Chapter 52: A Choice in the Rainy Night

Chapter 52: A Choice in the Rainy Night

Outside the window, the rain poured down relentlessly.

The raindrops trickled down the glass, resembling lines of dark, blood-like streaks.

In the distance, the thick darkness obscured everything from view.

Uchiha Ci opened his eyes, staring at the familiar yet long-missed blue checkered ceiling.

The only light source in the cramped cabin came from the phone beside him, which was playing a somewhat noisy song.

The song itself was fine, but it was constantly interrupted by the sound of WeChat notifications.

Ci picked up the phone and glanced at it casually.

[Got a writing job for you, 6 yuan per 1,000 characters, interested?]

[Could you revise the drawing again? How about sticking with the first version? 100 yuan is still money.]

[Bro, I know you're broke, I know you're sick, and I know your scooter battery got stolen, but I really can't spare any cash right now. I swear I'll pay back that 6,000 yuan.]

[What do you mean by that? You saw me at the foot massage place living it up while delivering food? What do you know? We're not friends anymore—I'm blocking you.]

[You there? Rent is due.]

"Ugh..." Ci coughed and got out of bed. Picking up his phone, he intended to transfer 300 yuan to the landlord, throw in a kowtow emoji, and ask for an extension of half a month.

But just as he was about to do so, a notification popped up on the screen: Insufficient Balance.

He paused for a moment, then opened his mobile banking app, hoping to see if his five hundred million had arrived.

The balance was clear: 5.26 yuan.

It was like a knife had been plunged into his chest.

"Damn it... it was all just a dream, wasn't it?" Ci sighed deeply. Recalling the details of his year in the Shinobi World, it all felt too real.

But reality required him to focus on making money.

Uchiha Ci slapped his face, gathered his energy, and smiled. He opened WeChat again.

First, he deleted his only friend in the city—"Good Big Brother"—and resolved never to speak to that loser again.

Then, he opened the chat windows of his freelance clients and replied one by one.

[Thanks, bro. I'll pump out 10,000 characters tonight.]

[Got it, boss! I knew you had a sharp eye. The first version is perfect; I'll make the tweaks right away.]

After calculating his earnings, Uchiha Ci sent a message to the scooter shop owner, promising to bring the money tomorrow morning, rent a battery for 150 yuan, buy breakfast, and then continue delivering food.

There was a rain bonus tomorrow, and he estimated he could earn about 200 yuan conservatively.

In the evening, he'd spend 50 yuan on a box of milk for the landlord, say something nice, and probably avoid getting kicked out.

If he could just keep this up for another month, life would definitely start to improve!

"Cough, cough."

Having finished all this, Uchiha Ci climbed out of bed, shuffled to the window in his slippers, and looked up at the pitch-black, starless night sky.

At that moment, Uchiha Ci thought about how he was alone in this unfamiliar city, with no friends and no family, struggling just to make ends meet.

Especially in the dead of night like this, the loneliness really hit hard.

But after half a minute, he shook off the thought.

He didn't have time for such self-pity!

If he didn't hustle for tomorrow's survival, he might really starve to death!

Reviving his spirits, Uchiha Ci reached into the small fridge by the window and pulled out a can of his lifeline—Pepsi.

With a crisp snap, he popped open the tab and took a big gulp.

But then he frowned.

The more he drank, the more off it tasted.

Why was the Pepsi so sickly sweet?

Had it expired?

Uchiha Ci squinted at the can, but suddenly, everything blurred.

The scene before him distorted.

The Pepsi bottle in his hand transformed into the face of a young girl with clear, emerald-green eyes. She clutched Uchiha Ci's head, desperately crying out in his ear,

"Don't!"

"Don't die!"

Outside, the storm raged on, its savage torrents streaking across the glass like lines of dark, blood-red veins, dancing wildly!

Faster and faster, the rain streaked down!

Crack!

The rain pounded the glass so violently that cracks formed, spider-webbing the pane!

Uchiha Ci tightened his grip on the Pepsi can, his breath caught in his throat.

It felt as though something was gripping his neck, squeezing his heart!

And then—

A tight, ruthless squeeze!

It felt like he was dying!

But—

In the next instant—

Nothing happened.

Uchiha Ci blinked.

He was back in his rented room.

At that moment, a line of text appeared in his vision.

[Employee: Uchiha Ci, you have died unexpectedly in the process of saving a world in chaos.]

[You now have two choices.]

[1. Claim your insurance payout: 500,000,000 yuan and be resurrected in your original world.]

[2. Be resurrected in the Shinobi World and continue as a legendary warrior to save this chaotic world. This opportunity is once in a lifetime.]

[Note: If you choose option 2, your insurance payout will be reduced to 50 million, but the insurance policy will remain in effect.]

He stared at the two choices, falling silent.

Especially when he saw the word "resurrection" in the first option.

Uchiha Ci's entire body began to tremble uncontrollably, a sudden, searing pain exploding in his mind.

Fragments of memories buried deep in his heart surged forth.

[Resurrection]

Those stark white characters hammered home a single truth—

In the real world,

He was already dead.

Uchiha Ci clutched his head, collapsing onto the ground, his pupils trembling as he gazed at the familiar surroundings of his rented room.

He stared at the pouring rain outside, the narrow room, the yellowed walls, the bed missing a leg, the moldy desk.

Finally, his gaze landed on the computer that had accompanied him for a year.

A sudden chill crept up his spine.

He remembered—

Everything that had just happened, he had lived through it all before.

On that night, sickly and weak, he had confidently made plans for his future.

But when he tried to execute the first step of his plan, something went wrong.

First, his old companion—

The off-brand computer that had been with him for a year.

Just as he was about to rely on its E5-2620 vintage CPU, a second-hand purchase from Xianyu for 500 yuan, capable of running League of Legends smoothly and handling Adobe Photoshop, to complete a freelance job for one of his clients and earn the money he needed to rent a scooter battery the next day—

It went up in smoke.

He was so frustrated that night he nearly spiraled into deeper sickness.

The next day, without money, he failed to rent the scooter battery and stood helpless in the rain.

And when he returned to his room, he found that the landlord had thrown all his belongings outside.

Blow after blow nearly broke him.

But with five yuan left in his pocket,

Ci forced himself to muster his energy, shouting:

"If Chen Daozai could turn 20 yuan into 37 million back then,

then today, I can turn 5 yuan into five hundred million!"

With that,

He decided to buy a cup of instant noodles, reward himself, and then gather his courage to beg under a bridge and raise his first bit of startup capital.

But while crossing the street,

A line of text suddenly appeared before his eyes.

[Detected: This Earth being's willpower meets the standards for recruitment by the Will of the Heavens.]

[Do you wish to become a Legendary Warrior?]

Secret File No. 1:

[Will of the Heavens Recruitment Notice:

Position: Legendary Warrior.

Requirements: A virgin who can maintain hope and willpower even after enduring pain, despair, and repeated blows.

Job Duties: To bring order to a chaotic world.

Compensation: SSS-grade talent, enormous mission commissions, and a comprehensive insurance plan.]

— From the Scroll of the Lost