Chapter 1: Qi Lin's luxury car was scratched by the protagonist's sister

Her raven-black hair, as flowing as a waterfall, was adorned with a charming hair clip.

The young girl's delicate earlobes were tinged with a soft pink, and her petite, pale hands clutched a handbag, making her appear somewhat nervous.

A lightweight, pastel pink bicycle lay toppled beside her.

Next to the bike, there was a luxurious, imposing Mercedes-Benz.

However, at this moment, a long scratch marred the otherwise magnificent car, diminishing its grandeur.

"I'm sorry...I didn't mean to," the girl said, her voice barely audible, her eyes cast downward, avoiding eye contact with Qi Lin.

[Ding! Divine Choice System activated successfully. Automatically linked to the host.]

[Ding! The girl, Wang Siling, has damaged the host's luxury car. Host, please make a choice.]

[Option 1: Forgive Wang Siling and take the blame; Reward: +1 Favorability from Wang Siling.]

[Option 2: Call the police to handle the situation; Reward: 1 million cash.]

[Option 3: Don't you want to keep this a secret from your parents? Reward: Lan Yuxi's diary.]

Just a second ago, Qi Lin had leapt from a rooftop.

In the next second, he found himself reborn at the exact moment when Wang Siling, the sister of his former friend-turned-enemy Wang Cheng, had scratched his luxury car.

Looking at the sister of his former friend, Qi Lin chuckled internally.

He had once considered Wang Cheng a brother, only to be treated as a fool. He'd even been humiliated by Wang Cheng, who had people hold him down and force-feed him spicy noodles.

That disgrace was something Qi Lin would never forget, even in death.

Now that he was given a second chance, Qi Lin swore that morality would no longer bind him.

He would embrace the role of a villainous rich heir.

'Choose option 3,' Qi Lin decided without hesitation.

[Host's choice confirmed. Reward will be granted upon completion of the selected option.]

The concept of winning a woman's favor was irrelevant to a villain. Option 1 was dismissed instantly.

As someone reborn with countless methods for making money, Qi Lin found the million in cash inconsequential.

Especially when his family was not yet bankrupt, money held little appeal.

However, the third option...

Glancing at the nervous face of Wang Siling, Qi Lin's lips curled up.

How would Wang Cheng feel if he saw his sister falling into the arms of his enemy?

Most importantly, what Qi Lin coveted was Lan Yuxi's diary.

To clarify, Lan Yuxi was a classmate of both Qi Lin and Wang Cheng, as well as Wang Cheng's future girlfriend.

If the past Wang Cheng had humiliated him, then Qi Lin would repay it in kind a thousand-fold.

Not only would he reduce Wang Cheng to a broken man, but he would also steal everyone important to him.

And it would start with Lan Yuxi. A girl's private diary must contain secrets unknown to others, right?

Before Qi Lin could speak, a piercing voice resounded beside Wang Siling.

"I can't believe you're fretting over a bit of repair money when you're so wealthy. If I were you, I wouldn't quibble with a girl over this."

Qi Lin then noticed a young man standing next to Wang Siling, his face exhibiting the defiant look typical of their age.

Another familiar face—Yu Chen, Wang Siling's neighbor and childhood friend, who would become her future husband.

Qi Lin had once given a generous wedding gift to the couple, only to be snubbed when he needed their presence during his family crisis and father's 50th birthday celebration.

'Ah, so you like to play moral guardian, huh? Let me tell you, I've abandoned all sense of morality,' Qi Lin sneered at Yu Chen.

"The law states that one should compensate for the damage done. Whether I decide to demand payment or not is my business, not yours."

"Furthermore, if I were in your place, I would pay for the damages on behalf of Wang Siling. She's in trouble and you can't protect her; do you still consider yourself a man?"

"You!"

Yu Chen couldn't outwit Qi Lin, who had been through two lifetimes, in moral kidnapping.

When he spoke up for Wang Siling, he not only failed to morally kidnap Qi Lin but instead found himself outmaneuvered by him.

"It's just about paying money, right? Name your price."

A 16 or 17-year-old young man is prone to impulsiveness. He was easily provoked by Qi Lin.

