As a girl from the sticks, I used to envy the daughter of the richest man in town. Why? Because once, the tangerines from our village fell on the ground and stained her designer heels. With a single phone call, she had every tangerine tree in our village uprooted. But then one day, the richest man personally came to find me. Turns out, I am the real heiress. I packed my bags overnight, grabbed my little yellow dog, and enthusiastically said goodbye to the uncles and aunties in the village. The whole village waved goodbye with teary eyes: "Little Lin, live that heiress life well! Don't come back to this hardship!" I shook my head vigorously. No way! The billionaire's estate isn't even as big as one hill in our village; it's not enough space for me and my dog, Buddy, to run two laps. I'm just going to collect my compensation. But if they refuse to pay... well, things are going to get crazy. 1 On the way to pick me up, my billionaire father, Samuel Stone, set three rules for me: First, I cannot publicly reveal my identity without permission. Second, I cannot kick out the fake heiress, Sarah. Third, I cannot compete with Sarah for affection. So, when I walked into the living room and saw Sarah crying like a delicate pear blossom in the rain, I immediately turned around with Buddy in my arms and headed for the garden. "Sarah, don't cry, you will always be my only daughter." Mmhmm, that’s my biological mother, Mrs. Stone. "Exactly, you are my only sister. That hillbilly doesn't deserve to call me brother." I raised an eyebrow. That’s my brainless brother, Shawn. I didn't bother listening to the rest. I just ran two laps around the garden with Buddy. Buddy stuck out his tongue in disdain. I nodded. The Stone family's garden isn't even as big as a single hill back home. No wonder Buddy isn't impressed. Estimating that Sarah's performance should be over, I took Buddy and walked straight into the living room, finding a single sofa to sit on. Buddy obediently lay at my feet. As soon as I sat down, my billionaire father, Samuel, who had been benevolent in the car, looked at me coldly. "Did you forget everything I just said?" My wonderful brother, Shawn, looked at me coldly, like I was something dirty that shouldn't be there. I pointed a finger at Sarah. "First, I didn't reveal my identity. Second, I didn't kick her out. Third, I didn't fight for affection." Samuel paused, choking on his words. "Sister, do you dislike me?" Sarah looked aggrieved, her eyes quickly reddening. Mrs. Stone immediately patted her hand in comfort, then turned her sharp tongue on me: "Lin, since you're back in the Stone family, you need to learn our rules. Don't bring your rough country ways here." "And that dog, filthy. How can you bring it into the living room? Get rid of it tomorrow." I slowly stroked Buddy's head before looking up at her directly: "When he came to pick me up, he promised I could bring Buddy." "As for rules, I followed the three he set. My rule is that people should keep their word." I emphasized the word "he," turning my gaze to the silent Samuel. Samuel looked a bit embarrassed and coughed. Shawn, who hadn't spoken, snorted coldly: "Dad was just placating you. But the family image is important." "You need to adapt to high society quickly, instead of bringing village stuff here." He paused, the disdain in his eyes deepening, "After all, your last name is Stone now." "My last name is Lin." I corrected him calmly, "Like the forest." The atmosphere in the living room solidified. Sarah's tears finally fell: "Brother, don't talk to sister like that. It's all my fault. If not for me, sister wouldn't have suffered so much outside." "Sister, you should blame me. Hit me, scold me, as long as you can vent your anger. Even if you kick me out, I..." I watched this family of four. One playing the victim, one the protector, one the peacemaker, and one looking down from high above. A perfect performance. They wanted to intimidate me, make me realize my place, make me grateful, and make me feel guilty towards Sarah. Unfortunately, they got it wrong from the start. I didn't come to claim kinship. I came to collect a debt. From my canvas bag, I took out a stack of A4 papers, neatly stapled, and placed them in the center of the coffee table. "So, next, let's talk about the compensation." Instantly, everyone froze. 2 Shawn sneered as if he heard the biggest joke in the world and reached for the papers. He flipped through two pages, and his expression went from mocking to livid. "Tangerine grove damage assessment... based on the average yield of the past five years, estimated total yield loss for the next ten years... including labor costs, land maintenance costs, brand value loss... totaling $18.5 million?" His voice trembled as he read the final number, and he slammed the papers onto the table, scattering them everywhere. "Are you crazy? This is extortion!" Mrs. Stone snatched a few pages, her eyes widening, then screamed: "You ungrateful wretch! The Stone family brings you back to a life of luxury, and instead of being grateful, you want money? Eighteen million? Why don't you just rob a bank!" I ignored their hysteria and looked at Sarah. Her performance was right on cue. Tears fell like broken beads. She stood up, swaying, her voice filled with endless grievance and self-blame. "Sister... I know it's all my fault. I was ignorant and ruined the village's tangerine grove..." "But I didn't mean to..." "Blame me if you want, hit me or scold me, but why use money to hurt Mom and Dad's feelings? We are family..." She started to kneel towards me, "I apologize, I'll kowtow to you, please don't do this..." Shawn and Mrs. Stone rushed to support her. The family huddled together, glaring at me as if I were the villain tearing apart their happy home. "Lin! Look what you've done to Sarah!" Samuel finally slammed the table and stood up, pointing at my nose, full of disappointment and anger: "The Stone family owes you nothing! Bringing you back is a favor, not an obligation! If you keep making trouble, get out!" I waited for them to vent, then spoke slowly, my voice not loud but clear enough for everyone to hear. "First, this isn't extortion, it's compensation." "What Sarah destroyed was the livelihood of over a hundred families in the village for the next ten years. This data was recorded by my grandfather in his ledger for decades, stroke by stroke, accurate to the harvest of every single tree." I paused, my gaze sweeping over each of them. "Second, I already said, my last name is Lin. I came back not to recognize any relatives, nor to be anyone's sister." I stood up, looking down at this ridiculous family of four, finishing