"In 755 AD, a great rebellion centered in the Hebei military provinces, led by An Lushan and Shi Siming, forever dimmed the glory of the Tang Empire. It was later known as the 'An Lushan Rebellion'.
And because the barbarian rebel generals were stripped of their Han surnames, it can also be called the 'Horus Heresy'!
Subsequently, the loyalists of Hebei—the Jixian army corps, cut off from the capital by the rebel army—temporarily supported the Ninth Prince... the Second Great Tang... Regent, Grand Marshal of all forces... The key point for the exam here is...
Ahem, that's all for today's world history class. Class dismissed."
In the classic back-row seat by the window, a handsome, proper-looking young man with a detached expression and sharp, dark eyes gave a barely perceptible shake of his head.
He silently closed his textbook and took a deep breath to calm himself:
This world is getting more and more insane!
Although his current identity was that of an 'ordinary' Japanese high school student, he couldn't help but compare everything in class to the memories of his past life, which would then spark an endless desire to complain.
He had long since come to the profound understanding that this world was not the same Earth as his 'past life.' There were subtle differences in history, technology, and culture. Thus, he had long ago given up on digging deeper and learned to accept these abnormal 'common sense' facts.
But he still couldn't quite get used to it~
—For example, the 'riot of colors' you could see everywhere on the streets.
It was funny, really. In his past life, seeing cosplayers in wigs or people in the visual kei scene with exaggerated hair colors always felt out of place. But in this life, absurd hair colors were everywhere, yet they didn't seem strange at all... Perhaps it was because most people were good-looking enough to pull it off.
Just like the person now walking toward him:
Soft, cherry-blossom pink hair, a pair of watery blue eyes, yet she had an adorable East Asian face.
The most unscientific part was a certain... overly well-developed area, which towered over her Asian peers and was completely on par with Western sizes.
If this were his past life, a girl of this level would basically only exist in the world of AI and Photoshop. But as an old acquaintance of this girl, Ryu dared to guarantee that everything about her was all-natural. She was practically wearing no makeup!
Therefore, even though her personality was flighty, Ryu didn't dislike being around her... Even if he had no intention of developing a romantic relationship, she was still easy on the eyes.
"Any plans for today?"
Her slender fingers, trained from years of playing the piano, rested on the desk. She leaned forward slightly, perhaps unconsciously, but her well-tailored dress-like uniform accentuated her well-developed curves.
"I'm going home to study." Ryu glanced at her, then helplessly looked away.
"Being first in the year doesn't come for free, I see~" This girl, like most high school students just coasting by, was full of awe for top students. "But you're a member of the tabletop game club, you know. How about showing your face once in a while?"
"Even if I go, you'll just drag me into playing some long and tedious board game. It doesn't matter whether I'm there or not, right?"
"No, no, today's different."
Lady Fujiwara Chika, who came from a family of politicians but showed not a single trace of a composed demeanor, pointed with a grin: "Today, it's your turn to fight Sukuna!"
"Ah, me?"
Ryu looked at her sideways. "Are you still playing this real-life version of house?"
"It's not house! We're seriously playing—ah, no, we're gathering material!
If we turn the Academy's Ten Great Mysteries into an adventure game, and if we can make it into a tabletop game, it'll definitely take Japan by storm~"
"Putting aside whether you'll succeed or not, you're high school students still running around looking for some 'Ryomen Sukuna.' It's a bit too childish."
"Hmph, hmph!"
Shuchiin Academy, like most Japanese high schools, had its urban legends like the 'Academy's Ten Great Mysteries.' And this place had a less cliché, slightly more novel legend about 'Ryomen Sukuna'.
It was said to be a ghost that appeared once a month (more punctual than manga updates), possessed no real killing power, but loved playing a turn-based mini-game with students, similar to a water gun fight.
If you beat Sukuna, you were guaranteed to get into your dream university.
Conversely, if you lost to Sukuna, you'd end up going to some XX Technical College.
—Its credibility was very low, because even the lowest-ranking students at Shuchiin generally didn't have to worry about getting into college.
To Ryu, 'Ryomen Sukuna' was naturally full of things to complain about, but after living here for so many years, he had long since made peace with his inner critic.
"I refuse."
He mercilessly picked up his bag and left, leaving Fujiwara Chika dejected. But she was an optimistic person and quickly turned to bother someone else.
"Aren't you scared, Fujiwara-san?"
A girl who was good friends with her glanced at Ryu's retreating back, timid and worried. "If you approach him proactively, it'll be trouble if he sets his sights on you."
"Hmm?"
Fujiwara tilted her head, wearing an 'I don't know what you're talking about' expression.
"Why are you talking about Ryu-chan like he's some kind of demon?"
"Because... he's that famous 'Kuse-kun'."
The girls looked at each other, finding Fujiwara's nonchalant attitude incredible.
