Around 8 PM, the night would have been pitch black if not for the bright stars.
It had been raining, but now, the rain had eased into a drizzle, the raindrops now so weightless that they swayed freely with the cold wind.
Roughly a short distance from the city metropolis stood a lonesome mechanic repair workshop beneath the moon. It was a well-known service station, almost always open for 24/7, give or take.
The garage door was open, exposing the workers inside to the glow of the half-moon and the biting chill. These mechanics fully embraced it all since the moonlight accorded them some visibility in place of the power outage, and the cold wind actually helped diffuse the pungent smell of fuel and burnt rubber.
Some mechanics were still underneath the cars under service, clanking and screwing. Others were discussing loudly like men do, laughing and drinking beer. It was a big workshop, extremely spacious, so it was large enough to accommodate at least twenty men.
One mechanic, however, was different from the rest. He was younger, a boy, no older than twenty, sat alone near the open garage door, apart from the group.
He was a mess. He was sweating all over despite being the closest to the cold wind. His navy jumpsuit was drenched with sweat, he was trembling yet he continued to perspire, his skin clammy and freezing.
In fact, he wasn't even awake. He had been unconscious for nearly three hours that his older colleagues decided to knock off and leave him be.
Then, suddenly, he regained consciousness and his eyes snapped open. The frost hit him instantly, making his teeth chatter.
'What…?'
An enormous bolt of lightning, as fast as his thought tore through the sky, welcoming his return into the land of the living.
"Ahhhh! Are we even getting home tonight?"
"Relax, brother. That's just post-rain thunder. It'll pass."
This young man looked around the dark garage, realizing he was alive.
'Damn it. Again?'
Xu Tian sat up right, running a hand through the unruly hair of the body he had just transmigrated into.
This was his third transmigration, the most discomforting and debasing he had experienced. And it appeared to him that this new body was a very youthful one compared to his previous lifetimes.
Xu Tian wondered what might have killed this body by the name Chen Xuan. From what he observed, the elderly men there did not seem capable of such depravity, so he kept his mind open and awaited the rush of memories as expected.
Gradually, he began to recollect, starting from the second he took over and rewinding.
'Ah. Food poisoning... How pitiful.'
Chen Xuan, a 19-year-old orphan was on his way to work when he stopped by a vendor, desperate to eat something to sustain himself after going hungry all day.
Many vendors in the city never really followed strict hygiene standards especially the very one poor Chen Xuan patronized early this evening.
The ingredients must have been spoiled or expired, maybe it was a cross-contamination from a utensil. Xu Tian recalled a lot of vendors who regularly used tainted oil, browner than the fries themselves.
Maybe it wasn't even the food itself, but the water or the drink Chen Xuan had purchased alongside.
Whatever it was, the poisoning had taken a huge toll and inflicted a lot of pain on Chen Xuan, causing him his life.
'Tsk. What a miserable way to die.'
Xu Tian studied the boy's lean figure, gaunt, pale and hollow. It was no surprise his immune system was ineffectual to combat the poisoning.
"Wa! Junior Chen?! You are alright now?"
Xu Tian, now Chen Xuan, only smiled charmingly as his colleagues gathered to inspect him, their concern ringing hollow. They had left him sprawled in agony, yet now they pretended to care.
When Chen Xuan had arrived at work, he had complained about a simple stomach issue, and everyone ignored it.
"Work will make even your tummy forget!" they had said, laughing and encouraging the young lad.
But as time went on, with the sun descending into the horizon, Chen Xuan's state had worsened. His older colleagues had watched him groan, cry, and howl, even as the heavens unleashed their fury. Not a single one had taken him to a hospital. Instead, they had carried on with their beers, betting if he'd wake up by morning.
Now, all of them had no idea that Chen Xuan was another.
"I am fine, everyone. I just took a little nap," Chen Xuan said as he stood up with vigor, proving it.
To him, it felt splendid to stand on his feet again, his subadult legs carrying him with newfound strength. His past transmigration had him inhabiting the frail, creaky bones of an old grand sect master.
Even though this vessel's limbs were weak and thin for an adolescent, they were by a margin better than the last. He was taller now—184 inches, almost double the height of his colleagues'. A rare towering late teen, with the potential to gain one or two more inches.
After accumulated decades and a century of social interaction with varying persons and groups, Chen Xuan found no difficulties in instantly adapting to this new life. He already had the memories of the previous conscience, so he eagerly pressed the play button on this life.
"How did we lose power?" Chen Xuan asked to refuel the conversations in the workshop. Since Chen Xuan was at pain when the lights went out, he didn't know. His colleagues then explained that the wind might have been the cause of it since it wasn't an uncommon reason.
Chen Xuan instantly noticed this vessel wasn't habituated to ingesting any alcohol when he took a sip from one of the beer bottles. Even the elderly men, all grey-bearded, folded sleeves and hairy thick arms, stared mistrustfully as Chen Xuan drank from a beer bottle for the first time in his life.
Chen Xuan expected nothing less from their reaction. From the memories now his, he quickly understood the nature of the relationship between Chen Xuan and his so-called "colleagues."
They treated him like trash. They pushed him around, hectored him like a puppy, and often pressured him to smoke and drink, laughing at his refusals.
Chen Xuan's instincts had been right. From the moment his eyes flew open and scanned the garage, he knew for certain—good colleagues and friends wouldn't have abandoned a young man to growl in agony, exposed to the cold, without even offering a blanket or any form of help.
They had watched him suffer and let him be. It was nothing short of neglect, if not outright cruelty.
Chen Xuan feared he might even wake up with a cold the next time he slept. How unlucky he would be to get hit with the flu within 24 hours of his transmigration.
'It tastes just right' Chen Xuan set down the bottle firmly after one long gulp. The soothing yet foggy and turbulent feeling of the alcoholic content washing down his parched throat was luscious.
Chen Xuan wiped the ends of his lips with his sleeves before draining the rest of the bottle. While he drank, the men watched him with gazes of incredulity and mistrust.
'How is this stinky brat still alive? Everyone I know who got food poisoning without medicine died a miserable death!'
'Did he hit his head? Why does he seem... different?'
'This brat dares to drink a whole bottle without paying? Does he think he's the young master of some noble clan?'
'Tch, now that he's all better, he can make up for the work we spared him while he was rolling around like a dying dog!'
"Oi! You!" A rough voice snapped him from his thoughts. Pa! A burly man, Zhao Dahu, snapped his fingers at him, his expression impatient. "Done playing tough? Get your ass moving! Go clean the wheel nuts! You lazed around all day and still expect full pay?"
Chen Xuan was still inspecting the weak physicality of this vessel and how strenuous it felt to even stand when he heard his superior, Zhao Dahu, lash out a command.
Being a sharp and socially perceptive person, Chen Xuan understood it was best to endure for now. With a calm nod, he moved to obey, heading toward the wheel nuts like a lowly worker following orders.
Having being an astute person, a man who understood and grasped sociological awareness, Chen Xuan knew it was better that he sucked it up, obey and go clean the wheel nuts like he was ordered.
But the sensation of obeisance was foreign. This feeling of yielding to another's will. Worse still, to someone unworthy of respect like Zhao Dahu. In his past life, he had ruled the most powerful sect in the world, standing above countless cultivators who groveled at his feet.
Yet now, this new life had stripped him of everything. He was no longer a supreme figure but a penniless orphan, buried under student debt he might never escape.
This shabby mechanic workshop was his only means of survival, barely putting a pitiful ¥1,800 ($250) in his pocket every month.
The older men were delighted with themselves as Chen Xuan trudged across the garage to do as they commanded They returned to their drinking and chatter, throwing him smug glances, savoring their petty dominance.
'You were so helpless, Chen Xuan, that they treated you like this. That won't do. It will change.'
Chen Xuan must have been the most hapless soul in the country. As he wiped away the grime and grease, his frown deepened. He recalled a bunch of memories.
Ill-fate had always been Chen Xuan's destiny. He had never been dealt a good hand. His parents perished when he was still an infant, leaving him to rot in an orphanage. The moment he turned eighteen, they tossed him out like a dirty rag.
That was when the lurid reality dawned on him. He secured a student loan and made it into college, his only advantage in life being a sharp and intelligent mind.
Chen Xuan eventually got a girlfriend, his natural good looks and intellect finally earning him something beyond mere survival. But from there, the memories took a turn, shifting from an ambitious young stripling with the blueprints to becoming a Certified Public Accountant to a despondent youth whose entire focus had been swallowed by the desire to please a woman.
'How could this brat not see? She had wanted to break up with him since the end of their first year.'
Wang Xinyu was a beautiful girl from a middle-class family. Such a girl like her should have nothing to do with a pauper like Chen Xuan.
It was only the novelty of youth and college life that made her fall in love with the tall, nerdy boy with dark, unruly hair. Wang Xinyu even went as far putting Chen Xuan under her wing and covering some of his expenses!
'How shameful. One should never let a woman do that!'
She occasionally covered his t-fares, borrowed him money that he seldomly paid back and sometimes, even buys him some clothes. Even the watch Chen Xuan currently had around his wrist was given to him on his birthday by sweet Wang Xinyu.
However, all these good deeds Wang Xinyu did for her boyfriend was what made her lose interest. At first, she didn't mind. But as time passed, she saw him as a man who depended on her rather than providing for her. Her natural instincts made her resent him.
Chen Xuan never took charge financially, making her feel he wasn't "worthy" of her beauty. It made her feel like she was a babysitter rather than his girlfriend and he was a burden rather than her man.
Wang Xinyu got tired of carrying him financially and socially especially when there were other boys and men in campus who were fawning over her.
"Did you see Wang Xinyu with Chen Xuan again? How does she put up with him? He's always wearing those ragged clothes, and she's walking around with all those high-class boys. He doesn't even match her!"
"Oh, don't you know? She's been paying for his lunch and textbooks. I heard she even bought him a new laptop last semester when they started dating. Why would she bother with someone like him when she could have anyone?"
"It's embarrassing, really. She could be with someone like Li Wei, the president of the student council, but she's stuck with that loser. What a waste of her beauty and status."
Chen Xuan dug his hands into the pocket of his jumpsuit, his memories guiding him. He then pulled out a beautiful black case from an average designer in the country.
Inside the case was the most beautiful necklace Chen Xuan had ever seen in his lives. It had a ruby for its pendant, a red ravishing stone that would gorgeously match Wang Xinyu's red hair.
'Wanted to show some gratitude on two year anniversary tonight? Spending your entire savings? How adorable!'
There was also some notes in the other pocket which he planned to buy a cake with too. Chen Xuan sighed and got back to work.
Chen Xuan still wondered why this transmigration felt different and what was his purpose. From what he had understood so far, the orchestrator of his transmigrations had just sent him here into the body of a loser at the brink of losing his woman.
Fifteen minutes had long gone and his system companion was yet to surface with structured details and information. Chen Xuan decided to wait a little bit longer.
-------
Outside the premises of Jinghua University, students were walking about, strolling and chatting through the cold night. Some were even playing basketball in the basketball court, while others were staring at the magnificent Ferrari 488 GTB parked before them.
The supercar was the definition of opulence! It was as red as Wang Xinyu's hair and wholesomely sculptured. It was low, polished, and aerodynamic, the kind of car that commanded attention from everyone.
It was a symbol of wealth, status, and something Chen Xuan could never compete with. And it belonged to no one other than Li Wei, the president of the student council, and the campus' golden boy.
The students whispered amongst themselves, some envious, others indifferent, but all acknowledging the undeniable allure of the car.
Their murmur swelled when Li Wei walked out of the school building with Wang Xinyu's hand in his palm. Wang Xinyu was wearing a very beautiful dress, the kind fitting for a romantic date, but her face was lowered and she didn't look happy.
Li Wei, on the other hand, was beaming with pride and happiness for stealing another man's girl tonight. He led her to his Ferrari, soaking in the stares from everyone.
"Wait, isn't that Wang Xinyu with Li Wei? They used to always hang out with Chen Xuan. What happened?"
"You didn't hear? Chen Xuan's been such a loser lately. Wang Xinyu must be sick of him. I mean, who wouldn't want to be with Li Wei? He's got money, looks, and he's got that car."
"No way, she's really with him? I thought they were just friends. I mean, Chen Xuan and Wang Xinyu were practically inseparable. But now, Li Wei? Isn't that a slap in the face for Brother Xuan?"
"It's official, man. She's probably already broken up with him. Chen Xuan doesn't even compare. Look at that car, look at Li Wei's confidence. He's definitely got her now."
Wang Xinyu had not in fact broken up with Chen Xuan. This was why she felt guilty as Li Wei opened the passenger door for her and she entered the car.
Wang Xinyu had many chances to break up with Chen Xuan, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Maybe it was because she still had some lingering feelings for him as the cute poor but hardworking boyfriend.
Taking a deep breath, Wang Xinyu reminder herself what she was doing was right. This made her feel secure, like a pampered damsel she was. She was to be treated like a queen and not to be someone else's financial sponsor.
Li Wei tried the ignition but the car didn't turn on. He tried three more times but the engine didn't come to life. This prompted some snicker from the staring crowd. How funny it would be for Li Wei's million dollar car to breakdown ahead of their date.
"What's wrong," Wang Xinyu asked in a soft voice.
"It must be the rain earlier," Li Wei muttered, his face darkening as he tried the ignition again.
"Heh, did Li Wei's million-dollar supercar just die?"
"Is this an omen? Maybe Wang Xinyu shouldn't have gotten in!"
"Tsk, how embarrassing! The great Li Wei can't even start his car!"
After further attempts, Li Wei gave up and picked up his phone. It was an iPhone, the latest most flashiest model. "Don't worry, Xinyu, I'll have this fixed in no time." He dialed the number of Qinglong Auto Repair, the most closest mechanic shop to the campus and Chen Xuan's workplace. "Bring your best guys over. My Ferrari won't start."
The Chief Head Mechanic responded enthusiastically from the other end and assured Li Wei they'd be there in no time.
Li Wei was happy to hear that, but he was also enraged by the gossip that had backhanded at him. He wanted to change it fast before his figure got stained.
Li Wei realized he was alone in his car with Wang Xinyu, her fair peach beauty seated to his right. He had always wanted this sight the very moment he laid his eyes on Wang Xinyu holding hands with Chen Xuan.
Now he was successful, Li Wei could only applaud himself. After all, according to Genghis Khan, the greatest joy for a man is to defeat his enemies, to drive them before him, to take their possessions, to see their loved ones in tears, and to ride their horses.
-------
Back in the workshop, Chen Xuan was delighted to receive the news of a broken-down car at Jinghua University.
The Chief Head Engineer immediately ordered him to tag along. "This customer sounds wealthy. You might get a hefty tip." He shot a glance at Chen Xuan's malnourished, frail frame, thinking that rich folks often pitied poor-looking mechanics and tipped them generously.
Chen Xuan was relieved. He had already spent 2,500 yuan on the necklace—his entire savings. Now, all that remained in his pocket was a measly 45 yuan, barely enough for a few meals.
"This job might just save me from starving," he thought grimly, shoving his hands into his jumpsuit.
His mind drifted to the system that had yet to activate, but there was no use worrying now. He followed the team and climbed into the pickup truck, the rusty old vehicle rumbling to life as they set off toward the university.
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A/N: Hello, author here. This is a test-book upload. To test the book's profile interface, reception and other things. If you find the story interesting, comment and support with powerstones to let the author know and continue with the story!