Chapter 1

On July 22, 2008, it was the height of summer!

In Haizhou, the scorching sun was like a mad golden crow in the sky, pouring endless heat onto the ground, as if trying to dry out the world.

Although Haizhou was not one of the four major furnaces of China, its summers were always daunting. If possible, people would rather stay in air-conditioned rooms 24/7.

Who would want to suffer under such a blazing sun?

"Son of a bitch, one day I'll make you pay!" At the foot of an office building, Xiao Feng, holding a cardboard box, raised his right hand and gave a middle finger to the upper floors before turning and leaving.

Behind the one-way heat-insulating glass on the third floor, Xiao Feng's former colleagues watched him with complex expressions, their faces changing. In the end, they all sighed and returned to their work.

Although Xiao Feng was well-liked in the company, this time he had offended the boss's son and was fired. The entire company fell silent.

These days, in the workplace, it was all about blending in. People with strong personalities like Xiao Feng were rare.

...

Holding the cardboard box, Xiao Feng waited for the bus at the station. This was his fourth job loss in the year since he graduated. It seemed that none of his jobs lasted more than half a year.

"Who cares! If I die, I die; if I live, I live for a thousand years!" Xiao Feng spat on the ground and said, "I don't believe I can't make a name for myself!"

Xiao Feng's crude actions and words made the nearby citizens view him like a tiger, hurriedly stepping back and giving him strange looks.

Xiao Feng graduated from Haizhou University of Technology's e-commerce program in 2007. Not being from an official or wealthy family, he, like most of his classmates, joined the million-strong job-seeking army in Haizhou.

With the rapid development of internet trade, e-commerce graduates found it relatively easy to find jobs. Plus, Xiao Feng had passed the English Level 6 exam and had decent oral skills, making him a suitable candidate for many of Haizhou's foreign trade and e-commerce companies.

However, Xiao Feng was not good at flattering his superiors, and his sense of justice often led him to stand up for others, causing him to either quit or be fired frequently. In the year since graduation, he had already changed jobs four times.

This time, he stood up for a new female colleague who was being harassed by the young master of Guangtong Foreign Trade Company. He ended up being fired before his probation period was over. More ironically, when Xiao Feng left the company, the playboy was laughing as he hugged the attractive girl.

Xiao Feng knew that "impulsiveness is the devil," but he couldn't help it.

"Character determines fate." This saying was indeed true!

...

As Xiao Feng was lost in thought, Bus No. 96 arrived with a roar. The waiting citizens, without waiting for the bus to stop, rushed on like they were in a 100-meter dash.

By the time Xiao Feng reacted, the bus was as packed as a sardine can. Holding the cardboard box, he couldn't squeeze in and had to retreat to the platform.

In Haizhou, even outside of rush hours, taking the bus or subway was like going to war. If you weren't careful, you'd have to wait for the next one. Bus No. 96 was the most crowded route in Haizhou, always packed to the brim.

"The great river flows east, the stars in the sky align with the Big Dipper!..." At that moment, Xiao Feng's knockoff phone rang with a loud song, drawing curious glances from people around him.

"Mom, why are you calling me at this time?" Xiao Feng pulled out his phone and, seeing it was his mother, quickly answered.

To save on phone bills, Xiao Feng usually contacted his family after 10 PM. Receiving a call from his mother at this time seemed unusual.

"Can't I call you if there's nothing wrong?" His mother's voice came through the receiver, scolding him, "Have you been running wild and getting too bold?"

"Mom, I didn't mean it that way!" Xiao Feng didn't dare to provoke his mother, laughing and pleading, "I wouldn't dare not answer your call, even if I had the courage of a lion."

"Next Saturday is Grandpa's 80th birthday. The family is celebrating, and everyone must return to our hometown in western Yunnan. Take a leave from work and come back on time!" After a few exchanges, his mother, Xue Lifen, got to the point.

Xiao Feng's hometown was in the mountains of western Yunnan, while his parents worked in a county under the jurisdiction of Kunming. They rarely went back except during the New Year. This time, for Grandpa's 80th birthday, all family members had to return. As the eldest grandson, Xiao Feng was no exception.

"No problem!" Xiao Feng didn't hesitate.

