"In 755 AD, a massive rebellion centered in the Hebei frontier and led by An Lushan and Shi Siming caused the glory of the Tang Empire to fade. History remembers this as the 'An-Shi Rebellion.'
However, because the non-Han rebel generals were stripped of their Han surnames, it is also known as the 'Herolus Great Rebellion'!
Subsequently, the 'Hebei Loyalists'—the Jixian Legion isolated outside the pass by the rebels—temporarily enthroned the Ninth Prince... the Second Great Tang... the Regent, Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Armies... This will be on the exam...
Well, that's all for today's world history. Class dismissed."
In the classic "back row by the window" seat, a handsome, sharp-eyed black-haired youth with a stoic expression gave an imperceptible shake of his head. He silently closed his textbook and took a deep breath to calm his nerves.
This world is getting more insane by the day!
Although his current identity was that of an "ordinary" Japanese high school student, he couldn't help but compare everything he heard in class with the memories of his past life. It left him with an endless urge to complain.
He had long realized that this world was not the same Earth as his "previous life." Whether it was history, technology, or culture, there were subtle discrepancies everywhere. He had long since given up on deep investigations and learned to accept these abnormal "common sense" facts.
But he still wasn't quite used to it.
Take, for instance, the "rainbow of colors" seen everywhere on the streets. It was interesting; in his past life, seeing cosplayers in wigs or visual-kei artists with exaggerated hair colors always felt out of place. In this life, however, outrageous hair colors were everywhere, yet they didn't feel abrupt at all... perhaps because everyone was so good-looking that they could pull it off.
Take the person walking toward him now:
She had soft, cherry-blossom pink hair and large, watery blue eyes, yet she possessed the cute face of an East Asian girl. The most unscientific part was a certain area that was excessively well-developed, towering over other Asian beauties of her age—a size more common in the West.
In his past life, a beauty of this caliber would only exist in the world of AI and Photoshop. But as her old acquaintance, Ye Shou could swear that everything about her was natural. She was even bare-faced!
Thus, despite her flighty personality, Ye Shou didn't dislike her company. Even if he had no intention of a romantic relationship, she was a treat for the eyes.
"Are there any activities today?"
Her long, slender fingers—trained by years of piano practice—pressed against the desk as she leaned forward slightly. She probably wasn't self-conscious about it, but her well-tailored school dress emphasized her well-developed curves.
"Going home to study," Ye Shou muttered, glancing away.
"Being rank one in the grade really isn't for nothing~" Like most high schoolers who just drifted through the day, she held top students in awe. "But anyway, you are a member of the Tabletop Gaming Club. Why not show your face once in a while?"
"Even if I go, you'll just drag me into those long, tedious games. It makes no difference whether I'm there or not, right?"
"No, no, today is different."
Fujiwara Chika, the eldest daughter of a political dynasty who lacked even a shred of gravity, grinned and pointed. "Today, it's your turn to fight Sukuna!"
"Wait, me?" Ye Shou squinted at her. "Are you still playing that live-action 'house' game?"
"It's not house! We're playing seriously—no, wait, we're collecting material! If we turn the 'Ten Mysteries of the Academy' into an adventure game and then a tabletop game, it'll definitely take Japan by storm~"
"Setting aside whether you'll succeed, you're already high schoolers. Going around looking for 'Ryomen Sukuna' is a bit childish."
"Hmph!"
Like most Japanese high schools, Shuchiin Academy had urban legends like the "Ten Mysteries of the Academy." This particular school had a version of the "Ryomen Sukuna" legend that wasn't quite so cliché.
Supposedly, it was a ghost that appeared once a month (more punctual than a manga update). It wasn't actually dangerous, but it loved playing turn-based games—similar to water gun fights—with students. If you won, you were guaranteed admission to your dream university. If you lost, you were relegated to attending some random Technical High School.
The credibility was low, mainly because students at Shuchiin—even the worst ones—generally didn't have to worry about college.
To Ye Shou, "Ryomen Sukuna" was naturally full of plot holes. However, after living here for so many years, he had long made peace with his inner critic.
"I refuse."
He left without mercy, bag in hand, leaving a dejected Fujiwara Chika behind. Being an optimist, she quickly turned to pester someone else.
"Isn't Fujiwara-san scared?" one of the other girls asked, watching Ye Shou's retreating back with a mix of trepidation and worry. "Approaching him like that... it could be trouble if he targets you."
"Hmm?" Fujiwara tilted her head, wearing an "I have no idea what you're talking about" expression. "Why are you talking about Shou-kun like he's some kind of demon?"
"Because... that's the 'Famous Kuse-kun,' after all."
Several girls looked at each other, finding Fujiwara's nonchalance unbelievable.
