Why didn't you tell me earlier that my little sister is still waiting for me?

Nana gave a wry smile: "The law... I consulted a lawyer before. For online rumors and defamation like this, if the circumstances aren't particularly serious, it's difficult to gather evidence, the litigation process is long, and even if you win the case, you might only have to apologize and pay some money, which is usually not a large amount. It doesn't really bother them."

"Who said we have to make them feel the pinch by paying them money?" Lin Bufan raised an eyebrow, leaned forward slightly, and a hint of amusement flashed in his eyes: "The important thing is to become famous. We'll target those who are most vocal and most enthusiastic in spreading rumors, and send them all to court with solid evidence."

“But…” Nana was still puzzled.

"Let me finish," Lin Bufan interrupted Nana, his tone carrying an undeniable certainty: "How much compensation is not important, whether they apologize or not is not important, what matters is the process. The lawsuit will be filed, the case will be accepted, and the court summons will be sent to their homes or workplaces. We will use this process, through some means, to make them famous in their social circles."

Imagine a seemingly respectable person being sued for spreading rumors and defamation online. When the news spreads through his company, what will his colleagues think of him? What will his boss think? Will the neighbors gossip about him?

That's exactly the effect we want—to pull them out of the protective shell of the virtual world and let them experience what it's like to be the center of attention and gossip in real life. This is called the "social death experience card."

Nana listened in silence, her fingers unconsciously tracing the warm rim of the teacup. To make those people "famous" in her social circle… She recalled the days when she was besieged by countless strange IDs and dared not even leave her house; her fingertips grew slightly cold. Was this a bit too cruel?

"Wouldn't this... be a bit too harsh?" She raised her eyes, her tone hesitant. "If this gets out of hand, it could very well cost them their jobs, or even cause them to lose their families..."

“Ruthless?” Lin Bufan shook his head: “Only by making them empathize and personally experience what you went through—the fear and pain of being judged by countless strangers and having their normal lives completely disrupted—can they truly learn a lesson. Otherwise, behind the internet, they will always feel that there is no cost to cursing, and they will dare to do it again next time.”

Lin Bufan paused, then continued to outline his "counterattack roadmap": "Once we've thoroughly subdued this small group of people who are jumping around the most and making the biggest fuss through legal means, things will be much easier. As for the rest of the bandwagoners who aren't doing such a serious job, you can even show some magnanimity. Make a public statement saying that as long as they record a video and sincerely apologize for their words and actions, this matter will be over, and you won't pursue it any further."

"But what if someone continues to spread rumors and slander?" Nana pressed, a glimmer of light gradually appearing in her eyes.

"What else is there to say?" Lin Bufan shrugged, his tone matter-of-fact: "Let's continue with the legal process. We have solid evidence and a firm grip on the case, what are we afraid of?"

Following Lin Bufan's description, Nana imagined the idea and felt that the method might actually work, and the heavy weight on her heart seemed to ease a little. But soon, practical concerns resurfaced.

“Your idea sounds like it might work,” Nana sighed softly, her brows furrowing again. “But it’ll cost a lot of money, won’t it? Hiring lawyers, going through legal proceedings, and what you said about making them leave the house… the public relations preparations… one or two is fine, I’ve made some money as a streamer over the years, but if there are too many…”

Although Nana didn't finish her sentence, her meaning was clear: she was worried about not having enough money, or she was unwilling to pay too high a price for it!

Upon hearing this, Lin Bufan seemed to have heard something amusing, and his signature smug smile, tinged with a hint of irritation, reappeared on his face. He leaned back and crossed his legs.

"Money?" He drew out the word, as if savoring it. "Nana, you don't need to worry about that at all. For me, money is mainly just a number now, an indicator of how bored I am and how far I'm progressing in the game."

Seeing Nana's disapproving look, Lin Bufan put on a "dean of students" expression, but the expression on his face looked rather incongruous.

