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I haven't finished it just yet, but one thing I deeply appreciate about this novel is that it takes place in a Mary Sue universe. The ogMC is a Mary Sue danmei protagonist. But the author actually comprehends what a Mary Sue is and isnt just waving their hand and calling any old group pampering pet a Mary Sue.

The author understands the quality of a Mary Sue is that the Mary Sue is a black hole in the center of a plot's laws. Everyone disregards logic and their own personal characterization to cater to the Mary Sue. The Mary Sue, inherently, is an existence that turns everything illogical and violates established facts. You can't just call any overpowered pampered protagonist a Mary Sue.

I'm pleasantly surprised because I find a lot of people don't get that point. A Mary Sue should take a male supporting character characterized as "cold, ruthless, logical" and turn him into someone that throws his interests aside at any given opportunity to elevate the Mary Sue. The Mary Sue must take a man characterized by his violence and anger and loyalty completely reformed and turning on the person he was previously loyal to with nothing but a casual gesture of kindess.

The plot actually demands that in order to break the original plot, the protagonist must break the illogical elements, because those are the building blocks of the plot's logic. Which is honestly really fun and a refreshing angle on the "transmigrated into a braindead Mary Sue novel and have to survive the illogical mess" plot I do have a weakness for.

Might come update the review when I'm done. I'm just thoroughly enjoying atm.

Edit: Ive finished the main story, but some of the side stories seem to be missing. Which is fine. The main story is done and that's what matters.

It seems like the author changed the ending based on strong reader feedback. I don't mind it precisely. But I do feel like you can tell an unplanned ending slipped its way in there. It doesn't end strong, just about medium strong. Which isn't a huge issue. Just something to note.

In fact, I feel like my favorite character here was a supporting character. The author did a fantastic job at making the biological mother an unapologetic woman that had a lot more depth and complexity than we normally get in antagonist bio moms. As she slowly breaks away from the influence of the plot halo, she shines as a character. If you love morally gray characters that don't do right by the main character at all but you can't help but love anyway... God that mom was well written. I truly couldn't hate her. Every step started peeling back her veneer and once she was fully exposed she went full unapologetic about who she is as a person.

She's the type of character that I could not stand as a main character but as a major supporting character I am in love. Honestly, the fact she couldn't fully steal the whole spotlight from the main character is a testament to the writer's ability. Made such a stunning supporting character I was on pins and needles for and yet the main character still didn't fade into the background under her brilliance. Whew.

Anyways, flowers, flowers.

This author loves to claim they dont understand anything about finance or business, but as a layman I am entirely unconvinced.

I've never seen danmei before with such complex in depth business plots and jargon. I've read a decent amount of businessman danmei where our main character builds the business from the ground up. I've never seen business warfare plots and jargon as convincing as what is found in this author's novels. Even if they aren't long, they are concise and fun to follow along with.

Even if it's true the author doesn't work in finance, well. We're at the point where she would need a more convincing argument she doesn't than a convincing argument that she does.

Anyways, if you want to read a danmei with an even blend of romance and career, this author is a good option. This novel is one of my favorites for that. I appreciate a regressed/reborn protagonist with genuine skill and ability and talent outside of his knowledge of the future that has some issues regarding his own sense of ability, but doesn't spend every other chapter bemoaning how he's a fraud and this and that. That can really give off a bit of an annoying impression of someone in a villa explaining to a person in a studio apartment with cockroaches that their ability is not nearly as good as those people living in mansions.

Gu Chen obviously has insecurities and limitations as a person, and is a bit too harsh on himself and his abilities, but it isn't entirely obnoxious. I can appreciate it a lot.

Furthermore, the romance is on the backburner, but not to the point it feels intrusive or abrupt when the male lead comes to brush up his sense of existence. It feels like a set of mature adults trying to carve out time for each other while managing their hectic lives. Not suffocating or anything like that. Just a pair of adults working together to make their lives fit together.

As for the antagonists, they are just on the edge of cunning and not too cunning. Some are brainless, some are cunning, it's an even mix. The plot takes place in a "Mary Sue" universe, so the ogMC is a bit brainless and stupid, as we often see with Mary Sue original MCs with the halos stripped away, but he's not the only antagonist. There are many antagonists with varying degrees of cunning circling the plot, but crucially their cunning never feels so threatening you as the reader get stressed out. I can't handle villains too capable. They hit the right point of being cunning but not overwhelmingly capable. If anything, their primary sin is being too clever for their own good. Which is my favorite kind of villain.

Overall, a refreshing read.

I have read an obscene amount of this author's novels. Their novels tend to focus on making the main character a career man and the male lead tends to sit on a backburner. Which is fine and fun! Sometimes I want to read a danmei that isnt explicitly focused on romance, just allows a gay man to also have other pursuits in life that don't revolve around romance.

That being said, this one convinced me the author genuinely can write some banger romance. I have never been so moved and short of breath. The romance lurks in the background and becomes a world shaking existence towards the end. But the plot itself is not neglected to make the decisions of the male lead make sense at the end. It's one of those romances where you truly believe in it. You know? You truly believe the romance could come out to the outcome it did.

Heavily recommend. I adore this author and I'm going on a mission to slam as many of their novels on here as possible.