He had been considering taking a few days off to continue job hunting. Now, he could use this time to return home and relax. It was Tuesday, July 22, and there were ten days until next Saturday. It should be fine.

"Don't be late on the day of the celebration!" Xue Lifen added, still worried.

Even though her son was working, Xue Lifen still found him unreliable.

"Mom, you can rest assured!" Xiao Feng felt frustrated by his mother's doubts.

...

After a series of struggles, Xiao Feng finally squeezed onto Bus No. 96. After over an hour of swaying, he finally returned to Jinxing Village, located in the urban-rural fringe of Haizhou. Haizhou's traffic was already congested, and the city's preparations for the 2010 World Expo, including major construction of the subway and road systems, only made things worse.

Urban villages were a畸形 product of urban development, formed when rapidly expanding urban areas surrounded rural areas.

In Haizhou, there were numerous urban villages of various sizes. They were often seen by the media and the elite as urban tumors, hindering development. However, for millions of migrant workers like Xiao Feng, urban villages were their lifeline in the city.

In recent years, Haizhou's housing prices had skyrocketed, putting even a one-bedroom apartment in the city center out of reach for recent graduates like Xiao Feng.

Fortunately, urban villages provided affordable rental options, allowing Xiao Feng to continue striving in the city. However, with the ongoing urbanization of Haizhou, Xiao Feng didn't know how long this "good life" would last.

Standing at the village entrance, Xiao Feng took a deep breath. The mix of dust, car exhaust, sewage, and other complex odors hit him, forming the unique atmosphere of the urban village. Sometimes, to survive, everyone had to endure things they didn't want to, right?

Navigating the winding alleys, Xiao Feng carefully avoided puddles on the ground, hopping along toward his "home."

In Haizhou, urban villages were synonymous with neglect. The infrastructure was severely lagging, and even basic drainage systems were lacking.

After a heavy rain two days ago, the narrow alleys, less than four meters wide, were still flooded with sewage and littered with garbage. Xiao Feng had to hop carefully to avoid stepping in water.

As Xiao Feng was looking down at the ground, a motorcycle roared past from behind, scraping his left hand!

In pain, the box in Xiao Feng's hand fell to the ground, scattering its contents. The motorcycle didn't stop, leaving only a cloud of black smoke.

"Damn..." Seeing the motorcycle flee, Xiao Feng's curses came out.

However, in this situation, Xiao Feng couldn't chase the motorcycle. The urban village was a mix of all sorts, and he had no idea who the helmeted rider was.

"Really bad luck!" Xiao Feng shook his head in frustration and squatted down to pick up the scattered items.

At this moment, Xiao Feng noticed a small bottle, about the size of a chopstick tip, in the crack between the bricks. He felt a sudden curiosity.

Xiao Feng picked up the bottle and examined it from all angles, but couldn't figure out what it was. However, the faint, intricate patterns on the bottle were quite elegant.

"Gold in troubled times, antiques in peaceful times"!

In recent years, with the rapid economic development and rising incomes in China, antique collecting had become a trend. Even Xiao Feng was influenced, spending a lot of time and effort on antique appreciation. He had bought some reference books and often watched "Treasure Appraisal" and browsed professional forums. In a sense, Xiao Feng was an "antique expert," knowledgeable about the characteristics, origins, and artistic achievements of many antiques. However, he had little hands-on experience, making him more of a "theoretical expert" like Zhao Kuo.

At his current level, Xiao Feng couldn't determine whether the bottle was an antique or a common industrial product. He put it in the box and continued home with his right hand holding the box.

Xiao Feng didn't notice that the blood from his left hand, when it touched the bottle, disappeared at a visible speed. The faint patterns on the bottle seemed to come to life, flowing gracefully over the surface.

Back home, Xiao Feng first bandaged his wound with a band-aid, then cooked, ate, and took a shower. It soon got dark.

Taking out the box he had brought from the company, Xiao Feng began to organize its contents, a habit of his, bordering on mild OCD.

However, when he saw the small bottle in the corner of the box, he was stunned.

When he found it on the road, it was dirty and dull. Now, the bottle had transformed, becoming crystal clear with vivid patterns.

Even if Xiao Feng was slow, he could tell that the bottle had undergone some magical change!

Xiao Feng picked up the bottle and examined it closely, trying to uncover its secrets.

However, at that moment, something unexpected happened!