Bastard 01

"What about your disciple?" Little Hei suddenly asked.

"He made his own choice. That kid has grown quite a bit," Fang Zhiyi remarked with a sigh. "Makes me feel old."

Little Hei silently handed over the storyline.

Fang Zhiyi, the third and youngest son of the Fang family, had always been doted on more than his eldest brother and second sister—a privilege that nurtured his arrogant and unruly nature.

From stealing eggs from neighbors to trade for candy, to tearing up his second sister’s study notes to make paper airplanes, Fang Zhiyi grew up causing trouble.

By seventeen, he was already mingling with local troublemakers, lured into gambling and accumulating massive debts. When debt collectors came knocking, his father collapsed in distress, while his mother begged door-to-door for loans to bail him out. Yet, Fang Zhiyi showed no remorse—instead, he gambled again, losing repeatedly until the family’s savings were drained.

Soon, he racked up another mountain of debt. Loan sharks arrived, and in the chaos, Eldest Brother Fang shielded him, only to have his leg shattered, leaving him permanently disabled. His father was hospitalized again—this time, he didn’t survive. His mother passed soon after. Second Sister Fang, desperate to settle his debts, married a widower, using the dowry to clear Fang Zhiyi’s name.

Still, Fang Zhiyi didn’t change. Then came a stroke of luck: their home was marked for demolition, and with the compensation money, he resumed his carefree life, living lavishly with his girlfriend, Wang Qianqian.

Miraculously, his reckless ventures even turned a profit—though he never spared a thought for his crippled brother or faraway sister, indulging only himself.

Wang Qianqian was… not the brightest.

Like the time she shattered a jade bracelet in a store, or when her car rolled backward into another vehicle, only for her to snap, "Yes, I reversed poorly, but you rear-ended me—so it’s your fault!"

The crowning idiocy? Buying an outrageously expensive vase, insisting it was an antique. Fang Zhiyi had it appraised—only to discover it was a fake. He beat Wang Qianqian black and blue, but she sobbed, blaming him for getting it "switched" during the appraisal.

Still, when Fang Zhiyi learned she was pregnant, he married her. Not long after, he suddenly collapsed and died—ending his wretched life. Wang Qianqian was arrested soon after: for poisoning him.

"Em… this guy was a real piece of work, huh?" Fang Zhiyi mused.

Little Hei nodded. "Compared to you, he was downright pathetic."

"Enough chatter. You’re holding back details, aren’t you?"

Little Hei admitted, "True. Wang Qianqian had a friend, Gao Jie, who fed her terrible advice and excelled at spreading rumors."

The next scene showed Gao Jie watching Wang Qianqian being hauled away by police, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction.

"I don’t really get what she gained from it," Little Hei said.

Fang Zhiyi smirked. "Gained? You don’t understand the concept of ‘frenemies,’ do you?"

He glanced down at his clothes, then looked up—only to see his mother standing before him.

"Third Son, I’ve paid your debts. You mustn’t gamble again!" Her face was lined with wrinkles, her white hair disheveled.

Fang Zhiyi cursed the original owner inwardly but wore a repentant expression. "Mom, I was wrong. I won’t do it again."

She studied him, distrust clear in her eyes—she knew her son too well. With a sigh, she left.

Stepping outside, Fang Zhiyi saw Second Sister Fang doing handicrafts—extra work after her job to help repay debts. She lowered her head when she noticed him, silent. Words failed her when it came to her brother.

Fang's Father and Eldest Brother Fang were out working odd jobs—despite Fang's Father being past retirement age—all because of Fang Zhiyi’s mess.

As Fang Zhiyi headed for the door, Fang's Mother called out, "Third Son, where are you going?"

He waved her off. "Just taking a walk! Be back soon!"

The sigh behind him was unmistakable.

The economy was just recovering, poised for a boom in the coming years. Opportunities were everywhere—why waste it on gambling?

