Transmigrating Into a novel as a Rich Second-Generation.-Chapter 29: Exchange Mall [2]

"Stop talking to Ethan. He’s not good for you. Every interaction lately has left you upset or stressed or embarrassed. That’s not a friendship. That’s not anything healthy."

Isabelle was quiet for a long moment, staring out the window.

Then she nodded, the motion small but decisive—like a chicken bobbing its head.

"Okay," she said softly. "Okay, you’re right. I’ll... I’ll keep my distance."

"Good," Sebastian said with approval.

They pulled up to the Tian residence a few minutes later.

Sebastian walked Isabelle to her door, making sure she was steady on her feet.

"Are you going to be alright?" he asked.

"Yeah," Isabelle said, managing a small smile. "Thanks to you."

She hesitated, then stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug.

"Thank you, Sebastian," she murmured against his chest. "I don’t know what I’d do without you."

Sebastian returned the hug, his hand gently stroking her hair. "Get some rest. Tomorrow will be better."

Isabelle pulled back and looked up at him, her eyes soft and grateful.

"Goodnight, Sebastian."

"Goodnight, Isabelle."

She disappeared inside, and Sebastian returned to his limousine.

As the car pulled away, a notification appeared:

[Ding! Relationship Milestone Achieved!]

[Isabelle Tian’s Affection: 70 → 80/100]

[Status: Budding Interest → Strong Romantic Interest]

[The heroine now views you as her primary emotional support and potential romantic partner. The protagonist has been completely displaced in her heart.]

[Bonus Reward: Skill Book - "Silver Tongue (Basic)"]

[Silver Tongue (Basic): Significantly increases persuasiveness in conversation. People are more likely to trust your words and comply with reasonable requests. Particularly effective on those with existing positive feelings toward you.

===Status===

Host: Sebastian Fairfax

Combat Power: 82 (Average human: 100)

Villain Points: 2,850

Villain Halo: 365

Luck: E

Charm: E+

→ Skills: None

→ Inventory: Silver Tongue

→ Assets: $1,000,000 (liquid)

Tonight had been perfect.

Sebastian had his first actual skill—one that would make every future even easier.

"Home, sir?" the driver asked.

"Yes," Sebastian replied.

---

Inside his room, Sebastian took out the skill book.

[Would you like to absorb the skill book?] [Y/N]

Sebastian pressed yes without hesitation. Immediately, information flooded into his mind. It felt like someone was pouring knowledge directly into his brain—not painfully, but with enough intensity that he had to close his eyes and sit down on his bed.

Techniques for reading facial micro-expressions. The subtle shifts in pupil dilation that indicated interest or discomfort. The optimal cadence and rhythm for different types of conversations. How to mirror body language without being obvious. Which words carried more emotional weight than logical weight. How to construct sentences that felt natural but guided listeners toward specific conclusions.

The sensation was slightly painful, like a mild headache mixed with the feeling of learning something complex very quickly. But it was nothing Sebastian couldn’t bear.

After about thirty seconds, the influx of information stopped. Sebastian opened his eyes, blinking as the knowledge settled into place. He stood up and looked at himself in the mirror, then spoke aloud.

"Trust me, this is the best decision."

Even to his own ears, his voice sounded... different. Not dramatically so—it wasn’t like he’d gained some magical hypnosis power. But there was a subtle refinement to his tone, a natural confidence and warmth that made the words more compelling.

Sebastian experimented with a few more phrases, adjusting his inflection and watching how different approaches felt.

After a few minutes, he understood what the skill actually did.

It wasn’t some supernatural ability that made everyone automatically obey him. It wasn’t mind control or magical persuasion.

It was refinement.

The skill had given him an intuitive understanding of effective communication—how to choose the right words, the right tone, the right body language to make himself more persuasive, more trustworthy, more likable. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

It made people see him in a better light simply because he was better at presenting himself.

That was it.

Still, Sebastian thought with satisfaction, it was pretty damn good.

Especially combined with his natural advantages—his looks, his wealth, his status. This skill would make all of those advantages even more effective.

’Poor Ethan,’ Sebastian thought with a cold smile. ’He never stood a chance.’

He pulled up his status screen to confirm the changes.

===Status===

Host: Sebastian Fairfax

Combat Power: 82 (Average human: 100)

Villain Points: 2,850

Villain Halo: 365

Luck: E

Charm: E+

→ Skills: Silver Tongue

→ Inventory: Empty

→ Assets: $1,000,000

Now, it was time to explore the real prize of the evening.

Sebastian focused on the Exchange Mall option in his interface.

Sebastian’s eyes gleamed with anticipation. This was where the real power came from.

He started with the Skills & Techniques category.

[Intermediate-Level Calligraphy and Painting Skill] [Cost: 1500 Villain Points]

Reading through the first thing he was able to purchase in the skill department, Sebastian scoffed.

"This isn’t China. I have nobody to impress with my calligraphy... wait, Isabelle’s dad is a possible candidate, but it’s not worth it. The price alone is astronomical—that’s nearly my full budget, so I’m going to skip this one," Sebastian muttered.

[Low-Level Driving Skill] [Cost: 500 Villain Points]

"Now that’s better, but still, it’s not too useful for me. I have a driver."

[Low-Level Street-Fighting Skill] [Cost: 500 Villain Points]

"Hmm, that’s not too bad. But there might be better options. I’ll keep it in mind."

Then, Sebastian’s eyes landed on a few entries that made him pause.

[Mid-Level Cultivation Manual] [Cost: 2500 Villain Points]

[Mid-Level Cultivation Aptitude] [Cost: 3500 Villain Points]

Reading through their descriptions, Sebastian felt a surge of frustration. Both were exactly what he needed—the manual would replace his trash-tier one and speed up his cultivation significantly, while the aptitude upgrade would change him from "low" to "mid" tier talent.

But they were so expensive.

He wasn’t even close to affording the Cultivation Aptitude. He could technically buy the manual, but that would leave him with only 350 Villain Points remaining—barely anything to work with.

"Damn it," Sebastian muttered. "I need more points. It seems like my work with Ethan isn’t over, kek."

He closed the Skills category and moved on to check the others.