Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Shen Wenjin paused, his earlier fury gradually subsiding. Breaking the contract would undoubtedly draw criticism, but now the problem had been shifted to the Zhou Corporation. Delaying or outright refusing to sign at least provided a plausible reason.

"Liu Yun, even if Mu Yun is being reckless, why are you going along with him? The secretary reviewed this document multiple times and found no issues. How is it that problems suddenly arise on the very day of signing? What's going on with you two?"

"President Shen, in that case, perhaps we should revisit what happened on the yacht yesterday."

"President Zhou, one shouldn't bite the hand that feeds them. I am merely stating objective issues with the contract. As for the incident on the yacht..."

Before Shen Muyun could continue, Shen Liuyun adjusted his glasses and interjected, "President Zhou, yesterday's incident was quite embarrassing. Your eldest son directly pushed my brother into the water. If my brother weren't such a strong swimmer, who knows what might have happened today."

"You!"

Zhou Qingshi's face flushed purple; he was clearly in the wrong and had no retort.

Shen Liuyun offered a faint smile, gently adjusting his glasses as he looked towards Zhou Qingshi. "How about this, President Zhou? Let's treat this contract as if it were swapped. In business, such things happen. Since this contract is invalid, it's not impossible to draft a new one for you."

As for yesterday's yacht incident, according to the unfinished novel's description, he was supposed to be a minor villain, a cannon fodder who died at the party. The subsequent plot should have involved the Zhou Corporation framing the Shen family. But now, everything had changed; it was no longer the same. Simply put, the plot had gone off the rails.

Shen Muyun's ears were filled with whispers and gossip.

"What kind of company is Zhou Corp anyway? They've always been shady. I told President Shen before that their company is registered overseas precisely for illicit dealings. See? Now you can believe it."

"Keep your voices down. Look at their expressions—they're tense. This is a conference room, after all, and it's a multi-million dollar project. Who knows how many people are eyeing this lucrative deal? Honestly, minor issues in this contract could be overlooked. It's just that Second Young Master Shen is making a mountain out of a molehill."

"Wasn't Second Young Master Shen famously uninvolved in company affairs? He hardly ever comes here. Why the sudden change of heart? Could he be trying to compete with Shen Liuyun for the inheritance? But that doesn't make sense—he prides himself on being a playboy."

Shen Muyun had these shareholders' measure. What a bunch of characters. A purge was inevitable, sooner or later.

Zhou Qingshi listened to everyone's remarks, clenching his fists so tightly his fingernails dug into his palms. He narrowed his eyes, lowered his head, and occasionally wiped sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.

"President Shen, regarding this contract, I believe there might have been some issues during the initial review. Please don't take it to heart. I will go back and redraft it immediately. Any other imperfections can be corrected. After all, we've discussed this project many times before, so..."

Shen Muyun glanced at the contract on the table, then directly at Zhou Qingshi, sending a chill down the latter's spine.

"President Zhou, as you said, the contract has some imperfections. Given that, let's postpone today's signing. This meeting concludes here. It's lunchtime now, so everyone is dismissed!"

Shen Muyun smiled at Shen Liuyun, but Shen Liuyun immediately looked away. Shen Muyun couldn't quite decipher Shen Liuyun's intentions, but he knew this wouldn't be an easy person to deal with.

"Since that's settled, the meeting is adjourned!"

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

"Mu Yun, what are you doing here?"

Shen Liuyun walked around the table and stood before Shen Muyun, gently tapping the table with his knuckles. His eyes flickered with an unreadable glint. Shen Muyun, uncertain of his meaning, simply thought it wise to be cautious.

"Oh, well, I woke up quite early this morning and saw the news about the Shen family partnering with the Zhou Corporation. I casually glanced through the contract, noticed some issues, and thought I'd come to check it out."

"You never used to concern yourself with company matters. Today, you're surprisingly proactive, Mu Yun. In business, sometimes you need to know when to turn a blind eye. Still, thanks to you, we didn't rashly sign the Zhou Corporation's contract. Well, I have an appointment, so I'll be leaving now."

Shen Muyun waved casually at Shen Liuyun. "Big brother, drive safely and get home early!"

Shen Liuyun found Shen Muyun's words strangely odd but didn't press the matter, merely nodding in acknowledgment.

Once the conference room was mostly empty, Shen Muyun finally left.

Walking down the quiet corridor, only his footsteps could be heard. The system suddenly darted out from the side, startling Shen Muyun and making his heart race. He swatted at the system.

"Are you trying to scare me to death?!"

The system's screen flickered indignantly. "Well, Host Master, I just wanted to congratulate you. I didn't expect this contract issue to be resolved so simply and cleanly."

"Nonsense, it wasn't that difficult. What, is this something to celebrate?"

"Of course it is! But, how should I put it, it just proves I'm a discerning system. None of the previous systems were as capable as me. I'm truly amazing! But Host Master, you'll need to be fully alert; the tasks will only get harder from here."

"Such narcissism."

