Chapter One: Starting Tomorrow, I Will No Longer Be a Worthless Person

Shen Huifang had just returned home after playing mahjong when a sudden scream pierced the air. Without even bothering to change her shoes, she rushed inside, only to find her younger daughter glaring furiously at Hong Chen. Upon questioning, she learned that Hong Chen had been caught red-handed peeping at her younger daughter's bedroom door.

"You beast, you're not even human..."

"Useless wretch! Who would've thought you harbored such filth in your heart, doing something so shameless—you're worse than an animal!"

"What kind of sin has our family committed to take in a wolf, feeding and housing you for nothing? Get out! Out!"

Overcome with rage, Shen Huifang unleashed a torrent of curses and seized a feather duster, flailing it at Hong Chen.

Two years ago, despite the whole Lin family's objections, the old master insisted her eldest daughter marry Hong Chen. In the two years since, Hong Chen never worked, did no chores, and spent his days gaming on his computer, living off the family with no sense of shame.

Such a useless, freeloading son-in-law—not content with ruining the eldest daughter, now even dared to set his sights on the younger one. How could her mother-in-law not explode?

"Mom, we've been harboring a wolf in sheep's clothing. How am I supposed to live here? I'm going back to school; I won't return until my sister divorces him," Lin Yufei declared, her face a picture of grief and indignation, though a sly glint of triumph flashed in her eyes.

"There must be a divorce! When Yuxin returns from her business trip on Friday, you two will go straight to the civil affairs bureau and get it done—no delays! Now get out! You're no longer welcome here!" Finally, Shen Huifang shoved Hong Chen out the door and slammed it shut with a bang.

Lin Yufei's lips curled into a cold smile as she turned back to her room, took out her phone, and sent a message: "Brother Feiyang, it's done. That loser has been thrown out. My sister will be back Friday; they'll get the divorce then!"

Moments later, she received a transfer of thirty thousand and a reply: "Yufei, buy whatever you like. There's a gathering with our circle next weekend; bring your classmates along."

Lin Yufei replied sweetly, "Thank you, brother-in-law!"

...

Having been thrown out, Hong Chen remained impassive as he wandered downstairs, circling the complex before stopping by the goldfish pond.

Lighting a cigarette, the slanting rays of sunset cast a sharp light on the sarcasm at the corner of his mouth. He knew precisely why his sister-in-law had framed him, just as he understood his mother-in-law's fierce reaction—refusing him even a chance to explain. At the root, he was the family's eyesore, an object of shame, unwanted and despised.

He still remembered the night of his wedding, the way the whole family looked at him as if he owed them millions. Yet they never knew that, had it not been for him, the so-called useless son-in-law, the Lin family would have collapsed long ago...

Hong Chen had grown up without a father; at thirteen, his mother too had left him. Later, the wealthy Su family of Jianghai took him in as their foster son. Two years ago, Su Qinghai foresaw imminent disaster for the Su family. On the surface, Hong Chen was expelled, but in secret, Su Qinghai brought him to Qing City and struck a deal with the old Lin master.

For three years as an in-law, Hong Chen secured a deal that brought Lin Group twenty million in profit, rescuing them from bankruptcy. Only the old Lin master knew the inside story, and he died six months later.

To Hong Chen, this family was nothing more than a hotel—he’d paid his dues, so why shouldn’t he eat, drink, and live there? As such, he continued his parasitic existence, feeling not a shred of guilt—he owed the Lin family nothing.

If he owed anyone, it was his foster parents—a debt he could never repay.

Shortly after his wedding, news broke online: the Su Group in Jianghai was under investigation for tax evasion. Chairman Su Guoqing and his wife both committed suicide by poison, suspected of avoiding prosecution...

"Father, Mother, starting tomorrow, I will no longer be a useless man. I will uncover the truth behind what happened, and not a single one of those who hurt you will escape. I will find Su Ling. The Su family’s legacy was your life’s work; only she can inherit it. Rest assured, as long as I draw breath, I will never let any harm come to her."

