Early dawn—
Four Bentleys escorted a Rolls-Royce at the center, with a line of Audis trailing behind. The convoy moved arrogantly through the crowded streets before finally turning into an urban village.
Meanwhile, deep within the village, a large number of residents had gathered because of the demolition issue, confronting a group of thugs across from them.
As the convoy entered, tension instantly thickened.
The villagers gripped whatever they could find—kitchen knives, rakes, and tools of all kinds. Their hands trembled slightly, yet no one stepped back.
In contrast, the thugs looked as if they had taken stimulants, shouting wildly as they prepared to charge forward.
The middle-aged driver stopped the car and said, “Young Master has arrived, please wake up.”
A fawning voice immediately followed from inside the Rolls-Royce.
The man in the back seat opened his eyes with clear irritation and glanced at the man in the passenger seat.
Seeing this, the passenger’s smile grew even more obsequious as he leaned forward and asked, “Young Master, how do you want to deal with these people?”
Cao Cheng rubbed his sleepy eyes. After a brief glance at him, he turned toward the window.
In the reflection, he saw a face as handsome as the reader’s.
He narrowed his eyes in satisfaction. However, the next second, his gaze landed on the confrontation outside.
His expression froze.
Then he jolted upright and snapped, “Damn it! You dragged me out this early just to watch this?!”
The passenger didn’t notice the anger at all. Instead, he leaned closer and chuckled, “Hehe, that’s right, Young Master. I know you like this kind of scene. Don’t worry, this time—”
“Smack!”
The man clutched his face in shock. “Young Master, why did you hit me?”
Cao Cheng ignored him completely and turned his gaze back outside. Watching the two sides locked in confrontation, he let out a long breath.
His name was Cao Cheng.
One month ago, after attending his high school reunion three years after graduation, he had finally gotten what he wanted—spending a passionate night with his first love. Yet at the very last moment, countless points of light surrounded him, tearing him away from that body. When he opened his eyes again, he had already transmigrated into this one.
Fortunately, his new identity was extraordinary.
He belonged to the Cao Family of Magic City, the strongest among the Four Great Families. Moreover, he was the sole heir passed down through three generations.
Even across the entire nation, he stood at the very top among the second generation elites.
With such overwhelming background and a face like his, it was only natural that countless women in Magic City were captivated by him.
At first, this felt like compensation for his unfinished regrets.
Thus, after transmigrating, he immediately indulged himself in a life of luxury and excess, determined to make up for everything he had missed.
However, one night, while holding a beautiful girl in a KTV and singing “Spending Tonight Together,” a sudden chill ran down his spine.
His mind cleared instantly.
Memories that didn’t belong to him flooded in.
And that was when he realized the problem.
This world was a fusion of countless urban novels.
And he—
Was in the villain’s camp.
The moment he understood this, his scalp went numb.
Because according to the plotline, everything would begin with him provoking the protagonist’s mother. Afterward, he would compete with the protagonist for women.
The result?
He would be crippled, destroyed step by step, until his entire family collapsed, ending in a miserable death.
How could anyone stay calm after learning something like that?
Fortunately, the timeline wasn’t too late.
The plot had not yet begun. The crooked-smiling Dragon King, Chu Fan, was still overseas working as an assassin and wouldn’t return for some time.
More importantly, Cao Cheng had not yet offended his young and beautiful mother.
Xu Qingrou was still unharmed.
But… that wouldn’t last long.
Because according to the plot, the very demolition matter he was handling right now was the turning point.
In the original novel, his arrogant and malicious personality would lead him to embezzle the villagers’ compensation funds. Then, when the villagers came demanding justice, he would mercilessly order his subordinates to beat them.
What he didn’t know was that Xu Qingrou would be among the villagers.
During the chaos, she would be severely injured by some reckless thug. Without timely treatment, the injury would leave her with lifelong consequences.
From that moment on, he would become mortal enemies with Chu Fan.
But now, Cao Cheng frowned.
Something didn’t add up.
In the original novel, the conflict happened because he withheld the compensation money and spent it on himself.
However, after transmigrating, he had already filled the gap using a week’s worth of his allowance.
He didn’t lack money at all.
That meant the original him had simply been rotten to the core.
Yet now that he had already paid the compensation, why were the villagers still causing trouble?
The passenger spoke again, “Young Master, don’t worry. The Master definitely won’t find out this time. So… should we deal with them?”
As he spoke, he made a throat-slitting gesture.
Cao Cheng shot him a cold glance and cursed inwardly, ‘What a trap. You want me dead that badly?!’
Because just moments ago, he had already noticed a figure among the villagers.
A graceful silhouette that didn’t quite fit in.
Though she stood at the edge of the crowd, he recognized her instantly.
Xu Qingrou.
If he really listened to this fool and made a move, he would be locking himself into a life-or-death feud with Chu Fan.
Yet a sense of frustration rose in his chest.
‘I already tried to change things… so why is everything still happening? Is this fate really unavoidable?’
Just as unwillingness surged within him—
A mechanical voice suddenly rang in his mind.
[Ding! The plot has not yet begun. Please make the following choice.]
[Choice 1: Continue to avoid reality and refuse to accept your identity as a villain. Under the world’s corrective force, you will repeat your original miserable fate. The system will be permanently deactivated. Reward: A crystal coffin. After your death, the system will place you inside for future villains to observe as a warning.]
