A cramped cabin, filled with a nauseating stench.
Li Qingyuan covered his nose with his hand, starting to feel frustrated.
If I'd known, I would have brought a mask. Or at least a can of air freshener!
The smell was like the sewage pipes in an apartment building had suddenly burst, and then been left to bake in the sun, becoming absolutely disgusting.
This was definitely a chemical attack, with a poisonous effect.
Just where was he?
The system's protection timer only had nine and a half minutes left, so even though the smell was awful, he could only endure it and start looking around.
This was a cramped cabin with a total area of less than ten square meters, and it didn't even have a window. If it weren't for the flickering dim light bulb overhead, he would have thought he was in a coffin.
The surroundings were cluttered with countless daily necessities, and the floor was covered with things like straw and cotton絮.
And the nauseating stench emanated from these things.
'Isn't this like being directly teleported to a garbage dump?' Li Qingyuan wanted to leave this place, which was impossible to stand in, but the system's protection time hadn't expired yet, so he could only stay here and endure the stench.
Fortunately, when he was teleported, he was also given a brief memory, allowing him to understand his current situation.
The system had arranged for him to be a Qing Dynasty merchant, who was going to America by ship to do business.
Logically, he had originally bought a third-class ticket, but because those crew members looked down on people, they directly arranged for him to be in the bottom-level crew cabin.
There was no way, in this era it was still the Qing Dynasty, and Chinese people came with a halo of inferiority, so being discriminated against was simply normal.
This cabin wasn't even as big as a regular kitchen, yet it was crammed with nine Chinese people, and there wasn't even a window for ventilation. The conditions inside were, to say the least, unpleasant.
Before coming here, Li Qingyuan had roughly reviewed the plot of the Titanic and related historical information. He remembered that there were indeed eight Chinese laborers on the ship at the time.
However, the cabin was now empty, presumably because they had gone to work.
In those days, Chinese people were a discriminated class worldwide, their situation not much better than that of black slaves. The fact that he, despite having purchased a ticket, was thrown into the bottom hold, showed the miserable plight of the Chinese.
If he were a hot-blooded young man, he might have already been preparing to strive for the rise of XX. But as a middle-aged man with a psychological age of nearly forty, Li Qingyuan felt it was better to play it safe.
After all, this was just a plot world. Moreover, with his current strength, he couldn't make any waves.
He should see what the system's mission was and then get some rewards.
'System, open my attribute panel!'
From the moment he'd transmigrated until now, a mere dozen minutes had passed. In that time, he'd already experienced arriving in the Marvel world, encountering the Scarlet Witch in her loli form, and activating his personal system. Then he'd been teleported to a plot-driven world. He'd even wasted a bit of time scavenging for supplies, so busy he hadn't even had a chance to blink.
Therefore, only now did he have the time to carefully examine his attribute panel.
'Name: Li Qingyuan.
Race: Male Earthling.
Strength: 4 (5)
Agility: 5 (5)
Constitution: 5 (5)
Spirit: 8 (5)'
'Skills: None!'
The attribute panel was very concise, without any messy evaluations or complaints. It showed that his system was a very standard, original product, not those alluring things that flaunted the name of a system to deceive people.
His strength was slightly lower than that of a normal person, but considering that this body was only eighteen years old and still had room to develop, it was evident that the previous owner had paid some attention to physical exercise.
As for why his spirit was so much higher than a normal person's, it should be because he had merged with the previous owner's soul. Two sets of mental strength were naturally much stronger than one.
It was just that empty skill bar that was really making him speechless.
He had, after all, been struggling in society for over a decade, yet how come he hadn't even managed to acquire a single skill?
"I don't know what point in the plot we're at now. This identity of mine is really a bit difficult to handle!" He touched his chin and began to think carefully.
As for the foul smell in the air?
After smelling it for a few minutes, he had already gotten used to it. After all, life was like… well, if you can't beat it, join it.
James Cameron's Titanic was adapted from a true historical event. The film's main premise revolves around Rose, a noblewoman on the verge of bankruptcy, and her fiancé, Carl, who are traveling to New York to get married. Meanwhile, Jack, a poor young man, boards the ship with dreams of striking it rich in America.
During the voyage, the female lead, Rose, feels trapped and dissatisfied with her life. At this point, Jack, the male lead, seizes the opportunity, and the second male lead, Jack, is unceremoniously cuckolded.
Of course, in the final act, the two leads are separated by the sinking of the ship, which brought tears to many eyes.
He was only a teenager when he first saw the movie. Back then, he was only moved by the love between the male and female leads. However, as he grew older, Li Qingyuan realized…
This was the same as the romanticism of Qiong Yao!
Speaking of which, what did the unfortunate second male lead do wrong? He was at home, and suddenly he was wearing a green hat, and was also portrayed as a despicable, cowardly, and greedy villain?
'Protection time is over, now issuing the main quest.'
Just as he began to carefully consider the plot and how he should start, the system's notification suddenly rang out in his mind.
So, is this a survival mission or a rescue mission?
'Main Quest: The world line has deviated. The SW626 Iceberg has melted mid-way due to global climate issues. Please, host, sink the Titanic on the fourth night in the original designated sea area to restore the world line.
Reward: One free attribute point, Elementary Bomb Expertise.
Failure: Forced entry into the Godzilla: King of the Monsters plot, solo against Burning Godzilla.'
I...
Li Qingyuan almost choked on his own blood, staring at the main quest. Was this damn system messing with him?
Seriously? Telling him to sink a ship?
'System, isn't this quest a bit... off? It makes me seem like the bad guy?'
Because he had the experience of bargaining the first time, he felt that the silly system he had was quite easy to talk to.
He didn't ask for much. Could he just change the mission to escaping?
If that didn't work, then he could just go and hit on Rose!
"The storyline of this world has been altered. In order to prevent the collapse of the entire world, the Titanic must sink in its original waters."
The system remained unmoved, stubbornly stating the fact.
(End of this chapter)