The universe is infinite and unpredictable.
Just as the flutter of a butterfly's wings in the Amazon rainforest might set off a tornado in Texas two weeks later, even the tiniest change can, when magnified infinitely, have consequences that alter the course of the future.
In other words, the future we understand is anything but stable.
Jiang Chen, 23 years old, a college graduate. After finishing his degree, he worked as a sales associate in a clothing store, but was recently fired. With his shrinking wallet, he now faces a tough choice: should he stay in Wanghai City and keep searching for a job, or return home to his parents?
Truth be told, he didn't want to return with his tail between his legs. Living in a big city like Wanghai had always been his dream, one that his parents also hoped he would achieve. After all, who doesn't long to see the world when they've never had the chance?
Even if the reality might leave him bruised and humiliated.
That night, he got drunk—the first time he'd done so alone since graduation. After venting his frustrations, he began to feel his head spinning, as though someone had struck him with a heavy blow. Then, everything went black. He lost consciousness.
The strange metallic object that hit his wrist seemed to merge with his body, vanishing in an instant.
And that's when Jiang Chen gained an unimaginable ability—time travel!
Of course, it wasn't until several months later that he fully realized the extent of his newfound powers.
A bizarre pattern, like a tattoo, now circled his right wrist. No matter how closely he looked, the only conclusion he could draw was that it looked like some strange kind of ink.
But Jiang Chen had never gotten a tattoo.
He had no idea why he was chosen, but he knew one thing for certain—this might be his chance to reach the peak of his life.
Time travel? Dimensional shifts? He didn't have enough expertise to explain such extraordinary phenomena. All he knew was that, after a freak accident involving an electric shock—something that hadn't harmed him—he absorbed roughly 100 volts of energy, and the "tattoo" on his wrist would fill up. Once full, it would enable him to travel between worlds.
Each trip consumed about half the energy in his "energy slot." Essentially, charging it with 100 volts of energy allowed a round trip. The cost? Only around 50 yuan per trip. It was unbelievably cheap.
And the tattoo wasn't just about traveling. Jiang Chen accidentally discovered that, in addition to enabling him to visit other worlds, it also granted him access to a pocket dimension—a space about the size of a cubic meter, to store items. However, accessing this space consumed energy, so Jiang Chen preferred to use a backpack for items during his travels. After all, if he ran out of energy and couldn't find a way to recharge, he might be stranded.
Jiang Chen had a feeling that this energy slot could be upgraded, and that the storage space could be expanded as well. He just hadn't figured out how to do so yet.
As for recharging? It was simple—just plug his finger into an electrical socket. Although crude, it worked wonders. How did Jiang Chen discover this method? Well, he'd only found it after his earlier electric shock incident.
His first trip was to an abandoned house. From the dusty beds and rotting wooden windowsills, it was clear that no one had visited for a long time. After confirming his surroundings, Jiang Chen began to explore the dilapidated house. A half-destroyed radio with storage capabilities and old newspapers gave him some clues about this world.
This was a parallel world similar to Earth, but its technology was far more advanced. Skyscrapers filled the skyline, but there was no sign of civilization. The streets were crawling with zombies and mutated creatures. Without reliable weapons, Jiang Chen was too cautious to venture outside.
It was the year 2190, and he was still in Wanghai City, China. However, this version of Wanghai was nearly unrecognizable.
In 2150, global warming had caused severe resource shortages, and an economic crisis soon followed.
By 2164, a political crisis in Poland ignited Central Europe's powder keg, and the red regimes began pushing westward. This led to a global geopolitical tension that set the stage for a world divided into three main powers: NATO (led by the US and its allies), the CCCP (the Soviet-led red regime), and the PCA (the Pan-Asian Cooperation, which included China and South Asian nations). A few fringe countries stayed neutral.
In 2171, the red regime declared war on the blue regime, triggering World War III. The war was brutal, and by 2172, nuclear weapons had been deployed, plunging the world into a nuclear winter. Earth's ecosystems were nearly destroyed, and 80% of the land was covered in ice and snow.
The war raged for two years, draining humanity's vitality. The economic damage far exceeded the combined costs of the World Wars. Eventually, peace came not through victory, but because the world had no choice—there was nothing left to fight over.
In 2174, a peace treaty was signed, and a joint project called "Rebuilding the Biosphere" was launched. But by the autumn of that year, the project failed. The radiation-purifying bacteria mutated uncontrollably, spreading an infection that turned people into zombies. Global chaos erupted.
In 2176, humanity's last hope was sent to a distant planet, Capitan b in the Centauri system, aboard six colony ships. But that was all irrelevant to the people still struggling on Earth.
