1: Chapter 1 Director Shen is Reborn

August 2025.

Sichuan Province, Chongyang County.

The flood season is under a continuous red alert.

Deputy Director of the Emergency Management Bureau, Shen Weiyue, was commanding from the front lines and was currently on his way with his driver to the mountainous area to supervise flood control work.

"Xiao Ji, have the tourists at the Longmen Mountain Scenic Area all been evacuated? Remind the town to keep a close watch on the independent travelers arriving by car. The weather is hot and the water is shallow, so they especially like to camp on the riverbed of the Danxi River..."

"Don't worry, Director Shen. The town has been working around the clock recently, and there are grid workers stationed at all the important checkpoints. Everyone on the riverbed has been cleared out."

"That's good. Look at this devilish weather; one second it's bright sunshine, and the next it's overcast. They're probably already having a heavy downpour on the mountaintop. I can hear a rumbling sound; I'm afraid there might be a flash flood."

Shen Weiyue frowned as he looked out the car window, when suddenly a white figure flashed into his line of sight, startling him.

"Stop the car quickly! There's someone down there."

"Screech..."

With a sudden brake, before the car had even fully stopped, Shen Weiyue rushed out.

Down on the riverbed about ten meters off the road, there was indeed a little boy still lowering his head to dig in the sand.

Following the sound and looking upstream, the clear water had already turned muddy, and a pile of dead wood mixed with mud was pouring down.

A flash flood had indeed come.

"Quick, save him!"

While the driver was still stunned, Shen Weiyue had already jumped down to the riverbed, picked up the terrified little boy, and was running desperately toward the bank.

"Director Shen, quickly give me your hand, I'll pull you up."

"Get the child up first..."

As soon as he finished speaking, the massive flood torrent rushed in, instantly knocking Shen Weiyue over into the water.

"Director Shen!"

"Don't come down, quickly take the child up, get away from the riverside..."

"Bang!"

Shen Weiyue swallowed a few mouthfuls of muddy water, his back of the head slammed hard against a rock, and he passed out.

...

March 2009.

Sichuan Province, Lingshan County No. 1 Middle School.

The evening stretched out the shadows of the sunset, pulling down the hem of the evening glow, spilling colors onto the tender green spots on the treetops.

The evening breeze lifted the skirt of youth, and the spring scenery before his eyes was just right.

Outside the window, it was full of vitality, with all things thriving.

Inside the window, however, the atmosphere was dull and stifling.

Everyone in Class 6 of the third year of high school was staring intently at their homeroom teacher, Han Changming, watching him raise the book in his hand with a dark face, and then strike down.

"Bang!"

A loud bang smashed onto Shen Weiyue's head, waking his sleeping soul.

"It's been a hundred days, there are only a hundred days left, and you're still sleeping, still sleeping! You're like mud that can't be plastered onto a wall..."

Shen Weiyue touched the back of his head, which was slightly painful, and opened his eyes in a daze. What met his eyes was the iron-that-won't-become-steel Han Changming, with the College Entrance Exam countdown in the background.

He widened his eyes in astonishment and subconsciously muttered: "Oh my, damn it, where the hell did you send me?"

"Where did I send you? Shen Weiyue, for this class, go stand at the back of the classroom, wake yourself up properly, and see where you actually are!"

"Hmm?"

Shen Weiyue, imposing even without anger, made a questioning sound.

"What are you standing there stunned for? Get over there." Han Changming was furious. "Did you sleep yourself stupid? Do you know what your last name is?"

"Hahahaha..."

The classroom burst into laughter, startling the sparrows on the willow branches into fluttering away.

Shen Weiyue suppressed his internal astonishment, silently grabbed the book on the table, and strode to the back of the classroom.

"Quiet!" Han Changming shouted. "What are you laughing at? What face do you have to laugh? Do you think only Shen Weiyue deserves to be scolded?"

"The results of the test from the day before yesterday are out. The average score of our Class 6 is the lowest among the six rocket classes; it's an absolute disgrace!"

