Volume 1: From Poverty to Wealth Chapter 2: Catching a Thief

  Li Xiaoteng casually pulled open the curtains, gazing out at the scenery, lost in thought. The dizziness was like a vast river flowing endlessly, and also seemed to be an unstoppable flood of the Yellow River. Although it was pitch black outside, the few large paulownia trees below were indeed full of leaves. Li Xiaoteng sat weakly on the small bed that had accompanied him for many years but was now being sold cheaply to a junk collector due to the move. He didn't know whether he should cry or laugh. It was clearly winter, yet somehow it had become spring!

  This miserable cargo is still thinking, others who travel through time are either back in the Ming Dynasty as a prince or travel to the Song Dynasty to become a great general. Traveling as a leader. Being an emperor, king, or general commanding thousands of troops and horses, with countless beautiful wives and concubines by your side, what a wonderful life! How come when I traveled through time, I'm still myself, and time only went back those few damn years? Looking down at my small single bed, I couldn't help but fantasize about beauties? Wealth? What the hell is this time travel?!

  This guy who can't even tell apart transmigration and rebirth is shivering with worry and anxiety, and after a cold sweat, he crawled back into his own little nest. He tilted his head to look at the computer screen shining brightly, and painfully closed his eyes! Really hoping that he could sleep for a while and wake up back in 2013.

  Suddenly woke up, stiffened, and shivering all over, she forcibly shut down her computer. No matter what time it was, if she fell asleep without turning off the computer, her mother would blow up!

  "Drip, drip, drip, drip, drip, drip..." The ringing of his phone woke up Li Xiaoteng, who had not slept well all night. He randomly grabbed the phone by his bed and looked at its pure blue screen. To his surprise, the Nokia 8250's ringtone was not even harmonious! Li Xiaoteng resignedly got out of bed. Looking at the time on his phone, it was only 7 o'clock. He weakly threw the phone back onto the bed. In 2005, Li Xiaoteng had just graduated from a third-rate junior college with a diploma that neither his parents nor relatives were proud of. Although he majored in finance, he couldn't get into state-owned enterprises. Private companies also wouldn't consider him because he was a graduate of a third-rate university! After hitting a wall everywhere, Li Xiaoteng hadn't thought of working for a securities company at the time. The securities industry was then going through its most difficult and miserable period. Five years of slow bear market had caused countless small brokerages to go bankrupt. Medium-sized brokerages were also undergoing restructuring. Only a few old-brand brokerages like Jun'an, Guotai, Xiangcai Securities, and Hengyuan Securities were barely holding on. At that time, Dahua Securities, among others, was acquired due to huge losses from proprietary trading and insolvency, quietly disappearing into the annals of history. Many small brokerages were also acquired by Xiangcai Securities. The low acquisition price made many wealthy entrepreneurs who thought they had foresight extremely resentful.

  What was Li Xiaoteng doing at that time? Li Xiaoteng was working part-time while preparing to take the civil service exam. However, Li Xiaoteng didn't know he didn't have the ability to take the civil service exam! When he entered the examination room and got the test paper, he was immediately confused. In the administrative profession ability test, it actually asked how many holes a honeycomb coal has? The essay question he encountered involved issues like the sovereignty of the Diaoyu Islands. After being reborn, Li Xiaoteng would definitely not go to fight alone on the single-plank bridge with millions of troops again! At this time, Li Xiaoteng's parents also got up.

  Li Xiaoteng looked at his parents, who suddenly felt ten years younger. He had a wonderful impulse and thought to himself: "Time-traveling is not bad either! At least I can live ten more years than others!" His mother was folding the quilt and asked: "What were you shouting about last night? You didn't sleep, did you?" Li Xiaoteng was still immersed in the idea of increasing his lifespan and hadn't reacted yet. He quickly said: "Mom, I had a nightmare last night and got scared awake! I don't know what I was saying either. My dad called me, and I woke up, then went back to sleep." His mother looked at Li Xiaoteng and said: "You're fine, just stop looking at all that nonsense on the computer. It's affecting your sleep!" Li Xiaoteng smiled and said: "Don't worry about it, mom! I'm fine!" Just then, Old Li came out of the bathroom, washing up, and asked while putting on his clothes: "Xiaoteng, why are you still here? You usually leave earlier than me. If you go to Yangqiao now, you won't be late!"

