Xie Chen

Biodata

Power Progression

Background / History

Xie Chen was believed to be an orphan adopted by the Xie Family after their biological son, Xie Ran, was abducted. The adoption was publicly promoted as charity, but the household treated Xie Chen as a replacement rather than a loved child. He was neglected from childhood and expected to manage household work, including cooking, cleaning, and caring for the family’s daily needs. 1 2 27

Grandma Xie was the sole member of the household to show him sustained kindness during his childhood. She taught him to cook, encouraged him to care for himself, and gave him a rare sense of familial warmth while the rest of the household treated him as unpaid labor. 149

After Xie Ran returned, the family prioritized him absolutely. Xie Ran redirected resentment over his abduction toward Xie Chen, repeatedly framing and excluding him, while the Xie Family diverted Xie Chen’s entertainment resources to Xie Ran and used company influence and paid trolls to suppress his career. 1 3

In his previous life, Xie Chen was falsely accused of pushing Xie Ran down the stairs. Xie Zhenting had his leg broken, ending his career opportunities; later, the family imprisoned and drugged him in an attempt to force a kidney donation to Xie Ran. 1 4

After completing every stage of a quick-transmigration system with all-A ratings, Xie Chen returned to the point of the stairway accusation. He immediately rejected the family’s demands, severed ties with them, and used his foreknowledge of Transform, Freaks! to rebuild his career and retaliate against those who harmed him. 1 7 12

Later revelations establish that the family identity presented to Xie Chen was fraudulent. Xie Yongan was actually Zhao Xiaoming, a former Xie Family driver who had stolen the Xie Family’s Destiny Pattern with Taiyu Perfected One’s help, usurped the family’s identity, and arranged the death of Xie Chen’s biological parents. Xie Chen is the rightful heir of the Xie Group rather than merely its adopted son. 280 288 292

Xie Chen’s memories were deliberately erased by evil cultivators overseas after they targeted him during his time in the United States. His return to Six-Platform Mountain and later confrontation with Taiyu gradually restored his identity, memories, and Immortal Body. 195 209 285 288

Appearance

Xie Chen is a strikingly handsome young man with highly distinctive bone structure, dazzling eyes, and a lean but powerful physique. His appearance helped him rise rapidly after debuting, though his physical capability is often underestimated because of his slender build. 3 10 39

• Exquisitely smooth collarbones and damp, dark hair after bathing. 3
• Lean, visibly defined physique despite appearing slim in clothing. 39
• Long legs, speed, and agility notable enough for viewers to nickname him a “vaulting monkey.” 36
• Usually carries himself with a lazy, arrogant, or openly provocative demeanor. 6 15
• His Daoist exercises and white-robed costume styling have been compared to an immortal descended into the mortal world. 192 220
• His resemblance to the Six-Platform Mountain founding Patriarch is close enough to shock Dao Academy disciples and instructors. 184 188

Personality

Xie Chen was formerly obedient, withdrawn, and unwilling to defend himself even under public abuse. Following his rebirth, he abandons that restraint completely. He is sharp-tongued, confrontational, competitive, and entirely willing to appear villainous if it serves his goals. 5 7 17

His cruelty is selective. He repays kindness sincerely—especially toward the Bright Village chief, who fed him when he was hungry—but returns hostility in full to the Xie Family and those who exploit others. 26

Despite his abrasive manner, Xie Chen is practical, observant, and capable of leading others through action. His refusal to waste food, seed, labor, or opportunity gradually changes the other guests’ opinion of him. 22 38 49

Although he cultivates an unruly “villain” image, Xie Chen is gentle with children, vulnerable elderly people, and people facing unfair treatment. He favors persuasion, strategic pressure, and legal evidence over indiscriminate violence, even when his reputation causes others to assume otherwise. 86 103 251

Xie Chen is emotionally inexperienced and frequently interprets Huo Wenye’s overt affection too literally. He uses sarcasm, denial, and bravado to hide embarrassment, attachment, and fear of abandonment. 219 261 275

Abilities & Skills

Rebirth Memories and Strategic Foresight

Xie Chen retains memories from his previous life, including a livestream of the variety show he missed while hospitalized. His exceptional memory allows him to recall the show’s tasks, participants, buyers, and future dangers in detail. 12 17

