Valkyrie's Shadow - Chapter 3Winter’s Crown: Act 5,

After reincarnating as Zhou Xuanji, the prince of an empire, he thought that he would be able to live a worry-free life of luxury. He did not expect to be involved in a rivalry with the Empress herself, who forced him to escape from the palace.

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Isabella Thompson, who was abandoned in a village was suddenly brought home by her rich parents.

Her father: You are different from your sister. She has a bright future ahead and is destined to be a phoenix who would soar the skies! There's no way she would marry a cripple! You are getting off easy here!

Her mother: The Yu family is rich and powerful. Standing in for your sister in marriage is your food fortune! Know what's good for you!

Theodore Yu used to be a famous prodigy, but lost his glow after a car accident and didn't even make it to high school. With one being a poor village bumpkin and the other a well-known piece of trash, they were a match for each other.

But while everyone was waiting for Miss Thompson to make a fool of herself, she and that piece of trash appeared at a banquet where big shots gathered.

Isabella Thompson: I came to work as a waitress.

Theodore Yu: What a coincidence, I'm here to work part-time as well.

Hence, everyone watched as they carried trays around for the whole night.

***

On the day of their marriage, every important figure in the capital attended.

Big Shot One: I'll help make arrangements for Mr. Yu's grand wedding!

Big Shot Two: Welcome back to the capital, Miss Thompson!

Big Shot Three:...

Seeing those big shots who persistently made headlines, Grace Thompson was filled with regretful tears.

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This is a time of great powers: The vast Persia, Sparta that was founded by force, Athens with its trade and business, Thebes the rising star, The ambitious Macedonia, The twin heroes of the Western Mediterranean, The rising Rome and so on.

This is an era of brilliant stars: Agesilaus II – the last king of Sparta, Epaminondas – the Rising General of Thebes, Philip II – the founder of Macedonian’s hegemon, Dionysius – the tyrant of Syracuse, Camillus – the Roman dictator and savior…

This is an era of contention among a hundred schools of thought: Plato – the great philosopher, Antisthenes – founder of cynicism, Pythagoras – school of number, Democritus – the encyclopedia scholar, Hippocrates – the father of western medicine, Aristophanes – the great dramatist…

What will the hero bring to the world when he comes to this age as a humble mercenary through rebirth?

Lao Chen was just an old, underpaid security guard in a rundown apartment complex, living a miserable life under a stingy, ungrateful boss.His wife left him, his daughter wanted nothing to do with him, and poverty was his only constant companion.In the end, death came in the form of a drunk driver, leaving him broken and forgotten on the cold pavement.But fate wasn’t done with him. In his final moments, he prayed—desperate, pleading to any deity who would listen.And someone did.The God of Wealth and Love took pity on his wasted life and granted him a second chance.Wake up again as Zhao Yiming, a 25-year-old gambler and alcoholic drowning in debt with nothing but a good face and a strong body to his name, he was given the Affinity Money Maker System—a mysterious power that let him gain wealth and influence by forming relationships, whether as lovers, friends, or even enemies.Before he knew it, he had stumbled his way into unimaginable riches.But things never go as planned. One moment of recklessness—one affair with the wrong woman—led to an unexpected murder.Now, the system has thrown him onto a new path: The Villain Route. With a negative perk that keeps the police off his trail but tightens the noose around his future, Zhao Yiming is faced with an impossible choice.Will he claw his way to the top and become the billionaire he was meant to be? Or will his second life end behind bars, just as tragic as his first?