Chapter 3: Offer??—Rejected

The infamous Ice Beauty walked straight toward Yang Tie. Her cold, refined aura made people instinctively step aside. As she drew closer, Yang Tie instinctively activated his ability—Electric Eyes.

"Ouch!" A sharp pain stabbed through his head. His vision blurred, and his power instantly shut down.

He blinked in confusion. I can't see through her? he thought, surprised. Did I lose my ability?

Determined to check, he reactivated Electric Eyes and glanced at Guan Sen, the nurse standing nearby. Through her, everything was crystal clear. Then, he turned again to the Ice Beauty—

"Agh!" Another wave of pain shot through his skull. His power cut off again.

What the hell? Is there a limit to this power? Frustration flared inside him. No... it's her. Just like last time, when I tried to see through that reinforced wall. She's not ordinary.

Lost in thought, he barely noticed when the Ice Beauty stopped before him. Guan Sen stood silently beside her, watching.

"Are you Yang Tie?" the girl asked, her voice cold and mechanical.

"Yes," he replied simply.

"Do you know who I am?" she pressed.

"No, I don't," he answered honestly. As a poor orphan juggling part-time jobs, he had no time for social elites.

What a fool, she thought, or maybe just pretending.

"I'm the Vice Director of the Lin Group. My name is—"

"Are you the one who hit me in the rain?" Yang Tie cut in flatly.

She just interrupted me? she fumed silently. Is that his idea of style? Trash. She was used to people fawning over her—not this.

"No," she replied colder. "It was the young miss—the daughter of the Lin Group's director."

"So, Miss Vice Director, what do you want from me?" Yang Tie asked, staring into her eyes. He couldn't see through her with Electric Eyes, but he wasn't afraid to meet her gaze.

"You work at XX Clinic, part-time courier, live in XXX district, apartment 3B, right?" she recited his details like a dossier.

Yang Tie coughed. A tear welled up in his eye. How... how does she know all that?

"Are you okay?" Guan Sen asked, concerned.

"I'm fine," he said. Her concern warmed his heart. A nurse worrying about him—an orphan always on his own—meant something. He even wondered, Could she be my girlfriend? Then he shook the thought off. He barely supported himself.

He turned back to the Vice Director. "How do you know about me?" he asked coldly.

"Of course I know," she snapped. "Finding someone like you is easier than buying an egg at the market."

"So, what do you want, Vice Director?"

"You!" she said, irritation flashing. No one had ever spoken to her so casually—certainly not like this.

"Yes? What about me?"

"I want you to forget what happened last night," she said icily.

"Why?" he asked.

"Name your price," she snapped.

"Price?" Yang Tie frowned, genuinely confused.

You really are an idiot, she thought, biting back the words.

"How much do you want to drop the case?" she clarified, fists clenched.

"Oh. The police case? Why should I drop it? Your 'miss' hit me. I'm in the hospital. Shouldn't she be punished? What if I had died?"

"You!! She's the daughter of the Lin Group! You want her to go to jail?" she hissed.

"Why not? She crashed into me, didn't she?"

"But you're alive!"

"And I'm injured," he shot back, showing his bandages.

"Exactly why I'm asking your damn price!" she shouted.

"Miss Vice Director, not everything can be solved with money."

"Shut up! Don't bite off more than you can chew. Do you even know who I am?"

"Yes," he said calmly. "A spoiled rich girl."

"What did you say?" she growled, eyes frosty.

"Are you deaf?" he snapped back.

"You—! Just wait!" She turned sharply and stormed off.

"Wait, Miss Spoiled Director," Yang Tie called, suddenly worried.

"What now, you foolish brat?" she snapped without turning.

"It's not that I want to talk to a rich, spoiled lady like you," he said, "but I'm worried. You know about me. You know that in three months, I'm finally starting high school—something I've worked really hard for. Please don't ruin that for me."

For the first time, her icy expression softened.

"You really see me that way?" she asked, voice quieter—almost hurt.

"Yes," he said firmly, locking eyes with her.

Why... does that hurt? she thought. Why does his honesty sting more than any flattery I've heard?

"Tell me your price," she said at last. "I won't cancel your school admission."

"Really?" he asked, doubtful.

"Yes. Just say it."

"Alright. Just pay my hospital bills."

"That's all?"

"Yes."

"Fine. Guan Sen, prepare the bill," she ordered.

"Yes, ma'am," the nurse replied respectfully.

The Ice Beauty turned back to Yang Tie, her face unreadable. "I won't touch your school admission," she said, "but you'll regret those words you said to me."

BAM.

She stormed off.

A single tear slid down her cheek as she turned the corner—a tear she didn't even notice. Fool... idiot... she cursed him silently. What she didn't realize was that her own fate was about to change, just like Yang Tie's.

Yang Tie, without Electric Eyes, never saw the tear. But maybe… someday, he would.

Meanwhile, Guan Sen, who had watched quietly, was stunned.

She had known the Ice Beauty for years, but this was the first time she'd seen her act like this—especially in front of a man.

"You..." she looked at Yang Tie, amazed and a little disappointed. He had just rejected a golden offer. The Lin Group was the pinnacle of the city's elite—and no one said no to them.

But soon, she would see.Everyone would.

"What?" Yang Tie asked, puzzled by her expression.

End of Prologue. To be continued in Volume 2