Wu Chen

Biodata

Background and history

Wu Chen comes from an ordinary family that runs a noodle shop. His documented life appeared consistent even after the Li Family investigated and verified his identity 70. Unknown to those around him, he spent a thousand years experiencing repeated days. The resets let him retain memories and training, investigate people repeatedly, and acquire knowledge far beyond what his age or background suggests 3 50 106.

After escaping the repeating day, Wu Chen begins building relationships and acting on information no one else knows he possesses. He later demonstrates that he can voluntarily reset a day, waking on July 20, 2020, after his third such reset and selectively changing events he has already lived through 21 131.

Appearance

Wu Chen is handsome and slim, with a healthy build. His youthful appearance can make him look like a student, though his usual suit gives him the air of a wealthy young man 20 92 103 247.

• Typical dress: A suit and tie; he also wears casual clothes when the situation calls for them 103 147 247.
• Physical condition: Despite his slim appearance, he has trained his reflexes and fighting techniques extensively 20.

Personality

Wu Chen is usually relaxed and smiling, even when confronted by armed opponents or powerful business figures 100 105 249. He prefers to understand what others want before acting, and often controls a conversation by revealing only part of what he knows. Li Ruobing finds his handling of people effective enough to be frightening 36 50.

He treats difficult encounters as opportunities to form useful ties, sometimes creating circumstances in which someone will owe him a favor 206. His confidence can make him seem detached. He tells An Menglan that anticipating outcomes has left him isolated, and admits that he sometimes uses other people’s uncertainty to influence them 287.

Abilities and skills

Reset and accumulated knowledge

Wu Chen retains the experience gained during repeated days and can voluntarily reset a day 106 131.

• He uses earlier repetitions to predict meetings, locate people and gather evidence at the right time 131 133.
• His ability display lists 1,354 abilities, including 103 languages at level 9 3.
• His knowledge is extensive, not universal: he knows people of standing in East Sea but cannot know everything about everyone in the city 1.

Investigation and persuasion

• Wu Chen uncovers closely guarded histories and uses them to negotiate, recruit allies or pressure opponents 92 99 249.
• He can redirect a tense social encounter: after a confrontation involving Zhan Xiumei’s husband, he frames events so that Zhan thanks him rather than resenting Li Ruobing 36.
• His programming and infiltration experience allow him to collect and organize information discreetly 17 147 277.

Combat and marksmanship

• Wu Chen defeats seven knife-wielding attackers in an elevator, using its confined space to control the fight 83.
• He defeats nearly twenty attackers in an alley while protecting Tang Xinbao and Guo Qiqi 139.
• Years of practice during the loop give him exceptional handgun precision; he disarms Mao Rusong and strikes an airborne knife repeatedly with gunfire 105 106.

Music and other skills

• Wu Chen writes lyrics, notation and arrangements, including A Song for Me for Song Xuan and seven stylistically different songs for An Menglan in one session 88 180.
• He accompanies singers on piano and demonstrates traditional-opera singing. He prefers writing music to debuting as a performer 131 180.
• He is also a capable cook and writes a film screenplay with detailed performance notes 155 214.

Relationships

• Li Ruobing — Wu Chen’s publicly acknowledged partner. Their initially complicated arrangement develops into a genuine relationship; she expects to marry him and knows he has other lovers 70 243.
• Su Qingying — Lover whose rise to control of Jinfu Group Wu Chen arranges 49 93 244.
• Wu Yurong — Lover and business ally; he helps her navigate plans involving Senlan Group and the Ding Family 153 250 252.
• Zhuang Xiaodie — Lover whom he supports in building an entertainment business and later entrusts with a screenplay 134 155 214.
• An Menglan — Singer and lover who collaborates with him on music; he later plans for her to take control of Hezong Media 180 244 284.
• Li Ruotai — Li Ruobing’s brother, who calls Wu Chen his brother-in-law and entrusts him with overseeing East Sea’s underworld during his absence 70 174.
• He Xinxin — Drawing student whom Wu Chen tutors and guides while planning for the consequences of her father Ding Ruilong’s conflict with him 115 246.
• Old Blade — Former attacker who comes to work for Wu Chen; Wu Chen later regards him as the person he trusts most among those around him 99 257.
• Meng Junhao — Ding Ruilong’s apparent subordinate and Wu Chen’s covert operative 264 265.
• Ding Ruilong — Enemy whose assassination attempts form part of Wu Chen’s wider campaign against the Ding Family 83 252 258.

Major arcs

• Establishing a place in East Sea: Wu Chen earns the attention of Li Ruobing, Li Ruotai and the city’s underworld figures. He also uses a Legendary City Lord guild to reach Lei Cheng through the player Dragon Subduer Without Regret 5 21 23.
• Building alliances: He helps Su Qingying take control at Jinfu, recruits support against Ding Ruilong, and gains standing with the Li Family 49 90 171.
• Conflict with Ding Ruilong: After surviving the elevator ambush, he seeks information from Old Blade and Jiang Chuan and positions Meng Junhao inside Ding’s circle 83 99 132 264.
• Magic City and the great families: Wu Chen turns the dispute involving Zhuang Xiaodie and the Qi Family into an opportunity to coordinate Tang, Gu and Li family interests against the Ding Family 214 222 242.
• Entertainment industry: As Morning Mist, he writes music for Song Xuan and An Menglan, then develops a plan to bring down Hezong Media and put An Menglan in control 244 277 284.