• Finds hidden breakfast vouchers by exploiting prior knowledge of the task. 12 14
• Identifies the best rice buyer and secures exclusive agency rights before the other guests arrive. 17
• Knows Biaozi’s actions would eventually lead to the village chief’s death and intervenes to change that outcome. 24
• Uses knowledge of the show’s future popularity to commit to joining despite its poor initial reputation. 1 7
• Uses his knowledge of the original timeline to secure Li Jingfei’s role in Journey Through the Sword Domain, preventing a career opportunity from being lost because of her reputation. 193 195
• Anticipates Xie Yongan’s overseas escape and secretly arranges the smuggling route in order to control the larger investigation. 251

Legal Expertise

Xie Chen deliberately concealed his academic ability while living with the Xie Family. He controlled his grades to appear average, yet became a provincial top scorer when necessary and earned an overseas study position despite appearing academically weak. 43

• Previously served as the youngest lecturer of classic case studies at an elite overseas institution. 43
• Was on track to become a senior partner at a Wall Street firm before returning to China for the Xie Family. 43
• Offers legal consultation at a rate of one million per hour and accepts the Xie Group’s request without revealing his identity. 41 47
• Confidently challenges the Xie Family to authenticate leaked evidence and welcomes their threat of litigation. 43
• Is publicly exposed as the internationally renowned Professor Smith, Harvard’s youngest and most mysterious law professor. 108 110 111
• Can memorize dense technical scripts in minutes, improvise persuasive legal material, and outperform professional expectations under pressure. 111
• Uses his Harvard Criminal Law class to confront privileged students and publicly pressure Xie Yuchen over the family’s unlawful-detention history. 235
• Becomes the legal representative and president of the Xie Group after the Zhao family’s usurpation is exposed. 292 293

Combat and Physical Ability

Xie Chen gained combat experience during quick-transmigration missions, including a life as a world-class boxer. He combines speed, controlled strikes, and psychological pressure rather than relying only on brute force. 21

• Dodges Xie Jinran’s punch and knocks him down with a precise kick. 21
• Intimidates Biaozi and his armed associates into retreating during their first confrontation. 25
• Defeats eight hoe-wielding villagers while remaining unharmed. 41
• Uses his agility to evade multiple angry guests during the gong-waking task. 36
• Defeats Xie Zhenting during the confrontation at the Xie villa, then uses a recording of Zhenting’s threats to establish self-defense. 63
• Performs difficult action scenes without a stunt double and safely lands after his sabotaged safety harness fails. 221 229
• Demonstrates authority in an elite boxing club, defeats an abusive coach, and teaches Chen Chen to exploit a larger opponent’s weak points. 251 252 253
• Defeats the Six-Platform Mountain disciplinary teacher in a Bagua Stakes challenge. 204

Agricultural Knowledge

During one quick-transmigration mission, Xie Chen worked as an agricultural professor and managed experimental fields. This experience gives him practical knowledge of plowing, seed depth, fertilizer fermentation, and rural labor. 21 23

• Rapidly plows his assigned field and produces work praised as better than that of experienced local farmers. 22 23
• Explains the correct planting depth for spring wheat and works carefully to avoid wasting seed. 38
• Detects incompletely fermented fertilizer by testing it with an earthworm, preventing the other guests from ruining their plots. 49
• Leads the other guests through farm tasks, earning the saying, “Following Xie Chen means meat on the table.” 22

Traditional Bone-Setting

Xie Chen possesses traditional Chinese bone-setting knowledge and successfully treats the Bright Village chief’s severe lumbar injury. His technique is publicly defended by the chief’s medical records and a respected veteran TCM doctor. 34

• Uses leverage and manipulation techniques to relieve the chief’s back injury. 34
• Receives public professional validation after viewers question the treatment’s safety. 34
• Is addressed as “Miracle Doctor Xie” because of his earlier controversial medical remarks about Huo Wenye. 1

Cooking and Food Knowledge

Xie Chen is an accomplished cook who learned extensively across quick-transmigration worlds. He is especially skilled in Sichuan, Cantonese, and Northeastern cuisine, and is unusually passionate about food due to childhood hunger and experiences in an apocalypse world. 26 28 38

