Chapter 1: A Game of Chess
Fuck!
He was actually struck by lightning!
This was Zhu Xianhai’s thought after he regained consciousness!
In a daze, he could not move his limbs and only felt aches all over, as if all the bones in his body were rolled into a ball and then put back into place.
There was a strange smell in the air, but I could still breathe...
"Where's the doctor? Doctor ! I can still be saved! I was just struck by lightning... just struck by lightning..."
The next moment, Zhu Xianhai stopped talking.
His vision had been restored, and the scene came into view. Then he even forgot about the pain in his body, stood up suddenly, and then...
I feel very complicated. Let me have a cigarette and calm down!
Lighting a cigarette and glancing forward, Zhu Xianhai closed his eyes again, his mind still a little confused!
He took a deep puff of cigarette, the nicotine spread in his alveoli, and he slowly calmed down.
He opened his eyes again, then closed them again, as if he didn't want to face it.
My vision, hearing, and sense of smell have all returned. The air is filled with a pungent smell of ammonia, which is... the stench of feces and urine.
Everything around me seems different.
Under the bright sunshine, the bustling streets are full of...Europeans?
Where is this?
The pedestrians were dressed like they were from the 19th century, as if they had walked out of an old Civil War movie like Gone with the Wind . Many of the women were wearing dresses with extremely exaggerated hems.
Everything in front of him seemed so real, but to Zhu Xianhai it seemed so unreal.
"What the hell is this?"
Zhu Xianhai's scalp was numb. In shock, he kept taking deep breaths to force himself to calm down.
Now, he was more concerned about what time it was and where he was.
This... is a time travel?
Or was he struck by lightning and became stupid and had hallucinations?
…
This... is a time travel!
After a moment of confusion, Zhu Xianhai's expression suddenly became a little excited.
"Really, I really traveled through time!"
Travel through time!
This is an opportunity to change your destiny!
After graduating from university, he had been working hard in first-tier cities. After hitting a wall everywhere, he decided that instead of fighting hard in a big city, he might as well return to his hometown, work hard to become a civil servant, and then find a good woman and live a life of going to work and going home. This is the life that can be seen with the naked eye.
But now he has traveled through time!
Isn’t this the pace of reaching the peak of life?
The protagonists in the novels I have read a long time ago, after traveling through time, relied on their insights and knowledge that were ahead of their time. Not only did they earn endless wealth, it was common for them to even be alone.
Now it's my turn. With my background as an engineering student, it would be easy for me to earn billions of wealth even in the 19th century, an era of explosive mechanical technology.
"Hahaha... now I'm rich!"
Zhu Xianhai was naturally excited when he realized that he was about to reach the peak of his life.
…
After walking on the street for half an hour, Zhu Xianhai finally figured out where this place was.
1860!
Argentina!
Buenos Aires!
What does Buenos Aires, the national capital, look like?
The chaotic streets were like a market, crowded with people, horse-drawn carriages, and the ground was covered with feces left by the carriages and horses.
Various vegetables and some fruits were displayed on the stalls on both sides of the street, flies were buzzing on the meat stalls, and all kinds of things were placed everywhere.
The sound of horses' hooves clattering on the cobblestones, the drivers' shouts, and the vendors' cries echoed in the streets, making them particularly noisy. Although only a few people were dressed well, most people were dressed cleanly.
Look up and into the distance.
The sky here is very blue, and the blue sky and white clouds are exceptionally clear, but the air in the city stinks!
The sky is blue, but the air stinks!
If it were in the past, he would have been choked by the smell of urine and vomited out the overnight meal, but he was in a very good mood at the moment and didn't care about that.
Of course, no matter how excited you are, you can still feel the gazes from all around you.
Surprised and curious.
What is certain is that Zhu Xianhai did attract a lot of attention. Even the patrolling military police noticed this guy who looked a bit like an indigenous person.
But when they saw his fancy clothes, they began to have doubts in their hearts.
"Maybe it's a new model from Europe..."
In the eyes of those country bumpkins in Buenos Aires, Zhu Xianhai's cheap work suit has become his amulet.
He was wearing the latest European suit and leather shoes, and he looked like a rich man.
Of course, Zhu Xianhai knew nothing about all this.
After all, he has more important things to consider right now.
What is the most important thing right now?
Of course I survived!
Perhaps, this place is full of opportunities and countless wealth!
However, as a time traveler, he must first solve the problem of food and clothing. As for success, that is a matter for the future.
The problem of food and clothing is simple, as long as you have money.
But... where does the money come from?
money?
The "rich gold" of the 21st century, no one recognizes it!
Feeling extremely bored, Zhu Xianhai took out a cigarette from his bag. Well, let me smoke another cigarette to relax!
The moment he touched the cigarette box, his eyes suddenly lit up...
There is a way!
…
Mapuche?
Not really.
The moment the customer entered the store, a bunch of question marks popped up in Alfonso's mind.
Despite this, as a businessman, he still looked at this customer with a businessman's eyes.
His clothes are not only novel in style but also very decent. His black leather shoes sparkle in the sun. His clothes and leather shoes all show exquisite workmanship. He is definitely a rich man!
But at the moment it was obvious that the man's condition did not seem to be very good, as there were some traces of dust on his pants.
"Sir, is there anything you need?"
The other party's answer immediately verified Alfonso's guess.
“Do you buy jewelry?”
It turns out that the Spanish learned for picking up girls is definitely more fluent than the English learned for the CET-4 and CET-6, Zhu Xianhai said.
"certainly."
A bright smile appeared on Alfonso's face. As a jeweler, his favorite thing was to purchase second-hand jewelry.
The profit is more lucrative. And the people who sell are usually in a bad situation, so it is easier for them to lower the price.
"I wonder what you want to sell, sir? Gold jewelry, or diamonds, or..."
"You may not have seen this thing of mine."
Zhu Xianhai took out a box from his bag and put it on the counter.
"What, this... chess?"
Alfonso was stunned. What was he going to sell?
chess?
This is a jewelry store and you're using it as a pawn shop.
Zhu Xianhai saw the change in Alfonso's expression and he immediately took a deep breath and said.
"This is no ordinary chess piece...it comes from the imperial palace of China."
