The Williams family had an eldest son, and this was widely known in Eastbridge City. Unlike the other siblings, who had each built successful careers and earned wealth and prestige, the eldest was infamous.
At this moment, the eldest son, Ethan Williams, lay in a hospital room. He coughed unconsciously, blood spilling from his lips. The nurse looked at him with disgust; no one wanted to save this unshaven, unpleasant middle-aged man.
Especially since, in the past, this man had mingled in Eastbridge's criminal underworld. He had committed every crime imaginable, was a frequent visitor at the police station, and had a record filled with disgrace.
Nurse Luna Chen, wrinkling her nose in revulsion, wiped away the blood half-heartedly before putting a respirator on Ethan. She quickly rearranged her expression into a flattering smile and hurried to the hallway, where four distinguished figures stood.
The second son, Philip Williams, was the CEO of Eastbridge Glassworks Ltd. At thirty-nine, he was at the peak of his career, ranked seventh richest in the nation. Dressed in a designer suit, broad-shouldered and imposing, his presence was extraordinary. He paced irritably and asked,
"Is he dead yet?"
Philip's tone dripped with impatience. He couldn't even bring himself to call Ethan "big brother." Since childhood, Philip had watched Ethan abandon their younger siblings to strangers and then come begging him for money. Because of Ethan's shameful behavior, Philip's own reputation in business circles had suffered.
"Why isn't he dead yet? Resisting arrest with a gun—how dare he!" barked the third son, Victor Williams, pacing back and forth. Unlike his business-minded brother, Victor was the Deputy Minister of the Westshore Economy Department, a man of political influence and immense authority.
When it came to Ethan, Victor had nothing but contempt. His career was brilliant—praised many times in the state media, regarded as one of Eastbridge Province's most outstanding ministers. Yet, the stain on his record was having a criminal for a brother.
"The patient's breathing is faint. He may not live for more than a few days," Nurse Luna whispered timidly, unable to meet their eyes.
"At last, the Williams family will be free of him. No more disgrace," said the fourth sibling, Dr. Cassandra Williams, the most unique of them all. Though in her mid-thirties and plainly dressed, her status was unmatched. She was a senior director at the National Research Institute, leading a groundbreaking brainwave technology project. She had achieved multiple breakthroughs at international science forums and was so highly valued that she had government-issued bodyguards.
"Cassandra," Victor asked, "your team's brainwave device should be ready for trials by now, right? Use it on him. I don't want to remember his wasted, criminal life. I want to see our parents through his memories."
The youngest sister, Emily Williams, thirty years old, was stunningly beautiful and one of the new rising stars of the entertainment world. With the powerful siblings behind her, she was hailed as the "Queen of Music."
But at this moment, Emily wasn't the radiant, confident singer the world adored. Her eyes brimmed with tears. She had always longed to know who her parents truly were.
Who were they?
Why hadn't they left even a single photograph?
Why had they been so heartless as to leave them in the care of an incompetent, irresponsible "big brother"?
The Brainwave Device, officially called Przednia część mózgu, was a joint creation between Cassandra's institute and a Polish research team. It connected to the human pituitary gland to extract memories. What made it astonishing was that it could link two people simultaneously—allowing one to enter the host's childhood body and relive, even reshape, their life.
Emily wanted nothing more than to use the device to see her parents through Ethan's eyes. She had never once felt parental love in her entire life—just one glimpse would be enough.
"Broadcast the brainwave footage online," Philip ordered coldly. "I'll become the child Ethan once was and show the world what a true eldest brother should have been. At the same time, let his real memories play—the ones filled with negligence and cowardice. Let everyone see him as the failed example he really is."
Two lives, one man—
A brutal comparison!
"Good," Victor concluded. "Later, all of us will enter Ethan's childhood through the device, showing the world how we—if we had been the eldest—would have lived differently. This will be a powerful message for my career as well."
The broadcast was scheduled for New Year's Eve at 8:00 PM, live to the entire nation.
Dr. Cassandra, the fourth sibling, nodded in agreement. With less than two days left before New Year's Eve, they had to act quickly—before Ethan suddenly died.
Philip mobilized resources through the Chamber of Commerce to begin promoting the cross-generational program.
Victor tapped into his powerful political connections to arrange for rapid media rollout, expanding the program's influence through official channels.
Cassandra arrived at the hospital with her team and the brainwave device, preparing to fit Ethan with the equipment.
Meanwhile, the youngest sister, Emily, used her celebrity status as the "Queen of Music" to rally her friends in the entertainment industry, spreading word of the New Year's Eve live broadcast: [Memory Trace: The Eldest Son's Life in Comparison].
One by one, the Williams siblings entered the hospital room, each with their families. Reporters from every major newspaper crowded in, cameras flashing without pause.
By midnight, the program had gone viral.
[Memory Trace: The Eldest Son's Life in Comparison] shot to the top of the trending charts—first place on Weibo, first place on TikTok. It was the most sensational New Year's broadcast ever conceived.
The show promised appearances by top-tier businessmen, political leaders, scientific pioneers, and entertainment icons—all from the Williams family. The scale and prestige were unmatched.
The live broadcast cut to the top floor of Eastbridge First People's Hospital, to the intensive care unit.
Inside, cameras filled every corner.
On the hospital bed lay a frail, emaciated middle-aged man. His hair was disheveled, tattoos inked across his chest and back. His brow was perpetually furrowed, as though he carried endless sorrow.
Ethan's life was nearing its end. His chest rose and fell weakly, his consciousness fading into a blur.
He could feel hands placing the device on his head, electrodes linking to his pituitary gland. He even heard the familiar voices of his younger siblings. He wanted desperately to open his eyes to see them—but no strength remained.
He pressed his lips together in exhaustion. After decades, he had finally fulfilled his promise to his dying mother:
To raise his younger siblings to greatness.
To bring the murderer to justice.
No one knew the lengths he had gone.
No one understood his sacrifices.
But that didn't matter.
He was the eldest son.
And as the eldest, he had to hold up the sky.
He had spent his entire life making sure he lived up to those words.
As his final moments slipped away, Ethan seemed to return to the night his mother was killed. He heard the voice of his childhood self:
"I am the eldest son. I have no heirs, no fortune. I wander thousands of miles, seeking vengeance. I will see my brothers and sisters rise to greatness. Have I done it?"
"I am the eldest. I am the pillar of the family. I must be strong. Even if I die—I will die on the path forward!"
"As the eldest son, there is no retreat. Only advance."
"I am the eldest. Even if I die, I will die fighting for the honor of our name, die beneath the stars that will light my siblings' future, die on the day my mother's murder is avenged. Have I succeeded?"
Ethan's eyes grew hazy. The brainwave monitor began to beep sharply—
Beep… Beep… Beep…
[Brainwave Memory Trace: Life in Comparison] – Connection Successful.
...
Give me STONES please