• Personally tends the Bright Village chief’s free-range chicken stew. 28 44
• His cooking earns praise from Li Jingfei, Wei Mingqi, Luo Mingyu, and the villagers. 28 44
• Encourages others not to waste food, even when Luo Mingyu is disgusted by lamb offal soup. 37
• Uses food as both motivation and leverage in group tasks. 22 44
• Can prepare cuisine ranging from regional dishes to a Manchu-Han Imperial Feast if supplied with ingredients. 28
• Continues applying practical dietary knowledge by advocating lighter, healthier meals for elderly nursing-home residents. 175

Public Speaking

Xie Chen develops “Xiao Xie Talks,” a talk-show-style performance focused on issues affecting rural residents. His discussion of villagers left behind and local criminal activity emotionally moves the audience. 28 29

• Wins the villagers’ approval when other modern performances fail to connect with them. 28 29
• Promises continued attention to Bright Village’s conflict with criminal forces. 29
• Uses the livestream to make village issues visible beyond the variety show. 29
• Successfully films a CCTV public-service advertisement after memorizing its script almost instantly and improving its message with real case references. 110 111

Daoist Cultivation and Talisman Arts

Xie Chen acquired metaphysical knowledge during a transmigration world in which he held a special identity, studied cultivation seriously, founded a discipline, and taught talented disciples. He initially conceals these abilities as “science” or a useful side skill. 180 193

• Recites the Clear Resonance, Pure Heart Spirit Mantra, Pure Mouth Spirit Mantra, and Land-Pacifying Mantra with a spiritual resonance beyond ordinary memorization. 188
• Draws superior thunder talismans, improves the Dao Academy’s Thunder Summoning Curse, and manifests a Purple Dragon Clone. 190
• Uses the Five-Thunder True Method strongly enough to shake Six-Platform Mountain and alarm the academy’s dean. 191
• Employs divination, Wealth-Gathering Talismans, Peach Blossom Talismans, Calamity-Transmuting Charms, and hand seals. 180 229 251 261
• Uses the Supreme Backlash Spell to destroy a controlling talisman and injure the hidden caster who attacked Xie Yuchen. 243
• Identifies Curse Art, investigates talismans for traces of Huo Wenye’s attacker, and reforms the Six-Platform Mountain Dao Academy by grading its practitioners’ work. 179 204 205
• Created the Hundred-Ghost Gathering Fiend, a spell intended to punish people who have accumulated extreme wrongdoing. 292

Immortal Body and Suppressed Memories

Xie Chen’s true past was concealed through Destiny Pattern theft, memory-sealing techniques, and supernatural interference. His abilities and memories gradually return when he encounters sites, objects, and people connected to his former identity. 195 209 275 285

• Is recognized by several Daoists as resembling the founding Patriarch of Six-Platform Mountain. 184 188
• Learns that evil cultivators erased his memories after attacking him in the United States. 209
• Awakens an Immortal Body after Taiyu forces him to fall from a rooftop during the Chinatown crisis. 288
• Recovers his lost memories after surviving the apparent death and recognizes Taiyu’s role in manipulating his life. 288
• Possesses sufficient spiritual authority for hostile sect members to identify him as their Grand Patriarch’s reincarnation. 285

Equipment / Items

• Black card — Produced when the Xie Family attempted to pressure his company into blacklisting him; Xie Chen initially intended to use his savings to replace withdrawn investment. 2 3
• Bronze gong and hammer — Borrowed from the village chief to wake every guest in exchange for breakfast. 36
• Pear knife — Carried while working around the fields and stove. 23
• Voice recorder — Frequently carried to document threats, admissions, and defamatory claims; pivotal in preserving evidence against Xie Zhenting and Xie Ran. 63 93
• Talismans and ritual supplies — Includes thunder talismans, protective charms, Wealth-Gathering Talismans, Peach Blossom Talismans, and Calamity-Transmuting Charms. 190 229 251 261
• Twin Dragon Jade Pendant — A bloodstained pendant connected to fragmented visions of Xie Chen’s past and alternate or prior-life memories. 275
• Xie Group transfer documents — Documents that formally establish Xie Chen as the company’s legal representative after Xie Zhenting signs away control. 293

