1. The Beginning of Hope

The rain poured down like a waterfall, accompanied by flashes of lightning and deafening thunder. Within the icy steel walls of the First Central Hospital, inside a high-end VIP delivery room, the air was fresh, and the environment was exceptionally elegant.

At this moment, a handsome and sharp-eyed doctor stood by the bedside. He addressed a young and beautiful expectant mother lying on the bed in a serious tone.

"Sis, it's not that I'm forcing you, but I have to be honest with you. The child has organ atrophy all over his body, incomplete neurological development, and a very low chance of survival. Even if a miracle were to happen, there's a high probability he would suffer disabilities and intellectual impairments. Not just minor ones, it's possible he might have no basic cognitive abilities."

"Is there really no other option?"

The woman in front of him asked, tears streaming down her face.

"Sigh, there's absolutely no hope."

The doctor slowly removed his glasses and wiped them, sighing helplessly.

"My poor child."

The woman in front of him felt completely hopeless; this was akin to a death sentence.

"However, coincidentally, the couple in the next room just arrived, and they both died in a car accident on the way to the hospital. The only consolation is that the baby in the woman's womb survived. All we need to do is switch the two babies, and I'll take care of all the evidence. As for the baby, I'll find a way to adopt him and raise him myself."

"But I can't bear to part with him."

"You have to, given his current condition. If he were born into a wealthy family, there's a high chance he'd be regarded as a disgrace and erased. Even if not, his whole life would be spent in mockery. Moreover, your status is unstable right now, and if this kind of thing happens again, you might be affected as well. By then, it's not just about your status; our family might also be implicated. You should think about it carefully!"

"I understand."

The woman in front of him, with tears in her eyes, replied resolutely.

"Alright, I'll take care of it."

The doctor then turned and left the delivery room.

Not long after, a healthy baby born in a car accident was brought in by a nurse and placed beside the woman.

As the dust settled, the doctor walked towards the regular ward. He arrived at Room A302.

He pushed open the door, but found it empty. He stood there in shock, shouting loudly.

"Someone!"

"Dr. Xiao, what's wrong?"

Several nurses rushed over in panic.

"Where is the baby?"

"The deceased's family took him away…"

Twenty years later, outside the high walls of the metropolis in Country Z, a dimly lit, slightly musty-smelling house.

The light bulb flickered on and off, and the television emitted a staticky, noisy sound. At this moment, a dark figure on the bed, wrapped in a blanket, sat up. The figure was completely covered, and the blanket concealed their identity.

A young man with disheveled hair and a frail face emerged.

At that moment, the alarm clock went off.

"Bzzz…"

Su Mo got up, turned off the alarm, put on his clothes, and walked into the kitchen. He glanced inside the basket, which was empty. He then opened the refrigerator, a refrigerator much cleaner than his face.

Su Mo could only sigh in frustration.

"Time to go to work again."

After washing up, he went to a corner of the room, picked up a worn-out snakeskin bag from the floor, and left the room.

As he opened the door, the blinding sunlight flooded in. He raised his hand to shield his eyes, and the harsh sunlight shone on his fair face, revealing a handsome but weak appearance. He had thin lips that moved slightly, a hint of laziness at the corners of his mouth.

Su Mo arrived at an old street, which, though rundown, was nestled within a bustling metropolis. On either side of the street were small shops, and above the shops were old apartments with deteriorating exteriors due to their age.

Su Mo walked up to a nearby convenience store.

The store's owner was a large lady weighing around two hundred pounds. Upon seeing Su Mo, she greeted him with a bright smile and handed him a bottle of orange juice.

Su Mo opened the bottle and took a sip.

"Do you want some bread as well?" Mrs. Li asked, smiling.

"No, I'll have something from the bakery next door,"

Twenty years later, outside the high walls of Country Z's metropolis…

In a dimly lit room, the air carried a faint musty odor. The light bulb flickered, and the television emitted a staticky noise. In the room, a shadow under a blanket sat up. The figure was hidden under the covers, but as they turned to look, a young man with messy hair and a gaunt face appeared.

The alarm clock went off.

