The Disgraced Heir of the Wealthy Family Has Gone Mad - Chapter 4

Shen Wenjin pondered for a moment, his previous rage gradually subsiding. Breaking the contract would always invite criticism, but now that the problem had been laid at the feet of the Zhou Corporation, there was finally a reason to delay the signing or cancel it entirely.

“Liuyun, it is one thing for Muyun to act recklessly, but why are you following his lead? The secretary verified this document several times and found no issues. How is it that trouble arises right when we are about to sign? What is going on with you two?”

“Mr. Shen, that is something we must discuss in the context of what happened on the cruise ship yesterday.”

“Mr. Zhou, one should not be so shameless. I am merely stating the facts about the contract objectively. As for what happened on the ship…”

Before Shen Muyun could continue, Shen Liuyun adjusted his glasses and took over. “Mr. Zhou, the events of yesterday were truly embarrassing. The Young Master of the Zhou family pushed my younger brother into the water. If my brother did not know how to swim, there is no telling what condition he would be in today.”

“You!”

Zhou Qingshi’s complexion turned a mottled shade of blue and purple. He was at a loss for words, clearly in the wrong.

Shen Liuyun smiled thinly, adjusted his glasses again, and looked toward Zhou Qingshi. “How about this, Mr. Zhou? Let us assume this contract was swapped out by someone else. In business, things go back and forth. Since this contract is void, we can simply have another one drafted for you.”

As for yesterday’s incident on the cruise ship, according to the description in that poorly written novel, he was supposed to be a cannon-fodder villain who died on the spot during the party. The subsequent plot should have involved the Zhou family framing the Shen family. But now, everything had changed. It was not the original story; simply put, the plot had gone mad.

Shen Muyun’s ears were filled with whispers from the surrounding shareholders.

“What does the Zhou Corporation amount to? They have always been shady. I told Mr. Shen before that their company was registered overseas just to engage in illicit activities. Look, can we believe it now?”

“Keep your voices down. Look at their expressions; they are at daggers drawn. This is a conference room, and this is a deal worth hundreds of millions. Who knows how many people are eyeing this piece of meat? To be honest, most of us would have turned a blind eye to the minor issues in the contract, but the Second Young Master of the Shen family had to go and make a scene.”

“Isn’t the Second Young Master of the Shen family famous for not involving himself in company affairs? He has barely been here a few times. Why did his personality suddenly change? Could he be trying to fight Shen Liuyun for the inheritance? That cannot be right, either. Does he not pride himself on being a playboy?”

Shen Muyun had the measure of these shareholders. They were useless trash, and cleaning them out was only a matter of time.

Listening to the gossip, Zhou Qingshi clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms. He squinted his eyes, kept his head down, and periodically wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.

“Mr. Shen, regarding this contract, I believe there may indeed have been some issues during the initial review. Please, do not take it to heart. I will go back and draft a new one immediately. If there is anything else that is not quite right, we can correct it. After all, we have discussed this project many times, so…”

Seeing the contract on the table, Shen Muyun shot a glance at Zhou Qingshi, sending a chill straight up his spine.

“Mr. Zhou, as you said, the contract is somewhat flawed. Since that is the case, let us put today’s signing on hold. The meeting ends here. It is lunchtime, so everyone is dismissed!”

Shen Muyun smiled at Shen Liuyun, but Shen Liuyun immediately looked away. He could not decipher Shen Liuyun’s intentions, but he was certainly not an easy person to deal with.

“Since it has come to this, meeting adjourned!”

Shen Wenjin took the documents and walked straight out of the conference room, followed by the shareholders.

“Muyun, why are you here?”

Shen Liuyun walked around the table to stand before Shen Muyun. He tapped his fingers lightly on the table, his eyes flickering with an inscrutable light. Shen Muyun could not read him, but he knew one thing: it is better to be safe than sorry.

“Ah, that. I woke up quite early today and saw the news about the Shen Corporation joining forces with the Zhou Corporation. I looked over the contract casually, saw that there were indeed some problems, and decided to come take a look.”

“You used to never pay attention to company affairs, but today you are quite proactive. Muyun, in business, one must sometimes know when to turn a blind eye. However, thanks to you, the Zhou Corporation contract was not signed rashly. Very well, I have an appointment, so I will be going now.”

Shen Muyun waved at Shen Liuyun. “Big brother, drive carefully and get home early.”

Shen Liuyun found the remark strangely peculiar, but he did not dwell on it, merely nodding in acknowledgment.

Once the conference room had cleared out, Shen Muyun left as well.

Walking down the silent hallway, he could only hear his own footsteps. The System suddenly popped up beside him, causing Shen Muyun a start. He swiped at the System in irritation.

“Do you want to scare me to death?”

The System flashed its screen with a look of grievance. “Host, I only wanted to congratulate you. I did not expect the contract matter to be resolved so simply and cleanly.”

“Nonsense. This is not a difficult task. Why is it worth celebrating?”

“Of course it is! But, how should I put it? It proves that I am a system with great foresight. Among all the previous systems, none were as capable as me. I am truly amazing! However, Host, you must stay alert. The tasks will only get more difficult.”

“So narcissistic.”

Shen Muyun rubbed his forehead. He glanced at the elevator and the emergency exit but chose the stairs. The elevator was crowded and noisy, and loose lips sink ships. Since he had not yet grasped the rules of this world or the full situation of the original host, it was better to be cautious.

