I took a deep breath and held up my wrist. There, too, was a metal object the size of a button battery—the access point for the nerve reconnection surgery. At the time, I only found it novel, never imagining it would lead to such a disaster.
This reminded me of a saying I'd heard somewhere: "Once society cannot control technology, it will be controlled by technology."
The taxi left the bustling downtown area behind, driving along the river for a while before arriving at a vast, garden-like area surrounded by high iron walls. The rooftops of luxurious villas were faintly visible.
The surrounding area was lush with greenery, and colorful flowers and orchids bloomed vibrantly. The environment was so tranquil and elegant, it was hard to believe it was in the expensive metropolis of Shanghai.
The driver's eyes widened. He'd been driving a taxi for years, traversing almost every street and alley in Shanghai, yet he'd never seen such a place. This was clearly the private property of a wealthy tycoon; it was astonishing, and he couldn't help but gasp.
He glanced at the young man in the back seat, staring out the window. His clothes…
Well, while he couldn't tell the brand, the style was extremely outdated, slightly ill-fitting, and, most importantly, worn, with many signs of wear.
This kind of attire could easily be mistaken for that of a country bumpkin emerging from the deepest forest, yet in comparison, this was undoubtedly one of China's most elite families…
For some reason, he felt a pang of worry for this unassuming young man. This young man, whom even the MA Party didn't recognize, was arguably one of the rarest types in this chaotic era.
After circling almost the entire vast garden, the main gate was on the riverside, but compared to the enormous area it occupied, the gate itself was remarkably simple.
In front of the gate, a limited-edition Mercedes-Benz S-Class had just come to a smooth stop. A young man in a suit stepped out of the car, greeted by a very tall driver.
Just then, he saw the taxi parked not far away and frowned immediately. Hmm?
A taxi, a common sight on any street corner, dared to stop in front of the Luo family's gate?
Seeing the familiar gate, an inexplicable sense of warmth welled up inside him. He had passed through this gate countless times before; to him, this was truly home.
Uncle Luo, Aunt Luo, Xue Tang, Uncle Qin… oh, and his sweet, adorable, and extremely sensible younger sister, Yu Tang, whom he remembered.
Although he was only a son-in-law who hadn't yet "entered" the family, he had actually lived here since he became conscious, until he left at eighteen.
In those ten-plus years, he had never seen his real parents even once. In fact, aside from knowing his father's surname was Li from his own name, he knew nothing about him whatsoever. He didn't even know his father's identity, let alone his name. As for his mother, he didn't even know her surname.
Enveloped in this fog of mystery surrounding my background, all I knew was that my parents seemed to be inseparable from Uncle Luo. They had arranged my marriage since childhood and I had grown up here in their care. Uncle Luo was far more than just an elder to me; he could easily be considered my father.
Seeing the young man emerge from the taxi, the well-dressed man initially looked surprised, then couldn't help but let his face contort with mockery.
What was going on? How could a poor kid who looked like he'd just run away from the mountains be standing at the Luo family's doorstep?
He must have gotten incredibly lucky, somehow finding out the address and coming to try his luck as a country bumpkin hoping to become a gatekeeper for the Luo family?
Unfortunately, he didn't know the true status of the Luo family in Shen City. They were one of the four major financial conglomerates, practically wielding absolute power. How could they possibly let such a poor kid of unknown origin take a single step inside?
Even he himself wouldn't be a guest of honor!
He was Xiang Anping, the son of the renowned e-commerce giant Kaisheng Group in Shen City. He had a chance encounter with Miss Luo Xuetang at a banquet and was instantly captivated by her beauty. Although Luo Xuetang only exchanged polite pleasantries upon learning his identity and didn't even offer his contact information, he was completely mesmerized by her parting smile. From then on, he repeatedly invited Luo Xuetang over…
However, while Luo Xuetang initially gave him a perfunctory welcome, she now consistently refused him, rejecting him three times in a row!
He wanted to see what this poor boy had up his sleeve to get in!
I got out of the car and paid the fare using my smartphone…
The driver frantically searched for his phone. In this day and age, smartphones, just like when they first arrived, have quickly faded from the scene.
Mobile payment, entertainment, and communication functions have almost all been replaced by more convenient and sophisticated neural interface bracelets. Even looking at your "phone" while walking doesn't require looking down, as the content is displayed directly on the retina. Nowadays, mobile phones, like cash in its awkward past, have become nothing more than a backup method. Only a "country bumpkin" like me from the mountains would use them.
After completing the payment, I said goodbye to the driver, walked past the bewildered man in the suit standing there, and headed straight for the front door.
Having been turned away three times in a row, Xiang Anping's affections had begun to turn into a hint of resentment. So this time, he specifically brought…
If he could successfully get Luo Xuetang to agree to go out with him…
His heart was naturally filled with both anticipation and trepidation. He was easily excited, and seeing that the country bumpkin-like man from the mountains did not even glance at him, simply walking past him, he felt inexplicably annoyed and couldn't help but sneer, "Hey, don't you know you've come to the wrong place? Don't you know Jinshan Garden is more suitable for you?"
The car door wasn't even closed, and the car hadn't started moving. The driver, who was actually waiting for the young man to ride back, felt a pang of guilt upon hearing this. Jinshan Garden was a notorious low-end job market in Shen City; the meaning behind his words couldn't be clearer.
"People from the mountains are meant for menial jobs..."
The driver felt a pang of worry. He had a strong liking for this young man, so rare these days, with a pure air about him, as if he'd stepped out of twenty years ago. Seeing a conflict brewing, he hesitated whether to intervene, but upon seeing or hearing about the unique, luxurious, custom-made Mercedes there, his spirits plummeted.
"He has a family to support..."
Hearing the mocking laughter from behind, I shook my head, not wanting to pay any attention to such people. I continued towards the gate, but the man behind me seemed enraged. A flurry of footsteps and the whooshing sound of his arm flashed.
I frowned slightly, shifting my stance slightly, narrowly dodging the man's hand. But he couldn't stop his movement, stumbling and falling to the ground, howling in pain.
"Grab him! Cripple his legs!"
Xiang Anping, gritting his teeth against the excruciating pain in his knees, struggled to his feet. His once impeccably ironed suit was now a mess. Before he could even vent his anger, he suddenly felt a dampness on his chest. Looking down, he saw a dark, damp patch seeping through his inner breast pocket.
He had spent millions of dollars, pulling strings to buy this colorless, odorless aphrodisiac perfume—undetectable by any means—and it was ruined just like that?
His dream hadn't even begun, and it was all because of this penniless bum!
A surge of intense shame and anger erupted within him like a volcano. He immediately called out loudly for his driver. With the current state of lawlessness in Shanghai, he had spent a fortune hiring a monk from a temple. Although the monk couldn't use the incredible internal energy of a martial arts-type superhuman,
his profound and extremely powerful external martial arts, honed in the deep mountains, were more than enough to defeat a physical enhancement-type superhuman!
The extremely tall bodyguard frowned slightly. He didn't really think much of his "master," but the temple needed him…
He had to hold back, not wanting to inflict an incurable comminuted fracture on the young man.
Seeing the bodyguard approach, his steady, powerful physique immediately caught my eye. He was a trained fighter, and a very strong one at that.