Chapter 1: Failed Man

In the summer of 2007, in the garden of a certain villa in the western hills of Jingcheng.

The air here was very quiet, passersby unusually solemn; it turned out a memorial service had just been held here.

A light rain fell, but Chen Ci felt nothing, slumped in the center seat.

Until a dignified, elegant middle-aged woman approached Chen Ci.

"There are 200,000 in the card, and from now on 10,000 will be deposited each month."

"Ten thousand……that's not little, Gu Ma."

He glanced at the bank card the woman handed over, Chen Ci seemed listless.

Memories of someone dead for over a decade suddenly began to assault him, and the woman before him gave him little time to react.

"Use it sparingly; your parents are gone, from now on you'll have to bear responsibility for any trouble you cause."

Although Gu Ma concealed it well, Chen Ci still detected a hint of disgust in her words.

Chen Ci was about to say something when he suddenly saw a round-faced chubby kid running through the rain.

He impulsively said, "A Se, please have a seat."

The chubby kid froze at the words: "Sit? Where?"

Looking around, only the chair beneath Chen Ci remained.

Not bad; at this point he hasn't been spoiled yet.

A Se also ignored him, turning to hug Gu Ma's arm: "Mom, are we done yet? When are you taking me to see the failed man?"

"Failed man?"

He glanced at the big gap in the chubby kid's front teeth, and Chen Ci suddenly understood.

That's right; it's 2007, Spider-Man 3 had just been released, and he found himself back in the period he least wanted to recall.

Let me introduce him: Chen Ci, male, in his early twenties.

Occupation: a seasoned……uh, scumbag.

Relying on his affluent family background, as well as a prominent Gu Ma and an even more renowned Gu Fu, not to mention his own considerable effort.

He knows a bit of poetry and literature, has dabbled in instrumental music and ballads, and once organized a rock band.

Of course, Chen Ci had no musical dreams; his sole purpose in doing these things was to pick up girls, to pick up many, many girls.

Talented, good‑looking, and rich, he could be described as a high‑level, high‑efficiency, high‑quality……scumbag.

But all of that changed starting from that day two weeks ago.

Chen Ci's parents, following an expedition team into the uninhabited wilderness, were still playful despite their age.

As expected, the unexpected happened—they both lost contact.

Since then, Chen Ci has tasted the fickleness of the world, suffered repeated blows, and collapsed completely into decadence.

Until after an ordinary hangover, Chen Ci was awakened by a phone call informing him that his parents had been confirmed dead……

"A Se!"

Gu Ma's soft rebuke interrupted Chen Ci's recollection.

"Your cousin is feeling down; you should say something."

Gu Ma taught in a tone used for young children, and indeed the chubby kid is just a child.

However, the chubby kid quickly glanced at Chen Ci and whined, "Dai Di won't let me talk to him."

The "Dai Di" the chubby kid referred to is none other than Chen Ci's renowned Gu Fu.

Needless to say, the two families' relationship is not good; not speaking to each other until death would be about the same.

At today's memorial service, Dai Di didn't even show up, did he?

Of course, to a certain extent, Gu Fu is still quite important to Chen Ci—for example, using his name to easily fool the young ladies in the drama department.

"A Se!"

Gu Ma gave another weak reprimand, then quickly changed her expression: "A Ci, regarding your parents' estate, we are merely following the will; don't blame Gu Ma and your Gu Fu."

Chen Ci replied with a half‑smile: "How could that be?"

"Your parents set up this trust fund long ago; as long as you can prove you can manage these assets, they're yours. But as the arbiter, your Gu Fu's demands might be stricter……"

They say art comes from life, but it doesn't necessarily reach great heights.

Chen Ci's parents probably also knew how unreliable their son was; they early on wrote a will, set up a trust fund with the inheritance, and entrusted it to lawyers, Gu Ma, and Gu Fu to manage.

If Chen Ci proves himself, he still has a chance to claim the inheritance; otherwise, he'll just receive a monthly "pension" of 10,000.

On the surface, in 2007, 10,000 is not a small sum, and Gu Ma even conscientiously gave him an extra 200,000 all at once.

However, in reality, with today's interest rates, this amount isn't enough to deposit in a bank and live off the interest.

And for Chen Ci to reclaim the inheritance is indeed difficult, given his relationship with Gu Fu.

Chen Ci's parents surely couldn't have missed this; perhaps they never intended for him to reclaim the inheritance, but rather planned for him to simply rely on it and idle away his life.

Even his parents have no hope for him; life truly is a failure—failed man?

Chen Ci's lips curled with a weary smile; it really fits the occasion.

"A Se, how about I take you to see the failed man?"

"Ah?"

The chubby kid stared blankly, then instinctively darted behind his mother.

In his eyes, Chen Ci seemed like some ferocious beast.

Chen Ci was also a bit dazed, wondering if something was on his face.

He was still as handsome as ever!

Since the problem isn't with him, it must be a family‑education issue.

"A Ci……"

Wait a moment.

Chen Ci raised his hand to interrupt Gu Ma, because his phone rang.

He didn't even glance at the caller ID, since looking wouldn't help. "Long separation" for over a decade, their relationship had long been broken, and every call carried a hint of mystery.

Who is this?

I'm pregnant.

The two voices sounded almost simultaneously, then fell silent together.

Chen Ci fell silent, because this script is all wrong.

Although he was a veteran playboy, he prided himself on passing through a sea of flowers without a single leaf sticking to him.

Drifting through half his life, he had never failed.

Even if the so-called butterfly effect really existed, he hadn't even had the chance to flap his wings…

Wait, explain yourself—who are you?

This concerns his professional integrity; he cannot ignore it, for if it gets out and ruins his reputation, future work will be difficult to pursue.

Chen Ci, you bastard!

After a hysterical response, the other party hung up.

A prank?

This was Chen Ci's first reaction, but the final curse 'bastard' he shouted was heart-wrenching and full of vigor.

Amidst the shrillness lay sincerity, and within that sincerity hinted at despair.

Even without speakerphone, those nearby could hear it crystal clear, completely unlike an act.

Um, A Ci, we'll be heading off now—we previously promised A Se we'd accompany him to see *Spider‑Man*…

Sure enough, but Chen Ci had no mind to attend to them at the moment.

He racked his brain but couldn't figure out who it was.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck Chen Ci, and he opened his phone's call log.

After being reborn once, his reactions have grown dull. Could it be a prank? Just call back and you'll know…