After taking a moment to steady himself, Ming Ze stood up and walked to the bathroom. He gazed at the young man staring back at him from the mirror.
It had been a long time since he'd seen this face—unblemished, whole. The last reflection he remembered was the one he'd been forced to confront, his features ruined by acid, his identity twisted by pain.
He shook off the memory and stepped into the shower. The sensation of warm water was grounding. After washing up and getting dressed, he emerged from the bathroom.
The dorm room was silent; he was alone. His roommate has gone home for a break since the school was on vacation.
A University—one of the best in the country—catered mainly to the wealthy. Children of influential families studied here, not just for the education, but for the network it offered. Still, each year, the school reserved a handful of spots for academically gifted students from underprivileged backgrounds, providing them with scholarships and accommodation.
Ming Ze was one of those rare scholarship students, a genuine academic prodigy. But few on campus knew that. Thanks to the Ming family's narrative, most believed he was a distant relative brought in by connections, a leech clinging to the family's generosity. The truth—that he was the biological son—was hidden beneath layers of lies.
Ming Ze sighed, the bitter irony of his last life weighing on him.
He remembered the day he was brought back to the Ming family—how intimidated he'd felt. The servant who took his luggage had merely sized him up and gestured curtly for him to follow. The servants all looked at him like he was trash that had washed up where it didn't belong. At the time, he hadn't understood the source of their disdain, nor why the Ming family had bothered to take him back only to ruin him.
He shook off the memory and decided to head to the tech market across from the school—a haven for gadget enthusiasts, particularly the rich kids. He needed a laptop, and today he intended to get one.
He locked his dorm room behind him and stepped outside. The air was crisp, and he inhaled deeply, savoring the freedom. It had been a long time since he'd felt this—especially after being locked away in a mental institution in his previous life.
The sun was bright but gentle, casting golden stripes across the pavement. A few students lingered near the campus gates, but most had gone home. Ming Ze kept his head down as he passed them, hands tucked into the pockets of his light jacket. He walked slowly, appreciating the peace.
Across the street, the tech market stood—a multi-level maze of electronics, custom parts, and all the gear a tech fanatic could dream of. The neon sign above the entrance read Xingcheng Digital Plaza, flickering slightly. It was noisy, cluttered, chaotic—and perfect.
Inside, the air reeked of plastic, solder, and cheap takeout. Sellers called out prices, hoping to catch a customer. Holographic displays shimmered, and rows of laptops sat behind glass, each promising power and performance.
Ming Ze navigated the stalls with purpose. He wanted a specific model for programming—something sleek yet powerful, capable of handling heavy coding and simulations.
On the far end of the second floor, he found the shop he was looking for: RenTech Repairs & Builds. It wasn't flashy, but its owner was known for honest work and fair prices for students.
As Ming Ze stepped inside, a short man in thick glasses glanced up from behind the counter. "Looking for something in particular, kid?"
Ming Ze nodded. "I need a laptop. Something that can run heavy IDEs and simulations without lag. Preferably with an open BIOS."
The man raised an eyebrow, then grinned. "You know your stuff. Let's see what we can dig up."
He rummaged beneath the counter and pulled out a black laptop. "This one's not much to look at, but it's powerful where it counts. Intel i9, 32 gigs of RAM, dedicated GPU, BIOS unlocked. Solid airflow. I tuned it myself."
Ming Ze leaned in, running his fingers over the case. "Used?"
"Refurbished. Stripped it down, cleaned out the guts, swapped the thermal paste and fans. The battery's new. It'll outlast anything shiny and overpriced out there."
Ming Ze opened the lid, fingers gliding over the keys. "Feels solid," he murmured. "Can I boot into BIOS?"
The man chuckled. "Go ahead. She's not shy."
While Ming Ze navigated the settings, the shop owner watched him closely. Most students who came by barely understood the basics, but this one knew exactly what he wanted.
Lao Shen—the man behind the counter—had a past in the black market tech world: modding illegal hardware, bypassing security, hacking for clients with deep pockets and murky motives. He'd set up RenTech as a legitimate business, but old contacts still brought the occasional "odd job." He walked the line between legal and illicit, but never involved students. Still, he liked this kid.
"You studying computer science?" Lao Shen asked.
Ming Ze shook his head, eyes still on the screen. "Not officially. Just need the right tools."
Lao Shen grunted, then reached into a drawer and pulled out a small box—an external SSD. "This one's not for sale. But you look like someone who won't ask stupid questions. I'll throw it in—on one condition."
Ming Ze looked up. "What condition?"
"Don't come back here waving it around. And don't mention where you got it, if anyone asks."
There was a brief pause. Ming Ze nodded. "Deal."
For the first time, Lao Shen smiled—thin, sharp, approving. "Alright, kid. You've got yourself a machine. If you ever need… extras, let me know. I don't advertise, but I help the ones who help themselves."