[Choice 2: To hell with the plot! To hell with the Child of Destiny! Why must a villain die? Today, I rise! Break fate and officially activate the Villain System. Reward: “Great Villain Aura.” Note: The Great Villain Aura opposes the Child of Destiny and will attract intense hatred from the protagonist. Risk is high, but it will also negate the protagonist’s “intelligence-suppressing aura” on you and your subordinates.]
[Ding! Please choose carefully. This decision cannot be changed.]
Cao Cheng froze for a moment.
Then—
Ecstasy surged through him.
A system?!
Why didn’t it show up earlier?!
He had spent the past few days barely eating or sleeping, even afraid to step outside.
Having read tens of thousands of web novels, he knew exactly what a system meant.
Without hesitation, he shouted in his mind, ‘Two! Two! I choose option two!’
Yes, there was risk.
But as a philosopher once said—the bigger the waves, the more expensive the fish!
Besides, he was now handsome, rich, and powerful.
Was he really supposed to die miserably without even enjoying life properly?
Impossible.
At the very least, he would fight the protagonist first.
After all, with a system… the outcome was far from certain.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host. The system has been activated. Please explore its functions.]
[Ding! Choice confirmed. You are now a true villain. Reward: Great Villain Aura.]
[Ding! You have received a Beginner’s Gift Pack. Opening now.]
[Congratulations, Host. You have obtained the strength of the middle stage Foundation Establishment Realm.]
[Note: Cultivation realms follow the immortal cultivation system: Qi Refining Realm, Foundation Establishment Realm, Golden Core Realm, Nascent Soul Realm, Out-of-Body Realm, Divine Transformation Realm, Combined Body Realm, Tribulation Crossing Realm, Great Ascension Realm…]
[Reminder: The system will only prompt choices at critical moments. No missions will be issued. Your only objective is to influence plot characters, gain points, grow stronger, and survive.]
After the mechanical voice faded, Cao Cheng clenched his fists.
Power surged through his body.
A faint smile formed on his lips.
He already understood how to influence the plot.
And there were many ways to seize the protagonist’s fortune.
Aside from disrupting the storyline…
He could also mess with his mindset.
And the most effective way to do that—
Was to take his women.
Before, he lacked strength.
But now… who would win or lose was still uncertain.
“Young Master?”
The passenger asked cautiously.
Cao Cheng snapped out of his thoughts and looked at him.
This man was Wang Long. He also had a brother, Wang Hu, who was sitting in one of the Bentleys. Their family had served Cao Cheng’s family for three generations.
Their loyalty was unquestionable.
Unfortunately… they were idiots.
Originally, Cao Cheng had planned to send the two brothers to Africa in a few days.
But now, he decided against it.
“What did you say just now?” Cao Cheng asked calmly.
“Nothing, Young Master. Just asking if we should deal with them…” Wang Long replied, again making a throat-slitting gesture.
Cao Cheng sighed inwardly.
Even if he was now a villain, he had grown up under modern education. There was no way he would casually attack unarmed villagers.
“No rush. Let’s figure out what’s going on first.”
Wang Long exchanged a confused glance with the driver.
What was wrong with Young Master today?
Where was his usual oppressive presence?
In the past, he would have already waved his hand and ordered the problem to be “handled.”
Why was he hesitating now?
“Call over the person in charge here. I want to ask him what’s happening.”
Although puzzled, they followed the order.
Soon, Wang Long brought over a well-dressed leader from the group of thugs. From a distance, the man was already bowing and smiling obsequiously.
Up close, his arrogance toward the villagers had completely vanished.
“Young Master, you called for me?”
Cao Cheng looked at him expressionlessly.
“Why are the villagers causing trouble?”
“Young Master, these troublemakers are just stubborn fools—”
“Don’t waste my time.”
Cold sweat instantly broke out on the man’s forehead.
He knew that one wrong word could get him thrown into a river tonight.
“Yes, yes… it’s like this. They think the compensation is too low, so they gathered to protest.”
“Too low? You didn’t embezzle anything, did you?”
“No, absolutely not! We followed the company’s compensation plan strictly. I can guarantee that none of my men took a single cent.”
“I see…”
Cao Cheng tapped lightly on the armrest.
Meanwhile, the thug leader stood there drenched in sweat, terrified.
Rumor had it that Cao Cheng had a volatile temper and loved feeding people to the fish.
“You may go.”
The man let out a long breath of relief and quickly retreated.
Cao Cheng watched his back with disdain.
Pathetic.
Then he called out, “Fix your posture.”
The man froze, confused.
Cao Cheng didn’t even bother explaining and signaled to Wang Long.
Wang Long understood immediately. He walked up and kicked the man, whispering, “Idiot! Young Master means your image!”
“Oh! Got it, got it!”
The man hurriedly straightened his suit, forced a big smile at Cao Cheng, then switched back to his fierce expression before leaving.
After he left, Wang Long leaned in again. “Young Master, now that we’ve figured it out, should we—”
Again, the throat-slitting gesture.
Cao Cheng felt a headache coming on.
Why were all his subordinates so reckless?
“Bring that woman to me first. I need to ask her something.”
“Woman? Which woman?”
“That one.”
Wang Long followed his gaze toward the villagers.
Soon, he spotted Xu Qingrou, whose presence stood out like a clear spring among mud.
Understanding dawned instantly, and his expression turned sly.
“Oh~ I get it. Young Master, just wait in the car. I’ll bring her over right away.”
“Wait—”
“Brothers, with me!”
“…”