The pungent smell of strong liquor mixed with cheap tobacco rushed into River Lyson's nose. He jolted awake. Before him stood a small private dining room so familiar it felt carved into his bones. A poster for the 2000 Spring Festival Gala hung on the wall. An enamel cup with a chipped rim sat on the table beside a crumpled copy of the River City Daily. The date printed across the front page was unmistakable: May 18, 2000. Two people sat across from him, leaning forward with smiles plastered across their faces. The sight made River's stomach churn. On the left was his wife, May Lapwood. She wore a pink blouse washed nearly white, and her hair had been permed into the large waves fashionable at the time. Her eyes, however, gleamed with calculation. "River, hurry up and sign. Once you sign this Equity Transfer Agreement, we'll have the $10,000 we need to pay off the debt. Then we can finally live well." On the right sat his childhood friend, Leo Zimmerman. He wore a counterfeit Pierre Cardin suit and a glaringly fake Rolex. Even the hand holding out the pen was trembling. "That's right, River. Your father's getting old, and the machinery factory has been losing money for years. If you sell it to my father, your family can get $10,000 to pay off the debt. Otherwise, the bank will come and seize your house." The Equity Transfer Agreement. May 18, 2000. Blood rushed to the top of River's head. His fingernails dug into his palms until they drew blood, yet he felt nothing. Hadn't he frozen to death beneath a bridge in the winter of 2023? On this day in his previous life, those two had conspired to force half a liter of strong liquor down his throat. Barely aware of what he was doing, he had signed away the equity in the machinery factory his father had spent his entire life running. The entire factory had sold for only $10,000. Later, Leo and his father had held on to the equity until the land was slated for redevelopment. They received a staggering $8 million in compensation. Leo had moved into a mansion, started his own company, become a prominent businessman in River City, and even married May. And the Lyson family? His father had been angered to death. His mother had cried herself blind. His younger sister had dropped out of school to work and pay off the debt, only to be struck by a drunk driver on her way home from work. As for River, he had frozen beneath a bridge until he could no longer curl his fingers. At the moment he closed his eyes for the last time, one thought filled his mind: If only he hadn't signed that day. He never expected fate to give him another chance. "River, what are you waiting for?" May demanded when he failed to move. She reached for his hand, trying to press it onto the agreement. "Sign it already!" Leo smiled and coaxed him along. "Once you're done, we'll go get hot pot. It's on me. Order as much as you want." Looking at their two faces, River felt something foul rising from the back of his throat. He suddenly raised his hand, snatched up the half-cup of liquor left on the table, and splashed it straight over their heads. "Like hell I will!" Cold liquor drenched May and Leo's faces. Both of them froze, too stunned to react. Leo's father, Victor Zimmerman, was also in the private room. He was the machinery factory's deputy factory director and had sat silently to one side until then. He slammed his palm against the table and shot to his feet, his face livid. "River Lyson! Have you lost your mind?" "Lost my mind?" River gave a cold laugh. He picked up the Equity Transfer Agreement from the table without even glancing at it. Rip, rip, rip! In a few swift motions, he tore the agreement to shreds and flung the scraps into Victor's face. "You two thought you could con my family out of our factory? Do you really take me for a fool?" May wiped the liquor from her face and shrieked, "River, are you sick? That's $10,000! If you tear up the agreement, how are we supposed to pay off the debt? Do you want your parents sleeping on the street?" "Pay off the debt?" River fixed her with a stare cold enough to freeze water. "My family's $10,000 debt is mine to deal with. We don't need you selling our factory so you can play the hero." He paused, then crooked one corner of his mouth. "And May, stop using my parents as an excuse. You and Leo have been sneaking around. Did you really think I didn't know?" The color drained from both May and Leo's faces. They had been sleeping together for more than half a year. They had always believed they had hidden it perfectly. How had River found out? "You... What the hell are you talking about?" Leo stammered. His eyes darted away. "I'm making it up?" River stepped forward. Leo instinctively retreated half a step. "What you two did in the warehouse behind the machinery factory last month, do you want me to describe the details?" May's face flushed bright red. Her lips trembled, but no words came out. Victor's expression turned ugly as well. He had never imagined that his son and May were involved. If word got out, he could forget about keeping his dignity as the deputy factory director. River swept