dmims Chapter 2 Plan Before You Act
Chapter 2 Plan Before You Act
Lin Yan's consciousness slowly withdrew from that mysterious space, a wave of exhaustion washing over him. His temples throbbed, bringing with them sharp, needle-like pain. The mere initial refinement of the compass and the brief maintenance of his consciousness within that space had already placed a tremendous burden on his mental strength.
Lin Yan lay on the kang (a heated brick bed), closing his eyes to rest, lost in thought. Although he was extremely exhausted both physically and mentally, his eyes were unusually bright, showing no trace of the confusion and vulnerability one might feel after experiencing the pain of losing their father.
As he sorted through the jumbled memories in his mind, a startling discovery jolted him awake—the personnel structure of this "Red Star Courtyard" seemed so familiar. There was the ambitious Liu Haizhong, the second uncle in charge of the backyard; the cunning Yan Bugui, the scheming third uncle; the hypocritical Yi Zhonghai, the first uncle; the gossipy widow Jia Zhangshi; the pitiful Qin Huairu; and the simple-minded Shazhu…
These names and character relationships closely match the plot of a period drama called "Full House of Love" that he had casually browsed while working on a project analyzing the value of cultural industry IPs before his time travel! At the time, in order to understand the adaptation value of popular IPs, he had his assistant compile a list of popular works from major literary websites and film and television platforms, and this drama depicting the various aspects of life in a courtyard house was on the list.
"Could it be that I not only traveled through time, but also traveled into a 'work'?" This thought made Lin Yan feel a sense of absurdity. But he quickly suppressed the turmoil in his heart.
"Since I'm here, I might as well make the best of it." He quickly calmed down. Whether it was the real world or a world in a book was not important to him at this moment. What mattered was that he had some understanding of the warmth and coldness of human relationships, the trivialities and even the backstabbing in this "courtyard house." This undoubtedly gave him an edge in navigating this complex environment.
The most urgent task is to rest his overexerted mental energy, calm down, sort out his thoughts, and plan his future. The original owner of this body was frail and sickly due to congenital heart disease, which made him somewhat withdrawn and rarely interact with others. Although he persevered and passed the high school entrance exam, he had to temporarily suspend his studies to recuperate at home. Now, his father has suddenly passed away, leaving him, a frail and sickly orphan, to guard two private rooms in the east wing of the front yard, and to hold a substantial sum of money left by his father—money that, in an era of widespread poverty, would make many people envious.
"A courtyard house..." Lin Yan sighed softly to himself. Combining the vague impressions of that TV series, he understood even more clearly what this environment meant. Especially in an era of scarce resources, any "special" quality above the average could attract unnecessary trouble. His current situation was like a naive child carrying a gold brick in a bustling city; the greed and scheming hidden beneath smiles would soon swarm him like sharks smelling blood. As long as others didn't provoke him, he naturally wouldn't bother getting involved in those messy affairs; it was best for everyone to live in peace.
"I'll just have to play it safe for now!" Lin Yan decided to himself. The original owner's persona of being "weak, sickly, and taciturn" was the best cover. As for the plot? As long as you don't mess with me, you can act however you want.
Lin Yan's attention returned to his most pressing problem.
Good health is the prerequisite for everything. His congenital heart disease is like a Damocles' sword hanging over his head, ready to fall at any moment. If he can't even save his life, all his plans and opportunities are just empty talk. He urgently needs to improve his health and cure his disease.
He once again probed the space with a faint wisp of his spiritual energy, carefully sensing the spiritual spring. This time, he "saw" it more clearly. The nourishing power of the emerald green spring water was not generated out of thin air. According to the faint information flow transmitted by the compass, he understood that the source of this spring seemed to be connected to a first-grade low-level spiritual vein deep underground. Before gushing to the surface, the spring water flowed through the veins of this spiritual vein, thus being nourished and becoming a first-grade low-level spiritual spring.
It is this faint trace of spiritual energy that gives the spring water the effect of "weakly nourishing the body and relieving pain." But that's all. With its current quality as a low-grade first-level product and its meager spiritual energy content, its effect on congenital organ defects and severe functional deficiencies is like a drop in the ocean. Perhaps long-term consumption can slightly improve physical condition and alleviate some pain, but it has absolutely no chance of curing this fragile heart.
"The quality of the spiritual springs and spiritual veins will gradually be unlocked and upgraded as my cultivation level increases..." Lin Yan digested this information, "but distant water cannot quench immediate thirst, cultivation is not something that can be accomplished overnight, and my body may not be able to wait until then."
"Since there's a spiritual spring and vein, my ancestor must have been no ordinary person. I wonder if he left behind any elixirs, formulas, or rare treasures in this space that could cure my congenital heart disease?" Lin Yan's anticipation rekindled. Exploring the possible legacies left by his ancestors was not only related to his health, but also to whether he could break free from the shackles of "weakness," truly begin to unleash his power, and even embark on the long-awaited path to immortality.
At the same time, exploring the space can also help him solve his immediate problem—how to safely store and use his "start-up capital." The two thousand yuan left by his father and those tickets are not safe at home. If he can store his belongings in the space, he will be safer in the courtyard house.
He closed his eyes, stopped forcing himself to think, and simply followed his body's instincts, trying to relax and allow his overly tired mind to recover somewhat.