Chapter 125: New World, Same Devil

Chapter 125: New World, Same Devil Hei Long opened his eyes. The first thing he noticed was the sky—it was wrong. Too blue. Too soft. No swirling clouds of spiritual essence. No sword-shaped comets. Just... birds. The second thing he noticed? The ceiling. Plain, white, clinical. Modern. He sat up slowly and found himself in a massive king-sized bed. Silk sheets. City skyline through glass walls. Neon reflections dancing across the marble floor. This wasn’t Redleaf Hollow. This wasn’t his world. This was— "Young Master Hei! You’re awake!" A voice broke through his thoughts. A man in a black suit—clean-shaven, earpiece, sunglasses indoors—rushed into the room and bowed deeply. "Your father has been waiting downstairs. The Zhang family is demanding an apology for yesterday’s incident." Hei Long blinked. "...Who?" "The Zhang family, sir. You broke their young heir’s spine with a billiard cue and told his mother she looked like a shoe. Do you... not remember?" Hei Long said nothing. He stood up. Walked to the mirror. And saw— A reflection eerily familiar... but different. Same face. Same eyes. Same smirk. But younger. Shinier. Wearing a silk bathrobe with his own name embroidered in gold. He opened a nearby drawer. Inside: a loaded handgun, a black credit card, and a stack of cease-and-desist letters. Then his phone buzzed. [Message from Dad: "Stop causing trouble. If you can’t kill someone, buy them."] Hei Long inhaled slowly. And smiled. New Identity: Hei Long (Second Generation Rich Young Master) Age: 23Background: Heir to the Hei Conglomerate, a trillion-dollar family-run megacorp. Reputation: Arrogant. Ruthless. Drives imported supercars. Has punched celebrities on livestream. Enemies: Most other young masters. The Zhangs. Several ex-girlfriends. One panda. Power Level: Spiritually zero. Financially infinite. Moments Later – Hei Conglomerate Penthouse Tower Hei Long descended the spiral staircase in a tailored suit he didn’t remember owning, adjusting the diamond-studded watch on his wrist. In the living room, an army of lawyers, secretaries, and family elders stood waiting. His "father," Hei Zhenglong — gray-haired, cigar-smoking, aura of boardroom tyranny — turned and scowled. "Have you finally decided to stop embarrassing me, boy?" Hei Long smiled. Then snapped his fingers. "Prepare the car." "What car?" the butler asked. Hei Long turned, walking past them all. "All of them." Meanwhile – In a University Somewhere The protagonist of this urban novel, Li Chen, sat surrounded by a harem of girls and cheat skills. He had just awakened a billion-dollar system and was about to slap the face of yet another arrogant young master. Then— The door to the lecture hall burst open. And in walked Hei Long. Wearing black leather gloves. And holding Li Chen’s expelled-from-campus notice. "Your scholarship has been revoked," Hei Long said calmly. "And your father’s car dealership? I bought it. He works for me now." Li Chen blinked. "What?" Hei Long dropped a platinum credit card on the floor. "Pick it up." "You think you can—" Hei Long kicked him through the window. The crowd screamed. Girls fainted. And Hei Long turned to the nearest girl—Li Chen’s childhood sweetheart—and offered her his hand. "Would you like to date up?" She nodded. Immediately. Later That Night – Hei Long’s Penthouse Balcony He stared over the city skyline. Lights flickered like stars at his feet. Everything here was loud, artificial, intoxicating. But Hei Long? He remained the same. Still ruthless. Still composed. Still a villain. "This world," he muttered, sipping from a glass of wine older than most countries, "doesn’t deserve a protagonist." He smiled. And in the distance, fate shivered. Because even in this modern, system-ridden, fast-car, face-slapping novel— Hei Long would still win. . . . . . . Location: Imperial University of Hua Capital It was a regular Monday morning. The students of Imperial University—the top-ranked, most elite college in the nation—were preparing for midterms. The air buzzed with tension, caffeine, and the cries of undergraduates who had realized they’d misread the syllabus. Li Chen, the protagonist of this world, strutted into the lecture hall wearing a smug grin, a new system notification floating just behind his eyes: [Ding! System Upgrade Complete. New Skill Unlocked: ’Heavenly Slap of Justice +3’] He cracked his knuckles, preparing to humiliate some rich young master who would inevitably pick a fight with him and allow him to counterattack dramatically. And then— The doors swung open. And in walked Hei Long. Black suit. Black gloves. Black expression. Behind him? Two lawyers, four bodyguards, a real estate agent, and a school board director nervously sweating through his collar. Li Chen blinked. "What are you—" Hei Long held up a scroll. Unfurled it. It hit the floor and rolled all the way to the podium. It was a deed. A deed of ownership. Li Chen squinted. "’Full acquisition of Imperial University, the entire academic board, and related properties within a two-kilometer radius’? What the hell is—" Hei Long adjusted his cufflinks. "I bought the school." "...You what?" Hei Long stepped forward, every footstep echoing like a thunderclap. "As of this morning, every professor here is now on my payroll. Every class, every club, every building—from the chemistry lab to the janitor’s closet—is mine." He paused, then added calmly, "Including your dorm room." Li Chen stared. "You can’t just buy a school!" Hei Long tilted his head. "Money is louder than rules." He turned to the head professor. "Fire him." The professor immediately nodded. "Li Chen, you’re expelled." "WHAT?!" The professor looked genuinely apologetic. "He doubled my pension and bought my mother a liver." Hei Long turned to the students. "I now offer you a choice," he said. "You may stay enrolled under my ownership. Or you may transfer to a lesser school. Like... Huanxi Agricultural." Gasps. Someone fainted. Even the system in Li Chen’s head glitched momentarily. [Ding! ERROR: Narrative logic disrupted.] Hei Long strolled down the rows of stunned students, his voice smooth. "I will be replacing the business department with my own faculty. Martial arts classes will be upgraded to combat-grade sparring arenas. And economics will now be taught by someone who actually owns a stock portfolio." He stopped in front of Li Chen. Pulled out a card. Dropped it into his lap. Hei Group’s internship offer. "Apply if you survive the semester," Hei Long said. Then he walked away. Leaving a room full of shattered pride, panicking protagonists, and the scent of imported cologne and absolute domination. Later That Day – Principal’s Office Hei Long sat behind the former principal’s desk. The walls were already redecorated with minimalist calligraphy and a large black-and-white painting of a tiger devouring a phoenix. The former principal? Reassigned to "Morale Officer, Roof Maintenance Division." A secretary entered. "Sir, the media wants to know if the rumors are true." Hei Long didn’t look up from his documents. "Yes," he said. "I’m also buying the rival school across the river." "...And demolishing it?" "No. Turning it into a parking garage." Meanwhile – Li Chen’s System Room [Ding! Warning: New Villain Override Detected.][Analysis Failed. Narrative Center of Gravity is Shifting.][Protagonist Aura: 76% -> 38%][System Suggestion: Escape to Secondary Romance Plotline Immediately.] Li Chen stared into the void. "...I was supposed to slap my way to the top." The Next Morning Hei Long stood on the roof of the school, sipping imported coffee from a dragon-carved mug, gazing down at a campus he now owned. His phone buzzed. A message from Lin Yue. "Still adjusting?" He typed back: "Still winning." A pause. Then another text. "You miss the old world?" Hei Long stared at the screen for a long time. Then typed: "No. They followed fate. Here, they follow money." He smiled. "Much easier."