his gaze over the three of them before finally fixing it on Victor. "Our factory isn't for sale." He enunciated every word. "And one more thing. Enjoy the good life while you still have a few days left." With that, he turned and walked out, leaving the three of them staring at one another as their faces shifted from white to green. River walked through the streets of 2000, taking in everything that felt both familiar and strange. People queued at the public telephone booths along the roadside. The newsstand displayed the latest cassette tapes. A tide of bicycles surged through the intersection, while the faces around him wore the simple smiles unique to that era. The wind swept past, chilling his back. Only then did he realize that his shirt was soaked through. He had truly been reborn. His parents were still alive. His sister was still alive. None of the tragedies had happened yet. In this life, he would not only protect the Lyson family's factory. He would also make a fortune, move his parents into a mansion, and send his sister to the best university. Every regret from his previous life would be made right, one by one. As for May and Leo, he would collect everything they owed him, with interest. His first priority was finding the initial sum of money, paying off the family's $10,000 debt, and cutting off Victor's only way to force them into selling the factory. River's thoughts raced as he recalled what had happened in River City in May 2000. What could make money quickly? He searched his pockets and found a crumpled one-dollar bill and a few coins. His bank card was useless. At this point in his previous life, it held less than $10. Borrow money? From whom? His relatives and friends were barely getting by themselves. In 2000, $10,000 was an astronomical sum. Sell something? Everything valuable in the family belonged to the factory. There was nothing he could sell. He was still racking his brain when a bus rolled past him. Six large characters were printed across the advertisement on its side: "River City Welfare Lottery Double Color Ball." River stopped dead. He remembered! That very day, May 18, 2000, the River City Welfare Lottery Center drew the first $500,000 jackpot since Double Color Ball was launched. He remembered those numbers for the rest of his life. Back then, everyone in the city had talked about the winner. The Lottery Ticket had been purchased at the booth beneath his apartment building. River clenched the one-dollar bill in his pocket and quickened his pace. His Little Smart suddenly rang. It was his father, Mason Lyson. His voice was filled with panic. "River, where are you? Your Uncle Zimmerman just called me and said you tore up the agreement. Didn't we settle this already? We're counting on that $10,000 to pay off the debt. Come home, quick!" Warmth spread through River's chest. He had dreamed of hearing that voice again, even while lying beneath the bridge. He swallowed the ache in his throat and forced a smile into his voice. "Dad, I'm not drunk. I have a way to get the money. I can come up with $10,000 by tomorrow. Don't worry, and don't sign anything. Wait for me to come home." "By tomorrow? Where are you going to get $10,000?" Mason asked, bewildered. "Dad, trust me this once." After hanging up, River was about to head toward the Lottery Ticket booth when hurried footsteps sounded behind him, followed by a tearful cry. "River, stop!" It was May. She chased after him with tear tracks on her face and red-rimmed eyes. When she caught up, she grabbed his sleeve, her nails digging into the fabric. "You're going to explain yourself today. Do you have someone else? Are you trying to leave me?" River lowered his gaze to her fingers clutching his sleeve, then slowly pulled his arm free. "You're right, May." He looked her in the eye. "I'm getting a divorce." May stood frozen, her hand still held out as though she were gripping him. She looked as if someone had nailed her to the curb. River walked away without looking back. She trembled with rage, unable to understand how the man who had once obeyed her every word could suddenly seem like a completely different person. Back in the private room, Victor twisted his cigarette out against the enamel cup. The harsh scrape of ash against porcelain filled the room. "Useless fool!" He glared at Leo. "You let River find out about you and May! The agreement's been torn up. What are we supposed to do now?" Leo wiped the liquor from his face, tossed the towel aside, and spoke through clenched teeth. "Don't worry, Dad. River only lost his head for a moment. His family owes $10,000, and they can't come up with it without selling the factory. In a couple of days, he'll come crawling back to us." His eyes shifted as a vicious idea came to him. "If necessary, we'll get someone from the bank to go to their door and demand payment. We can force his father to sign." Victor fell silent for several seconds before setting the enamel cup down hard on the table. "The matter with that piece of land can't be delayed much longer. If River refuses to cooperate, don't blame us for forgetting old ties."