Chapter 1: [Life Equipment Synthesis System]
“Did you watch last night’s ‘The Strivers’?”
“I stopped watching after Lu Tao cheated. Now I only watch idol dramas.”
“Which channel? What show?”
“I bought the DVD—‘Madness of the Forbidden City.’ The fight in the rain was so touching…”
Zhai Da looked around in confusion.
He was in a hospital ward, a four-bed room, and it felt very old-fashioned.
The afternoon light cast a yellowish glow across the room. The floor was made of aged terrazzo, a kaleidoscope pattern formed from stones and glass fragments set in cement.
On the nearby bed lay a gaunt old man, legs crossed, flipping through a newspaper titled ‘Yangzi Evening News.’
He exuded a strong paternal vibe.
Beside him sat a black, brick-like radio, broadcasting news from somewhere unknown.
“Preparations for the Beijing Northern Olympics have entered the final countdown; over 1.5 million volunteers are expected…”
“The Shanghai Composite Index hits a new high, expected to breach 6000 points this year…”
“New Century Financial, the second largest subprime mortgage company in the US, has declared bankruptcy…”
“Experts state the real estate market is currently chaotic and irrational; it’s advised to sell high for profit, invest in the bull market, and repurchase when prices normalize.”
Two nurses, dressed in vintage uniforms, wore white soft-soled shoes with thick stockings stretched over their insteps. Their hats, resembling little white boats, seemed precarious as they bent down to adjust blankets, careful not to let them fall.
“Wait... what are you doing?!”
Zhai Da felt a hand creeping under the blanket and quickly pulled his legs back.
The nurse rolled her eyes and pulled a urine bottle from under the covers—empty.
“You’re awake? We planned to insert a catheter this afternoon if you didn’t wake up. The doctor will be here soon. Lie still.”
A chill ran down Zhai Da’s spine.
The nurse’s expression was indifferent; she had seen everything—from the Eastern Dragon to the crooked-mouthed mischievous spirits.
“Don’t get upset. They haven’t figured out why you fainted yet, but it’s definitely related to your emotions. Rest your eyes. Your mother should be on her way.”
A sharp pain shot through his head. He remembered he was on a blind date...
They’d argued over the installment plan for the thirty-thousand-yuan bride price.
He wasn’t naïve; after all, as an advertising man in his thirties who had been grinding for ten years, he was still just a cog in the machine.
He carefully avoided anything related to ox carts, cow sheds, or calves, but the daily 9-to-9 grind, the evolved 0-to-7, left him more exhausted than ever, yet no future seemed within reach.
Where had the money gone?
Mr. Ziren said distribution should be based on labor—were they not informed?
Everyone said young people must endure hardship and accumulate experience, but now in his thirties, he wondered where hardship and experience translated into happiness.
He sacrificed his face and liver through voluntary overtime and tearful renditions of “Grateful Heart” at company year-end parties. Only in his thirties did he touch the so-called middle management, reaching the same level as the boss’s just-graduated son.
Two months later, he was fired, realizing he had been promoted only to be scapegoated.
Optimized out by the company, oppressed by his superiors, he had driven for ride-hailing services and delivered takeout. Middle-aged, life grew ever more burdensome.
Even winning fifty million in the lottery failed to bring him joy.
Truly.
The cold forty million in the bank could not soothe a heart already castrated by life; it only gave him the courage to give up.
He only wished to live a simple, warm life, driving his Maybach, wearing his Vacheron Constantin.
Simplicity was true happiness.
Though sometimes alone, he still longed for love. Before, he had no means; after the lottery, he finally had some confidence. But he didn’t want a mercenary after his fortune; he wanted true love.
The pains of youth require a lifetime of healing.
So he traveled from one blind date to another, disguising himself as still poor. Thirty thousand bride price was acceptable, but only on one condition: paid in a hundred installments of three thousand each.
Time would prove sincerity; companionship was the longest confession of love.
It might seem odd, but he always treated each match with respect. If they talked late, he would gallantly book a five-star hotel room.
That’s what he told the police.
Leaving the station the next morning, sitting in his Maybach wanting a smoke, a stabbing pain gripped his chest; limbs went numb and unresponsive.
The hardships of youth would inevitably rebound on every middle-aged man.
He tried to call for help, but the Maybach was too soundproof, and the windows were one-way glass for privacy. His thoughts grew hazy...
Until through blurred vision, he vaguely saw a young man on an electric scooter speeding by with his beloved girl. Both were poor but happy—a sight that made him envious.
“No parking here!”
