The smell of expensive coffee and freshly baked pastries filled the sunlit dining room. Lin Yu sat at the massive mahogany table, feeling a strange sense of déjà vu. This was a scene from a life he'd already lost.
"Xiao Yu, you're up early!" His mother, Wan'er, beamed at him. She was a beautiful, gentle woman whose world revolved around her family. "Did you sleep well?"
"Like a baby, Mom," Lin Yu said, giving her a genuine smile. Seeing her alive and happy sent a wave of relief through him.
His father, Lin Mo, looked up from his tablet, his sharp eyes assessing his son. Lin Mo was a formidable man, the architect of the Lin Corporation's empire. "Hmph. Usually, you'd be sleeping until noon. What's the occasion? Planning another 'romantic' ambush for that Su girl?"
Ah, right. That.
Lin Yu took a sip of orange juice, playing it cool. "Su Lingyue? Nah. I've lost interest."
The silence that followed was deafening. His mother's spoon clinked against her cup. His father slowly lowered his tablet.
"You… what?" Lin Mo asked, his voice laced with disbelief.
"I said I'm over it," Lin Yu repeated, shrugging. "Chasing after someone who clearly despises me is a waste of this handsome face and our family's resources. I've decided to focus on my career instead."
His mother's eyes instantly welled up with happy tears. "My boy! You've finally matured!"
His father, however, narrowed his eyes. "Your career? What career? Your only career so far has been spending my money on sports cars and causing trouble."
"Ouch, Dad. Harsh but fair," Lin Yu admitted with a wry grin. "But I'm serious. I want to learn the business. All of it. Real estate, jewelry, the clubs… everything. I need to gain experience."
Lin Mo stared at his son for a long moment, and then a rare, booming laugh escaped him. It was a sound Lin Yu hadn't heard in a decade. "Hah! Excellent! This is the news I've been waiting to hear! Where do you want to start?"
"Real estate," Lin Yu said without hesitation.
In his past life, Su Lingyue's first major project—and the one that brought Ye Chen into her life—was in real estate. To get close to the action and mess with the plot, he needed to be in the same industry. Ah, the things I do for love… and revenge, he thought sarcastically.
"Real estate it is," Lin Mo said, still smiling. "I'll have my assistant set you up with an office and a project team by this afternoon. Don't disappoint me."
"I won't, Dad."
As he left the dining room, Lin Yu's mind was already racing. The system's hint was clear: in a few days, someone would start a rumor that a prime piece of land owned by the Su Group was an ancient burial ground. This would cause investors to panic and the project to stall. That's when Ye Chen would swoop in.
In the original story, Lin Yu himself had been the one to start that rumor. He mentally face-palmed. Seriously, past me? An ancient burial ground? That's the best you could come up with? No wonder she hated me. That's not a courtship strategy; it's a plot from a third-rate drama.
He could see it now: Su Lingyue, stressed and desperate. Her father, a known antique enthusiast, just happens to meet the mysterious and knowledgeable Ye Chen on Antique Street. Ye Chen uses his special "Dragon King Vision" or whatever to help the old man identify a fake artifact, earning his favor. Invited to the Su home, Ye Chen hears about the land problem. He then calls in a favor from the son of a high-ranking official—a friend he saved in the mountains, of course—and gets an official notice published, clearing the land's name. Problem solved. Su Lingyue looks at Ye Chen with stars in her eyes, and Lin Yu loses his first battle before it even begins.
"Not this time," Lin Yu muttered, tapping his fingers on his chin. "I can't just stop the rumor. If I do, Ye Chen never gets his heroic entrance, but I also don't get any credit. I need to let the problem happen… but make sure I'm the one who solves it."
Lin Yu paced in his ridiculously large new office, tapping his chin. His brilliant plan of swooping in with the official document had one tiny, Su-Lingyue-sized flaw.
Okay, think, he scolded himself. If I just show up at her door with the solution, what's the first thing she'll think? He imagined the scene:
Su Lingyue, eyes narrowed: "Lin Yu. How convenient that you just happen to have the solution to a problem that appeared out of nowhere. This has your name written all over it, you scheming bastard!"
*Affection Level: -50 (Murderous Intent Unlocked)*
He shuddered. "Right. Bad plan. Showing up myself is like a fox showing up at a chicken coop with a feather stuck in its teeth and saying, 'I come in peace.' She'd never believe me."
