Chapter 1: Rebirth by Possession

Xiang Ri touched his nose and adjusted his glasses again, confirming that the young man in the mirror was indeed himself.

"Hahaha... I'm not dead!" He reveled in the surge of energy coursing through his body. Who would've thought that after possessing someone else's body, even his superhuman strength would follow? Though he didn't fully understand why, he had no intention of investigating further. He merely sighed at how feeble this new body was—barely able to wield even thirty percent of his former power.

Glancing at the half-inch deep fist imprint on the wall, Xiang Ri was thoroughly dissatisfied. Had this boy been living like a pig?

Standing at 175 cm and barely weighing 50 kg, his muscles were slack and without elasticity. What was worse, he wore glasses, the epitome of the weak, bookish type Xiang Ri detested the most.

After thoroughly inspecting himself and finding no other issues, he finally felt at ease. He then began to take in his surroundings.

He realized the space was incredibly small, likely no more than eight square meters. The only furnishing was a bed crammed into the corner, with most of it covered by thick piles of books, leaving hardly enough room for the owner to curl up and sleep.

After rummaging through the room, he eventually found something under the pillow that confirmed the identity of the original owner. His eyes narrowed—what a joke, the owner was a student! No wonder this body was so weak. The student ID read: Xiang Kui, Year 2, Class 13, Computer Science Department at Gaonan University.

Aside from the ID, there was an old, worn-out phone and a wallet with a little over 100 yuan, which Xiang Ri tossed aside dismissively. What mattered most was the phone—he needed to familiarize himself with its contacts. After all, if he was to seamlessly assume this new identity, he couldn't afford to be found out.

The phone had only two contacts: "Dad" and "Mom."

Not a single friend? This both surprised and relieved Xiang Ri. It made things simpler; the boy was clearly a loner. All he had to do was keep to himself, speak little, and he could easily blend in.

But his parents... that would be a tougher issue to handle.

As he pondered how to deal with this problem, the phone buzzed in his hand.

Seeing the name "Mom" on the screen, Xiang Ri hesitated for a moment but eventually answered.

"Hello, Little Treasure."

"...Mm, do you need something?" Xiang Ri replied vaguely, feeling a wave of discomfort. Little Treasure? What kind of nickname was that?

"Are you doing well at school?"

"Uh... it's okay."

"Remember to eat well and don't wear shabby clothes. Take care of yourself out there. Don't worry about us at home; your dad and I are fine. If you run out of money, just call, and I'll send you some. Living off-campus, make sure to stay safe. It's hot now—do you have a fan in your room? If not, buy one. Do you have enough money? If not, I'll send you some..."

After hanging up, Xiang Ri was overwhelmed by a complex, indescribable feeling—a sensation that warmed his heart. Growing up in an orphanage, maternal love had always seemed like a distant, unattainable luxury.

"Kid!" Xiang Ri pointed at the young face in the mirror without a frame, only the reflective surface. "You can rest easy! Since you've given me your body, I won't shortchange you. From now on, your parents are my parents. I am you, and you are me."

Only Xiang Ri understood what he truly meant. From this moment on, he had decided to fully embrace the role of "Xiang Kui."

He gripped the old phone tightly, the screen showing 8:53 a.m., September 13th—less than ten hours since his previous body had been hunted down.

Though, in a sense, he hadn't died, revenge was still a must. For those traitorous subordinates who had turned on him, Xiang Ri was already mentally preparing a meticulous and brutal plan of retribution. Fortunately, the secret he was about to announce last night had not yet been revealed. Otherwise, he would have deeply regretted it.

In truth, Xiang Ri wasn't boasting—though he didn't have a vast fortune, he still had billions.

This fortune, amassed over eight years in the financial markets, was the result of Xiang Ri's sharp intuition and shrewd investments. Armed with both MBA and J.D. degrees, he had always paid close attention to international news, striking gold with his precise foresight. Yesterday, just as he was about to announce this triumph, betrayal struck. First, he was poisoned, rendering his powers useless, and then his most trusted aide came at him with a knife. If not for a few loyal followers risking their lives to protect him, he would have been dead on the spot, and that black card holding a billion dollars would have fallen into the hands of those treacherous bastards.

