thrill she had never known coursing through her veins. It wasn't about the objects; it was about the power. The power to control her own destiny. The power to build a new life for herself and her mother. And the power to one day look her enemies in the eye and watch them crumble. The next few hours were a whirlwind of purchases—an entire designer wardrobe, a priceless collection of art, and a massive investment into a fledgling tech company. As the 24-hour mark approached, Ye Xia's phone pinged with a final, triumphant notification.
[Mission Complete! 1 billion dollars spent. Rewards unlocked: 'Enhanced Physical Stats' and 'Aptitude for Finance.' Funds earned: $1.1 billion.]
She felt a jolt run through her body, a wave of warmth that seemed to restructure her very being. The dizziness from her low blood pressure vanished, replaced by a surge of vitality. She felt lighter, stronger. She looked at her reflection in a shop window and gasped. Her skin was clearer, her eyes were brighter, and the roundness of her face was already starting to recede. The physical transformation had begun. This was just the beginning.