Lao Chen was a fifty-five-year-old man who should have been retiring and enjoying his golden years, but fate, in his opinion, was cruel.
"Hufttt... This weather is no good, ah. Spring, yet hot like summer! Tsk, tsk tsk."
He finally gave up and stepped out of the small cubicle where he had spent most of his later years as a security guard in an old apartment complex.
He gazed at the full moon outside as cherry blossoms drifted to the ground. It was a beautiful spring night, but to him, there was nothing beautiful about it.
"Hahhh... What have I been doing with my life?" His dark eyes looked empty. The moon and flowers did nothing to ease his pain.
In his prime, he had been a manager at a major company. But after being framed for corruption, he was fired.
From that day on, he was blacklisted from almost every company in the city. Stress turned him into an alcoholic and a gambler.
So, it wasn't surprising when his wife and children left him. And by the time he realized how messed up he had become… it was already too late.
"No use crying over spilled milk, huh? The past is dead, just like this old man's luck."
He turned on the old radio, static filling the air before an old song, probably from the '80s, started playing. He mumbled the lyrics under his breath.
As a security guard, he had seen all kinds of people—the rude, the classist bastards, the elitists, and then the kind, the patient, the cheerful ones.
Thinking about it now, maybe it wasn't all that bad.
That was until a sudden honk startled him, followed by a man in his mid-forties shouting from the window of a sports car.
"Oi! Are you deaf?! Can't you hear me?!"
The man, Jin Haolong, dressed in a black tux with dark blue stripes, was the landlord of this rundown complex.
Lao Chen never understood why, but the guy acted like some high-ranking tycoon when this apartment complex looked like it would collapse from a mild earthquake.
But if there was one thing he did know, it was—'I hate this brat! Have some respect for your elders, won't you?!'
"Yes, boss! Sorry!"
Lao Chen hurried out of the cubicle and ran toward Jin Haolong, who had already stepped out of his car and opened the trunk.
"Here, take this to my room!" Jin Haolong ordered, lighting a cigarette.
"But boss, the lift is broken..." Lao Chen hesitated, eyeing the heavy golf staff bag inside the trunk.
"And? It's part of your job, isn't it? Just do it, old man! Or do you want me to cut your salary again for being a lazy ass?"
Jin Haolong's harsh words made Lao Chen feel small. He had no choice.
"Fine, fine, this old bone still got some strength left"
Lao Chen gave a small bow and lifted the bag. It was ridiculously heavy, forcing him into a hunched position as he walked at a snail's pace.
"Come on! Walk faster!" Jin Haolong, already ahead of him, sneered.
"You're lucky I even employ you here! No one else would hire an old, slow, miserable man like you—"
Lao Chen kept his head down, his wrinkled eyes hollow. He understood there was nothing he could do.
But then—
His body was suddenly thrown to the side of the road, fast and far, as the golf equipment scattered in every direction.
Lying on the ground, he had no idea what had just happened. The only thing he could feel was pain—blinding pain all over his body—and something warm oozing from his head.
'Did… did I just get hit by something?'
Slowly, he turned his head and saw a car not far away.
Lao Chen chuckled weakly. 'Is this how it ends? Dying like a stray dog on the roadside?' His vision blurred, and his consciousness began to fade.
'God… if you're real, please help me… Just one more chance…'
But there was no answer. His eyes grew darker, his body colder, and with one final breath—
Lao Chen's tragic life ended on that beautiful spring night, beneath a blanket of fallen cherry blossoms, struck down by a drunk driver.
Or so he thought.
---
[Ding!]
[Your prayer has been heard!]
[The God of Richness and Love pities your unfortunate life and grants you a second chance!]
[The God of Richness and Love has a message for you: Use your second chance to make your life better! Gather as many sexy wome—no, I mean, as much love as you can, and become rich!!! Let's goooo!!!]
[Establising new body for host...]
[New body established successfully!]
[Establishing new system for host...]
[10%]
[50%]
[100%]
[New system established successfully!]
[Host: Zhou Yiming is now linked to the "Affinity Money Maker System!"]
[System functions are now accessible!]