THE KING OF THE WORLD

"Perhaps I should consider myself fortunate...

Had none of this transpired, I would likely still be among the countless souls crowding these city streets, trapped in the monotonous rhythm of an ordinary existence.

I cannot say whether I altered destiny—or whether destiny sought me out.

Every story has its beginning... and mine commenced on the day of my eighteenth birthday.

From that moment, my fate was irrevocably rewritten.

At first, I thought myself blessed—but soon, I realized nothing was as simple as it had seemed.

Because... this world has never known fairness. Nor has it ever pretended to.

My name is Chen Xiao. My father bears the surname Chen, while my mother’s maiden name is Xiao. Yet when I was born, the fortune-teller declared my fate lacked the element of water—and so, the character Xiao was replaced with Xiao, the xiao of "free and unconstrained."

At nine in the morning.

Ding-dong~ The shop door was pushed open, and the doorbell rang."Welcome~"With a courteous greeting, Chen Xiao, dressed in the uniform of a fast-food restaurant behind the counter, quickly bowed and showed a professional smile to the person coming in. His fair complexion and handsome features were adorned with a hint of pale, giving him a somewhat delicate appearance.

The person who entered took off the hat, revealing a charming face with a smile and shallow dimples on both cheeks. Although the girl's facial features were only considered delicate, not exceptionally beautiful, her smile and adorable dimples added a touch of charm to her.

Chen Xiao, recognizing the person, straightened up and sighed, "You're late again, aren't you afraid the manager will deduct your salary?"The girl stuck out her tongue, making a cute face, "Not afraid! I know you'll definitely help me come up with an excuse..." Although she said she wasn't afraid, she subconsciously glanced behind in the direction of the staff room.

"The manager is not here—oh, and when she asked about you earlier, I told her you went to deliver takeout." Chen Xiao glanced at the clock on the wall, then took out a takeout order from his pocket, "Here, show this to the manager later, but don't betray me, okay?""Thanks! I'll introduce you to a beautiful girl another day." The girl took it with a playful smile, ran to the back "employee room" to change into her work uniform, and joined Chen Xiao behind the counter. She tied a refreshing ponytail, her face untouched by makeup, exuding the unique youthful vibe of a girl her age.

Without much conversation between them, Chen Xiao put on work gloves, carefully sliced bread, and started making sandwiches.

The girl, watching Chen Xiao in silence, had a slightly disappointed look in her eyes. After a moment of thought, she took the initiative, "Hey, it's the weekend today, business is slow. Maybe we can finish early. I heard there's a big sale at the mall on West Street. After work, shall we go check it out? You mentioned wanting to buy an MP4, right?"

Chen Xiao, after a brief contemplation, calmly shook his head, "No, I still have tutoring jobs.""Huh? You took on another job?" The cute girl widened her eyes."Yeah, private tutoring." Chen Xiao seemed unwilling to elaborate, giving a simple answer and lowering his head to continue working.

Today being the weekend, both schools and companies were on break, affecting breakfast sales at the fast-food restaurant. However, by half-past nine, the business in the shop had surprisingly picked up.

More than eighty percent of the customers were small groups of girls, ranging from twelve to twenty-two years old. Most of them seemed to be students. Despite having the option to sleep in on the weekend, they came here early for breakfast.

Observing this scene, the cute female clerk had gotten used to it. She sighed—these girls were all here for Chen Xiao.

Since Chen Xiao started working part-time at this small fast-food restaurant, it seemed like all the female students in the vicinity knew about the handsome young male clerk here.

Chen Xiao had a slender figure, a tall and straight posture, delicate and handsome facial features. He didn't talk much, but his faint smile carried a certain charm, particularly appealing to the young girls, who found his looks more captivating than those popular Korean actors on TV. Moreover, he was a student from a prestigious school, radiating an otherworldly aura. He perfectly fit the ideal "Prince Charming" type that these ignorant young girls adored.

Since he started working here, the proportion of young female customers in the store had increased exponentially. Whether it was breakfast, lunch, or dinner, the dining area always had groups of two or three girls specifically here to gaze at Chen Xiao. They would buy meals but linger in the store for over half an hour, some even propping their chins on their elbows, eyes fixed on Chen Xiao behind the counter.

(Hmph! A bunch of infatuated girls!)

For some reason, the cute female clerk felt increasingly displeased today as she observed these female customers. Seeing two girls, probably no older than fourteen or fifteen, practically drooling while staring at Chen Xiao, she couldn't help feeling angry.

What's more infuriating was... with such a long counter, clearly having two staff members, those young girls still preferred to queue up rather than move to the other sales counter!

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became!

The female clerk puffed up her cheeks, looking at the couple standing in front of her who had just reached her turn: a guy and a girl, evidently a couple. Rolling her eyes, she sweetly smiled, "May I ask what the two siblings would like to eat?"

"............"

Chen Xiao swiftly prepared the hamburgers and sandwiches in his hands and brought cups of soda one by one.

His movements were quick but not chaotic, his fingers gentle and agile. His expression remained calm as water, even with many customers in front of the counter. In the eyes of those young girls, this was considered a "cool" demeanor.

