Chapter 1

Gulugulu——

Wu Cheng, who had woken up from the darkness, found himself still surrounded by darkness and water. His stomach was bloated from the water he had swallowed. However, this discovery did not plunge him into panic.

He clearly remembered that he had jumped into the water to save someone and, due to exhaustion, had helplessly sunk to the bottom and fallen into darkness. Now, although he did not know what had caused him to wake up, he did not feel too weak. He felt that he could still try to save himself!

The desire to survive made him forget the pain all over his body. He flailed his limbs and swam toward the surface. Breaking through the water, Wu Cheng took deep breaths of air. The slightly salty air made him feel a bit surprised, but this surprise quickly faded from his mind.

Turning his head to look around, he saw nothing but darkness, with only a darker shadow in the distance and a patch of starlight overhead. He felt that the dark shadow ahead was a piece of land.

Using the last bit of his strength, he dragged his mud-covered body onto the beach, his stomach still full of water. He looked up at the starry night sky and let out a long sigh, completely relaxing—being alive was truly great!

Just as he thought he was saved and completely relaxed, he suddenly felt a dizzying sensation. Then, he completely fell into unconsciousness.

After an unknown amount of time, Wu Cheng, woken up by the urge to urinate, got up comfortably, faced the sea, and relieved himself. However, his internal organs began to protest.

Turning his head to look around, he saw an endless, vast sea, with yellow sandy beaches stretching for miles on both sides, and a small hill behind him, which looked desolate and made him feel uneasy.

He looked at the sea in confusion, then looked up at the blue sky, feeling lost and sprawled out.

Is this Hong Kong!?

He asked himself, because his mind now contained memories that did not originally belong to him... He realized that he had indeed died.

Now, he was merely a soul reborn in another body.

These memories were simple: a boy named Wu Zhicheng, where 'Zhi' represented his generation. In the Wu family, the generations were named as follows: 'Gongzheng Kaoming, Zhishu Dalǐ' (公正开明，知书达礼), and he was of the 'Zhi' generation.

Wu Cheng thought that these people were even less reliable in naming than his own father, who had named him 'Wucheng,' resulting in his lack of achievement. The father of this body had simply named him 'Wuzhicheng,' and he could only imagine how much people would laugh at this name in the future.

He was born in a small village in southern China and had learned literature and martial arts from his grandfather since childhood. He practiced Tai Chi, which his grandfather had learned from a Tai Chi master during the war.

However, his grandfather had been severely injured during the war and had a chronic illness, so even with this health-preserving martial art, he did not live past seventy. After his grandfather's death, his father brought him to Hong Kong illegally, hoping to seek refuge with his father's cousin.

His father's cousin was about the same age as his grandfather and had come to Hong Kong in the 1950s. They had been in contact a few times, but for some reason, the connection was lost.

Otherwise, they would not have had to come to Hong Kong illegally.

Unfortunately, they encountered a storm at sea, and the small boat capsized. His father used his last bit of strength to throw him toward Hong Kong, while he himself perished in the sea.

Wu Cheng knew that if he had not been reborn in this body, this young body would have been devoured by fish by now.

As he thought about these things, wondering if this was really Hong Kong and what to do next, he heard an argument nearby, which brought him back to reality.

"Huang Hanwei, you are a doctor. How can you act like this? Just because he is not in immediate danger, you won't save him? He is still a child! It's obvious he has drowned..."

At this moment, Wu Cheng, though only twelve, had a malnourished appearance despite his martial arts training, looking somewhat frail.

"If he had really drowned, his breathing wouldn't be so steady and even... And I just checked; he doesn't have a fever or a cold. His body is as strong as a bull... I just don't want an unknown person, who might even be an illegal immigrant from the mainland, to ruin our hard-earned date. Is that wrong? I know you have a kind heart, Ah Zhi, but you should also consider who the person is!"

"But... Even if he looks fine, what if something happens to him lying here covered in mud and sand? Even if he is from the mainland, there are so many people from there here. Who says he must be a bad person? He is still a child! And you are a doctor. Don't you understand the basic duty to save lives and help the injured? You are disappointing me!"

"Ah Zhi, I..."

"Stop talking. If you don't want to help, you can go back. I'll do it myself!"

"You..."

After listening for a while, Wu Cheng realized they were speaking Cantonese.

Although he could not speak Cantonese, he could understand it because he had spent countless nights immersed in films from that era, unable to tear himself away.

He remembered that when pirated Hong Kong movie discs flooded the mainland, his life with his friends became much more fulfilling, and he learned to understand Cantonese during that time.

Listening to their conversation, Wu Cheng finally relaxed and even smiled.

Arguing with a woman who is angry is the stupidest thing you can do!

Wu Cheng had learned this from several painful experiences.

So, he wisely did not intervene but instead watched the man's predicament with glee. If he had stood up to stop them, he would have offended both of them. So, he continued to pretend to be unconscious.

The woman walked over to Wu Cheng, squatted down, and a refreshing fragrance wafted to his nose, making him feel entranced.

Her warm hand gently patted his cheek. "Child, wake up, wake up..." She spoke in Mandarin, which Wu Cheng understood.