"Don't you know, Fujiwara-san? The Kuse family isn't just a major conglomerate on par with the Shinomiya, Suzuki, and Agni groups, but Kuse-kun, as a direct heir, is famously... well... like a vulture."
There were obviously more vicious nicknames, but out of ladylike decorum, they were hard to say out loud.
Kuse Ryu. He possessed an investment sense so sharp it was as if he could see the future. Riding the storm of the economic crisis, he 'devoured' the corpses of corporations burdened with bad assets after natural disasters, like a vulture. His various operations, dancing on a razor's edge, would make even the big shots on Wall Street break out in a cold sweat.
He was only fourteen when he began to show his prowess. At that age, it was truly overestimating oneself to say he entered the world of capital on his own ability. Everyone believed that the elites of the Kuse Group were behind the series of acquisitions, and that Ryu was just a 'blessed grandson' pushed to the forefront by the direct family line to secure the right of succession.
But no one thought that way anymore. The glory accumulated on Ryu was too great to be described as mere gilding. Even the older generation coveted it and would never hand it over to someone else.
Of course, if it were only that, it would just be the story of a young genius. Whether in East Asia or worldwide, child prodigies are highly esteemed, and there have been many throughout history. It wouldn't make people fear him to this extent.
What truly made these girls respect Ryu from a distance was this:
The guy is petty!
He, who should have been high above, living in a different world from most mortals, for some reason easily came into conflict with others. He showed no mercy, unscrupulously using his resources. To him, bullying the weak with his strength seemed to be a matter of course.
It's said that he once fired a subordinate and had them blacklisted from the entire industry for a single disrespectful comment;
It's said that he covers up evil, allowing a juvenile offender who committed a chikan crime to escape punishment;
It's said that he is true to his desires, having hired a whole team of maids in black stockings at his home.
"It's not that exaggerated!"
Chika covered her mouth and couldn't help but laugh. "Those are just rumors made up by business rivals. We're all high school students now, don't believe everything you hear.
Urban legends are usually fake, you know!
If you get too into them, people will think you're a kid~"
You're the last person who should be saying that, the girls thought, looking at each other, not knowing how to react.
"But... he's still really scary. After all, there's someone in this school... that girl in Class 3, because of her family's situation, was forcibly 'hired' by Kuse-kun."
"Hmm?"
Chika blinked, and the image of a girl with shoulder-length hair and a cold expression appeared in her mind. "Oh, oh, you mean Ruri-chan."
"Do you know her, Fujiwara-san?"
"So the rumors..."
"It's no big deal," Chika said in an unconcerned tone. "He just had a bankrupt family hand over their daughter and sign a labor contract with a debt that's theoretically impossible to ever pay off—is there a problem?"
"...Are you in your right mind, Fujiwara-san? That's a huge problem!"
—
The private Shuchiin Academy, originally founded as an institution for educating the children of nobles and samurai, was a prestigious school with a long history. Until a few years ago, it was the exclusive domain of certain people, but the winds of the new era finally blew here, and it began to accept outstanding scholarship students from the commoner class.
Of course, even so, it couldn't erase the word 'powerful and noble' from its glittering signboard.
However, unlike what most people imagined, there wasn't a parade of luxury cars like a motor show at the gates of Shuchiin. To avoid congestion, parking there was theoretically not allowed. Though there were privileged classes who could ignore such rules, they were few and far between.
At this moment, a black luxury car that wasn't particularly extravagant, only decent, was parked in the most conspicuous spot, yet no other car dared to park alongside it.
A girl with fair skin, a beautiful face, black hair, and blue eyes stood quietly to one side of the gate. Her entire being exuded a refined and cold atmosphere, like a work of art. She waited in an elegant posture, only the tips of her hair by her ears swayed slightly.
Judging by her uniform, she was also a student at Shuchiin, but her temperament was slightly different from that of a typical young lady from a good family. She gave off a feeling of keeping others at a distance.
Even so, she still attracted quite a few gazes.
When Ryu came out, the girl's still eyelashes trembled slightly, as if a beautiful doll had been brought to life. Although nothing else changed, she seemed much more vibrant.
"Ryu-sama, the car is ready."
Walking out of the school gate, the black-haired girl who had been waiting for a long time took Ryu's school bag under the strange gazes of others.
Shuchiin was a place where prestigious families gathered, and it wasn't uncommon for students to have servants at home. But they were usually drivers or nannies. As for a maid of the same age, who was also enrolled in the same school... even if such cases existed, they wouldn't be so ostentatious.
Ryu was an exception: he cared neither for the gazes of others, nor was anyone qualified to judge his actions.
"You're a bit late today."
Inside the car, the maid, with the surname Rurikawa and the given name 'Tsubaki'—though Chika usually called her 'Ruri-chan'—sat on the sofa by the window.
She took out the documents that had arrived today from the safe, organizing them for later review while multitasking and speaking to Ryu: "You don't look too happy. Did something happen?"