That was the last sound he heard—or maybe a hallucination.
When he opened his eyes again, he was in this hospital bed.
A hospital was no surprise, but where in the metropolis was there such a shabby hospital? The Putian system?
Zhai Da stared blankly at his hands. On the side of his left middle finger was a callus from years of writing, and the nail was clipped to an absurdly short length per regulations.
No doubt, these were student’s hands.
Coupled with the radio news just now... was he reborn?
Preparing for the Olympics... 2007 or 2008?
Suddenly, memories long buried by exhaustion, once vivid but gradually calloused over, surged back...
Dongyang County... Wool Textile Middle School... 2008... the year of his college entrance exams?
He stared at his hands for a long, long time.
Then, a joy blossomed deep within his soul.
He had truly returned... to 2008?
Life’s greatest regret is “what if”—and far beyond “what if” lies the treasure of “if only.”
Rebirth gave him countless “ifs” to become a better self.
Damn! If I’d known I’d be reborn, I should have spent all my money first. Back then, planning to lie low, I only nervously spent five million, leaving the rest to earn interest in the bank...
The money remained, but I was gone! What a loss!
After the two nurses left, only he and the newspaper-reading old man remained in the ward; the other two beds were empty.
Countless thoughts swirled in his mind, and finally, Zhai Da couldn’t contain himself. He raised his arms and shouted, “Awesome!!”
The old man’s hand trembled, tearing the paper in half, frowning at him.
Sure enough, video games would ruin a generation.
Zhai Da felt strength coursing through his body. This flesh...
Had to be young to be powerful!
He wanted to check out of the hospital immediately, to see his hometown, the familiar streets, and the mother who had raised him but whom he hadn’t seen in years.
Just as he thought this, a middle-aged woman burst in, eyes red and voice trembling, clearly flustered.
“Xiao Da... are you okay?! You scared your mother to death!”
Seeing that familiar, long-missed face, Zhai Da’s nose tingled.
“Mom... I’m fine... really!”
Those words, “I’m fine,” had often been exchanged over phone calls with his mother.
The child who once secretly ate instant noodles still secretly ate instant noodles as an adult.
Sadly, since his mother passed from breast cancer, he had no one to say “I’m fine” to, and no one cared anymore.
His mother, who died before winning the lottery, never enjoyed a day of happiness but always worried about her son in the big city—this was Zhai Da’s deepest pain.
He embraced his mother, a rare gesture, smiling as he said,
“Mom, it’s nothing—just a little discomfort. I don’t know why the hospital is making such a fuss.”
He really didn’t understand why he woke up in a hospital. He had no such experience before work, rarely going to hospitals then.
After starting work, his mother’s once strong constitution finally gave way to life’s harsh blows; frequent hospital visits followed. Even after winning the lottery, he hadn’t taken care of himself.
“By the way, Mom, how long until the college entrance exam? I’ve got to study hard and get a high score to make you proud!”
Yu Xiaoli’s lips trembled for a moment before she said, “Son, I’ve heard about everything. Don’t worry. I can get you a job in the factory. Then we’ll work at the same place.”
Zhai Da felt a bad premonition. “Why the factory? Uh... how did I faint? I can’t quite remember.”
“You... fainted during the exam, the last subject…”
Zhai Da could only smile bitterly at the timing.
So, no chance of college this life?
In his last life, he joked about working hard for college. This life was more direct—three years studying in the electronics factory.
Then he heard Yu Xiaoli’s next words: “It’s okay if you didn’t do well on the second mock exam. There’s still three months... and the factory is always short-staffed!”
...
“Mom, could you stop wheezing so much?”
And why does everything you say end up about the factory? Did you stash a square root of two in your pocket?
A catastrophic start.
Before he could process the upheaval, strange words appeared before his eyes:
“Life Equipment Synthesis System Activated.”
“Strong emotions, obsessions, and feelings cling to items, bestowing unique traits.”
“This system helps the host discover and acquire [Equipment], enhancing abilities and synthesizing higher-level rare equipment.”
“Host’s current equipment: None.”
Before Zhai Da could comprehend, new messages appeared:
“Beginner’s reward activated: one random personal item converted into [Equipment].”
“Locking... converting...”
“Congratulations, host. You have obtained white-grade new [Equipment]: Clown’s Love Letter.”
“[Clown’s Love Letter]: A love letter written by a hormone-driven youth, tangled with embarrassing fantasies that could get an adult executed. Equipment effect: slightly increases humor.”
“Note: Kid, there’s no love inside—only humor!”