Chen Xiao could vaguely sense the girl sitting in the dining area, sneakily sizing him up while sipping through the straw. Some other girls were looking at him, whispering, seemingly discussing something.

—Chen Xiao had gotten used to all of this.

He knew what these girls were talking about. In fact, Chen Xiao's hearing had been sharp since childhood. Amidst the busyness, he could hear the low whispers of two girls sitting closest to the counter discussing something like "Prince Charming in distress..."

Prince Charming in distress...

Chen Xiao couldn't help but smile wryly.

In this world, girls, in general, tended to gossip.

But Chen Xiao didn't mind—he had become accustomed to being talked about, especially after that incident two years ago.

Chen Xiao, now eighteen, was originally supposed to be named Chen Xiao because his mother's surname is Xiao. However, it is said that a fortune teller claimed he lacked the element of water in his Five Elements, so the character "Xiao" was changed to the elegant "Xiao Sa."

Speaking of him, it's rare for an eighteen-year-old young man to possess such a silent and steady demeanor. Since childhood, his father and mother were seldom around. It's hard to imagine how his mother, who was as beautiful as a flower, ended up with his father, who always had a serious and cold expression like a character from a comic about mad scientists.

Due to their work, Chen Xiao's parents traveled between the local area and abroad year-round. When Chen Xiao was three years old, his parents joined a research institution in North America for an unknown project, becoming key researchers.

Eventually, their exceptional abilities led them to become partners in the research institution, transitioning from employees to the status of bosses. As workaholics, the couple's time became even more precious than gold. How could two workaholics find time to take care of their child?

Thus, from childhood to adulthood, Chen Xiao attended boarding schools. In order to preserve "Chinese traditions" for their child, his parents left him in China instead of taking him to North America. They hired a housemaid to take care of his daily life. Therefore, Chen Xiao became accustomed to independent living from an early age—he could even cook fried rice and make tomato egg soup by himself at the age of nine.

Seemingly wealthy, Chen Xiao's parents were associated with a well-paying research institution in North America. Chen Xiao never lacked money growing up. However, with two workaholic parents, they rarely met throughout the year.

Calculating carefully, from the age of four, he could see his parents less than four times a year for over three hundred sixty days. This situation persisted until Chen Xiao was sixteen.

One day, while he was at school, the caretaker aunt who looked after him came to school with red and swollen eyes, bringing him back home. Afterwards, he received the tragic news: his parents, working at the research institution, experienced a massive research accident. They both died in the laboratory during that incident.

After investigation, it was determined to be an accidental occurrence. The research institution also dissolved due to the accident, reportedly bankrupt and disappeared. His parents had invested all their assets into the institution. With their demise and the institution's bankruptcy, all their wealth vanished. Poor Chen Xiao, a sixteen-year-old, only received a meager amount of compensation.

Soon, debt collectors came knocking on the door. They seized all of Chen Xiao's family assets, including the private car and luxurious mansion. Later, Chen Xiao learned that his parents had disagreed with the partner of the research institution on the research direction. Insisting on continuing their own research, they even mortgaged the house and car to the bank for research funding.

Originally born into a wealthy family, he overnight turned into a pauper. Fortunately, his parents had already put the old house they lived in before becoming prosperous in Chen Xiao's name, preventing it from being taken by the bank.

After using the compensation to handle his parents' funeral, Chen Xiao silently moved back to the old, dilapidated house.

For a teenager like him, suddenly encountering such devastating news and setbacks, nine out of ten might have collapsed. However, Chen Xiao, accustomed to independent living since childhood, displayed surprisingly strong resilience, managing to endure it all alone.

However, he became increasingly silent and less talkative afterward.

In his youth, he tasted the warmth and coldness of the world. When his family was well-off, relatives were affectionate towards him. After he fell on hard times, those relatives seemed to avoid him like the plague, especially uncles and aunts who disappeared after the funeral.

Chen Xiao never thought of relying on these people. When he was already sixteen, legally an adult, and had been living alone for years, he couldn't be bothered to care about those relatives' attitudes.

The only thing that made Chen Xiao somewhat sentimental was the aunt who had taken care of him. A kind and gentle woman in her forties, she had worked as a maid in his house for many years. Even after his family fell on hard times, this aunt couldn't bear to leave Chen Xiao. She even considered adopting him, despite having no blood relation. She was a maid with a modest income and her own children to support through education, yet she had such a compassionate thought, enough to move Chen Xiao.

Compared to those relatives, this aunt became the only person Chen Xiao felt close to. However, he resolutely rejected the idea of going home with her, insisting on living alone in the old house.

To sustain himself, Chen Xiao started working to earn a living.

He was originally born into a wealthy family. When his parents were alive, they lived in luxury mansions, owned private cars, and wore international brands. He was exceptionally intelligent, probably inheriting the clever genes of his scientific parents. From a young age, he played the piano skillfully. At fourteen, he dared to drive a sports car at a speed of two hundred kilometers per hour on the highway. At fifteen, he hacked a foreign portal website using a computer. By the age of sixteen, when the tragic news about his parents came, he had already started learning karate, preparing for advanced levels.

