Back to 1994

On the outskirts of Peng City, a cramped and dingy temporary workers' dormitory stood in silence. Jiang Butong lay sprawled on the bed, his vacant eyes fixed on the filthy, mold-streaked ceiling as he drifted into a daze.

In his previous life, he came from a privileged family. After graduation, his exceptional expertise allowed him to navigate the commercial world for decades, eventually transforming his family's medium-sized factory into the local leading enterprise. Yet, unexpectedly, a single incident of drunk driving...

...and a massive truck had sent him straight into this era.

Jiang Butong blinked and turned to glance at the advertisement calendar pasted on the wall. A row of bold red characters announced that it was now the year 1994.

His current identity was that of a poor university student from a remote mountain village, working as a summer laborer with his fellow villagers to earn living expenses during the vacation.

"Well, perhaps, since I’m here, I should make peace with it," he murmured to himself, shifting his gaze.

He had only awakened in this body the day before, spending the entire night digesting its memories. By this morning, he had been utterly exhausted.

"When have I ever suffered like this?" he chuckled bitterly, raising his hand to look at the blood-blistered palm and the foot wrapped in several strips of rag.

"Xiaotong? You’ve rested all afternoon. How are you feeling now?" Suddenly, a cacophony of voices erupted outside the dormitory. A burly, yet unmistakabl