Jack Young quit his job.
He didn’t wait for Old Ghost to finally lose patience and kick him out of the company. It’s not that he didn’t want the severance pay—he just felt like time was running out. Compared to those compensation packages, time was way more valuable right now.
Jack’s uncle works at the local Public Security Bureau. After decades of service, he’s made it to deputy director, and rumor has it he might get promoted to head of the municipal bureau soon. In his position, he always has access to information nobody else knows. Jack couldn’t care less about leadership gossip, but the recent spike in missing persons has him on edge.
He didn’t buy that just one White Night event could send the crime rate soaring. In religious countries, maybe folks would start talking about divine revelations or omens, stirring up panic. But in China? That kind of change just wasn’t happening.
If the crime rate hasn’t shot up, then what’s with all these people vanishing into thin air—no bodies, no clues?
Jack had a feeling—a sense that had been growing stronger lately: maybe the White Night was just the opening act, and the whole world was about to change. Jack didn’t think he was born special, but if he could dream his way into another realm—why couldn’t anyone else?
No matter where the world was headed, one thing was certain: you needed power to handle the changes. And for Jack, the only way to get stronger right now was the Dragon Elephant Wisdom Art.
Since Jack was making slow progress with his external martial arts, he decided to level up his internal skills first—specifically, the Insight Technique.
Insight Technique—Master Golden Wheel hadn’t practiced it either. Its training method was totally different from the qi cultivation familiar to Chinese folks, and it wasn’t Western-style meditation, either. It was basically like secret yogic chakra techniques.
Jack was a total newbie in this area, so he needed to find someone who really knew their stuff to teach him.
That expert? She lived in Qingdao. She was Jack’s good friend—his best gal pal, Maggie Monroe.
“The plane is about to arrive at Qingdao Liuting International Airport. Please fasten your seatbelts…” After an hour-long flight, Jack finally landed in this beautiful coastal city. No hijackers, no pregnant women giving birth mid-air—none of those movie moments. Just a smooth, easy trip to Qingdao.
The moment he got off the plane, Jack took a deep breath—man, the air quality here was like a lung cleanse! With all the smog these days, moving to Qingdao was definitely the smart choice!
“Hey, I’m here! The weather’s great, the air’s fresh, and the temperature’s just right—this place is awesome.” Jack dragged his suitcase toward the exit. “So, where do I go again? Do I take Airport Line 2? Where do I get off?”
“Don’t even bother trying to remember. Your memory amazes me, honestly. Just look up—see me yet?”
“Huh? Didn’t you say you weren’t coming to pick me up? You’re such a flip-flopper! Where are you?” Jack looked around, searching.
“Look over here! I can see you—I’m waving! See me yet?” In the distance, a tall girl was waving her arm dramatically.
“Nope, still don’t see you.” Jack said, walking in her direction anyway.
She hung up and came over, giving Jack a friendly slap on the shoulder. “You’re such a faker! Wow, you look totally different—full of energy and confidence now. Let me pinch that skinny arm. Hey, not bad! That’s a surprise!”
Jack took off his sunglasses and gave Maggie a skeptical once-over. “Hey, are you really that ditzy Maggie I know? You don’t look like her. She’s definitely not as pretty as you.”
“Ha, sweet talker! Not bad, not bad—makes picking you up worth it.” Maggie led the way outside. “Just so you know, I don’t have a fancy car or anything. Even if I’m picking you up, we’re taking the bus, so don’t complain!”
“Wow, you’re going backwards! Back in the day, I used to give you rides to sell veggies—at least we had a bicycle then.”
The two of them walked out, laughing and chatting.
Maggie’s grandparents were all from Shandong, but her parents were born in the northeast, so she’s basically a true Harbin local. When Maggie first joined the company, she caused a bit of a stir—Jack would sum her up in two words: reliable!
To get specific: she’s tall, fair, smart, and slim—with great legs, big eyes, and curves in all the right places. Especially those eyes—Jack swore he saw starlight in them the first time they met. So, in a blink, she became the goddess for all the nerds. But a goddess’s heart is free. She left the company last year, and Jack quit around the same time.
Maggie left to chase her dreams—and it looks like she’s doing pretty well. Jack, on the other hand, left to get beat up by life. He barely survived, and only recently escaped that mess.
On the bus, Maggie took off her sunglasses and gave Jack a look with those gorgeous eyes. “Why the sudden impulse? I know you won’t starve, but coming all the way here to learn yoga isn’t really your style. Let me guess—you didn’t tell your family you quit, did you?”
“Of course I couldn’t tell them!” Jack sighed. “If my mom found out I quit for no reason, she’d kill me. I’ll keep it quiet until I make something of myself. Once I’m earning again, I’ll explain it all—makes things easier.”
Maggie nodded. “Looks like you’re homeless for now—just crash at my place. I’ve got a spare room anyway.”
“Wow, you really trust me—by the way, I bet you didn’t tell your family about living with a guy, huh?”
“No way I could tell them that!”
They chatted and joked the whole way, just like back in the tough days they went through together. People who’ve struggled side by side always have a solid bond—so even though Jack and Maggie hadn’t seen each other in almost a year, it didn’t feel awkward at all.
Heading south, the bus quickly reached Shibei District. Technically, Shibei’s already pretty far south. They got off, grabbed a cab, and after a few quick turns, arrived at a residential complex. Maggie led the way upstairs, pulled out her keys, and opened the door. Wow—this place had at least ninety square meters of usable space, probably over a hundred total.
“Now I get why the big boss doesn’t have a car—you secretly bought a luxury place like this!” Jack checked out his future digs. “Nice renovation! Wait, why is there a swing in the living room?”
“This place is my treasure!” Maggie kicked off her shoes and flopped onto the sofa, lazily saying, “No need to pay rent—just help me keep the place tidy. Be my assistant in the kitchen, and after meals, you’re on dish duty and table-wiping! So, how does it feel to be a kept man?”
Jack glanced at those long legs and nodded. “If my sugar mama looked like you, I might actually consider it.”
“Deal! Now get to work—clean up this place for your queen. I’m not moving a muscle.”
“You sure you don’t want to hide anything embarrassing before I start cleaning?”
The tired goddess immediately leapt up and dashed into her room. “You win!”
Jack grinned. He knew Maggie’s lazy streak all too well. Sure, she looked glamorous, but her room was always way messier than his.
A year had passed, but nothing had changed. Time just couldn’t wash away someone’s true nature. (There’s a third update coming tonight, but you don’t need to wait—just read it tomorrow morning.)