The Beginning of Transmigration

Earth Star

At Bashu Huaxi Fourth People's Hospital, Zhou Xiaoqin lay in his hospital bed, occasionally staring at the IV bottle above his head.

Sometimes, he would stare blankly at the needle marks covering his body. It had been six months since the illness began tormenting him.

He had actually wanted to end it all long ago, but his family had silently encouraged and comforted him.

The patients in his ward had come and gone in batch after batch, while he seemed welded to bed number fourteen.

A young man of twenty-three, in the late stages of cancer. If not for the intense pain he endured every day, he would not have dared imagine that his life had already begun counting down.

Zhou Xiaoqin had only just graduated from university and had failed to find a satisfactory job at campus recruitment.

Oh! It was not that he had failed to find one—it was that no one wanted him. His abilities were average, though he did have some tact when speaking.

He had originally planned to make his own way in society, but more than two months had passed and he still had not found a job.

Misfortune struck without warning, and illness had slowly wrapped itself around him. Perhaps he had already been sick years ago, only appearing normal on the surface.

University students these days ate everything and stayed up late all the time. Their bodies had long since been worn down.

Even if he were given another chance to start over, he might not be able to seize it.

In the current campus environment, even if he could hold on, he might not survive the harm a whole dormitory could bring!

Here, he hoped everyone would have:

Good health!

Immortality!

Never die!!!

"If I could go back a few years, could I live differently? I don't want to die!"

Zhou Xiaoqin murmured softly. He often indulged in such fantasies.

The torment of pain made him wish he were dead, yet that faint hope kept him alive.

The doctors had already issued a critical condition notice to his family. Could he still live? The hope doctors gave was merely to stabilize a patient's emotions.

Zhou Xiaoqin was not an idiot. How could he not know that his days were numbered? But who did not want to live?

Wanting to die did not mean he was not afraid of death.

At that moment, the ward door quietly opened, and Grandpa Liu from the neighboring bed walked in.

He was the only fellow patient who had stayed with him for three months. The others had either died or completely given up treatment.

Grandpa Liu casually tossed him a small Box, tall and square, with dust on its lid, as if it had been picked out of a garbage heap.

"Here, Little Zhou,"

Grandpa Liu had bought it on the way back after dinner. The two-yuan store was having a buy-one-get-one-free promotion.

Seeing how listless Zhou Xiaoqin was every day, he had thought of buying him a little trinket to cheer him up.

Grandpa Liu secretly glanced toward the doorway, then quickly stuffed the cigarettes in his pocket beneath Zhou Xiaoqin's pillow while no nurses were around!

"Smoke sparingly. Don't let the nurses catch you, or they'll nag me again.

"That head nurse is really pretty, but what a mouth she has. Sharp as poison!"

Grandpa Liu often brought cigarettes for Zhou Xiaoqin and had been caught by the nurses many times. The other nurses could only scold him because of his age.

But one of them would directly curse him out every time. Her words were harsh, but her heart was soft. She was only afraid that smoking would worsen Zhou Xiaoqin's condition.

Zhou Xiaoqin took it rather lightly. He was already in the late stages of cancer—how was he supposed to keep living? Without cigarettes, he could not endure the pain every day. At least they gave him a little mental boost!

After quite a while, Zhou Xiaoqin took out the phone beneath his pillow and checked the time.

June 13, 2025, 19:36

It was evening. He quickly tucked the cigarettes into his hospital gown pocket, then felt around beneath the soft pad on his bed for the hidden lighter. Carrying his IV bottle, he headed for the emergency exit in the corridor.

Some time ago, he had hidden in the restroom to smoke, but a cleaning lady had caught the scent and immediately reported him to the nurses' station.

The result was that not only had the nurse sisters lectured him, but they had also told his family. Needless to say, his family gave him a thorough scolding.

Grandpa Liu hurried after him to bum a cigarette. Whenever Zhou Xiaoqin ran out of smokes, he often smoked Grandpa Liu's, and Grandpa Liu often bummed Zhou Xiaoqin's cigarettes as well.

That was how the two gradually became familiar, like an old man and a young man who had somehow become close friends.

"Kid, cheer up a little. You've got cigarettes, yet you still look so gloomy. Aren't cigarettes food for the soul? Have a smoke, and you'll feel better."

Grandpa Liu hurriedly took his IV bottle, afraid he would somehow end up getting his infusion backward.

Such a young man, in the prime of his youth, just like his Grandson.

What a pity. Grandpa Liu lamented inwardly. If his own Grandson had ended up like this, he would climb out of his coffin after death and flip the lid right off.

"Grandpa Liu, do you think I should still be alive? We've spent so much money. Today, I heard my old man talking on the phone in the corridor. My mom was arguing with him."

In fact, when the pain woke him that morning, he had heard his father on the phone.

His mother said he was an unfilial son, a useless bastard who should never have been born, someone who had dragged the entire family down with him.

His father had kept smiling apologetically and saying sorry to his mother. Zhou Xiaoqin had never seen his father treat her that way before.

Zhou Xiaoqin suddenly realized that the human heart was so complicated. His mother loved him while also hating him. It was such a contradiction.

"What a pity, for the white-haired to send off the black-haired. A plot straight out of television had actually happened to me."

Zhou Xiaoqin spoke helplessly.

"Don't try to persuade me. I've accepted it."

Seeing Grandpa Liu about to speak again, Zhou Xiaoqin hurriedly stopped him.

