The Scum Gong Refuses the Crematorium [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 1

997 High-Martial World.

The protagonist, who originally held a system and was blessed with immense luck and destiny, was now kneeling miserably on the battlefield. He looked at his allies lying in pools of blood, defeated in utter shambles, his eyes filled with disbelief.

No!

He didn’t believe it!

He didn’t believe he could lose!

He was the protagonist of this world, blessed with various fortunes and “gold fingers” (cheats). At such a young age, he had already reached the level of the number one expert in the High-Martial world. How could he lose?

But the enemy gave him no time to think. A sharp sword flew in from the horizon, its sword energy like a rainbow piercing straight toward his chest.

Following the sword energy was a cold-faced man dressed in black. He didn’t even spare a glance at the fallen “Number One Protagonist.” After the sword pierced the chest, he pulled it out cleanly and decisively.

Blood spurted out instantly.

The protagonist of World 997 looked down at the blood gushing from his chest. Even with his lucky destiny and various treasures, he knew it was too late. A sword through the heart—not even a Great Golden Immortal could save him.

He struggled to turn his gaze toward the man who had killed him with one strike. His fellow disciple, whose talent and potential were inferior to his own, who had eventually betrayed their sect to wander the world—the Great Villain who opposed him at every turn but never seemed to gain the upper hand.

He wanted to know how he had lost to him.

Unfortunately, Sheng Yan, being the Great Villain, knew all too well the principle that “villains die because they talk too much.” Ignoring the protagonist’s gaze, he pulled his sword from the chest and immediately slashed it across the protagonist’s throat, delivering a final finishing blow.

He completely severed the protagonist’s life force.

Watching the genius of the High-Martial world fall, devoid of life, the villains of World 997 did not cheer; instead, they wept.

“It’s over…”

“Everything is over!”

From now on, no one would be abandoned because of poor aptitude, no one would have to fear their hard-earned opportunities being snatched away by “chosen geniuses,” and no one would live in terror of being retaliated against for offending a “favored son of heaven.”

No one knew the hardships they had endured on this journey of fighting those geniuses. Without resources, they found ways to earn them; without destiny, they created it; without heavenly treasures, they grew their own.

To protect the conditions they had fought so hard to create, their leader—that former junior brother—had countless times dragged his bloodied body to stand fearlessly before those geniuses who might at any moment steal their progress. He allowed every one of them to work hard to improve themselves, rather than blindly chasing individual power.

Today, they had finally welcomed their victory. How could they not shed tears?

With a “shoo” sound, a huge, brilliant firework exploded in the sky, illuminating the entire High-Martial world.

At the same moment, everyone looked up. Even the protagonist of World 997, waiting in the System Space for his failure penalty, couldn’t help but look up.

The moment he saw the dazzling fireworks filling the sky, his pupils dilated.

“Sheng Yan.”

“The villain I encountered was actually played by Sheng Yan!”

That devilish villain, Sheng Yan—the one who specifically targeted protagonist taskers, who enjoyed mocking worlds, disrupting rules, and refusing to follow the script. He was the one who caused countless high-quality protagonist taskers to fail, collapse, go mad, and he loved setting off fireworks at the end.

The protagonist of World 997 gnashed his teeth: “No wonder my mission was so difficult this time. No wonder I… failed.”

As an SSS-rank high-quality protagonist tasker who was only three worlds away from achieving “Thousand-World Merit,” he felt his spirit deflate into utter defeat now that he knew who his enemy was.

“…”

The mission was complete. After setting off the fireworks, Sheng Yan returned the body to its original owner and headed back to the System Space.

Usually, within three seconds, his System No. 1 would brown-nose him with all sorts of flattery. This time, he waited a full five seconds, and there was no reaction.

Sheng Yan: “Hmm?”

“Hello, Host.”

An electronic voice sounded, but it wasn’t No. 1.

“I am Scumbag Whitewashing System No. 667. Villain System No. 1 has been recalled by the Main God for a forced upgrade due to technical issues. From now on, I will be responsible for your world missions.”

…The Main God?

Sheng Yan narrowed his eyes: “Is that so?”

“…” After a moment, 667 replied mechanically, “Yes.”

