I Was Reborn as the Villain, but the System Bound Itself to the Female Leads - Chapter 39:

Chapter 39: Turning Their Trick Against Them

The thug’s words instantly shocked the three people present.

Lin Yuan nearly started doubting his own identity.

He glanced at Gu Qingyi and noticed her looking at him with a scrutinizing gaze, as if she actually believed what the thug had just said.

“Could it be that Lin Yuan arranged this whole thing on purpose, just to put on a hero-saves-the-beauty act in front of me?”

That was the first possibility Gu Qingyi thought of.

But then she quickly shook her head. Impossible. She had come to Azure Dragon Temple because of a system mission—it was a sudden development. Lin Yuan had arrived before her, so there was no way he could’ve known she was following him.

Lin Yuan realized Gu Qingyi was beginning to suspect him, so he quickly explained, “CEO Gu, you can’t seriously believe those thugs. I would never do something like this.”

Gu Qingyi smiled and replied, “Young Master Lin, you’re saying that? Is there anyone in North City more wicked than you? As far as I know, not really.”

“Injustice! CEO Gu, how about this—let’s use their scheme against them. Let’s follow them and see who exactly is behind all this. Who dared to impersonate me to pull off something like this?”

Lin Yuan was truly furious now. Someone was framing him. Perhaps his infamous reputation wasn’t entirely due to his past actions—what if others had been committing crimes in his name all along?

“That’s not a bad idea. I’d also like to see who has the guts to use Young Master Lin’s name to do something like this,” Gu Qingyi agreed.

The thugs had clearly come for her, meaning whoever was behind them wanted her specifically. But who could it be?

Her first thought was a rival company of Tengyuan Group. Maybe, due to business competition, someone wanted to kidnap her. After all, if Tengyuan lost her, it would be like losing its heart.

Aside from business competitors, she couldn’t think of anyone else who’d want to harm her.

If she hadn’t spent the day tailing Lin Yuan, she might’ve suspected him too.

With the plan set, Lin Yuan stepped forward, looked directly at the thug leader, and said calmly, “We’re very curious to see if the mastermind behind you is really the infamous Young Master Lin of North City. How about you take us to him?”

Hearing that, the thug leader felt completely disrespected—this guy wasn’t afraid of him at all.

“You want to meet Young Master Lin, huh? Fine, I’ll grant your wish. But first, I’ll break your damn legs!”

“Boys, get him!”

With that shout, a dozen or so thugs charged forward, baseball bats in hand, ready to strike.

Yang Gang quickly stepped in front of Lin Yuan. He couldn’t let Young Master get hurt.

“Move! Don’t block me from showing off.”

Lin Yuan shoved Yang Gang aside. He finally had a chance to test himself—there was no way he’d miss it.

To Lin Yuan, the thugs moved like they were in slow motion. With a few agile sidesteps, he dodged all their attacks with ease.

“Now, let me show you what I can do.”

With those words, Lin Yuan shot forward like a lightning-fast panther. The thugs were like helpless lambs facing a predator—completely defenseless.

Ten seconds. That’s all it took for Lin Yuan to flatten everyone. They lay on the ground groaning—some clutching arms, others their legs or stomachs.

Only the leader was left standing.

He was a burly man, all muscle and menace. But now, he was slowly retreating, his eyes full of fear.

“Remind me, whose legs were you planning to break?”

Lin Yuan smiled slightly and asked calmly.

“N-No one. I didn’t say anything just now,” the thug stammered.

“Really? But I thought I heard something…” Lin Yuan hadn’t even finished his sentence when the thug leader suddenly started slapping himself across the face.

“I deserve it! I deserve it! I shouldn’t have said anything! I was wrong! So wrong!”

Lin Yuan was stunned watching the scene. Not bad, this guy knew how to beg.

“Alright, stop. I just want to ask you a few questions.”

“Yes, yes! Ask anything, boss! I’ll tell you everything!” the thug replied instantly.

“You said earlier that Young Master Lin of North City ordered you to kidnap someone. You sure about that?”

“I’m sure! The guy who gave the order said he was Lin Yuan. He promised us a huge payout after the job.”

“And do you know who I am?”

“I… don’t.”

The thug looked at Lin Yuan, then shook his head.

“Do you know who she is?”

“I don’t know her either.” He shook his head again.

“You’re from North City?”

“Yes, born and raised.”

Lin Yuan was speechless. Someone who grew up in North City didn’t recognize either of them?

“North City has a huge population. It’s not like everyone knows what we look like,” Gu Qingyi explained, knowing exactly what Lin Yuan was thinking. Most regular folks had never seen them in person—they’d only heard their names. So it wasn’t surprising.

“True.” Lin Yuan nodded. She had a point.

“Now, are you willing to take us to your boss?”

“Of course, of course! Boss, you’re so powerful. Whatever you say goes.”

The thug was quick to adapt, bowing and nodding repeatedly.

Gu Qingyi gave Lin Yuan a few curious glances. Since when had this guy become so powerful? Had he been hiding his strength all along?

So many questions popped up at once—her head was starting to ache.

“In that case, lead the way.”

“Yes, yes! Follow me. Lin Yuan said that once we kidnapped her, we were to bring her to an abandoned factory in the North City outskirts.”

“Alright. Let’s go.”

Lin Yuan invited Gu Qingyi to ride in the same car with him. Considering what just happened, her safety needed to be prioritized.

Gu Qingyi didn’t refuse. She left her car parked there, deciding she’d have her secretary pick it up tomorrow.

With the thug leading the way, they quickly arrived at the abandoned factory on the outskirts of North City.