PS: Due to certain reasons, all characters from the original novel in this book need to have their identities concealed or the names changed. This is not an intentional mistake made by the author. We ask for your understanding.
In the dilapidated cabin, the dim light emitted a faint glow. One could barely make out a skinny figure huddled next to a table.
With great care, Su Xing'er was holding a half-eaten moldy bun, constantly swallowing saliva.
"No! I can't eat this; I have to save it for my brother."
Despite the gnawing hunger in her stomach, Su Xing'er put the bun back into the bowl.
Looking at the young boy lying on the worn-out bed, tears welled up in Su Xing'er's eyes.
"Woo-hoo-hoo! Brother, you have to wake up. Xin'er is so useless. I can't do anything but cry. I wanted to steal some medicine from the pharmacy, but I was caught by the shopkeeper. Even the bracelet mother left us was taken away by someone."
After a bout of crying, Xin'er wiped away the tears in the corners of her eyes and calmed down.
She climbed onto the rice jar and counted the remaining grains of rice - there were only a few dozen left.
With utmost care, she counted out thirty grains of rice and began to start a fire to cook.
Despite being only seven, poverty had prematurely made her the head of the household. She had been capable of doing these tasks since she was five years old.
The damp firewood caused her originally peachy face to turn dark and sooty. With much effort, she managed to cook a bowl of rice soup that could barely be classified as porridge.
Sipping the rice soup in small slurps, tears welled up in Su Xing'er's eyes again as they fell into the soup and were swallowed by her.
At this moment, the boy who had been lying in bed suddenly moved. Su Xing'er instantly threw the rice soup in her hand to the ground and threw herself into the boy's arms, crying loudly.
"Woo-hoo-hoo! Brother, you've finally woken up! Xin'er was so scared. Mother's gone, father's gone too, Xin'er was really scared that you'll leave too!"
...............
Su Xin slowly opened his eyes, his memories still clinging to his past life.
In his previous life, Su Xin was a middle manager in a machinery manufacturing company. Although not quite a high-income earner, he still had an annual salary of over one hundred thousand and led hundreds of employees. Coupled with his youth, he was considered quite successful.
During one of his trips to a mountainous area, the bus he was on was hijacked by three bandits. Apart from robbing the passengers, they even attempted to molest an attractive lady on the bus.
Among the thirty-something passengers in the bus, only Su Xin stood up to stop them; but this only resulted in him being beaten to death by the bandits!
The thirty-plus passengers indifferently watched as he was beaten to death. No one stepped out to intervene, even the very lady he had just saved.
In his last moments of consciousness, Su Xin felt his blood growing colder, his heart chilling along with it.
Looking at Su Xing'er, the ice within Su Xin's heart gradually began to melt.
He had in fact already woken up three days ago, yet he was still getting used to the memories of this world; the memories of a body that wasn't his.
However, he could also feel the meticulous care and helpless loneliness of the seven-year-old girl.
In this life, Su Xin still had the same name yet lived under very different circumstances. He was a lowly gang member of the Flying Eagle Gang, one of the three major gangs in Changning Prefecture of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Orphaned, he was left with his seven-year-old sister, Su Xing'er, to survive together.
Three days ago, he was betrayed by his own people during a turf war between the Flying Eagle Gang and its old rival, the Green Bamboo Gang. He was severely injured after being surrounded by the Green Bamboo Gang and died, resulting in Su Xin's transmigration into this world.
Gently smoothing Su Xing'er's hair and seeing her transform from a porcelain-like doll to a little beggar in the past three days, Su Xin felt his heart ache as if being stabbed.
"Xin'er, listen. Big brother will never leave you."
Su Xing'er, with tears still in her eyes, climbed out of his arms, picked up the half-eaten bun, and proudly said, "Brother, look, I saved this especially for you."
"Mm, Xin'er is such a good girl."
Su Xin patted Xin'er's head, swallowed the bun which had turned almost as hard as wood, and felt a little strength return to his severely weakened body.
Seeing her brother eat the bun, Xin'er finally closed her eyes, snuggled into Su Xin's embrace, and fell asleep.
She had hardly slept these past three days, looking after Su Xin. Now that he had awakened, she finally could rest easy.
Laying the sleeping Xin'er on the bed, Su Xin gave a faint sneer in his heart. "In my previous life, I died trying to save someone. In this life, I was betrayed because I trusted my brothers. Is it true that good people never live long and the bad ones live on? If that's the case, then, in this life, I'll be the worst and most ruthless villain!"
"Boom!"
A loud boom echoed in Su Xin's mind.
"The host has met the conditions for the Big Villain System. The system is now officially launching and combining. 10%, 30%, 70%, 100%, successful combination."
Su Xin's consciousness was brought into a world of pure white. White mist surrounded him, and there was only a large screen in front of him, except it was pitch-black.
"Hello, host number 01, Su Xin. Welcome to the Big Villain System," a robotic voice devoid of any emotions rang out.
"Host number 01? So, I am the first user of the Big Villain System? Why did you choose me?" Su Xin frowned, scanning his surroundings while a familiar feeling welled up in him.
He was no stranger to the term 'system' from his time reading novels in his previous life.