"Fujiwara-san, don't you know? The Kuse family isn't just a conglomerate on par with the Shinomiya, Suzuki, and Agni groups. Kuse-kun himself, as the direct heir, is famous for being... well... a 'Vulture' figure."
There were clearly more vicious nicknames, but out of ladylike decorum, they couldn't bring themselves to say them.
Kuse Ye Shou possessed an investment intuition that seemed to see into the future. Riding the storms of economic crises, he would descend like a vulture after a disaster to "devour" the corporate corpses burdened with bad assets. His high-stakes maneuvers would make even Wall Street sharks break out in a cold sweat.
He first began to show his brilliance at the age of fourteen. At that age, claiming he entered the world of capital on his own merit seemed absurd. Everyone assumed the elites of the Kuse Group were driving the acquisitions behind the scenes, and that Ye Shou was merely a "gifted grandson" propped up by the direct line to secure succession rights.
But nowadays, no one thought that anymore. The glory accumulated by Ye Shou was too immense to be dismissed as mere window dressing. Even his elders were quite envious and would never have simply handed it to him.
Of course, if that were all, it would just be the story of a child prodigy. Child geniuses are highly regarded in East Asia and globally; they appear in every generation and aren't necessarily feared.
What truly made these girls keep their distance from Ye Shou was this:
The guy was incredibly petty!
He should have been high and mighty, living in a different world from ordinary people, but for some reason, he easily got into conflicts with others. He showed no mercy and used his resources recklessly; to him, bullying the weak seemed as natural as breathing.
Supposedly, he once fired a subordinate and blacklisted them from the entire industry just because of a disrespectful remark.
Supposedly, he shielded criminals, helping a juvenile delinquent avoid punishment for a groping charge.
Supposedly, he was a slave to his desires and employed a team of "black-stocking maids" at home.
"It's not that exaggerated!" Chika couldn't help but laugh, covering her mouth. "Those are just rumors made up by business rivals. We're all high schoolers; don't just believe everything you hear. Urban legends are usually fake! Being too obsessed makes you look like a child~"
You're the last person who should be saying that, the girls thought, looking at each other awkwardly.
"But... it's still scary. I mean, there's an example right here in this school... That girl in Class 3 seems to have been 'forcibly employed' by Kuse-kun because of her family's situation."
"Hmm?" Chika blinked, and an image of a cold-looking girl with shoulder-length hair came to mind. "Oh, you mean Ruri-chan."
"Are the rumors..."
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My : https://[email protected]/Noctra418
Great, Now We're All Dead! (51 Chapters – Ongoing)
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"It's nothing big," Chika said dismissively. "He just had a bankrupt family hand over their daughter and sign a labor contract that, theoretically, can never be paid off—is there a problem?"
"...Fujiwara-san, are you sane? That's a huge problem!"
Shuchiin Private Academy was originally founded as an institution for educating the nobility and samurai families, a prestigious school with a long history. Until a few years ago, it was the private domain of certain elites, but the winds of the new era eventually reached here, and it began to accept high-achieving scholarship students from the commoner class.
Still, even that couldn't erase the "power and wealth" implied by its glittering name.
Contrary to what most might imagine, the gate of Shuchiin didn't look like a luxury car show. To avoid congestion, parking was theoretically forbidden there. While there were a few members of the privileged class who could ignore the rules, they were few and far between.
At that moment, a black luxury car that wasn't overly flashy—standard for its class—was parked in the most prominent spot. No one dared to park beside it.
A girl with fair skin, delicate features, black hair, and blue eyes stood quietly by the gate. She exuded a cold, refined aura like a piece of fine art. She waited in an elegant stance, only the ends of her hair swaying slightly in the breeze.
Judging by her clothes, she was also a student at Shuchiin, but her temperament was slightly different from that of a typical young lady of a great family; she had a sense of keeping everyone at a distance.
Even so, she attracted many gazes.
When Ye Shou walked out of the school, the girl's still eyelashes fluttered slightly. It was as if a beautiful doll had been granted life; though nothing else changed, she seemed to become much more vivid.
"Master Ye Shou, the car is ready."
As he stepped out of the school gates, the long-waiting black-haired girl took Ye Shou's bag under the curious stares of bystanders.
Shuchiin was a place where noble and powerful families congregated. It wasn't unusual for families to employ servants, but they were usually drivers or nannies. As for a maid of the same age who was also arranged to attend the same school... even if such a thing existed, it wouldn't be displayed so brazenly.
Ye Shou was an exception: he didn't care about the gaze of others, and no one was qualified to judge his behavior.
"You're a bit late today."
Inside the car, the maid—whose surname was Ruricawa and given name was "Tsubaki," though Chika always called her "Ruri-chan"—sat on the sofa by the window.
She took out the documents delivered that day from the safe and began organizing them for later review. Multitasking, she spoke to Ye Shou: "Your expression isn't very bright. Did something happen?"
