Miss Xiaoman

When Kang De opened his eyes again, he saw a pure white ceiling.

This is an unfamiliar environment.

His body suddenly stiffened, and then he subconsciously reached for his body. Ever since he transmigrated to this other world, he always kept a weapon by his side, whether he was on weekdays or sleeping.

But he couldn't find it. He looked down and saw that he was wearing a soft hospital gown.

After a brief moment of stunned silence, the wariness and tension in his eyes gradually faded.

Instead, it was replaced by very complex emotions.

Footsteps echoed in the corridor. Outside the window, the scenery was perfect: bright sunshine, bustling traffic, lush greenery, no White Mist, no Veil —everything was just as it always was.

This is Earth, this is the city where he lives.

This is his... home.

The place I've longed to return to in countless dreams.

He's back.

And nothing has been lost. Life on Earth, the order of Civilization, loved ones and friends we care about—everyone is fine, and the world is just like before.

The only change was in himself.

He is not the same person he used to be.

In just two days, Kang De's life underwent several dramatic changes.

Having once concluded that human Civilization had perished, he ventured into another world with the hope of starting anew.

However, he was hurt by human malice and selfishness, and his trusted and befriended friends died one by one. His heart was crushed by grief and despair, and he turned into madness, launching a vicious revenge with the fire of anger.

With his hands stained with blood, his heart slid towards bestiality, but in the end, he held onto the last shred of humanity on the brink of danger, which directly led to him being cursed by the gods. At this point, his madness and hatred dissipated, and his life was about to come to an end. All he wanted was to die quietly in his hometown.

He had been utterly insane, utterly desperate, but when he finally let go of his hatred and prepared to peacefully face his death, he found himself back on Earth.

He hadn't lost anything he thought he had lost.

Just as he said to Lost's corpse when he left, fate is so mysterious; what is lost in one place is gained in another. Who can explain its unpredictable nature?

He silently pressed his hand to his chest.

He could sense that the cursed power attached to his heart had long since disappeared. Although he was close to unconsciousness at the time, a realization flashed through his mind: perhaps the reason he was able to return to the real Earth was because of the lingering divine power that had come into play.

In other words, if Hannah's body had been brutally dissected while she was still alive, the bomb had been cruelly implanted, and a trap had been set to severely injure Lost, then while Lost wouldn't have had the chance to use the cursed artifact, Kang De wouldn't have been able to return home.

The reason he stopped was less due to Cleveland's advice in the alley and more due to Kang De's last shred of humanity. His first act of kindness led to the knight's death and Kang De's madness, and his second act of kindness almost cost him Kang De life. But who could have imagined that the last ray of light amidst the darkest, most insane evil would become the opportunity to return home, finally bringing peace to his once sorrowful and desperate heart?

Above destiny, there is even more destiny.

Kang De silently clutched his chest, thinking of that person. Even if he died because of it, that fool probably wouldn't regret advising Kang De to let the little beggar go.

That's just the kind of person he is.

"This time, you truly saved me..."

Kang De whispered, "Thank you, I will never forget you."

Just then, he heard a loud sneeze.

On the sofa bed in front of the hospital bed, a person suddenly sat up, rubbed her nose, and the bright sunlight shone on her beautiful face and flowing hair.

She glanced at Kang De, a look of surprise appearing on her face.

But then suspicion arose.

The girl immediately started complaining.

What's with that look on your face, like you've just had a sudden epiphany and are about to become a saint?

Kang De was taken aback at first, then a warm light appeared on his face.

He said softly, "Xiaoman, I'm back."

"..."

The girl jumped up, ran over, and gave him a sharp rap on the head. "You beast, where have you been again?"

She plopped down on the edge of Kang De's bed, looked him up and down, and said angrily, "What's wrong with you? You've gotten yourself into this state after just two days. You almost scared me to death."

--Two days.

Kang De was startled.

Only two days have passed...?

He felt both joy and sorrow.

Fortunately, the time travel only took two days for them to reach this side, and their disappearance went unnoticed by others, since their father was working overseas and their mother had gone to visit him.

Sadly... he really did take a very, very long trip.

Such sadness, loneliness, and sorrow cannot be shared with anyone.