Relationships

• Huo Wenye — Best Actor, investor, and observer of Transform, Freaks!. Huo invests in the show, repeatedly protects Xie Chen from the Xie Family, suppresses negative coverage against him, and shows increasingly explicit personal interest; Xie Chen is wary but visibly flustered by him. 3 9 34 35 47

  Their relationship develops from guarded attraction and mutual teasing into an openly intimate partnership. Huo helps protect Grandma Xie, investigates Xie Chen’s identity, shares his overseas dormitory, rescues Xie Chen from Taiyu’s followers, and remains at his side during the restoration of Xie Chen’s rightful identity. Xie Chen ultimately confesses that he loves Huo and promises marriage registration, though he remains embarrassed by public speculation. 153 219 285 288 292 296

• Lu Fei — Xie Chen’s manager, classmate, and loyal friend. Lu Fei knows his hidden academic and legal background, supports his career, and helps expose the Xie Family’s wrongdoing. 2 3 43 47

  Lu Fei remains Xie Chen’s trusted confidant throughout the supernatural conflict, although he becomes increasingly bewildered by Xie Chen’s cultivation skills and Huo Wenye’s overwhelming involvement in Xie Chen’s life. 193 229 251 261

• Xie Ran — Xie Chen’s former purported adoptive younger brother and principal rival. Xie Ran repeatedly frames him, exploits victimhood, envies his abilities, and attempts to damage his relationship with Huo Wenye. 1 6 35 50

  Xie Ran is later revealed to be the son of the Zhao impostors who occupied the Xie Family’s position. His desperation escalates into hired assaults, black-magic plots, and reliance on his stolen status; after the truth is exposed, he is confined in a hospital and loses all expectation of inheritance or restored fame. 169 205 292 295

• Xie Zhenting — Xie Chen’s former purported adoptive eldest brother. He ordered thugs to break Xie Chen’s leg in the previous life and continues using corporate power, smear campaigns, and intimidation to control him. 1 3 38 45

  After the Zhao family’s downfall, Zhenting is forced to transfer the Xie Group to Xie Chen and is expelled from the company. Xie Chen no longer accepts him as family and insists on being addressed as “President Xie.” 227 293 294

• Xie Yuchen — Xie Chen’s former purported adoptive brother who oversees the family’s entertainment operations. He pressures Xie Chen to protect Xie Ran, coordinates online attacks, and falsely presents himself as a legal expert. 7 11 34 47

  While studying at Harvard, Xie Yuchen is manipulated by Qin Chuyu and X Club into becoming an unwilling attacker. Xie Chen removes the controlling talisman from him but remains skeptical of his claims and refuses to excuse the family’s past abuse. 234 243

• Xie Jinran — Xie Chen’s former purported adoptive brother and Xie Ran’s fierce protector. He repeatedly attacks, humiliates, and belittles Xie Chen, but is regularly outmatched in public confrontations. 20 21 27 49

  Jinran later recognizes that Xie Chen’s intelligence was suppressed throughout childhood and seeks Xie Chen’s help when he fears Xie Yongan will sacrifice the family. Xie Chen treats his apology as self-interested and refuses to restore their brotherly relationship. 195 227

• Xie Yongan / Zhao Xiaoming — Xie Chen’s former purported adoptive father and the central human conspirator behind the usurpation of the Xie Family. He stole the Xie Family’s Destiny Pattern under Taiyu Perfected One’s direction, arranged Xie Chen’s adoption, participated in the death of Xie Chen’s biological parents, and repeatedly attempted to control Xie Chen through threats and memory suppression. 280 288 292

• Zhang Fang / Mother Xie — Xie Chen’s former purported adoptive mother. She fiercely favored Xie Ran, participated in the household’s abuse, attempted to use black magic against Xie Chen, and later feigned mental illness after the family’s collapse. 139 205 294 295

• Grandma Xie / Chen Shuhua — Xie Chen’s biological grandmother and the only elder in the former household who cared for him sincerely as a child. Her testimony and DNA evidence help prove Xie Chen’s true identity as the Xie Group’s heir. Xie Chen is deeply devoted to recovering her guardianship and protecting her health. 149 153 292 295

