The Disgraced Heir of the Wealthy Family Has Gone Mad - Chapter 5

A flash of white light descended from the heavens, crackling as it struck the ground. Immediately after, a thunderous boom erupted. Dark, heavy clouds hung low over his head. Oh my god, Shen Muyun thought, what kind of disaster is this going to be?

As rain began to fall, Shen Muyun quickened his pace. He took the opportunity to kick Zhou Shiqing in the rear. By sheer coincidence, the man tumbled down a slope and landed right in the middle of a sewer, covered in filth.

“Shen Muyun!”

Seeing Zhou Shiqing lying in the stinking ditch, Shen Muyun laughed until he doubled over. He made a face at him and said, “Eldest Young Master Zhou, that is karma. Karma for everyone. Who has heaven ever spared?”

Shen Muyun jogged forward energetically, feeling refreshed as he listened to the endless curses trailing behind him.

When he reached the parking lot, he hit a snag. Wait, I took a taxi here this morning. What was wrong with his brain? It must have been the trauma of transmigrating into the book that had made him a bit slow.

He looked at his ride-hailing app with frustration, but perhaps due to the weather, no drivers were accepting orders.

“System, I need a private car and a driver. Can you arrange that? And I need Shen Muyun’s background documents within three days. I do not want anyone to notice any flaws.”

The system stretched lazily and flicked its wings. “Host, that is not a problem. However, people are complex. Even with the documents, can you actually learn to act the part?”

What kind of system was this? Other people received golden fingers, while he got a stubby little pinky that was useless. It was a disastrous start, a disastrous transmigration. Relying on others was never as good as relying on himself.

“What are you talking about? Why could I not learn? I used to perform in skits. Just because you say I cannot does not mean I cannot. I could say the same about you.”

The system’s screen flickered with blue light, as if receiving data. “I must say, as a man, you cannot say you cannot. The most important thing for a man is stamina!”

Damn it, Shen Muyun thought, is this a legitimate system?

“You are not even a man. Forget it. Do you have an exclusive shop? You know, the kind with items that can help me pass levels or a massive, overpowered golden finger?”

The system’s screen brightened. “Hmm? Of course I do. I have a shop, but do you have the currency?”

Shen Muyun froze. He looked at the system display: fifty. Oh heaven, why do I only have fifty tokens?

“Ding. Host, do you want Brother Tong’s big items? The kind that is a sure-fire investment!”

“Damn it, System, are you having a nervous breakdown?”

The system’s screen flickered and suddenly displayed something that looked like a Monkey King staff.

“System! No obscenity allowed!”

The system looked at Shen Muyun, aggrieved. “This is the system interface. Just click it to enter.”

Shen Muyun swiped his finger across the screen.

“Ding, ding, ding!”

Accompanying the system’s mischievous sound, the shop opened.

“A flash of golden light! A million items!”

At the very bottom of the shop were some strange, bizarre items, along with some that looked rather inappropriate.

Item No. 1: The Straight-Man Compliment Stick. Want instant pleasure? Want to feel like you are flying? Choose this to realize your life’s ideals.

Tsk, filthy.

Item No. 2: Drink it and have water for everything. Brings wealth and prosperity, but the side effects are heavy. You have to pay a price, perhaps your hair.

What kind of weird thing is that?

Item No. 3: Fairy Crying Sound. Shh, limited edition, only available during holidays. It makes straight men go rigid. Use it with Item No. 1 for twice the result with half the effort.

Damn system, you claimed to be decent.

Item No. 4: Desire Venting Doll. Do you have any troubles? Talk to it. When you are annoyed, punch it twice. Guaranteed to make you feel better!

In the middle row, golden lights flickered over a blank contract. Hmm, I have used that before. Boring. He skipped it. There were “No-Miss Card Draws,” “Money-Found-on-the-Street Locks,” “Overnight Wealth Cards with No Side Effects,” “Ten-Pull Gold Vouchers,” and “Never-Unrequited-Love Confession Cards.”

They actually seemed quite interesting.

At the very top, Shen Muyun took a look, and he was shocked. It was fifty billion in cash! If he had that, would he still fear the curse of only living for three years?

“System, is there a discount?”

“Ding-dong. Actually, the exclusive shop was activated yesterday. Currently, there is not much to exchange. The shop uses a token system. I am a newly appointed system and am not familiar with some tasks. However, Host, it seems you have no money right now. How about selling yourself to earn some? It is the fastest way.”

Shen Muyun looked at his system wallet. Only fifty? What could he buy with that? Even the cheapest items cost over a thousand. He would have to tighten his belt and work hard. Wasn’t this a wealthy family script? Why was he so poor?

“System, does this shop have purchase limits, or does it automatically refresh every Monday at 5:00 AM? Are there any holiday sales?”

