Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Zhou Shiqing had initially planned to assert his dominance over Shen Muyun. Yet, seeing Shen Muyun's self-assured expression, he couldn't help but feel a growing unease. He wasn't sure if the earlier rumors were true or false.

A few days prior, he had gone to great lengths to ingratiate himself with Shen Liuyun, learning that Shen Muyun had fallen off a horse as a child. But could an incident from so long ago still hold relevance? He remained uncertain.

Shen Muyun glanced back at the horse enclosure. Himi was leisurely munching on hay, and as if sensing his gaze, turned towards him, shook its mane, and even closed its eyes contentedly, letting out soft whinnies. It seemed this horse truly shared a connection with him.

"Oh? So confident, Shen Muyun? Haven't you heard the saying, 'better safe than sorry'? Pushing yourself too hard isn't a good thing. If you admit defeat now, at least you won't have to embarrass yourself in front of so many people. I heard you fell off a horse when you were young."

Zhou Shiqing strutted about arrogantly, a look of disdain on his face, as if victory was already in his grasp. But was that truly the case?

Shen Muyun pursed his lips. It was amusing how such trivial matters could be dug up and used against him. In their eyes, even the smallest details counted as valuable intelligence.

"Well, what's childhood without a few scrapes? I've almost forgotten about it. It was just a fall. Could it be that Young Master Zhou wants to describe the incident to me? I was just a bit mischievous back then. For recreational activities, having fun is what matters most. Don't you agree, Young Master Zhou?"

Zhou Shiqing was left speechless by Shen Muyun's sharp retort. He let out a light snort and said, "We'll see about that."

As he walked away, Zhou Shiqing cast a furtive glance at Shen Muyun's retreating figure. There was no way he could lose. Dark, underhanded schemes began to sprout in his mind.

The fall from the horse was an incident from many years ago. The original host's memories were hazy, and now Shen Muyun felt no particular aversion to horses. Perhaps his reluctance to race wasn't due to fear but rather his competitive nature—losing would be embarrassing, but it wasn't the end of the world. Still, to be safe, he decided to consult the system.

"System, system, help me look up the details of Shen Muyun’s fall from the horse. I need comprehensive information—the cause, the aftermath, everything."

"Host Master, biubiubiu! Sending love~"

Tiny hearts flickered on the screen. Cute? Well, not exactly—more like nauseating.

"The information has been found! It’s been sent to your WeChat. Ding dong, dear, please be sure to check."

"Ugh..." Shen Muyun made a gagging expression. "System, can you act normal? Stop being so disgusting."

"I’m in a good mood today, la la la~ Please take a look yourself. Transfer speed is 100%."

Reading the file on his phone, Shen Muyun learned that he had fallen from a horse at the age of six at the Trappa Racecourse. It was only a soft tissue injury, and he recovered after about half a month. However, rumors began to spread that he had developed a fear of horse racing, though Shen Muyun himself had never said anything of the sort. It just goes to show—rumors stop with the wise!

Shen Muyun breathed a sigh of relief. So it really wasn’t a big deal after all. It had happened over twenty years ago—who would still care about such trivial matters? Besides, inspecting the family business was his duty anyway.

"You work fast. I can reward you with something, especially since you’re in a good mood and so am I."

The system happily drew circles in the air. "Host, Host, what do you want to reward me with?"

"Actually, I haven’t thought of anything yet."

"I have one wish—I hope Host Master can successfully clear the game. I don’t want to see you perish or disappear for no reason. I’m now the upgraded Version 2.0, with the powerful TimeSpace Administration as backup. I hope everything goes smoothly for you from now on."

Shen Muyun smiled. One thing was certain—this system had a naturally silly, cute attribute, with the emphasis on silly.

Shen Muyun frowned. This was the second time he had heard about the TimeSpace Administration. What kind of organization was it?

"System, can you tell me about the TimeSpace Administration?"

Before the system could respond, a commotion arose behind him.

"Mu Yun, why are you still here? Have you had breakfast yet?"

Shen Muyun turned around and saw Shen Liuyun, who usually preferred wearing black suits, now dressed in a maroon casual outfit. With one hand in his pocket, he walked over.

Lu Huainan, whom he had encountered earlier, was following behind. Hadn’t he left? Did he run into Shen Liuyun and decide to come back?

Shen Muyun waved at the system, which promptly disappeared into the air. Even if it wasn’t visible, muttering to thin air would undoubtedly attract attention.

"Yeah, big brother. Good morning, Lu Huainan. We meet again."

Lu Huainan smiled gently at Shen Muyun. "Brother Yun, how’s the horse selection going?"

Shen Liuyun raised an eyebrow, a slight curve forming on his lips as he pressed them together. "I thought you two weren’t familiar with each other. I was planning to introduce you, but you’ve never called me 'brother'—yet you call Mu Yun so affectionately."

"It’s just a form of address. I think Liu Yun, you don’t mind, right?"

