The 50,000 RMB quota was both a blessing and a challenge. Buying random electronics was becoming unsustainable; her storage locker was nearly full. She needed a new, larger-scale way to waste money that was less logistically cumbersome.
The newly acquired knowledge from [Basic Financial Analysis] swirled in her mind, combining with the memory of Liang Rui's comment about Sohu stock. She needed to convert system funds into personal wealth as quickly as possible to seize that opportunity. The stock was currently languishing at around $40 per share on the NASDAQ. To buy even a handful of shares, she needed significant capital in US dollars.
Her personal funds were now a little over 1,000 RMB after the latest conversion—about 150 USD. It was a pittance. But with a 50,000 RMB quota and a 2% conversion, she could generate 1,000 RMB per day. In ten days, she'd have 10,000 RMB. It was a start, but too slow. She needed to level up again.
The [Advanced Etiquette & Composure] skill altered her perception of the world around her. As she walked through the school halls, she noticed the subtle cues of social hierarchy she had always been blind to. She saw how Liang Rui commanded attention not just with his looks, but with an unconscious projection of authority. She saw how Lin Wanwan used flattery and feigned vulnerability to manipulate. Ye Xia began to practice, holding her head higher, moderating her breathing to stay calm under Lin Wanwan's incessant probing.
"Xiaxia, you're so quiet lately," Lin Wanwan complained as they walked out of school. "And you're always rushing off. Where do you go?"
"I have tutoring," Ye Xia said, which was partially true. She was tutoring herself, relentlessly.
"Tutoring? In what?"
"Economics," Ye Xia replied. It was the simplest answer.
Lin Wanwan laughed. "Economics? What for? It's not like you'll ever need to run a company."
The barb, which would have once stung, now barely registered. Ye Xia simply smiled. "You never know."
Her destination today was not the electronics market. She took a bus to the city's most prestigious shopping district, a place of gleaming boutiques and luxury brands she had only ever seen in magazines. She needed to waste 50,000 RMB in a single transaction if possible.
She walked into the flagship store of a renowned international designer. The air smelled of leather and money. The sales assistants, dressed in immaculate black, looked her up and down with barely concealed disdain. Her cheap shoes and baggy jacket marked her as an outsider.
The old Ye Xia would have shrunk under their gazes, muttering an apology and fleeing. The new Ye Xia, fortified by decades of life experience and the [Advanced Etiquette] skill, met the gaze of the haughtiest-looking assistant.
"I'd like to see your collection of leather goods," she said, her voice clear and steady, devoid of any insecurity.
The assistant, a woman in her thirties with a razor-sharp bob, was taken aback by the authority in the girl's tone. Hesitantly, she led Ye Xia to a display of handbags.
"This is our latest series. The price points start at 20,000 RMB."
Ye Xia ran her fingers over a structured tote bag. The leather was buttery soft. It was ugly, in her opinion, but it was expensive. Perfect.
"I'll take this one," she said.
The assistant blinked. "Miss, this bag is 38,888 RMB."
"I understand," Ye Xia said. "Do you have anything else in the same range? A matching wallet, perhaps?"
Stammering slightly, the assistant brought out a wallet priced at 12,800 RMB. The total was 51,688 RMB. Slightly over her quota, but the system would likely just deduct the exact 50,000.
"Perfect. I'll take both." She presented the system's virtual card.
The transaction went through. The assistant's demeanor transformed from disdain to obsequiousness. "Would you like it gift-wrapped, miss?"
"No need," Ye Xia said. She placed the bag and wallet into her cheap canvas backpack, creating a bizarre juxtaposition. She left the store, the assistant bowing her out.
[Ding! Daily task completed. 50,000 RMB successfully wasted. 1,000 RMB has been converted to your Personal Funds. 10 Experience Points awarded. Current Level: 2 (10/200).]
Good. Her personal funds were now over 2,000 RMB. But the physical burden of the bag was a problem. She couldn't take it home. She headed back to her storage locker, intending to add the latest purchases to the growing mountain of wasteful consumption.
