The First Chapter

"Hey, buddy, are you alright?"

Zhang Xuan opened his eyes in a daze. Feeling a sharp, agonizing pain throughout his body, he was stunned: "How am I not dead yet?"

Zhang Xuan remembered being surrounded by enemies. He had tried to escape, but in the end, he only saw a proton bomb explode beside him, followed by his body disintegrating bit by bit...

"Hey, buddy, are you okay? Do you need some help?" The voice from before rang in Zhang Xuan's ears once more.

Only then did Zhang Xuan realize that the other person was not speaking Chinese, but English. What left him even more bewildered was that he, who had always been poor at English, could understand every word perfectly.

Struggling to stand up, Zhang Xuan saw a thin, blonde boy standing beside him, a hint of concern in his blue eyes: "Buddy, do you need me to take you to the hospital?"

Zhang Xuan scanned his surroundings and found himself in an alleyway, flanked by red-brick buildings that he had only ever seen in movies. Outside the alley was a street about four meters wide, desolate and devoid of people. Suddenly, a black vintage car drove slowly past. Seeing the vehicle, Zhang Xuan couldn't help but freeze. People still drove cars like this?

"Where is this place?" A flash of panic crossed Zhang Xuan's eyes. He turned to the blonde boy beside him and asked anxiously, "What time is it now?"

The blonde boy raised his wrist, checked his mechanical watch, and turned back to answer: "Dutch Cinema, it's 3:15 in the afternoon."

"Dutch Cinema? What place is that? And what year is it?" Zhang Xuan had never heard of this name. He tried to think, but the moment he exerted his brain, it felt as if a drill was boring into his skull, causing excruciating pain.

"You're not from Brooklyn?" The blonde boy looked at Zhang Xuan with a hint of suspicion.

"Brooklyn? This is New York!" Zhang Xuan looked around in disbelief. He had been to New York before; he had even urinated on the torch of the Statue of Liberty. But the New York in his memory was bustling and prosperous—how could it be this desolate? Suddenly, a possibility struck him. He grabbed the blonde boy in front of him, trembling with excitement, and shouted, "Tell me, what year is it?!"

"1940!" Startled by Zhang Xuan's sudden madness, the blonde boy took a fearful step back.

"1940?!" Zhang Xuan was instantly stunned. 1940—wasn't this World War II? How did he end up here?

"Are you alright? Do you need me to call a doctor for you?" Seeing Zhang Xuan collapse limply to the ground, the blonde boy hesitated for a moment before walking over, asking with concern.

Zhang Xuan seemed not to hear the boy. His dull eyes suddenly lit up, and a flame ignited in his heart: Right, my Teleportation! As soon as he thought of this, he tried to activate his ability, but the moment he focused, it felt as if his entire head had been struck by a heavy hammer. Unsurprisingly, his head spun, his vision darkened, and Zhang Xuan passed out on the spot.

When Zhang Xuan woke from the darkness, he found himself lying in a hospital bed. The blonde boy was sitting on a chair beside him, holding a pencil and sketching something in a notebook.

"Thank you." Zhang Xuan sat up from the bed and thanked the blonde boy sincerely.

Hearing his voice, the blonde boy quickly put away his pencil and notebook, looking at Zhang Xuan with a pleasant surprise: "Oh, you're finally awake! You've been asleep for three days, it's truly unbelievable!"

"Three days?!" Zhang Xuan hadn't expected to be unconscious for so long. Just as he was about to thank him again, the blonde boy spoke up.

"By the way, where is your family? I've been looking for three days, but I couldn't find them, and I don't even know your name." The blonde boy walked to the bedside with a smile and reached out his hand: "Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Steve, Steve Rogers."

Zhang Xuan froze at these words. Just as he was about to speak, countless pieces of information flooded his brain—all the memories of this life.

Alex Zhang—this was the name of Zhang Xuan in this life. Zhang came from his mother, a gentle and quiet woman from China. And Alex, according to his memories, was the name of his father, whom he had never met—or so his mother had said.

Perhaps it was the lingering soul of the original Alex Zhang at work, or perhaps the regrets of his past life influencing him, but Zhang Xuan kept recalling the image of that gentle, quiet woman. She was a great mother; though he had never met her, he could feel her love and care for her son through these memories. But fate was cruel; this great, kind mother had passed away three years ago, and Alex Zhang had changed completely, drowning himself in sorrow every day.

Three days ago, while getting drunk at a bar, he had offended a thug and was beaten to death in an alley, only to be possessed by Zhang Xuan, who had transmigrated from 2014. Zhang Xuan and Alex Zhang had similar experiences. Recalling Alex Zhang's life, Zhang Xuan felt a deep sense of empathy, and tears began to stream down his face as he sat on the bed.

"What's wrong?" Steve looked at Zhang Xuan nervously, not knowing why he had suddenly started crying.

"From now on, I am Alex Xuan Zhang!" Zhang Xuan steadied his heart and quickly accepted his current identity. He looked at Steve Rogers, wiped the tears from his face, and said slowly: "Hello, I am Alex Xuan Zhang. As for my family, they are no longer here." Alex's only family was his mother, that gentle and quiet woman. As for the father he had never met, Alex never acknowledged him, and neither would Zhang Xuan.

"I'm sorry!" Steve apologized, looking flustered, and didn't forget to offer comfort: "Even if our loved ones are gone, we are still alive. We must live well so that they won't worry in heaven."

"Thank you, I will live well." Alex Zhang hadn't survived his grief, but Zhang Xuan had, because he knew that living well was the best way to repay them.

"Steve, is that kid awake yet?" Just then, a handsome, tall man pushed the door open and walked in, his stature nearly brushing the door frame.

"Bucky, this is Alex Xuan Zhang! Alex, this is James Barnes. You can call him Bucky; he's my best friend!" Seeing the newcomer, Steve hurried forward, pulled Bucky to the bedside, and introduced them with a happy expression.

"Hello, Alex!" Bucky nodded in greeting, then complained, "You're finally awake! Steve and I have been stuck in this damn hospital for three days!"

Zhang Xuan could only thank them repeatedly; both of these men were his saviors: "Steve, Bucky, thank you!" As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Xuan suddenly froze. Why did these two names sound so familiar?

Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes—weren't these the two best friends, Captain America and the Winter Soldier?