Chapter 308: Several Heroines
Luck: 1,377
Relationship to Host: Strategic Enemy
Threat Awareness: Very High
Current behavior modification: Significant
Original villain stupidity factor: Nearly eliminated
Shen Tian laughed.
"Stupidity factor?"
[I named it.]
"I noticed."
Xu Ning continued.
[He’s adapting faster than the others.]
"Expected."
[He investigated you.]
Shen Tian’s expression didn’t change.
"I know."
[Only public information.]
That interested him more.
"No family?"
[No.]
"No women?"
[No.]
"No hacking?"
[No.]
Xu Ning nodded.
[He respected your warning.]
Shen Tian leaned back.
Good.
That meant Qin Hao understood boundaries.
It also meant...
He was rational.
Rational enemies were dangerous.
But predictable in different ways.
Xu Ning opened another panel.
[More importantly...]
Qin Hao has identified existence of overlapping protagonist storylines.
Shen Tian’s green eyes sharpened.
"Fast."
[Very.]
[He’s already concluded his original plot knowledge is incomplete.]
"Good."
Xu Ning stared.
[Good?]
"The faster he accepts reality..."
Shen Tian smiled.
"...the less boring he’ll be."
Xu Ning sighed.
Then...
Another panel.
Qin Hao Villain Counterattack System Activity Increased
New objective forming
Target: Shen Tian
Mission Type: Unknown
Estimated activation window: 24 hours
Shen Tian’s smile widened.
"There it is."
Xu Ning crossed her arms.
[You’re happy again.]
"Of course."
[He may be getting a mission specifically against you.]
"Better."
[Host.]
"What?"
[Normal people prefer enemies without systems targeting them.]
"Normal people are boring."
Xu Ning stared.
Then...
She opened Chen Mo’s panel.
Chen Mo
Fate Value: 162,000
Emotional State: Suspicious
Current Targets of Investigation: Qin Hao, Shen Tian
Shen Tian laughed.
"Both?"
[Both.]
"Good."
Xu Ning groaned.
[Everything is good to you.]
"Not everything."
[Name one thing.]
Shen Tian thought.
Then...
"Rose stealing strawberries."
Xu Ning stared.
[You flirted with her about that.]
"Still theft."
[You steal protagonist destinies.]
"Different."
Xu Ning covered her face.
Then...
A final panel opened.
This one...
Different.
Dark gold.
High Value Fate Event Detected
Shen Tian’s smile faded.
"Whose?"
Xu Ning looked toward him.
[Both.]
His eyes sharpened.
The panel expanded.
Event: Qin Family Succession Banquet
Time: 6 days
Original Plot Outcome:
Qin Hao publicly humiliates Chen Mo during dispute over Qin Family
adopted daughter Qin Yuwei.
Chen Mo defeats Qin Hao’s guards.
Qin Hao escalates conflict.
Qin Yuwei begins attraction toward Chen Mo.
Qin Hao becomes primary villain.
Then...
The text changed.
Current altered projection:
Transmigrated Qin Hao avoids humiliation route.
Qin Hao intends to expose internal Qin Family corruption and seize
succession authority early.
Chen Mo will attend due connection with Qin Yuwei.
Multiple hidden Fate routes overlap.
Total Fate in event: 104,000
Shen Tian became silent.
Xu Ning smiled slowly.
[Now you’re interested.]
"One hundred four thousand."
[Yes.]
"Split?"
[Unknown.]
"Heroines?"
Xu Ning opened another profile.
Qin Yuwei
Age: 22
Identity: Adopted daughter of Qin Family second branch
Occupation: Graduate student, biomedical engineering
Fate Connection: High
Original Heroine Route: Chen Mo
Current Route Stability: 63%
Shen Tian stared.
Then...
A second name appeared.
Su Xiaowan
Age: 25
Identity: Daughter of Su Medical Group
Original Heroine Route: Chen Mo
Current Route Stability: 81%
A third.
Han Yuer
Age: 24
Identity: Qin Hao childhood friend
Original Narrative Role: Villain supporting fiancée
Current Fate Status: Changing
Shen Tian’s eyebrow rose.
"Villain fiancée?"
[Originally supports Qin Hao.]
[Later abandons him after he repeatedly humiliates himself.]
"Classic."
[Very.]
Then...
The current altered route appeared.
Qin Hao has already canceled three original villain actions involving
Han Yuer.
Current relationship improving.
Shen Tian smiled.
"He’s fixing his own routes."
[Yes.]
"And gaining Fate?"
[Slowly.]
Shen Tian looked over the profiles.
Interesting.
Unlike previous protagonists...
Qin Hao wasn’t simply accumulating heroines automatically.
He was repairing relationships the original villain had destroyed.
Which meant Shen Tian couldn’t simply show up and wait for Qin Hao to
behave like an idiot.
He would need another approach.
Xu Ning studied him.
[What are you thinking?]
"Nothing."
She stared.
[Your face.]
"What about it?"
[Villain smile.]
Shen Tian smiled wider.
"Six days."