“System, when did you appear? You are like a ghost. Is this considered a task?”

“Emmm, how to put it? This is the first stage of a task, and there will be main quests, side quests, primary objectives, and secondary objectives…”

“Stop. Don’t say another word; you are giving me a headache. Just tell me, will the tasks proceed in stages, and will the difficulty increase gradually?”

“Host, you are so smart. Yes, our tasks are progressive. According to the favorability tracker, Shen Wenjin’s favorability toward you has risen to ten, but Shen Liuyun’s favorability has dropped to negative five. Logically, that should not be the case. You didn’t get into a fight with your brother just now, did you?”

Shen Muyun paused. This system was quite something; a favorability system. Could it be that if he collected maximum favorability from seven people, he could summon a dragon and make a wish?

“System, what is the meaning of this favorability score?”

The System hesitated, flipping through past records. “Actually, it seems, possibly, it does not have any particularly great use. You could say it is still under development. There are still many unknown areas that the system has not yet explored, which require you, the Host, to decipher. Some parts were never even touched by the previous ‘Chosen Ones.’ So, uh, good luck, Host. I cannot provide much support; you will have to rely on yourself.”

Shen Muyun gave it the middle finger. This system was useless. Others had “golden fingers,” but his system seemed to be here just to stir up trouble; it didn’t know anything.

“Host, do not be impatient. After all, I have not been a system for very long, so we still need a break-in period. Sooner or later, there will be a way out. Every mountain has a path.”

Shen Muyun did not like the incessant chatter. “Fine. For now, I have nothing for you to do. You can go and rest.”

“Alright, respected Host! If you need anything from me, please contact me in time. Just call out, and I will be back. Honey, I am off! Flying kiss!”

Shen Muyun felt goosebumps rising on his skin. Why did this system have such a raunchy vibe? Forget it. Since he had been selected, he had to think about what to do next.

Walking down the safety stairs, his mind felt much clearer. Today’s events had gone smoothly. He had expected Shen Wenjin to be furious or refuse to give him face, but his reaction seemed more like he needed a mouthpiece; someone to point out the problems in the contract so that he could act on it, as he had clearly seen the issues but could not address them himself for some reason.

As for what trick Shen Liuyun had up his sleeve, Shen Muyun did not know. He felt a vague sense of hostility. Everything Shen Liuyun did seemed carefully orchestrated. In the eyes of outsiders, they would be the best of brothers, but they had not yet had private contact, so he did not know the reality of the situation. Be cautious, for it is the surest way to sail for ten thousand years. This was the first rule Shen Muyun had learned in this world.

After exiting the stairwell, he noticed the weather had changed. The clear sky had turned gloomy, as if a rainstorm was coming.

He had intended to leave and go home to rest; he seemed to have slept in a weird position on the cruise ship, and his neck was throbbing with an inexplicable pain. His eyes were also uncomfortable, dry as if he had been staring at a computer screen for too long.

But a figure appeared in front of him, blocking his path.

“Tsk, so you are the one who ran over to sabotage the contract. Shen Muyun, are you making it your mission to go against the Zhou family?”

Shen Muyun looked at the man and smiled lightly. “A defeated foe here to show off?”

“Shen Muyun, I thought you had some ability, but you are just relying on the power of the Shen Corporation? Do not forget that the Shen Corporation’s overseas department still needs our Zhou Corporation’s support.”

Shen Muyun ignored his rhetoric and walked straight out of the building, colliding hard with Zhou Shiqing, who stumbled backward.

Zhou Shiqing grabbed his arm in dissatisfaction. “What do you think you are doing?”

Shen Muyun replied with disdain. “It means nothing. One should keep away from dogs; otherwise, one’s habits will eventually align with theirs. Do you understand? Look at your father’s behavior, and then look at yourself. Tsk, is this what they call ‘the beam is not straight, so the followers are crooked’?”

Zhou Shiqing’s temper flared instantly. He pointed at Shen Muyun’s nose. “Shen Muyun, being too arrogant is not a good thing.”

Shen Muyun followed the direction of Zhou Shiqing’s finger and pinned him against the wall. “I am not good at arguing with dogs. If you have something to say, say it; if not, get lost. You are wasting my time, and besides, it is about to rain. I do not want to get soaked.”

Zhou Shiqing used the leverage to throw a violent kick at Shen Muyun’s calf, but Shen Muyun’s muscle reflexes were quick, and he dodged immediately, causing Zhou Shiqing to lose his balance and almost fall.

“What a pathetic piece of trash.”

“Trash? I think you are talking about yourself.”

Zhou Shiqing took a few steps back and smiled at Shen Muyun, even giving him the middle finger. “Shen Muyun, do you dare to compete with me?”

Shen Muyun was not someone to be trifled with, and hearing Zhou Shiqing’s provocation only stoked his fire. “Oh? What else do you want to compete in? My patience is limited.”

Zhou Shiqing straightened his clothes and looked up at Shen Muyun. “It is simple. This weekend, let us go to the suburbs. There is a horse track there. Didn’t you always claim your horse racing was top-notch? I want to see exactly what kind of skill you actually have.”

Shen Muyun smiled secretly. In his original world, he had specifically studied equestrianism; this was effectively walking right into his strong suit. “Fine. But at that time, we will have to invite some witnesses to see who exactly makes a fool of themselves.”