He silently lit a cigarette and took a deep drag. The curling smoke seemed like his own life—it was probably about to end.

Back at the hospital bed.

"Grandpa, what is this? Don't tell me you bought me an urn!

"But it's way too small. I wouldn't fit in it."

"Do you really want to die that badly? I bought you an urn? I'd buy you two bullets first!"

The two joked around, easing the heavy atmosphere in the ward.

Grandpa Liu really wanted to smack him. The little bastard could not say anything good, always talking about death and bad luck.

"Grandpa, now that you mention it, if the Box were a little bigger, it really could hold me. Though it doesn't look like it's for ashes.

"Hahahaha ???? ? ????!"

As he spoke, Zhou Xiaoqin began examining the Box. It seemed to have been sewn shut. He tugged at it, but it would not budge.

He tried prying it apart with more force, but after struggling for ages, even straining his muscles out of shape did nothing.

(Brothers, do you think this is blood recognition? Impossible. You guessed wrong.)

"Grandpa, what exactly did you buy?"

"Just something random. It was cheap!"

Even Grandpa Liu did not know why he had bought such a Box that day.

Zhou Xiaoqin refused to give up and knocked it against the wall. With one hard hit, he knocked off a huge chunk of plaster.

The Box did not react at all. He quickly pulled it back, afraid the hospital would make him pay for the damage.

"Grandpa, you bought this thing with bad intentions. It won't open."

Grandpa Liu did not even know what to say. Zhou Xiaoqin shook the powdery dust off the Box and carefully searched for its mechanism. He felt there had to be some key trick to it.

A two-yuan item with a mechanism? The seller really was taking a huge loss on this one.

He fiddled with it for a long time but still found no breakthrough. After thinking it over, he gave up.

He held the Box and stared into space. Without tools, there was nothing he could do.

"Who made this thing? The designer is a real idiot!"

He cursed, and the frustration he had bottled up for so long finally found an outlet.

Then the Box gave a faint "buzz." Was he hallucinating?

No, he quickly raised it to his ear to listen, but he heard nothing.

He picked it up and shook it again. There was nothing inside, yet it felt solid.

"Anyone who designed something like this must be out of their mind."

"Buzz."

This time, it happened again. He heard it clearly, loud and unmistakable. It was not a hallucination.

He looked at Grandpa Liu in astonishment, while Grandpa Liu looked back at him as if he were an idiot.

No, why had Grandpa Liu not reacted?

That was impossible. He pointed at the Box and cursed at it.

"What kind of damn thing designed this? Brain-dead designer."

"Buzz!"

A burst of ultrasonic sound pierced his mind. It took him a long while to recover before he looked at Grandpa Liu.

"Little Zhou, is your illness acting up? I called you for ages, but you didn't react. Want me to get a nurse?"

"I'm fine. I just spaced out."

He understood. Grandpa Liu had not heard it. This thing had to be something sinister, something that had gained a spirit.

It had been more than seventy years since the founding of the nation. Where had something like this come from?

Anyway, he was practically dead already. He cursed it again. This thing actually reacted when he insulted it—its designer must have had some special hobby.

"%.@#·····"

"*******"

""Oh@***····!"

Finally, the Box began to shake and flew straight up, stopping before Zhou Xiaoqin's face. Grandpa Liu's hairs stood on end instantly!

"Holy shit!!!"

Grandpa Liu blurted out an elegant Chinese curse, scared half to death.

Zhou Xiaoqin's entire body tensed. Damn, did I offend some evil god? He frantically apologized inwardly.

I'm sorry, Big Brother!!!

I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have insulted you. Please just let me go like a fart!!!

When faced with an unknown danger, he became afraid of death again!

The Box's lid loosened, revealing the slightest gap. There was something inside. Zhou Xiaoqin steadied himself and looked.

Silver-gray mist. He could not see it clearly.

In his daze, he seemed to see a river, or perhaps a strip of silk in the Starry Sky. It was beautiful.

Something seemed to flow within the gray mist, though he could not make it out. For an instant, it seemed as if there had been nothing there at all.

He froze in place, his expression already becoming dazed.

Grandpa Liu seemed to realize something and wanted to call for help immediately. He lunged for the call button.

At that moment, the gray mist inside the Box lit up, and the silver-gray ribbon emitted a dazzling glow.

The light instantly pulled Grandpa Liu back into himself, and he lowered the call button.

The light shone on Zhou Xiaoqin. His body began to dissipate, while his soul was pulled toward the Box by the silver-gray radiance.

He wanted to move, but he could not. He wanted to speak, but no words came out.

It was over. He was totally screwed. This time, he was really going to die.

Zhou Xiaoqin knew what awaited him next.

Death was death. He had already become a burden to his family.

An early release would be better. He was only terribly sorry for his parents, his grandparents, and his aunt, who loved him most.

But why wasn't this silver light destroying his phone too!!! Damn it, his innocence!

At that moment, a handprint that covered the sky suddenly appeared and pressed down toward Zhou Xiaoqin.

It was over. Not only was the Box messing with him, but a giant hand was pressing down on him too.

Grandpa Liu tried to cry out, but a gaze shot out from the silver-gray mist, leaving him unable to say a single word.

The giant hand stopped directly over Zhou Xiaoqin, motionless. His expression began to blur as the silver-gray light pulled him toward the Box, and he vanished along with it!

(Transmigration begins. Wishing the protagonist a smooth journey!)