"I was just held up for a bit," Ryu shook his head. He only glanced at the documents before losing interest, with no real intention of reading them.
Although he had considerable assets under his name and his track record over the years was quite dazzling, unlike what most people imagined, Ryu didn't actually care much for so-called capital operations. To him, it was like a strategy game to pass the time.
His only purpose was to obtain certain resources to support his other endeavor.
The root of his ability to dominate the world of capital so unreasonably lay here.
"Was it Chika-sama?"
Ruri advised him naturally and skillfully, "She is your childhood friend, not only talented and beautiful but also of excellent lineage. You should spend more time with her."
"Talented and beautiful? We can set aside the 'beautiful' part, but 'talented'?"
Ryu leaned back on the sofa impatiently. "If they have something to say, they can come talk to me themselves. You are my maid, you only need to follow my orders. You have no obligation to be their messenger."
"Yes, I understand." Ruri blinked. "But you will have to make a choice sooner or later. Chika-sama is a very good candidate. If not her... what about the young lady from the Suzuki family?"
"..."
"I think I understand from your expression." Ruri nodded. "As I thought, you'd refuse."
Ryu struggled to keep his lips from twitching, his heart filled with mixed feelings:
Being pushed into marriage was unavoidable no matter where you were, and marriage would inevitably involve interests, the only difference being to what degree.
High school might seem early, but for the powerful and wealthy of this world, it was the right time. This was why places like 'Shuchiin' existed—young people in their most restless period often make irrational choices, but if everyone in their circle is from the same social class, the outcome can't be that bad.
Therefore, this school was filled with either the powerful or top students—the so-called elite class.
There weren't many candidates who could match Ryu. Chika was one, and the second daughter of the Suzuki family was another. As for what the girls thought, the Kuse family had never worried, seeming to believe that as long as Ryu made a move, he would surely succeed.
Despite Ryu being quite self-disciplined when it came to relationships, both the outside world and his own family thought he was a skilled playboy—it was just bizarre!
However, to Ryu, neither of them was a good match:
He liked gentle, older-sister types with long, straight black hair, preferably the kind with immense tolerance.
Chika only had potential in the 'tolerance' department, but her personality was a lost cause. As for the second Miss Suzuki...
He'd like to live a couple more years!
"The Suzuki Group!"
Ryu sighed with a complicated tone, causing Ruri to glance at him.
She knew her master had always kept his distance from the Suzuki Group, avoiding them like the plague despite them being a good partner. He especially opposed joint development of landmark buildings, and had missed out on many projects because of it.
The second Miss Suzuki also had a very good reputation. She was the type to actively blend in with the crowd, devoid of arrogance, and could get along with anyone. But to Ryu, she was like some untouchable monster. Even if they met at some event, he would at most say hello and wouldn't speak another word.
This irrational behavior was different from Ryu's usual style and was highly controversial within the family. Even Ruri was very puzzled.
No one, including Ruri, knew of the anguish in Ryu's heart:
When he was first born, the Kuse Group was the leading conglomerate in Japan. But when he was in elementary school, the Suzuki Group suddenly popped into existence, followed by the Shinomiya, Shijo... and now it had become the so-called 'Eight Great Families'.
He was also absolutely certain that Shuchiin Academy didn't exist five years ago. Despite its long history, it had only existed in this world for less than five years!
A few more islands in the Pacific Ocean, a few different faces on America's Mount Rushmore, the collapse of the Soviet Union happening a few years earlier...
If these were just differences in a parallel world, that would be one thing. But Ryu, comparing it to his memories, was absolutely sure that these differences didn't exist from the beginning, but were 'updated' and added in one after another—like the background story of some online game!
Otherwise, how could absurd things like the 'Second Great Tang' and 'Jixian's Jiedushi Ji Liman' appear!
He was now extremely worried that a 'Salted First Emperor' was hiding under the Loess Plateau! What if the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor stood up one day?
Moreover, besides him, it seemed no one else noticed that 'history' had been changed. Instead, they all felt that the world had always been this way.
As time went on, sometimes even Ryu himself would start to doubt whether his memories were wrong...
Although he now had everything he could ever want, seemingly standing at the pinnacle of life from birth, in this increasingly insane world, what use would money be when supernatural powers ran rampant?
In the end, he had to rely on himself, taking it one steady step at a time... Deep Blue, add points!
—Just kidding. If only he really had such a simple and crude stat-based system.
Leaning back on the sofa, Ryu closed his eyes and feigned sleep. Ruri immediately dimmed the lights inside the car.
But he wasn't really asleep. Instead, he focused his mind and summoned a brilliant golden hourglass 'before his eyes.' The sand inside, as fantastical as flowing light, was slowly falling, and it looked like it was about to run out.
'Another cycle... I hope this time the 'system card' doesn't spit out anything too absurd.'
________________________________________
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