But it doesn't matter anymore.

As long as everyone is alright, that's good.

The girl noticed Kang De's expression, or rather, sensed the fleeting sadness in it. Looking at her childhood sweetheart so close to her, she felt a tremor in her heart.

For some reason, she felt a strange flutter in her heart.

She was very, very close to Kang De.

Or rather, the two companies are very familiar with each other.

Their grandfathers were neighbors in the same village, and their fathers went to university together, changed their fates together, moved to the city together, and became neighbors again. In other words, they have been neighbors since childhood.

But as the two grew up, the country began to develop rapidly, and the tides of the times surged. Some people seized the opportunity and rose to prominence. The girl's father was one of them. In just seven or eight years, the wealth, family background, and social status of the two families became vastly different. The girl became a wealthy heiress with assets worth hundreds of millions, while Kang De lived a peaceful life with his parents.

Even so, the friendship between the two families, which began in previous generations, has never been interrupted. The friendship between the fathers in their poverty goes without saying, and the friendship between the children since childhood has not been diluted by time and growth. Back then, Uncle Wang decided to start a business. He and his wife were busy with their affairs, so they entrusted their daughter to the care of their neighbors. The girl's childhood and school life were always inseparable from Kang De.

The two were people who knew each other very well.

From childhood to adulthood, Wang Xiaoman and Kang De were the best of friends.

Therefore, the girl was able to sense that Kang De had undergone some kind of... change.

Although she couldn't pinpoint exactly where the change was, she could sense it.

Although it had only been two or three days since they last met, and although they were very close friends, sitting next to Kang De, she felt a strange sense of distance.

It felt like I hadn't seen the person in front of me for so, so long...

She asked softly, "What happened?"

Kang De laughed and said, "It's nothing... I escaped death and was given a second chance at life, so I've become a bit... more accepting of it."

"So, what exactly did you do?"

Wang Xiaoman suppressed her suspicions and asked worriedly, "He can usually run and jump, how could he suddenly become like that? The doctor can't say what happened either..."

"It's alright, it's alright, I'm all better now."

That's absolutely true.

The curse vanished, his heart began to beat again, and he felt his body gradually recovering. He could sense the Dou Qi flowing within him, the mysteries contained within the Element that his spiritual power touched, and the feedback from his powerful body enhanced by the crystal.

Extraordinary power.

I am on Earth.

He has never been better off.

Old Wang was still a little worried. "Should we get a full body checkup?"

Kang De paused for a moment, then asked, "Has the doctor examined me before?"

The girl nodded and said, "Yes, it was just a few related tests. He found it very strange. He said your body was extremely weak at that time; anyone else would have been on the verge of death, but your relevant indicators were still within the normal range, even stronger than the average person, so it was very strange."

Kang De probably knew what was going on.

Because my body was extremely weak at the time, the test results were only at a normal level, and only a few tests were normal and unlikely to cause any major problems.

In other words...

He shook his head and said, "I'm completely healed now, no need for further examination."

Are you kidding me? He's already beyond the realm of normal human beings. If a doctor were to scan his EEG or other data, they'd probably be terrified and question their existence.

Kang De glanced at the room's furnishings. It was a private, spacious room with a TV and a separate bathroom—probably the best private ward in the hospital. He thought for a moment and said, "I don't have much money in my account right now, but I'll pay you back later. Don't tell my parents."

"Don't worry, you were rescued quickly, and the doctor said they found no problems, so I didn't tell your aunt and uncle." Xiaoman waved her hand, not mentioning money at all.

Seeing Kang De get up, pick up his clothes, and head towards the bathroom, she said somewhat worriedly, "You should still get a full checkup. The money is a minor issue..."

Kang De turned around, smiled at her, and said gently, "No need."

His smile and words were just ordinary, yet for some reason, they exuded an undeniable authority and power. Wang Xiaoman was speechless for a moment, and by the time she came to her senses, Kang De had already gone inside.

The girl was stunned, and then the suspicion in her eyes grew stronger.

A sense of incongruity; she felt a very incongruous feeling from Kang De.

What happened after only two days apart?

What exactly happened to him?

