This was the closest Fyren had ever come to death.
The system had hinted that Fyren had a total of seven chances. Each time, he was the villain, and each time he followed the script, he found himself in a hopeless situation.
The first two times, Fyren had been completely confused and died in bewilderment.
When he finally understood the situation and tried to play his role properly, he realized how difficult it was to change the villain's fate—and died twice more.
By the fifth attempt, he was already desperate.
No one had ever experienced what he had—dying five times across four worlds, plus his own original, real world!
Death once was enough to terrify a person to their core.
But Fyren, after dying over and over again, was scared out of his wits.
His fifth transmigration had been his best performance yet—he had survived for three whole days on his own.
But in the end, a single small oversight cost him everything.
Through repeated "deaths," Fyren had learned one thing: as a villain, you couldn't afford to make mistakes.
A single misstep could bring catastrophic consequences, with no chance of recovery.
And now, this was his last chance. If he died at the protagonist's hands this time...
Then all the rewards, the promise of returning to the real world—everything would be gone.
He would have to accept that he was truly dead, reduced to nothing more than a corpse.
That was why, this time, Fyren remained calm and kept his stance low. He knew that even a moment of impatience could be fatal.
There were no more chances left—no room for error.
One mistake, and it would all be over!
And now, Otto stood right before him.
Fyren's rage was beyond words.
Otto!
You're the protagonist!
You're powerful! You have countless magical treasures! So many allies! So many skills! So many tricks! Such a vast network! You're good at everything!
All the beautiful women are yours!
The hard-earned legacies of great families, built over generations—they all end up in your hands!
The world is yours!
Everything is yours!
And me? Am I just meant to be your stepping stone?
Does my existence only serve as a minor, insignificant episode in your glorious life? No matter how I struggle, no matter how much I compromise or avoid you, in the end, does none of it matter?
Ridiculous!
Damn system! It just wants to see a small, pitiful man like me—a lowly delivery boy, poor and ugly—grovel, doesn't it?
It just wants to see me humiliated, scrambling for survival, doesn't it?
It wants to see me kneel before the protagonist like a pathetic dog, begging for my life, doesn't it?
Fyren's eyes burned with fury as he glared at Otto.
"Nice eyes," Otto remarked lightly. "But none of my enemies have ever defeated me with just a glare."
He walked over to Fyren. "How about this—why don't you be my dog? I'll take care of you from now on."
Fyren's eyelids twitched. "Why do you want me to invest in the Amusement City Project?"
"The Amusement City Project will become a landmark in Crystalpeak City. From now on, it'll be the new shopping, leisure, and entertainment hub. The potential is limitless."
Otto sat on the sofa, crossed his legs, and spoke leisurely. "Anyway, once this is done, I'll handle the project's finances. All revenue will be distributed by me. No one else can know—just you and me. The money is yours to spend, but the profits belong to me."
Fyren clenched his fists. "What if I refuse?"
"Hah." Otto stood and approached Fyren, patting his shoulder lightly. "You'll agree. Think about your family—your dad, your mom… Oh yeah, you've got a brother too, right?"
Inside, Sullivan Zhang nearly rushed out, but Cora held him down while Xena clamped a hand over his mouth, hissing at him to stay silent.
Otto smirked. "That idiot Iron King can go to hell—he's just a troublemaker. But there's still the Copper King, the Silver King, the Gold King… a hundred more worthless kings waiting for you. I don't even need to lift a finger to ruin your family. Think about it."
Hearing Otto's threats—especially when he mentioned mom—some of Fyren's sanity returned.
You can't fight a beast like this head-on. You have to outsmart it.
"Fine. I'll do it."
"Good. Remember—your life, your whole family's lives, are in my hands." Otto's voice was icy. "If you try anything, I'll make your entire family disappear."
With that, Otto left.
Fyren sat on the couch, expressionless.
No anger. No anxiety. No joy. No sorrow. Just calm—unnervingly calm.
He held his wineglass, staring out at the night, his smile laced with fury.
A group of people noisily exited the venue, but Fyren didn't even glance their way.
Xena approached first, forcing a smile. "Fyren…"
"Leave."
Fyren cut her off.
Xena persisted. "What's so great about him? If we work together, we can take him—"
Fyren turned his head, locking eyes with her. "This is between me and him. No one else gets involved. Stay away from me from now on."
Xena opened her mouth to argue, but Cora yanked her back, shaking her head.
Cora had never seen Fyren like this.
He had always been transparent—joyful or furious.
When he made money or seized an advantage, he'd practically bounce off the walls, wanting the whole world to know.
When he lost or got cheated, his rage would burn everyone around him.
But now?
Nothing.
But today, his silence suddenly seemed frightening.
The kind of frightening that sent chills down your spine.
Fyren continued staring out the window.
"Zaring, see them out."
Zaring knew full well that his boss was in the worst mood he'd ever been in.
Zaring whispered, "Everyone, go back and rest for now. The boss needs some time alone."
Zoey sighed and took out her recorder. "He threatened you today. Under normal procedures, you could sue him."
Fyren smiled.
At that moment, Fyren's smile looked slightly terrifying.
In reality, it was just an ordinary smile.
But for some reason, Zoey suddenly realized she might never have truly understood this man.
That single smile made Zoey feel slightly unhinged, realizing this person truly deserved to be both the eldest son of the Zhang family and the current president of Dasheng Group.