He needed her to come to him. And he needed to make this Ye Chen guy look like an untrustworthy bragger before he even appeared. But how?
Slowly, a gloriously wicked idea began to form in his mind. It was so beautifully chaotic, so perfectly villainous, that a low chuckle escaped his lips. It soon grew into full-blown, maniacal laughter.
"Mwahahaha! Oh, this is perfect! I really am a villain!" he cackled to his empty office.
Calming down, he pulled out his phone and dialed a number he knew by heart. The line rang twice.
"Boss?" a familiar, loyal voice answered. It was Li Feng, his lackey. The guy who had helped him with all his dirty work in his past life and had, in the end, died trying to protect his worthless hide. A pang of guilt shot through Lin Yu, quickly replaced by resolve. This time, I'll make sure you retire rich, old man.
"What are your orders this time, Boss?" Li Feng asked, a hint of eager anticipation in his voice. The Boss is finally taking action again! He's been so quiet lately. This must be a masterstroke to win over Miss Su's heart!
Lin Yu got straight to the point. "The burial ground rumor. Is it spreading?"
"Yes, Boss. It's moving through the company circles like a quiet whisper. By tomorrow, the Su Group will definitely hear it." A brilliant first move, Boss! Create a problem so you can be the solution! A classic!
Lin Yu furrowed his brows. The wheels were in motion. No going back. "Good. Now, I need you to spread another rumor. A faint one," Lin Yu instructed, his voice turning sharp. "Whisper that the 'Wealth Manor' is behind this. They're trying to attack the Su Group's new venture."
The other end of the line went completely silent. The Wealth Manor?! Boss, that's... that's playing with fire! Li Feng's mind raced. But the Boss must have a deep, cunning reason for this! He's creating a powerful common enemy to make the Su family see him as an ally! So shrewd!
"B-Boss..." Li Feng stammered. "The Wealth Manor? Are you sure?"
"Don't worry about it," Lin Yu said calmly. "When the Su Group investigates, the trail should vaguely point towards the Wealth Manor. Make it faint, plausible, but deniable."
Let them suspect each other, he thought gleefully.
"Next," Lin Yu continued. "I need you to investigate someone named Chen Yu. He's the son of a high-ranking official."
Chen Yu? Li Feng was confused. What does some official's son have to do with Miss Su? But he trusted his Boss's unfathomable intellect. "Understood, Boss. What should we do with the information?"
A vicious grin spread across Lin Yu's face. "I want you to send an 'anonymous tip' to every gossip reporter and online blogger you can find. Leak photos and stories about how the children of these high authorities are living it up—parties, clubs, hostesses, the whole works. And make sure Chen Yu's face is front and center in the biggest, most scandalous photos you can get. Blow it up. I want his face all over the internet, surrounded by champagne and... thighs."
There was another pause on the line as Li Feng's brain worked overtime. Destroy Chen Yu's reputation... but why? ... Suddenly, it hit him like a lightning bolt. OF COURSE! This Chen Yu must be a secret admirer of Miss Su! He's a hidden rival! The Boss is cutting off a potential love interest before he can even make a move! He's not just solving a problem; he's eliminating the competition! The depth of the Boss's strategy is truly terrifying! How can Miss Su not see how perfect he is for her?
"Boss... this is genius!" Li Feng exclaimed, his voice full of awe. "We're neutralizing a threat you haven't even met yet!"
Lin Yu blinked. "Uh... yeah. Exactly. So, if this Chen Yu is busy dealing with a personal scandal, he won't be... available to help certain other people. It buys me time."
'Certain other people'! Li Feng's mind raced. There must be other suitors! The Boss's web is vast! He's playing 4D chess while everyone else is playing checkers!
"Just make sure there is absolutely no trail leading back to us or the Lin Group," Lin Yu warned sternly.
"Of course, Boss! Your secret, world-spanning romantic strategy is safe with me!" Li Feng said with fervent loyalty. It's an honor to serve such a mastermind. Who cares if he was a wastrel before? He's a genius now! That Miss Su is blind, I tell you, blind!
As he hung up, Lin Yu shook his head, a wry smile on his face. He could almost hear the gears turning in Li Feng's overly loyal head.
Well, as long as he gets the job done, he thought, he can believe I'm a romantic mastermind if he wants. He looked out at the city skyline. The game was on, and for the first time, Lin Yu felt like he was holding the controller.
"Let's see you get out of this one, Ye Chen," he murmured. "Your little government hotline is about to be... disconnected."