"Bro, how'd you end up in here?"
"It's a long story..."
"I was running a night stall selling savory crepes. A customer said they were disgusting, punched me twice, and then paid me tens of thousands in compensation..."
"Bro, can you tell me where that was? I'm thinking of starting a business myself once I'm out."
...
In an orthopedics ward in Qirong City's Second Municipal Hospital, the faint smell of disinfectant filled the air.
Hu Qi could faintly hear people talking nearby.
He tried to open his eyes, but his head felt like it was splitting open, as if he'd pulled several all-nighters in a row.
Not only that, but all sorts of unfamiliar memory fragments flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern, as if he were watching a first-person movie.
Fortunately, as time passed, the pain gradually subsided.
Finally, after a few minutes, the discomfort vanished completely.
Only then did Hu Qi manage to pry open his heavy eyelids.
The first thing that met his eyes was a slightly mottled, yellowish-white ceiling.
A few rays of sunlight slanted in from the window beside him, casting fragmented patterns of light and shadow on the ceiling.
He looked down and found himself lying on a hospital bed, dressed in a blue-and-white striped plaid hospital gown.
Seeing this, he instinctively tried to sit up, only to find both his legs were in thick, grayish-white plaster casts, hoisted high up in the air.
The sharp pains that flared up from time to time made Hu Qi involuntarily suck in a sharp breath.
However, he didn't make a sound. He just feigned the dazed look of someone who had just woken up, his eyes discreetly scanning his surroundings.
On the beds next to him, two fellow patients from the same ward were chatting idly.
Apparently, the conversation he'd heard earlier was coming from them.
Aside from that, a television was mounted on the wall in front of him, playing the news, though the volume was low.
"According to reports, this excavation is progressing very smoothly, and they have also discovered items similar to those from a technological era. This gives us reason to suspect that other civilizations, unknown to us, may have existed on Earth Star in the past..."
On the TV screen, a cordoned-off archaeological site was clearly visible.
A person dressed in white archaeological gear appeared on camera, holding a Bronze object caked in mud and covered in rust.
Intricate patterns could be faintly seen on its surface.
It's just... no matter how you looked at it, the thing looked an awful lot like a router.
Seeing this, Hu Qi fell into deep thought.
The conversation between the two men, the text displayed on the TV—none of it was in a language he was familiar with. But miraculously, he could understand what it all meant.
Hu Qi turned his head to the side, his gaze fixed on the drops falling from the IV bag. His feelings were incredibly complex.
'I just used a cheat in a game. Was it really necessary to go this far?'
On the surface, he appeared relatively calm, but inside, his mind was in turmoil.
There was no other explanation. Combining what he'd seen and heard with the memories in his mind, he confirmed one fact: he had transmigrated and possessed the body of a Young Man with the same name.
Hu Qi was no stranger to this kind of situation.
In his past life, he had read plenty of novels and watched many shows with similar plots.
But other people got struck by lightning or hit by a dump truck.
'So why did *I* get transmigrated just for using a cheat in a game?'
Transmigrating was one thing; it's not like he expected to become some rich heir.
But he should at least have all his limbs intact, right?
What the hell was this supposed to be?
Hu Qi recalled the original owner's memories.
His attending physician had told him that the injuries to his legs were severe. Even after they healed, he might still suffer from long-term side effects.
The thought that he might walk with a limp after being discharged made Hu Qi fall silent.
But at the same time, he felt an even greater sense of confusion and fear about the future.
Even moving to a new city for work could be disorienting, let alone being thrown directly into an unfamiliar world.
This meant he was completely cut off from his family and friends from his previous life. Getting back was almost impossible.
'So what should I do now? Where do I go from here?'
For a moment, he was lost in confusion.
Fortunately, perhaps because he had taken over this body, he had instantly mastered the language and writing of this world.
Otherwise, if he had transmigrated with his original body, things would have been much more difficult.
Just as Hu Qi's thoughts were racing, his eye started to feel uncomfortable, as if an insect had flown into it. A red light flashed across his vision.
He blinked instinctively, his eye watering a little, but the red light was gone, as if it had just been his imagination.
Just as he was filled with doubt, the door to the ward was pushed open, and a figure walked in.
The person walked straight to Hu Qi's bed.
"Brother Qi, I brought you some food. It's all your favorite dishes today, so you have to eat a lot."
As he spoke, he placed the plastic bag in his hand on the nearby table.
"Thanks!"
Hu Qi had noticed the young man the moment he entered and thanked him in a tone that matched the original owner's usual manner.
At the same time, he secretly sized up his cousin.
He was a tall, thin teenager with black-rimmed glasses and some acne on his face.
This was Li Yi, the son of Hu Qi's aunt.
'Right, the original owner was an orphan. His aunt's family is the only relatives he has left.'
"We're family, no need to be so polite with me."
Li Yi smiled and pushed his black-rimmed glasses up the bridge of his nose.
He crouched by the bed and cranked it up so Hu Qi could sit.
Then he took the simple tray table hooked to the foot of the bed and set it up over Hu Qi's chest.
Next, he opened the food containers and arranged them on the table.
"My mom said not to overthink things. You need to eat a lot. Your body needs nutrients to heal quickly."
Hu Qi looked down.
The meal was quite lavish: braised fish chunks, garlic shrimp, stir-fried spinach, a portion of rice, and a carton of pure milk.
The faint aroma of the food tickled Hu Qi's taste buds, and his stomach let out a GROWL.
Hu Qi didn't hesitate any longer. 'First things first, gotta eat.' He would fill his stomach and then take things one step at a time.
While eating, he acted as usual, making small talk with his cousin while sorting through the original owner's memories in his mind.
The original owner had the same name as Hu Qi and was once a healthy Young Man.
Unfortunately, on his way home from work one day, someone threw a sack over his head and beat him with a club.
Not only was what little money he had stolen, but the attackers had viciously targeted his legs, which is how he ended up in his current state.
During this time, his aunt's family had taken great care of the original owner.
Because they couldn't leave their shop, they usually had Li Yi bring Hu Qi his lunch.
Hu Qi swallowed the last piece of shrimp, took a sip of milk, and let out a burp.
He looked over at Li Yi, who was sitting beside him, idly scrolling through videos while waiting for him to finish. His gaze landed on the other's phone, and he asked:
"New phone? Did you get your college entrance exam scores back?"
"I just checked them yesterday. I made it past the tier-one university cutoff! I had to pester my dad for ages before he finally bought it for me. I still feel like I'm dreaming. The specs on this thing are awesome for gaming..."
As he got onto the topic, it was like Li Yi had opened the floodgates, but halfway through, he slapped his forehead.
"Oh, I almost forgot. This is for you."
With that, he pulled an equally new phone from his pocket.
Judging by the gray, ampersand-style logo printed on the back, it seemed to be the same model as his own.
"My mom said it must be inconvenient for you here in the hospital alone since you lost your phone. Take this so it's easier to stay in touch. All the numbers are already saved, including mine. Call anytime you need anything."
"I couldn't possibly... Uh... Thank you!"