[Chapter 1] To save my seriously ill mother, I accepted a deadly gamble from a mysterious System: Transfer to a new, elite school, act like a high-profile rich kid, and if I don't get exposed for three months, I'll get ten billion dollars. But if I am exposed, both my mother and I will die instantly. With trembling hands, I spent the last two thousand dollars my family had to buy second-hand designer clothes and bags from an online resale platform. I never expected that the very first outfit I bought belonged to the class beauty. The first time she laid eyes on me, she saw right through my act. On the first day of school, I rented a red Maserati and made my grand entrance amidst everyone's envious stares. As soon as I stepped out of the car, all eyes were glued to me, buzzing with gossip. The System's praise chimed in my ear: "Yes, just like that! Be high-profile and grab everyone's attention!" I casually tossed my hair, took off my sunglasses, and strutted through the crowd with an arrogant gait. "What a dump of a school. The drainage system is terrible; it rained the day before yesterday and the ground is still wet." "And these parking spots are way too narrow. Couldn't they buy some more land and expand?" Sure enough, everyone's attention was drawn to me, sizing me up from head to toe. "Another rich girl. Our class is practically a country club for second-generation heirs!" An exceptionally pretty girl walked over, tugged at my clothes, and examined them closely. My heart tightened. Did I buy a fake? But the resale platform has authentication channels; it's practically impossible. Unless... I coincidentally bought hers? My heart pounded nervously. If that was true, and she found out, wouldn't I be dead? Just then, Chloe spoke up in a leisurely tone: "This outfit is a custom Chanel piece, isn't it? Very expensive, right?" "Which prominent family are you from? Why haven't I seen you before?" I forced myself to stay calm, casually brushing off the spot she had touched: "Just a little pocket change. I liked it, so I bought it." "My family is from New York. I've always wanted to experience life in California, so I came to Coastline University." Chloe continued probing, "Is that car you just drove your family's too?" "Yeah, I just grabbed a random one and drove out. It seems a bit too flashy..." "Sigh, but none of the cars in our garage aren't flashy. Even the nanny drives a Porsche to get groceries." Several classmates around us widened their eyes. "Looks like she's the richest one in our class." "Those guys bragging earlier can't even compare to her..." Chloe also grabbed my arm with a friendly face: "It seems your family does big business. Please look out for me in the future!" "My stingy dad only gives me a thousand bucks a month for allowance. I'll be relying on you from now on!" I patted my chest generously: "No problem, no problem." Chloe returned to her circle of rich kids. I let out a huge sigh of relief. Looks like I passed the test. But the System's serious voice sounded in my ear: "Bad news, Chloe saw right through you." I was shocked: "That outfit isn't really hers, is it?" "It is." "She accidentally got a drop of oil on it and sold it. She just found that exact oil spot on your clothes." [Chapter 2] I panicked completely: "What do I do? Did I fail the mission? Are my mom and I going to die?" The System replied, "Not quite. You only fail if you are exposed to your face." "Although she saw through you, she hasn't exposed you, so you can still hang on." "She's currently telling everyone your background. Do you want to listen?" I nodded frantically. Their conversation filtered into my eardrums. "You think I'd misrecognize my own clothes? That girl is a total fraud." "I bet her car is sketchy too." A boy's voice chimed in, "Let me go check the license plate and have my dad look it up." Chloe said, "The license plate is A11223. I secretly took a picture of it earlier." Another boy spoke up, "What? I think that's a car from my family's rental agency!" "Let me ask the staff to confirm." "Look at the renter info my staff just sent. The name is Harper! That car was rented from my family's agency!" "Hilarious! She picked the wrong place to show off. Our class has the most rich kids in the whole school." "So pathetic. If she had tried this in any other class, she probably wouldn't have been caught so fast." "So, who's going to expose her? I love watching posers get slapped in the face!" Chloe spoke up smugly: "What's the fun in exposing her right now? If she wants to pretend, let's play along." "She pretends to be rich, so we'll spend her money. Isn't that more interesting?" "Oh, by the way, if you guys have any clothes you're tired of, list them on the second-hand site and set them so only she can see them." "Preferably items with marks on them, something recognizable." "Set the price low, so she can afford them." "When we're done playing her for a fool, we'll use these to expose her and make her make a massive fool of herself!" Soon after, my phone chimed continuously with notifications: [New luxury second-hand items you follow have been listed.] Clicking into it, I saw several Dior and Chanel pieces originally priced at tens or hundreds of thousands, now listed for just a few hundred dollars. I decisively placed orders for all of them. The System yelled in panic: "Are you crazy? Aren't you just handing them evidence on a silver platter?" "If