Chapter 1

Nineties Little Rascal Author: Ba Ye Dang [Complete + Extras]

Tao Yan, a workaholic whom everyone around him unanimously considered so stern, proper, and old-fashioned that if he were thrown in with an artificial intelligence, no one might be able to tell which was human and which was AI, accidentally traveled back to the nineties. Looking at his former classmates beside him, crying to be fed, Tao Yan decided to shoulder the burden of supporting the family.

In 2021, Huo Baichuan, who was hosting a yacht party by the sea, happened to spot Tao Yan nearly drowning himself while trying to save someone. To save his life, Huo Baichuan jumped into the sea without a second thought. Yet when they climbed back out, the two of them had somehow traveled to the nineties together.

Huo Baichuan: Give me back my smartphone, my yacht and mansion, and my billions in assets!

Tao Yan: Is that all you want?

Huo Baichuan: ...And I want you to give yourself to me.

A taciturn elite bottom VS a lively rich second-generation top. A new empire began with eating, drinking, and having fun.

Tags: Rebirth, feel-good story

Keywords: Protagonists: Tao Yan, Huo Baichuan ┃ Supporting Characters: ┃ Other: New novel The Supporting Male Lead Doesn't Want to Lie Flat

One-line synopsis: A short introduction

Theme: A fairy tale for adults

Review

Tao Yan, a workaholic whom everyone around him unanimously considered so stern, proper, and old-fashioned that if he were thrown in with an artificial intelligence, no one might be able to tell which was human and which was AI, accidentally traveled back to the nineties. Looking at his former classmates beside him, crying to be fed, Tao Yan decided to shoulder the burden of supporting the family. Meanwhile, Huo Baichuan, who was hosting a yacht party by the sea, happened to see Tao Yan nearly drown himself while saving someone. To save his life, Huo Baichuan jumped into the sea without hesitation. Yet when they climbed back out, the two had somehow traveled to the nineties together...

This was a warm and inspiring tale of an accidental journey through time. Two adults who liked each other but were afraid to confess because of society's judgment traveled back to the nineties due to an accident. Amid the simple, honest spirit of that era, Tao Yan and Huo Baichuan helped others while building their careers. As they spent time together, they gradually faced their feelings and boldly confessed. But another trip sent them back to the modern day. Faced with social pressure and opposition from their parents and families, the two finally gathered their courage and boldly confronted every difficulty. In the end, they found success in both career and love. Even the adult world needed fairy tales.

Chapter 1

Midsummer, 2021

A luxury yacht packed with people drifted lazily near the shore. Handsome men and beautiful women in sexy bikinis and colorful beach shorts held champagne in both hands, shrieking as they dodged attacks coming from all directions, then laughing and playing as they gathered together for another round of siege.

"Young Master Huo, come play with us!"

"Exactly. What's the fun in sitting alone on the deck keeping watch? Come play with us!"

The tall, handsome man idly toyed with a glass of champagne as he lounged against the deck. Years of outdoor sports had tanned his skin bronze. He had broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and well-toned muscles with smooth, handsome lines that were not the least bit exaggerated. His pecs and eight-pack abs, like sculpted chocolate, rose and fell lightly with each breath. His black hair was combed entirely back, save for a few loose strands that fell messily across his forehead. The midsummer sea breeze stirred those unruly locks, while his starry eyes rested half-lidded, as though drowsy. Yet even the glimmers of sharpness revealed through those half-closed eyes were like a lion lazily dozing on the African savanna, making anyone who saw them tremble with unease.

The excited, noisy shrieks and laughter around him gradually died down. Everyone exchanged bewildered looks. Two childhood friends who had been at Huo Baichuan's side since their school days, running errands for him and expertly reading the room, approached and cautiously tested, "Baichuan, are you tired? Were we being too loud?"

Huo Baichuan said nothing. He lazily watched the scene of flirtatious men and women before him, clearly uninterested.

The decisive, domineering eldest young master of the Huo family, who never tolerated opposition outside, had had a huge fight with his old man at home just two hours earlier.

After more than half a year of planning and operations, Huo Group had finally acquired a long-established automobile company in D Country as it had wished, successfully completing the most crucial piece of its grand blueprint for building a business empire. After the asset restructuring, the company's share price had surged, and its market value had grown by 50 percent in two months—a major boon.

The old chairman, who had just celebrated his sixtieth birthday, was delighted. Over breakfast that morning, he could not help talking to his son about it. Between the lines, he lavishly praised the head of the investment bank who had single-handedly managed the entire project. He praised the man for being young and accomplished, then sighed that they were both top graduates from Princeton, yet that young man had become a senior partner at an investment bank only a few years after graduation and even founded his own data analysis company. Meanwhile, his own son only knew how to eat, drink, and have fun all day, running some yacht and supercar club, gathering a bunch of good-for-nothings every day to climb mountains, dive into the sea, and play extreme sports. He loafed around all day and even copied others by livestreaming exploration adventures online. Who knew when he might throw away his own life as well?

"Can't you learn from Tao Yan and do something proper for once? With you like this, how can I feel at ease handing Huo Group over to you? I might as well hire Tao Yan as Huo Group's manager. I hear the boy has good character too. You should act as the go-between and introduce your younger sister to him. With Tao Yan helping manage the group's business, you siblings can just sit back and collect dividends. Then, after I'm gone, I'll be able to rest easy..."

Old Master Huo's deliberate barbs at his son had indeed hit Huo Baichuan right where it hurt. Ignoring Madam Huo's attempts to stop them, father and son had a blazing row at the dining table. The eldest young master stormed out, slammed the door, and gathered a group of drinking buddies for a yacht party to vent his frustration. Yet the more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He kept feeling that he had not argued well enough.

"How am I loafing around without doing anything proper? That's my career too!" Huo Baichuan complained indignantly to his childhood friends.

Though his extreme sports club could not compare to his father's deep-pocketed Huo Group, nor was it as profitable as that dead fox Tao Yan's investment bank and data analysis company, it still turned its own profits and earned at least several hundred million in net profit every year. It was worlds apart from those wastrel heirs who truly loafed around and squandered their families' fortunes.