The Real Young Master Became Everyone’s Favorite After Being A Salted Fish [Transmigration]

Yu Yan, an orphan who previously worked menial jobs, transmigrates into the body of a young master in a novel about aristocratic family feuds. The original character was impulsive and foolish, having attempted suicide by overdosing on sleeping pills to force his parents to expel the family's adopted son, Yu Chen. In the novel, this path leads to the protagonist squandering his inheritance and dying penniless on the streets. Upon waking in the hospital, Yu Yan quickly accepts his new reality and makes a decisive choice to reject the company leadership. He publicly declares his intention to give all shares and assets to Yu Chen, asking only for a generous monthly allowance to live a carefree life. This sudden change bewilders his parents, Jiang Mo and Yu Lin, as well as Yu Chen, who suspects a new scheme. However, Yu Yan’s sincerity and the relief of avoiding corporate responsibilities convince them to agree, granting him a substantial allowance and a no-limit black card.

Yu Yan’s primary goal is to avoid Shen Yuming, the novel’s ruthless protagonist and Yu Chen’s close friend, who is responsible for the original character’s downfall and the eventual bankruptcy of the family business. He also seeks to evade Shen Muyang, an illegitimate relative who had manipulated the original host into various destructive schemes. When Shen Muyang visits Yu Yan, attempting to lure him into a new plot involving a fraudulent securities company, Yu Yan refuses and physically repels him. Unbeknownst to Yu Yan, Shen Yuming witnesses this confrontation from a nearby car. Later, at a dinner hosted by Yu Chen, Yu Yan meets Shen Yuming, who is operating under the alias Shen Yuchen. Yu Yan remains wary, unaware that Shen Yuming is the very person he fears most.

Seeking a low-stress job, Yu Yan accepts a position as a manager at Xinghai Media, a subsidiary of Minghua Group, under the guise that its president is Shen Yuchen. His first day is marred by a former executive, Zhang Yuan, who attempts to force Yu Yan into a compromising situation with artists at an upscale club. Yu Yan escapes the incident and reports it to his family. Consequently, Zhang Yuan is fired, and a new, upright CEO takes over. Yu Yan is assigned three artists: He Zhiyu, a hot-tempered idol; Jian Ran, a talented actor with a trauma-induced stutter; and Song Yunjing, an actress who was previously blacklisted for refusing unethical demands. Yu Yan treats them with respect and patience, differing sharply from previous management.

Yu Yan learns that Shen Muyang is attempting to scam him into investing in a shell company that mirrors a plot from the novel which originally led to the family's financial ruin. He secretly asks Yu Chen to investigate, and through Yu Chen, Shen Yuming intercepts the information and dismantles Shen Muyang’s scheme. Meanwhile, Yu Yan struggles to secure resources for his artists. He attempts to court Shen Yuming for investment funds, sending numerous messages and trying to arrange meals, but is consistently rejected. Eventually, Shen Yuming approves a twenty-million fund for Yu Yan’s projects, moving his office to be adjacent to his own in the Minghua headquarters. Yu Yan uses the funds to help Jian Ran secure a significant villain role, beginning his transformation of the neglected artists. Throughout this process, Shen Yuming observes Yu Yan with growing interest, noting his naive generosity and the stark contrast he presents to the original host.