The Art of Wealth: I Became a Billionaire - Chapter 7: Lesson One… Trade by Barter [1]

“Block him.”“He's technically still my boss.”“Then block him with dignity.”The call ended again.And then started again.I let out a sound somewhere between a growl and a sob, then finally answered with the enthusiasm of a snail crawling through salt.“Yes, Mr. Walton?”“Have you changed your mind yet?”I collapsed onto the towel and gazed at the sky as though it might consume me entirely if I pleaded sweetly enough.“Do you ever take a break?” I asked, shielding my eyes with one hand.“You're avoiding the question.”“Because it's a dumb question.”He exhaled, the sound sharp and irritated even over phone. “It's not a dumb question. It's a business offer.”“It's a weird offer-one that I already said no to.”There was a brief pause, and I could practically hear him clenching his jaw through the speaker.“You are acting unreasonably.”“ Unreasonable?” I sat up. “I'm not the one drafting fake girlfriend contracts like it's a normal Tuesday.”“Isabella-”“Certainly not, Mr. Walton.” I mimicked his tone perfectly. “I told you I'm not doing it. You need to find someone else to play pretend with.”SYNOPSISIsabella Miller thought saying no to her boss’s fake dating offer was the end of the story.But Adrien Walton doesn’t take no—especially not when he’s convinced she’s a gold digger.Suddenly, her student loans are piling up, her father’s vet clinic is on the brink of eviction and her brother is about to be kicked out of college. Coincidence? She thinks not.Adrien Walton is calm, calculating—and he's just pulled every string to corner Isabella into the perfect position.Now she’s stuck choosing between pride and survival.So she agrees to his offer: be his fake girlfriend.No feelings attached. No drama. Just business.Or so she thought.“Conference Room B. Fifteen minutes,” he said, passing by without a glance.The folder he pushed across the table landed with a thud.I opened it. The contract. All of it.---Enemies to lovers? Check.Slow burn? Hmmnyea.Banter so sharp it might file your nails? Yes.Delicious workplace tension? Of course.Tension that could melt steel?Absolutely.Smut?? Wanna find out?Welcome to corporate romance warfare. There’s no escaping this contract.

[Please select your difficulty. Choose very carefully, as it will determine everything.][Easy] [Normal] [Hard] [Nightmare] [Hell]“Hell, obviously!”------------Sam Walker, an average office worker, transmigrates into the world of the game he hates the most: [Forsakened].In this world, the apocalypse descended on Earth and merged with the [Forsaken] realm.The select few chosen, known as Awakeners, could explore this realm to gain tremendous strength and treasures.Sam didn't have any expectations, but surprisingly, he unlocked an SSS-Rank Class.[Primordial.]Alongside his class, Sam unlocked a unique skill that allowed all of his skills to evolve infinitely.“If this game truly wants me dead in this difficulty... then I'll fight back with everything I have!”...[You have evolved “Master Sword Technique” into “Primordial Sword Technique”][You have evolved “Fire Meteor” into “Supernova”][You have evolved “Powerful Shield” into “Ultimate Barrier”]...Nothing could stop him now.

In her past life, Meng Yu couldn't understand why her mother would give the university admission she worked so hard to earn to her younger sister and even sell her off to a remote village as a common wife, just to raise travel funds for her sister.Reborn, Jiang Meng Yu has just escaped from human traffickers, only to be caught by a 'buyer husband'. The fiancé her mother had originally set up for her, whose identity was usurped by her sister, comes to her rescue. She says, 'You saved me, I have nothing to give you as repayment but myself.' Yet when her mother comes, she coolly claps her hands and walks away with her.Captain Gu traps Meng Yu against the wall: 'Flirt with me and then want to run? No way!'Meng Yu resists: 'That was just a temporary measure for revenge.'Captain Gu leans in: 'We've planned everything, let's go with it. I'll help you take your revenge, and you just need to repay the favor.'A slightly silly Meng Yu asks: 'What favor is that?'Captain Gu smirks: 'The life-saving favor that should be repaid with oneself.'Meng Yu: 'Is this fox really the officer I knew in my past life?'

Xi Wan transmigrated into a novel! The system tied to her notified her that there had been changes in the major roles in the story!

Firstly, the female protagonist was tied to an external hacking system! Secondly, the male protagonist was aware of the entire novel’s content! Thirdly, the villain in the novel was reborn and returned! Meanwhile, she had become an enemy to all three of them.

As a major character in the novel, she needed to appear at fixed intervals to maintain stability in the world.

‘So, did you send me here to die?’ Xi Wan wondered.[You can choose to appease the female protagonist, fight for the male protagonist, or join forces with the villain. You have three options to change your fate!] The system announced.

Xi Wan snorted and rolled her eyes.

She would not choose from any of these three options. Hence, in the face of a tricky situation, while the system tried persuading her to clear her name, Xi Wan decisively backed out. She became an investor instead. Xi Wan smiled at the female protagonist’s friend.

“It’s my pleasure to inform you that you have been kicked out!”

[She’s the female protagonist’s friend. You can use her to win the female protagonist over! But... Nevermind. Since you don’t want to suck up to the female protagonist, you can choose to win the male protagonist over instead,] the system responded. When the male protagonist suddenly appeared in front of Xi Wan, she raised her brows.

“Do you know why I haven’t reached out to you all this time?” Xi Wan asked. The male protagonist shook his head.

”It’s because I don’t want you to become someone who ruins another person’s marriage. Be a good boy, and forget about me.”

Xi Wan gently touched the male protagonist’s face and walked away.When the system saw Xi Wan getting rid of two leading characters in quick succession, it instantly realized what she was up to.

“I get it now. You want to join forces with the villain!” However, Xi Wan whistled as soon as she met the villain for the first time.

“Hey, handsome! When are you free? Shall we get a divorce?”

Just as the system believed this world could not be salvaged after seeing Xi Wan’s behavior, it realized Xi Wan not only escaped from her original fate, which was a terrible one, but she also became increasingly popular!

The villain, reborn and waiting for Xi Wan to betray him, fell deep into thought after seeing Xi Wan live her leisurely life.’

Who am I? Where am I? I feel like a joke for being so defensive against you...’ The villain thought.