"Are you absolutely certain?" Sebastian Fairfax stared at the report on his desk, his expression darkening with each line he read.
Marcus, one of his lackeys, stood across from him. "Yes, boss. I triple-checked everything."
Sebastian's fingers drummed against the surface.
The report detailed something concerning, Ethan Cole, the scholarship student who could barely afford lunch two months ago, had just paid off a huge debt worth tens of thousands at once.
"A scholarship student who's known to wear cheap clothes, has the cheapest phone, can pay tens of thousands of family debt at once," Sebastian said slowly.
"That's not all, boss." Tyler stepped forward, pulling out his phone. "Look at this."
Sebastian took the phone. On the screen was a photo from last week's combat sports club demonstration. Ethan Cole was in the centre, executing a perfect throw against a senior student who outweighed him by fifty pounds.
"Since when does he know martial arts?" Sebastian asked.
"Since never, boss, I've known Ethan since freshman year. The guy used to get winded walking up stairs. Now he's outperforming people who've trained for years." Derek chimed in, another lackey.
Sebastian set the phone down, thinking about the implications. Ethan had been trying to move on to Isabelle Tian, the girl he had his eyes on.
This is not looking good…
In his previous life, Sebastian Park had been a nobody—a thirty-year-old office worker who spent his lunch breaks reading web novels on his phone. Then he'd died in a sudden heart attack that claimed his life.
When he woke up as Sebastian Fairfax, young, wealthy, attending an elite academy, he'd thought it was a second chance.
A reward for a miserable first life that he had.
For one blissful week, he'd enjoyed every moment. Then the anomalies started with Ethan Cole, whose grades had jumped from bottom-tier to top-ten in two weeks.
He'd started talking to Isabelle Tian, one of the campus belles that everyone coveted.
Sebastian had dismissed it as a coincidence at first, but still, he decided to let his lackeys find more information about him, and the result…Sudden wealth, impossible martial arts skills, academic improvement, and connection to the female lead?
Sebastian, who'd read hundreds of web novels, felt ice settle in his stomach.
"Boss, should we look into where he got the money? It might be illegal. We could report him," Marcus asked.
"No," Sebastian cut him off sharply.
"But boss—"
"I said no, tell me something. What happens in every story when the rich young master tries to use his connections to suppress the protagonist?"
The three lackeys exchanged confused glances.
"Boss, what do you mean?" Tyler asked.
Sebastian didn't answer directly. "Let me ask you this instead: am I not more handsome than Ethan Cole?" Sebastian turned back to his lackeys.
"Of course, boss! That guy's got a face that's easy to draw. You're in a completely different league." Marcus said immediately.
"Do I not come from a better family?"
"Your family owns half the commercial real estate in the city, boss. His family is unknown. There's no comparison."
"Are my grades not better than his?"
"You're ranked fourth in our year, boss."
"Then why should I waste my time trying to suppress someone who isn't even in my league? If I'm truly superior, let him have his little victories. They don't threaten me." Sebastian said quietly.
Understanding slowly dawned on Marcus's face. "You're right, boss. We were thinking too small."
"Exactly. From now on, you don't touch Ethan Cole. You don't investigate him, you don't provoke him, you don't even acknowledge him unless he approaches first. Understood?"
"Yes, boss," all three chorused.
Sebastian nodded, satisfied.
For just a moment, his vision flickered, like a video game loading screen and text appeared in the air before him:
[Ding! System Initializing...]
[Welcome, Host, to the Villain Counterattack System]
Sebastian's breath caught.
[Current Status: You have transmigrated into an urban novel as the villain, young master, Sebastian Fairfax. In the original storyline, you continuously antagonise the protagonist, Ethan Cole, and are defeated repeatedly. By chapter 87, you lose everything—your wealth, your reputation, and Isabelle Tian. Your family business is destroyed, and you end up in prison.]
Sebastian's face went pale.
[However, the system has been activated to help you counterattack. By making smart decisions and avoiding the protagonist's plot armour, you can change your fate. You will earn Villain Points for actions that deviate from the original plot and weaken the protagonist's development.]
[First Quest: Stop your lackeys from repeatedly challenging Ethan Cole. Reward: 100 Villain Points]
[Quest Complete! You have earned 100 Villain Points!]
A cold smile appeared on Sebastian's face.
"Boss? Are you alright?" Derek's voice broke through his thoughts.
Sebastian blinked, the system interface fading from his vision. "I'm fine. Better than fine, actually."