Sheng Yan stared at the spot where No. 1’s code used to be, now replaced by some random wild system code. After a while, he suddenly said, “No. 667 is much worse than No. 1. Are there no other numbers?”

System 667: “…”

Fortunately, Sheng Yan didn’t dwell on it. After waiting for a reply that didn’t come, he changed the subject: “Introduce your mission type.”

667: “Understood, Host. The Scumbag Whitewashing System, as the name suggests.”

Sheng Yan interrupted: “Get straight to the point.”

“…In every world, there is a scumbag who cannot see his own heart. They are indecisive in relationships and treat their true destined partner with disdain and coldness. After the partner leaves, no one treats the scumbag sincerely anymore, leaving them to die lonely and miserable in old age.”

“The Host’s task is to win back the scumbag’s true partner, successfully ‘whitewash’ the scumbag’s reputation, and join hands with the partner to live a happy life together.”

Sheng Yan laughed: “You said it yourself—he’s a scumbag who lived a wild life. Dying lonely in old age without even a sickness mentioned sounds like a fair trade. Why bother whitewashing him?”

667: “Because…”

Sheng Yan continued: “Besides, for the person who was treated like trash, escaping the scumbag is a blessing. Winning them back isn’t necessarily ‘happiness’ for them.”

667: “Once whitewashed, he won’t be a scumbag anymore.”

Sheng Yan: “A leopard doesn’t change its spots.”

667: “…”

Sheng Yan thought for a bit: “Also, I’m the one doing the chasing, I’m the one doing the ‘whitewashing,’ and I’m even the one living the life. So, does this true partner belong to me or the original owner?”

667’s code began to glitch wildly. Before coming here, it knew Sheng Yan was difficult, but it didn’t expect him to be this difficult.

667 stabilized its code: “It counts as the Host’s. As long as you successfully whitewash the scumbag, you can fly off into the sunset with the partner in the small world and receive a generous point reward.”

Sheng Yan raised an eyebrow: “Point rewards?”

“Yes,” 667 said. “With points, you can exchange for anything you desire from me.”

Sheng Yan looked up: “Including bringing back the dead, flipping worlds upside down, or making the universe return to peace?”

667: “…Yes.”

The richer the reward, the higher the price. Sheng Yan’s expression didn’t budge: “Not interested.”

667’s code was practically screaming: “What about No. 1? As long as the Host completes missions and earns points, you can use those points to apply to the Main God to bring back System No. 1.”

Sheng Yan was calm: “Are you sure the No. 1 that comes back will be the original No. 1?”

667 hurriedly replied: “Certain! Certain! A system upgrade doesn’t destroy the original code, so the No. 1 that returns will still be No. 1.”

This time, Sheng Yan didn’t refuse: “Fine, I accept. But I have one requirement.”

667: “Please say it, please say it.”

Sheng Yan smiled slightly: “Just add a clause to the system program stating that the Host’s actions during the mission must not be interfered with in any way.”

667: “We don’t have that rule!”

It was Sheng Yan’s turn to pressure: “Think it over carefully. My mission capability isn’t weak. Adding a non-interference clause costs you nothing, and it makes me a willing worker. Why not?”

667 hesitated: “This…”

Seeing its hesitation, Sheng Yan added: “If not, forget it. There are other systems in the Main God Space. I’ll just wait for one that can add the clause. Other systems’ points should also be able to bring back No. 1, right?”

667: “…” If it let another system take over, its effort to squeeze into this position would be wasted.

667 was convinced: “If I add this clause, you must fulfill the Scumbag Whitewashing mission, okay?”

Sheng Yan nodded in appreciation: “Mm-hmm.”

667 quickly added the clause. After seeing Sheng Yan sign the agreement without hesitation and enter the mission world, it finally breathed a sigh of relief.

World 1010: CEO World.

Sheng Yan woke up slowly on a high-quality leather sofa. While rubbing his splitting headache from a hangover, he received the mission briefing.

The original owner, Sheng Yan, is the CEO of the Shengshi Group. Five years ago in university, he met a Computer Science student named Lu Mingyue. He fell in love at first sight and pursued him aggressively.

