Chapter 1

Blearily opening his eyes, he saw an elaborately decorated ceiling and a luxurious Western-style bed. Looking around, he realized he was in a bedroom, and it was quite spacious. The decorations were simple yet sophisticated, undoubtedly the work of a master.

What’s going on? Where am I? I should be dead, so how am I here? How can I still be alive after taking a whole bottle of sleeping pills? This isn’t scientific.

At that moment, a severe headache swept over him. It hurt... so much... His face turned pale, and he clutched his head, rolling on the bed. It took a long time for him to recover.

His eyes were lifeless as he stared at the ceiling, slowly breaking into a laugh that gradually turned into a hearty one. He got out of bed, stood up, and walked to the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, he saw a boy with dark circles under his eyes, long yellow hair, and ear piercings, looking quite disheveled and weak, but still somewhat handsome.

After using the bathroom, he walked to the large floor-to-ceiling window and pulled the curtains open with a swoosh. The bright midday sun was intense, and the glaring light made Lin Xiaotian squint his eyes. It took him a while to adjust.

He opened the sliding door, took a deep breath, and smelled the damp, salty air. Looking at the enchanting scenery outside, he thanked the heavens and earth. He had indeed been transported to another time. He, a good-for-nothing from 2016, had come to 1980s Hong Kong, inhabiting the body of the standard rich second-generation, Lin Xiaotian. Lin Xiaotian was 14 years old, and his parents had died in a plane crash. However, his relatives were quite powerful. His great-uncle Lin Jili was a famous banker, and his great-uncle Lin Baixin owned the Lixin Group, which had assets worth several billion.

Lin Xiaotian’s grandfather, Lin Jiwén, was the sixth in his generation and had already passed away, but he had a good relationship with his brothers. Lin Xiaotian’s father, Lin Jianye, was an only child and had accumulated assets worth a few hundred million through hard work. He would visit his elders during holidays. However, fate is unpredictable. While returning from a business trip to the UK, Lin Jianye and his wife were involved in a plane crash and died, leaving behind a vast fortune.

Yesterday was the one-year anniversary of Lin Jianye and his wife’s death. Lin Xiaotian had drunk too much in his grief, and his body had been left for him to inhabit.

Recalling the relevant memories, he realized he was in a luxurious mansion in Shallow Water Bay. The mansion was quite large, a four-story European-style building with a swimming pool, tennis court, garden, gym, and a two-story house for the servants. The garage had space for over a dozen cars. If this mansion were in 2016, it would cost over a billion.

Lin Jianye had acquired this mansion just before his accident. It was previously owned by a British brigadier general in Hong Kong, who had sold it after his business failed. Lin Jianye had paid over 60 million for it. After a year, the mansion was worth 200 million, more than three times its original value.

Before going to the UK for business, Lin Jianye and his wife had sold most of their properties and companies in Hong Kong to raise nearly 300 million, keeping only some promising stocks. They had planned to make a big move in the UK, but they met with a plane crash before they could start.

In his memories, his father, Lin Jianye, had a wide circle of friends, not only getting along well with his relatives but also having many close friends, including politicians, lawyers, and gangsters. They had all helped with his father’s funeral. His mother, Shi Lingxi, was a mixed-race woman who grew up in an orphanage. She met his father in university, married him, and had him. She had loved and cared for him deeply.

The family’s funds were kept in HSBC. After paying for the termination of contracts, the remaining funds, along with the compensation from the plane crash, totaled 120 million. Lin Xiaotian, being only 14, had felt the void left by his parents and had spent over 10 million in the past year on drinking, racing, and other extravagances. Six servants remained, led by the butler, Uncle He.

As he was thinking, a knock came at the door. Uncle He’s voice called out, “Young Master, it’s time for lunch...” According to his memories, this was Uncle He’s voice.

Uncle He was nearly 40, robust, and skilled in martial arts. He treated Lin Xiaotian very well. Lin Xiaotian gathered his thoughts and said, “I’ll be right down,” speaking in perfect Cantonese, his familiar Mandarin gone.

From today on, he was Lin Xiaotian. He clasped his hands and looked up, silently saying, “I’ve taken over your body and will live a good life for you. Rest in peace.” He put his hands down and silently vowed to make the most of this life, as such an opportunity was rare. He couldn’t let heaven’s favor go to waste and had to live a fulfilling life.

He got dressed, tidied up, and went downstairs. In the first floor, a middle-aged man in a Tang suit with a strong, muscular build was waiting. This was Uncle He, who treated him like his own son. Lin Xiaotian greeted him, “Good morning, Uncle He.” Uncle He’s eyes showed affection as he replied, “Young Master, it’s already noon, not morning.”

Lin Xiaotian scratched the back of his head and smiled bitterly, then walked to the dining room. The dining table was already set with eight dishes and a soup. Looking at the food, he remembered that these were his favorite dishes. He recalled that his predecessor had been quite wasteful, always having at least eight dishes and a soup for every meal, and had even argued with Uncle He about it twice. He ate silently, the food was well-prepared and smelled good, but he couldn’t eat much.

After finishing his meal, he went to the living room and said to the servant, “Aunt Wang, bring me a pot of tea.” “Yes, Young Master,” Aunt Wang replied and went to prepare it.

Sitting on the leather sofa, he habitually reached into his pocket but found it empty. He lifted his hand and smiled bitterly, thinking that his smoking habit would be hard to break. His predecessor didn’t smoke, but he, with decades of smoking, would find it difficult to quit.

Uncle He came over with a tray of tea. The family had a tradition of drinking tea, especially Tieguanyin, which Lin Xiaotian had grown up with.

Uncle He sat down beside him, poured a cup of tea, and Lin Xiaotian took it, blew on it, and drank it. “Uncle He, your tea is the best.” Uncle He smiled and refilled his cup.

Looking at Uncle He, Lin Xiaotian thought, “This is someone I can completely trust.” He picked up an empty cup, poured some tea, and said, “Let’s have a cup together, Uncle He.” Seeing Lin Xiaotian’s actions, Uncle He was very pleased. This boy had grown up and knew how to treat him well, making his efforts worthwhile. He could give Lin Jianye an account when he was old.

They drank tea in silence for a while. Then Lin Xiaotian said, “Uncle He, what is the monthly household expenditure now?” Uncle He looked at Lin Xiaotian and replied, “We have six servants, each earning 1,000 a month, and I earn 1,300. The total salary expenditure is 7,300. Water, electricity, fuel, food, and other miscellaneous expenses are 15,400 a month. So, the total monthly expenditure is 22,700.”

After hearing this, Lin Xiaotian thought, “The salaries are a bit low.” He said, “Uncle He, aren’t the salaries a bit low?” Uncle He replied, “Not at all, Young Master. Outside, they might earn 3,000 to 4,000, but after deducting food and accommodation, they wouldn’t have much left. Here, we provide them with food, accommodation, and uniforms, so they don’t need to spend their salaries. They know whether the salaries are low or not.”