The biting wind howled.
Lin Chen, wearing a work jacket he’d received from a charity organization from the XX Products Factory, walked back to his rented room.
A young man in an expensive, luxurious coat suddenly got out of a car and blocked his way.
“Lin Chen, Father sent me to pick you up.”
Lin Chen replied without hesitation, “I’m not going.”
The man blocking his way was Lu Qinian, the second elder brother of the original owner, ‘Lin Chen,’ the second son of Count Lu En.
Lu Qinian was taken aback, clearly not expecting Lin Chen’s firm stance.
His face darkened, and his tone tinged with reproach, “Can’t you stop being so willful?”
Lin Chen replied coldly, “Anything else to say? If not, please step aside. I don’t want to waste time talking to irrelevant people, and I don’t want to trouble you. Don’t bother me again.”
Lu Qinian frowned, “I’m your own brother. Is this how you talk to your elder brother?”
Lin Chen: “I’m not anymore.”
Lu Qinian held back, “Don’t say such hurtful things. You’re a child of the Lu family. What kind of behavior is this, wandering outside? Come back with me.”
Lin Chen: “The day we severed ties, I remember everyone in your Lu family said harsh things, telling me to get out of the Lu family’s house and never come back. Have you forgotten so quickly?”
The original Lin Chen had severed ties with the Lu family a month ago because the Lu family was unethical.
Lin Chen was the youngest son of Count Lu En’s family that was lost for fifteen years. He was found a year ago, but his true identity was not revealed; he was simply raised as an adopted son.
The Lu family’s stated reason was that they feared Lu Wuyou—the son they adopted after Lin Chen’s disappearance—would not be able to accept the situation immediately, so they wouldn’t reveal Lin Chen’s true identity for the time being.
Lin Chen accepted that his biological parents and two older brothers favored Lu Wuyou. But he couldn’t bear it after Lu Wuyou dragged him into the water and framed him for pushing him. His two brothers and father, knowing full well that Lu Wuyou could swim while he couldn’t, still rushed to rescue Lu Wuyou.
Lin Chen, half-drowned in the water, was pulled from the water unconscious. Upon waking, he wasn’t met with concern, but rather the rage of his biological parents and two brothers, who demanded to know why he had pushed Lu Wuyou into the water.
Lin Chen was speechless and was slapped by his eldest brother, Lu Zhibai. Fortunately, a passerby testified that Lu Wuyou had pushed him into the water before jumping in himself, but Lu Wuyou dismissed it with a simple “it wasn’t intentional,” and no one apologized to him.
Afterwards, Lin Chen learned that the person who rescued him was a stranger; the family of four had been busy looking after Lu Wuyou and had forgotten about him in the water.
Lin Chen, unable to bear it any longer, erupted in anger and severed ties with the Lu family.
He has now moved out for a month and a few days ago welcomed the Lin Chen of another world, receiving the memories of the original Lin Chen.
Lu Qinian said unhappily, “It’s been a month. You should have calmed down by now. Do you want Wuyou to apologize before you’ll go back?”
“Didn’t he say it was just an accidental push? He also went down to save you afterwards. He didn’t dare say it because he was afraid we’d blame him. You’re a little older than him so can’t you just let him have his way? Why are you so fixated on this?”
Lin Chen was a little older than Lu Wuyou, two months older, and Lin Chen wasn’t concerned about Lu Wuyou; he was clearly concerned about his biological parents and brothers.
He scoffed, “And what about you? Three of you jumped into the water so why didn’t any of you come to save me?”
Lu Qinian choked, “The situation was chaotic at the time, and I didn’t know they didn’t go save you.”
“Whatever, we’ve severed ties anyway.”
Lin Chen shrugged and prepared to leave.
Lu Qinian stopped him again: “I know you’re angry that we didn’t save you in time, and angry that eldest brother hit you, but he was just angry and didn’t mean it. We’ve doted on Wuyou for fifteen years…”
“Fuck off!” Lin Chen suddenly exploded, a surge of anger not his own rising in his chest. He looked coldly at Lu Qinian: “Are you going to say next, ‘Anyway, you didn’t die,’ Lu Qinian, how dare you?”
Lu Qinian took a step back, feeling somewhat embarrassed: “Lin Chen! I’m your own brother. I hope you go back to the Lu family for your own good. You’ll have a good life in the Lu family; outside the Lu family, you’re nothing.”
