Chapter 1: What is a “Wife Card”?
Under the bright lights, a middle-aged therapist stared intently at the patient who had been lying in the bio-pod for a year, beginning to doubt his career choice.
This young man’s mental energy had completely dissipated after the car accident. The therapist himself had declared that he would never wake up, and his family, after receiving compensation, had heartlessly left.
The boy was so young, so handsome, and reportedly quite outstanding. Yet, his parents and younger brother were only concerned with squeezing out his last bit of value for more money.
They had come several times, initially crying and making a scene, but as soon as the money arrived, they left cheerfully, not even bothering to feign sadness.
The therapist had even remarked to his colleagues, “Perhaps it’s just his bad luck. Such a pity.”
The wealthy businessman who accidentally hit him was willing to continue paying for his life support, but his consciousness was gone, irrecoverable.
Twenty years of experience had convinced the therapist of this fact, until this very moment, when he witnessed a fluctuation in the patient’s supposedly vanished mental energy.
A bold thought arose: if his mental energy was recovering, could his consciousness also return?
Through the transparent glass, the thin young man slept peacefully.
Pale skin clung to his frame, prominent bones making him appear gaunt, like a frail kitten abandoned on the streets. A gust of wind could knock him over, passing vehicles could injure him, any danger could end this fragile life. One had to check his shallow breathing to be reassured.
The young man was all skin and bones, but his lips were full, like flower petals, now slightly flushed with an unnatural hue.
Black hair, white skin, red lips – the stark contrast of colors made the therapist feel like he was looking at a painting.
Strange, the patient had been handsome when he arrived, but he hadn’t evoked this captivating feeling. Could sleeping for a year have a beautifying effect?
Then, the long eyelashes trembled, revealing a pair of clear, seemingly bewildered eyes. They slowly moved, finally settling on the therapist.
Stunned, the therapist didn’t react until the young man’s lips moved, as if trying to speak. He quickly opened the isolating glass.
The boy must be confused after suddenly waking up. He mustn’t frighten him.
Putting on his kindest expression, the therapist gently asked, “What do you want to say? Go ahead.”
Disuse and weakness made the young man’s voice soft and difficult to discern. The therapist leaned in closer, finally making out his words:
“Wasn’t I already buried? Who dug me up? How rude…”
Great, the person woke up, but his mind was broken.
Alarmed, the therapist frantically brought a bunch of machines to scan him. The young man cooperated, letting him do as he pleased, no longer speaking.
[Beep—New world loaded. Please continue to work hard, Host, and continue to achieve great results in the field of tool-man.]
Tang Yu’an still hadn’t fully recovered from the ending of the last world. The feeling of being buried alive in a coffin, the suffocating darkness threatening to engulf him, lingered.
He knew someone was examining him, so he couldn’t indulge in this state. He closed his eyes, focused on his breathing, and imagined himself standing on a golden beach, the fine sand flowing, the sea breeze carrying away all his emotions.
He did this every time he forced himself back to normal.
The therapist watched the rising heart rate on the monitor, nearly panicking and about to start resuscitation. Fortunately, the young man’s condition quickly stabilized.
“How do you feel? Any discomfort?”
The young man shook his head.
“Just… a very long dream.”
To further assess his mental state, the therapist asked him a few basic questions to check his memory.
The young man thought carefully for a moment, then looked down, somewhat annoyed: “I’m sorry, I only remember my name is Tang Yu’an. I don’t remember anything else.”
As long as communication was possible, it was a good sign. The therapist comforted him and prepared to take him for a thorough examination.
The advanced bio-pod had prevented significant muscle atrophy. Tang Yu’an declined the wheelchair, slowly walking alongside the therapist.
He knew his name because he was called Tang Yu’an in every world. Perhaps tool-men didn’t need much of a backstory, so the name remained unchanged.
However, it was strange. Usually, the system would create a new body for him upon entering a new world, meaning his identity had no past. But here, his character seemed to have a background story.
Perhaps it was an upgrade.
[New character created. Please choose whether to draw a character card, Host.]
“Draw,” Tang Yu’an communicated with the system in his mind.
The character card defined the tool-man role he needed to play. Tang Yu’an, a veteran of countless battles, remained unfazed. There was no character he hadn’t encountered.
[Drawing…]
[Beep—Character card confirmed. Congratulations, Host, on obtaining a Diamond Rarity Card!]
In his mental space, the giant card displayed three large, gilded characters: “Wife Card.”
Tang Yu’an: “…”
He’d been careless. He truly hadn’t seen this one before.
“What does this mean? Explain.”
[Name Interpretation: Please pay attention to the protagonists’ physical and mental health, unite the team, and create the strongest storyline!]
“Connect me to a human representative.”
[Name Interpretation: Please pay attention to the protagonists’ physical and mental health, unite the team, and create the strongest storyline!]
The system was just a robot. Tang Yu’an stopped wasting his breath and quickly accepted the situation.
He knew the character card was just a figure of speech, nothing to take too seriously. He had even drawn a “Beast of Burden Card” before, and he wasn’t literally turned into a beast of burden, just overworked to exhaustion.
As Tang Yu’an silently consoled himself, his legs suddenly weakened, and he almost fell. The therapist, ignoring his protests, pushed him into a wheelchair.
This was fine. Tang Yu’an felt weak all over, his throat dry, as if scorched by a small fire.
