The door to the conference room clicked shut, sealing off the chaos of the boardroom.
Chloe Han slumped back in her leather chair. The mask of the "Iceberg CEO" finally cracked. She brought a hand to her forehead, trembling slightly. Just ten minutes ago, she was on the verge of losing her family's legacy. Now? She owned the board.
Because of him.
She looked up. Blake Vane was leaning against the window, staring out at the Zenith City skyline. The sunlight hit his profile, casting long shadows across his face. He didn't look like a playboy anymore. He looked like a predator surveying his territory.
"Who are you?" Chloe asked. Her voice was quiet, stripped of its usual authority. "The Blake I knew couldn't read a financial report, let alone uncover international embezzlement."
Blake turned. He didn't give her a villainous monologue. He just walked over to the desk, placed his hands on the mahogany surface, and leaned in.
"I told you, Chloe. I'm the man who's going to save you."
He reached out, his fingers brushing a stray lock of hair from her cheek. It was a possessive gesture. A week ago, she would have slapped his hand away. Today, she stayed still.
"Liu Wei is gone," Blake said, his voice low. "But Sky River Corp isn't. They won't stop just because they lost a pawn. You need to be ruthless now. Fire Liu's entire department. Audit everyone. If they so much as sneeze without your permission, cut them loose."
Chloe swallowed hard. "That's... half the executive team."
"Cancer doesn't care if you cut out good tissue to get the bad," Blake replied coldly. "Do it. Or I will."
[Ding!][Heroine Chloe Han's Trust Level: 55% (Dependent).][You have successfully altered the 'White Knight' plotline. Lin Feng's potential future assets have been transferred to you.][Reward: 300 Villain Points.]
Blake straightened up, checking his watch. "I have matters to attend to. My driver will take you home. Don't go anywhere else. The Lunar Frost poison makes you vulnerable at night."
He turned to leave.
"Blake," Chloe called out.
He paused at the door.
"Thank you," she whispered.
Blake didn't look back. He simply waved a hand and walked out. A villain doesn't need gratitude. He needs submission. And he was getting it.
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Zenith City. Underground District.
While Blake was securing his hold on the corporate world, the city's underbelly was festering.
Deep inside a grime-covered warehouse that smelled of rust and dried blood, a man was screaming.
"ARGHHH!"
Lin Feng thrashed on a metal table. His broken arm and shattered leg were wrapped in thick, pungent herbal pastes. The pain was excruciating, like liquid fire pouring into his marrow.
Standing over him was the mysterious woman in the red trench coat. She watched his suffering with disinterest, smoking a thin cigarette.
"Endure it," she said, blowing smoke into his face. "The Bone Knitting Paste is rare. It will heal you in three days, not three months. But the pain is the price."
Lin Feng gritted his teeth, sweat pooling on the table. "Blake... Vane... I will kill him. I will tear him apart piece by piece!"
"Focus that rage," the woman said. "You were weak. You underestimated a rich second-generation heir. You embarrassed yourself."
"He cheated!" Lin Feng roared, his eyes bloodshot. "He used some trick! His speed... it wasn't natural!"
"Whatever it was, he broke you," the woman snapped. She tossed a file onto his chest. "If you want revenge, you need backing. This is Young Master Zhao of Sky River Corp. He just lost a major acquisition deal because of Blake Vane. He hates the Vane family as much as you do."
Lin Feng snatched the file with his good hand. He glared at the photo of Blake clipped to the paper.
"Sky River Corp..." Lin Feng muttered. "The enemy of my enemy."
"Zhao is hosting an underground martial arts tournament tomorrow night," the woman revealed, a cruel smile playing on her lips. "The prize is a Millennium Ginseng. It can boost your internal energy by ten years. If you win it, you won't just heal—you'll break through to the next realm."
Lin Feng's eyes lit up. A breakthrough. That was exactly what he needed. In cultivation novels, a near-death experience followed by a breakthrough was standard protocol for the protagonist.
"I'll win," Lin Feng hissed. "I'll take the Ginseng. I'll take Sky River's money. And then... I'm going to pay a visit to the Vane Estate."
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The Vane Estate. Study Room.
Blake sat in his leather armchair, swirling a glass of whiskey. The System screen hovered in front of him.
[Alert: Protagonist Lin Feng has triggered a 'Training Montage' event.][Target Object: Millennium Ginseng.][Location: The Dragon's Den Underground Arena.]
Blake laughed. It was almost too easy.
The System was essentially a cheat sheet for the plot. He knew Lin Feng would go for the Ginseng. It was the classic "mc gets stronger after a beating" trope.
"System," Blake commanded. "Show me my current Villain Points."
[Current VP: 2,800]
"I want to buy a skill. Something... disrespectful."
He scrolled through the shop.
Iron Shirt (Basic) - 500 VPPoison Mastery - 800 VPAdvanced Piano Skills - 200 VP
His eyes landed on a specific skill in the 'Dark Arts' section.
[Skill: Qi Siphon (Grade: Low)][Cost: 2,500 VP][Description: Allows the user to drain a portion of the opponent's internal energy upon physical contact. The drained energy is dissipated, not absorbed.]
It was a nasty skill. It didn't make Blake stronger, but it made his opponent weaker with every hit. It was perfect for humiliating a "Dragon King."
"Purchase."
[Ding! Skill Acquired.]
Blake stood up and walked to the window. The moon was full.
"Lin Feng wants the Ginseng to break through?" Blake grinned, his reflection in the glass looking demonic. "That implies I'm going to let him win the tournament."
He pulled out his phone and dialed a number.
"Prepare the car," Blake ordered. "And tell the organizers of the Dragon's Den that the Vane Family is entering a fighter tomorrow night."
"Who is the fighter, sir?"
"Me."