Chapter 4: Growing Stranger

Ma Weimin truly didn’t dare to vanish with a truckload of cash. This wasn’t a game of chance—it was a sure way to get himself killed. So, without hesitation, he returned to the Range Rover, took the designer bag belonging to a certain actress, and brazenly tore open a “cash pallet,” stuffing money into the bag as quickly as he could.

“My Hermès…” came the actress’s anguished cry from inside the car.

Fourth Brother Huo immediately rushed in, showering the actress with a barrage of punches. “My second brother deigns to use your bag—you should be grateful! Later, I’ll buy Hermès outright and force you to work as a warehouse clerk, so you can sleep with Hermès bags every night, you idiot!”

Xiao Ma thought Fourth Brother Huo had lost it. How could he treat a lady so roughly? She was certainly beautiful and had a great figure.

When the bag was full, judging by the volume, it contained no more than a million. Slinging the bulging bag over his shoulder, Ma Weimin left without a backward glance.

“Second Brother, where are you going? What about the rest of the cash?” Fourth Brother Huo asked, stunned.

“Do I look like someone who likes explaining things?” Ma Weimin continued packing.

“I don’t know what to do next. And what am I supposed to say if they start grilling me with questions?” Fourth Brother nearly jumped with anxiety.

“No following, no searching for me, no questions. Pass the ‘three no’s’ principle to everyone, that’s it.”

Mystery was the game, and with that, Ma Weimin walked away, leaving the others bewildered. The real question was: what did he intend to do with that mere one million or so?

In truth, in this world, he had nothing and everything to do.

After those surreal experiences earlier, nothing felt real anymore. Only now, walking down these familiar streets with over a million in cash weighing down his bag, did he feel grounded.

Once, he worked himself to exhaustion every day in a stifling cubicle. Now, everything had changed. Just carrying this bag alone made him feel invincible—never mind what was inside.

He idly thought of those few losers back in his old office. Now, he rather fancied going to the company with the money, pretending not to recognize any of them.

And then there was the landlady with the booming voice—he was tempted to pay her a visit, too, just to act like he didn’t know her.

It was his first time carrying so much money, exhilarated yet uncertain how to spend it.

He thought of the shabby, ugly sofa from his cramped old apartment. Maybe it was time to upgrade his living situation and improve his quality of life.

He’d get a new TV, something perfect for playing PS4 Pro. And a good computer, of course… and a new phone… and absolutely not another noisy, rickety washing machine.

As he walked, another thought struck him: why not dress in designer clothes, carry a luxury bag, grab a DSLR, and go traveling? Who knew—maybe he’d even encounter one of those legendary holiday romances.

He had so many ideas, he found himself paralyzed, unable to decide what to do first.

He’d already worked out the details of how to show off at his old company and to his former landlord, but then he realized a serious problem. He didn’t look the same as before. If he stirred up trouble, there was a real chance they’d call the police, and he’d be thrown in jail with an unexplained fortune and no identification. That would be a disaster.

Yet, despite all that, Ma Weimin still made his way to the landlady’s place.

It was early in the morning and no one else was around; only a little girl sat gloomily on the steps. She didn’t have her backpack with her—it was the weekend, and she didn’t have school.

“Why so down?” Ma Weimin asked with a smile.

Wang Xiao’ai studied him for a moment. “I feel like I know you.”

“You figured that out? Don’t tell me you’re a time traveler!” Xiao Ma was startled. He’d only just changed bodies—how could she recognize him?

At this, the little girl’s sadness turned to joy. She grabbed Ma Weimin, exclaiming, “You’re my friend, Da Min! I heard last night you broke traffic rules and got hit by a car. I was devastated. But I knew you wouldn’t just disappear. If you died, I’d have no friends left. And here you are, back again.”

“I’m not Ma Weimin; I’m his friend. Before he died, he called me and asked me to bring you something,” Ma Weimin said, trying to sound mysterious.

“Liar. He doesn’t have any friends except me. I can see it in your eyes—you’re him. I’d recognize you even if you turned to ashes,” Wang Xiao’ai replied.

“Alright, you’re just a silly little girl. Let me ask you—do you dare go eat with a stranger like me?” Ma Weimin said.

“Sure,” the little girl replied, following him without hesitation.

He’d never liked shopping before because he never had money. But now, wandering the streets with the little girl, his attitude was completely different. He wanted to buy everything and explore every shop.