However, it was unrequited love. Lu Mingyue had no feelings for him and soon accepted an invitation to go abroad for further studies.

Deeply hurt, the original Sheng Yan went drinking and found Song Liguang near a trash heap behind a bar. Song Liguang had been kicked out by his parents, was homeless, and looked 70% like Lu Mingyue.

Looking at that face he missed every day, and harboring an indescribable motive, Sheng Yan took Song Liguang home on a whim. He sheltered him, paid for his education, and threw a lot of money into the entertainment industry to help Song Liguang achieve his dream of becoming a star.

The price was that Song Liguang had to be a “stand-in.”

To Sheng Yan, Song Liguang was just a substitute, but to Song Liguang, Sheng Yan was more than just a benefactor. From the moment Sheng Yan brought him home, Song Liguang had fallen for him. However, his status as a substitute made him insecure, and his dependent situation left him without the confidence to confess. He could only secretly care for Sheng Yan.

Five years passed. Just when Song Liguang thought they would continue like this forever, Lu Mingyue returned to the country as a rising star in the scientific research community.

Facing the “original” genius, the already insecure Song Liguang felt even more inferior. Furthermore, as soon as Lu Mingyue returned, Sheng Yan ignored Song Liguang. Not only did he run to Lu Mingyue every day, but he also took Lu Mingyue everywhere and introduced him to all his friends.

This was treatment Song Liguang had never received in five years. Unable to take it anymore, Song Liguang had a minor emotional outburst. Instead of getting Sheng Yan’s attention, he was scolded. Finally, he gathered the courage to ask to terminate the substitute contract.

Sheng Yan, in a fit of pique, agreed without a second thought and went back to chasing his “White Moonlight,” Lu Mingyue.

But the good times didn’t last.

Sheng Yan’s mother, Jiang Huaisu, learned that Sheng Yan was entangled with Lu Mingyue again. Furious, she revealed the truth about why Lu Mingyue went abroad.

“You think he really was invited for ‘further studies’? How could an orphan like him afford to go abroad? He took five million from me to leave! He doesn’t love you at all. He left you for five million back then; now that he’s back and bothering you, who knows what he’s plotting. Wake up!”

It turns out that Sheng Yan’s high-profile pursuit of Lu Mingyue in university had reached his mother’s ears long ago. His mother couldn’t accept her son being gay. She didn’t think her son was the problem; she thought Lu Mingyue had seduced him. So, she took a check and told Lu Mingyue to leave.

Lu Mingyue was very pragmatic. He took the money and left. Seeing how obedient he was, Sheng Yan’s mother never told her son. She wouldn’t have said it now if she weren’t so angry.

Upon learning the truth, Sheng Yan was devastated. He went to Lu Mingyue for confirmation, and Lu Mingyue answered him honestly.

In Sheng Yan’s heart, Lu Mingyue was the moon in the sky—sacred and inviolable. Upon learning that Lu Mingyue was just a mortal who would “bend his back for five pecks of rice,” the White Moonlight in his heart collapsed. Unable to accept it, he started drinking himself into a stupor at home.

After finishing the plot summary, Sheng Yan only had one thing to say: “What a massive bowl of dog blood (melodrama).”

System 667: “Please follow the mission: Whitewash the scumbag and win back the true partner, Song Liguang.”

Sheng Yan was full of question marks: “Whitewash? Chase Song Liguang?”

Sheng Yan reviewed the plot again: “If I’m not mistaken, the original owner was basically a second parent to Song Liguang. Never mind being a stand-in—even if he made him work like an ox or a horse to repay the debt, it wouldn’t be over the top. How is this ‘scummy’? Why do I need to whitewash or chase him back?”

Sheng Yan looked at 667 as if it were a joke. He was a villain, sure, but he knew right from wrong. If someone had taken him in when he was at a dead end, paid for his schooling, and spent money to realize his dreams—never mind being a stand-in—he wouldn’t have complained even if he had to clean their toilets.

System 667: “That’s just how the ‘True Partner’ setting is.”

Sheng Yan rubbed his aching temples: “True Partner? More like ‘Life-taking Partner.’ I’m not being the sucker here.”

