Outside the window, a torrential rain pitter-pattered. The water streamed down the glass like lines of dark, clotted blood. In the distance, the darkness was so thick that nothing could be seen.
Ren Uchiha opened his eyes. He saw the long-lost yet familiar blue-checkered ceiling. The only source of light in this cramped shanty room was the glowing phone by his hand, playing a slightly noisy song. The song was fine; it was just that the constant ping of WeChat notifications kept interrupting it.
Ren picked up the phone and glanced at it.
[I've got a draft for you. 6 yuan per thousand words. You in?]
[Fix the illustration again. Let's go back to the first version, okay? 100 yuan is still money.]
[Brother, I know you're broke and sick, and your e-bike battery was stolen, but I really can't spare anything right now. I'll definitely pay back those 6,000 later.]
[What do you mean by that? You saw me enjoying myself at the foot massage place while you were delivering food? What do you know? Our brotherhood is over. Blocked.]
[You there? Pay the rent.]
"Cough, cough." Ren crawled out of bed, coughing as he reached for his phone. He wanted to transfer 300 yuan to the landlord, send a "kowtow" emoji, and beg for another half-month of grace. But a "Low Balance" notification quickly popped up on the screen.
He fell silent for a moment. Then, he opened his mobile banking app to see if his 500 million had arrived. The balance stared back at him: 5.26.
It felt like a knife stabbing into his chest.
"Dammit... was it all just a dream?" Ren let out a long sigh. Recalling the year he spent in the shinobi world, every detail felt so real.
But life moves forward toward money. Ren slapped his cheeks to wake himself up and forced a grin. He opened WeChat, first deleting his only "good brother" in this city, deciding never to speak to that jerk again. Then, he replied to the clients one by one.
[Thanks, brother. I'll crank out ten thousand words tonight.]
[Got it, boss! I knew you had a keen eye. The first version was the best. I'll change it back right now.]
After calculating his earnings, Ren sent a text to the battery shop owner, promising to bring money the next morning to rent a battery for 150 yuan. If he bought a cheap breakfast and started delivering orders, he could make 200 yuan tomorrow due to the rain subsidies. He'd give 50 yuan to the landlord for a box of milk to stay on their good side. If he could just hold on for another month, life would get better!
"Cough, cough."
Ren dragged himself out of bed and stood by the window in his slippers, gazing at the pitch-black, featureless night sky. He thought about how lonely it was to be in a strange city with no friends or family, struggling just to survive.
But he tossed that thought aside after thirty seconds. He didn't have time for self-pity! If he didn't work hard for tomorrow's supplies, he would literally starve to death.
Shaking off the gloom, Ren grabbed a can of Pepsi—his "spiritual sustenance"—from the small fridge. Snap! He popped the tab and took a huge gulp.
Suddenly, he frowned. It tasted... off. Why was this cola so metallic and sweet? Was it expired?
Ren looked at the can, his vision blurring. The room began to warp and twist. The Pepsi can in his hand transformed into the face of a girl with clear, emerald-green eyes. She was cradling Ren's head, screaming in despair:
"No! Don't die!"
Outside, the rain continued to fall. It streamed down the glass like lines of dancing, dark blood. Faster and faster!
CRACK!
The glass shattered under the pressure of the rain, spiderwebbing with cracks. Ren gripped the "cola can," his breath hitching. It felt as if something was crushing his throat and squeezing his heart!
Then, in the next instant, nothing happened.
Ren blinked. He was still standing in his rental room. Then, text appeared in his vision:
[Employee: Ren Uchiha. You have died unexpectedly in the process of saving a chaotic world.]
[Now, you have two choices.]
[1. Claim your insurance payout: 500,000,000 RMB, and be resurrected in your original world.]
[2. Come back to life in the Shinobi World and continue your role as the 'Heavenly Man' to save that chaotic realm. This opportunity is one-time only.]
[Note: If you choose Option 2, your insurance coverage will be lowered to 50,000,000, but the policy remains in effect.]
Ren fell silent, especially seeing the word "Resurrected" in Option 1. His whole body trembled as a sharp pain exploded in his head. Memories he had buried came rushing back.
RESURRECTED. Those two pale words told him a cold fact: in the real world, he was already dead.
Ren slumped to the floor, holding his head. He looked around the familiar room—the narrow space, the yellowed walls, the bed missing a leg, the moldy desk. Finally, his gaze landed on the off-brand computer that had been with him for a year.
It all came back to him. This was exactly how it happened. That night, sick as he was, he had made a confident plan for the future.
But step one failed. His "loyal partner"—the off-brand PC with the used CPU he bought for 500 yuan—had smoked and died while he was trying to finish a client's task. He had spent the night in misery, getting sicker. The next day, he couldn't rent the battery, and the landlord threw his luggage into the street.
Despite the back-to-back disasters, with only five yuan in his pocket, he had shouted to the heavens: "If Chen Daozai could win 37 million with 20 bucks, I can turn 5 bucks into 500 million!"
He had headed out to buy a cup of instant noodles as a reward before starting his new life as a bridge-beggar to raise capital. But as he crossed the street... the text appeared.
[Detected: This Earth biological entity's willpower meets the 'Heavenly Dao' Company's recruitment standards.]
[Are you willing to become a 'Heavenly Man'?]
Secret Archive Vol. 1:
[Heavenly Dao Company Recruitment Notice:]
Position: Heavenly Man.
Requirement: A virgin who, after enduring pain, despair, and consecutive blows, still holds onto their willpower and hope.
Job Description: Restoring order to a chaotic world.
Salary: SSS-Rank Talent, massive mission commissions, and a complete Heavenly Dao Insurance System.
— The Scroll of the Lost