The Slacker Academic Always Gets Caught

(Updated every night at midnight)

Chi Ning devoted his whole life to scientific research, eventually dying suddenly at work. When he opened his eyes again, he had returned to age sixteen.

In his previous life, Chi Ning regretted two things.

First, he hadn't been able to save his older brother, who had died in an accident.

Second, he had never given Qin Heng, the CEO of the Qin Group who had pursued him for half his life, a definite answer.

Given another chance, Chi Ning poured out the coffee he'd practically made himself sick of in his last life, tossed aside his competition papers, and crept off.

He wasn't going to study anymore. Anyone who wanted to could do it themselves.

He was going to relax, avoid dying of overwork, and happily lie flat.

He'd lie flat in style, and make a name for himself doing it!

As he continued to lie flat, he discovered that Qin Heng, the campus heartthrob who'd claimed in his last life to be a model student and an upstanding young man, was actually a domineering school bully!

Chi Ning: ...

It's fine. He could cut the things he regretted from two down to one. :)

*

Qin Heng thought Chi Ning was a well-behaved student who couldn't carry a thing, couldn't lift a thing, and would burst into tears at the sight of someone getting hurt.

But later, he discovered that Chi Ning skipped class more skillfully than he did and hit harder, too. When Chi Ning kicked someone, his expression was icy, his cheek muscles tensed slightly, and his eyes were faintly red.

He looked just like someone who'd been bullied.

Qin Heng clutched his thumping heart, his mouth moving against his will. “Why kick him? He's not worth it!”

Kick me!

-

Everyone knew the legendary Professor Chi Ning of the research world:

#Doesn't attend class, still ranks first in his year#

#Too tired for competitions, but has the energy to file patents by the dozen#

#Heir to a century-old pharmaceutical company, yet accepts the government's offer. Why? He likes nine-to-five hours and triple pay on holidays.#

#Skips class to enter a billiards tournament, wins the championship, then pulls out a sack to haul away the prize money#

Later, a GIF of the world's youngest recipient of a prestigious research award circulated on the forums.

In it, Chi Ning was climbing over the research institute's wall.

At the foot of the wall stood President Qin, dressed in a suit, arms spread wide and looking anxious, afraid the person on top might bump or scrape himself.

The caption read: [Nobody's stopping me from getting off work!]

(A laid-back uke whose acting and lie-flat skills keep improving x a seemingly tough school bully who's actually a puppy-brained, overthinking, flirtatious seme)

[Reader's Guide]

= A sweet little story, written mainly for my own enjoyment. Includes male rivalry over the love interest, and the story revolves around the protagonist.

= Chi Ning is very laid-back. In this life, he's living off what he built in his previous one.

= No secondary couples. All scientific research in this story is fictional and made up. The setting is entirely imaginary and unrelated to real life.

= Thank you all for enjoying my work! Please don't mention my story under other people's works, and don't mention other works under mine. Thanks! Let me give you all two hearty kowtows.

Pre-release blurb: The Hated Detective Wins Them Over with His Billionaire Charm

Police academy student Jian Ruochen transmigrates into a book set in 1990s Hong Kong, becoming the real young master everyone hates, a sacrificial character whose only purpose is to make the adored fake young master look good.

In the original plot, the hated young master gives up a fortune worth tens of billions for love. In the end, his best friend betrays him, his parents despise him, and his lover abandons him and sends him to the bed of a rival. Ultimately, his kidney is taken and his heart cut out to save his beloved younger brother, the adored fake young master.

Jian Ruochen, staring at his phone like a subway grandpa.jpg

What the hell? Where's the criminal code?

On the day he transmigrates into the book, the original owner is turning down his inheritance for love.

The English butler asks, “Young master, are you sure you want to choose love and give up 10 billion?”

Jian Ruochen: What bullshit love? I'm inheriting the 10 billion.

After swiftly leaving the main cast behind, Jian Ruochen returns to his old line of work. The major crimes forensics department won't take him, so he becomes a police consultant instead.

Later...

Arrested serial killer: That day, I just happened to brush past Officer Jian. He grabbed me and slammed me to the ground, then dragged me straight to the police station.

Arrested drug-manufacturing gang: I was just getting a haircut when Officer Jian happened to sit next to me. He said he'd introduce me to a better barber, then sent me to prison... Now... I'm bald.

Arrested robbery fugitive: Waaaah, I ran into Officer Jian while committing a robbery. I only meant to steal a million, but he gave me 50 million and told me to get lost. I didn't understand at the time. Later I found out that a million would only get you ten years... He... He wanted me to get life!

*

After Jian Ruochen left the Jian family, he became an overnight sensation.

Everyone who had hurt him in the original story regretted it.

Speaking to the media:

His parents said, “He's always been our pride and joy.”

His best friend said, “He worked so hard at school. We were very close.”

His former fiancé got drunk every night and knelt before him, begging forgiveness. “Ruochen, can't you forgive me just once? I love you!”

Jian Ruochen: You all regret it now? Then listen up:

“The Jian family evaded taxes. Seven years in prison.”

“You claim to be my best friend? You stole more than 10 million worth of my jewelry in college. That's theft, punishable by at least ten years.”

“And you, my former fiancé, take the cake. One organ-trafficking operation under your name, one illegal biopharmaceutical company, eight illegally operated karaoke bars, twelve brothels disguised as bathhouses, plus tax evasion, antiquities smuggling, and more...”

Jian Ruochen smiled. “Here's a steel peanut for you.”

Later...

A major crimes team leader, feared by criminals everywhere, kissed Jian Ruochen's fingertips. “Honey, I was just following procedure back then. I wasn't deliberately keeping you out of the unit. Now you have the qualifications, so how about you stop bothering Director Le and stay with me?”

Core message: Balance work and rest.