“Host, currently, no. Depending on the difficulty of the task, the harder it is, the more tokens you get. The top shelf holds mysterious items. You must work hard. I can only retire and relax after my business metrics are met. I do not want to be seventy or eighty before retiring; I will not have the strength then. As for holiday items, this is currently a discount period. Small business, no credit given.”

“You have big dreams, wanting to retire already. No way. You will have to wait. If you serve me well, I might finish the tasks diligently. If you do not, then we shall just torture each other.”

“Host! You cannot be like this! You only have three years left. You must hurry! This is not a game!”

“Fine, then. You be obedient, and we can cooperate happily.”

Rain began to drip from the sky. Since no car had accepted his order for a long time, he just flagged one down randomly. As he thought about the events of the day, he felt a lingering fear. Was he really not discovered? As for Shen Liuyun, interesting. Playing games with him was getting more and more fun.

As soon as he entered the house, Shen Muyun saw Shen Liuyun using scissors to trim the sunflowers on the table, occasionally throwing fallen petals into a nearby trash can.

“Big brother, I am home.”

Shen Liuyun lifted his eyes to look at Shen Muyun and placed the scissors aside. “Trimming away useless things is my hobby.”

“Flowers will wither eventually. Keeping them tidy makes them look better.”

“Indeed. People are the same.”

Shen Muyun paused for a second, then smiled and pulled a petal from a flower right in front of him.

He saw Shen Liuyun’s expression change repeatedly. These flowers were his treasures.

“Brother, can you give these flowers to me?”

“Yes.”

“Brother, why do you not like chrysanthemums?”

“No reason.”

“Brother, soaking sunflower seeds is good for your stomach.”

“…”

Shen Liuyun looked at Shen Muyun. Was the person who had been arguing for his point earlier just an illusion? This face looked innocent, but his actions looked crazy and hypocritical. Just plain hypocritical.

Shen Liuyun toyed with the petals, ignoring his phone, which kept flashing on the side.

“The Shen enterprise is managed by our family together. If there are problems, then speak up. However, you never cared about company matters before. Why the sudden interest today? And you came straight from the cruise ship. Was last night not fun enough?”

Shen Liuyun instructed the servant to pour tea.

Shen Muyun’s mouth twitched. He could not tell him that he was bound to an inexplicable system and would die if he did not complete the tasks.

“It was just a stroke of luck. The cruise was fun enough. It is just a pity I did not stab Zhou Shiqing. That is a regret.”

Shen Liuyun’s hand stopped abruptly as he played with the flowers, his eyes filled with cruelty.

The servant placed the teapot in front of Shen Liuyun, skillfully washed the teacups, and respectfully placed the second cup before them both.

“Well, it is just a contract. You are still young and have a few years to play. As for Zhou Shiqing, just stay away from him.”

“Brother, I think he is my new toy.”

Shen Liuyun curled his lip. This brother of his was truly crazy.

“Is there anything else you like?”

“Nothing in particular. Brother, you do not need to worry about me.”

Shen Liuyun’s phone flashed, but he ignored the vibration.

“Brother, are you not answering your phone?”

“It is nothing. Let it be.”

Seeing Shen Liuyun acting so indifferent, Shen Muyun picked up his teacup. He looked at the clear tea inside, with tea leaves floating on the surface, emitting a pleasant fragrance. White mist curled around the rim of the cup.

He changed the subject.

“Brother, I have an appointment with some friends to go to the horse track in the suburbs this weekend. I have not raced in a while and miss it a bit. Do you have time this weekend? Shall we go together?”

After Shen Muyun said this, the original host’s memories surged into his mind. The original Shen Muyun had fallen off a horse when he was six and never liked the sport afterward.

Shen Muyun’s face turned deathly pale. He wanted to curse. What was this? Why had he said that? Now that he remembered, he was afraid he had blown his cover. How was he supposed to backtrack now?

Shen Liuyun’s expression darkened significantly. He placed his teacup on the table. “Muyun, you fell off a horse before. When we were in Northern Europe, you said horse racing was for fools. Why the change of heart? Or are you up to something again?”

Shen Muyun’s mouth twitched.

“Brother, my hands are cold.”

“There is a thermos at home. The weather is bad today.”

“Brother, I want to sleep.”

“Your room is upstairs.”

“Brother, I feel a bit starved for affection.”

Before Shen Liuyun could respond, his phone rang again. He did not know if it was the same person, but this time Shen Liuyun was responsive. He did not avoid Shen Muyun and answered the call directly.

“Hello, Huainan. Is something the matter? I saw your call earlier, but I was talking to Muyun.”

The person on the other end paused, looking at the night view outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, exhaling a puff of smoke. The billboards outside flickered with light and color. “Hmm? Is that the one who put on a wonderful show on the cruise ship?”