Little Hei shrank under Fang Zhiyi’s stare. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I’ve got an idea…"

At dinner, the Fang family gathered around a meager meal: a salted egg, pickled vegetables, and a bowl of boiled greens. The mood was heavy.

"Where’s Third Son?" Fang's Father grumbled.

Fang's Mother hesitated. "He said he needed air. Probably feeling cooped up."

Li Cuixia, Eldest Brother Fang’s wife, snorted. "Or he’s off gambling again."

Eldest Brother Fang glared. "Shut up and eat."

Li Cuixia huffed. She didn’t care—had it not been for that useless brother-in-law, their lives wouldn’t be like this.

"Am I wrong?"

"Let’s just eat," Second Sister Fang murmured.

But worry hung over the table. Every time Fang Zhiyi left, he either stirred trouble or gambled. They never knew when debt collectors would storm in.

As they silently shoveled rice, Fang Zhiyi returned. "Eating, huh?" he quipped, effortlessly mimicking the original’s smug tone.

"Third Son’s back! Let me get you a bowl," Fang's Mother said, rising—her doting unchanged.

"Mom, sit. I’ll serve myself." Fang Zhiyi fetched a bowl and scooped rice, frowning at the sparse dishes.

Noticing, Fang's Mother forced a smile. "We didn’t get much today. Bear with it. Tomorrow, I’ll buy whatever you want."

"Such different treatment for sons," Li Cuixia muttered.

Fang Zhiyi shot her a look but stayed silent. Though sharp-tongued, she’d done her duty as a sister-in-law despite the original’s misdeeds.

"Can’t you keep quiet?" Eldest Brother Fang snapped.

As tensions flared, Fang Zhiyi cut in, "Easy, easy. It’s all my fault, okay?"

The table froze. Fang Zhiyi never apologized.

"Little Brother… did you borrow money again?" Second Sister Fang asked cautiously.

Fang Zhiyi blinked. What?

Then it hit him—for the original, humility only meant he needed something.

What a bastard.

"No debts. But I do have something to discuss."

Recommend Series

Villain: Marrying a Blind Fiancée, Crazy in Love

Villain: Marrying a Blind Fiancée, Crazy in Love

villain is the number one simp for the book's leading female protagonist, Shen Wan'er. As expected, he later becomes a tool for the main character to show off and slap faces, ultimately meeting a tragic end with his family ruined and his life in shambles. Fortunately, he awakens the [Universal Pure Love System], which allows him to earn points by performing acts of pure love. To change his fate, Gu Yan makes a decisive choice to seek warmth and companionship with the book's biggest villain—Cold Qingqiu. ........... My name is Leng Qingqiu. To find the murderer who killed my parents years ago, I deliberately blinded myself so that everyone would lower their guard around me. Just as I was secretly accumulating power and capital according to my initial plan, a man walked into my world. "Lengleng, Qingqing, Qiuqiu, which nickname do you prefer?" I don't like any of them. You'd better leave quickly! "Why aren't you saying anything? How about I call you my baby wife?" Leng Qingqiu thinks to herself, this man is truly annoying! (Stubborn pure love warrior + single female lead + true pure love + 1v1)

Just Became Emperor, Already Assassinated by the Son of Destiny

Just Became Emperor, Already Assassinated by the Son of Destiny

e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.

I Am Unaware That I Am the Peerless Martial God

I Am Unaware That I Am the Peerless Martial God

lity and could only live as an ordinary mortal. He only wished to live a peaceful life. Yet he didn't know— The dog he adopted, because it ate his food, became a legendary demon king. The kitchen knife he casually forged became a peerless divine weapon, causing numerous experts to fight desperately for it. The young disciple he took in became an immortal lord that led an era, due to cultivating the techniques Ye Feng taught him. Even the skeletons he looked down on the most were ominous demon kings that suppressed countless worlds. Many years later, looking at the void shattered with a punch, Ye Feng murmured to himself: It turns out the peerless kings were myself all along...

Poor Talent? I Bought a Year of Cultivation for One Dollar!

Poor Talent? I Bought a Year of Cultivation for One Dollar!

ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!