• Luo Mingyu — Fellow guest and wealthy celebrity. Initially hostile, he gradually respects Xie Chen’s independence, labor skills, and cooking, though their interactions remain sarcastic and food-motivated. 15 22 28 44

  Luo later becomes one of Xie Chen’s most vocal supporters, admires his cultivation and combat skills, and joins the friends who welcome Xie Chen home after the Zhao family’s downfall. 188 191 292

• Li Jingfei — Fellow guest and practical collaborator. She recognizes Xie Chen’s strength and competence, works with him during farm tasks, and later defends him against Xie Jinran. 10 22 49

  Xie Chen uses his foreknowledge and industry influence to secure her role as the female villain in Journey Through the Sword Domain. Their strong martial-arts performance earns Director Liu’s respect. 193 195 221

• Bright Village chief — Villager who feeds Xie Chen on his first night and later receives Xie Chen’s protection, medical treatment, and help against Biaozi’s group. 12 24 26 34

• Chen Chen — A welfare-home child who admires Xie Chen as a gentle, dependable elder brother. Xie Chen helps protect Chen Chen’s friend Huahua, connects him with the TS Youth Boxing Team, and later intervenes when he is bullied at an overseas boxing club. 86 104 251 252

• Qin Huai — Qin Chuyu’s elder brother, legal counsel associated with the Xie Group, and later a conflicted associate of Taiyu Perfected One. Xie Chen considers him a frequent courtroom loser and ultimately leaves his crimes to formal investigation after Taiyu’s defeat. 134 280 292

• Taiyu Perfected One — The principal supernatural antagonist responsible for stealing Xie Chen’s Destiny Pattern, orchestrating his adoption, arranging his parents’ deaths, and suppressing his memories. Xie Chen defeats him and condemns him to the Hundred-Ghost Gathering Fiend. 288 292

Story Role / Major Arcs

Rebirth and Separation from the Xie Family

After returning to the past, Xie Chen refuses to apologize for Xie Ran’s staged fall, challenges Xie Zhenting, and declares that he is done serving the Xie Family. He later returns to the villa, retrieves his documents, and formally cuts ties with the family. 1 4

Joining *Transform, Freaks!*

Xie Chen accepts a role on the controversial rural variety show because he knows it will become a major success. Huo Wenye unexpectedly invests in the show, preventing the Xie Family from blocking Xie Chen’s opportunity. 1 3

Establishing the “Villain” Persona

On the show, Xie Chen stops defending himself against accusations and instead openly embraces the reputation of a vicious, freakish guest. His blunt rejection of Xie Ran’s attempts at reconciliation establishes their conflict as a central part of the livestream. 6 7 8

Rural Challenges and Group Leadership

Xie Chen uses prior knowledge and practical experience to dominate breakfast, rice-selling, plowing, and planting tasks. Although he initially monopolizes the rice market to win, the other guests eventually rely on him and begin following his lead. 17 22 23

Protecting Bright Village

Xie Chen intervenes in Bright Village’s conflict with Biaozi’s group to prevent the village chief’s future death. He later confronts the armed villagers again, helps expose their criminal intimidation, and earns police recognition as a righteous citizen. 24 25 41

Public Reversal and Exposure of the Xie Family

The Xie Family repeatedly hires trolls, suppresses posts, and attempts to blame Xie Chen for village unrest. Their efforts begin to collapse when evidence of the company’s transfer to Biaozi spreads online, and leaked screenshots expose their attempt to have Xie Chen’s leg broken. 34 38 43 45

Exploiting the Xie Group’s Legal Crisis

As the Xie Group faces legal consequences, Xie Chen accepts its high-priced request for legal consultation without revealing that he is the expert they are seeking. He treats the arrangement as both profit and revenge. 41 47

Resistance at the Xie Villa

After filming concludes, Xie Chen voluntarily enters the Xie Family’s car while his castmates, Lu Fei, and Huo Wenye establish public accountability around the encounter. He defeats Xie Zhenting, covertly cooperates with the bodyguard captain to preserve evidence, and turns the family’s threats into proof of self-defense. 62 63

