Chronicles of the Hidden Crown: The System's Gentle Tyrant - Chapter 40: The Expansion of Hidden Crown – Outward Bound

After a shocking reincarnation, our hero opens her eyes to a new (and messy) world the last thing she remembers is reading Lady Viper’s Vow, a dark fantasy novel about a cruel, misunderstood villainess and her path of doom. But when our protagonist finds herself reborn right in the heart of an attack, she’s moments away from a second, way-too-soon death. Just as she’s about to face the end, a mysterious “system” pops up with a single mission: Level Up or Die Trying. It’s bossy, snarky, and her new best friend. As she levels up into a borderline-cheater powerhouse, she discovers her fate isn’t to be a hero, a princess, or even a sorceress, but to protect the one person no one ever expected her to side with: the villainess herself.

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?

The truant king Tang Xiaowan was poisoned and forced to hide in a secret passage.After escaping danger, she traveled to numerous cities. In the process of drawing out the mastermind behind the scenes, the truth gradually came to light, revealing that it all related closely to a certain plant.Tang Xiaowan had her own plans, not only aiming to save her life and succeed in academics, love, and career, but also to seek revenge using the other party's methods.

Avery Carter discovered that she wasn't her parents' biological child.After living with them for so many years, she discovered she was separated from her twin sister, during a fire at the hospital where they were born. In the chaos, the twins were switched, and she was sent home with the wrong family.She was a fake heiress.When their real daughter returned, she was abandoned and she was sent away to her barren birthplace.After returning to her real family, many people expect her to fall from grace, but she surprises everyone by lifting her biological family out of poverty.Rising to the upper class, she befriends celebrities and engages in battles of wits and courage with bitches and jerks.Now the most important thing for her is to draw a clear line with this dangerous billionaire, Alexander Moran, a businessman who arrived in the City on a mission to secure a deal with V Group and find medical help for his sister. However, meeting Avery turns his attention to her. He is fascinated by her strength and the way she handles everything thrown her way. The more he interacts with her, the deeper his admiration grows.What starts as a business venture soon takes a personal turn. Alexander is not only impressed by Avery’s professional abilities but also her charm. As they get closer, he finds himself wanting more than just a business deal – he wants to win her heart too.