Old Memories

Three days had passed in the blink of an eye since Hao Tian woke in his younger body.

It was the weekend now and Cui Lei, his mother, had just gone to visit her childhood friend and since Hao Tian was an only child, he was finally left to his own devices.

They lived in a small complex with four other families. The only issue was that all of these four families were their relatives. They were Cui Lei's brothers and their respective families so everyone was really close, too close for what Hao Tian had in mind.

The entire complex was owned by Hao Tian's maternal grandfather.

'If I remember correctly, grandpa will become sick in the next 3-4 years and pass away a little after my 19th birthday,' Hao Tian was sitting on the roof watching his cousins play with one another in the central yard while trying to remember the correct timeline of all major events that could affect him.

'I was still in university when that happened. A few months after that we were kicked out of here as well. That's when we fell on hard times. I had to quit university right before graduating because we couldn't afford the tuition and got a job to support us.'

'My mom sold all her jewelry and used it along with the bit of money grandfather left me to invest in her friend's business, which failed miserably. Then she took out a loan on my name without even telling me and bought some land that turned into a landfill later.'

'Because of her I was chased by loan sharks my entire adult life, living like a street rat. Oh how I hated her for that...'

Not all memories are good. After being kicked out of her childhood home Cui Lei's mental health deteriorated quickly. She couldn't accept the truth that her own family had abandoned her and ended up dragging Hao Tian down with her.

Hao Tian had never met his father. Cui Lei hated talking about him and never gave him any information in that regard even on her death bed. All he knew was that he lived in the same city still.

Speaking of cities, Hao Tian was born and raised in Xinjiang which was a vast territory full of dusty deserts populated by a few cities here and there.

In a few years this place would see a lot of changes and bloodshed. People here liked to work with their hands and with family-owned businesses, just like their family.

Hao Tian's grandfather owned one of the largest construction companies in the region so they were pretty well off, although Cui Lei never took any money other than what was needed for everyday expenses.

Hao Tian raised his head to steal a glance at the scorching sun hovering above his head. He used to hate the sun as a kid but after being deprived of its light for so long, it had become a luxury now.

'I have to focus on the more important things first. First and foremost, I will need money and a LOT of it. A few billion dollars worth at least to get started. After that, I can start making some real progress. Buy an island or two, start hiring potential recruits and training them to be part of the army.'

'I remember a fair bit about the gene-enhancement therapy that all us officers had to go through to increase our lifespans, the augmentations, and enhancements that followed after. Everything combined, an officer of my rank could punch a hole through a tank of this era with his bare hands. Even one such individual like that could change everything right now, but I will need an entire legion of them to make any real difference.'

'All those long voyages back and forth from each mission, all I did was read up on the latest technological advancements of the era and I remember the majority of it. The designs for the hyperdrive and the new launching mechanisms that are 500% more efficient than what exists today.'

'The formula for the cheap biofuel that replaced everything and the new alloy that was up to 15 times sturdier than tungsten, it was all public knowledge. That was the reason why we lost earth and the entire solar system because the alloy is almost everywhere on most of the other planets and among the asteroid fields. If I can just get my hands on it...'

But when he thought until that point, Hao Tian realized that right now he didn't even have a whole dollar to his name. And he was only 9 years old now so it wasn't like he could just go out and make more money easily, even if he knew a few key events like the bitcoin surge and gold rush that were going to happen in a few years time.

"Damnit, I need to grow up faster, I don't have time for-"

Hao Tian suddenly shot up to his feet when an old article he once read flashed past his eyes once again.

"Body enhancement techniques! Those bastards from the inner sectors always used them. A set of breathing and physical exercises that could increase the potential of anyone that used them. The only problem was that they were only effective in those below the age of 20. That's why I never paid much attention to them but they existed!"

"That was the reason all those inner's were always so full of themselves. They looked younger, they were stronger by at least 3-4 times to start with, and physically bigger, those arrogant pricks. It wasn't like they were born that way."

"Physical prowess is second to none, especially for what I will be doing. I remember almost the entire manifest of combat techniques and maneuvers that was available to us officers by heart. Due to my physical disabilities, I couldn't use most of them but I still learned them nonetheless."

Hao Tian had lost both his arms and one leg during the many years of service to the empire. They were replaced by bionic limbs provided by the military that had many built-in functions but at the end of the day, they weren't his own and needed replacement every 5 years of active duty.

Because of that, he was not only held back from promotions but also enjoying his own life.

'Salahuddin always said how much of a shame it was. If my body was still intact I would have at least reached the rank of Commissar if not Admiral with my own fleet to command.'

But none of that had happened yet. Right now Hao Tian was a budding youth with much to look forward to.

'I have to recall the body enhancement techniques. They weren't that complicated and the military was provided one exclusively for all the young recruits. It was much more effective but was looked down upon because it increased the muscle mass by several times the normal amount and those inner cunts didn't think it "looked" good.'

'Hmph, those little bitches, my blood boils just remembering everything they did when they first got here. Earth was their playground for a good year or two. They took whatever and whoever they wanted, killed at will, and made us thank them for it. I'm actually looking forward to meeting them again this time...'