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The bustling noise of Mumbai streets, mingled with curry and dust; the sticky dampness of Shanghai's alleyways; the glimmer of despair and hope in the eyes of fellow patients; the sharp, knife-like scrutiny of Cao Bin, the head of the criminal investigation team; and the expectation and trust that Liu Sihui, Lü Shouyi, Pastor Liu, and Huang Mao looked at him with...

All the bizarre and fantastical scenes flashed, collided, and mixed wildly in Suning's mind like film reels on fast-forward.

Ultimately, it was abruptly pulled away by an irresistible, immense force, leaving only a chaotic void.

He faced the vast emptiness and, with his remaining consciousness, silently uttered the two words: "Return."

In an instant, a feeling of weightlessness a hundred times stronger than during his last time travel swept over him, like an invisible giant hand gripping his soul tightly.

This was not a simple dizziness, but rather as if the entire soul was forcibly torn from the body and thrown into a turbulent river composed of pure energy and fragmented data.

There was no sound, no light, only countless sharp fragments of senses and a torrent of cold lightning, frantically washing over his faltering consciousness, as if trying to crush him completely in this chaos.

I don't know how much time passed; it might have been a fleeting moment, or it might have been an eternity with no end in sight.

The violent electric current that almost tore him apart finally disappeared abruptly, like the receding tide.

Su Ning suddenly opened her eyes, breathing rapidly, her forehead instantly covered in cold sweat.

The familiar ceiling light cast a soft white glow, and the walls were still covered with slightly worn anime posters from high school. The desk was piled high with high school textbooks...

The air was filled with the unique scent of home, a faint mixture of dust and sunlight, so familiar that it brought a slight lump to his throat.

He was lying on his bed, wearing the cotton loungewear he wore before he time-traveled.

Everything was exactly the same as when he left, as if he had just accidentally taken a nap and had a long dream.

He subconsciously reached for the bedside table, and his heart skipped a beat when his fingertips touched the cold casing of the phone.

He grabbed his phone and turned on the screen...

时间停留在晚上8点17分，日期是2013年5月15日。

It was exactly the same moment, down to the second, that triggered the time travel in his memory.

My heart felt like it was being clenched tightly by an icy hand and then suddenly released; the violent beating roared in my ears, bringing a sense of absurdity that was almost terrifying.

"Time...it hasn't flowed at all?" he murmured to himself, his voice sounding hollow in the overly quiet room.

In another world, he experienced months of harrowing adventures: haggling with Sonny in the slums of Mumbai, repackaging medicines with fellow patients in a Shanghai warehouse, and outwitting Cao Bin in a medicated oil shop…

But in the long river of time in the real world, not a single ripple was stirred.
This completely defied the understanding of all physical laws, making him momentarily doubt whether he had simply been having an extremely long and realistic nightmare.

Were those struggles, those choices, those vibrant faces merely figments of his subconscious imagination?
For a moment, a strong sense of unreality surged over him like a tidal wave, almost engulfing him.

He pinched his arm hard, and a clear pain traveled through his nerves, but it still couldn't dispel the unreality that had seeped into his bones.

He needs to prove that the experience wasn't a dream.

A thought arises...

There were no complicated incantations, no superfluous gestures, only a powerful conscious call from the depths of the soul.

The next second, the air in the room seemed to ripple slightly, a faint white light flashed, and a small white medicine bottle appeared out of thin air, landing steadily in his outstretched palm with a soft "snap".

The icy touch of the glass instantly traveled along his nerve endings to his brain, sending a jolt through his body.

He looked down at the medicine bottle in his palm; the rough English printing on the bottle was clearly legible: "Gleevec".

Unscrew the cap, and the pale yellow pills lay quietly inside, carrying a faint medicinal scent.

It was that bottle of Indian Gleevec that changed his fate, and also the fate of countless other leukemia patients.

This is not a dream.

All memories, all experiences, all joys and sorrows, are now evidenced by weighty physical objects.

The humid evening breeze of Mumbai, the dim lights of the aphrodisiac shop, the tense atmosphere of a secret transaction, Cao Bin's sharp eyes, the grateful tears of the patients as they received their medicine...

None of this is fiction; it is a real event that actually happened in the past.

He did indeed go to another world, playing the role of a "medicine god," completing that mission that walked the line between right and wrong, and...

I brought back this unique souvenir.

Su Ning held the bottle of medicine, her fingers unconsciously stroking the smooth surface of the bottle. She could clearly feel the raised texture of the printed characters on her fingertips, and remained silent for a long time.

The emotions surging within me were complex and difficult to describe...

There is the ease of completing a mission and returning safely, a faint concern for the unfinished business in that world, speculation about the fate of Lü Shouyi, Liu Sihui, and Pastor Liu, and even more so, a weariness and vicissitude after traversing life and death and experiencing the world.

He recalled the scene before he left: Lu Shouyi's condition had stabilized and he had become a millionaire; Liu Sihui had opened a small clothing store and no longer needed to go to nightclubs to dance; and Pastor Liu was finally able to pray in peace.

