Chapter 1

"Damn it, I just made a wish, and now I'm stuck in this godforsaken place!" On a straight roadside, a little boy who looked only four or five years old stood, middle finger raised to the sky.

"Even turning me into a kid, pitying my unique talents and specialties." Indeed, this child was a穿越者 (time traveler), an ordinary Chinese man, living a simple life like billions of other Chinese people, hoping to live a peaceful life. Unfortunately, Liu Nan, in a moment of recklessness, made a wish on his birthday, hoping for a slightly more exciting life with occasional surprises.

As a result, everyone can see, he was reborn as a child, standing by a desolate road, looking at the semi-deserted land around him. Using the geographical knowledge taught by his PE teacher, Liu Nan tried to figure out where he was, but to no avail. "Damn, no GPS, no map, how am I supposed to figure out where I am?" But Liu Nan knew he was definitely abroad, as he saw a road sign with nothing but abcd, which he couldn't recognize.

As the sun began to set, Liu Nan didn't know whether to curse the heavens or not. If the sun went down, who could guarantee that this place would still be desolate at night, with no chickens or birds? With his small body, any wild animal could easily make him a meal.

The sun set, the sky turned red, the road stretched to the horizon, and a lonely child stood there. If a great painter saw this scene, they would surely be inspired to create a masterpiece.

Liu Nan was willing to be a model, at least to see another person. Unlike now, any rustle of the wind made him tense, and seeing a small snake the size of a chopstick made him detour several meters. Who could blame him, now that he was back to being a child, any injury could leave him stranded in the wilderness.

The sky grew darker, from 75% visibility to perhaps 40%. The wind began to feel cold, and Liu Nan could only tighten his clothes, recalling survival shows he had watched, trying to think of ways to start a fire suitable for a child, especially a four or five-year-old.

"Ugh..."

Damn it, the wind was picking up again. The deeper the darkness, the colder the wind. Liu Nan felt his clothes were no longer effective, no matter how tightly he wrapped them, the cold seeped through.

No, it wasn't the wind, it was a car. Yes, a car! Liu Nan's face lit up with surprise, and he quickly turned around. Thanks to the straight road, he could see the distant lights.

Liu Nan turned, stood in the middle of the road, and frantically waved his small hands, shouting loudly, ignoring his parched, hoarse throat.

Liu Nan was almost in tears. From childhood to now, he had never suffered like this. He had walked for almost the entire afternoon, and his feet were already covered in blisters. This body was not as tough as his old one, with a thick sole, but rather a tender child's foot. The fact that he could walk for so long was a testament to his adult-like willpower.

As the car approached, Liu Nan's strength rapidly drained. He was barely standing, and his spirit was already fraying. His hands, which had been waving, now hung limply. Fortunately, there were no side roads, or Liu Nan would have had to pray that the car didn't turn.

Fortunately, Liu Nan was a child. In such an open area, it would be hard to say whether a car would stop for a lone person.

"John, why is there a child here?" The car stopped, and a middle-aged white couple got out, seeing Liu Nan, whose face was dirty with dust.

"Lina, I don't know either. Could it be a lost child? But this place is so far from the city. Child, what's your name? Where are you from?" John squatted down and asked Liu Nan, who stood there in a daze. On one hand, Liu Nan didn't understand what they were saying, as his English was taught by a math teacher. On the other hand, he heard another voice in his head.

"Dimensional Exchange System activated. Temporary task: Gain the approval of John and Lina, obtain a new identity. Task success: 500 exchange points. Task failure: Erasure! (Without the recognition of the world's consciousness, there is no right to exist.) Time limit: one day."

John and Lina? They must be the couple in front of him. As for the Dimensional Exchange System, Liu Nan didn't dwell on it. He was already a child, so what was impossible? He had seen all sorts of systems in novels. Since he was here, he might as well make the best of it.

"John, this poor child must be scared. Why don't we take him home first, and then ask him when he's less afraid?"

Lina, seeing Liu Nan shivering from the cold, immediately felt maternal. The re-born Liu Nan had a cute face, much cuter than his original self.

"Yes, that's the only way. We can't leave this child here alone. Night is falling, and he could be eaten by wild animals."

John picked up Liu Nan, who didn't resist. He didn't care if John and Lina were good people or not. Even if they were kidnappers, he would rather be sold, at least that would give him a chance to survive.

In the car, Liu Nan slumped in the back seat, feeling sore all over. Although he hadn't walked far, his body was too weak, and the distance had exceeded his physical limits. Although he wanted to sleep, he forced himself to stay awake. The Dimensional Exchange System in his head had a countdown, starting from 24 hours. Liu Nan knew what would happen when the time ran out.

But how could he obtain a new identity? He didn't know where he was, and the language was different. Even if he tried to lie, no one would understand. Why didn't he study ABCD properly when he was in school? He only knew "come," "go," "yes," "no," and "hello." What should he do? Liu Nan fell into endless despair. He couldn't just have a one-day trip through time, the cost was too high.

The car drove fast and smoothly. In less than an hour, Liu Nan saw a city with bright lights in the distance. This city was much larger than the small town he used to live in. It was definitely a big city, but which one?

Soon, Liu Nan knew where he was. He saw the American flag. "Wow, I'm actually in America." Liu Nan, who had never left his province, was now in another country, a place known as a paradise for the rich and a hell for the poor. Was he rich or poor? Even if he combined all his possessions, he would still be a poor farmer in America.

From the signs and billboards on the road, Liu Nan knew he was in NY, New York. Thanks to American TV shows, he knew NYPD was the New York Police Department. This was the largest city in America, a great place.

Liu Nan forgot his fatigue and greedily looked out the window. Even if he was erased, he wanted to see as much as possible. This was his first time out of the country, his first time seeing foreigners in person, and his first time seeing beautiful women without a screen.

John skillfully navigated the car through the traffic. Perhaps it was after the rush hour, and there was no traffic. Liu Nan felt the car pass by tall buildings, skyscrapers, and bustling streets, slowly entering a cozy neighborhood. The houses were lined up, each with its own yard and backyard, all white villas, indicating that John and Lina were not poor, at least they were well-off.

The car entered the garage of one of the villas. John carried Liu Nan into the house and placed him on the sofa. Lina brought bread and water. Liu Nan's eyes lit up at the sight of food and water. He was starving. Before the wish, he hadn't even eaten his birthday cake. On John's car, he had only had a little water. If not for the allure of New York's night view, his stomach would have been growling.

Seeing Liu Nan stuffing bread into his mouth, John and Lina looked at him with sympathy.

"John, this child is so pitiful. I can't imagine who could be so heartless to leave him in the wilderness. If we hadn't come back from our vacation, this child would have..."

Lina said to her husband, unable to imagine the dangers a child would face in the wilderness.

"Whoever they are, they are irresponsible parents. I can't imagine what they were thinking. Child, what's your name?"

John squatted in front of Liu Nan, trying to look as gentle as possible to avoid scaring him.

"Liu Nan."

This time, Liu Nan didn't daze off and gave his name, but in Chinese. It didn't seem to matter, were names really different in Chinese and English?

"John, he spoke, he spoke! What a cute child, but he doesn't seem to be speaking English. Is it Japanese? He looks Asian."

Lina, hearing Liu Nan speak, exclaimed in surprise. Liu Nan was speechless. These foreigners were always so dramatic, full of emotion, which he, a reserved Chinese person, found hard to adapt to.

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