Lin Chen followed Lu Qinian’s gaze, glanced down at the XX Products Factory logo on his jacket, and said, word by word: “Lu Qinian, listen to me, I… in… this… lifetime… will… never… go… to… the… Lu… family.”
To hell with it.
Lin Chen finished speaking and left, ignoring Lu Qinian’s livid face behind him. He returned to his rented room. It was cramped and simple but at least he didn’t have to face that disgusting so-called family.
If even someone not directly involved was this disgusting, the original owner must have been disgusted to death.
After a long while, Lin Chen calmed down. Those past events were no longer relevant to him.
Now, the problem facing him was how to survive, and he began to worry.
The original owner was too poor. He was only a twenty years old university student living in the expensive capital city. His remaining savings wouldn’t be enough to support him through university.
However, Lin Chen had no marketable skills. Before transmigrating, he was just a university student who spent his time eating, drinking, having fun, and playing games. He never imagined he would one day transmigrate.
After transmigrating, Lin Chen summoned the system for two consecutive days without response. He knew this wasn’t a show-off story, but a survival story.
It’s the start of winter break, and on this planet, which is technologically more advanced than Earth, university winter breaks are a full two months long.
Lin Chen spent the whole day looking for work, only managing to find the hardest, most tiring, and lowest-paying jobs.
This is the capital city, a hub for influential people, meaning many jobs are filled with connections.
Bosses dare not hire employees they don’t know well; otherwise, offending someone could be disastrous.
Lin Chen opened his terminal and went to a part-time job website. He looked at the “dog walking service” he posted two days ago—still no customers.
Only the heartbreaking comments from netizens.
“Dogs in the capital live better than part-time workers; why would they need to find someone online to walk them?”
Lin Chen: “…”
“Alright, alright, the poster is just mooching off dog walks. Do you guys think he’s really short of money?”
Lin Chen: I really am short of money.
Just then, Lin Chen received a private message: “Want to take orders?”
Lin Chen: “Yes!”
Order Owner: “How handsome are you? How tall? What’s your education?”
Lin Chen: ?
Now, even part-time dog walking requires this?
Not wanting to miss out on this rare opportunity, Lin Chen looked at himself in the mirror and quickly replied: “Face like jade, red lips and white teeth, I’d rate myself an eight out of ten,185cm tall with abs, and an undergraduate from Tyron University.”
Lin Chen thought his qualifications were phenomenal, easily surpassing his competitors. After all, Tyron University was a top-tier institution, quite impressive.
Order Owner: “Undergraduate? Well, sorry, there’s a graduate student from Tyron University competing for this position, I’ll choose him.”
Lin Chen: WTF?
Just a part-time dog walking job, and it’s this complicated?!
Well… this is something Lin Chen hadn’t expected.
He casually vented about the matter in the post, and then asked everyone, “Family, are there any jobs that aren’t too competitive but still pay well?”
After dinner, it was peak internet time, and Lin Chen’s post received several replies as soon as it refreshed.
“Pretty boy? No way, that industry is too competitive, and the money isn’t easy to make.”
“Morgue attendant, you can do that for a few days if you need money, but I don’t recommend doing it long-term, remember that!”
“OP, you can’t make money walking dogs. If you’re so capable, try walking companion beasts, I guarantee you’ll be overwhelmed with orders.”
“The person upstairs is right, provided you have the ability.”
“If only I had a golden finger and could walk other people’s companion beasts, those are all powerful and wealthy people, just thinking about it would be awesome.”
The concept of companion beasts was also in Lin Chen’s memories; it’s a unique talent of Earthlings called mental power.
Each person can choose their own companion beast based on the strength of their mental power.
The stronger a person’s mental power, the more powerful their companion beast will be, and the longer its lifespan will also be.
Lin Chen currently doesn’t have a companion beast. It’s not that his mental power is weak; even if it weren’t strong… he still has the ability to bind with a small animal.
The reason he doesn’t have a companion beast is simple: he’s poor. Once a master binds with a companion beast, they are responsible for its food, drink, and bodily functions. Lin Chen can’t even support himself, let alone a companion beast.
Ordinary people only raise companion beasts after they gain independent abilities, except for those born with a silver spoon in their mouths, who have their own companion beasts from a young age, growing up alongside them.
Companion beasts and their owners form a mutual bond. After forming this bond, they are intimately connected; the owner can unilaterally communicate with their companion beast, while the companion beast shares the owner’s lifespan, essentially acting as another part of the owner.
