Kyoto City, where lives run on money and power.
Today was the birthday of Sarena, the daughter of the city's most powerful business family, the Takahashi Group.
The event was so grand that even the invitation card's design was diamond-engraved.
All the city's young masters, billionaires, and elite heirs, dressed in designer suits one flashier than the other drenched in expensive perfumes, had come to the party to flaunt their status.
Standing in the corner was Kenji Yun, the young master of the Yun Group black hair, black eyes, brimming with arrogance. He glanced at his best friend Kaito and said:
"Brother, Miss Sarena is the number one beauty of our city."
Kaito, the stylish heir with blond hair and brown eyes, adjusted his golden cufflinks and smirked:
"Yeah, but her attitude is also number one. Last time I proposed… she didn't even look at me."
Before their conversation could end, loud noises were heard outside the party hall.
Curious, everyone stepped outside.
And there stood a boy…
Black hair. Green eyes. Six feet tall. A presence too hard to ignore.
But his clothes weren't branded they were simple. The guards stopped him:
"Show your invitation card."
The boy replied calmly:
"I'm invited, but I don't have the card."
Kenji, slightly surprised, turned to Kaito and said:
"Hey, isn't that Li? We went to the same school. But he's poor. What's he doing here?"
Then, he shouted at the guard:
"Kick him out! This trash must be here just for free food."
Kaito stifled a laugh:
"These people act rich, but in reality, they can't even afford a decent suit."
Just then, someone shoved them hard from behind.
Kaito, furious, turned around and snapped:
"Who the hell"
But the moment he saw who it was, his breath hitched. In a choked voice, he stammered:
"M-Miss Sarena!?"
Sarena, with her black silky hair, deep blue eyes, and beauty so radiant it dimmed the entire party's lights, walked straight to Li, hugged him, and said:
"Sorry, I'm late."
Li placed a hand on her head and replied:
"It's fine."
The entire hall fell dead silent.
Tycoons. Billionaire heirs. Models. Influencers
All eyes were glued to them.
Li and Sarena held hands and walked inside.
And as he walked, a voice echoed in Li's mind:
"Sarena's trust in the host has increased by 2%."
"Current trust level in the host: 92%."
Sarena's bounty was 10 billion yuan,
so 2% meant 200 million yuan had just been deposited into his bank account.
And so far, the host had earned 9.2 billion yuan from Sarena.
Looking at the screen, Li thought to himself:
"I wasn't always like this…"
6 months ago
A luxury district glowing under neon lights. 8 PM. Expensive cars on the roads, fashion billboards, loud music blaring from clubs.
In a dark corner of this glamorous city, Li stood on a broken footpath.
Disheveled. An outsider in a designer world.
His face was streaked with tears, as if a dream had just shattered.
In front of him stood Liya, his girlfriend of 7 years.
Li asked in a broken voice:
"Why are you leaving me?"
Liya laughed, with hatred in her eyes:
"Because you have no money. The young master of the Song Haw Group proposed to me.
And you? You're just a loser selling dreams."
Li looked at her desperately: "But I'm working hard, aren't I!?"
But then
A luxury car slowly pulled up beside them.
Inside sat a stylish guy red hair, black eyes, so arrogant his gaze didn't even acknowledge Li.
The window rolled down. The guy removed his sunglasses and smirked coldly:
"Liya, I've been waiting. Finally dumped that garbage?"
As Liya smiled, her new boyfriend came out and kicked Li in the stomach, making him fall away as he groaned in pain.
Liya couldn't hold back her laugh. Right in front of Li, she opened the car door, sat inside, and placed her hand on the guy's shoulder, saying:
"Let's go, babe. Last night was amazing. Time for round two."
Then, looking back at Li, she gave a sarcastic smile:
"People like you only write emotional poetry.
In the real world, only money talks."
With that, the car sped away with a sharp turn.
Leaving behind silence… and Li, who just stood there, watching.
He kept asking himself the same question:
"Why did this happen to me?"
"Does everything come down to money?"
"Should I just die?"
"No… death isn't the last option."
"From now on, I won't be anyone's dog. I'll live for myself and rule this world."
And then
In that darkness… a transparent screen flashed in the air.
Ding… ding…
A mechanical girl's voice echoed:
"Congratulations, host. You have unlocked the Supreme Girlfriend-Making System."
Li widened his eyes in confusion: "Have I gone crazy?"
The system's voice was calm and cold:
"This world runs on money. Love is sold. Relationships are traded.
We will pay you to get girlfriends.
Your income depends on a girl's trust level, background, and looks."
Li, still confused, asked: "How does the bounty work?"
The system replied:
"The higher-profile the girl, the bigger the bounty.
For example, if a girl's bounty is 1 billion yuan and you earn 10% trust, you get 100 million."
Li scoffed: "Nice joke. I'm leaving."
The system went silent. The screen started fading.
Li turned to walk away, but then another voice rang:
"Ding! Host, a girl has been detected within 100 meters.
Looks: 88 points. Bounty details will unlock once trust level initiates…"
"If you earn 100% trust from a girl…
She will become completely loyal and emotionally bound to you."