There really was a general's commanding presence about him.
While storms raged in his heart, his expression remained perfectly calm, his smile utterly bland.
Yet within that bland smile, one could see strength, patience, resilience, and unyielding determination.
Without realizing it, Zoey's voice softened. "Call the police immediately if you feel genuinely threatened."
Fyren smiled. "Thanks."
Passing Tracy, Fyren paused.
Tracy thought she was done for.
This was breaking and entering, with a police officer right there on scene. If Fyren made an issue of it, she'd be handcuffed by her own friend.
"I..."
"Ms. Tracy, thank you for your hard work. Go get some rest."
"Right now..."
"My apologies, I don't have time to talk today. I'll schedule another meeting with you."
Now even Zoey was confused.
Tracy had been invited by him!
Fyren entered the bedroom and lay on the bed, contemplating life.
This feeling of being at someone else's mercy was absolutely unbearable.
The guests left the house one by one, each lost in their own thoughts. Zoey and Tracy shared a car, while Cora and Xena - whose relationship had grown awkward as they both realized the other liked Fyren - exchanged stilted conversation before parting ways.
...
The next day, Mayor Ziv invited everyone to another meeting.
But on the street outside the government building, Fyren saw shantytown residents gathering in protest.
Many opposed Dasheng Group taking over the shantytown project, convinced that Fyren, as a corrupt businessman, was trying to exploit hardworking citizens...
As soon as Fyren stepped off the bus, he was surrounded by the crowd. Zaring and several bodyguards quickly formed a protective circle.
Eliza immediately instructed her people to rush over and assist, fearing Fyren might be torn apart by the angry mob.
Fyren maintained a stern expression and walked wordlessly toward the building. But after just a few steps, he saw a security guard shoving an elderly woman violently.
His suppressed anger erupted.
"Let go of her!" Fyren shouted, rushing forward without regard for his own safety. He tore the confused guard away from the woman.
"How old is she? Are you insane, pushing her like that?"
The old lady didn't appreciate Fyren's kindness at all. A rotten egg smashed into Fyren's face as she cursed angrily:
"Three years! This project has been going on for three years! We haven't seen a single penny! We've been renting apartments all over the place, and my grandchildren can't even get into school. My husband and I have had to stop our medications! You rich people live in villas and drive luxury cars - do you ever think about the poor? My son broke his leg delivering food and is still in the hospital!"
The bodyguard moved to push the old lady again, but Fyren shouted angrily, "Don't touch her!"
As the bodyguard loosened his grip, the old lady rushed forward, grabbing Fyren and scratching his face. Several bodyguards hurried over to intervene and separate them.
"Three different bosses already! You just take the money and run! You bloodsuckers! You're all scum..."
...
For a distance of less than two hundred meters, Fyren took over twenty minutes to walk.
Standing in the bathroom, Chloe's eyes reddened as she straightened Fyren's clothes, muttering, "What's wrong with these people! It's not like we're the ones who embezzled the money! If they want to blame someone, they should find the right people. Who have we offended..."
Fyren looked at his disheveled reflection in the mirror and suddenly smiled.
Chloe's phone rang: "Are you there yet? Hurry up! Use the back entrance and tell the guard Fyren's clothes are ruined and reek of rotten eggs - he can't attend the meeting like this! Quickly!"
Hanging up, Chloe apologized, "Fyren, just wait a little longer. The new clothes are already in the neighborhood - they'll be here soon."
"No, I'll go like this. Let's head to the meeting!"
"Fyren..."
...
In the meeting room, all eyes turned to Fyren the moment he entered.
Clearly, everyone had heard about the incident outside, and many already had videos of Fyren being pelted with rotten eggs on their phones.
Fyren, his face still flushed with scratch marks from the old woman, smiled and said, "Sorry to keep you all waiting."
Mayor Ziv looked embarrassed. "Fyren, I'm so sorry. The common people don't understand the situation - they can be impulsive. You must understand!"
"Understood." Fyren sat down gracefully as people around him discreetly covered their noses. The stench of rotten eggs was particularly pungent.
Mayor Ziv continued, "I've heard rumors that Dasheng Group might withdraw its investment. Fyren, I called this meeting so you could clarify things face-to-face..."
"What's there to clarify?!" Hogan stood up abruptly. "Everyone's saying Dasheng Group is backing out again after making promises! I don't care - if Dasheng withdraws, our $30 million donation is canceled too!"
With Hogan stirring the pot, many companies took sides, whispering among themselves. Some claimed Fyren was untrustworthy, mocking Mayor Ziv and Secretary Winnie. Others insisted Dasheng Group was unprofitable, using the shantytown project for publicity before pulling out, or that they needed to renegotiate their promised government assistance. Still others argued Fyren was just playing games - that he'd never accomplished anything serious in his life except profiting from others' misfortunes...
The meeting descended into chaos.
Yet none of the four major families spoke up.
Eliza remained silent, her gaze fixed on Fyren.
Cora and Xena neither engaged in discussions nor looked at anyone else - they simply stared at Fyren.
Mayor Ziv grew visibly angry.
Secretary Winnie, furious, finally exploded: "Order! Please maintain order in this meeting!"
Mayor Ziv sighed, his eyes flashing with suppressed anger. "Fyren," he said, "the floor is yours."
Fyren stood up and smiled once more.