The Disgraced Heir of the Wealthy Family Has Gone Mad - Chapter 1

It was 8:00 PM. A deep darkness enveloped the sea, with a full moon hanging directly overhead.

The cruise ship, Ocean Anthem, plowed through the vast, boundless ocean. The boisterous atmosphere on board felt completely at odds with the silence of the sea. Sea breezes buffeted the cruise ship, and waves slammed against the luxury vessel as it sailed further into the distance.

The ship was brightly lit, a scene of indulgence and decadence. The lower deck was coated in a shimmering layer of gold, and the air reeked of money; the power games of high society were burning brightly on this vessel.

Accompanied by the pulse of rock music and the influence of alcohol, the noise was deafening. In the center of the dance floor, men and women displayed their graceful dance moves without reservation; the atmosphere had reached a fever pitch.

Shen Muyun was jolted awake. Consciousness rushed back to him. A powerful force pushed him from behind, causing him to lose his balance instantly, his body hanging halfway over the edge.

He cursed under his breath: “Damn it, am I dreaming? Where is this? Dying at the very start? What kind of cursed luck is this? No, wait, this place…” He felt a wave of dizziness and looked at his surroundings with unease.

Time seemed to freeze. People on the deck pointed at him, their gazes intense. They looked toward this side as if watching some rare spectacle. More than anything, he saw ugly faces and mocking laughter.

The crowd erupted in gossip.

“Look, everyone. I told you before, that Second Young Master of the Shen family is no good. Now, this is truly a case of evil having its match. He is usually so arrogant and domineering; look at him now, he looks just like a dog begging for its life.”

“His reputation has been common knowledge for a long time. Not many people in Jiangcheng dare to provoke him, so keep your voices down. If he hears you, that is that; he will definitely seek revenge.”

“Tsk, he provoked the Young Master of the Zhou family this time. He deserves it. If you are going to pick a fight, pick the right one. But he provoked that kind of person. You probably do not know this yet, but he also went after the Young Lady of the Lu family a few days ago. We are in for a good show now.”

The onlookers gloated, not a single person willing to lend a helping hand. They whispered among themselves, watching the farce unfold.

He had only one thought: I cannot die. Absolutely not. I will make these people pay for this, and besides, I have not lived long enough yet.

A flash of white light crossed his vision, and memories flooded into his brain. He had clearly just finished an experiment and was preparing to rest. Cruise ship, falling into the water, party; several unrelated concepts crowded his mind. The moment he touched the water, the icy sensation gave him goosebumps, and he sobered up instantly. A voice echoed in his mind.

“Ding! Welcome, the 1314th unlucky soul. Oh, wait, Host. You are now the noble Second Young Master of the Shen family. System records indicate your personality is perverse and sinister, which is why no one is helping you. Being ostracized by the elite is your daily routine. Congratulations, Chosen One; good luck staying alive!”

“Wait! Who are you?”

Shen Muyun reached out, wanting to grab onto something, but he only grasped at thin air. Even worse, the cold pool water instantly flooded into his mouth. The smell of bleach mixed with the scent of hormones immediately assaulted his senses.

The memories of his previous life caused a splitting headache. The memories of this body’s original owner made him completely sober, and he immediately recalled what had happened.

In his previous life, he lived until he was 32; a veteran corporate slave. In the eyes of others, he was young and promising: a doctorate student who skipped grades, he joined a laboratory while still an undergraduate. His latest paper was published in the top-tier journal Nature. At just 32, he became the youngest associate professor at Jiangcheng University, receiving worship from everyone amidst flowers and applause, enjoying endless glory.

The events prior flashed before his eyes like a revolving lantern. He had just finished his latest experiment and was preparing to fill out the report.

He had been incredibly confident; after all, he possessed absolute authority in academics. If this project had no issues, he would be able to apply for this year’s Natural Science Fund. If everything went smoothly, he could be promoted to full professor within five years; something others could only be jealous of. By then, the theory of quantum symmetry breaking in theoretical physics would have been established single-handedly through his efforts.