Shen Muyun signaled that he was going to his room. Shen Liuyun waved his hand casually, signaling that he could leave.

Shen Muyun rose from the sofa, but he was curious about the person on the phone. Huainan. The original host’s memories had this person, but they were blurry. He only knew he was the Young Master of the Lu family.

He found a corner where Shen Liuyun could not see him, feeling assured to eavesdrop on their conversation.

“You joke, Huainan. What about that plot of land in the west of the city? I heard the Fu Group snatched it. It is a pity. I thought no one cared about that land.”

“Exactly. The land in the south belongs to the Su family. Jiangcheng is almost fully divided. I think I will look at the north. Liuyun, I heard the contract you had this morning was canceled. Did you finally believe what I said earlier?”

Shen Muyun heard it clearly. Actually, it was the system’s credit. Otherwise, he would never have heard the man named Lu Huainan. Who was he, and why did he feel inexplicably familiar? Shen Muyun shook his head. That was impossible. This was a world in a book. Perhaps he was just a passerby. But here, he was a stranger in a strange land. Making an acquaintance would not be bad.

“It was Muyun who discovered the problem. I felt something was strange, but actually, it was nothing. I hope I was just overthinking.”

“Huainan, if you have time, let us go to a bar for a drink. It has been a while since we all gathered.”

After the call ended, Shen Liuyun looked toward the corner with a deep meaning. Shen Muyun was certain that the position was indeed hidden, so he felt relieved and went upstairs.

Shen Liuyun toyed with the invitation on the tea table, black with gold edges and a gilded texture. The snake totem on it was the unique family crest of the Lu family. He looked toward the stairs with deep meaning as a dark figure flashed by.

Shen Muyun returned to his room alone and sat on the bed. He had not slept well last night, his neck was painfully stiff, and he had been rushing around all day.

He had not wanted to participate in company matters, but this was a system task, and he had already caused a scene at the office. This body was frail, and after all the trouble, he desperately needed rest.

The only thing he wanted now was to lie flat, think of nothing, do nothing, and just hug a pillow and sleep until the world turned black.

“Ding-dong. Respected host, you have a letter. Please check it in time. Ding-dong! Ding-dong-ding-dong!”

The system appeared in front of his eyes, flapping its little wings, looking quite happy.

“Are you noisy or what? Quiet down. You are going to deafen my ears.”

Shen Muyun looked at the screen and the incongruous Monkey King staff. He endured it, reached out, and swiped. A small envelope with wings appeared before him.

“New style, Host. Do my wings feel sensational? Just touch the edge of the wings.”

The system’s screen sprouted pink hearts.

“Ugh, get out of here. You are an eyesore.”

He unfolded the envelope to find an invitation: Friday night, the Lu family vineyard would hold a charity sale, featuring a Kashmir sapphire as the night’s highlight. The host was Lu Huainan.

Wait, Lu Huainan. That name. Was that not the man Shen Liuyun was talking to on the phone?

“System, who is this Lu Huainan?”

“Host, when you have a request for someone, you should be polite. You should use honorifics.”

Shen Muyun grabbed the system’s wings. “Like this?” He threw it aside.

The system immediately flew into the air. “Host! That is murder!”

“Ding, ding, ding. File received successfully.”

Shen Muyun opened the file directly. Lu Huainan’s basic information appeared: Lu Huainan, eldest son of the Lu family. Low-key, gentle character, twenty-nine years old. Heir to the Lu family businesses. The Lu Group stood alongside the Fu and Su families in Jiangcheng as a tripartite power.

The system blinked its eyes. “As for him, he is very excellent. He was born in the United States and raised there. Data shows he has never returned to the country, but the data is not comprehensive. Since he was a child, he has been the ‘other people’s child’ type. You should have had no connection with him; you have never even met.”

Shen Muyun tapped the screen where the system was. “Can you provide some useful information? For example, is he a target for the ‘conquest’? Will the plot go more smoothly with his help? You do not need to tell me the superficial stuff.”

The system drooped its little wings and shook its head helplessly. “Well, Host, I have to say, the Lu family and the Shen family are family friends. However, Lu Huainan is an iron tree. He has no history of romance. Your big brother is a direct competitor in business, though they have a good personal relationship. The system can only say that this person is not easy to ‘conquer.’ I advise you to drop this idea as soon as possible.”

Shen Muyun’s personality was that he became stronger when facing strong opponents. The word “failure” did not exist in his dictionary. As for Lu Huainan, he was somewhat interested, but not much. Making friends of different types might really be useful for extending his life. He secretly calculated how to befriend this man.

The system yawned. “Host, you have been busy all day; you should sleep. The invitation is in Shen Liuyun’s hands. As for whether you will be able to go, that is not certain.”

“Shut your mouth and go to sleep.”