Shen Muyun rubbed his forehead. He looked at the elevator and the emergency exit nearby, choosing to take the stairs. The elevator was crowded and noisy; too much talk could lead to trouble. He still hadn't fully grasped the rules of this world or the original host's specific situation, so caution was paramount.

"System, when did you appear? So stealthily. Is this considered a task?"

"Emmm, how should I put it? This is the first stage of a task. And there will be main tasks and side tasks, primary tasks and secondary tasks..."

"Stop, don't say any more. My head hurts. Just tell me, will the tasks progress gradually, with increasing difficulty?"

"Host, you are truly intelligent! Our tasks are progressive. According to the favorability prompt, Shen Wenjin's favorability towards you has increased to ten, but Shen Liuyun's favorability has dropped to negative five. That shouldn't be the case. Did you just have a fight with your brother?"

Shen Muyun paused. This system was truly unusual, even having 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's the point of this favorability?"

The system paused, flipping through old records. "Actually, it seems, perhaps, it doesn't have a particularly significant role. You could say it's still under development. However, the system has many unexplored areas that require the Host to gradually decipher. Some parts haven't even been touched by previous chosen ones. So, well, Host, keep up the good work. I can't provide much support; you'll have to rely on yourself."

Shen Muyun raised his middle finger. This system was useless. Others had golden fingers; his system seemed to be here to cause trouble, knowing nothing when asked.

"Well, Host Master, don't be impatient. After all, I haven't been a system for long, so we need a break-in period, whether long or short. There's always a way forward; when the car reaches the mountain, there will be a road."

Shen Muyun disliked incessant chatter. "Alright, for now, I don't have anything to do. You can go rest too."

"Okay, esteemed Host Master! If you need anything from me, please contact me promptly. Just call out, and I'll be back, Honey! I'm off! Mwah!"

Goosebumps rose on Shen Muyun's arms. Why did this system have such an irreverent vibe? Never mind, since he'd been chosen, he needed to figure out what to do next.

Walking down the emergency stairs, his mind became much calmer. Today's events had gone smoothly. He had initially expected Shen Wenjin to be furious, even to disregard him, but his reaction was more like someone who needed a proxy, someone to voice the contract issues. This meant he had noticed the problems but, for some reason, couldn't address them personally.

As for Shen Liuyun's true intentions, Shen Muyun didn't know. He inexplicably felt a sense of hostility. Everything Shen Liuyun did now seemed orchestrated. To outsiders, they would appear to be the best of brothers, but they hadn't interacted much privately, so he didn't know the full situation. Caution was the first rule Shen Muyun had learned in this world.

After exiting the emergency stairwell, he noticed the weather had changed. The once clear sky had turned overcast, looking as if rain was imminent.

He had planned to leave quickly and go home to rest. Sleeping on the yacht had given him a stiff neck, and his eyes felt dry and strained, as if he'd stared at a computer screen for too long.

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

"Tsk, so you're the one who came to sabotage the contract. Shen Muyun, are you deliberately opposing the Zhou family?"

Shen Muyun looked at the person and chuckled softly. "Is the loser here to show off?"

"Shen Muyun, I thought you had some real ability. Are you just relying on the Shen family's influence? Don't forget, the Shen family's overseas department still depends on our Zhou Corporation's support."

Shen Muyun ignored his words and walked straight out of the building, directly bumping into Zhou Shiqing, who stumbled.

Annoyed, he grabbed Shen Muyun's arm. "What do you mean by that?"

Shen Muyun looked disdainful. "Nothing much. Humans should interact less with dogs; gradually, their habits will converge. Understand? Look at your father, then look at you. Tsk, this is a case of the upper beam not being straight, causing the lower beam to be crooked, isn't it?"

Zhou Shiqing's anger instantly flared. He pointed at Shen Muyun's nose. "Shen Muyun, being too arrogant isn't good."

Shen Muyun followed Zhou Shiqing's hand, directly pinning him against a nearby wall. "I'm not good at arguing with dogs. If you have something to say, say it. If not, get lost. You're wasting my time here. Besides, it's about to rain, and I don't want to get soaked again."

Zhou Shiqing used the leverage, hooked his foot, and abruptly kicked towards Shen Muyun's calf. Shen Muyun's muscle reflexes were quick; he immediately dodged, causing Zhou Shiqing to almost lose his balance and stumble, nearly falling.

"You worthless piece of trash."

"Worthless? Aren't you just talking about yourself?"

Zhou Shiqing took a few steps back, smiled at Shen Muyun, and even raised his middle finger. "Shen Muyun, do you dare to compete with me?"

Shen Muyun was never one to be trifled with, and Zhou Shiqing's provocation only fueled his anger. "Oh? What else do you want to compete in? My patience is limited."

Zhou Shiqing straightened his clothes, looked up at Shen Muyun, and said, "Simple. This weekend, let's go to the suburbs. There's an equestrian center there. Didn't you always boast that horse racing is your specialty? I'd like to see what skills you really have."

Shen Muyun secretly smiled. In his original world, he had specifically studied equestrianism—this was practically playing to his strengths. "Alright, then we'll need to invite some witnesses to see who ends up making a fool of themselves."