Staring at the goldfish swimming in the pond, Hong Chen’s eyes were sharp and resolute as he murmured to himself.

He harbored a secret even his foster parents hadn't known: before her death, his mother had given him a notebook left by his father, making him swear not to use what he learned from it in public for ten years.

The notebook contained knowledge of medicine and martial arts, more like a collection of practical insights than a systematic treatise. At first, Hong Chen found it unremarkable, but as he delved deeper, he sensed its profound mysteries and understood his mother’s insistence on the oath.

It was a perilous, one-way journey—a process of self-destruction and rebirth. For nine years, ten months, and twenty-three days, his body remained weaker than most, like someone forever hovering between a low and high fever; should anyone target him, he had no means to defend himself.

At last, this ordeal akin to a Long March ended over a month ago. Except for the final fragment, he’d finished studying the entire notebook. A violent surge of energy erupted from his core, transforming him completely.

And tomorrow would mark ten years. He had waited too long for this day.

Finishing his cigarette, Hong Chen reached down and scooped up a listless goldfish from the pond’s edge. With a snap of his fingers, a slender silver needle appeared between his fingers. He swiftly pricked the goldfish several times before tossing it back into the water, where it immediately sprang back to life.

No one witnessed this miraculous scene. Hong Chen merely glanced at it indifferently and walked away.

...

Night.

Paradise Bar, Private Room Six.

"Manager Luo, everyone else is down except you. I’m giving you plenty of face, aren’t I? My request is simple: make a call to President Gao, tell him his old acquaintance's son, Hong Chen, is here and wishes to see him."

Manager Luo stared, dumbfounded, at the security guards, hostesses, princesses, and madams sprawled across the room. Cold sweat trickled down his temples. When Hong Chen gently patted his shoulder, his body trembled. With shaking hands, he pulled out his phone and dialed.

"What is it?"

"M-Mr. Gao, I’m in Private Room Six. A young man claiming to be the son of your old friend—his name is Hong Chen—wants to meet you."

"I understand," came the curt reply before the call ended.

"You’ve done well. Rest now," Hong Chen said, pricking Manager Luo’s neck with a silver needle. Manager Luo’s head drooped as he fell into a deep sleep.

Ten minutes later, the door opened, and a tall, imposing middle-aged man entered, dressed in a sharp suit, exuding an air of authority. Behind him stood a lean, gray-clad young man with a face as expressionless as a corpse.

The man’s gaze swept the room, taking in the scene, finally settling on Hong Chen. Before he could speak, Hong Chen sighed, "Your appearance hasn’t changed, but everything else is different. Once the most ruthless man in Jianghai, now half a cripple."

Gao Tianxiong’s face darkened, his eyes sharpening. Hong Chen looked back calmly, smiled, and shifted the topic, "Mr. Gao, let me ask—did you attend my parents’ funeral?"

Gao Tianxiong slowly shook his head.

Hong Chen wasn’t surprised. "Of course not—you and my father were neither relatives nor friends, even business rivals. For all I know, you might have wished him dead sooner."

He paused, then continued, "Back in school, your son often bullied me. I never complained to my father, but I kept track of every grievance."

Gao Tianxiong sat down on the single chair beside Hong Chen. "So, are you here for revenge?"

Hong Chen waved his hand. "I just want you to understand—personally and professionally, there’s no existing bond between us. Any future relationship starts from zero. I’m here to offer you an opportunity: work for me from now on."

He pulled a black card from his pocket and tossed it on the table, picking up a bottle of XO as he spoke. "This was left to me by my father. There’s half a billion on the card. You have one day to register a company—call it Hongcheng Group. Inject all five hundred million into the company account. In addition, convert or appraise all your current assets to raise another hundred million, and invest that as well. I’ll hold eighty percent of the shares, you get twenty, and you’ll serve as CEO, managing day-to-day operations. If you have no objections, let’s drink."

As he finished speaking, he poured two glasses, raised one, and pushed the other toward Gao Tianxiong.