Chapter 1

As the ultimate final boss of this urban romance novel, my only goal was simple: take it easy and stay alive.

I tossed a 600-million-dollar black card straight into the trash, incinerated a top-secret corporate strategy dossier, brushed off the female lead's desperate pleas for me to embrace my villain role, and flatly turned down a reclusive tycoon's offer to take me as his personal protégé.

Whenever the male lead sought to defeat me in our endless rivalry, I let him win without putting up a fight.

After cutting all ties with the chaotic main plotline, I retired to a slow, quiet life tending my garden, earning myself the title of the most laid-back villain the entire storyline had ever seen.

*****

I pressed a palm to my throbbing temple and dragged myself upright from an absurdly plush sofa.

Heavy silence filled the spacious room, broken only by a wall-mounted oversized flat-screen playing looping financial news segments.

One news ticker instantly snagged my attention.

"Lucas Carter, sole heir of the Carter Group, has single-handedly secured the Eastside Tech Park development contract, marking yet another landmark achievement in his business career."

"Did I really end up trapped here?" I murmured to myself, staring blankly into space for a long moment before I finally came to terms with my harsh new reality.

My name is Evan Sterling.

But I am not the original Evan Sterling.

I'd woken up trapped inside a work of fiction—the very urban business romance web novel I'd been reading right before I drifted off to sleep: Tycoon's Rise: From Rags to Global Dominance.

In this cutthroat narrative, I was the story's most infamous villain, the final endgame boss doomed to defeat and total ruin.

Born into an elite trillion-dollar legacy family, the original Evan wielded unmatched wealth, devastating good looks, and a razor-sharp intellect. He'd been locked in a bitter, all-consuming rivalry with Lucas Carter since childhood, competing with him in every field imaginable.

Yet the original Evan's downfall stemmed from his dangerous, obsessive fixation on Claire Summers. When Claire ultimately chose Lucas over him, he spiraled into irreversible darkness. He mobilized every resource at his disposal to wage a relentless, destructive war against his lifelong rival.

His fate was sealed from the start. His corporate empire crumbled into bankruptcy, every ally and associate abandoned him, and Lucas arranged a fatal "accident": a deadly fall from a river cliff that left Evan's death shrouded in suspicion.

He was nothing more than a tragic sacrificial pawn, a throwaway plot device crafted solely to fuel the male lead's meteoric rise to power.

A cold, mechanical voice suddenly echoed clearly inside my head.

"Host: Evan Sterling. Plot Forecasting System fully activated.

"Current Role: Supreme Final Villain, Urban Fiction World.

"Original Canon Ending: In three years' time, you will be eliminated by the male protagonist, Lucas Carter. Your entire business empire will fall to ruin, and you will serve as his final stepping stone on his climb to becoming the world's wealthiest tycoon."

I snatched an expensive vintage wine bottle off the coffee table and took a long, burning gulp straight from the bottle.

The liquor burned sharp and bitter, searing my throat with every swallow.

I'd been granted a second chance at life, and I refused to waste it as some disposable stepping stone.

What did limitless wealth, a breathtaking lady, or once-in-a-lifetime power opportunities even matter?

None of it could compare to the one thing that truly mattered: survival.

For me, the new Evan Sterling, life had only one unshakable rule.

Live simply, stay out of trouble, survive long enough to grow old, and steer clear of dramatic plot conflicts entirely.

The system must have picked up on my resolve, as a new system prompt materialized in my mind seconds later.

"Daily Mandatory Plot Opportunity Unlocked: Hidden within the company's underground parking garage lies an exclusive card preloaded with an unlimited 600-million-dollar credit line.

"Claim this card to seize the South Riverside land development project, rebuild your corporate influence, and engage in your first head-to-head clash with protagonist Lucas Carter."

600 million dollars.

The lucrative South Riverside development rights.

Just hearing those words sent a cold shiver down my spine.

I let out a dry scoff.

This was no golden opportunity—it was a signed death warrant.

This exact black card had sparked the original Evan's deadly feud with Lucas. It was the first critical misstep that trapped him into his doomed, tragic fate.

As if I'd ever make the same foolish mistake.

Not a single chance.

The second my workday ended, I grabbed my coat and bolted for the exit without a single second's delay.

I actively avoided the underground parking garage entirely, opting for the staff service hallway instead—there was no way I'd risk crossing paths with that cursed plot-triggering card.

But no matter how carefully I dodged fate, some pivotal plot events were simply unavoidable.

As I neared the garage entrance, a hard, solid object crunched sharply beneath my shoe, catching me off guard.

I glanced down.

There it was. A sleek black-and-gold card inlaid with tiny diamonds, lying plainly on the concrete floor. Overhead ceiling lights glinted off its polished surface, casting dazzling, almost blinding reflections.

The head of security spotted it instantly, his voice trembling with disbelief and awe.

"Mr. Sterling! That's the World Financial Center's legendary Global Elite Black Card! Only three exist in the entire city! Your luck is beyond extraordinary!"

Off-duty staff quickly swarmed the area, gathering around to stare.

Every pair of eyes was fixed on the card, brimming with envy, greed, and stunned disbelief—every extreme emotion imaginable laid bare on their faces.

"Mr. Sterling, you're truly blessed!" one staffer exclaimed.

"With this card in your hands, the Sterling Group is bound to reach unprecedented new heights!" another added.

I bent down to pick the card up.

The crowd fell dead silent, all holding their breath as they waited for me to claim this staggering windfall.

I hefted the card in my palm; it was surprisingly lightweight.

In the next heartbeat, I tossed it directly into a nearby trash bin, and even stomped the lid shut a few times for good measure.

"Tacky, worthless plastic. It's nothing but ugly clutter blocking the walkway," I remarked with a dismissive frown.

I gestured to the nearby janitor and said casually, "Please dispose of this trash. We don't need anyone tripping and getting hurt."

Complete, dead silence crashed over the garage entrance in an instant.

The security captain's jaw hung wide open, frozen in utter shock.

The onlookers exchanged panicked, bewildered glances, too stunned to speak a word.