Chapter 1: The Misadventures of the Sixth Son

“This Old Six—I’m honestly speechless. He actually goes around earning money for our own family! If he needs cash, why doesn’t he just come ask me?”

At the lakeside, beneath shady trees and playful white geese, a burst of angry voice echoed from a Western-style villa.

“Dad, our Sixth has really lost his mind—and his health isn’t the best either. The family could’ve secured him a spot at the top international university, yet he insists on relying solely on himself! And what did that get him? With his weak talents, he ended up at some third-rate domestic art school in Hezhou, which isn’t even as good as that private university we hold shares in!”

Soon, a confident female voice rang out.

“A third-rate institution is exactly what it is. Our Xu family even owns an entertainment company; once he graduates, they can easily assign him to work under a world-renowned director, learn a few solid years, and then star in blockbusters. But Old Six? He insists on going it alone, claiming he wants to make a wuxia epic. Seriously, what market is there for a wuxia movie? It’s nothing but a money-losing venture!”

“Exactly! Losing money is one thing, but if you have dreams and talent, you should go earn your own funds! And yet, to raise cash he even signed up for our company’s challenge event: survive 100 days in the desert to win 5 million in cash.”

Honestly, it was like a knife to the backside—a real eye-opener!

“When Old Six just graduated, one of my secondary companies needed a CEO. Guess what he said, Dad?”

Old Six quipped, “I’m capable of even wiping my own ass—I’ll find whomever I want!”

“You’re all fussing over trivial matters. From what I know, Old Six hides his identity while droning on about self-reliance and bootstrapping his success, completely refusing to admit he’s one of us Xu family children.”

“Is being the son of a renowned businessman in Longguo such a disgrace? This alone calls for a proper lesson for Sixth Brother.”

“Enough! His current state is partly due to your indulgence!”

The complaints inside the villa kept coming until, finally, a furious voice silenced everyone.

“Third Brother, where exactly is this 100-day desert survival challenge taking place?”

After a brief pause, the elderly man’s voice spoke again.

“Dad, it’s in the Tengli Desert of Su Province!”

“Su Province? The Great Northwest?”

“Yes! The conditions there are brutal—once ranked by an international website as one of the top ten least habitable places for humans. Even the nearest county to the desert barely has a population of a few dozen thousand.”

A young voice quickly replied.

“Fine. Since he loves doing things on his own and thrives on brutal challenges, arrange for the local authorities to sell that desert patch to him so he can survive to his heart’s content! If Xu Hao doesn’t come around this time, he’s never allowed back into our Xu family gates.”

“And you, all of you siblings, are not to coddle him this time. Anyone who dares to secretly send him extra supplies will have their financial source cut off!”

Upon hearing that the old man was planning to teach Old Six a harsh lesson himself, a few smug chuckles erupted among the group.

“Dad, that’s a great idea! If he can last even two days, he must be something special!”

“Surviving in the desert? He’ll probably be crying for his mom within hours!”

“Don’t worry, Dad. I’m off to get it done right away!”

To the young ones, maybe a severe lesson was the only way to transform their rogue Old Six into someone ‘normal’.

Tides come and go, fortunes rise and fall—the bustling metropolis of Haishi was Longguo’s largest city and a famed international hub on Lanstarr. Crowded streets hummed with the weight of countless stories etched on every passerby’s face.

Living in such a global metropolis meant pressure beyond imagination.

In the East Side

Inside a rundown rental in an old-style building from the last century, Xu Hao glared at his neatly packed sky-blue travel bag and the heap of tools lying beside it—an axe, bow and arrows, a saw, among others—as he muttered, “Isn’t this insane? I could have been living a life of luxury, but I chose the path of self-torture, playing at the role of a secretive rich brat!”

Just half an hour earlier, Xu Hao inexplicably found himself transported here.

Absorbing the memories of his original body, he learned that this was a parallel Earth called Lanstarr, with a population exceeding 10 billion.