The World Union dissolved that same year.
Jiang Chen discovered most of this information from an old, yellowed diary, with a few details also coming from a functioning electronic watch he found in a drawer. Based on the information from the watch, it was now June 2190.
Curiously, it was also June in his own world.
In just five short years, humanity in this world had brought about its own destruction.
After staying for a brief period, Jiang Chen decided to return to his own time. The dangers in the parallel world were too great, and it wouldn't be wise to explore without proper preparation.
Back in the modern world, Jiang Chen rested for two days before heading to a nearby supermarket. He stocked up on canned food, ham, and instant noodles, just in case. Though he didn't plan to stay in the dangerous world overnight, he still packed three days' worth of supplies.
During the day, the zombies seemed much weaker, making it easier for Jiang Chen to explore the area. Carefully avoiding the more zombie-infested streets, he found an old villa...
The tall walls and iron gates gave off a sense of security, while the withered plants inside suggested a melancholic atmosphere. The marble columns near the villa's main entrance were weathered by acid rain, a clear sign of the severe pollution in this world.
The villa's architecture didn't have a futuristic look. It seemed the former owner was a wealthy individual who enjoyed a lavish lifestyle.
As to why Jiang Chen chose to explore this villa, the answer was simple—rich people's houses had to have valuable things, right?
However, what he found inside wasn't treasure, but a woman on the brink of starvation.
Perhaps it was the beauty that dulled his sense of caution, or maybe Jiang Chen, coming from a civilized society, never considered the potential dangers. Either way, when he saw the stunning woman, barely able to breathe, looking at him with pleading eyes, he generously reached into his backpack, pulled out a bottle of mineral water, and brought it to her lips, feeding her gently.
Saving her was the priority... He wondered, though, would she offer herself in gratitude? Cough.
Next, Jiang Chen took out a can of curry chicken chunks. As the rich aroma wafted from the can, the woman continued to look at him with those large, pleading eyes. For a man like Jiang Chen, still a virgin, the way she gazed at him was an indescribable pleasure, both mentally and physically.
With enthusiasm, he took out a spoon and began feeding her, piece by piece, the delicious food from the can.
And then... there was nothing else.
He quickly regretted it, wishing he could slap himself.
The woman's actions were a perfect real-life example of the "Farmer and Snake" story.
After a few bites of curry and some steamed buns, the woman said nothing but swiftly pulled a handgun from her waist, pressing it to Jiang Chen's forehead. Before he could even react, she had expertly tied him to a chair. Then, with ruthless efficiency, she grabbed what appeared to be... a ahem fetish item—whips, from the previous owner of the villa—and started interrogating him.
At that moment, Jiang Chen finally understood what carrying a backpack full of food through the streets could mean.
Fortunately, he had encountered someone like Miss Sun Jiao, who still had some semblance of conscience. If he had met cannibals or slave traders, he'd probably be tied up and served as food or sold off by now.
Of course, Jiang Chen could always use the tattoo on his wrist to teleport back to modern times. But that would mean revealing his biggest secret. If this woman discovered it, he'd face even greater danger.
He certainly wasn't willing to give up his claim to this "treasure land."
Besides, activating the time-travel function would take time. If this crazy woman caught on, she might just shoot him.
Jiang Chen didn't want to take that risk, though at least now, he had struck some sort of a partnership with her.
"Hey, I've got a question for you," Sun Jiao said, reinforcing a weak spot in the villa's defenses while looking at Jiang Chen with a puzzled expression. "How are you planning to get supplies here?"
"My team has it covered. You don't need to worry about that." Jiang Chen continued to lie through his teeth.
There was definitely money in the villa, but the currency in this world was vastly different from the one Jiang Chen knew. He had considered looking for valuables like gold, but the previous owner had clearly kept those things elsewhere.
The paintings hanging on the walls could be worth something, but those famous artists might not even exist in Jiang Chen's world. Trying to sell these art pieces would be a bust. As for the more advanced household gadgets, Jiang Chen was fascinated. But when he found out things like the holographic TVs and automatic cooking appliances didn't work, Sun Jiao had a simple explanation.
"Those things?" she shrugged. "After the nuclear blast, most electronics are shot. But, you can take out the key components and trade them for useful stuff in survivor camps."
Jiang Chen sighed, abandoning his idea of bringing these gadgets to modern times for resale.
But the fact that these things existed meant someone could recreate them. Jiang Chen was confident that, if he offered food in exchange, many "elite" people would jump at the chance to work for him. After all, in this apocalypse, luxury civilian technology was practically worthless.
Weak tech specialists who didn't know how to make weapons or high-end tech could only hope to survive in the slums.
