Bear Tree Meow Goo Gang Shaman

"Lin, are you really not going to reconsider?"

The old professor's nagging voice drifted from the phone:

"A genius in fundamental sciences like you should have access to a top-tier research environment—our university's biology lab may not be Harvard, but it's still world-class. How are you supposed to conduct research holed up in a tiny shop all by yourself?"

"I appreciate your concern, Professor Wilson... but I still maintain that science stems from practice—I am very interested in the 'One Thousand Plant Transcriptomes Initiative (1KP)' starting in November, so I have decided to collect the samples myself."

Replying to the professor's persuasion with a gentle, apologetic tone, Oaks switched to speakerphone, set the device on the table, and turned to grab a black hoodie from the coat rack.

Just as he felt for the keys in his pocket, Professor Wilson's voice sounded again after a few seconds of silence.

Whether it was the speakerphone or not, the old professor sounded rather helpless:

"Fine, Lin. That makes six invitations of yours I've had to decline on your behalf lately... but if you are set on joining this world-class initiative, I'll handle the explanations with the other professors for you."

"Uh... thank you," Oaks rubbed his chin, grinned, and grabbed the electric shaver next to his phone:

"Professor Wilson, you know the significance of this global initiative for botanical research—it's a worldwide collaboration aimed at studying the genetic and genomic diversity of plant species from green algae to flowering plants over the past billion years. Although I hold a biology degree, my research in botany is actually a bit more in-depth than my work in zoology."

"Bzz—"

The sound of the electric shaver filled the air, followed by Professor Wilson's wry chuckle over the phone:

"Ah, that may be true, but you are the genius who single-handedly boosted our biology department's ranking into the national top three—I think you'd be better suited for the gene sequencing and data analysis after the samples are collected. I can already imagine the faces of those guys at Harvard and MIT mocking us."

"I still prefer to head to the rainforest to collect samples myself—I've lived in this concrete jungle for too long; I feel like I'm losing my connection to nature."

Rubbing his smooth chin, Oaks set the shaver down with satisfaction and picked up the phone:

"Besides, Professor Wilson, a large part of why I pursue biological research is to improve people's living environments. My research direction differs somewhat from yours and the other professors'."

"Aha, Lin, I must say your goals are noble... but I still have reservations about an academic elite like you running a tiny little plant shop!"

Oaks laughed apologetically:

"Professor Wilson, this is a social experiment... it won't be long before you understand—please apologize to the other professors for me. That's all for now, bye!"

"Beep!"

After hanging up, Oaks let out a sigh of relief, tucked his phone into his jeans pocket, smoothed out his red hair, and headed downstairs in a good mood to lock the shop door before turning toward the back exit.

Oaks Lin, a PhD in biology and a graduate of Cornell University in New York, was quite well-known in academic circles.

Although he lived in New York, Oaks was actually of Central European descent, with half-Irish heritage.

Therefore, while his facial features leaned toward his father's Chinese ancestry, one of the most prominent traits from his mother—the Celtic red hair—was clearly reflected in him.

His residence, the "Emerald Dream" plant shop located in Brooklyn's 20th District, was a two-story detached building—the greatest inheritance his parents had left him.

At the end of 1999, when Oaks was fourteen, his parents had died in a car accident while returning from a business trip, leaving no final words behind.

He, who had been joyfully waiting for them to return for Christmas, had fainted from the overwhelming shock and grief; when he woke up, he had become who he was now.

A... special soul had taken over his life.

So, although twenty-three-year-old Oaks owned a car, he tried not to drive unless he was making deliveries.

As for taking the subway... please, is that even a subway? It's a hellhole!

"If it's my birthday, I'll close the shop for the day... but life is about movement."

Locking the back door, Oaks looked up at the half-open transom window and glanced at the digital watch on his wrist:

"September 22, 2008, 10:00 AM."

Nodding, Oaks stretched his body, crouched slightly, and then leaped—

"Whoosh—"

A faint glimmer of light flashed, and Oaks's slender, six-foot-two frame vanished. In his place, a fat orange cat with a broad face squeezed through the transom and disappeared in an instant.

That's right, this was Oaks's special ability—

In his previous life, his name was Lin Xingye.

Born in an industrial city, he had harbored an infinite longing for nature since childhood, even choosing nature-themed classes when playing games.

Because of this, after graduating with a degree in environmental protection, he chose to become a ranger in a national forest nature reserve.

On his thirtieth birthday, while investigating a poaching syndicate, Lin Xingye died heroically while trying to stop the poachers' reckless actions that had ignited a forest fire—

When he awoke again, he had received a gift from nature.

Although the location of his rebirth wasn't great—New York was one of the cities with the worst environmental quality in the world, not to mention the terrifying wealth gap and the intermingling of glamour and chaos.

Yet the power of nature not only fortified his body and spirit but also bestowed upon him unique spells and a legacy—

"A one-of-a-kind quad-talent class, Bear Tree Meow Goo Gang Shaman, the envoy of nature from Azeroth—"

"Druid!"

Although he possessed a profound understanding of this so-called jack-of-all-trades class, Oaks did not remain happy for long after receiving these abilities.

Because, just as he had yet to fully integrate the memories of his predecessor, the television broadcast a high-profile global conference.

It was the 1999-2000 New Year's Eve technology conference in Bern, Switzerland.

A cross-century academic gala for the world's top scientists.

And the most dazzling star among them was—

The chairman and CEO of Stark Industries, genius scientist, billionaire philanthropist, and famous playboy...

Tony Stark!

Furthermore, rumors of a romantic entanglement between him and another female scientist seemed to have surfaced that very night.

Well, these were things the public loved to see.

But Oaks was stuck in a bind right then and there.

After carefully sorting through his predecessor's memories, he had to forcefully suppress his somewhat soaring spirits—

This world had Stark Industries, and it had Tony Stark.

Stark Industries had factories in both Long Island and Queens, New York.

Moreover, the Captain America memorial hall was located right in Brooklyn, where he lived.

Yes, Captain America, the Howling Commandos, and the World War II memoirs of Peggy Carter.

Did that not make the situation clear enough?

While this ability was quite interesting, this was not a primitive society!

In an era where the Earth's ecosystem had been destroyed to such an extent, a nature-based spellcaster was practically nerfed from the start...

"I must have a cover identity!"

From that moment on, Oaks established his plan of action... or rather, his survival manifesto.