Chapter 1

Torrential rain poured down, lightning flashed, and thunder roared, within the cold steel walls of the First Central Hospital.

In the high-end VIP maternity ward, the air was fresh, and the environment was very elegant.

At this moment, a doctor with a handsome face, deep and spirited eyes, and a well-defined profile stood by the bed. He spoke in a solemn voice to a young and beautiful woman lying on the bed.

"Little sister, it's not that I'm forcing you. Let me be honest with you. The child's organs are atrophied, and the nervous system is underdeveloped. The chances of survival are very low. Even if a miracle happens and the child survives, there's a high probability of severe disabilities and mental retardation. It might not even have basic cognitive abilities."

"Is there really no way?"

The woman asked, tears streaming down her face.

"Alas, there's absolutely no hope."

The doctor slowly took off his glasses, wiped them, and sighed helplessly.

"My poor child."

The woman was utterly devastated, as if she had been sentenced to death.

"However, just now, a young couple was brought in from the next room. They were in a car accident on their way to the hospital and both died. The good news is that the fetus in the woman's womb was saved. We can just swap the two babies. After that, I will erase all evidence. As for this child, I will find a way to adopt and raise him myself."

"But I can't bear to part with him."

"You have to, no matter how much it hurts. In his current state, if he were born into a powerful family, there's a high chance he would be considered a disgrace and eliminated. Even if he isn't, he would spend his life being ridiculed by others. Moreover, your position is unstable. If something like this happens, you might also be affected. At that time, not only will your position be at risk, but our family will also be implicated. Think about it carefully!"

"I understand."

The woman, tears streaming down her face, made up her mind and replied.

"Good! I'll take care of it right away."

The doctor then turned and left the maternity ward.

Not long after, a healthy baby born in the car accident was brought in by a nurse and placed beside the woman.

The woman looked at the baby beside her, tears falling drop by drop.

When everything was settled, the doctor walked out to the general ward and went to room A302.

He pushed open the door and found the room empty, standing there in shock, he shouted loudly.

"Help!"

"Doctor Li, what's wrong?"

Several nurses rushed over in a panic.

"Where's the baby?"

"It was taken away by the deceased's family..."

...

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Twenty years later, in the city of Z, outside the high walls.

In a dimly lit, old-smelling house.

The light bulb flickered on and off, and the TV emitted a buzzing noise. At this moment, a shadow on the bed sat up, wrapped in a blanket, and slowly turned its head.

A young man with messy hair and a thin face appeared.

At this moment, the alarm clock rang.

"Buzz, buzz~~"

Su Mo got up, turned off the alarm, got dressed, and walked to the kitchen. The basket was empty, and when he opened the refrigerator, it was spotless.

Su Mo could only sigh helplessly.

"I have to work again."

After washing up, he walked to the corner of the room, picked up an old jute bag, and left the room.

As he opened the door, the glaring sunlight shone in.

He raised his hand to shield his black eyes, the glaring sunlight reflecting on his pale face, giving his handsome face a sickly weak look. His thin lips moved slightly, and a hint of laziness appeared at the corners of his mouth.

Su Mo came to an old street, which, though very old, was located in the heart of a bustling city.

On both sides of the street were small shops, and above them were old apartments. Due to their age, most of the walls had peeled off, leaving them pitted and uneven.

Su Mo walked to the entrance of a convenience store.

The owner, a heavyset woman, smiled brightly when she saw Su Mo and handed him a bottle of orange juice.

Su Mo opened the cap and drank it.

"Do you want some bread?"

The woman asked with a smile.

"No, I'll eat at the bun shop next door."

Su Mo replied briefly, shaking the old jute bag in his hand.

The woman suddenly realized and hurriedly said, "Wait a moment!"

She then rushed to the cash register, counted a stack of money, and walked out, placing it in Su Mo's jute bag, saying with a smile.

"Here's this year's rent, a total of 12,000 yuan. Please keep it safe."

"Okay."

Su Mo responded and turned to leave.

The woman quickly called out to Su Mo.

"Wait."

"What is it?"

"The lease will expire next year. Can it be renewed? Regarding the rent..."

The woman looked at Su Mo nervously, knowing that the rent for the new street outside was at least 120,000 yuan per year.

"Same as before."

Su Mo waved his hand listlessly in response.

"Thank you so much, have a good day!"

The woman beamed, her mouth almost unable to close.

Su Mo walked coldly to the next shop, starting to collect rent from each household.

As he passed by, the owners of hair salons, small restaurants, and other shops greeted him with smiles.

"Good morning, landlord!"

"Good morning."

Su Mo replied briefly.

Everyone smiled and placed their rent in Su Mo's bag.

At noon, Su Mo, dragging the heavy jute bag, came to a seasonal internet cafe on the outskirts.

The internet cafe looked a bit old, but its location was excellent, directly facing a prestigious university on the new street.

"Uncle Wang!"

Su Mo called out, which was rare.

A man with white hair came out and quickly helped Su Mo with the bag.

"Xiao Mo, why don't you transfer the rent, and still collect cash?"

"When my grandfather passed away, he repeatedly told me to collect cash. If a person has nothing to do, it's easy to have problems."

"That's true. I rarely see you go out. This isn't good."

Uncle Wang nodded in agreement.

"There's nothing fun to do outside."

"Alright, by the way, you came at the right time. I have something to tell you."

"What is it?"

"I might not be renting anymore."

Uncle Wang sighed helplessly to Su Mo.

Su Mo was taken aback and asked, puzzled, "Why not rent? The rent here is very cheap, and I don't rent to others. If it really can't be helped, I won't charge you this year's rent. After all, you are my grandfather's best friend."

The reason Su Mo charged such low rent was that twelve years ago, he and his grandfather moved here from the high walls, with no one to rely on. The neighbors here took very good care of them.

Later, his grandfather bought all the properties and land in this urban village from a real estate developer and managed them uniformly.

Two years before his grandfather's death, he specifically instructed Su Mo to keep everything the same until they no longer rented and moved out.

"I appreciate your kindness, Xiao Mo. I know what you said is true. But what you don't know is that the internet cafe is really not sustainable. Young people these days don't like playing on these old computers. They all use VR devices. Especially with the recent release of the groundbreaking technology ZR and the epic game 'Star Ring,' who would still play on these old machines? There's not a single customer all day."

"Then what do you plan to do if you don't run the internet cafe?"

"I plan to retire in the countryside."

"But I remember your relatives in the countryside have always relied on your financial support. Where will you get the income if you don't run the internet cafe?"

PS: Completed works: "Chronicles of Sebony," "Blue Star Journey," "Please Call Me Master." If you're interested, feel free to check them out. Thank you!