As she turned down the side street where the storage facility was located, a commotion caught her attention. A tall, well-dressed young man was being confronted by three thuggish-looking characters. The man stood with an unnerving stillness, his back to Ye Xia, but she could see the tension in his shoulders.
"Think you're better than us, pretty boy?" one of the thugs sneered, shoving the young man against the wall. "Your family's money won't help you here."
The young man didn't answer. His silence seemed to infuriate the thugs further.
Ye Xia's first instinct was to walk away. Getting involved in a street fight was the last thing she needed. But then she saw the glint of a knife in the leader's hand.
Her heart hammered against her ribs. This was dangerous. But the [Advanced Etiquette & Composure] skill allowed her to assess the situation with cold clarity. The young man was outnumbered and armed only with his pride. He was in genuine danger.
She also recognized him. Not personally, but his aura. His clothes, though slightly disheveled, were impeccably tailored from a fabric that screamed silent wealth. This was no ordinary person. He was from a world far above hers, a world of real power—the kind of power she needed to understand, and perhaps, one day, leverage.
It was a risk, but every move in her new life was a risk. She made a decision.
She pulled out her new iPhone, opened the camera, and started recording, making sure to zoom in on the thugs' faces and the knife.
"Hey!" she yelled, her voice echoing in the narrow street. "I've called the police! And I'm recording all of you! Your faces are clear as day!"
The thugs spun around, startled. They hadn't expected a witness, least of all a chubby schoolgirl.
"Mind your own business, little girl!" the knife-wielder snarled.
"The police will be here in two minutes," Ye Xia lied, holding up her phone. "I suggest you leave unless you want to explain that knife to them."
The thugs hesitated, looking from Ye Xia to their target. The young man used their distraction to his advantage. With a movement too fast to follow, he disarmed the leader with a sharp twist of his wrist, sending the knife clattering to the ground. He followed with a swift, brutal kick to the man's knee, who crumpled with a cry of pain. The other two thugs, now leaderless and facing a suddenly formidable opponent and a potential police arrival, lost their nerve. They grabbed their fallen comrade and fled down the alley.
The street fell silent. The young man turned around, and Ye Xia got her first clear look at him.
He was perhaps in his early twenties, with features so sharp and perfectly sculpted they seemed almost unreal. His eyes were a deep, penetrating black, and they held a cold intensity that was both intimidating and mesmerizing. This was not the handsome, boyish charm of Liang Rui; this was the severe, ancient beauty of a wolf or a hawk. He was, without a doubt, the most compelling man she had ever seen.
He looked at her, his expression unreadable. He didn't thank her. He simply stared, as if analyzing a curious new species.
"That was… reckless," he said finally, his voice a low baritone that vibrated with authority.
"It was effective," Ye Xia countered, lowering her phone. Her composure held, but internally, she was shaken by the sheer force of his presence.
A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched his lips. It didn't reach his eyes. "You recorded it?"
"I was bluffing about the police," she admitted. "But the recording is real." She showed him the screen, which had indeed captured the entire incident.
He nodded slowly, his gaze lingering on her face, seeing past the extra weight, directly into the sharp intelligence in her eyes. "You think quickly."
He reached into his jacket and pulled out a simple, black business card. There was no name, only an eleven-digit phone number embossed in silver.
"If those men bother you because of this," he said, handing her the card, "call this number."
He didn't wait for a response. He turned and walked away, his footsteps silent on the pavement, disappearing around the corner as if he were a ghost.
Ye Xia stood alone in the alley, her heart still pounding. She looked down at the card in her hand. It felt heavy, significant. She didn't know who he was, but she knew, with every fiber of her being, that he was important.
She had just taken a step into a much larger, more dangerous world. And she had a feeling this cold, powerful heir—for that is surely what he was—would be inextricably linked to her path of revenge.
She placed the card carefully into her wallet, next to her meager pile of cash. It was her first real asset, more valuable than any amount of money. It was a connection.