they expose you, you'll die!" I smiled. "They're having too much fun playing right now; they won't expose me just yet." "If I don't let them have their fun, that's when they might expose me at any moment." Chloe, leading her little clique of rich kids, began to surround me and shower me with praise. "Look at Harper's aura, totally different from us commoners." "Compared to Harper, we're basically peasants!" "Harper, I really want to go to The Grand Pearl for a nice meal, but my allowance is too low. How about you treat us all?" I nodded and agreed, "Sure! Let's do it this Saturday. Everyone come!" The System shrieked: "Are you insane? Do you know how much a table at The Grand Pearl costs? The cheapest is $60,000!" [Chapter 3] I asked blankly: "If I refused, wouldn't I be violating the rule about being high-profile?" The System fell silent for a moment, then stammered: "That, that... but where are you going to get that kind of money!" I pointed at the pile of newly bought clothes on my bed: "By using the money they sent me, of course." I took the clothes and bags I bought from them for a few hundred dollars, selected a few, and listed them online, blocking their IDs. Very quickly, I made $150,000. The System was astounded: "You can do that? You're so smart..." I said flatly: "I'm not smart, I just want to live." On the day of the dinner, they chattered away, coordinating their act. "Can I order the Australian lobster? It's so expensive..." "Can we get a good vintage for the red wine?" "Look how petty you guys are being. Why are you even asking? Just order! Boss Harper isn't short on cash!" "Right, Boss Harper?" I smiled and nodded: "Of course. As long as everyone enjoys themselves, don't worry about saving me money." Soon, a table full of exotic delicacies was served. After we were full, the waiter walked in: "Hello, the total comes to $126,000. Who will be settling the bill?" Chloe and the others looked at me, suppressing smirks, as if waiting for a good show. Under their watchful eyes, I pulled out my card and handed it to the waiter. Chloe's shoulders were even shaking as she whispered to the boy next to her: "Let's see how she handles it when the machine says 'Insufficient Funds'." But before she even finished her sentence, the waiter successfully swiped the card and handed me the receipt: "Here you go." Everyone present was dumbfounded. The half-formed smiles on their faces mixed with their current shock, twisting their expressions like clowns. I looked at their stunned faces, pretending to be confused: "What's wrong with you guys? Haven't you ever eaten such good food before? Still savoring the taste?" "Makes sense. Seeing you all wolfing down the food earlier, I felt too embarrassed to eat much, afraid I'd steal your share." Actually, I didn't know how to eat those high-end foods and was afraid of making a fool of myself, so I only had a few bites of the cold dishes. "Well, you guys take your time savoring it. I'm going to head out." I turned and left the restaurant. The System spoke in my ear, lingering fear in its voice: "Thank goodness they only ordered $126,000 worth. If it went over $150,000, you would have died!" I raised an eyebrow slightly: "Although they have money, their allowance isn't that much." "While they wanted to see me humiliate myself by not being able to pay, they also knew that if I couldn't pay, they would have to." "So they'd order a maximum of $120,000 or so. Any more, and they couldn't afford to cover it themselves. I had it all calculated." The System, while admiring me, relayed the voices from the private dining room. "Chloe, didn't you swear she was faking it? How did she drop $126,000 on a meal without blinking an eye?" "Could she actually have a serious background?" "You said we were going to play her for a fool, but look what happened! Instead, we got roasted by her, and we ended up looking like country bumpkins!" [Chapter 4] Chloe's voice came through, filled with gritted teeth: "Do you really not know if she's faking it or not? Didn't the second-hand clothes you guys sold show up on her the very next day?" "I bet she took out some high-interest loan and is just putting up a front." "Damn it, a poser mocking us? I'll make her pay!" "You guys look into her thoroughly. Once we've gathered all the evidence, we'll make her lose face in a spectacular way!" As soon as I walked into the classroom on Monday, Chloe and the others surrounded me. "Harper, when is your birthday? Is it November 15th, like on your ID?" I smiled and asked, "Why? Want to give me a gift?" "Of course! You spent so much money treating us to dinner, we definitely have to give you a grand gift!" "And we're planning to throw you a massive party on the school football field and invite the whole school!" "After all, you're the Princess of New York; the scale has to be grand!" The System frantically issued a warning: "Bad news, they must have found something out and want to expose you on your birthday!" I ignored the System's words: "The date on my ID was recorded incorrectly. My birthday is December 1st." The group exchanged glances and smiled: "Great! We'll definitely throw you a birthday party you'll never forget for the rest of your life." "Oh, wait, it should be a party the whole school will never forget." I smiled: "Then I'll thank you all in advance." On the day of the birthday party, wearing a princess dress, I was ushered onto