"I was just pestered for a bit," Ye Shou shook his head. He glanced at the documents and lost interest, having no intention of reading them.
Although he held many assets and his track record over the years was brilliant, unlike what most people imagined, Ye Shou didn't actually value so-called capital operations. To him, it was just a strategy game to pass the time.
His goal was simply to obtain certain resources to support his other career.
The reason he could kill without mercy in the world of capital was rooted in exactly that.
"Is it Fujiwara-san?"
Ruri offered her advice with practiced ease. "She is your childhood friend; not only is she exceptionally talented and beautiful, but she also comes from excellent lineage. You should spend more time with her."
"Exceptionally talented? I'll grant you the 'beautiful' part, but 'talented'?"
Ye Shou leaned back impatiently against the sofa. "If they have something on their minds, they can come talk to me themselves. You are my maid; you only need to follow my orders. You have no obligation to act as their messenger."
"Yes, I understand." Ruri's eyes flickered. "But you will have to make a choice sooner or later. Fujiwara-san is already a very good candidate. If not her... then the one from the Suzuki family?"
"..."
"I think I understand from your expression." Ruri nodded. "You're going to refuse that one too, aren't you?"
Ye Shou fought to keep his expression neutral, but his heart was a whirlwind of emotions.
Being pressured into marriage was inevitable no matter where one went, and marriage was bound to be entangled with vested interests—the only difference was the depth.
High school might seem early, but for the elite of this world, it was the perfect time. This was exactly why Shuchiin existed: young people in their most restless years often make irrational choices, but if everyone in their social circle is from the same class, the outcome can't be too bad.
Thus, this school was filled with either the powerful or the geniuses—the so-called elite.
There weren't many matches for Ye Shou. Chika was one, and the second daughter of the Suzuki family was another. As for what the girls thought, the Kuse family never worried; they seemed to believe that as long as Ye Shou made a move, victory was certain.
Even though Ye Shou was quite disciplined regarding relationships, both the outside world and his family viewed him as a smooth-talking playboy. What a joke!
However, to Ye Shou, neither of them was a good match.
He liked gentle, black-haired, long-haired onee-sans—the kind with immense "capacity" for tolerance.
Chika's "capacity" was promising for the future, but her personality was beyond saving. As for the second Suzuki daughter...
He wanted to live a few more years!
"The Suzuki Group, huh..."
Ye Shou let out a complex sigh, drawing a side-long glance from Ruri.
She knew her master had always kept the Suzuki Group at arm's length. Despite being an excellent potential partner, he treated them like the plague, especially when it came to firm opposition against collaborating on landmark buildings. This had caused them to miss out on many projects.
The second daughter of the Suzuki family also had a very good reputation; she was the type to actively blend in with the public, lacked any arrogance, and got along with everyone. Yet to Ye Shou, she was like an untouchable monster. Even if they met at an event, he would barely offer a greeting and refuse to say another word.
This irrational behavior was unlike Ye Shou's usual style and caused much debate within the family. Even Ruri was puzzled.
No one, Ruri included, knew the bitterness in Ye Shou's heart.
When he was born, the Kuse Group was Japan's leading zaibatsu. Yet during elementary school, the Suzuki Group inexplicably popped up. Later came the Shinomiya, the Shijo... and now they had become the so-called "Eight Great Houses."
He was also absolutely certain that five years ago, Shuchiin Academy did not exist. Despite its long history, it had only existed in this world for less than five years!
A few more islands in the Pacific, a few more faces on Mount Rushmore, the Soviet Union collapsing several years early...
If these were just parallel world differences, he could accept it. But Ye Shou, cross-referencing his own memories, was absolutely certain these differences weren't there from the start. They were like the background lore of an online game—continually "updated" and added in!
Otherwise, how could abstract things like the "Second Great Tang" and "Jixian Jiedushi Ji Liman" exist?!
He was now seriously worried that a "Salted Meat First Emperor" was hidden under the Loess Plateau. What if the Terracotta Army stood up one day?
Furthermore, aside from him, no one seemed to notice that "history" had been altered; they felt the world had always been this way.
As time passed, even Ye Shou began to doubt if his own memory was flawed.
Although he currently had everything he could want and seemingly stood at the peak of life from birth, in this increasingly insane world—where metaphysical powers were becoming rampant—what use was money?
In the end, he had to rely on himself, taking it one step at a time... Deep Blue, add points!
—Just kidding. If only there really were a simple, crude numerical "cheat" system.
Leaning back on the sofa, Ye Shou closed his eyes to rest. Ruri immediately dimmed the interior car lights.
He didn't actually fall asleep. Instead, he concentrated and summoned a brilliant golden hourglass before his mind's eye. Inside, the dreamlike, shimmering sand fell slowly. It looked like it was almost finished.
Another cycle... I hope this 'System Card' doesn't roll something abstract this time.