Even Huang Mao, who joined the latest, was allowed by Su Ning to return home in glory with the money he had earned after Cao Bin set his sights on them. He should be living a peaceful life with his family now.

Before leaving, Suning also bought the Prince Indian God Oil shop and gave it to Huang Mao, so that Huang Mao would at least have a place to stay when he came back in the future.

The medicine bottle in my palm was small, but it felt heavy.

It is not just a bottle of medicine, but a microcosm of the world, a testament to a legend, a condensation of countless joys and sorrows, and a silent proof that his hands have been stained with the gray areas and walked on the edge of the law.

He took a deep breath, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, got out of bed, and walked step by step to the bookshelf against the wall.

The bookshelf was filled with his favorite science fiction novels from before he lost his memory, thick high school textbooks, and small trinkets he collected during his middle school years—all familiar traces of his life.

He carefully brushed away the dust from a small empty space on the top shelf of the bookshelf, and then solemnly and properly placed the bottle of Indian Gleevec on it.

The white medicine bottle stood out starkly among the colorful books and ornaments, yet it seemed as if it was meant to be there, becoming the most unique piece of the puzzle in his life.

Outside the window, the moonlight in the real world was just right, streaming in through the gaps in the curtains and casting soft shadows on the floor.

The sounds of neighbors returning home and cars honking in the distance drifted up from downstairs; everything was ordinary and full of life, a stark contrast to that world filled with struggle and life and death.

Su Ning stood in front of the bookshelf, took one last look at the unassuming medicine bottle in the moonlight, and then slowly turned around.

The epic world of the dungeon has come to an end, but real life must go on.

However, having gone through all of this, he is no longer the same person he used to be.

The funds he acquired in that other world, the negotiation skills he learned, the experience of seeing through people's hearts, and this unspeakable memory will all become his unique foundation and bargaining chips on his future path.

He walked to his desk, turned on his computer, and the familiar interface appeared the moment the screen lit up.

The moment his fingers touched the keyboard, he suddenly smiled.

The truth of the world turned out to be far more complex and interesting than he had imagined.

The road ahead is long, and he is ready.

……

Su Ning took the black bank card out of her pocket again.

The card is heavy and cool to the touch. It has no bank logo on it, only a thin magnetic strip and an almost invisible chip window, making it seem mysterious and low-key.

Looking at it, Su Ning couldn't help but smile again, revealing a complex and satisfied expression.

Three hundred and eighty-six million.

What was merely a number in the dungeon world has now become a vast power that he can easily access and freely control in the real world.

This sense of control is a real impact that no task reward notification can bring.

He picked up his everyday phone and sent a message to Fan Lin, who was far away in Beijing. Naturally, he omitted all the thrilling details and only shared some lighthearted snippets of life and his longing for her.

The two poured their hearts out to each other through the screen. Fan Lin shared what was happening on set and told him to rest well at home.

This simple warmth perfectly eased the sense of alienation he felt after returning from another world.

After calming down, a deep sense of exhaustion washed over me like a tide.

Su Ning threw herself onto the soft bed and almost instantly fell into a dreamless sleep, as if trying to make up for the mental and physical exhaustion of the past few months. She slept until noon the next day.

He was awakened by the enticing aroma of food...

It's the rich aroma of stir-fried crab with scallions and ginger, the sweet fragrance of braised prawns, and the pure, natural flavor of steamed seafood.

I walked out of the room in a daze and sure enough, I saw that the dining table in the living room was already filled with a seafood feast.

Bright red crabs, glistening prawns, plump sea fish, and a large bowl of delicious clam soup...

My mother was carrying the last plate of garlic oysters out of the kitchen.

"Suning's awake? Come on, wash your hands and eat! The market closed early today, so these are still fresh and unsold!" The mother's face beamed with smiles as she looked at her son's sleepy eyes, her eyes full of love.

As the saying goes, "Those who live near mountains live off the mountains, and those who live near water live off the water."

For the Su family, who make a living selling seafood by the sea in Qingdao, these gifts from the ocean are never lacking on their dining table.

But today, Suning felt that every dish her mother made was exceptionally delicious, as if she hadn't tasted food with such warmth and homely flavor in a long time.

He ate with exceptional relish, devouring the food in no time.

Seeing her son so cooperative and enjoying his food so much, the mother's smile grew even brighter, and she kept putting food on his plate, saying, "Eat slowly, eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you!"

……

The atmosphere at the dining table was warm and harmonious.

Su Ning put down her chopsticks, wiped her mouth, and said to her parents in as relaxed a tone as possible, "Dad, Mom, I have something to tell you. I received some pay for filming before, and I used it to invest in stocks. I was lucky and made some money."

Su Daqiang and Wang Xiuying stopped eating at the same time and looked at each other in surprise.

They knew their son had earned some money from acting, though they weren't sure of the exact amount, and they never considered interfering with how he handled it.

But for an honest family like theirs, making money through stock trading still carries a sense of risk and novelty.

"How much did you make? Stock trading is risky, you mustn't lose it all," Wang Xiuying asked with some concern.