667: “Please follow the system settings. Deviating from the main mission will result in a lightning strike penalty.”

Sheng Yan walked toward the bathroom according to the original owner’s memory. Hearing 667’s words, his hand paused on the bathroom door. He asked cryptically, “Is that so?”

667: “Yes.”

Sheng Yan stepped into the bathroom: “Then let’s wait and see.”

Lu Mingyue’s Home, West City.

It was broad daylight outside, but the navy-blue curtains kept the room dim.

Lu Mingyue, wearing a white tracksuit with sleeves rolled up and ready for a night run, fell back onto the sofa. Recalling Sheng Yan’s interrogation last night, his eyes turned red with anger.

What did he mean, “Did you take my mom’s money?!”

Lu Mingyue held a contract printed on A4 paper, using a corner of it to cover his reddening eyes.

If it weren’t for Sheng Yan pursuing him so high-profile in school, his mother wouldn’t have used his future to threaten him. He was a powerless orphan who had worked so hard to get into Yanjing University, relying on scholarships just for living expenses. His mother’s one sentence could have ended his education and his life. If he didn’t take the money and leave, was he supposed to drop out and beg on the streets?!

By what right?

Just because Sheng Yan likes me, I have to give up everything for him?

By what right?

Their family is allowed to throw money at people, but the person hit isn’t allowed to pick it up and leave? There’s no such logic in the world.

By what right?!

Lu Mingyue squeezed the contract tightly. He didn’t feel he was wrong. He took it—so what! He deserved it! He wouldn’t feel guilty!

Lu Mingyue turned his head, thinking of another thing Sheng Yan said, and got even angrier.

“Mingyue, you’re different from what I thought.”

What did Sheng Yan think Lu Mingyue was? The moon in the water? An immortal in a painting? Not eating, not drinking, never dying, and never aging?

Well, sorry about that.

To his disappointment, Lu Mingyue was just a mortal. He needed to eat and drink, he valued his dignity and reputation, and he would grow old and die.

As for Sheng Yan, did he think he was such a great person? Back in school, he loudly declared he wouldn’t want anyone but Lu Mingyue, then immediately found a substitute who looked 70-80% like him. Who was he trying to disgust?!

Recalling seeing Song Liguang—who was dressed exactly like him—at the Sheng house, Lu Mingyue’s grip on the contract tightened again.

If it weren’t for the fact that his current project desperately needed an investor who would let the researchers keep their say, Lu Mingyue wouldn’t want anything to do with Sheng Yan or Song Liguang. Meeting Sheng Yan in university was the greatest misfortune of his life.

However, he had been focused on R&D abroad for years and hadn’t dealt with domestic contacts in a long time. Those who came knocking were all wolves with sharp teeth, wanting to tear a piece of flesh off him. How could they let the researchers retain control?

The only easy person to talk to was Sheng Yan.

And it was true. As soon as he returned, Sheng Yan heard about the project and offered to invest under conditions that perfectly met Lu Mingyue’s expectations.

They were just one step away from signing.

Lu Mingyue remembered Sheng Yan leaving yesterday, swaying and devastated, saying: “Mingyue, my mind is a mess. The contract… the contract, let’s talk about it later.”

“Shit!”

Thinking of this, the usually refined and elegant Lu Mingyue couldn’t help but swear. He threw the contract into the nearest electronic trash can in anger.

This project was his life’s work from his years abroad. Because of a lack of funds, some functions hadn’t been developed yet. Without an investor who respected their voice, those functions might never be activated. But if they were, it would be a technological breakthrough that could shake the world. Shengshi Group would also reach a new level because of it.

If everything went well, they were supposed to sign in a few days. He could have joined the R&D team and focused on his work.

But all of that was ruined last night.

The thought that a perfectly good collaboration was tanking—not because of the project itself, but because of some personal drama—made Lu Mingyue want to scream. But he had never really scolded anyone before.

After thinking for a long time, he spat out four words: “Death to love-brains!”

The trash can, which had just been activated by Lu Mingyue’s trash, happened to record the sentence. It dragged its cylindrical body around the room on a loop:

“Death to love-brains! Death to love-brains! Death to love-brains!”