Chapter 315: Laughing Heroines

Tang Meilin laughed.

Shen Tian watched both.

Then...

Rose noticed.

"You’re staring."

He looked toward her.

"I’m listening."

"To them?"

"Yes."

Rose leaned closer.

"Sure."

Shen Tian raised an eyebrow.

"Jealous?"

She squeezed his hand harder.

"No."

Too fast.

Lin Yue heard.

Her cheeks warmed slightly.

Gu Qingya looked toward Rose.

Rose immediately stared at the stage.

"Focus."

Shen Tian smiled.

. . .

Ten minutes passed.

Qin Wusheng called Qin Yuwei first.

She gave her recommendations.

Sell a failing property development subsidiary.

Expand the biomedical research arm.

Shut down a fraudulent financial consultancy.

Logical.

Safe.

Good.

Several elders nodded.

Then Qin Lei.

He gave answers focused almost entirely on short term profit.

Expand real estate.

Sell research.

Keep the financial consultancy.

Qin Wusheng’s expression became flat.

Qin Lei finished.

Silence.

The ancestor stared.

Then...

"Terrible."

Qin Lei froze.

Several people coughed.

Qin Hao nearly smiled.

Then...

His turn.

He stepped forward.

"Sell Qin International Leisure."

The elders immediately reacted.

"What?!"

"That’s profitable!"

"Young Master..."

Qin Hao raised a hand.

Silence.

Then...

"Expand Qin Biopharmaceutical."

Lin Yue nodded from the audience.

Interesting.

Qin Hao continued.

"Shut down Qin Development Capital."

Qin Wusheng’s eyes sharpened.

Qin Hao opened his folder.

"Qin International Leisure shows profit..."

"...because it’s laundering losses through hospitality subsidiaries."

Murmurs exploded.

Several elders turned pale.

Qin Hao continued.

"Qin Development Capital has been financing three executives connected

to illegal securities manipulation."

More silence.

One elder suddenly stood.

"This is nonsense!"

Qin Hao looked directly at him.

"Sit down, Uncle."

The man froze.

Qin Hao’s expression became cold.

"I have the records."

Silence.

Shen Tian’s eyebrow rose.

Not bad.

Qin Hao continued.

"Qin Biopharmaceutical has the strongest long term value."

"Sell the corrupted assets."

"Expand legitimate research."

"Remove anyone involved."

Then...

His eyes moved toward the elder who had stood.

"...regardless of surname."

Qin Wusheng smiled.

Qin Hao’s system chimed.

Succession Judgment Trial passed.

Fate gained: +6,000

Current Fate Value: 662,200

Xu Ning immediately showed Shen Tian.

[He gained six thousand.]

Shen Tian smiled.

"Good."

Rose looked toward him.

"What?"

"Nothing."

She stared.

"System."

"Maybe."

. . .

Qin Wusheng lifted his cane.

"Winner."

He pointed toward Qin Hao.

Applause erupted.

Qin Hao nodded.

No smug smile.

No humiliation toward Qin Lei.

No arrogant speech.

Smart.

Shen Tian watched.

Qin Hao found his gaze.

Then...

Very slightly...

Raised an eyebrow.

Your move.

Shen Tian smiled.

Qin Hao immediately regretted doing that.

Why did he encourage him?

. . .

The second trial began.

Strength.

This one...

Qin Hao had worried about.

His body had improved.

Peak Inner Core.

Good.

Far stronger than the original Qin Hao at this point.

But Qin Yuwei was also Inner Core.

Qin Lei?

Domain Initiation.

Of course.

The original secondary villain had apparently been hiding cultivation.

Qin Hao stared.

His system opened.

Temporary Cultivation Enhancement available

Cost: 25,000 Villain Points

Effect: Domain Initiation Realm for thirty minutes

Qin Hao frowned.

Expensive.

But potentially necessary.

Then...

Qin Wusheng spoke.

"No cultivation duel."

Qin Hao froze.

Shen Tian laughed quietly.

Qin Hao looked toward him.

Shen Tian raised his glass.

Qin Hao’s eye twitched.

The ancestor continued.

"Strength is not merely cultivation."

Three enormous black stones were carried into the hall.

Each approximately six feet tall.

Covered in formation symbols.

Qin Wusheng pointed.

"Heart Stones."

Several old cultivators murmured.

Shen Tian recognized them.

Willpower testing artifacts.

Qin Wusheng smiled.

"You place your hand against it."

"It creates pressure."

"Fear."

"Pain."

"Illusions."

"You remove your hand..."

"You lose."

Bai Xue leaned toward Shen Tian.

"That sounds terrible."

"Probably."

"Want to try?"

Shen Tian looked at her.

"No."

"Liar."

"Maybe later."

Bai Xue smiled.

Qin Hao stared at the stone.

His system offered assistance again.

Will Protection Charm: 8,000 Villain Points

He declined.

No.

He needed to win something himself.

Qin Yuwei went first.

Three minutes.

Impressive.

Qin Lei...

Four minutes and twelve seconds.

Very impressive.

Then Qin Hao.

He placed his hand against the stone.

Instantly...

Everything disappeared.

. . .

Darkness.

Qin Hao opened his eyes.

Then...

He saw himself.

Original Qin Hao.

Bloodied.

Kneeling.

Chen Mo standing above him.

Behind Chen Mo...

The Qin Family burned.

His father dead.

His mother crying.

Han Yuer looking at him with disgust.

Then...

A voice.

You failed.

Qin Hao stared.

The illusion shifted.

Hospital.

His previous life.

His body collapsed at a desk.

Office lights.

Computer screen.

Nobody around.

Died working.

Died alone.

Then...

Another scene.

Shen Tian.

Standing before him.

Green eyes.

Calm smile.

You’re a protagonist.

Qin Hao’s expression darkened.

The illusion continued.

Shen Tian taking opportunities.

Jade pendant.

Crimson Spirit Grass.

Qin Family.

Han Yuer.

His system.

Everything.

Qin Hao’s hand trembled.

Then...

Shen Tian stood over him.

Just like Chen Mo had in the original story.

You thought you were the villain.

The illusion smiled.

You were just another protagonist waiting to die.

Qin Hao’s face slowly hardened.

Then...

He laughed.

The illusion froze.

Qin Hao raised his head.

"That’s it?"

Silence.

"You show me death?"

He stepped forward.

"I already died once."

The illusion cracked.

"You show me failure?"

Another step.

"I spent my entire first life failing to actually live."

CRACK.

"You show me Chen Mo?"

He smiled.

"I know his plot."

CRACK.

"You show me Shen Tian?"

His smile became sharper.

"Yeah."

A pause.

"He’s terrifying."

The illusion blinked.

Qin Hao laughed.

"But so what?"

He walked straight toward the image of Shen Tian.

"If he wants my Fate..."

"I’ll make him work for it."

BOOOOOOM!

The illusion shattered.

. . .

Back inside the banquet hall...

Five minutes.

Qin Hao still hadn’t moved.

Six.

Qin Wusheng’s smile grew.

Seven.

Qin Lei’s face became ugly.

Qin Yuwei looked impressed.

Shen Tian watched calmly.

Then...

Qin Hao opened his eyes.

Seven minutes.

Thirty-one seconds.

He removed his hand.

The stone cracked slightly.

Silence.

Qin Hao breathed heavily.

Then...

Looked directly toward Shen Tian.

Shen Tian raised an eyebrow.

Qin Hao smiled.

Shen Tian smiled back.

No hostility.

Not exactly.

Recognition.

Qin Wusheng laughed.

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(Author’s Note: IMPORTANT!)

SEND POWESTONES!!!

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