The city glimmered that night like a thousand diamonds scattered across glass. Neon lights reflected off expensive cars lining the street, and inside the Velvet Moon Café, soft jazz drifted through the air — the kind of place only the rich dared to breathe in.
Lǐ Chéng pushed the door open.
Every pair of eyes turned toward him, not because of his clothes — which were simple, clean, and completely ordinary — but because of the way he walked. Calm. Cold. Confident.
For a man who used to bow his head to please others, he now walked like someone who didn't have to.
He scanned the café until his eyes landed on a familiar figure: his ex-girlfriend, Yao Meilin. Dressed in an elegant white dress, her manicured hand rested on the wrist of a middle-aged man — a "second-generation rich" with a belly that screamed too much luxury and too little discipline.
They were laughing. The sight burned, but only faintly — like an old wound itching after it had already healed.
"System," he muttered under his breath, settling into a corner table.
A faint digital chime echoed in his mind.
[Daily Sign-in Complete.]
[Reward: 10,000 yuan + Charisma +5]
[Special Event Triggered: "Public Face-Slap Opportunity Detected."]
Lǐ Chéng smirked.
"Oh? You're getting smarter by the day."
He hadn't planned to cause a scene tonight. He just wanted a quiet cup of coffee… but fate clearly had other ideas.
The waiter approached nervously. "S-sir, may I—"
"Black coffee. No sugar."
Simple, sharp. Like the man he had become.
As the waiter hurried off, laughter erupted from Yao Meilin's table.
"Isn't that your ex-boyfriend?" the rich man asked, sneering. "Didn't you say he was still begging for internship money last year?"
She giggled. "Yes, he's… persistent. Always thought hard work could make him worthy." She raised her voice just enough for him to hear. "But some people never learn their place."
A few heads turned. Whispering followed. Someone snickered.
Lǐ Chéng didn't even look up.
[System Prompt: "Do you wish to activate a face-slapping task?"]
[Reward: 10,000 yuan bonus + Random Buff]
He took a sip of coffee.
"Let's do it."
[Task Activated: "Publicly Humiliate the Unworthy."]
[Time Limit: 10 minutes.]
The system timer began counting down silently in his head.
He stood up and approached their table. The rich man looked up, clearly irritated.
"Hey, kid. This is a private area—"
"Funny," Lǐ Chéng interrupted smoothly. "You must be used to people bowing when you speak."
The man blinked, taken aback by his tone.
Yao Meilin scoffed. "Chéng, what are you doing here? This isn't some street café. Go back to your little dorm or whatever—"
"Five years," he said suddenly, his voice calm but heavy. "I gave you five years of my life. And the moment I had nothing left to give, you left for a wallet with legs."
Her eyes widened.
The café grew quiet.
Then, in one smooth motion, Lǐ Chéng placed a gleaming gold card on their table — his new Elite Membership Card from the Golden Phoenix Bank, courtesy of last week's system reward.
The man's eyes flickered.
"That's— impossible," Yao Meilin stammered. "How did you—"
Lǐ Chéng leaned forward, his tone soft but sharp enough to cut steel.
"You said I'd never be more than a loser. But losers don't get personal invitations from the Phoenix Group."
A collective gasp filled the café. Phones were raised. Whispers spread like wildfire.
The man stood abruptly, trying to regain face. "Boy, do you know who I am?"
Lǐ Chéng smirked. "A clown wearing a suit."
Slap!
It wasn't his hand that struck, but his words — clean, direct, and merciless. The man's face darkened; he reached out as if to grab him, but—
[Skill Activated: "Charisma Boost."]
Lǐ Chéng's eyes glowed faintly red. His presence suddenly pressed down like an invisible wave. Even the guards hesitated to move.
"Touch me," he said softly, "and I'll make sure every major outlet in this city knows how 'Mr. Wang' spent company funds to buy gifts for a student."
The color drained from the man's face.
"How… how do you know that?"
Lǐ Chéng smiled.
"Let's just say I sign in daily."
He turned away, leaving the man trembling and Yao Meilin speechless as the café erupted in murmurs.
[Face-Slapping Task Complete.]
[Reward: 10,000 yuan + "Reputation Buff" acquired!]
[Hidden Achievement: "Public Confidence Unlocked."]
Outside, rain began to fall — the soft kind that mirrored city lights. Lǐ Chéng slipped his hands into his pockets and walked out into the night, his reflection gliding across puddles like a phantom.
He didn't notice her at first — the girl sitting by the window near the entrance, a cup of tea untouched before her. Long black hair, silver eyes, and an unreadable smile.
She had been watching the entire scene.
When he passed her table, she murmured without looking up,
"So that's the man who dared to humiliate the Wang family in public?"
He paused. "You were watching?"
She smiled faintly. "I was waiting."
"For what?"
Her eyes lifted — cold, beautiful, and dangerous.
"For someone interesting."
He frowned slightly, sensing something strange in her aura — almost like the system flickered faintly inside his mind in response to her presence.
But before he could speak again, she stood, adjusted her coat, and whispered,
"See you soon, Sign-in Boy."
She walked into the rain, leaving only her soft perfume behind.
[System Notification: Unknown entity detected. Tracing failed.]
[Warning: User interference from external force!]
Lǐ Chéng's heart skipped a beat."The hell was that…?"
The system didn't reply. The faint static buzzed in his mind, like a heartbeat out of sync with his own.
He looked up at the night sky — the same city, but it somehow felt smaller now, like a stage he'd outgrown.
He smirked.
"Alright, world. If this is your game… let's play."