Remodeling and the Next World

Surgery complete.

Wu Heng manifested three sparring dummies in his private room, familiarizing himself with his enhanced physique through rapid-fire strikes.

There was no such thing as power increasing too quickly to control; after a single set of punches, he had already mastered it.

With a thought, Wu Heng returned to his bedroom in reality.

"Hello? Team Leader Liu, what is it? You want me to go to the factory for a shift now?"

His mother, Yang Huifen's voice drifted in from the living room; she must have been on a work-related call.

"I understand the factory's difficulties, but I've already come home. It was my turn last week; this week it should be Xiaomei and the others."

"Why should I have to work overtime every single night just because they have their own children to look after? I have a child at home too!"

"Fine, deduct it if you want. Let me tell you something, Little Liu, I quit! But if you short me even a penny of the hard-earned wages I'm owed, I'm going straight to the Labor Bureau to report you!"

"My son is making money now; I don't care about that perfect attendance bonus. You can rot in that office yourself!"

Yang Huifen hung up the phone, feeling quite angry. In the past, she had endured the hardship for the sake of her child and stability, thinking it was no big deal. But as she helped her colleagues more and more, they had grown accustomed to it, dumping all sorts of grueling tasks on her every day.

But things were different now. Her son had made something of himself.

The tides had turned.

Finally free from that stifling frustration, she had said the words she'd kept bottled up for three years. She felt a sense of relief, as if she had shed ten years of age.

Wu Heng pushed open his bedroom door and walked into the living room.

"Mom, what happened?"

"Oh, nothing. I just told the factory over the phone that I'm retiring. I'm going to rely on my son to support me from now on."

Seeing her son emerge, Yang Huifen reined in her triumph slightly. She looked at Wu Heng, her face glowing with pride and genuine happiness; she felt that her life had finally been worth it.

"Alright, then I'll drive you there tomorrow!"

Wu Heng chuckled. He was happy to play along with such trivial matters. Back home, his tightly wound nerves finally relaxed for a moment.

The night passed without incident.

At 9:00 AM, after the family finished breakfast, Wu Heng drove his mother to the factory to handle her resignation.

There were no dramatic confrontations; the resignation went through smoothly.

When Team Leader Liu saw Yang Huifen and Wu Heng, he didn't offer any sarcasm. He simply said a few flat words, signed the papers, and told her that her final wages would be direct-deposited next month.

This left Yang Huifen feeling a bit unsatisfied, though she didn't notice the way Team Leader Liu's hands were tightly clenched or the despondent slump of his back as he walked away.

He was thinking of his own good-for-nothing child at home, wondering how much longer he would have to endure this grind—perhaps until the very moment he was too old to move.

As soon as they entered the residential complex, his mother asked Wu Heng to pull over. She stepped out of the car slowly, greeting the neighbors and joining the square dance group.

"Hey, Huifen, aren't you going to the factory today?"

"Who's this young man? Why did he drive you all the way back to the complex?"

A group of middle-aged women chimed in, chattering away.

"That's my son. The kid has made something of himself now, so I'm just going to retire!"

"That's incredible! Your son has really made it. That car must have cost a fortune."

Yang Huifen offered a few modest, dismissive replies, but once she finished, she lost interest in dancing.

She turned and sat on a nearby bench to soak up the sun, scrolling through short videos on her phone.

The autumn sun was warm. It felt as if she were feeling its heat for the first time in twenty years.

Wu Heng parked the car in the basement garage, entered the elevator, and pressed the button for the 4th floor. The elevator rose slowly.

When it reached the first floor, the doors opened, and a delicate girl with a single ponytail stepped in. She was wearing a brand-name white tracksuit with pink trim.

This vibrant outfit, however, clashed with her pale lips.

Seeing Wu Heng, the girl raised her right hand slightly and nodded with a smile, a simple greeting.

She was Lili from 403.

Wu Heng nodded back in acknowledgment, then frowned almost imperceptibly.

There was a scent of blood on this woman, emanating from her lower body.

He was extremely sensitive to the smell of blood now. He was certain she was injured—a wound at least two inches long and quite deep.

"You don't look so well."

Wu Heng probed.

The silent girl standing beside him seemed surprised that he had spoken. She remained quiet for a moment before replying:

"Oh, that... girls go through this every month. I'm just a bit anemic."