  Li Xiaoteng suddenly remembered that he still had to go to work and thought back to his experience selling smuggled mobile phones in Yangqiao's Mobile City in 2005. He felt a chill run down his spine, as if it was a nightmare! He worked for the boss, colluded with others, desperately pulled customers to buy the smuggled mobile phones he sold. For each phone sold, he only got a commission of 10 or 20 yuan. The more he thought about it, the more depressed he felt. Reborn! He said that no matter what, he wouldn't do anything meaningless again. Immediately, he told Old Li: "Dad, I don't want to do this job anymore. I want to do something else!" Old Li looked at Li Xiaoteng with surprise and said: "You're not doing this, have you thought about what you want to do? Just two days ago, I said don't let him do it, but he still told me that he was looking for a good job while working. How did he find a new job in just two days?" Li Xiaoteng said confidently: "Don't worry, Dad! I'll definitely let you and Mom move into a big house soon and enjoy wealth and glory!" Li's mother had also dressed up and was preparing to go to work. She looked at Li Xiaoteng with a smile and said: "You'd better not make your dad and me anxious, okay? And what's this about living in a big house? The housing prices are so expensive now!" At this time, Old Li had also put on his shoes and was preparing to go out. He smiled and said: "Alright, let's talk about it later!" Then the two of them went out to work together.

  Li Xiaoteng sat in the living room, thinking to himself, "I'm a time-traveler, but I didn't end up as some kind of royalty or military leader. Making some money shouldn't be too hard, right?" He then walked into his own room, trying to figure out where he had put his savings account book. After searching through his dresser for half the day, he couldn't find it anywhere. Feeling frustrated, he clearly remembered depositing over 10,000 yuan when he sold his phone. Where did his savings account book go? Suddenly, his eyes landed on his bookshelf. He recalled that sometimes he would put his savings account book between the pages of a book after using it. He immediately walked over to the bookshelf and started searching through it. "Ah! I actually found it! It was stuck in 'The Legend of the White-Haired Demon Girl'! Unbelievable! If a thief came, they'd be lucky to find it! And there's still 300 yuan in cash!" He muttered to himself, sitting at his computer desk and opening up his savings account book. But when he saw that there was only a little over 11,000 yuan inside, he felt frustrated again, thinking that this amount of money was far from enough to make him rich. Just as he was fantasizing about how he could become wealthy... his phone suddenly rang.

  Only the words "Boss" were written on top, and then the phone was connected: "Hello? Boss?" An angry voice came from the other end of the phone: "Li Xiaoteng, what time is it now! The store is about to open! Why haven't you arrived yet? How many times have you been late this month?" Li Xiaoteng smiled and said: "Boss, sorry about that! I didn't get a chance to tell you, I've decided to quit!" Boss was silent for a moment on the other end of the phone: "You were doing fine yesterday, weren't you? If you think it's inconvenient to live in Xingda District and work here, I can consider giving you special treatment during your working hours! Let you come later than others!" "Thank you, Boss, I really don't want to do this job anymore. No other meaning." Boss probably thought it was not necessary to raise the salary for a recent graduate from a third-rate university. Moreover, Li Xiaoteng's sales performance was not good either. Then he said: "Come over today and settle your wages!" Li Xiaoteng hurriedly said: "Thank you so much! I'll be right there!"

  The spring in Beijing, saying it's like a dream come true seems too artistic and petty. The cars on the road, looking at them doesn't seem to have decreased much from now. Suddenly feels that restricting odd-even license plates, shaking numbers to buy cars, seems to have really alleviated the explosive growth of motor vehicles in Beijing. Li Xiaoteng from the previous generation couldn't afford to sell a car due to economic reasons. As a child of Beijing, at the age of thirty, saying he doesn't want to buy a car! Maybe it's just an excuse to deceive others and himself. The high oil prices, the tens of thousands of yuan in car purchases for mid-range cars, are all small amounts. Of course, buying a QQ or a used Charade, Li Xiaoteng would rather squeeze onto the subway. He doesn't want to drive that kind of car either.

  Li Xiaoteng sat on the bus and began to think about his own future. He thought randomly, what should he do to create a magnificent career?

  Here is the translation:

  "Hey, Zhang, if you were sent back to the Ming Dynasty, do you think you could be like Yang Ling and become a powerful and famous hereditary iron-hat prince who opens up a grand business empire?" Li Xiaoteng asked lazily while smoking.