At this age, he had little experience and didn't understand how frightening the repair fee for a scratched luxury car could be.

He thought it would only cost a few hundred yuan to fix it.

If it was just a few hundred yuan, he could use the pocket money he'd saved since childhood, and it wouldn't be a problem.

"The car has scratches on all four panels. The repair fee for one panel is 3,000 yuan, totaling 12,000 yuan. You'll pay for it."

Car exteriors consist of individual panels. Scratching one panel, no matter how small, requires a complete re-spray to avoid color differences.

"Twelve... twelve thousand?"

Yu Chen was stunned by this price.

In 2002, his parents' monthly salary was just over 1,200 yuan.

12,000 yuan! That was equivalent to his parents' annual salary.

"You're kidding, right? It's just a little scratch. Do I really have to pay that much?"

Yu Chen thought Qi Lin was bluffing and spoke angrily.

"Haha, look at yourself. You're so enraged over just 12,000 yuan. Didn't you just say that if it were you, you wouldn't have Wang Siling pay? "

Qi Lin ruthlessly mocked Yu Chen, who was visibly losing his cool.

Upon hearing this, Yu Chen's cheeks flushed red instantly.

Just moments ago, he had wanted to morally blackmail Qi Lin. Now, he was being slapped in the face by his own words.

"The repair costs are not up to me. The repair shop will determine the damage. You'll find out then if I'm bluffing."

"Sigh, Wang Cheng is my friend, and Siling is Wang Cheng's sister. I didn't intend to pursue this matter for Wang Cheng's sake, but you're making it difficult for me."

Qi Lin sighed lightly, but a hint of malice surfaced in his eyes.

Dividing and sowing discord was really interesting.

Wang Siling, who had been keeping her head down, gave Yu Chen an annoyed look.

As if saying, "Look what you've done."

If only he had kept quiet, things wouldn't have gotten more complicated.

"Brother Lin, I apologize on behalf of Yu Chen. He didn't mean any harm; he's just too concerned about me."

"As for the car, can we negotiate?"

Wang Siling spoke softly, trying to negotiate with Qi Lin.

"We can negotiate, but whenever I see someone, my mood gets worse."

Qi Lin glanced at Yu Chen, making his point clear.

"You!"

Yu Chen couldn't contain his anger.

"Yu Chen, stop talking, or I'll never speak to you again."

Before Yu Chen could explode, Wang Siling stared him down.

Seeing Wang Siling siding with Qi Lin broke Yu Chen's heart.

Especially when Wang Siling had just called Qi Lin "brother" so affectionately.

Boys get jealous in the strangest ways.

But he didn't realize that Wang Siling was intentionally acting weak to evoke Qi Lin's sympathy.

"Yu Chen, go home. This is my own issue; I can handle it."

Yu Chen wanted to help Wang Siling pay but couldn't afford 12,000 yuan. He wanted to argue with Qi Lin, but Wang Siling's threat left him helpless.

Reluctantly, he left, repeatedly glancing back at Wang Siling, who had warned him with her eyes.

"Qi Lin, can we now discuss the compensation?"

Once Yu Chen had left, Wang Siling finally exhaled.

Then, her watery eyes looked pitifully at Qi Lin.

"Sure, but it's pretty hot outside. How about we sit in my car with the air conditioning on and talk about the compensation?"

Qi Lin opened the passenger door, a hint of a smile in his eyes.

It was a sweltering summer day. Although it was already 5:30 in the evening, the sun showed no signs of setting and continued to scorch the earth.

The heat made Wang Siling's fair forehead glisten with sweat.

She hesitated, tempted by the luxurious leather seats and cool air emanating from the car.

Eventually, she couldn't resist the allure of air conditioning and nodded, "Alright."

"Click."

After they got into the car, the doors locked automatically. Only Qi Lin could unlock them from the inside.

The windows were one-way glass. Qi Lin could see outside, but people outside couldn't see inside.

"Hiss~"

At that moment, Wang Siling felt that the air conditioning, which had seemed so refreshing just moments before, suddenly felt bone-chillingly cold.