a stage on the football field, surrounded by people. The spotlight hit me, as if I truly were a noble princess. Chloe and her group handed me a gift box: "Harper, we prepared these for you very carefully. It took a lot of effort and connections." Smiling sweetly, I opened the box. Inside were photos and documents. My family's run-down, dilapidated house with soot-blackened walls. The misshapen, cheap clothes from street stalls in my closet. My mother's unpaid hospital bills. The rental agreement for my car. And evidence of me buying their second-hand clothes. The large screen behind me began to simultaneously display these photos. The entire football field of people stood dumbfounded. "Holy shit, I came here to see a rich person's birthday party, but it's an exposé?" "So her designer brands were all bought second-hand, and from her classmates no less! So embarrassing, I'd die of shame." "Wait, her own mother can't even afford medical bills, and she still has the nerve to act rich?" "Exactly! Doesn't renting a car cost money? Doesn't buying second-hand cost money? Couldn't she have used that money for her mom's treatment?" "And dropping $126,000 on a meal? Doesn't she know her mom is dying?" "Fuck, she's not just a poser, she's a piece of trash!" Chloe smiled triumphantly, tilting her head to look at me: "How is it, Harper? Are you satisfied with this gift?" [Chapter 5] "You'll definitely remember this 19th birthday for the rest of your life, won't you?" I smiled and spoke: "I love the gift, but today is not my birthday." "My birthday was half a month ago. I deliberately told you it was today." Chloe was confused by my reaction: "You did it on purpose? Why?" "What difference does half a month make?" I gently raised the corner of my mouth: "A huge difference." "Because I knew long ago what you were planning to do on my birthday." "But still, thank you all for playing along with my act for three months." "Otherwise, the show would have been over for me." The System's voice sounded in my ear. "Settlement complete. Ten billion dollar reward has been fully deposited." They froze for a moment, then continued looking at me mockingly: "Stop trying to change the subject! Let's talk about your pretending to be rich, 'Miss New York'!" "'Oh, my lambskin soles can't get wet', 'Even my nanny drives a Porsche for groceries'. Hilarious! You've probably never even seen a Porsche in real life, right?" "Tell us, is it fun pretending to be a rich heiress? Did spending $126,000 on a meal mean you have to go hungry and eat shit for the next few years?" The crowd roared with laughter. I gave a serene smile: "It was just $126,000. That's not even enough for me to get my nails done once. You guys are making a fuss over nothing. Are you so poor that it takes you years to spend $126,000?" The people below looked at me as if admiring a clown's dying struggle, their faces contorted with laughter: "Stop acting, broke bitch! Your own mother is dying because she can't pay her medical bills!" "Could she have gone crazy from being exposed in public?" "Hilarious, still having delusions! $126,000 for a manicure? This is the grandest imagination a poor beggar like you has of a rich person's life, right?" "If you're so 'rich', how much is in your bank account? Is it zero?" "Dare to show us?" I ignored their mockery. The money had arrived, and I had more important things to do. I took out my phone, transferred funds to the hospital's account, and then called the doctor: "Dr. Lee, this is Harper. I've transferred the funds for my mother's treatment and surgery. Please finalize the treatment plan as soon as possible." "Yes, use the best medication available for everything!" Chloe and the other rich kids laughed so hard they had tears in their eyes. "Still faking it? You really won't shed a tear until you see the coffin!" "The best medication, hilarious. Do you even know how much the best medication costs?" "Ethan, isn't her mom at your family's hospital? Make a call and let everyone hear how much money she owes!" Ethan dialed the number and put it on speaker: "Accountant Wang, that patient with unpaid bills I asked you to check on last time..." A female voice drifted from the phone: "Oh, Mary? Her daughter just paid the bill." "She transferred two million dollars all at once. The doctors are already customizing the best treatment plan." "Wh-what?" Ethan was dumbfounded. [Chapter 6] The students gathered on the football field began to speak up: "Are you kidding me? You guys secretly spread the word, telling everyone to come watch the ultimate slap in the face, and even told us to keep quiet so as not to alert Harper, and this is what we get? You guys slapping your own faces?" "You guys are... quite dedicated to entertaining us, huh." "Hahaha, why complain? I love watching faces get slapped, no matter whose it is!" Having lost face, Ethan glared at me in disbelief: "Where did you get the money to pay?" "Did you steal it or rob someone? I'm calling the police!" I shrugged: "Suit yourself. Every cent of mine is legitimate. If you're not afraid of being arrested for filing a false police report, go right ahead." Chloe recovered and sneered: "I bet she either took out online loans or borrowed from loan sharks." "In a couple of days, the debt collectors will be blocking the school gates, ruining our school's reputation!" "Harper, just stop trying to hold on! Be honest, apologize, admit