  Zhang laughed and said: "Yang Ling? I reckon I wouldn't even be able to guard that castle tower thingy, and would probably end up running away with Han Yuniang."

  Li Xiaoteng disagreed: "How could it be that bad? I think I could at least make it to the Imperial Guard. Even if I couldn't hold on afterwards, I'd still be better than you! Haha!"

  Zhang took a drag of his cigarette and exhaled deeply, trying to appear profound as he said: "This is something that can't be said... If we were sent back in time, we wouldn't be able to do anything impressive. We'd either be farmers or small vendors. Where would we get the ability to be so powerful? A cook who travels back in time is still just a cook... nothing new about it!"

  Li Xiaoteng sat on the bus, recalling the scene at that time couldn't help but laugh. Ah! At that time, I didn't think I could go back to 2005 either! You know, if you can go back to that time, record a few more sports lottery numbers, double-color ball draw numbers... everything is ready! It's really true that the chef is still the chef. Those who do securities work are still doing securities...

  Suddenly, a burst of inspiration struck Li Xiaoteng and he wanted to slap himself in the face! And that small leader from the securities company, those stocks from 2005, those stocks that were worth only a few cents on the street, so many opportunities were wealth! The sun outside the car window suddenly seemed beautiful to Li Xiaoteng's eyes. It didn't feel dazzling anymore. He stared at the sun with a silly smile, his eyes wide open without blinking for a moment, and he couldn't tear them away!

  This idiot is smiling foolishly with his eyes closed and tears streaming down. He's fantasizing about his own happiness, with a beautiful wife and concubines, living a life of luxury. The feeling of happiness surrounds him like an aura. He can't help but hum: "I still remember many years ago in the spring, when I had long hair and no credit card, no 24-hour hot water at home, but I was so happy back then. All I had was a broken wooden guitar, singing those unheard melodies on the streets, under bridges, and in fields... Maybe one day when I'm old and helpless, please leave me in that time."

  This is a mess. Suddenly high and suddenly low, every sentence is out of tune in the spring, making Li Xiaoteng sing with a ghostly voice, shocking the audience. Countless eyes are focused on Li Xiaoteng's body.

  An old lady on the side whispered to her companion, "This young man won't be crazy, will he? Just now I saw him sighing one minute and laughing the next, and now he's singing again. What a pity for such a good-looking young man, how did he become mentally ill?"

  The whispers of gossip reached Li Xiaoteng's ears, and also made the extremely excited Li Xiaoteng calm down. These years of experience in the securities company had long made Li Xiaoteng a golden armor, an iron mask. He was no longer the original Li Xiaoteng who would blush at the slightest provocation.

  Just then, Li Xiaoteng, who was sitting by the window, suddenly saw a hand reaching into a girl's backpack. It was rummaging for something. The distance between them was only three or four people away, and before Li Xiaoteng could even think about it, he shouted loudly: "Ah, Yan'er sister! Someone is messing with your bag!" With a search, the hand that had reached out suddenly disappeared!

  A group of women with bags, regardless of age, all looked down at their own bags. The girl also lowered her head to look at her own bag and found that the zipper on her shiny small leather shoulder bag had been opened! The girl quickly zipped up her bag. Without saying a word, she lowered her head and shifted her position slightly. She slipped away like nothing was wrong. Just then, Li Xiaoteng, who was sitting in his seat, saw two people squeeze over! Suddenly, one of them grabbed Li Xiaoteng's collar and shouted: "You're quite bold, kid! You've delayed our meal. Are you looking for trouble?" Li Xiaoteng felt like a huge stone had been lifted off his chest, but he was still uncomfortable. He thought to himself: "Damn it! Spreading positive energy here! This is Beijing, how can it be as chaotic as Pakistan or Israel? When did pickpocketing become so rampant?" As he looked around, the crowded carriage suddenly cleared out a space of about three to five square meters.