In turbulent times of the past, companion beasts were their owners’ loyal servants, and often seen displaying their prowess on the battlefield.
Now, with fewer wars and more young people struggling to support themselves, more and more young people are choosing not to keep companion beasts.
Only the upper class remains largely unchanged; companion beasts are their calling card, their symbol, and hold a very important position.
Ferocious companion beasts need regular outlets for their energy. They cannot remain docile in concrete jungles, and their owners cannot spend long periods with them in the wild or hunting grounds.
Maintaining this balance has always been a major headache for owners.
If a companion beast wanted to leave its owner’s side, it would be fine; at least they could hire someone to take it out for fun. The problem is that all companion beasts are their owners’ shadows, and follow them wherever they are.
Lin Chen stroked his chin, and suddenly remembered a special talent he possessed: an exceptional affinity for animals from childhood.
He could freely pet any cat or dog he saw when he went out. A trip to the zoo, and even the lions and tigers, feared by most, would roll over to him. If the staff hadn’t forbidden it, Lin Chen would have dared to touch them.
His ability to grow flowers and plants was also phenomenal. Cuttings that others couldn’t keep alive would thrive the moment he casually stuck them in a pot.
Friends, relatives, and neighbors all knew of Lin Chen’s amazing skill. His aunts and grandmothers, who loved gardening, all came to him for help. Plants like Gabriel Rose and Eve’s Rose, which were said to be incredibly difficult to grow, he could make them thrive with a single cutting.
Lin Chen recalled how these past few days, a string of stray kittens had followed him home. Although he was so poor he couldn’t even feed himself, he still always gave them some food.
The reason there weren’t any strays following him today was probably because of Lu Qinian—a truly disgusting person who didn’t even like animals.
Lin Chen used to have a nickname in school: the “Druid of the Ages.” Druids are a profession in the magical world, capable of controlling animals, plants, and the three elements of wind, fire, and earth.
He felt this talent had come with him from his previous life. If used properly, it might actually be able to make money.
As he was on the verge of starvation, Lin Chen gritted his teeth and posted a new ad for part-time work offering to “walk companion beasts.”
He knew no one would believe him. In fact, even he didn’t believe himself since he wasn’t walking ordinary animals but someone else’s companion beast.
Contracts affect an animal’s mind, making it only see its master. Lin Chen wasn’t sure he could take someone else’s companion beast away.
But he’d already reached a dead end; how would he know if he didn’t try?
Lin Chen gritted his teeth and boasted in the main post that he was the “Druid of the Ages,” a friend of animals, and so on, assuring the customer wouldn’t be disappointed.
If he was disappointed, he’d delete the post.
This post was interesting, and a large number of netizens immediately flocked to it, all thinking the poster was bragging.
“He’s obsessed with money.”
“How could you possibly let someone else’s companion beast be ‘walked’ by you? A self-proclaimed druid? You’re obviously a delusional teenager.”
“Even if you had the ability, why would the owner trust you with their companion beast?”
Lin Chen: “Why wouldn’t they trust me? I have a clean record, and my student status is there. If they’re worried, they can arrange a supervisor for me. It’s better than having to find time to walk the companion beast while I’m busy with my own affairs, right?”
“That makes sense but only if you actually have the ability.”
Lin Chen: “Ladies and gentlemen, there’s no harm in trying. I’ll come pick you up. If it doesn’t work out, it’ll just waste your time, and you won’t even have to reimburse my travel expenses.”
…
After much persuasion, at 11 pm, someone finally contacted him.
“Are you serious? You really have this ability?”
Lin Chen: “Boss, whether I have this ability or not, you’ll know once you give me a chance to try. After all, words alone aren’t enough.”
The other party didn’t reply for a while, and was probably checking his personal information.
This part-time job website required real-name registration to unlock access. Lin Chen’s information was all there; they could check it on his school’s official website at any time, even seeing his grades and comments.
After a while, the client returned.
He gave him an address: “Okay, come here tomorrow morning for an interview.”
Lin Chen: “Okay, thank you for the opportunity!”
A little while later, the other party: “The client you’ll be serving is a lion. Are you up for the job?”
Lin Chen: “Great, I like lions.”
After all, the greater the risk, the higher the reward.
The other party: “…”
Suddenly, he regretted it a little. His tone did sound a bit childish.