The admission procedures weren't even completed properly, and now we have to go through the discharge procedures. There are so many things to do, it's very troublesome, and the attending physician who came after hearing about it also expressed his opposition.

But for the wicked capitalists, there's no problem that money can't solve.

Old Wang's family has a long-term service agreement with a health company, making them a highly valued client. All procedures for any physical examination or medical treatment can be handled entirely by the company's employees, saving them time and effort. They only need to make a phone call and leave their ID card and citizen card in the hospital room temporarily before leaving.

Kang De and Xiaoman walked out of the hospital building side by side.

He gazed at the azure sky and took a deep breath.

Damn it, Earth's air is still easier to breathe; this smog is just awful.

Old Wang took out his phone. "I'll call a car."

Kang De said, "Let's go back."

"Good."

So they strolled slowly along the roadside, watching the passing cars, pedestrians, and tall buildings. Everything they used to find tiresome now seemed so new and wonderful.

Old Wang said, "We should thank all the kind people who helped, especially the family who ran a red light to bring you here. They were planning to go out today, but they had to go to the police station to explain the situation. I had to stay with you, so I had to call my dad for help. The process was quick, but they lost their day off."

"My dad said he was worried they wouldn't accept money if he offered it, so he directly bought them five years of premium customer service for their car. But he still wanted to personally visit and thank them, and ideally, he'd also buy some toys and gifts for the kid, as well as the security guard in the neighborhood, and an old man..."

The girl counted them off one by one on her fingers.

Kang De listened with a smile, nodding repeatedly.

There are so many things to do.

Rather, even now, he hasn't recovered from this intense emotional turmoil, feeling as if he's in a dream... and has somehow returned to Earth.

He has many things to think about.

He has many decisions to make.

Past, present, and future.

Because so much has happened.

Everything is different from before.

Now, as he walks side by side with Xiaoman on the street, he finds himself feeling a faint sense of estrangement. They are childhood sweethearts who couldn't be closer, the best of friends.

But he thought of that experience: loneliness and sorrow, despair and madness, bloodshed and death, mercilessly executing enemies, making the wicked see even more wickedness, and the mad see even more madness. He used dark methods to fight back against darkness, plunging himself into bloodshed.

Such a person and such actions would be considered a murderer in any country on Earth, right? Unbeknownst to him, his fate underwent a dramatic change.

It even created a sense of bewilderment.

It's not that they don't know what they should do.

Instead, it was doubt.

I doubt whether I still belong here.

I'm back in my neighborhood.

The security guard who helped us yesterday was off duty. The two of them asked about the shift schedule and then entered the community.

Kang De paused before that Song Dynasty poem, remaining silent for a long time.

"How?"

Old Wang glanced at him. "Why are you interested in this again? Didn't you always complain about this before?"

Kang De smiled.

The girl in front of him certainly has no idea what he has done.

That's a very, very long story.

It's just a feeling.

What exactly is Civilization?

What can build it?

What can destroy it?

But whatever decisions we make, whatever we do in the future, whatever our feelings and attitudes are as we walk on Earth again... those are things for the future.

He has the most important thing to do now.

Entering the elevator and ascending the floor, the door that Old Wang had previously chopped up with an axe had been replaced with a new one. Capitalists have money, and money means efficiency.

Standing at the door, Kang De turned to look at the girl.

"Excuse me... could I have some time to myself?"

He said softly, "I'd like to make a phone call."

A phone call that was more than a year overdue.

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PS1: First update! 4000 words! More tonight!

PS2: The next few days will be relatively peaceful, relaxing and enjoyable. I've actually wanted to write an urban story for a long time, and now I can take this opportunity to practice.

PS3: And there's something else important. I see everyone's very excited, looking forward to the plot where Kang De hands over this secret to the state. Well, if it were last year, I might have been interested in giving it a try, but given the current crackdown on political content, anything involving the government is like a brush with death or serious injury. After all, there's no clear line or standard, so it's impossible to write. If I were to write such a plot now, to use a Chinese idiom, it would be like a Fujianese tourist going to Guangdong —eager to be fried in oil.

PS4: So, the following content involving Earth will be like dancing in shackles, but I still have a general idea. I have a general idea, so please continue reading.