Urban System in America
Chapter 230 - 229: Villain Ellie

Chapter 230: Chapter 229: Villain Ellie

Ellie blinked, then raised a brow with mock skepticism. "That’s it? No mysterious backstory? No secret double life? You’re too pretty to be that boring."

Rex chuckled. "Sorry to disappoint. I left my superhero cape at home."

Lena raised her hand slightly, a playful yet thoughtful expression crossing her face. "Well, I have some reservations about that," she said, her voice laced with light teasing.

Rex turned to look at her, an amused smirk playing at his lips. He seemed to understand what she meant without needing an explanation. "Alright," he conceded with a chuckle, "maybe a normal person—with a bit of money, and an unfair advantage in the genetics department."

Ellie glanced back and forth between them, her head tilting like a curious puppy. "Hmm? What are you guys talking about? Anyone kind enough to fill me in?" she asked, her lower lip jutting out in a comically exaggerated pout.

Lena shot her a knowing smile. "Nothing much. Just saying that Rex here might not be as ordinary as he claims—especially with a face like that."

"Okay, okay, enough cryptic talking. I don’t want to know anymore," she huffed, pouting like a kid who’d been denied her favorite candy.

Rex and Lena both burst into laughter at her adorably dramatic expression.

But Ellie quickly bounced back, her mood flipping like a switch "Anyway! It’s fate that we met like this. Let’s exchange numbers and meet often!" she beamed, her bubbly smile radiating enough warmth to light up the whole patio, and unconsciously affect everyone around her.

Lena raised an eyebrow with a smirk. "Isn’t it just because you’re bored and don’t have any friends that you’re using this chance to trick us into giving you our numbers so you can pester us later?"

Ellie gave a proud little shrug. "Obviously... obviously yes! You don’t know how bored I’ve been. And now that I’ve got my dear Lena and a handsome guy right here, there’s no way I’m letting this golden opportunity slip through my fingers."

She giggled, then added with a playful pout,"And for your information, I do have friends. It’s just... maybe it’s LA, but they’re kind of... you know, plastic-friends."

She stuck her tongue out in a cutesy gesture.

"Okay, okay," Lena said with an exasperated laugh, shaking her head.

The two girls then turned their attention to Rex, synchronizing their expectant wide-eyed stares like a rehearsed act, their faces practically saying, Well?

Both girls turned to look at Rex, expectant eyes locking onto him like lasers.

Rex raised an eyebrow and gave a small shrug, lips tugging into a grin. "Well, that’s totally fine by me."

"Yeah!" Ellie cheered, practically bouncing in place.

So, next the three of them took out their phones and exchanged numbers. It was quite a coincidence that all three had the same model from the same company—Pineapple Mobiles. Well, it wasn’t too surprising, considering Pineapple was the biggest mobile company in the world.

Still, thinking about those slim and beautiful smartphones in his past life, Rex couldn’t help but frown a little at the device in his hand. Its bulky design and rough interface were yet another reminder of just how behind the technology in this world truly was. The device stood about four inches tall, two inches wide, with a thick body that felt more like a small brick than a smartphone.

Its touchscreen was disappointingly small, surrounded by giant bezels—especially along the top and bottom—and three physical buttons beneath it, making it look more like a hybrid between a basic button phone and a wannabe smartphone.

And yet, this clunky contraption was hailed as the pinnacle of innovation—the best-selling phone in the market. Rex couldn’t help but let out a small, ironic chuckle as he saved their contacts, shaking his head at how skewed the standard for innovation was in this version of the world.

Meanwhile, Ellie smiled so brightly it was as if someone had just handed her a giant bag of candy. "Yesss! Now I officially have something to look forward to!" she declared, practically bouncing on the balls of her feet. Her energy was infectious, and even nearby partygoers glanced over, some chuckling at her joy, others simply drawn in by her magnetic presence.

Ellie clasped her phone with a triumphant grin. "Okay, okay! Now that I have you two’s numbers, don’t even think about escaping the great Ellie’s grasp while you’re in the USA!"

She finished with an exaggerated villainous laugh, tossing her head back and wiggling her fingers like an evil mastermind plotting world domination.

Rex said mock sighing. "Guess we should’ve read the fine print before handing over our numbers to the Great Ellie."

Lena rolled her eyes fondly. "You sound like a comic book villain. What’s next? A friendship contract in blood?"

"Ooh, not a bad idea!" Ellie said, eyes twinkling. "But for now, I’ll settle for coffee meetups, movie nights, and random texts at ungodly hours."

Then she went back to her villainous laugh, cackling dramatically as if she had truly gotten them under her control. The

Rex leaned slightly toward Lena, shielding his mouth with his hand as he whispered, "Hey, why do I feel like that evil look was her true form?"

Lena stared at Ellie’s devilish grin and, without even realizing it, nodded in agreement. "I couldn’t agree more," she murmured, eyes still fixed on Ellie as if trying to decode which version of her was real.

Finally, unable to keep quiet, Lena added with a laugh, "Hey, girl! Control yourself—your inner thoughts are spilling out."

"Ahem!" Ellie coughed, clearing her throat and wiping the grin off her face with the speed of light, instantly morphing back into her bubbly, innocent self. It was such a seamless switch, it felt almost like magic—or perhaps years of practice.

Rex and Lena exchanged a look, both visibly impressed by the speed and precision of her transformation.

"Is she always like that?" Rex asked, arching an eyebrow.

Lena shrugged, a wry smile tugging at her lips. "Well... a bit, but not this much. I guess LA really did a number on her. Or maybe she’s just evolving into her final form."

(End of Chapter)