Chapter 5

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

After a long time, Chen Yu finally started to calm down from the pleasure of the surge in strength.

Lowering his head, he looked at the pack of Red Pagoda Mountain cigarettes in his hand, as if it was a path that could lead him straight to the “Way of Martial Arts”…

Without hesitation, Chen Yu opened the cigarette box again.

This time, he pulled out three cigarettes in one go. Holding them between his lips, he swiped the matchsticks to ignite them.

“Hiss…”

Three red flames lit up, then grew dimmer.

Chen Yu inhaled the thick smoke from the cigarettes into his lungs.

[Subjected to an attack by malignant gases: Internal strength +34]

[Subjected to an attack by malignant gases: Lung health +1; Physical health +1; Physique +1; Immunity +1]

“Puff…”

A big mass of thick, dense smoke rose and drifted away. Chen Yu couldn’t help but shudder.

“A large amount” of internal strength had gathered in his energy center, and the feeling was so great that his satisfaction really reached the very core of his heart.

Next, he opened the cigarette box again and pulled out another two more cigarettes. He lit them up and stuffed them all into his mouth.

“Hiss…”

“Puff…”

[Subjected to an attack by malignant gases: Internal strength +47]

[Subjected to an attack by malignant gases: Physique +1; Immunity +1; Life expectancy +1…]

At this point in time, an old man who was out for a walk happened to pass by the alley and saw the “insane and frenzied” way Chen Yu was smoking. He was shocked.

“Holy crap. This young man…”

“Isn’t he living his life too recklessly? Holy crap…”

...

After he was done smoking all five cigarettes, he flicked away the cigarette butts. Leaning against the wall, he shut his eyes and burped contentedly.

He dared to make a bet.

After just two minutes of smoking cigarettes, he had experienced an increase in internal strength that even the world’s most outstanding geniuses couldn’t match. On average, smoking one cigarette would bring him an increase of 150+ internal strength.

“If I smoke for 24 hours straight…”

Opening his eyes, Chen Yu licked his lips regretfully and stuffed the rest of the cigarettes and matchsticks into his backpack. Then, he headed in the direction of home.

He had already smoked six cigarettes.

Which gave him a rough understanding of how much increase in internal strength each cigarette could bring.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

One Red Pagoda Mountain cigarette was worth ten days of tireless cultivation.

One pack of Red Pagoda Mountain contained 20 cigarettes. If he smoked them all…

“That would be more than half a year’s worth of hard work and effort…”

Chen Yu sighed.

By the time he finished smoking this pack of cigarettes, his strength in class would at least be within the mid to lower range.

If this was converted to a standard warrior level, he should be a Level 0.3 warrior.

In his Senior Three class, a Level 0.5 warrior would be worthy enough to be called a top student.

At level 0.8, one would be ranked in the top ten of the entire school and make it to the school’s list of top-performing students.

If one reached the rank of a Level 1 warrior, even without taking the college entrance examination, one could still directly step into society and earn a monthly salary of at least ten thousand dollars.

After all, many university graduates were generally Level 1 warriors at most.

“So long as I have a supply of cigarettes…”

Chen Yu slightly squinted his eyes and said, “I can break through to Level 1 before the college entrance exam one month from now.”

“If I can get more cigarettes, it’s not impossible for me to become the city’s scholar…”

…...

Meanwhile, at the local police station on Elm Street...

The lady boss of the cigarette store stomped angrily through the doors and demanded, “Where’s the one on duty? I need the police! I want to report a case.”

“Calm down, lady.” A policeman walked over and looked the lady boss up and down a few times before speaking in a serious tone, “What happened?”

“The cigarettes in my store were stolen!”

“Cigarettes were stolen?” The policeman immediately sprang to life. He was astonished.

Cigarettes were considered relatively expensive and valuable “luxury items.”

Which meant whenever any were stolen, a sizable amount of money was involved!

“How much was stolen?”

