Chapter 1: Mutation

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

In a tattered house more than 70 square meters in District X of Dong Du City, the mottled walls and peeling paint revealed a trace of dilapidation.

It was just the word “demolish” on the wall, but it immediately made this lousy house look cool, making passers-by look at it enviously.

At the door of the house, more than ten burly men surrounded it. Unpleasant curses spewed out of their mouths from time to time.

“Damn it, this Tang Fifth still owes me 500,000 yuan. It sure is convenient for him to die like this, but when am I going to receive the money?!”

“That’s right, we’re all neighbors. You’re also a sensible child…”

“Everyone depends on this bit of money to live. There’s no need for Uncle to talk nonsense about the principle of a son repaying a father’s debt, right?”

“We don’t want to push you so hard either, but we’re all from the same family. It’s not easy to earn money, right?”

“Damn, stop talking nonsense. If you don’t pay today, I’ll confiscate your property!”

Some people persuaded him nicely, while others said harsh words. They only had one goal.

They all wanted money.

The grumpy and angry man roared. However, after sizing up the house with only four walls, he cursed in bad luck, “Damn, what a lousy place, I’m afraid even rats will starve to death if they come.”

“It sure is easy for your father to die like this, but he scammed all these brothers and friends. He’s really freaking wicked!”

Everyone felt emotional when they heard that. They couldn’t help but nod at the same time with regretful expressions.

The one they surrounded was a handsome young man. He was smiling at everyone helplessly, but his heart was filled with bitterness.

“Uncles and brothers, listen to me, alright?”

Tang Zhen glanced at everyone. Seeing that they were all looking at him, he raised his voice and continued, “I also know your difficulties. After all, I know how hard it is to make money. Only by sweating profusely can you save a little money.”

Since something had happened, he had to think of a way to solve it.

This house was worth a lot of money, but the demolition had been delayed for a few years. It couldn’t be done anytime soon.

It was too much of a loss to sell it now. Moreover, it was also impossible for him to sell it either!

However, there was always a solution to everything.

“How about this? I’ll return five thousand a month. As for whose money I’ll return first, please discuss it yourselves!

“Although this money isn’t much, I still have to eat and save. I can’t take out another cent!

“But I’ll say this first. In the future, you can’t come to my house to cause trouble. If you really force me into a corner, I’ll just leave. At that time, let’s see who suffers!”

Tang Zhen stared at these people coldly with a determined expression.

The solution had already been suggested. Whether they wanted to accept it or not was up to them. If they weren’t satisfied, they could find the person who actually borrowed their money.

Not everyone agreed with Tang Zhen’s method. They immediately roared with a pale face. They rolled up their arms and sleeves, looking like they wanted to fight. Their eyes widened.

“Cut the crap. I want the house. Get the procedures done immediately!”

“Damn, why should he give you the house? I want it too!”

“How much does he owe you? Do you know how much he owes me? Do you have any shame?”

The ones who wanted money started to fight amongst themselves again.

…

After a noisy morning, Tang Zhen finally sent these debt collectors away, including a few guys who insisted on demolishing the house.

The debt collectors had no choice. If they really scared Tang Zhen away, they would lose everything.

With someone like Tang Zhen around, they could at least collect a few thousand yuan every few months.

After everyone left, Tang Zhen cleaned up the cigarette butt trash on the ground. Then, he looked at the empty room and sighed. A bitter expression flashed across his young face.

Tang Zhen was an orphan. He was adopted when he was very young. The person that adopted him was his father’s brother.

The second year after adopting him, this family had a daughter, and Tang Zhen also had a sister.

Unfortunately, the good times didn’t last long. His adoptive mother suddenly died, and his adoptive father began to spend all day and night drinking and not return home. The other party even contracted the bad habit of gambling.

His foster father was shameless and selfish, only thinking about himself. His feelings for his foster son were shallow.

It was normal for him not to return home for a year and a half.

The siblings relied on each other and grew up hungry and full. Their days were very bitter.

As the saying went, it was difficult to change one’s temperament. His adoptive father had still restrained himself when he was young, but now, he was living more and more freely.

After all, one wouldn’t just become responsible after becoming a parent. In some people’s world, the selfish could only tolerate themselves.

A year ago, his adoptive father swindled a huge sum of money and left with a married woman to live a carefree life.

The creditors who rushed over after hearing the news naturally locked onto Tang Zhen. They came to his house every few days to curse and curse. Every time, they would spend most of the day cursing at him before leaving.

Tang Zhen hated his foster father. Sometimes, he really wanted to leave. He had hands and feet and could survive elsewhere.

But every time that happened, he would think of his sister and finally give up on this plan.

The days when the two of them relied on each other were the most unforgettable memories in his heart. He really treated his sister as his family.

Sometimes, Tang Zhen especially hated himself. Why was he so useless? Why couldn’t he create a better living environment for his sister?

He didn’t dare to imagine the scene of the creditors harassing his sister after they couldn’t find him.

For these reasons, Tang Zhen silently endured the fatigue and abuse, surviving with difficulty in the cracks of the city.

In the end, all of it came from the determination in his heart.

He sighed and took out his cell phone from his pocket to look at the time.

After wasting so much time and feeling a little uncomfortable, he probably couldn’t set up his stall today.

Tang Zhen threw the phone behind the bed and reached out to take out the nylon woven bag under the bed.

After opening the bag, he took out a transparent bead the size of an egg and fiddled with it.

This thing had some background. It was bought from a tomb robber by his adoptive father. It was said to be a real old item.

Birds of a feather flocked together. Most of the people his adoptive father befriended were frivolous.

In the past few years, antiques had been popular. After watching television a few times, his adoptive father also had the intention of becoming rich overnight and bought these few things from his drinking buddy.

It was said that it came from an ancient tomb of an unknown era. At that time, three things were dug out. There seemed to also be a dagger and a piece of pottery, and the other was the thing in Tang Zhen’s hand.

Tang Zhen’s adoptive father was conceited. He concluded that the bead was a valuable treasure and spent ten thousand yuan to buy it.

In the end, when he found someone to appraise it, it turned out that it was worth nothing.

After being depressed for a few days, Tang Zhen’s adoptive father threw this “glass ball” under the bed. Later on, Tang Zhen put it up when he was cleaning.

After fiddling with the “glass ball” in his hand a few times and putting it on the table with his cell phone, Tang Zhen got up to prepare lunch.

He held a bowl of instant noodles in his right hand and half a bag of pickled vegetables in his left. Tang Zhen read a novel while eating.

After finishing his lunch, Tang Zhen placed his cell phone on the table and turned to the kitchen.

Just as he turned around, a dark light flew out of the “glass” bead and wrapped around the cell phone. It lasted for a few seconds before disappearing.