[You’re going to the succession banquet.]
"Obviously."
[You haven’t been invited.]
Shen Tian looked at her.
Xu Ning paused.
Then...
[Right.]
A second later...
Shen Tian’s phone vibrated.
He looked down.
Message.
Qin Hao: You’re probably coming to the succession banquet anyway.
Shen Tian’s eyebrow rose.
Another message.
Qin Hao: Consider this an invitation so you don’t buy the hotel just to
get inside.
Silence.
Xu Ning slowly looked at Shen Tian.
He looked at her.
Then...
He laughed.
Shen Tian: Smart.
Qin Hao replied almost immediately.
Qin Hao: I’ve met you twice. That’s enough.
Shen Tian smiled.
Then...
Another message arrived.
Qin Hao: One rule.
Qin Hao: Don’t involve my family in whatever game you’re playing with
me.
Shen Tian’s expression became slightly more serious.
He typed.
Shen Tian: Agreed.
Pause.
Then...
Shen Tian: Same rule applies to mine.
Qin Hao replied.
Qin Hao: Already understood.
Another pause.
Then...
Qin Hao: Chen Mo is fair game.
Shen Tian stared.
Xu Ning leaned closer.
[He’s trying to see whether you’ll cooperate indirectly.]
Shen Tian typed.
Shen Tian: He’s yours if you can keep him.
Qin Hao’s reply came.
Qin Hao: Arrogant bastard.
Shen Tian smiled.
Shen Tian: Villain.
Three dots appeared.
Then...
Qin Hao: So am I.
Shen Tian looked at the message.
Then...
His green eyes sharpened.
"No."
Xu Ning raised an eyebrow.
[No?]
Shen Tian locked his phone.
"That’s the mistake he’s still making."
Xu Ning stared.
Shen Tian leaned back.
Qin Hao believed they were two villains.
Two transmigrators.
Two system users.
Equal narrative positions.
Different methods.
Same role.
But...
The system had already told Shen Tian the truth.
Qin Hao was not the villain anymore.
The moment he transmigrated...
The moment he received his system...
The moment destiny began bending around his survival and counterattack...
He became the protagonist of his own story.
And Shen Tian?
Shen Tian smiled.
He was going to make sure Qin Hao understood the difference.
. . .
Qin Family Estate.
At that exact moment...
Qin Hao looked at his phone.
Shen Tian’s final message remained on screen.
Shen Tian: He’s yours if you can keep him.
Qin Hao stared.
Then...
His own system suddenly activated.
Loud.
[Special Mission Generated]
Qin Hao’s eyes sharpened.
There.
He had been waiting.
The panel opened.
Mission: Prove the Better Villain
Qin Hao slowly smiled.
Objective One: Obtain more Fate from Qin Family Succession Event than
Shen Tian.
Objective Two: Prevent Shen Tian from seizing Qin Hao’s designated
opportunity.
Objective Three: Suppress Chen Mo.
Success Reward:
Villain Points x100,000
System Authority Upgrade
One Fate Concealment Token
Qin Hao’s smile widened.
Then...
A final line appeared.
Bonus Objective: Cause Shen Tian to lose Fate.
Qin Hao froze.
"Can I?"
The system paused.
Unknown.
His eyes narrowed.
"Unknown isn’t no."
Correct.
Qin Hao slowly stood.
Now...
This was interesting.
For the first time...
He had a mission directly involving Shen Tian.
Not merely surviving him.
Not avoiding him.
Not taking an opportunity first.
Competing.
Qin Hao walked toward the window.
"Six days."
Correct.
He smiled.
"Fine."
If Shen Tian wanted to treat him like prey...
Qin Hao would show him that some prey had teeth.
. . .
Back at Shen estate...
Xu Ning suddenly froze.
[Host.]
Shen Tian looked toward her.
"What?"
A red panel appeared.
WARNING
Qin Hao has received a system mission targeting Host.
Shen Tian’s smile slowly widened.
Xu Ning stared.
[Why do I even ask anymore?]
Shen Tian stood.
Walked toward the windows.
Outside...
The Shen estate was quiet.
Safe.
Warm lights.
Family inside.
Women he cared about.
An empire around him.
Behind all of it...
Another protagonist had finally decided to come for him deliberately.
Not out of blind jealousy.
Not because of some heroine.
Not because Shen Tian embarrassed him at a restaurant.
Qin Hao knew exactly what he was doing.
He understood systems.
Plots.
Fate.
Villains.
And now...
He was choosing to challenge Shen Tian anyway.
Shen Tian’s green eyes gleamed.
"Good."
Xu Ning sighed.
[Of course.]
Six days remained.
One succession banquet.
Two protagonists.
More than one hundred thousand Fate in motion.
Several heroines.
A hidden Qin Family struggle.
Two competing systems.
And for the first time...
Shen Tian had an opponent who understood enough about the game...
To realize he was playing one.
He just didn’t understand yet...
That Shen Tian had already been winning long before Qin Hao arrived.
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(Author’s Note: IMPORTANT!)
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