“One box.”

“One… one box?”

“Yes, one box of Red Pagoda Mountains.” The lady boss was so mad that she was shaking with anger. She said, “It’s just one box of cigarettes. Losing it is no big deal. But that thief, he… he provoked me purposefully!”

“How did he provoke you?”

“He left some money for me!”

“…” The policeman had an odd expression on his face as he said, “Then it can’t be considered stealing, right? Since he technically bought them?”

“A pack of Red Pagoda Mountain cigarettes that costs 1680 dollars! He just threw 10 bucks at me! That’s not considered stealing?! That’s not considered provoking?!”

The policeman: “…”

“I have CCTV surveillance! I must catch him! And give him a big, tight slap!”

“It would much easier to deal with this if you had CCTV surveillance. Madam, please calm down first…”

...

When Chen Yu returned home...

Dinner had long been prepared.

Chen’s mother went up to him and took his backpack from him. With a frown, she asked, “Why are you so late today?”

“I stayed late to study, so I was slightly delayed.” After washing his hands, he went to the dining table and took a seat. Chen Yu looked around him, left and right, then asked, “Where is my sister?”

“Your sister got tired of waiting for you and went to her room.”

“Then I’ll go get her.”

Chen Yu got up, walked out of the kitchen, and went straight to a certain bedroom and pushed open the door.

There, he saw a young, curvaceous girl, who was lying on her back on the bed. Her small, slender feet were propped up in the air, and her short, white stockings were half-way down her legs as she swayed her feet around…

Chen Yu: “…” (speechless)

Chen Siwen turned her head to look at him and said, “What are you looking at?”

“… If you don’t open your mouth to say anything at all, I’ll still think you are quite beautiful.”

“What’s wrong with opening my mouth to speak?”

Chen Yu slapped his palm to his forehead and said, “When did you learn how to speak in that Northeastern tongue…”

Chen Siwen sat up and pulled up her stockings. Then, she pushed back her long hair and said, “A new colleague from the Northeast reported to work yesterday.”

“And you already learned it in just one day?” Chen Yu said.

“That’s right,” Chen Siwen replied.

“… Dinner time,” Chen Yu said.

“Got it,” Chen Siwen replied.

“…”

[Mental damage inflicted: Mental state +1]

...

Chen Yu led Chen Siwen into the kitchen, where they sat around the dining table.

Without rhyme or reason, he simply let out a sigh of relief.

Before coming home, he had still been quite afraid.

He was afraid that his mother and sister would be different now that he had traveled back in time.

Fortunately, it was just a change in social “background.” Everything else had remained unchanged…

“Hurry up and eat. The food is getting cold.” Mrs. Chen picked up a piece of pork rib with her chopsticks and put it in Chen Yu’s bowl.

“Sister, you should eat too.” Chen Yu picked up a clump of minced garlic and put it in Chen Siwen’s bowl.

“Brother, you eat first and nourish yourself with enough nutrients.” Chen Siwen then picked up a napkin and put it into Chen Yu’s bowl.

“It’s better that you eat first.” Chen Yu picked up a stalk of mustard.

“After you.” Chen Siwen picked up a lighter.

Chen Yu stood up and directly held up the entire pot with the intention of smashing it onto Chen Siwen’s bowl.

Chen Siwen was not about to be outdone and concede defeat. She raised a stool…

“Bang!”

Mrs. Chen slammed her palm on the table and said, “Eat properly!!”

…..

After a round of “fighting,” Chen Yu finally regained some feeling of “home.”

“Just as I thought…”

“Nothing has changed.”

Chen Yu picked up some rice with his chopsticks, put it into his mouth, and chewed, allowing the fragrance and softness of the rice to spread over his tongue. Then, with great satisfaction, he swallowed everything.

[Feeding Time: Hunger level +5; Physique -1; Physical health -1...]

Chen Yu: “… D*mn. It’s changed after all…]