Chapter Two: Entry

After completing all the preparations and thoroughly checking to ensure nothing was overlooked, Li Jie made a decisive gesture. "System, prepare to enter the mission world."

Cold! Trembling! That, of course, was impossible. After experiencing a moment of darkness, he slowly opened his eyes and rose to observe the room. It was a roughly 40-square-meter bedroom, seemingly on the second floor. A glance around revealed furnishings imbued with a strong sense of luxury.

Well, judging by these conditions in 2003, Lu Xinghe’s family background was indeed quite respectable.

Li Jie then looked at the electronic alarm clock by the bed: August 10, 2003, 7:10 a.m. Yes, it seemed to be a timeframe before the new school term had begun. His first task was clear—to leverage the original body’s father’s influence to secure a spot in Class 5 of the first year of high school, sparing himself the trouble of later attempting to switch classes secretly just to get closer to Geng Geng.

Next, he decided to carefully organize the original body’s memories. The story provided little detail about Lu Xinghe’s parents, but from these memories, Li Jie learned that Lu Xinghe’s father had married three times, and his mother had remarried as well. This was likely a key reason behind Lu Xinghe’s rebellious nature. Currently, he lived alone, with a governess employed by his father to take care of his daily needs.

This knowledge made it easier for Li Jie to navigate the relationship dynamics between the original body and his parents, as he himself had grown up alone without family and was not adept at handling such emotions.

From his memories, Lu Xinghe had little understanding of his parents’ specific work. Apart from having more pocket money than he could spend, there wasn’t much else—only everyday recollections. The original body was just a child who had recently graduated from middle school, seeking attention through rebellion. As for former classmates, there was no need to concern himself with them anymore—he was about to attend Zhenhua High School.

As Li Jie sifted through these memories, he made his way to the shower room. To his surprise, it was larger than the one in his apartment in Shen City. He couldn’t help but feel that despite all his years of hard work, he was still outdone by the luck of being born into this life. Looking at the unfamiliar yet youthful face in the mirror, he realized this would be the visage he would carry for the foreseeable future.

Examining the youthful yet somewhat handsome face before him, Li Jie felt a surge of emotion. The power of the system was truly formidable. But what was the system's purpose? Was it merely, as the system claimed, to complete salvation missions across countless worlds? He couldn’t speculate now. He resolved to accept his fate and learn more in time.

After freshening up, Li Jie headed downstairs and saw Aunt Zhang busy in the kitchen. “Aunt Zhang, what delicious things did you prepare this morning?”

“I made your favorite shredded pork with pickled mustard greens noodles. I got up early to buy fresh pork,” she said loudly as she worked.

Aunt Zhang, whose real name was Zhang Lu, had been assigned by Lu Xinghe’s father to care for him after he moved out following a fierce argument upon learning of his father’s third marriage during his second year of middle school. Having worked for the family for five years, Aunt Zhang was well acquainted with the household and could be trusted.

“I’ve already washed up. Is there anything I can help with?” Li Jie asked as he approached the kitchen, having some culinary skills himself.

Seeing Lu Xinghe approach, Aunt Zhang quickly replied, “No need. You’ve never been in the kitchen before. What help could you possibly offer? It’ll be ready soon. Go wait in the dining room.”

Li Jie momentarily struggled to adjust to the sudden shift from twenty-plus years of solitary adult life to being a middle schooler again. Realizing this, he slowly made his way to the dining room. The year 2003 felt strange—no smartphones, a sense that something was missing. There was a computer in the study, but he had little expectation for the ancient internet.

While pondering his next moves, Li Jie’s immediate goal was to have Lu Xinghe’s father transfer him to Class 5. He was unsure when Geng Geng developed her interest in photography; that would have to wait until school started. For now, he planned to read books on photography and eventually buy some equipment to learn.

“The noodles are ready. Xinghe, what are you thinking about? Are you a bit uneasy about going to Zhenhua soon?” Aunt Zhang asked as she brought the dish to the table.

“No, all schools are roughly the same. I just need to put in some effort to catch up.”

“That’s right, our Xinghe is the smartest,” Aunt Zhang laughed.

While eating the shredded pork and pickled mustard greens noodles, Li Jie asked, “Aunt Zhang, how do I get to Zhenhua from here? Is it far? I’ve never been to the school.”

“Don’t worry. Your dad has it all arranged. Liu, the driver, will take you to school,” Aunt Zhang replied, eating as she spoke.

“No need. Just tell me the way. I’ll ride my bike there.”

“That won’t do. You’re still so young. What if something happens? How would I explain to your father?” Aunt Zhang said anxiously.

“I’m in high school now. I’m old enough to take care of myself. Besides, having a driver would make me stand out too much at school. I want to blend in. I’ll talk to Dad about it later,” Li Jie said seriously.

“Xinghe, your father’s had a hard time too. Since your last fight, you’ve been calling him ‘Old Lu’ instead of ‘Dad.’ Isn’t that a bit harsh?”

Li Jie thought that was easier to handle. But perhaps strained father-son relations were one of Lu Xinghe’s regrets. Regardless, he resolved to improve their relationship. As for what to call him, 'Old Lu' would suffice for now; if the relationship improved, titles would matter less.

Smiling, Li Jie said, “Aunt Zhang, I’ll discuss this with Old Lu over the phone later. I also have some matters to talk to him about. I want to try riding my bike to school as a way to exercise. Once high school starts, academic pressure will leave less time for that.”

“All right, but make sure to talk to your father calmly. Don’t start arguing every time you call. No matter what, you’re father and son. There’s no need for so many fights.” With that, Aunt Zhang began clearing the dishes and returned to the kitchen.

Li Jie thought to himself that while her advice was sound for him, it probably wouldn’t have helped the rebellious Lu Xinghe much. He resolved to start with the first step—the class transfer plan.

Also, Geng Geng was fond of photography, and Lu Xinghe himself was an art student. Photography’s foundational elements—composition and aesthetics—would come more naturally to someone with an art background. Since Geng Geng had become the lead photographer for a magazine, they could likely find common artistic ground.

Looking ahead, Li Jie knew he needed to spend the remaining vacation time studying photography. He wondered if there were any training courses available in Harbin in 2003. If not, he would have to find a photo studio for lessons. Fortunately, his pocket money was sufficient.