2_Rebirth in a Foreign Land

Yang Liensheng lay on the bed, glancing around. It seemed to be a hospital room with a respirator and unfamiliar equipment by the bed. The walls were overhead, surrounded by blue curtains on three sides, creating a closed space. His left hand was handcuffed to the bed railing, and a drip tube was attached to his right arm. Observing the IV bag, he deduced it wasn't blood but perhaps glucose, all in English, with small, unreadable words. It was quiet around, indicating no one outside the curtains. Something felt off as Yang Liensheng moved his left hand, sensing the tightness of the handcuffs, gazing at the ceiling light, reflecting on the events of the past two days.

Two days earlier, his soul had just crossed over through the portal. He vividly remembered the person who lit incense to send them through the door, his drifting from the hospital to the arranged crossing. After a period of chaos, he woke up in a tattered tent, covered by a blanket, fully clothed. Opening the tent flap, he peeked outside to see the morning setting under a highway bridge, hearing the passing vehicles above. Several dilapidated tents surrounded him, with drowsy people scattered around, Caucasians, Latinos - had he been reborn overseas?

Feeling temporarily safe, he retracted into the tent, zipping it shut, then began inspecting his surroundings. No sleeping bag, just cardboard beneath him covered with newspapers in English, a slightly worn dirty blanket, a T-shirt, a hoodie, jeans, and a pair of sneakers by the bed, likely unwashed for days, emitting an unpleasant odor. On his left wrist was a red rope bracelet with 12 small dark red beads and a larger bead in the middle, bearing the carved name "Liensheng" in Chinese characters. Beside the makeshift pillow lay a heavily worn backpack, its straps covered in lint and dirt, revealing a faded black color. Inside, he found a jacket, another hoodie, two T-shirts, jeans, some underwear, and socks, all appearing worn.

In the outer pocket of the backpack lay a wallet, a flashlight, a driver's license identifying him as Jimmy Yang, born on 02/07/1980 in California, with $23 in US currency and some coins. The address was on Greene Street in San Francisco, currently meaningless. Sorting through his belongings, he found no phone or electronic devices, even a radio, cutting off sources of external information.

Just reborn, still adjusting to the English name Jimmy Yang, he decided to use "Liensheng" from the bracelet as his Chinese name for now. Yang Liensheng seemed to have inherited the abilities of this body, with a decent level of English reading skills. Unsure if he could speak it, he decided to avoid interactions until ensuring his safety. Organizing his things, he lay back, contemplating his next steps.

With an identity established, though appearing like a vagrant, at least not an illegal immigrant, he pondered if there was any criminal record. California, frequently seen in movies, hinted at prosperity. Despite his previous life in firefighting without travel opportunities, his knowledge from films and internet research provided insight into the vibrant cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Long Beach, Malibu, and Hollywood. He believed he could find a suitable path, not remaining a vagabond forever.

Firstly, he needed to confirm the date from today's newspaper and locate himself on a map. Additionally, a bath, fresh clothes were in order. Yang Liensheng rose, zipped open the tent, put on his shoes, shouldered the backpack, pulled the hoodie over his head, and stepped out of the tent, glancing back at its color before heading towards a distant gas station.