Dark Light Chaser.

Chapter 1 Ai Liang
At six o'clock in the morning, in the luxury apartment, Ai Liang opened his eyes on time. After getting dressed, he went to the bathroom and looked at the familiar face in the mirror.

Ai Liang is 15 years old and is currently a middle school student.

This is his new identity after time travel.

The reason for the time travel is incredibly melodramatic: jumping into the water to save someone turns into a suicide pact, and the worst part is, that person is a man.
After arriving in this world, he has lived here for fourteen years, from birth to the present. It's more like a second life, and the history of this world is quite different from his previous life.

Historically, divisions began to emerge starting from the Tang Dynasty. Emperor Taizong of Tang used the country's strength at the time to unify the Asian continent and built a fleet of ships to invade other continents in an attempt to unify the world. Unfortunately, although the Tang Dynasty was powerful, it was still a feudal society with backward productivity and could not support his ambition to unify the world.

The unification effort naturally failed, but this action only fueled the ambitions of other countries, who followed Emperor Taizong's example and waged numerous wars. By the end of the 18th century, the last newly established independent nation had disappeared in North America, and the world was formally divided into five major political entities: the People's Federation of Asia, the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere of Europe, the Free Federation of the Americas, the International Republic of Africa, and the Western Republic, which was semi-feudal and semi-capitalist due to its unique geographical location.

Ai Liang was born in Nevada, Asia. Her father was a senior manager in a company, and her mother owned a beauty salon. They were a very wealthy family. Both parents were successful in their careers and had plenty of money. The child was sensible and had excellent grades. In the eyes of outsiders, this was the epitome of happiness.

This family did not bring Ai Liang any happiness, because no matter how you decorate rotten mud, you cannot change its dirty and ugly nature. Having experienced twenty years of life in his previous life, Ai Liang discovered his position in the family from the time he could remember.

His parents were not in love; they were merely business partners. His birth was simply an accident one night.

Because it was too late when they discovered it, and a hasty abortion would cause harm to their bodies, the two had no choice but to become husband and wife in name only.

Since they had already given birth to the child, they had no choice but to provide financial support due to concerns about their reputation. However, they had no intention of fulfilling their duties as parents. When Ai Liang was young, the two of them took turns hiring a nanny to take care of her.

My parents don't come home often. This place is like a hotel to them. They both have their own lovers outside, and they usually stay there.

Ai Liang, whose parents died in his previous life, thought he could experience the warmth of family in this life, but reality poured cold water on him. Their concern for Ai Liang was simply to give him money.

They give me a lot of living expenses every month, as if to say, "Don't bother me unless it's absolutely necessary."

Both of their partners were very bothered by Ai Liang's existence, and neither wanted to take another child after the divorce. As a result, the parents' divorce proceedings were repeatedly delayed, and this dysfunctional family has continued to this day.

Having lived for twenty years, Ai Liang could accept the kind of life story he had only seen in melodramatic TV dramas in his previous life, but it made him somewhat withdrawn.

But with her perfect appearance in the mirror, this flaw would only be interpreted by her classmates as aloofness.

After taking her phone and changing her shoes, Ai Liang closed the apartment door and went downstairs. After walking a few hundred meters, she arrived at a breakfast shop outside another residential area.

"Good morning, Ai Liang. Another xiaolongbao and tofu pudding today?" The owner greeted Ai Liang with a friendly smile as she entered.

"Hmm, I want it sweet."

"I'm a bit busy right now, so please serve yourself in a bit."

The owner was busy kneading dough, so he asked a waiter to help out and then gave Ai Liang a basket of freshly steamed buns instead of the ones left at the counter.

Ai Liang took the steaming hot steamer and placed it on the empty table. He picked up a small bowl, filled it a little more than halfway with tofu pudding, and added a spoonful of sugar. He didn't eat much, so it would be a waste to fill it too much.

The person who spoke to Ai Liang was the owner of the shop. Ai Liang had been eating breakfast at this shop since he was in elementary school and had never changed it for eight years. The owner could say that he had watched Ai Liang grow up.

"Boss, a basket of steamed buns, freshly steamed, please! And a bowl of spicy soup too!"

Just as Ai Liang was finishing her breakfast, a short, middle-aged man with a middle parting and a mustache, carrying a black leather bag, strode into the store, slapped down a dozen or so yuan in change at the counter, and called out.

"Old Sun, look at what you're saying. I made all of this before dawn this morning, and it's only been steamed for a short while now."