She lowered her head slightly, a few strands of dark hair slipping past her ear.

"Oh. Drink more hot water."

Wu Heng replied casually, his heart sinking. This woman was lying.

What was she injured by, and why did she feel the need to lie? Was there some unspeakable secret?

His gaze swept slightly over the girl's thighs, unnoticed by her.

Judging by the location of the scent, the wound was on the outer side of her right leg. It must have been treated recently, as the smell of blood had not yet dissipated.

"Thank you."

The girl seemed very quiet, a stark contrast to when he had seen her a few days ago.

"It's nothing. Do you want to go to the hospital and rest for a few days?"

Wu Heng wondered if his two experiences in the horror worlds had made him overly sensitive, perhaps even suffering from paranoid delusions!

He even suspected whether this woman might also be a Tower Guardian.

"No need, I'll be fine after resting for a couple of days."

Ding! The fourth floor arrived.

Cai Xueli spoke as she stepped out of the elevator and headed toward 403.

Wu Heng followed behind, observing the girl carefully.

Her feet, left leg, and upper body, including her arm movements, were all normal.

Only her right leg was injured, but this wound was definitely caused by a sharp, regular-edged weapon!

Why would an ordinary girl suffer a knife or sword wound? And the fact that she would rather use something as embarrassing as a menstrual cycle to cover it up made Wu Heng suspicious.

He hoped he was just overthinking it; what were the odds of another Tower Guardian living right next door?

However, since this girl lived so close to him, she might bring trouble. All dangers had to be eliminated in the bud. This world was not simple; it was not the mundane world of his past life. He had to proceed with caution and never be careless.

Wu Heng pondered this as he returned to his bedroom, connecting with his Tower Mark to check the information for the next plot world.

[Next Plot World: Spasm, Countdown: 28 days, 16 hours, 23 minutes (Refreshable)]

Wu Heng frowned at the name. With his knowledge of every horror movie on the web, he had never seen this film. Who on earth directed these, and who was watching them?

Refresh!

[500 Survival Points deducted, refresh successful.]

[Next Plot World: The Dead Husband and the Tenant, Countdown: 28 days, 16 hours, 21 minutes (Refreshable)]

Wu Heng felt a bit dazed. What kind of ghost movie was this? Which country was it from? Show yourself, director!

Was his knowledge too limited, or were there just too many obscure films from his past life? He was starting to wonder if these were movies from the previous world!

Refresh again!

Wu Heng steeled his heart. Survival points were limited, but no matter what movie this was, he would just go in and fight.

He had escaped pain in the first world and killed greed in the second. Did he really need to know the plot to become stronger?

[1000 Survival Points deducted, refresh successful.]

[Next Plot World: Ghost in the Heart, Countdown: 28 days, 16 hours, 20 minutes (Refreshable)]

"?"

Wu Heng was currently quite sensitive and reactive to the word "heart."

He would dare to enter a world called Ghost in the Butt, but the "heart" was his vital point—his life depended on it!

It wasn't necessary, really not necessary. Forget it, one more refresh!

Wu Heng sighed.

[2000 Survival Points deducted, refresh successful.]

Wu Heng felt a sense of relief upon seeing the plot world that appeared this time.

He had been worrying about how to fill the deep space of his Life Box, and this world had come at the perfect time.

The information transmitted by the Lighthouse read:

[Next Plot World: Tomie Kawakami, Countdown: 28 days, 16 hours, 17 minutes (Refreshable)]

Wu Heng had finally refreshed a world whose plot he knew.

This story primarily revolved around an immortal monster: Tomie Kawakami!

In appearance, Tomie Kawakami was an incredibly beautiful woman who captivated everyone regardless of gender or age. Her origins were unknown, and her personality was vain and arrogant.

She possessed a strange constitution, capable of endless reproduction through her own cells, much like a planarian worm.

She held a fatal charm—seductive yet poisonous—luring men into madness. All men would fight over her, killing their wives, fathers, and children, or even committing suicide for her sake.

But in the end, to satisfy their own filthy possessiveness, they would always hack Tomie into pieces.

The dismembered Tomie would not die; instead, she would split and regenerate into new Tomies, spreading this charm to even more places and causing the tragedy to repeat countless times.