Welfare Home and Public-Service Work

Xie Chen helps Chen Chen and the welfare-home children expose Huahua’s unsafe adoption situation, prompting an investigation by the Women’s Federation. His patient treatment of the children and exceptional performance in the CCTV public-service advertisement overturn assumptions that he is only a destructive “villain.” 86 98 103 111

Revelation as Professor Smith

Xie Chen’s identity as Professor Smith becomes public, exposing the extent to which the Xie Family had suppressed his academic brilliance. His legal and academic reputation radically shifts public opinion, while the family’s attempt to recruit him as an outside expert becomes a humiliation. 108 109 110

Nursing Home Investigation and Recovery of Grandma Xie

Xie Chen joins the nursing-home season after learning that Grandma Xie is connected to its operations. He investigates institutional abuse, works to reclaim guardianship, and becomes involved in the official inquiry that eventually helps reveal the larger conspiracy around his birth and the Xie Family. 149 153 175 193

Six-Platform Mountain and the Patriarch Mystery

During the Dao Academy season, Xie Chen shocks cultivators with his mantras, talismans, Thunder Summoning Curse, and Five-Thunder True Method. His resemblance to the academy’s founding Patriarch becomes impossible to ignore, while he uses a public challenge to identify the person who cursed Huo Wenye. 184 188 190 201 204

Harvard Return and X Club Investigation

Xie Chen returns to Harvard as Professor Smith while secretly investigating evil cultivators and X Club. He confronts Xie Yuchen and Qin Chuyu, uncovers supernatural manipulation behind attacks on students, and discovers that his past memory loss is connected to the larger conspiracy. 234 235 243 285

Conflict with Taiyu Perfected One

Xie Chen learns that Taiyu Perfected One orchestrated the theft of his Destiny Pattern, the death of his biological parents, his fraudulent adoption, and the suppression of his memories. During the Chinatown crisis, he awakens his Immortal Body, recovers his memories, and defeats Taiyu with the Hundred-Ghost Gathering Fiend. 280 288 292

Restoration of the Xie Group

Following official confirmation that he is the rightful Xie heir, Xie Chen assumes control of the Xie Group. He dismisses executives who abused him in the past, forces Xie Zhenting to sign over the company, recovers stolen public funds, stabilizes its finances, and begins rebuilding it alongside Huo Wenye. 292 293 294

Downfall of the Zhao Family

Xie Chen visits Zhang Fang and Xie Ran after their collapse, strips away their remaining hopes of rescue, inheritance, and restored status, and leaves them subject to institutional confinement and the consequences of their crimes. 294 295

Notable Quotes

“The cuckoo has moved out of the magpie's nest. The Xie Family's bunch of bastards can be yours.” 3

“If you can do it, step up. If not, shut up.” 15

“Because I want to win, idiot!” 17

“I’m your dad!” 24

“You—you can’t eat me!” 44

“The ruthless talk too much—if you fight, fight to kill!” 63

“You dared touch my man?! Are you tired of living?!” 179

“If I don’t reveal my identity, you won’t know who the true master is?!” 179

“I love you.” 288

“Sorry, everyone. We put on a little real-and-fake young master drama. It might be melodramatic, but at least it was satisfying.” 293

Trivia

• His infamous claim that Huo Wenye had intestinal problems and weak kidneys became one of the year’s influential internet phrases. 1 4
• He has an exceptional memory and can remember details after seeing them once. 12
• His appetite and food obsession stem partly from childhood hunger in an underfunded orphanage. 38
• Viewers coined the nickname “vaulting monkey” after watching him evade the other guests while ringing a gong for breakfast. 36
• He was nicknamed the “Demon King” by Harvard students because of his extraordinary intelligence, intimidating teaching style, and ability to control his grades. 111 209
• He habitually records conversations when he expects threats or manipulation, making his enemies especially wary of speaking freely around him. 63 93
• Iron-pot braised goose is one of his favorite foods; the same preference is associated with Six-Platform Mountain’s founding Patriarch. 191
• He once claimed to have cultivated the Heartless Dao, despite repeatedly displaying jealousy, attachment, and romantic confusion around Huo Wenye. 261 275
• His friends and fans increasingly treat him and Huo Wenye as an obvious couple, while Xie Chen continues to resist formally “going public.” 292 296