Given her family situation, shopping was a rare treat for her; she’d only ever heard her classmates talk about high-end commercial districts. She was a bit nervous, clutching at Xiao Ma’s sleeve. “Let’s go somewhere else. Things here are way too expensive.”

Ma Weimin grinned. “Haven’t you always wanted to come here? This time I’ve got money, and I brought you here on purpose, just to show off a bit.”

“Really? How much do you have—enough for KFC?” Wang Xiao’ai asked.

He’d only kept ten thousand on him, so he pointed to his pocket. “Feel for yourself.”

Curious, Wang Xiao’ai reached into his pocket, sneaking a peek, and immediately lit up. “Ten thousand! Da Min, how do you have so much money?”

“I found it,” Xiao Ma fibbed.

The little girl was delighted. “That’s enough for a lot of KFC!”

“Look at you—so embarrassing, thinking only of KFC. First, I’m buying you a down jacket. It’s getting cold soon. Then we’ll eat something else.”

Without hesitation, he took her to a nearby shop and spent over six hundred on a beautiful, if not luxurious, jacket.

A few steps later, they passed a fancy noodle shop. He bought four bowls of pork chop noodles—two each. As a result, they both nearly made themselves sick.

Soon after, they walked by a Starbucks. Wang Xiao’ai had never been inside; she didn’t say anything, but it was clear she hoped to try it. Xiao Ma boldly led her in and ordered, “Four large cups for the two of us.”

The staff looked at them strangely. Was this showing off or just plain weird?

Wang Xiao’ai said proudly, “We’re rich! Those who buy a small cup and loiter all morning just to enjoy the air conditioning and music are losers. People like us, on a different level, always get two large cups each—to go.”

Everyone nearby looked at them as if they’d escaped from an asylum.

Nearby, a refined woman in a trench coat with bare legs was so startled by this exchange that she sprayed coffee onto Ma Weimin’s sleeve.

“So sorry… so sorry,” she said, quickly taking out a handkerchief to clean his sleeve. “Really, I apologize. Your eccentric style just caught me off guard.”

Ma Weimin replied, “I’ve been through a lot in the past few hours. My head’s still aching, my soul and body haven’t quite merged yet—I’m still adjusting.”

“All right, you keep adjusting,” the elegant woman said, glancing at her watch before hurrying off.

After catching a glimpse of her watch, Ma Weimin covered his face. He’d thought, as a rich man, he could show off in front of her. But her watch was identical to Han Lu’s—a top-tier luxury piece worth one and a half million.

But then again, Han Lu was hardly a loser—he’d probably seen even more cash than Ma Weimin, and he’d never been reincarnated. Just these two things put them in different leagues.

The woman, as she left, glanced back at Ma Weimin through the glass with a strange expression before disappearing.

Once again, the two of them nearly drank themselves sick with four giant cups of coffee. But only then did things feel real to Ma Weimin. If everything else was surreal, Wang Xiao’ai was real—he’d always been fond of this little girl.

Not long after, Wang Xiao’ai suddenly said, “Oh no, I’m so stuffed I don’t know which way is which. I forgot it’s the weekend—my mom’s coming to get me soon. If I’m late, I’ll be in so much trouble. I have to go, Da Min, you be careful—don’t get hit by a car again.”

As she was being pulled away by the collar, Xiao Ma asked, “You really think I’m Ma Weimin?”

“I know you are,” the little girl replied, sounding perfectly sane and confident.

This made Ma Weimin feel even more surreal, but since he’d already been reincarnated, perhaps her own strangeness made sense. He decided not to dwell on it.

He patted her head and slipped a thousand yuan into her pocket. “Xiao’ai, take care of yourself. I’ll give you my new number when I have it. But I can’t look after you like I used to.”

Wang Xiao’ai returned all but one hundred yuan—the rest, she said, would be her drink money for the month—then took the bus to find her mother.

Her mother was quite a character herself. After divorcing her father, the arrangement was for her mother to take Wang Xiao’ai every Sunday, so her alcoholic father wouldn’t give her money for food on those days. Once, though, her mother failed to show up, leaving the little girl in tears on the steps. That time, Da Min had bought her a meal.

What did the little rascal do next? She stole a designer dress from her mother’s place, sold it secondhand online, and used the money to pay Ma Weimin back for the meal.

“Da Min, take care of yourself. See you when I can,” Wang Xiao’ai said, waving reluctantly at Xiao Ma as she boarded the bus.