"Bzzz…"

Su Mo got up, turned off the alarm, got dressed, and walked into the kitchen. He checked the empty basket and opened the refrigerator, which was cleaner than his own face.

Su Mo let out a sigh of frustration. "Time to go to work again."

After freshening up, he went to a corner of the room, picked up a tattered snakeskin bag from the floor, and left the room.

As he opened the door, the glaring sunlight flooded in. He raised his hand to shield his eyes from the brightness. The harsh sunlight illuminated his fair face, which bore a handsome yet frail appearance. His lips moved slightly, a hint of laziness at the corners of his mouth.

Su Mo arrived at an old street. It might have been rundown, but it was nestled within a bustling metropolis. Small shops lined the streets, and above them were old, deteriorating apartments due to their age.

Su Mo walked up to a nearby convenience store.

The store owner was a plump woman of around two hundred pounds. When she saw Su Mo, she greeted him with a warm smile and handed him a bottle of orange juice.

Su Mo opened the bottle and took a sip.

"Do you want some bread?" Mrs. Li asked, still smiling.

"No, I'll have something from the bakery next door."

Su Mo replied quietly and shook the worn snakeskin bag in his hand.

Mrs. Li suddenly realized and hurriedly said, "Wait!"

She rushed to the cash register, counted a stack of money, then walked outside to put it in Su Mo's snakeskin bag. She smiled and said, "This is this year's rent, totaling twelve thousand yuan. Please take it."

"Oh," Su Mo responded and turned to leave.

Mrs. Li quickly stopped him. "Wait."

"What is it?"

"The lease for next year is about to expire. Can we renew it? About the rent…"

Mrs. Li was somewhat nervous as she looked at Su Mo. She knew that in the new streets outside, the rent started at one hundred twenty thousand a year.

"Su Mo replied nonchalantly. "Same as usual."

"Thank you so much. Have a good day!" Mrs. Li was all smiles, her mouth couldn't close.

Su Mo, with a cold expression, proceeded to the next storefront, going from house to house to collect rent.

Along the way, the owners of hair salons, small restaurants, and others greeted Su Mo with smiles.

"Good morning, Landlord!"

"Good."

Su Mo responded briefly.

One by one, they smiled and put the rent into Su Mo's bag.

At noon, carrying the heavy snakeskin bag, Su Mo arrived at a nearby four-season internet cafe. It might have seemed a bit dated, but its location was excellent; it faced a prestigious university right across the street.

"Uncle Wang!"

Su Mo uncommonly called out.

Then, an elderly man with graying hair came out. He saw Su Mo and quickly came over to help with the bag.

"Su Mo, why don't you transfer the money? Still dealing in cash?"

"When my grandpa passed away, he insisted that I always accept cash. If people have nothing to do, problems can easily arise."

"Well, you do have a point. I haven't seen you going out much lately; this isn't good."

Uncle Wang nodded in agreement.

"There's nothing fun outside when you're all alone."

"Alright, by the way, it just so happens that I want to talk to you about something."

"What is it?"

"I might not continue the lease."

Su Mo was puzzled and asked, "Why not renew? The rent here is very cheap, and I wouldn't rent it out to others even if they wanted to. If necessary, I can exempt your rent for this year; after all, you were my grandpa's best friend."

The reason I keep the rent so low is that twelve years ago, when my grandpa and I moved here from the high walls, we were destitute, and the neighbors here took very good care of us. Later, my grandpa, who was a property developer, acquired all the properties and land in this urban village and managed them collectively. Two years ago, just before my grandpa's passing, he specifically instructed me to continue this arrangement until we decided to leave."

"Su Mo, I appreciate your kindness, and I know what you mean. But you don't know that the internet cafe is struggling to survive. Nowadays, young people no longer fancy this. They're all using VR devices. Especially with the recent release of the groundbreaking ZR technology and the epic masterpiece, Star Ring, who would bother with these old-school computers? Not a soul comes in here anymore."

"So, if you're not running the internet cafe, what do you plan to do?"

"I'm thinking of retiring to the countryside."

"But I remember your relatives in the countryside; they've been depending on you for financial support, haven't they? Without the internet cafe, where will your income come from?"