Chapter 1: Time Travel
1456 Words
At Beijing Capital Airport, in the passenger waiting lounge.
Nguyễn Đường sat on a waiting chair, slightly lowering his head, using his phone. He had just participated in filming a food program yesterday and was preparing to board a plane back to his hometown.
As a seasoned food blogger, Nguyễn Đường had more than a million fans on social media and was widely welcomed. He had come up with unique decoration ideas, especially related to culinary creativity, and his golden signboard was his trademark.
Both of his parents were chefs, so he had learned to cook from a young age. Later, he went abroad to study and was exposed to Western culinary culture. He merged the food systems of two different cultures, creating a fusion that shone in every dish. Each dish he made was exquisite, like a finely crafted artwork, combining the finesse of Western techniques with the rich flavors of Chinese cuisine. Whether in high-end restaurants or online, his food was extremely popular.
The theme of this food program was the fusion of Western and Chinese culinary cultures. In addition to hot online bloggers like Nguyễn Đường, the show also invited famous chefs from high-end restaurants across the country.
Each person prepared their specialty dish, which was then served to critics and the audience in the studio. While Nguyễn Đường was cooking, he paid attention to how others completed their dishes, comparing it with his own experiences. He learned a lot and was determined to create a new dish once he returned home.
"Attention, passengers traveling to city H: Your flight number TC7986 has started check-in. Please proceed to gate three to complete your procedure. Thank you!"
The announcement rang out. Nguyễn Đường looked at his boarding pass, stood up, and walked toward gate three to check in quickly.
After the plane took off, Nguyễn Đường put on an eye mask and reclined his seat. He had been filming for twelve hours, and he was extremely tired.
He didn’t know how much time had passed before he was suddenly jolted awake by violent shaking. A buzzing sound began, passengers were panicking, and the sweet voice of the flight attendant rang through the cabin, "Ladies and gentlemen, we regret to inform you that the aircraft has experienced a mechanical failure. We are preparing for an emergency landing. Please follow the flight attendants' instructions, and we will demonstrate the proper safety posture."
None of the passengers had expected an aviation accident. As the plane shook more violently, the cabin was filled with screams, curses, and cries.
The incident happened so suddenly that Nguyễn Đường's mind was blank. He could only helplessly hold his head down, bracing for impact.
The noise was overwhelming, making it hard for him to think. In that moment of life and death, he felt his eyelids stick together, half-dazed. With a loud bang, pain surged through him, and he lost consciousness.
Amid the loud alarm blares, Nguyễn Đường suddenly opened his eyes. To his astonishment, he found himself lying inside a transparent container filled with blue liquid. He felt like a corpse immersed in formalin, and the fear in his heart doubled.
BEEP—Warning deactivated, life signs stabilized, medical procedure complete. The electronic voice echoed, and the blue liquid was quickly drained. The container split into two.
Nguyễn Đường's legs felt weak, and as he regained feeling in his body, he hurriedly grabbed the edge of the container, panic setting in as he crawled out. He hadn't even had a chance to assess his surroundings when dizziness overtook him, and he collapsed forward.
Luckily, the carpet was thick, and there were no scattered objects on the floor, so his fall wasn't too disastrous.
After some time, he regained enough strength to sit up slowly. Beside him was a full-length mirror, and he saw the state of his body.
It was a frail body, too thin, with legs so bony that only a thin layer of skin remained. The joints protruded, and his muscles twitched, still convulsing lightly after moving. His skin was pale, as if he were ill, with veins showing through like delicate purple lines. It was a disturbing sight.
He raised his hand, and the person in the mirror mimicked his movements.
Was this his body? Nguyễn Đường felt a wave of confusion.
Although he wasn't particularly fond of physical activity, he would swim at the beach from time to time. His physique had always been decent, with healthy, light tan skin. Compared to this body—No! This is completely different!
Even if he had been unconscious for years causing muscle atrophy, it shouldn't have changed this much.
...What was even more important was that he had died!
The last memory Nguyễn Đường had before losing consciousness was the intense heat when the plane exploded. The smell of burning flesh and the screams and cries echoed in his ears. Thinking back, all he could feel was shaking and fear by instinct.
He couldn't believe that the plane crash was just a nightmare because, in his hazy state, he had heard the words medical procedure complete. Nguyễn Đường wondered if he was still alive by some miracle, brought to a hospital, and subjected to some kind of underground experiment. Perhaps the doctors had even "conveniently" adjusted his face for him?
But no matter how advanced the medical technology was, it couldn't replace his entire body, right? How could he go from having a balanced body to being nothing but a skeleton in the blink of an eye?
What time was it? How long had he been unconscious?
The sound of hurried footsteps came from outside. Several people in blue uniforms entered, lifting Nguyễn Đường, who was still in a daze, off the ground. Two nurses quickly dressed him in a loose hospital gown, and then they brought him a wheelchair, pushing him out of the strange room.
When Nguyễn Đường regained his senses, he found himself lying in a different hospital bed.
"You're awake?!" A surprised voice rang out as a woman in her forties walked in. She was dressed in white, probably a doctor, followed by two people in blue uniforms wearing masks.
The female doctor quickly approached Nguyễn Đường's bed, holding something that looked like a fluorescent rod, scanning him with it. Then, a hologram appeared before her, showing a transparent image of his body along with a bunch of data.
The female doctor nodded as she looked at the projection. "Aside from the body still being weak, all other functions are normal."
Nguyễn Đường stared at her, still unable to process what was happening.
How long had he been unconscious? Why did it feel like the whole world had changed?
"Nguyễn, how are you feeling now?" The female doctor asked gently.
"Nguyễn... what?" Nguyễn Đường was stunned for a few seconds before realizing she was talking about him. The confusion inside him deepened. "You... are you talking about me?"
This time, the female doctor looked surprised as well.
She didn't give up and continued asking Nguyễn Đường questions, but eventually, she concluded—Nguyễn had amnesia.
"Don’t worry, it’s a normal condition after serious brain trauma. It’ll be fine in a few days," the doctor reassured him.
Nguyễn Đường forced a smile, accepting her explanation, though in his mind, a hard-to-believe hypothesis began to form.
He was sure about this hypothesis after a man named Thôi Lỗi arrived.
"A Đường! Finally, you’re awake!" A middle-aged man rushed into Nguyễn Đường's room.
Nguyễn Đường looked at the person walking toward him, and he could tell that he didn't know this man.
"Ah, you’ve slept for five years, I thought you might not wake up..." The man shook his head while speaking. "But I’m here to tell you something..."
He paused, seemingly unsure of how to continue.
Nguyễn Đường hoped to gather more information from him, so he asked first, "What is it?"
"Sigh, your contract with the company expired long ago. The incident happened while you were filming. The company has paid for your medical expenses for the past few years, doing everything it could to help. Although you’re awake now, they won’t renew the contract. Your old apartment is still there, the rent is paid until the end of the year, so don’t worry about it for now. After you go back, take good care of yourself, recover quickly, and there will be many opportunities for you..."
He spoke quickly, as if embarrassed.
"It’s just that the one waking up now is Nguyễn Đường, not the movie star Nguyễn Đường."
"Alright, I agree to cancel the contract." Nguyễn Đường looked up and smiled at Thôi Lỗi, "Thank you for taking care of me all these years."
- Writer