  Everyone was staring at each other with wide eyes, closely watching the development of the situation. Li Xiaoteng took one look and suddenly felt a chill in his heart. He thought to himself, "I'm not Superman who can turn my pants inside out." With a single glance, he knew that these two were not people to be trifled with. The two thieves were not as tall as Li Xiaoteng, but they both exceeded 1.7 meters in height, and their builds were sturdy. They had the same short haircuts. If they wore black suits and sunglasses, they would definitely look like bodyguards. But unfortunately, their attire was far from it - they wore casual jeans that made them look rustic, and their faces were ordinary. If they blended into the crowd, they would be like a drop of water in the ocean. Li Xiaoteng thought to himself, but he still stood up from his seat with a loud shout: "You two thieves! You can't even steal properly, are you planning to rob us openly?" The two thieves exchanged a glance, and one of them chuckled: "Haha, this kid is quite bold! He's ruined our business and still has the nerve to be arrogant!" One of the thieves tightened his grip on Li Xiaoteng's collar, while the other hand slapped him with a loud smack.

  The bus was still speeding down the road, but it seemed to be going even faster now. The crowd watching from the sidelines were still staring intently at the scene unfolding before them, while inside the bus, an eerie silence had fallen. Li Xiaoteng's eyes were red, and he was suppressing a buzzing in his ears. The author asked the editor if Li Xiaoteng could curse loudly, but the editor said no. The author then asked if Li Xiaoteng could yell at the top of his lungs, but the editor shook his head again. So the author had Li Xiaoteng let out a loud cry: "You shall pay with your lives!"

  Here is the translation:

  Just as things were getting out of hand, Li Xiaoteng's hand grabbed the thief who was holding onto his collar. His other hand formed a fist and struck the thief's ribs. Eternal Spring Inch Force? Ha! This is urban rebirth, isn't it? In an ordinary life, where would you find something like Eternal Spring Inch Force? It's just a punch to the ribs. The thief let out a loud "hiss" and instantly fell to the ground. Another thief shouted, "Old Second, are you okay?" The beaten thief had already released his grip, one hand covering his stomach, the other holding onto the seatback, bent over and struggling to say, "Cousin... ...get him!" It turned out that these two people were actually relatives! The thief who was called "cousin" grabbed Li Xiaoteng's hair and started punching. Li Xiaoteng suddenly felt like he was in a small boat being tossed about in a stormy sea. He swayed back and forth, unable to bear it any longer. He shouted loudly, "Everyone catch the thief! Ah~!" The first half of his sentence was still a desperate cry for help, but the second half was just a pained wail.

  Among the onlookers, some even took out their mobile phones to take pictures or shoot videos, but no one came forward to help. Some elderly people turned their backs and squeezed towards the rear of the carriage.

  Li Xiaoteng took a look and thought to himself, "Damn it, can't I just get out of here?" But he still shouted loudly, "Catch the thief! Let's fight them!" After shouting, no one moved. However, things were slightly better than before, as some righteous citizens started calling out, "You guys are too arrogant, or we'll call the police!" "Right! We'll call the police and let them handle it!" They shouted, but still didn't move forward to help.

  Li Xiaoteng initially could still fight back a bit, but now he was completely on the defensive, unable to counterattack. Li Xiaoteng looked around and saw no one helping, so he shouted again, "Come on, guys! Let's take down the thief! They don't have knives or guns, what are you afraid of?" The bus conductor, a middle-aged woman, weakly shouted, "Stop fighting, stop fighting! I've already called the police!"

  Actually, there are still many good people in society. At this moment, a young man finally stepped forward and grabbed the fire extinguisher next to the conductor, spraying it at one of the thieves' backs. It's strange how society works - if everyone doesn't take action, even when someone is being beaten to death, people will just stand by and watch, eating their popcorn or drinking their soda.

  But as soon as two people step forward, the crowd's fighting spirit is instantly ignited. One person steps forward, and then there's a second. Suddenly, young men and older uncles joined the fray. The two thieves were beaten by the passengers until their faces were swollen and their clothes were dirty, with clear footprints on their shirts.

  The bus arrived at the station, and the driver actually opened the door of the bus. People waiting to get on saw a fight breaking out on the bus and didn't dare get on. At this moment, someone kicked one of the thieves to the door of the bus, and he quickly ran down. Another thief, who had been beaten and kicked several times, also followed him down.

  Li Xiaoteng stared at the two thieves, who were running even faster than rabbits, and was a bit stunned! He immediately shouted loudly: "Catch the thief, everyone go to the police station to collect the reward!" As soon as the words fell, he saw a young man holding a fire extinguisher. He also ran down. Several other men who had caught up also chased after him.