MTL - Alien Snack Bar - Chapter 34 Business at the dinner table

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 mysterious boy Ling Chen is saved by a little girl as he lay on the street dying. Years later, he strikes a deal to save this savior-turned sister and enters the virtual world. In a future Earth where advanced warfare has forced nations to settle issues virtually or else suffer the consequences, Ling Chen bursts into the scene and goes from unknown to legend. Yet all is not as it seems, for Ling Chen has a dark past, and there is a greater mystery at hand behind this virtual world.

To save his terminally ill little sister, Ling Chen enters the newly released virtual game world and joins a small gaming studio comprising entirely of women. From now on walking upon his path towards the pinnacle. An ancient, evil item almost forgotten by history, the “Lunar Scourge” helps forge his unsurpassable legend, and causes him to unknowingly step upon a path that is destined to be punished by the heavens, the way of the Shura.

- Description from Novelupdates

A powerless woman’s worst nightmare is marrying someone against her will. When those who are supposed to protect her betray her in the vilest of ways, Leonor is forced to marry a Duke known for his cold nature and repulsive appearance. After a miserable childhood, it shouldn’t have been a surprise to her that her future was never truly in her hands in the first place.Duke Desmond de Montclair was nobody before the war. He garnered the King’s favor by doing the impossible in battle. Unfortunately, any achievement is eclipsed by his appearance and unbearable personality. In a kingdom that idolizes beauty, there is no room for someone like him.At first, Leonor finds life with the Duke to be what she’s used to - walking on eggshells and never speaking what’s truly in her heart. Eventually, things slowly start to change as the Duke learns about the horrors she faced while living with her family. His power becomes the key to her revenge.However, in a moment where she feels cornered, Leonor confesses to the Duke that she’s in love with someone else. The progress she has made with the Duke comes crashing down around her.Will her magic abilities be enough to convince the Duke not to throw her out? If she can make herself useful to him, perhaps she can gain his sympathy somehow…

The world has turned into a hell, a place where the strong thrive!