Infinite Divine Gears in the City

Chapter 2

“Damn it, that bastard! How dare you!! You motherf**ker!”

A hard punch hit the bathroom wall, and a murmur was let out.

As the hot water came down from above, Li Rui looked at the figure who was standing opposite him in the mirror and still felt that this was unbelievable.

Without any precaution or consideration, he had been reincarnated into this world! While he was reading the terms and conditions of the game, he had been brought into this place!

Instead of a fat uncle in his thirties from his previous life, the one in the mirror was a young man who was only sixteen years old. His facial features were about the same from his previous life but just a little more delicate.

His slender muscular figure was like an ancient Greek sculpture with the perfect golden ratio.

Even though it had already been more than ten years, Li Rui was still a little resistant toward this world.

In his previous life, he was a single child with a successful career. He had everything that he needed in life as a man. He was not a winner in life, but at least he had a carefree life.

But after coming here?

He had immediately become a ‘glorious’ member of an orphanage.

Although in some of the novels from his previous life, orphans were a standard for characters like them.

It was their parent’s sacrifices that had given them boundless mana.

But Li Rui suspected that although he had been physically transported, instead of an adult, his body had returned to one of an infant when he had first come into this world. Therefore, he had not been able to find his parents.

However, he was still pretty lucky. He soon met a kind-hearted couple and was adopted. He grew up healthy, and his adoptive parents even gave birth to a cute little sister.

A family that was supposed to be filled with joy and happiness suddenly took a downturn.

His father was a soldier who had been sacrificed in a mission, only returning home in a box of ashes covered with the national flag.

His mother could not accept it and soon fell sick. In a few month’s time, his mother followed his father and left.

In the blink of an eye, their home was scattered into pieces.

Fortunately, Li Rui had a mature soul of a thirty-year-old man and was able to bear the pressure.

With the pension that their father had left, along with a three-bedroom house in the capital city, it wouldn’t be difficult for them to maintain a living.

However, according to Murphy’s law, unfortunate things come in a series.

His younger sister, Li Wei, suddenly contracted a strange disease after their mother’s death. She got thinner and thinner as the days went by. Li Rui brought her all around the world trying to look for famous hospitals and doctors for an explanation. In the end, he was only able to maintain her life with an extremely expensive fluid.

But even so, his little sister who used to be a cute chubby little girl became as thin as a skeleton, like an African refugee.

“Brother, did you fall into the toilet? I heard a sound.”

A soft, weak sound came from outside. Li Rui shook his head and quickly turned off the shower.

“I’m fine. I’ll be out in a minute.”

He wiped off the water droplets on him, put on a set of clean pajamas, and walked out of the bathroom.

A tiny figure was standing in the kitchen trying to lift up the casserole that was on the stove.

“Wei, let me do it.”

Li Rui gently took the casserole that was on the stove, and carefully placed it on the dining table.

“Why don’t you go get some rice?”

He patted his sister’s head and his sister who had been a little sad immediately showed a smile on her face.

The weight of a casserole full of chicken soup was nothing to Li Rui, but it was an unbearable weight for Li Wei.

A bowl of rice was already the maximum weight that she could bear.

But on the other hand, Li Wei always wanted to help her brother and was trying her best to not be a burden.

After considering her emotions and self-esteem, Li Rui would always look for something that she could do in order to prove the ‘value’ of her existence.

“Come here, I already ate at the club. I can’t eat anymore.”

Li Rui smiled as he gave away half of the rice from his bowl to his sister. He then picked up a few vegetables and quickly finished the remaining rice.

“Brother, take the drumstick.”

“No, it’s okay. I’ve been eating boiled chicken breast at the club every day. I feel like throwing up every time I see a chicken.”

He gently patted Li Wei’s head and looked at her with eyes filled with love.

“Hehe.”

Li Wei’s pale cheeks flushed, and she continued eating.

Her tiny mouth started moving rapidly, and a casserole that had once been filled with half a chicken, along with some really expensive herbs, was soon completely finished.

Li Rui couldn’t help himself but swallow his saliva as he watched her eat.

Actually, the meals at the club were a lie. They weren’t any fancy nutritious meals. Instead, they were just cookies and candies that could at most only prevent him from starving.

Every time he wanted to have some protein, he would go all the way to the suburbs and pay 38 dollars for a buffet. He would walk in on empty stomach, and walked out with a full stomach as he would take up all the meat they had.

All the good things that he had at home would be given to this little girl.

“Wei, these herbs are the best part of the chicken broth. You have to finish it.”

Upon noticing the remaining ‘residues’ in the casserole, Li Rui frowned.

“Brother, please. They’re so bitter, can I not eat it?”

Li Wei was looking at him with her puppy eyes, trying to escape.

“No, be a good girl. At least finish these.”

Li Rui picked out a few expensive ones which included both the thinly-sliced hundred-year-old ginseng.

He had walked through hell in order to get these.

However, the sufferings were worth it as Li Wei’s complexion had improved every time he gave her the ginseng.

“Boohoo…”

Li Wei sobbed a little but still obediently finished the herbs.

After that, she bitterly looked at Li Rui before looking at her empty bowl.

“Are you still hungry? There’s still rice in the pot, I’ll get you some.”

“Thank you.”

The pair of eyes that were filled with gratitude made Li Rui laugh.

This little girl was weak, pitiful, and helpless…

But she eats like a monster!

This was also why Li Rui had not fallen into despair.

Li Wei was not anorexic. She was trying her best to eat and trying her best to survive.

If even this little girl was trying her best, as her elder brother, how could he give up?

As soon as they find out what’s wrong with her, Li Rui believes that she will be able to completely recover!

He filled up her empty bowl with the rest of the rice that was in the pot and smiled as he watched her finish her food.

An entire pot of chicken soup, a plate of celery with shredded pork, and half a plate of green vegetables all went into Li Wei’s stomach.

The warmth from the chicken soup along with the herbs spread throughout her body. Her pale, white fair skin started turning pink, and there were also droplets of sweat on her forehead.

“Burp~”

“Haha, are you full now?”

“Mm.”

“Then go watch some TV.”

“Brother, I’ll help you with the dishes.”

“You can barely reach the sink; just go and play.”

Li Rui gently flicked her forehead.

Li Wei was actually in middle school and shouldn’t be this short. However, after contracting this weird disease, she had stopped growing. She still looked like a child who was in elementary school as her height was only up to Li Rui’s waist.

“I can wash them if I stand on a bench!”

Li Wei was somewhat unhappy with her brother’s statement.

“No, go watch TV. I’ll join you when I’m done.”

Li Rui forcefully chased her out of the kitchen and gave her a peck on the cheek. After cheering her up, he went back to the kitchen.

There were still a few herbs left in the casserole. Li Rui picked up the sauce from the other dishes, mixed it with the herbs, and then poured it down his throat.

The essence is all in these ‘residues’. He can’t afford to waste it!