“I didn’t lose money, I made a profit. I made quite a lot.” Su Ning smiled, not revealing the specific amount, afraid of scaring her parents. “So, I’m thinking of buying a car today. It will be more convenient to go out in the future.”

Su Daqiang pondered for a moment, then nodded: "Buying a car is a good thing. But let's buy an affordable one, either a domestic or joint venture model, something durable and reliable."

He was thinking of a family car that cost around 100,000 yuan.

Su Ning smiled and nodded: "Yes, I know what I'm doing."

After dinner, the family took a taxi to the car market with great enthusiasm.

Su Daqiang originally thought his son would head straight to a Volkswagen, Toyota, or Geely dealership, but to his surprise, Suning didn't stop there and went directly into a spacious, bright, and luxurious Mercedes-Benz dealership.

“Ningning, these…the cars here…” Su Daqiang looked at the gleaming, iconic three-pointed star emblem in the showroom and subconsciously tugged at his son’s sleeve, feeling that even the air here exuded an air of extravagance.

"Dad, it's alright, take a look." Su Ning patted her father's hand reassuringly, her gaze steady.

He had already chosen his car model: a mid-to-large-sized Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan with a dignified and sophisticated exterior, a luxurious and comfortable interior, and a price of around 500,000 to 600,000 yuan. It wouldn't be too flashy, and it perfectly matched his current needs and financial capabilities.

He didn't need the salesperson to give much of an introduction; he pointed directly to the car and asked, "This one. Do you have it in stock?"

"Have!"

"Full payment! Let's complete the formalities."

……

Upon hearing the news, the sales manager rushed over with a professional and enthusiastic smile on his face.

But when Suning pulled out the card—which had no bank logo, was completely black, and only showed subtle patterns under certain lighting—the manager's smile froze instantly, his eyes filled with suspicion and bewilderment.

He looked the Suning family up and down; they were dressed plainly and didn't seem like the kind of reclusive tycoons they were.

This card...

He'd worked in sales for so many years and seen countless cards, but he'd never seen anything this strange!

Is this some kind of prop card from a toy factory?

If it weren't for Su Ning's calm tone and clear eyes, he would have almost thought he had encountered a lunatic who had come to cause trouble.

"Uh... sir, did you... did you take the wrong card?" The manager tried to remain polite, but the doubt in his tone was unmistakable.

Su Ning frowned slightly, her voice calm yet carrying an undeniable pressure: "You didn't take the wrong one. Just swipe your card."

"But sir, our POS machine might not be able to recognize your special card." The manager tried to politely decline, feeling that the deal was going to fall through.

Su Ning glanced at him, her tone still calm, yet it felt like an invisible slap in the face: "Don't use your limited knowledge and perspective to easily judge the whole world. Just because you haven't seen or don't know something doesn't mean it doesn't exist. A frog in a well can only see a limited view of the sky."

The manager blushed at these words, especially in front of other sales staff and customers, and felt quite embarrassed.

A surge of anger welled up within him, and almost defiantly, he said to the saleswoman next to him, "Go! Get the POS machine! Let this gentleman swipe his card!"

"Yes, Manager."

He wanted to see if this card could actually be used to make money!

If it doesn't load, that's a perfect excuse to ask them to leave!

The saleswoman quickly brought over the POS machine.

The manager practically snatched it away, and with a hint of provocation, swiped the strange black card on the machine, not even holding out any hope.

However, a crisp "beep" sound rang out!

The POS machine screen displayed no error messages and smoothly entered the amount input interface!

The manager's hand froze in mid-air, his eyes widened, and his expression instantly changed from questioning and provocation to shock and disbelief, finally turning ashen and embarrassed.

The surrounding salespeople were all dumbfounded, and their whispers abruptly ceased.

Enter the amount and confirm.

The printed document slowly emerged...

The transaction... was successful!

The manager hurriedly tore off the receipt, his hands trembling slightly as he respectfully handed the mysterious black card and the car purchase invoice back to Suning.

The smile on his face suddenly became incredibly stiff and humble: "Sir... the formalities are complete! Here's your card and invoice! I'm so sorry! We were truly... truly blind! Please forgive us..."

Suning calmly accepted the card and invoice, not even glancing at the manager, as if everything that had just happened was a trivial interlude.

He said nothing more, nor did he need to say anything more.

He took the car keys and got into the brand-new Mercedes-Benz with temporary license plates.

The leather seats have a faint scent, and the interior is exquisite and comfortable.

He started the car, rolled down the window, and smiled at his parents who were still standing outside: "Dad, Mom, get in! Let's go home!"

The Mercedes-Benz smoothly drove out of the 4S store, leaving behind a group of salespeople with embarrassed expressions and disheveled faces in the wind.

As they watched the taillights disappear into the distance, they truly understood for the first time what it meant to "not judge a book by its cover" and what "understated luxury" really meant.

Inside the car, Su Daqiang and Wang Xiuying touched the luxurious interior and watched their son skillfully driving, still feeling like they were dreaming.

But an indescribable sense of satisfaction and pride slowly spread through their hearts.

...(End of chapter)