Chapter 1: Arrival in the British Isles

The road, pockmarked with craters, resembled a face covered in freckles. The houses along the street had all turned into ruins, and wisps of smoke floated in the air above the city. Destroyed buses and car wrecks littered the streets, while shattered water and sewage pipes gushed water and filth into the gaping craters, turning the street into a filthy mess akin to a cesspool.

The piercing air raid sirens had finally ceased.

Li Yi'an wandered aimlessly through the streets, gazing at the apocalyptic scene before him, hoping that everything he saw was just a dream.

But it was all too real.

Just a moment ago, he had been carrying a package, preparing to deliver it to his roommate who sold goods on the street after work, as usual. Blinking, he found himself on unfamiliar streets.

Red double-decker buses, red telephone booths, and police officers in black helmets blowing whistles—all looked like they had jumped out of an old movie set in London.

After all, in 21st-century London, one would never hear air raid sirens, witness frantic pedestrians running amok, or catch a glimpse of propeller fighter planes roaring through the sky.

Although a bit disoriented, Li Yi'an followed the fleeing crowd and dashed into a nearby subway station.

Soon came the deafening explosions, feeling the shockwaves of the blasts, he remained in a daze for a long time.

After who knows how long, when the air raid ended and the throngs of people left the subway station, Li Yi'an wandered through the streets of London like a headless fly, not knowing how many streets he had walked.

Finally, tired from walking, Li Yi'an sat on a bench by the roadside to catch his breath.

Facing reality!

Lowering his head, he noticed an old newspaper floating in a puddle at his feet, with the headline "From One Victory to Another! Axis Forces Surrender to Allies in North Africa!" printed on it.

Axis forces surrendering in North Africa?

Glancing at the date on the newspaper, May 13, 1943.

Damn, he had really traveled back in time!

As a result of his time-travel, Li Yi'an had to face an unavoidable reality—he was penniless and homeless.

Wandering aimlessly in the streets of London was not a long-term solution.

What to do next?

It was really troublesome.

Having read plenty of online novels, Li Yi'an knew that traveling in the flesh was one of the most tragic ways to time travel, if not the most tragic.

Traveling in the flesh meant that he had no legal status in this world, let alone the scenario of having a wealthy father and indulging in a life of luxury.

At present, the chance to acknowledge his father was gone, and the possibility of being hung was increasing.

During the war, unidentified foreigners wandering the streets... adding the three together, being suspected as a spy was a sure thing!

If you don't get hanged, who will!

It's really troublesome.

Well, let's take it step by step. Having graduated from university and worked hard in a first-tier city with his classmates, Li Yi'an had long learned to adapt to circumstances.

Actually, worrying about this was of no use. In these chaotic times, traveling through recklessly without being arrested as a spy was truly heaven's blessing.

But it seems, his luck was running out.

By now, the sky had darkened, and when it was dark, the police, who had no time to bother with him, would have time to pay attention to him.

Taking out a cigarette from his bag, Li Yi'an sighed helplessly.

Let's smoke a cigarette and calm down first.

At this moment, a British man came towards him. When he saw the cigarette pack with a camel on it, his eyes lit up instantly.

Li Yi'an hadn't even lit the cigarette yet, and the man approached him eagerly, asking:

"Sir, are you smoking Camel cigarettes?"

Could he smell it?

Indeed, Li Yi'an was smoking American Camel cigarettes, the unfiltered kind. According to smokers, these cigarettes were strong, and one could last for two hours.

Someone could directly name the brand just by smelling it?

Li Yi'an nodded, and seeing the excitement on the man's face, he asked eagerly:

"Is it really Camel cigarettes? Haha, I knew it as soon as I smelled it, hahaha..."

In fact, the man had seen the camel on the cigarette pack earlier and was staring at the Camel cigarette in Li Yi'an's hand, asking tentatively:

"Sir, do you still have Camel cigarettes?"

"What?"

The man said straightforwardly.

"If you still have them, I can give you a penny for each cigarette, sir."

"A penny?"

Although the man's behavior was puzzling, for Li Yi'an, who was penniless, hungry, and thirsty, this was definitely a godsend.

"A penny..."

After pondering for a moment and seeing the eagerness in the man's eyes, Li Yi'an said:

"I have 17 cigarettes left in my cigarette case... So if I leave five cigarettes for myself and sell the rest to you, for 5 pounds, what do you think?"

He had to leave some for himself.

Those who understand know that this was the last stubbornness of a smoker.

Hearing this, the man immediately exclaimed with joy.

"Of course!"

One penny for each Camel cigarette.

Twelve cigarettes and a Zippo lighter.

He actually sold them for 5 pounds!

Taking a few banknotes from the man's hand, looking at the almost half an A4-sized banknote in his hand, Li Yi'an couldn't help but feel a little excited.

Finally, he had money!

He didn't lose face as a time traveler after all, earning his first bucket of gold on the day of his time travel.