Ch. 61Filling His Stomach Came First
Chapter Summary: “Filling His Stomach Came First”
Key Plot Points and Events
- Chu Hang survives being cast into the icy sea and washes up on a California beach in 1995.
- His copied Healing Factor begins repairing his severely damaged body, while the Super-Soldier Serum keeps him barely alive by extracting minimal energy from his starving body. His newly acquired cosmic energy remains dormant.
- Realizing he needs food, clothing, and shelter before making long-term plans, Chu Hang leaves the beach and cautiously travels toward the city.
- In a poor, dangerous neighborhood, he overhears three thugs assaulting and robbing a female restaurant worker.
- Although he initially considers avoiding the situation, Chu Hang decides to intervene because the criminals can provide him with clothes and money.
- He attacks all three men with overwhelming efficiency:
- He brutally incapacitates the skinny thug with a single punch.
- He breaks the burly thug’s knee.
- He crushes the blond thug’s wrist after stopping his knife attack.
- Chu Hang takes a jacket, jeans, and $127 from the attackers but does not harm the woman. He returns her handbag and leaves without speaking.
- He buys a hot dog, Coke, and newspaper from a twenty-four-hour convenience store, finally satisfying his hunger.
- The newspaper confirms the date as May 8, 1995. Chu Hang notices an article about Yahoo preparing for an IPO and realizes it can become the source of his first fortune.
- With his immediate survival needs met, he prepares to exploit his knowledge of the future and establish himself in the modern world.
Character Development
- Chu Hang: Begins the chapter physically broken, starving, and focused solely on survival. His healing abilities restore him enough to act, while his enhanced senses and combat power remain formidable despite his weakened state.
- His moral outlook is pragmatic rather than heroic. He does not intervene out of pure altruism, but he refuses to tolerate the woman’s abuse once he recognizes an opportunity to solve his own problems.
- His treatment of the victim—returning her handbag and leaving without exploiting her—reveals that beneath his hardened, survival-driven exterior, he retains restraint and a basic sense of decency.
- By the end, Chu Hang shifts from helpless survivor to calculating future entrepreneur, confident that his historical knowledge can give him power and wealth.
- The waitress: Initially terrified and helpless, she becomes a passive witness to Chu Hang’s violence. Her fear of him reflects how monstrous and intimidating he appears, even though he ultimately protects her.
- The three thugs: They are presented as cruel opportunists. Their confidence collapses immediately when confronted by Chu Hang’s superior strength and ruthlessness.
Significant Themes
- Survival before morality or ambition: Chu Hang prioritizes food, clothing, and safety before considering larger plans.
- Power and vulnerability: The starving, injured Chu Hang appears weak, but his enhanced abilities allow him to dominate ordinary criminals instantly.
- Pragmatic justice: His intervention is motivated partly by self-interest, yet it still results in the victim’s rescue.
- Rebirth in a new era: The 1995 setting represents a second chance after decades of absence and prepares Chu Hang to reshape his future.
- Knowledge as power: His awareness of companies such as Yahoo gives him an advantage unavailable to everyone else and establishes the foundation for his future wealth.
- Human needs beneath extraordinary abilities: Despite his superhuman powers, Chu Hang’s immediate concerns are basic—warmth, clean clothes, food, and money.
Important Character Interactions
- Chu Hang and the thugs: The encounter is entirely one-sided. Chu Hang silently overwhelms them through speed, strength, and precision, demonstrating his physical superiority.
- Chu Hang and the waitress: She expects further violence from him after witnessing his brutality, but he surprises her by returning her handbag and leaving her unharmed.
- Chu Hang and the convenience-store clerk: Their brief exchange emphasizes Chu Hang’s awkward adjustment to English and ordinary civilian life.
- Chu Hang and the newspaper: The newspaper functions as his first link to the new era, confirming the date and revealing Yahoo as the opportunity that will guide his next move.