The owner seemed to recognize the middle-aged man, and with a smile, he picked out the middle steamer from a stack of steamers at the counter and handed it to him.

Just as the owner was about to get him a bowl to serve him some spicy soup, the man with the mustache waved his hand and said, "Hey, look how many people are in the shop. Hurry up and go knead the dough. I can do it myself. Don't delay your business."

"Okay, I'll get back to work now."

After the boss turned around, the man with the mustache picked up a spoon and stirred the pot a few times, flipping the vermicelli and meat slices to the top. He then scooped up the meaty parts half a spoonful at a time until the soup bowl was almost overflowing before letting go.

After serving the hot and sour soup, the man with the mustache quickly tore off seven or eight napkins, tore one in half, and pretended to wipe his fingers. He then folded the remaining seven and a half napkins and put them into his old suit pocket. Only then did he carry the bowl of hot and sour soup, which was full of beef and vermicelli, to the aisle and sit down.

Ai Liang had almost finished eating and was just about to get up when he sensed a malicious force rapidly approaching.

The man with the mustache next to him had just sat down and taken a couple of bites when a young man rushed in and slipped as he passed by the man with the mustache.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!"

The soup that had overflowed to the edge of the bowl spilled quite a bit after being bumped like that, and his brows furrowed and his mustache twitched.

"Sorry! Sorry! I'm in a hurry, please get me a basket of steamed buns!"

The young man straightened up beside the man with the mustache, bowed deeply in apology, and then stood in front of the counter and handed over a banknote.

Ai Liang stood up and stood behind the young man, waiting to pay the bill.

After receiving the steamed bun, the young man suddenly turned around and bumped into Ai Liang.

"I'm sorry," Ai Liang said first.

The young man, who was about to apologize, glanced at him in surprise, said nothing, and hurriedly ran out.

After confirming that the young man had gone far away, Ai Liang did not rush to pay. Instead, she took out a cell phone from her pocket and brought it to the man with the mustache: "Your cell phone."

"Hey? Oh my god! How did my phone end up with you?!"

The man with the mustache first patted his pocket and exclaimed in surprise, then snatched the phone from Ai Liang's hand and stared at him with an unfriendly expression.

This shout instantly drew the attention of all the customers in the store.

"The guy who bought the steamed buns just now took it from your pocket, and I just got it back from him."

Ai Liang didn't mind the mustache's actions. Seeing his hesitant expression, she continued, "If you don't believe me, you can ask the boss to check the surveillance footage. That person deliberately fell down next to you and took your phone out of your pocket. The surveillance should be able to see that from this angle."

"What's wrong? What's wrong?" The shop owner rushed over upon hearing the shout from the man with the mustache. After the passerby explained, the shop owner glared at the man with the mustache and said, "Hey Lao Sun, someone helped you find your phone, and you didn't even say thank you. Why are you doubting them? That's not very kind of you! Ai Liang has been eating here for years, and I know him very well!"

"That's right. If that young man stole your phone, he would just leave. Why would he bother to come all the way back to you?"

"Old Sun, instead of looking for the thief, you're wrongly accusing an innocent person. I can't stand by and watch."

The guests also began to speak up and sided with Ai Liang, making the man with the mustache blush and turn pale in turns.

"I didn't say he stole it, I was just asking!"

"Alright, alright, nothing's stolen anyway, stop arguing. If you really want to catch the thief, go report it to the police."

The boss slammed his hand on the table, leaving a white handprint, and glared at his mustache.

"Yes, yes, I'll report it to the police right away."

Unable to withstand the group's criticism, the man with the mustache found an excuse to leave, and before leaving, he didn't forget to grab a plastic bag to pack up the steamed buns.

Watching the mustachioed Ai Liang flee in disarray, he sighed softly. Just as he was about to take out his phone to pay, the shop owner stopped him.

"Hey, no need to pay, this meal is on me. If Lao Sun really lost his phone with me, I'd definitely have to argue with him again. You've helped me out of a lot of trouble."

Hearing the boss say that, Ai Liang nodded politely and said, "Thank you."

After saying that, he thanked the passersby again.

"No need to thank me, I should be thanking you, hahaha." The boss originally wanted to raise his hand to pat Ai Liang's shoulder, but as soon as he raised his hand, he suddenly remembered that his hands were covered in flour and put it back.

The customers in the shop couldn't help but chuckle softly as they watched the owner's hearty laughter.