"This time, it's not just Shen Weiyue who held us back. Other students, a very small number of students, have had a very obvious decline in their grades recently. You know who I'm talking about."

"You still have the mood to laugh? I can't laugh. My tears are swirling in my stomach. With grades like these, how are you going to take the College Entrance Exam?"

"The old saying goes well, even a pig knows how to turn around after being taught three times. Are you all dumber than pigs?"

Han Changming was criticizing them while slapping the podium, heartbroken. Everyone below dared not giggle anymore.

Shen Weiyue looked at this dreamlike scene, and the images in his eyes gradually became vivid.

He pinched his thigh hard a few times, vaguely confirming his inner guess, and then the corners of his mouth curled up in an absurd expression.

Han Changming happened to see this scene and became even more furious.

"Shen Weiyue, you still dare to laugh? Then stand for three classes, stand until the evening self-study ends."

...

Director Shen really stood obediently for three classes.

After the evening self-study ended, he walked out of the school gate in silence, his only good buddy Ye Lingtao following beside him, chattering endlessly.

Director Shen remained silent, just walking on.

"Cultural Reference, you're something else. You actually went head-to-head with Old Demon Han. That's insanely awesome."

"I'm talking to you, Cultural Reference. How did you get so gutsy?"

"Sect Leader Yue, say something..."

Ye Lingtao continued his smart-aleck behavior. Director Shen was a bit displeased and said in a deep voice: "If you call me Cultural Reference again, I will castrate you!"

"It's not just me calling you that; everyone does. Who told you not to fit in?"

Ye Lingtao argued self-righteously: "What kind of name did you pick? You had to include 'Yue', and you're not sociable at all. If you're not called Cultural Reference, then who is?"

"Shut up, we've reached the fork in the road. Get lost."

"Yue-san, perk up. Tomorrow morning Old Demon Han is going to have a private talk with you. Time to start the Bixie Sword Manual, shoo shoo shoo..."

"Idiot."

Shen Weiyue didn't look back, raised his middle finger, turned the corner, and entered a small alley to the left.

Ye Lingtao just assumed he had hit a sore spot and walked away to the other side, laughing.

The two parted ways there.

Shen Weiyue took a few turns and before long arrived at the entrance of a residential complex.

The main gate was an old-fashioned double-opening iron gate with rusty iron spikes on top; if you didn't climb over it properly, you'd get your ass impaled.

The security guard was a middle-aged auntie who glanced at him as he came in but didn't say anything.

The complex was a precast slab structure, built six stories high, with no elevator.

The landlord had illegally built a few shacks on the roof to rent out. Shen Weiyue rented a small room; the rent was three hundred a month, and there was no air conditioning.

It was standard cold in winter and hot in summer, a real paradise.

After getting home, Shen Weiyue threw down his schoolbag and went to the Restroom to take a shower.

He stood under the shower and held his breath for thirty seconds, trying to regain the feeling of choking on water before he passed out, then opened his eyes—he was still under the shower.

Alright.

He gave up; he was really reborn.

In the mirror was a young and vibrant body, with a full, dark hairline and a slightly immature face full of vigor—definitely a pure high school boy.

"What the hell is this all about?"

"I was already a deputy director, a thirty-four-year-old deputy director, the youngest in the whole county. Why the hell did you let me be reborn?"

"Is this a reward for saving someone? That would have been better as winning five million in the lottery."

"Damn it, my ten-plus years of hard work, all gone in an instant..."

Shen Weiyue felt resentment, along with a trace of melancholy.

Fortunately, the gentle flow of water slid down his abs, soothing his soul.

A moment later, Shen Weiyue seemed to remember something; he reached out and squeezed his hard fist, and suddenly his face was full of smiles.

Rejuvenated, so strong and fit—this rebirth didn't seem like a bad deal after all.

"Hehehe, little brother, welcome back."

"I treated you poorly in the past life, please forgive me!"