Wu Cheng's eyelashes fluttered, and he slowly opened his eyes. He opened his mouth to say something but ended up just gaping, his heart racing as if a million horses were galloping through it.

He silently shouted, "Oh my God! Is this the young Zhao Yachi? Does good really bring good? Saving someone's life and losing my own, and now the heavens have given me a super goddess by my side?"

Wu Cheng's heart pounded, and he thought, "It's 1975, and Huang Hanwei... Isn't he Zhao Yachi's first husband? She must be the goddess. Damn! I have to break them up, no question about it!"

Seeing Wu Cheng's shocked expression, Zhao Yachi was puzzled and asked, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

"A... Ah! I... I'm thirsty!"

Wu Cheng realized he was too excited and had started babbling.

"Huang Hanwei, see? I told you he was fine! Let's go! I have a surprise for you!" The man walked over, glared at Wu Cheng, and tried to pull Zhao Yachi away.

Seeing that Wu Cheng was fine and thirsty, Zhao Yachi handed him a drink. Hearing Huang Hanwei's words, she was tempted but looked at Wu Cheng again, asking, "Are you really okay?"

Seeing this, Wu Cheng nodded, then shook his head, looked up at the sky, and then lowered his head, burying it between his knees, sobbing.

His thin shoulders trembled, evoking a sense of deep sorrow.

"Grandpa is gone, and Dad is gone... I... I can't see them anymore... sniff..."

Wu Cheng had intended to put on a show to make her stay longer. But as he cried, he thought about how he had mysteriously come to this era, and his parents in the other world would never see him again. Even though they had siblings to take care of them, could they bear the pain of losing a child?

Thinking of this, Wu Cheng felt even more heartbroken. The joy of meeting Zhao Yachi turned into deep sorrow, and he cried bitterly, his heart aching.

The cruel knife of time had severed his ties to his past life!

Seeing this, Zhao Yachi gave up on her romantic plans and squatted down again, hugging the mud-covered Wu Cheng and comforting him.

Huang Hanwei was furious, mentally cursing Wu Cheng's ancestors. He couldn't help but sneer, "Whose fault is this? If you hadn't tried to run away, would this tragedy have happened? Hmph!"

He added in his mind, "Serves you right!"

"Huang Hanwei, can you stop talking?" Zhao Yachi turned back, giving her boyfriend a disapproving look. Although she thought he had a point, was it necessary to be so unsympathetic? He was a doctor, after all!

"Ah... Sister Zhi, don't blame him. He's right! This happened because we were foolish. We deserve it!" Wu Cheng, with a sob, seemed to be defending Huang Hanwei but was actually trying to make him feel guilty. "Go on your date with this big brother. Since I'm here, I have to live on for my father. Even if I'm alone and without support, I believe I can make a future for myself!"

Wu Cheng's words almost made Huang Hanwei laugh.

Seeing Huang Hanwei's expression, Wu Cheng looked at Zhao Yachi innocently and said, "Sister Zhi, is he looking down on me? Is he looking down on me because I'm from the mainland?"

"No, no, he's not looking down on you. Don't think too much about it." She said, taking out a wallet from her bag and giving Wu Cheng a few hundred Hong Kong dollars. "Take this money. When you first come here, it might be hard, but it will get better over time!"

Seeing her about to leave, Wu Cheng thought, "How can I let her go so easily? If she leaves now, I might not see her again for a long time! I can't go to the TVB building every day to wait for her!"

"Sister Zhi, how far is it to the city? How long does it take by car? If I go out like this, will I be caught and sent back?"

"It's a bit far... Let me take you to the city first. I need to change my clothes anyway... By the way, do you have any relatives here?"

At this moment, Wu Cheng noticed that his mud had gotten on her clothes. Thinking about how she had hugged him without caring about the dirt, he felt deeply moved. Sister Zhi was indeed gentle and kind!

"Ah Zhi, you can't really take this unknown mainland person back, can you?"

Seeing this, Huang Hanwei's brows furrowed, and he glared at Wu Cheng, saying, "Do you know who he is? What if he's a bad person?"

"He's just a child!"

Wu Cheng, feigning humility, lowered his head, fidgeting with the corner of his clothes, and said softly, "Sister Zhi, maybe... maybe it's better not to. I'm so dirty... I don't want to make this big brother angry."

Zhao Yachi turned back and glared at Huang Hanwei, saying, "You're not as understanding as a child! A dirty car can be washed; it won't cost much!"

"Maybe, Sister Zhi, I can help wash the car for you..."

"It's fine, there are car washes. We'll be helping their business. Let's go!"

Zhao Yachi helped Wu Cheng up, and Huang Hanwei followed behind, kicking the sand in frustration. When he saw Wu Cheng turn and make a mocking face at him, he was even more furious and cursed, "You mainland brat, you dare to mock me!" He then slapped Wu Cheng on the back of the head.

Wu Cheng 'endured' the slap and fell to the ground, causing Zhao Yachi, who was supporting him, to stagger a few steps.

---

The page turns, and the advertisement begins.

The page turns, and the advertisement ends.