Ai Liang had to catch the bus, so he didn't stand on ceremony with the owner and walked straight out of the breakfast shop. He had only taken a few steps when he saw the mustachioed man who had just run out standing at the intersection with steamed buns in his hand, as if he was waiting for him.

"If you really don't believe me, you can ask the boss to check the surveillance footage. The boss knows where I live. I have class later, I don't have time to argue with you."

Upon hearing this, the man with the mustache rubbed his hands awkwardly and said, "Young man, that's not what I meant. I just wanted to thank you."

He opened his black leather bag and started rummaging through it. Seemingly unable to find any change, he reluctantly pulled out a twenty-yuan note and handed it over, saying in a show of generosity, "You helped me find my phone, so I can't just leave empty-handed. I'll treat you to that meal!"

He emphasized the word "please" with a heavy tone, as if he had made a great sacrifice.

Looking at the banknotes handed over by the man with the mustache and his slightly white fingernails, Ai Liang waved her hand.

Helping him retrieve his phone was just a casual gesture; I didn't expect anything in return. We were practically "acquaintances."

The man with the mustache watched Ai Liang leave without calling him back, and returned to the breakfast shop with the steamed buns in his hand.

"What's wrong, Lao Sun? Did you leave something behind?" The shopkeeper asked, puzzled, when the man with the mustache returned.

"Nothing much, Lao Luo. That young man often eats here, right?" The man with the mustache sneaked over the counter and into the kitchen.

"What, you're really going to call the police? Or are you trying to extort money from him because his shoes and pants are designer brands?"

The boss looked at the man with the mustache with surprise. The two had been neighbors for a long time. Although he didn't look like a good person, he wasn't a bad person either, so he wouldn't do something like turning the tables on someone else.

"Am I that person? I just wanted to show my appreciation. Since he's coming again tomorrow morning, I'll treat him to breakfast for the next two days."

The man with the mustache handed over the twenty yuan he had been saving: "Whether he has money or not is none of my business. I have to do my part to help him get his phone back."

"Alright, one dialysis session costs several hundred yuan, you should keep this money for yourself," the shopkeeper said in a muffled voice after glancing at the dough.

The man with the mustache stood there, pursed his lips, but ultimately remained silent. He stubbornly stuffed the money under the steamer and waved to the owner with his back to him.

Completely different from his elite demeanor when he first entered the store, he now looked like a frail old man from behind.

"Sigh, Old Sun is a pitiful man. His wife was perfectly healthy, but suddenly she was diagnosed with uremia," sighed a parent who was having lunch with their child.

Most of the people who come here to eat are neighbors from the community, and they have heard more or less about Xiao Huzi's situation.

"Old Sun may not be the best-looking man, but he's a loyal and righteous fellow. Anyone else would have divorced their wife long ago."

"Yes, yes, his wife is usually very kind and even taught in the mountains before. You know, there are so many good people these days. Sigh, what a terrible thing."

Upon hearing this, Ai Liang silently withdrew her extended spiritual power.

That's right, Ai Liang is no ordinary person. On his fifth birthday, he awakened superpowers, such as telepathy, mind control, telekinesis, and mind reading. These are all manifestations of his abilities. Perhaps this is his cheat code after transmigrating.

However, this ability is still in its development stage and is far from the kind of beings in comics who can destroy a city or wreck a planet with their bare hands.

Well, the future is promising.

Ai Liang is usually very strict with himself. He would never read minds randomly, let alone manipulate other people's thoughts, because such things are like forbidden fruits, there is only zero times or countless times. He does not want to face the collapsing world alone in the future.

Ai Liang only uses mind reading to uncover other people's deepest thoughts when she senses that they have malicious intent. If it is a criminal act and she doesn't have time to call the police, she will secretly stop it and then report it to the police.

For a while at first, he enjoyed it, but gradually he grew tired of it. Being able to read other people's minds meant there were no surprises. What others had to go through great lengths to obtain was easily within his grasp, which naturally led to a loss of his sense of accomplishment.

Just like a game, if you use cheat codes to max out all the attributes at the beginning, the game's lifespan and fun will be lost in a very short time.

However, none of these are the key points. The real reason that made his personality change from somewhat withdrawn to gloomy and introverted was that winter when he was six years old.
Beep! Beep! The car horn pulled Ai Liang back to reality. He looked up at the electronic screen in the car; the next stop was the school.

(End of this chapter)