It's hard to imagine how such a young man from a well-off family managed to get through such circumstances. Perhaps it was the tenacious spirit inherited from his parents, the scientific oddities.

He attended school during the day and found part-time jobs at night. He worked in a computer company doing repairs, played the piano in a hotel, and even worked as a packer in a supermarket. Although finding a job was challenging due to his young age, he was keen-minded and sincere in his work—coupled with his handsome and pleasing appearance, he gradually managed to support himself.

For example, in this fast-food restaurant, since he started working, he attracted female students from nearby schools to dine there. The manager behind the scenes couldn't help but smile at his success. Chen Xiao even vaguely knew that many of his life stories were intentionally leaked by that dubious manager to these female students as topics of conversation.

As a result, the fast-food restaurant's business kept improving, and the manager naturally accumulated wealth.

Even in the most difficult times, Chen Xiao never did anything wrong. In fact, there was an acquaintance who once engaged in hacking activities, attempting to involve him in activities such as forging and cracking credit cards. At that time, Chen Xiao only had a week's worth of living expenses in his pocket, but he decisively refused the temptation.

Because, when he was young, his father told him: In this world, one must walk the right path. Even if you commit wrongdoing and escape the notice of others, you can never escape your own conscience.

Although the relationship between his parents and Chen Xiao was not particularly deep, he remembered this principle firmly.

Without the luxurious sports car, Chen Xiao rode a bicycle to school and work. Without the mansion, living in a simple apartment brought him peace of mind. Without the opportunity to visit upscale hotels, he enjoyed delicious food from street vendors.

Fortunately, amidst the misfortune, his parents had paid the exorbitant tuition for the prestigious school he attended for several years in a lump sum before their demise. Otherwise, considering the tuition fees of the city's most expensive and renowned elite school, it would have been beyond Chen Xiao's ability to afford with just part-time work.

...

"Wow, it's him... the fallen rich kid!""...Yeah, so handsome and stylish...""Wow, did you see him? He looked over here!"

A table full of young girls were starry-eyed. Chen Xiao raised an eyebrow, turned around, and walked into the backstage area, leaving behind a group of disappointed sighs from the girls.

At noon, when Chen Xiao finished work, changed back into his casual clothes, and greeted the manager, he was about to leave.

"Chen Xiao." The cute female staff called him from behind the counter, looking at him with narrowed eyes, a sweet smile on her face—though her eyes were not big, they curved slightly when she smiled, adding a touch of cuteness and charm. "Hey, today is your birthday, right?" She continued, lowering her voice, "I peeked at the employee registry."

Chen Xiao was taken aback. The girl discreetly looked at the manager, and then, from her pocket, she took out a gift-wrapped box, handing it to him with a sly smile, "Happy birthday." Chen Xiao's expression seemed a bit awkward.

The gift box wasn't large, and the wrapping paper looked a bit twisted, clearly not done by a professional gift-wrapping service, but rather by the colleague herself.

After a moment's thought, following courtesy, he opened the box in front of her. Inside was a new and compact MP4 player.

He paused, glancing at the girl. The girl blinked and said, "You mentioned liking this model before. My memory is quite good!" Seeing Chen Xiao's expression, she hastily added, "Don't refuse! I remembered this morning when I realized I forgot it at home, so I went back to get it, making me late."

She continued in a soft voice, "If you feel embarrassed, just give me something on my birthday a few days later."

With that, Chen Xiao didn't refuse any longer, thinking for a moment before nodding and accepting it, offering a sincere smile, "Thank you."

Watching the girl with a slightly shy look in her eyes, after being observed by a group of girls in the store for several months, he already knew what his colleague was thinking.

Sighing in his heart, he didn't have the heart to tell the girl about his original plan: he intended to resign from this fast-food restaurant by the end of the month. He had found a new job as a private tutor, which was better than working here every day and being gawked at by a bunch of schoolgirls.

Well, he could give her something back on her birthday.

Exiting the store, he pushed out his bicycle from behind, and as he was about to get on it, he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. Picking it up, he saw unfamiliar numbers calling... although he didn't recognize them, he recognized the international area code at the beginning.

After a moment's hesitation, he pressed the answer button.

"Is this Mr. Chen Xiao?" The voice of an unfamiliar woman, sounding not too young.

The voice over the phone was noisy, as if the person speaking was surrounded by car noises. Moreover, the person spoke in standard English.

Fortunately, having parents who worked abroad since childhood, Chen Xiao was proficient in English.

"...Yes," Chen Xiao answered.

"Have you received that thing?" the woman asked.

"Thing? What thing?" Chen Xiao was somewhat puzzled. Could it be a case of mistaken identity?

"You are Chen Xiao, address XX Street, XX number, K City, right?" The person on the phone seemed a bit nervous and anxious.

"The address is correct, but may I ask who you are?"

"The address is correct. That's enough. Are you outside now? Please return home immediately and be sure to check that thing—it's crucial!"

"Who are you..."

"Beep beep..." The other party hung up.