"You need to improve your thinking. Money only plays its true role and creates value when it circulates. Otherwise, if I'm the only one in the world who works hard to earn all the money and it just sits in my hand and rots, while everyone else has no money to spend, who will buy the products my company produces? Who will enjoy the projects I invest in? Wouldn't the economy become stagnant?"

As the saying goes, those who get rich first help those who get rich later. Those who get rich later only need to think about how to make money every day, while I, who am unfortunate enough to get rich first, have to think about many things every day.

Every day I have to find ways to spend the money reasonably! You have no idea, because of this, I lose at least two hours of sleep every night!

After listening to Lin Bufan's words, Nana's mind was in turmoil for a while. She naturally understood what Lin Bufan meant by the twisted logic that "spending money is a responsibility"—he intended to use his own money and effort to help her resolve this matter.

Hesitation and concerns tore at her heart, but looking at Lin Bufan's annoying yet inexplicably reassuring appearance, and thinking about her own frustration of hiding and living in fear these past few days, a long-lost impulse surged up.

“…Okay!” Nana bit her lower lip, her eyes hardening. “We’ll do it your way!”

She turned around and walked behind the bar, rummaged through her small bag for a while, took out a bank card, walked back and slapped it on the table in front of Lin Bufan.

"This is most of the money I saved when I was a streamer. You can take it and use it first. If it's not enough, or if you need more later, you can lend me the rest. I'll pay you back when I earn more." Nana said very boldly, with a do-or-die attitude!

Before Lin Bufan could speak, Nana deflated like a punctured balloon, suddenly drooping: "But you'd better be careful with your spending! If you owe too much, I won't be able to pay it back!"

Although Nana's momentum waned somewhat afterward, Lin Bufan was still quite surprised that she was able to make up her mind and even take out all her savings.

"Nana, you... you trust me that much? You handed over all your savings to me without even signing a contract? Aren't you afraid I'll take your money and run off to some island to live a carefree life, leaving you here to continue serving dishes?"

Nana chuckled at Lin Bufan's words, her earlier tension dissipating considerably. She crossed her arms, glancing sideways at Lin Bufan, her tone carrying a knowing, insightful quality:

“If it were someone else, I might really have to think it over and weigh it carefully. But I completely believe you.”

Lin Bufan suddenly reached out and took Nana's soft hand in his, his face instantly displaying an exaggerated, almost tearful, expression of emotion, his voice trembling dramatically.

"Nana... I... I really didn't expect you to trust me so much!" Lin Bufan blinked hard, as if trying to force back non-existent tears: "You entrusted your entire fortune to me without even signing a contract... This heavy trust, this unreserved entrustment, is simply... I have no way to repay you!"

As Lin Bufan spoke, he placed Nana's hand on his chest, gazing at her with sincere eyes, at least outwardly: "What have I, Lin Bufan, done to deserve this favor? I must repay this kindness! How about this, I'll warm your bed tonight!"

"Warm your bed my ass!" Nana finally snapped out of her daze, pulled her hand back with a sudden burst of strength, glared at Lin Bufan with annoyance, and her face was a little hot: "Shameless! Who asked you to warm the bed?"

"Did I trust you? I trusted your money! You're so rich, Mr. Lin, the future world's richest man, would you even look at my paltry fortune? My entire fortune probably wouldn't even amount to a fraction of what you casually give away. You're going to run away with all that money? For such a small amount? Aren't you ashamed?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Bufan's expression of being deeply moved vanished instantly, replaced by a mysterious and slightly mocking smile.

“Nana, you’re so wrong about that.” Lin Bufan shook his head, his tone carrying a sense of “you’re too naive”: “How do you think rich people become rich? It’s because they understand one principle well—the accumulation of wealth lies in the little things, in not letting go of any possible opportunity.”

Lao Tzu once said: "Do not refrain from seeking small gains, nor refrain from digging small pits."

