Chapter 4

I knew Julianne’s delinquent attitude at school well enough to know she was not just making empty threats.

Sure enough, the next morning, the back seat of the Rolls-Royce was drenched in paint.

Julianne sat in the passenger seat and smiled apologetically at me.

“I was going to offer you a ride, but look at this mess. Someone accidentally spilled paint in the back. It’s totally ruined. Sorry about that.”

Jacob then handed me an umbrella.

“Mom, Dad, and I need the cars for work, so they’re all not available. You’ll have to walk to school.”

As if afraid of being punished by the system, he quickly added, “You can have the car after school. That should be fair, right?”

Fair?

I snorted coldly.

My phone showed a temperature of 104 degrees Fahrenheit. It was the hottest time of the day.

Not only would it be cooler after school, but more cars would be available. Julianne still would not have to walk.

How was that fair?

Seeing Julianne’s smug expression, I understood. These two were trying to exploit a loophole in the system.

If they succeeded, my life would become significantly more difficult.

However, the government had promoted the Children’s Fairness System for a reason. It possessed strong adaptive and analytical capabilities.

[Scan complete. Julianne Dawson’s health index: 85. Zinnia Dawson’s health index: 71. System verdict: Zinnia Dawson takes the car.]

Julianne’s expression instantly darkened, and Jacob began to panic as well.

“How can you reduce someone’s health to just a number? Besides, shouldn’t the older sister always look out for the younger one? It’s only natural!”

The system responded promptly and firmly, [Our system operates on a comprehensive set of evaluation metrics. There is no need for doubt.

[According to the law, the older sibling has no obligation to provide for or yield to the younger one. Please refrain from moral coercion.]

I could barely hold back my laughter as I witnessed Julianne’s frustration.

“Well, since the system has spoken, you’d better hop out of the car.”

I pulled Julianne aside and swiftly took my seat in the Rolls-Royce. I instructed the driver to leave immediately, as I could not afford to waste any time. I needed to get to school and focus on practice exams.

That evening, an unprecedented argument broke out among the harmonious family of four.

“Jacob, this is all your fault! If it weren’t for your ‘brilliant’ idea, I wouldn’t have had to walk to school! Do you know how everyone laughed at me?”

Through a crack in the door, I saw Julianne.

Her meticulously applied makeup was smeared with sweat. Her eyeliner was running down her face in black streaks. Her once-elegant dress had become dirty, and it clung damply to her skin. She looked utterly disheveled.

“Why didn’t you just give me your car?!” she screamed hysterically in the living room.

However, Jacob pushed her away impatiently.

“How would I get to work if you took my car? Our destinations aren’t even on the same route! You’re the one who came to me for ideas. Don’t blame me now. You brought this on yourself!”

My father, who was sitting on the couch, massaged his temples in frustration.

“I went to ask today. They said there’s no way to deactivate the system.”

Hearing this, Julianne became even more unhinged. She threw a tantrum and left the living room in complete disarray.

I just gently closed the door and returned to my bedroom.

In the past, they would always be laughing and watching TV together in the living room at this time. I could only hide in my room and eat their leftover food.

My quality of life had drastically improved just from receiving fair treatment.

One could easily imagine how spoiled and comfortable Julianne’s life had been before.

Since I was no longer there to endure hardships on her behalf, I was going to see just how long her carefree and privileged lifestyle would last.

Julianne seemed to have noticed my recent satisfaction. She eventually reached her breaking point and burst into my room in the middle of the night.

“Zinnia, your little winning streak is over,” she boasted with a look of triumphant revenge.

She was not even concerned that I might discover her plans early.

“Tomorrow, Dad’s going to distribute his assets based on merit. That’s extremely fair. Jacob and I are at the top of the class. You’re a perpetual last-place loser, so you’d better start praying for yourself!

“You really think that system lets you get away with everything? With no money and no shares, you’ll never be above us no matter how tough you act!”

I tilted my head slightly.

“What makes you so sure my grades aren’t as good as yours?”

Julianne burst into laughter.

“Have you even passed one test since you got here? Stop pretending.”

She did not realize that I had previously been at the bottom of the class because her lackeys kept me in a constant state of fear. That left me with no peace to study.

I looked down at the report card in my hand. The word “Top Scorer” was printed boldly right at the top.

My original plan had been to use my SAT scores to get into a college far away and finally escape this family. But this unexpected turn of events changed everything.

So, I uploaded my results from the previous years into the Children’s Fairness System.

The real show was about to begin.