you were faking it, and maybe people will even help you." "Otherwise, when the loan sharks come knocking and you end up crippled at such a young age, tsk tsk..." I smiled and shook my head: "I wouldn't need to borrow for such a small amount of money, right?" "After all, I have properties all over the country. Do you want to see?" As I spoke, I showed the crowd photos of property deeds on my phone. I didn't take the entire ten billion reward in cash; I also exchanged some for other assets. Ten property deeds were neatly displayed on the screen, with my name glaringly printed on them. "Impossible, it's fake! It has to be fake!" A boy whose father worked at the Department of Real Estate pulled out his phone: "Dad, can you look something up for me? There's a Harper at our school who claims she owns ten properties..." His voice trailed off, and he lowered his phone weakly. "My dad says... it's true..." Chloe shrieked: "Impossible, there's something fishy here!" "Harper, if you're really this rich, why did you buy second-hand clothes?" "Look at these photos, everyone! The clothes she wore have marks we made on them! They are second-hand goods bought from us!" "Stop acting, Harper! The more lies you tell, the more holes there will be..." I explained: "So what if they're second-hand? When that Chanel set you sold was released, I didn't like it. Later I decided I did, but it was off the market." "I happened to see someone selling it, so I bought it, sanitized it, and wore it. What's the problem?" "Stop making excuses! Even if that set is explained, what about the rest? You bought all of Olivia and Lily's second-hand bags and clothes too." I smiled: "Because I knew you listed them specifically for me to buy." "A $200,000 outfit listed for $500? Why wouldn't I buy it? Buying it and relisting it for $50,000 is pure profit." "Although I have money, I don't mind making more." "Oh right, the money I made from selling your clothes was more than enough to cover the dinner I treated you to." [Chapter 7] The faces of the group turned pale: "Are you saying you used the money from selling our clothes to treat us?!" I nodded: "What else? I might have a lot of money, but I'm not a sucker." "If you guys genuinely wanted to be my friends, I wouldn't have minded spending the money." "But I sensed from the very beginning that you had bad intentions. Why should I treat you to a meal then?" "No matter how much money I have, I don't spend it like that." The onlookers laughed until they cried. "Holy shit, weren't they claiming earlier that they were playing the poser poor girl for a fool by making her buy them a huge feast?" "Well, someone definitely got played for a fool, but the real question is, who's the fool?" "The clown was me all along! Hahahaha, this is too funny." Having suffered a massive humiliation, Chloe and her group glared at me angrily: "Harper, you played us! You played us!" I raised an eyebrow slightly: "Are you the only ones allowed to play others, but others aren't allowed to play you?" "Don't be too smug. Sooner or later, we'll uncover your illegal gains..." I nodded: "Yes, you are all powerful and influential." "However, privately looking up a citizen's personal information is illegal, right?" "Just now, when Ethan, Liam, and the others asked their families to look me up, I recorded it and reported it to the relevant authorities." "Ethan, your family is just a minor shareholder in the hospital. I wonder if your dad will be able to keep his position now?" "And Liam, your dad's days as a director at the Department of Real Estate are probably numbered." Ethan and Liam stood frozen on the spot. Chloe screamed in a breakdown: "Harper, don't be so smug! Even if you really have some dirty money, so what? We have money too!" "Our families all run companies. Teaming up to destroy you will be easy!" I nodded: "Then you'll have to ask your parents if they agree first." "Look, here they come." Several luxury cars parked at the edge of the football field. Several prominently dressed people ran toward us. Chloe's father ran at the front. Before she could even speak, he slapped her hard across the face: "Who are you trying to destroy?! This is the God of Wealth for our company, do you understand?!" "You don't know your place anymore! Apologize right now!" The other parents also pressed their children's heads down: "Apologize to Miss Harper immediately!" "Do you know how many shares she holds in our company? If you provoke her and she pulls her investment, the company is finished!" "Do you think you'll still be able to act arrogant then? You'll all be washing dishes!" Aside from exchanging the ten billion dollar prize for cash and properties, I also exchanged it for shares in their families' companies. Since they wanted a grand face-slapping scene, I naturally had to cooperate fully in every aspect. Otherwise, it wouldn't be as satisfying. Chloe shook her head in disbelief: "Our company has her shares? How is that possible?" "Dad, you've been scammed, right? She's a fraud!" "She keeps saying she's some New York heiress, but my friends who go to school in New York said there's no such person in their circles!" Her dad looked at her with exasperation: "Scammed? Can shares be fake? Can hard cash be fake?" "Hurry up and bow your head and apologize!"
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "394598", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel