Su Chen's eyes snapped open.
He found himself in a dimly lit, familiar room.
His old apartment.
His chest rose and fell heavily as he scanned his surroundings. The cracked walls, the flickering bulb, the musty air—everything was the same.
His hands trembled. What the hell was going on?
Just a moment ago, he had been with Ye Meng and their son, Su Tian. They had been playing together. He could still hear their laughter, still feel his son's tiny hands grabbing onto him.
But now…
He was back here. Alone.
He frantically looked around, searching for anything that would explain this madness.
His heart pounded like a drum. Had it all been a dream?
No. That didn't make sense. It had felt too real. The emotions, the experiences—they couldn't have been fake.
But then… why was he here?
BANG! BANG! BANG!
A loud knock on the door made him jump.
"Su Chen! Open the damn door! I know you're in there!"
His breath caught in his throat.
That voice…
It was her.
The landlady.
Su Chen's mind went blank.
No. This isn't possible. This already happened.
His fingers clenched into his sheets, his body frozen in place. He knew exactly what was about to happen. She would storm in, yell at him for not paying rent, and throw him out onto the streets.
Just like before.
But that was years ago.
So why… why was it happening again?
His breathing became erratic. His vision blurred. Was this some kind of sick joke?
Or worse… was he losing his mind?
BANG!
The door burst open.
The short but fierce old landlady stormed inside, her face twisted in anger.
"Su Chen! Your rent is long overdue! Either pay up or get out!"
Su Chen inhaled sharply. He wanted to fight back, but what could he do?
He reached into his pocket on reflex, hoping to find his phone, his wealth—but there was nothing.
The landlady scoffed, already knowing the answer.
"Five minutes. Pack your things and leave!"
Then, without another word, she stormed out.
A suffocating silence filled the room.
Su Chen exhaled shakily, forcing himself to move.
This had happened before. He knew exactly what he had to do.
Without hesitation, he walked to the corner of the room, pulling out a small pouch hidden beneath a loose floorboard. It contained a few pieces of old jewelry and a broken watch—the only valuables he had left.
They weren't much, but they would buy him enough food to last a day.
With a bitter smile, he picked up his bag and left.
---
The Streets of Despair
The cold air hit him as he stepped outside. It was even colder than he remembered.
His stomach growled in protest, but he ignored it. He had to figure out what to do next.
Should he try to sell the jewelry first? Find a place to stay?
Or should he head to his hometown?
But just as he was about to take another step—
A shadow moved at the edge of his vision.
Su Chen's body tensed.
He wasn't alone.
From the alley ahead, three figures emerged. Their clothes were ragged, their eyes filled with malice.
Thugs.
In his past life, he had never encountered them at this moment. But this time…
One of them cracked his knuckles, grinning. "Hey, kid. You look like you've got something valuable on you."
Su Chen narrowed his eyes. His body was weak. He had no money, no resources, no system.
And now…
One of the thugs lunged at him.
Did Su Chen dodge?
Will he get beaten up?
Why hasn't the system activated?