In contrast, his home country Longguo boasted over 2 billion people.

Moreover, Longguo seemed to have suffered a cultural break, especially regarding ancient architecture records. Many historical artifacts were lost, and culture had branched off in a new direction. A lot of modern art and literature on Earth simply didn’t exist here.

As for his new body—apart from sharing his name and appearance—it was an entirely different status, worlds apart from his previous life.

On Earth, Xu Hao was born into a poor rural family with three brothers. To secure stable employment, he chose the obscure major of ancient architecture restoration!

He studied for ten long years, about to land a PhD and a modest 8,000 monthly salary, when suddenly, he was transported here.

On Lanstarr, Xu Hao is the Sixth Young Master of the prestigious Xu family—a top-tier wealthy clan with diverse holdings, many of which lead their industries, especially in stocks and futures investment. He’s a bona fide titan of the capital markets.

Being born into such affluence is a dream for many.

Yet Xu Hao is a rebel who’s always had a knack for bucking the system since childhood.

He refuses to get entangled with the family business.

He earned his way through college by working and saving up for tuition, and after graduation, he set out to realize his wuxia dream by making his own film— a true masochist at heart.

In Xu Hao’s eyes, everyone on Lanstarr was either a fool or a simpleton.

At least he was normal, and now that he’s been crowned Xu Family’s Old Six, he should fully relish the joy of financial freedom!

“For the 100-day desert survival challenge, each contestant is allowed to bring ten non-modern survival tools and supplies along with 70 jin of filming equipment, plus a satellite phone that can be used if they choose to withdraw.”

“Survive 100 days in the Su Province desert, and you’ll win 5 million cash. Each contestant must avoid injury at all costs—if you get hurt, you’re out, no exceptions.”

Note: During the challenge, hunting non-protected animals and logging are permitted under Longguo law with proper authorization.

Organizer: Tianchen Cultural Co., Ltd.

Glancing at the promotional poster on a long rectangular table in the corner, Xu Hao scoffed.

“A challenge? What a joke! If he wanted to make a wuxia film, he could simply ask for money from the family. Xu Family’s investments are mostly in the cultural sector—and they also own a top entertainment company with a roster of veteran actors and hot stars. Making a wuxia film would be a piece of cake! Besides, being a second-generation rich kid, why bother with films?”

According to his memory, this challenge was sponsored by an outdoor equipment company, set to be live-streamed on Longguo’s largest short-video platform, KuaiDou.

Attracted by the hefty prize money and the promise of a lush oasis with a steady water supply, many survival experts from across Lanstarr joined the competition.

After rigorous selection, ten contestants were chosen! Xu Hao, a clueless rookie director with zero survival skills, made the cut solely because of the benefaction of Tianchen Cultural Co., Ltd.

This media company is part of the Xu family empire. Its legal representative is his Third Brother, Xu Chen. Although the public remains unaware of his true identity, the higher-ups at Tianchen Cultural knew exactly who he was. When the operations director saw Xu Family’s Old Six’s application, he immediately allocated him a spot.

The Xu family couldn’t afford to lose face with their Sixth Young Master.

(Moment of silence)

Snapping out of his thoughts, Xu Hao walked over to an old bed and picked up his mobile phone.

He planned to call his Third Brother, Xu Chen, and tell him he was pulling out of the challenge—he had finally come to his senses! He intended to have the family arrange funds so he’d never mess around again!

Since fate had brought him here, he might as well enjoy the lavish life of a super-rich second-generation: beachside beauties in bikinis, extravagant parties on yachts, and all the trappings of high society.

Ring-ring. Just as Xu Hao lifted his phone and was about to dial, an incoming call rang through.

PS: Guys, this book unfolds in a parallel world, not on Earth (haha, just kidding). So, many things won’t unfold as they do on Earth.

If everything were the same, we might as well be writing a realistic novel. Thanks for your understanding, everyone.