"Thank heaven I didn't meet my end," Xiang Ri mused, feeling invigorated. Yesterday, to prevent the black card from being stolen, he had hidden it in a relatively safe place. But he needed to retrieve it quickly before anything went wrong.

He hurriedly dressed and left, only to discover that he was in a notorious rental apartment in the East District of BH City. The card, however, was hidden in the West District—walking there was out of the question.

With ten billion dollars backing him, Xiang Ri didn't mind spending a little on a taxi. He arrived at Beida Street in the West District and headed straight for his destination.

It was still the same filthy alley from the night before, the stench of rot and urine mixed, making him gag.

Xiang Ri frowned deeply, unable to fathom how he had managed to endure such a nauseating "gas attack" last night. Carefully avoiding various piles of questionable waste, he made his way to the end of the alley and retrieved a small black card hidden behind a trash bag. Without caring about the filth, he kissed it repeatedly before placing it securely in his pocket.

Xiang Ri had always believed that carrying a large sum of money with him was the only way to feel truly secure, and he continued to live by that rule.

After withdrawing 50,000 yuan from the bank, he felt a surge of confidence. Noticing the bank teller's flirtatious glances, he thought that, in the past, he wouldn't have minded a fling with such a pretty woman. But now, he wasn't in the mood.

Leaving the bank, Xiang Ri glanced up at the towering skyscraper in the distance and murmured to himself, "It's been a while since I've contacted her. I wonder how she's doing?"

Years ago, he had unintentionally invested in a small company on the brink of bankruptcy. To his surprise, with the original owner's efforts and his financial backing, the company had become a major player in BH City. Last time they spoke, she had told him the company's market value had reached two billion yuan. In just five years, it had grown a thousandfold—proof of her formidable abilities. Though Xiang Ri had played a part, most of the heavy lifting had been her doing.

Finding an internet café nearby, he logged onto QQ, their only form of communication.

As soon as he logged in, his QQ avatar flashed continuously. Xiang Ri casually clicked on it.

"Boss."

"Mm."

"It's been a while since I saw you online."

"Is there something you need?"

There was a brief pause before a message came through: "Can we meet?"

"No."

"Why?"

"It's not the right time. But I can give you my number." Xiang Ri sent his phone number over.

"Can I call you now?"

"In a minute. I'll be waiting." After typing the message, Xiang Ri logged off. This was a carefully considered decision. Letting her hear his voice would make things easier moving forward. Luckily, they had never met in person or spoken on the phone, so there would be no discrepancies to explain.

In BH City's tallest building, the Zhongtian Tower, on the 55th floor, inside a luxurious office...

Su Yu stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the endless stream of traffic below. Her heart raced with excitement—she was finally going to hear her boss's voice!

She thought back to a few years ago when she had left her parents to start her own business, brimming with post-college enthusiasm. At first, things went smoothly, and she believed she was on the path to success. Then, a carefully orchestrated scam shattered all her dreams. If it hadn't been for the boss's sudden infusion of funds, she might not have even survived.

What kind of person was the boss? His vision was sharp, his timing impeccable, and he never played by the rules, yet his unconventional methods always yielded huge rewards. The outside world hailed her as a business goddess, but who knew that she was simply following his lead, offering small suggestions here and there.

As the seconds ticked by, the minute finally arrived. Su Yu, unable to contain her excitement, dialed the number she had just memorized.

"Hello, is this the boss?"

"It's me," a young man's voice echoed in her ear.

"I-I'm Su Yu." Her heart raced with nerves and inexplicable excitement. The boss... he was still so young.

"I know. I've seen you on TV many times."

"..." Su Yu's ears turned red. Though she hadn't been overly casual in her appearances, she hadn't been particularly formal either.

"If

 there's nothing else, I'm hanging up. We'll talk later." The boss clearly wasn't one for long conversations. With that, he ended the call.

Su Yu stood there, stunned, staring blankly at the ceiling. Their first conversation had ended in failure.