my sentence word by word. "I am here to collect a debt. Paying debts is the law of the universe." "Your Stone family affection is worthless to me. I don't want it." 3 Samuel eventually accepted my $18.5 million compensation list. He didn't say he would pay, nor did he say he wouldn't. Instead, he looked at me with a new, complex gaze for a long time, then made a decision: send me to school. The same school as Sarah, Derby International High School. Mrs. Stone was all for it. She looked at me with malicious glee: "It's time to learn some manners. Don't always act so uncultured and embarrass the Stone family." Shawn added with contempt: "Sarah's circle is full of elites. Going there will open your eyes. Don't just think about your tangerine money, your vision is too small." I understood their intention. Throw me into an environment completely foreign to me, where background and status matter everywhere. Make me feel ashamed, make me see the vast difference between Sarah and me. So I would retreat in defeat, obediently give up that "extortion" sum, and become a docile puppet dependent on the Stone family. Nice calculation, but useless on me. On the first day of school, I became a celebrity at Derby High. Not because I was the real heiress of the Stone family, but because I wore faded canvas shoes. Carrying a canvas bag printed with "Serve the People," followed by a little yellow dog wagging its tail. Of course, Buddy couldn't enter the school building, so I let him wait by the security booth at the gate. The security guard was nice and gave him a bowl of water. Sarah's lackeys were active. The leader was named Jessica. They buzzed around me like flies. They would "accidentally" spill milk on my homework; Loudly discuss my "street vendor clothes" behind my back; Even stuff trash in my desk. Sarah always put on an innocent and helpless look, occasionally coming over to fake-persuade: "Jessica, don't treat my sister like this. She's new and not used to it." Then Jessica and the others would intensify their efforts, claiming to "fight for justice" for Sarah. I couldn't be bothered. Arguing with a bunch of spoiled brats is a waste of time. My purpose here isn't to make friends or fit into any circle. I'm just waiting for my $18.5 million to hit my account. Soon, the school organized a grade-wide placement test. This became the new fun for Jessica and her crew. They spread rumors everywhere that I, the "illiterate" from the mountains, probably didn't even know how to fill out a Scantron sheet. They said I would definitely rank last in the school, disgracing Sarah's class. On the day of the exam, I finished all the papers half an hour early, then slept on the desk until the bell rang. This behavior solidified my image as a "slacker" in their eyes. Sarah looked at me with a hint of pity. The day the results were posted, the bulletin board was crowded, three layers deep, noisy as hell. I had no interest in joining the fun and was about to walk around. Then I heard a collective gasp from the crowd, followed by deathly silence. Then, everyone's eyes turned to me like searchlights. I was baffled but still dragged to the bulletin board by busybodies. The crowd parted automatically for me. I looked up at the red list at the very top. In the first place, two words were clearly written: Lin Ya. 4 Followed by a string of numbers: English 145, Math 150, Science 148, Social Studies 305, Total 748. A score so high it was terrifying, leading by a mile. Second place was the usual grade leader, with a total of 695. As for Sarah, I scanned down and found her name in seventh place, total score 681. The hallway was silent. Jessica's mouth hung open, looking like she'd seen a ghost. Sarah stood not far away, face pale, knuckles white from clenching her fists. That night at the dinner table, the atmosphere was heavier than ever. Samuel, Mrs. Stone, and Shawn held copies of my report card, reading it over and over, as if trying to find a flower blooming in the numbers. For the first time, no one dared treat me like a silly girl from the village anymore. After the placement test, the Stone family quieted down a lot. At the table, Mrs. Stone stopped mocking me, and Shawn stopped using his elite theories to belittle me. They just ate in silence, looking at me with probing, scrutinizing, even wary eyes. This silence felt more fake than the previous noise. I knew this was just the calm before the storm. If one strike fails, they switch to a more covert, vicious method. Especially Sarah. Her look changed completely. Before, it was teasing and pity like a cat with a mouse. Now, it was a coldness mixed with jealousy and malice. In front of me, she still tried to maintain that gentle, kind, harmless appearance, but her acting skills had degraded. The hate deep in her eyes occasionally leaked out, like a poisoned needle, sharp and cold. Soon, her self-perceived opportunity arrived. 5 The school was hosting its annual Chemistry Competition. Winners not only get extra credit for college applications but also a significant boost for Ivy League admissions. As a perennial top student, Sarah was determined to win this award. The competition was in pairs. To everyone's surprise, Sarah actively invited me to team up with her. She stood at my desk, smiling sweetly: "Sister, let's participate together? Your theoretical knowledge is so good, and I'm better at hands-on experiments. If we team up, we'll definitely be first." I put down my pen and looked up at her. Then I nodded calmly, "Okay." I knew it was a trap. But I also knew you can't guard against a thief every day. I came to the Stone family to collect a debt. A gleam of success flashed in Sarah's eyes, almost too fast to catch. From that day on, a small gadget I bought online came in handy— A micro voice recorder that looked exactly like a regular fountain pen. The preparation phase seemed normal. The afternoon before the competition, we were running a final data simulation in the lab. Halfway through, Sarah suddenly said she felt unwell and went to the infirmary, leaving Jessica to keep me company. I nodded and continued processing the reagents. After Sarah left, Jessica leaned in: "Lin, is there something wrong with the scale on that beaker? Let me check it for you." Just as she pretended to help me check the instrument to distract me, I heard a faint zipper sound behind me. And the tiny sound of a memory card being pulled out of the data logger. I didn't turn around. When I turned back, Jessica was back in her original position, just a bit pale. And the data logger slot on the lab bench was empty. "Where is my data card?"
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