Lady Virelia Nightbane

Ava's Family Estate

Sophia, the adopted daughter of Ava's family, lay on the lavish white leather couch, ice packs pressed against both her cheeks. Her face was still swollen from the slap Leo gave her, the imprint of his fingers yet to fade.

"Miss," her assistant whispered cautiously, "everyone in the group has resigned, and all construction sites have ceased operations. Without the family's help, Ava Carter will never manage to keep the company afloat."

He leaned in closer.

"Once construction halts permanently, the public's outrage will explode—and Ava will be the sole target."

He smirked slightly. "By then, if you move in and lend a 'helping hand,' all the credit will be yours."

Sophia's lips curled into a wicked smile.

"Perfect. That company always belonged to me in my eyes. There's no way I'll let Ava take it from me."

Her voice turned cold. "She told me to be careful... not to cause trouble? Ha!"

As she remembered Ava's warning from the car that night, her rage boiled.

"Hiss..." Sophia winced as her cheek flared in pain. Her eyes turned red.

"And that lowly follower of hers! He dared to slap me—again and again! If I don't get revenge, I'm not Sophia!"

---

Back at Su Group Headquarters

Inside a repurposed machine room, Leo sat before a brand-new high-performance computer. His fingers moved like a concert pianist across the keyboard.

Crackling!

The screen rapidly filled with lines of dense, complex code.

Thanks to earning Ava's trust, Leo had gained god-tier hacking skills—and now he was putting them to use.

If he couldn't speed-run the current mission due to insufficient loyalty points, he'd brute-force it himself.

Minutes later, he finished compiling a custom-coded diffusion virus. It wasn't malicious—it was a smart infiltration tool.

He hit send.

Then, almost casually, he pulled out a USB drive and plugged it in, muttering with a grin: "Ava Carter, let's have some fun working together."

---

Meanwhile, in Riverdale Central Plaza

A group of newly graduated students sat miserably around a flower bed.

"Man, I just want a job with weekends off. Why is that too much to ask?" one complained.

Another snorted. "I messaged a recruiter once asking about weekends. He told me young people should suffer, blocked me, and ghosted me."

They all sighed.

"I majored in information security. Every job I see wants three years' experience minimum."

"I took accounting. Worked at a company for a month, got one day off, earned barely $1800, no benefits. I quit."

Then, something strange happened.

Pop-up notifications appeared on all their phones.

> [Su Group Talent Recruitment Announcement]

Hiring: Financial Analysts, Marketing Specialists, Software Engineers, Civil Engineers, Legal Consultants...

Benefits: $10,000+ salary, 4-day work week, holiday gift cards, year-end stock dividends.

Location: 1 Riverdale Road

Click [Reserve] to apply.

They all looked at one another.

"Is this real? Or a scam text?"

"Su Group is the real estate giant in Riverdale... no way they'd hire us fresh grads."

"Still… they even listed civil engineers. Are they rebuilding?"

"Screw it. Let's click reserve. If they ask for banking info, we back out."

"Agreed."

They all clicked.

---

One Hour Later – Su Group HQ

Inside Ava's office.

She sat behind her desk, brows furrowed, fingers tapping rhythmically against the surface.

Documents were spread before her—financial reports, contract files, audit records. Every one of them shouted the same thing: losses. Collapse. Disaster.

Several were tied to major real estate projects, now suspended.

According to Zhulan's report, all sites had stopped, and the previous team leaders left no room for compensation. They had prepared well, left no legal fault, and simply… vanished.

Unfinished construction could trigger investor panic and lawsuits.

Ava clenched her fists.

"This reeks of Sophia's handiwork!"

She tried to stay calm but... WHY IS THIS MY REBIRTH ARC?!

Why can't I be the cool protagonist with cheat codes and loyal armies?

She inhaled deeply and poured over each document, trying to pinpoint every weak spot.

It was clear. Internal corruption. Failed projects. Financial mismanagement.

If I find proof… I'll drag every one of those rats to jail!

Knock knock – click.

Leo entered, holding a USB stick.

"Leo?" Ava blinked. "Didn't you go out for recruitment?"

Leo smiled and approached the desk. "Miss, during recruitment, I found some criminal evidence on our former team leaders."

He set the USB down.

"You'll want to see this."

Ava stared, blinking. "Wait… you got evidence already? I was just thinking about finding it. Are you reading my mind?"

She plugged in the drive.

Ten seconds later, her jaw dropped.

"How did you get this?!"

[Loyalty value +5]

Leo chuckled modestly. "Let's just say... a retired hacker once taught me a few tricks."

Ava's eyes widened.

First he knew ancient medicine. Then divination. Now hacking?

Is this guy the reincarnation of a protagonist?!

He radiated golden-boy energy. Charisma. Competence. A shining aura.

She beamed. "By the way, how's recruitment going? I know we're tight on time, but even one or two hires helps…"

Leo smiled mysteriously and gestured to the window behind her.

"Miss, I'm here to report that... we're full."

"FULL?!" Ava shot up from her chair.

She dashed to the window and looked down.

Her eyes widened. Her breath caught.

Below, an ocean of people stood in front of the building. Eager faces, documents in hand, ready to work.

They filled every inch of the plaza.

Ava: (ΩДΩ) "Leo, you're a superhuman!"

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