Shen Liuyun nodded. He truly didn’t care about titles.

Shen Muyun smiled awkwardly. "Yeah, it’s just a form of address. As for the horse, it’s the one you saw earlier. It feels like fate—my first instinct."

Shen Liuyun’s eyes darkened. On the way, Lu Huainan had mentioned that Shen Muyun had chosen a horse named Himi—a two-year-old colt with minimal training and a timid nature. Shen Muyun’s chances of winning weren’t high to begin with, and choosing such a horse might guarantee his loss.

"Mu Yun, why don’t I help you pick another horse? A more experienced racehorse would be more helpful and better at handling unexpected situations. It would be less prone to stress reactions."

Shen Muyun shook his head. Since he had made his choice, he wasn’t going to give up.

Lu Huainan tugged at Shen Liuyun’s arm and gave it a light squeeze. "Liu Yun, since he’s already decided, let it be. Maybe they really have a connection. Otherwise, out of thousands of horses here, how could he have noticed it right away?"

Before Shen Liuyun could say anything else, Shen Muyun cut in, "Yeah, what Lu Huainan said makes sense. Since it’s settled, let’s leave it at that. Brother, you have to have a little faith in me. Besides, there’s a wager involved. If I lose, it’ll be a big deal—the contract..."

"You, you... Spoiled as always. I knew this horse race wasn’t so simple. Did you promise Zhou Shiqing that if you lose, the contract will be signed?"

Shen Muyun scratched his head, nervously tugging at his riding clothes. Not daring to look up, he mumbled, "Yeah."

"It’s alright. It’s just a contract. No matter what happens, your brother will be by your side. Okay?"

Shen Liuyun affectionately ruffled Shen Muyun’s hair, his eyes full of warmth as he watched his brother lower his head and fidget with his clothes. His younger brother was both handsome and adorable.

"Liu Yun, I saw how confident he was when choosing the horse. You should worry less. Brother Yun, go get 'em. We’ll all be watching from the sidelines."

Shen Muyun nodded. What was Lu Huainan up to? According to the system, Lu Huainan was gentle, kind, and understanding. He did seem gentle and even knew how to motivate others. For some reason, Shen Muyun felt an inexplicable fondness for him, as if it were destined.

"Well, of course, no problem. It’s just daily entertainment—having fun is what matters."

"Mu Yun, Lu Huainan and I are heading to the conference room. The cooperation agreement for the racecourse next year needs to be signed. Do you want to come take a look?"

Shen Muyun had no interest in business matters and shook his head. "Brother, I don’t understand these things. I’d better prepare for the horse race later."

Shen Liuyun nodded, patted Lu Huainan’s shoulder, and the two of them left.

Watching them walk away, Shen Muyun gently placed a hand over his heart and let out a long sigh of relief. It seemed they hadn’t noticed him gesturing at the air. He would have to be more careful in the future.

"System, come out! I wasn’t finished asking earlier!"

"I’m here!"

The system yawned, its little wings fluttering.

"The TimeSpace Administration is essentially the overseer of this book. It didn’t exist before—at least not in my memory. The previous 1313 chosen ones never experienced it. Their only option was world collapse. But now, with the TimeSpace Administration, if you perform well, you might even have a chance to be transported there directly."

The system’s explanation was a bit unclear. The TimeSpace Administration seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. But the mission was what mattered most.

"System, can you calculate the odds of winning?"

"Of course, dear Host. The chip I’m equipped with is the Super Galaxy System—the most advanced processor available. A calculation like this is nothing. There’s nothing that can stump me."

The system's screen flickered with waves of blue light again. Shen Muyun glanced around—there was indeed no one nearby. But hadn’t it been said that others couldn’t see the system? Perhaps he was just overthinking it again.

"System analysis complete. Data generating... Data generation finished. Host Master, please receive."

Shen Muyun stared at the screen before him. It was fine until he looked, but one glance made his heart sink. What kind of nonsense was this? A 0.1% win rate—how was that even calculated?

"System, explain this to me. What does this mean? In my original world, I’ve been practicing horseback riding since elementary school. Did you miscalculate? What’s this 'Super Galaxy System'—some kind of trick to fool people?"

The system fell silent for a moment. "The system does not make errors. This is your current win rate, Host Master. Your chances are indeed very low, but no need to worry. This is just a minor episode—it won’t affect the world’s data or your main storyline. There may be some fluctuations, but rest assured, everything is still under control at this stage."

Shen Muyun let out a long sigh. "Don’t worry, I’m definitely going to win."

Meanwhile, Zhou Shiqing was growing uneasy. This Shen Muyun—knowing full well that he was the national youth champion—had shown no reaction at all. That wasn’t normal. Something was definitely off, and he had to do something about it.

He had just seen Shen Liuyun and his group talking at the main entrance of the horse ranch. Unsure whether their conversation had ended, he slipped out through another exit. Glancing at the object in his hand, he muttered, "Shen Muyun, you must lose this race."