But during such a major discovery, perhaps out of divine jealousy, he felt a palpitation while filling out the report. His heart beat violently, followed by sharp pain. His soul was torn alive from his body. Sudden cardiac death: the most common way for young people to die prematurely.

He even witnessed the entire process of others trying to save him. A group of people surrounded him, grief-stricken, even sighing with regret.

His elderly parents knelt over him, watching the tragedy of a parent burying their child. He wanted to comfort them, but he discovered his fingers passed right through the mourners. He had long since become a spirit; it was futile. Then came a flash of white light, and he arrived in this hellish place.

Shen Muyun struggled incessantly in the water. He knew how to swim in his previous life, but this body was not obeying him; the original owner’s feeble debuff had been added to him. Weighing the options, he realized dignity was worthless; his life was the priority. He switched to a doggy-paddle style, moving step by step toward the shore.

He thought to himself: Since this crowd loves watching a joke, I will play it to the end. I will live however makes me happy this lifetime. Since I have ended up here inexplicably, no matter what I was like before, I am going to make them pay for this.

Shen Muyun kept struggling, accidentally swallowing a few mouthfuls of pool water, his cheeks turning red from holding his breath. He lifted his head, squinting at the group on the deck watching the show. They certainly loved the drama; every one of them was laughing heartily.

Seeing Shen Muyun’s state, the crowd on the deck became even more excited, starting a new bet on whether he would die in the water. The stakes were quite high.

“I say he can last at most eight or ten minutes. If it is any longer, look at that sickly appearance; he might just die in the pool. The Shen family could count it as clearing out a pest; that is his retribution.”

“The Shen family has brought this upon themselves. The eldest is so excellent, but luck is always balanced. The eldest is a source of pride, so the second one is obviously a source of trouble.”

“Nobody is going down to save him? It will not be good if a life is lost. How about we make a bet? If he can crawl up alive, I will stand on my head and write my name. If he cannot, it is 100,000!”

“What kind of bet is that? I bet 200,000 that he makes it ashore. Place your bets, everyone! You are all witnesses, so do not try to run later. Do you hear me?”

Shen Muyun gritted his teeth, listening to their words and committing them to memory. He grouped those with sympathy in one category, and as for those who watched the show with cold eyes, they would have to pay it back sooner or later. However, he had to admit this body was truly weak. In just these few minutes, his lungs felt like they had been wrung dry, and he could even hear wet rales in his breathing. He could not die; he could not fail to live through tonight. He had not enjoyed this feeling enough yet.

He endured the discomfort and pushed himself harder. His fingertips finally touched the edge of the deck. Gaining a little space, his lungs slowly filled with air, bringing him a sense of relief. He would make those who laughed at him pay the price they deserved.

The people on the shore watched his struggle, and the mocking fervor from moments ago dissipated significantly. They scattered, afraid of getting caught up in trouble; some even ran so fast their shoes fell off.

“Look, the Shen family is lucky after all. Even though the Second Young Master is a sickly thing, he managed to climb out himself after falling in.”

“Exactly, exactly. You all should mind your manners. Who was it earlier, constantly running their mouths? See, he is up. Besides, the Young Master of the Zhou family was just joking; he would not actually stand by and let him die. The cruise lifeguards are waiting there, too. It was a joke, just a joke.”

“What do you mean? It was clearly you who started the conflict earlier, and you were the one talking about the gambling money. You cannot deny this now; it should be charged to your account.”

“Right, who just said he would not make it? This is 200,000, and everyone who witnessed it gets a cut. Those who spoke up, transfer the money; you cannot welsh on this debt.”

The crowd chattered away. Shen Muyun finally grabbed the end of the deck, breathing softly. The air temperature was not high, and the edge of the deck was wet and slippery. He had to get ashore quickly. He leveraged his feet against the pool wall; the slippery surface offered no purchase, and a failed attempt even pushed him backward. Holding his breath, Shen Muyun exerted the maximum power of this body, kicked hard against the wall, and thrust himself onto the shore.

