Chapter 299: Stealing Fate From Both

Additional Fate harvested: 2,000

Chen Mo Current Fate: 174,000

Qin Hao Current Fate: 646,000

Shen Tian’s smile widened.

Xu Ning stared.

[You stole Fate from both of them with one bid.]

"Efficient."

[Twenty million.]

"Cheap."

[HOST.]

Shen Tian laughed quietly.

Qin Hao watched.

Then...

His own system sounded.

[Mission failed.]

Ancient Jade Pendant acquired by third party.

Chen Mo opportunity disrupted without Host receiving credit.

No reward issued.

Qin Hao’s smile disappeared.

For the first time...

He felt it.

The frustration.

The absurdity.

The feeling that something which should have been his to manipulate...

Had simply been taken.

He slowly looked toward Shen Tian.

And suddenly...

Qin Hao understood something terrifying.

This wasn’t another stupid villain.

This wasn’t some background character.

This wasn’t an accident.

Shen Tian knew.

Maybe not everything.

Maybe not how.

But...

He knew.

Qin Hao stood.

His system immediately asked.

[Host?]

We’re changing strategy.

Specify.

Qin Hao stared at Shen Tian.

Chen Mo can wait.

Pause.

New priority target?

Qin Hao’s eyes narrowed.

Shen Tian.

Across the aisle...

Xu Ning’s panel changed.

[Warning.]

Qin Hao hostility increased.

Relationship established: Strategic Enemy

Shen Tian read it.

Then...

Smiled.

"That was fast."

Rose looked toward him.

"What was?"

Shen Tian stood.

Then...

The attendant brought over the purchased pendant.

Shen Tian took it.

Looked at the ugly jade.

Then...

Tossed it lightly toward Chi Lingxi.

She caught it.

Her eyes widened.

"Twenty million!"

Shen Tian shrugged.

"Looks better on you."

Chi Lingxi froze.

Her entire face turned red.

Rose stared.

Gu Qingya stared.

Tang Meilin’s mouth opened.

Chu Zijin leaned forward.

"You spent twenty million and gave it away immediately?!"

Shen Tian looked toward her.

"Yes."

Chi Lingxi stared at the pendant.

Then...

At him.

"You..."

Her cheeks became even redder.

"...are ridiculous."

Shen Tian smiled.

"You like it?"

She looked down.

Then...

A soft smile appeared.

"Yes."

Her fingers closed around it.

"I love it."

Qin Hao watched from across the aisle.

His eye twitched.

Chen Mo watched from farther back.

His expression became complicated.

The treasure that should have belonged to him...

Had been casually bought...

Then gifted to a woman.

Shen Tian didn’t even seem to care.

Qin Hao’s system suddenly spoke.

[Host.]

What?

Additional analysis completed.

Qin Hao became serious.

Shen Tian has now directly interfered with a known Fate opportunity.

Probability of coincidence: Below 3%.

Qin Hao’s expression became cold.

So he does know.

Unknown.

Qin Hao stared.

He knows something.

This time...

The system didn’t disagree.

. . .

Much later.

The banquet began winding down.

Guests left.

Reporters waited outside.

Shen Tian stood near a private balcony.

Alone.

Mostly.

Xu Ning floated beside him.

[You deliberately exposed yourself.]

"Partially."

[Qin Hao knows you’re abnormal.]

"I know."

[He’s a system user.]

"I know."

[He’s going to investigate you.]

"I know."

Xu Ning crossed her arms.

[And you’re happy.]

"Yes."

[Why?]

Shen Tian looked through the glass.

Qin Hao stood inside.

Talking politely with his father.

Perfect young master.

No arrogance.

No stupidity.

No obvious flaws.

A protagonist who understood villains.

A protagonist trying to become the perfect villain.

Shen Tian smiled.

"Because if I pretended to be normal..."

"He’d investigate eventually anyway."

Xu Ning listened.

"If I hid every move..."

"He’d grow."

"Take Chen Mo’s opportunities."

"Build Fate."

"Learn more."

"Become harder to deal with."

Shen Tian’s green eyes sharpened.

"So I gave him something else to think about."

[You.]

"Exactly."

Xu Ning slowly smiled.

[You’re distracting him from Chen Mo.]

"Partly."

[Which means Chen Mo keeps more opportunities.]

"Yes."

[Which means both protagonists remain valuable instead of one consuming

the other too quickly.]

Shen Tian smiled.

"Now you’re learning."

Xu Ning stared.

[I taught you.]

"Debatable."

She kicked at his leg.

Her foot passed through.

Shen Tian laughed.

Then...

The balcony door opened.

Qin Hao stepped outside.

Alone.

Shen Tian looked over.

Qin Hao closed the door behind him.

For several seconds...

Neither spoke.

Then...

Qin Hao smiled.

"Twenty million."

Shen Tian leaned against the railing.

"Yes."

"For a pendant worth twenty thousand."

"Apparently."

Qin Hao walked closer.

"Then you gave it away."

"Yes."

"Why?"

Shen Tian smiled.

"She liked it."

Qin Hao stared.

"No."

Shen Tian raised an eyebrow.

"No?"

"That’s not why you bought it."

Silence.

Shen Tian’s smile slowly widened.

Qin Hao stopped several feet away.

No audience.

No heroines.

No family elders.

No reason to pretend.

Qin Hao’s expression changed.

Still controlled.

But colder.

Sharper.

"You knew there was something inside."

Shen Tian said nothing.

Qin Hao continued.

"You knew Chen Mo wanted it."

Still nothing.

"And..."

His eyes narrowed.

"...you knew I wanted it."

Shen Tian finally spoke.

"You’re smarter than Lu Chen."

Qin Hao froze.

There.

Another name.

Another clue.

"Who is Lu Chen?"

Shen Tian stared.

Then...

"A protagonist."

Silence.

Qin Hao’s entire body became still.

His system erupted.

[WARNING!]

[WARNING!]

[WARNING!]

Qin Hao stared at Shen Tian.

The mask finally broke.

"What did you say?"

Shen Tian pushed away from the railing.

His green eyes met Qin Hao’s.

"A protagonist."

Qin Hao’s heartbeat hammered.

"You..."

His voice lowered.

"...know."

Shen Tian smiled.

Qin Hao stared.

"You’re a transmigrator."

Shen Tian’s eyebrow rose.

Then...

He laughed.

Qin Hao’s eyes widened.

That reaction was enough.

"Fuck."

He stepped backward.

"You’re actually..."

Shen Tian continued smiling.

Qin Hao’s mind exploded with possibilities.

Another transmigrator.

Another system?

Was Shen Tian originally a villain too?

Did he know the plot?

How long had he been here?

What happened to Lu Chen?

Why were heroine routes destroyed?

Why was Shen Tian outside the original narrative?

Then...

The worst possibility appeared.

Qin Hao looked toward him.

"Do you have a system?"

Shen Tian smiled.

"Do you?"

Silence.

Qin Hao’s face changed.

Neither answered.

Neither needed to.

For several seconds...

They simply stared.

Then...

Qin Hao laughed.

Quietly.

Disbelievingly.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me."

Shen Tian smiled.

"That was roughly my reaction."

Qin Hao ran a hand through his hair.

"Another transmigrator."

"Apparently."

"In the same world."

"Apparently."

--------

(Author’s Note: IMPORTANT!)

SEND POWESTONES!!!

ALL SUPER GIFTS (Magic Castle, Space Ship, Golden Gachapon) = MORE ChapterS!