Sun Jiao didn't know what Jiang Chen was aiming for in this villa, but as long as her employer wanted her to work, she wouldn't complain.
"To be honest, reinforcing this building is pointless," she said. "As long as we don't make too much noise, those mindless zombies won't get in. There aren't any dangerous mutated creatures in the area, so what you're doing is..."
"Enough," Jiang Chen cut her off. "I'm not worried about zombies. I know if we avoid them, they won't bother us. I'm worried about uninvited guests. Got it? You wouldn't want to wake up to someone slitting your throat, would you? We need to stay here for a while. This will be our supply base." He shot her a fierce look.
"Sure, boss," Sun Jiao rolled her eyes and nailed the final piece of wood into place. She actually wanted to argue: No one's going to sneak into a place that's clearly been looted.
As for why she was here... Well, that was her secret.
"Got a map of the area?" Jiang Chen asked, leaning back on a slightly moldy sofa. He had no guilt making her do all the hard work. After all, she had almost interrogated him with a gun to his head. That feeling was far from pleasant.
Sun Jiao, clearly used to this kind of work, quickly finished reinforcing the first floor of the villa. The materials she used were all sourced locally...
"Got an Epaid?" she asked, not looking up.
"Epaid?" Jiang Chen blinked, confused.
"This thing." Sun Jiao tapped the wrist-mounted computer on her arm and grinned. "You don't have one?"
"... I can buy one." Jiang Chen chuckled awkwardly, rubbing his nose. He felt like a caveman in front of her.
"Hard to believe... You came all the way to the city without an EP? Aren't you worried about radiation exposure?" Sun Jiao sighed and fished something resembling a large wristwatch from her backpack and tossed it to Jiang Chen. "Try this on."
"Seems to fit... Where'd you get it?" Jiang Chen fiddled with the device, surprised by the technological advancements of this world. The EP was light and unobtrusive, and it displayed his vital signs on a pale yellow screen, looking like a health monitor.
"Got it from the body of a poor guy," Sun Jiao smirked. Her smile was bright but gave Jiang Chen an unexpected chill.
User Profile: Jiang Chen
Physical Condition:
Muscle Strength: 12Bone Density: 10Reflexes: 11Brain Activity: 14
...
Radiation Level: 11 (Safe)
Anomalies: None
Seeing his radiation level, Jiang Chen wiped a bead of cold sweat from his forehead. He had almost forgotten—radiation was everywhere in this world. Sooner or later, it'd get to him. He didn't know exactly what a level of 11 meant, but he knew for a fact that he hadn't been exposed to radiation back in his world!
"Oh, none of your stats exceed 20... Are you even a man?" Sun Jiao eyed his lower body with a wicked grin.
"Want to find out?" Jiang Chen shot back fiercely.
"Why don't you try?" Sun Jiao confidently placed her boot on the armrest of the sofa, eyes filled with challenge.
What? Now or never?
... Actually, maybe never.
Jiang Chen quickly gave up.
No way he was going to fight this "barbarian" woman. Even if he somehow won (which was impossible), he'd still have to worry about her biting off his... Well, he didn't want to think about it. Jiang Chen was certain she'd be the type to do just that.
Better to save the fun for his world, where having money would get him women.
Suddenly, a woman crossed his mind—the one who fired him, the one who nearly ruined his financial life, the one with the cold expression always on her face...
"What's up, little boss? Why so quiet all of a sudden?" Sun Jiao teased, emphasizing the word "little" with a smirk in her eyes.
"Nothing, just thinking about some past stuff."
Sun Jiao paused for a moment. That casual tone sent a chill through her. Although she didn't think the man with stats under 20 would pose a threat, the survival instincts honed from living on the edge told her otherwise.
She wisely kept quiet.
After all, there was no need to antagonize a free meal ticket. Getting fed every day was something Sun Jiao never thought she'd experience. The curry chicken chunks were incredible. She had never tasted anything so good. In this wasteland, having a steamed bun to nibble on was already a luxury. Oh no, most people were stuck with nutrient concoctions—food that couldn't quite fill you up, but kept you alive.
Moreover, this not-so-mature "boss" seemed like a good guy...
Don't get her wrong—"good guy" was definitely an insult in this wasteland. But for some reason, compared to the "normal" people around, she preferred to stick with this "too nice for his own good" guy. At least, with him, she didn't have to worry about waking up tied up like a dumpling.
With that thought, Sun Jiao's lips curled into a faint smile.
"I say, don't smile like that, it's a bit creepy…" For some reason, Jiang Chen felt a chill as he saw Sun Jiao's smile. Though it didn't last long, the memory lingered.