Every penny, no matter how insignificant, should be seized whenever the opportunity arises, and put into one's own pocket.

Lin Bufan shrugged, his expression incredibly "sincere": "It is precisely through this spirit of accumulating wealth bit by bit, digging endless pits, taking what is rightfully yours, grabbing what is rightfully yours, stealing what is rightfully yours, that you can gradually solidify the foundation of your wealth and eventually ascend to the throne of the rich. So, your meager fortune is not a small matter in the eyes of truly wealthy people; it is a matter of principle, a matter of habit, a matter of... a matter of cultivation."

Nana was stunned, and it took her a while to find her voice: "...Lin Bufan, what kind of twisted logic is this? According to you, aren't all rich people liars, misers, and masters of setting traps?"

"Hey! That's not right!" Lin Bufan immediately raised a finger and corrected him seriously: "That's not called deception, it's called optimal resource allocation; that's not called stinginess, it's called excellent cost control; that's not called setting traps, it's called providing the market with diversified choices and risk education. It's about understanding the bigger picture, pay attention to the bigger picture!"

"Alright, alright, I can't argue with your twisted logic." Nana waved her hand, her expression relaxing with a hint of resignation: "Anyway... I've given you the money, you can do whatever you want with it. If you really rip me off, I'll accept it."

Nana paused, her voice lowered, tinged with the amazement of discovering something new: "And... after your treatment last night, I feel that not only is the poison gone, but my overall mental state and physical condition are much better than before, and I feel much lighter. If this money is really lost in the end, I'll just consider it payment for your treatment... Thinking about it that way, it doesn't seem like I'm losing out too much."

Seeing Nana's insistence, Lin Bufan stopped arguing and casually put the card into his pocket: "Alright, I'll use it for now. But don't worry too much about the money. I have my own legal team that specializes in handling these kinds of disputes and is very experienced. Also, my invested and controlled short video company, public relations department, etc., can all be used when they need public opinion support or to go through procedures. You can use these resources at internal cost price, and some can even be handled conveniently, so it won't cost you much."

Upon hearing this, Nana visibly relaxed, her shoulders swaying slightly. Although she had already resolved to spend all her savings, being able to spend less was naturally a relief!

"Mr. Lin, thank you. I know that without you, even with money, this wouldn't have been so easy to handle, let alone save money... How about this, I'll treat you to dinner as a formal way of thanking you. You can choose the place!"

"Hey—Nana, isn't this thank you a bit insincere? If I remember correctly, you still owe me a meal. You haven't settled that old debt yet, and you're trying to pay off a new favor with a meal? Is this... debt restructuring? Or just something you said offhand?"

Nana was taken aback by Lin Bufan's words. After thinking about it carefully, she realized that there was indeed such a thing. She pursed her lips a little embarrassed: "Then... what do you want? Tell me something I can do."

Lin Bufan casually stroked his chin, his eyes darting around as if deep in thought. After a few seconds, he stopped, looked at Nana, and a playful smile curled at the corner of his lips, his tone deliberately casual: "Hmm... right now, I really can't think of anything I need you for. How about... something simple, a kiss?"

Nana's face flushed red instantly, an even stronger reaction than when she was kissed on the cheek earlier. She subconsciously looked around, thankfully, afternoon tea time had just ended, and there weren't many customers in the small restaurant. Only a table in the distance was chatting quietly, and no one was paying attention to them.

"Lin Bufan!" Nana whispered, her voice filled with embarrassment and annoyance, "Can't you be serious for once! What happened just now... that was... an accident! It doesn't count!"

Lin Bufan's smile widened, and he leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice with a hint of innocence and mischief: "Yes, it was quite unexpected for me. I wasn't prepared at all when you suddenly ambushed me, so... this time I want to be prepared so you can do it again."

Nana's cheeks flushed under Lin Bufan's gaze. She glared at him irritably and said firmly, "Come on, my foot! No way! Change your terms!"