[Data error detected. Adjusting—]
Oh, so there was a problem. It should be fixed soon. One thing was for sure, his body in every world was always healthy. This allowed him to shine as a tool-man instead of wasting time on himself.
[Adjustment failed. Random fluctuations cannot be eliminated. Please adapt, Host.]
Tang Yu’an: “…”
This wasn’t an upgrade; it was a breakdown.
After a thorough examination, they found nothing except a low fever and weakness. The therapist, already thinning, lost a few more hairs.
He felt something was definitely wrong with Tang Yu’an, but he couldn’t pinpoint it.
The patient, wanting to leave, requested discharge. The therapist couldn’t do anything about his amnesia. If it wasn’t caused by a blood clot, it was a side effect of the mental energy damage. There wasn’t much to do besides stimulating his memory by visiting familiar places.
Finally, he shamelessly asked Tang Yu’an if he could run a few more tests and collect some data, as his case was extremely rare and he wanted to study it.
After several hours of interaction, he found Tang Yu’an to be gentle and polite, unlikely to refuse.
As expected, the young man nodded: “Of course. I’m very grateful for your care this past year…”
“No, no, it’s my duty.” Despite his words, the therapist couldn’t help but smile.
It was wonderful, he thought. A miracle had occurred. This boy could continue his life.
After the tests, he watched Tang Yu’an leave, submitting his medical record.
Tang Yu’an, native of Planet Carl, 19 years old.
No, 20 now.
Tang Yu’an walked from the hospital onto the bustling street, the warm sunlight and passing crowds making him feel dazed.
He entered a park, found a corner, and sat down, waiting for his mission.
The last world was a post-apocalyptic world undergoing a great purge, where everyone lived in fear, crime was rampant, and one could lose their life at any moment. This place was clearly different – more prosperous, freer, safer.
He watched a couple walk by with their young daughter, chatting and laughing. They were dressed cleanly, full of energy. The father lifted his daughter into his arms, making her giggle, and asked her if she wanted her mother to hold her too. Then, while the mother held her, he tied the balloon in his hand to her hair.
“Mommy, do you like the hairstyle I designed for you?”
“Of course! From now on, you’re my exclusive stylist!”
Tang Yu’an remembered the little girl he saw before he was buried alive, her abdomen pierced. He wanted to save her but was held down and buried in the dirt.
He hoped she wouldn’t be reborn into a decaying world like that again.
A slight vibration brought him back to his senses. He took off the small white cloth bag he carried and pulled out an old-fashioned mobile phone inside.
The therapist had told him he was carrying this bag when the accident happened.
The edges of the bag were worn, and it contained only a few identification documents, some loose change, and an almost obsolete mobile phone.
Tang Yu’an didn’t care if the phone was outdated. As long as it retained basic functions, it was enough for him.
The incoming call was from an unknown number.
“Hello?”
A calm, older male voice responded, “Is this Mr. Tang?”
“Yes.”
“I’m the director of the Strategic Processing Center at the Interstellar Defense Department. Are you interested in joining us? Fifty thousand star coins per month, room and board included…”
It sounded like nonsense. Tang Yu’an had already inquired; the average salary in this world was only three thousand star coins. This person offering fifty thousand to someone who just got out of the hospital was probably trying to trick him into some shady job.
He wondered how his information had been leaked. These scammers were quite resourceful, preying on him the moment he left the hospital.
Besides, if his involvement as a tool-man was required for a protagonist’s storyline, the system would issue a mission.
Tang Yu’an was about to hang up, but hesitated and added, “There are plenty of legitimate jobs in this world. Don’t resort to scams. Earn a living honestly.”
He wanted to persuade the man further, but a sudden ringing in his ears made him drop the call.
[Storage space error detected. Unable to access. Default item extracted.]
The next second, a soft teddy bear appeared in Tang Yu’an’s hand. Its button eyes were mismatched, and one ear was missing a piece.
This ordinary, worn-out teddy bear, unremarkable anywhere else, was held preciously by Tang Yu’an. He stroked its head and sighed in relief.
The storage space was a system perk, allowing him to store unused items. However, it would be cleared upon entering a new world, except for the default item.
When he was first thrown into a strange place, the system was still a robotic and uncommunicative, and he was overwhelmed by the complex tasks.
He had no memories, didn’t know who he was or where he came from. He was alone, with only the default item in his storage space – this teddy bear.
No matter how he traveled between worlds, the bear would always follow him. It was the constant in his countless variables, the only thing he could hold onto.
It was also how he learned his name back then.
He lowered his head. The park air was fresh and pleasant to breathe, unlike the last world, where pollution was everywhere, and people could only survive in the dark underground.
He squeezed the bear’s belly, and an electronic voice sounded: “Tang Yu’an, you have to be happy!”
Good, it wasn’t broken. If he couldn’t store it, he’d just carry it.
He didn’t know why the default item came with this phrase. He just took it as encouragement for the tool-man employee.
Although impractical, he quite liked it, as if he really had a friend talking to him.
However, the joy of retrieving his bear was quickly shattered.
[Due to system lag, mission release delayed. Beep—Mission loaded.]
[Please accept the job offer, Host, and become an employee of the Interstellar Defense Department Strategic Processing Center to increase contact opportunities with the protagonist group. Go for it, you’re the best!]
Tang Yu’an: “…”
If he called back and said he was talking nonsense because he’d lost his mind, would he get beaten up?