Shen Muyun saw the crowd, and a faint, imperceptible smile hooked the corners of his mouth. His narrow, phoenix eyes narrowed into slits. The current Shen Muyun was not the person they once knew. Since they were heartless and unrighteous, he would not be blamed for being ruthless.

Shen Muyun sat at the edge of the shore to stabilize himself, catching his breath and calming his wildly beating heart. This body is truly a bit frail; I must take good care of it. He shook his hair, sending droplets of water scattering around. He looked at the surrounding situation with gloomy eyes.

He walked straight to the person who had pushed him into the water. With a sharp “Slap!”, that person’s cheek instantly turned red. A five-fingered print bloomed on his face, the red, swollen mark standing out starkly against his fair skin.

The air solidified. The group that had been laughing and joking suddenly went cold. A gasp of shock erupted from the crowd.

Relying on the original owner’s memory, Shen Muyun recalled that this person was the Zhou family’s young master, Zhou Shiqing. The two had never gotten along since childhood. Zhou Shiqing always relied on being the eldest son of the Zhou family, thinking that his family’s power would one day surpass the Shen family. He was always pushing his luck. Now, that was good; they had officially become mortal enemies.

“Shen Muyun! Who do you think you are! How dare you hit me! Our Zhou family will not let you off! Shen Muyun, you will pay the price for your actions! Who do you think you are, daring to cause trouble on my watch?”

In Shen Muyun’s memory, Zhou Shiqing was not much of a character; he was just his sworn enemy. The original owner of this body had been too soft, but he would let them see what a truly gloomy and dark-bellied young master looked like.

Seeing Zhou Shiqing’s act, Shen Muyun laughed coldly. “Just you? Who do you think you are? And what kind of nobody is the Zhou family? Oh, right, I seem to remember; just a minor, entry-level household that made a lucky break in speculation a few years ago and climbed into high society. You were a bully as a child, and now you are a menace to life.”

“You!” Zhou Shiqing bristled with rage, wanting to grab Shen Muyun by the collar, but being half a head shorter, he swung at empty air.

“What you?” Shen Muyun dodged to the side. Zhou Shiqing almost fell into the swimming pool himself.

This was even more interesting than the deck party and would likely be tomorrow’s headline. Seeing the two in a conflict, the crowd began to discuss it with great interest. Occasionally, flashes of light could be seen; there was no telling which paparazzo hiding in the shadows was filming this upper-class scandal.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Did you not say the Young Master of the Zhou family was more impressive? Look at him acting like a coward now.”

“Why does the Second Young Master of the Shen family seem different? He used to be gloomy, but I have never seen him this ruthless.”

“It is simple; he was pushed too far. If he had not held on earlier, who knows. Tsk, tsk; it is hard to say.”

Shen Muyun looked at the red wine on the table. Under everyone’s gaze, he walked straight to the table, picked up a bottle at random, and looked at the label. “Three million only; the Shen family can afford it.”

“Crash!” Red wine splattered everywhere, mixed with glass shards. The cork bounced off the table edge, rolled away, and landed alone under the table. On the exquisite wooden table, splinters curled up. The air was filled with the intoxicating aroma of wine, and the liquid stained the tablecloth into a deep, crumpled patch.

In the eyes of the crowd, Shen Muyun was a person of eccentric temperament. Seeing his dark expression, they immediately scattered, clearing a path, waiting curiously to see if there was another act to the show. As for those paparazzi, they did not even bother to hide as they appeared on the higher decks, some even whistling; this was the perfect opportunity to seize resources.

Zhou Shiqing had not even reacted before his body betrayed his fear. He felt something sharp graze his neck, accompanied by a sting. Warm liquid trickled down his throat, staining his white shirt.

“What are you doing? Are you trying to kill me? Shen Muyun, have you gone mad?”

Shen Muyun smiled coldly, pressing the jagged tip of the wine bottle against his throat. “Who do you think you are, daring to bully me?”