Chapter 1: The Gift of Mind Reading

"Ugh... my head hurts so much. Where am I?"

In a small clinic within the Beijing Yayuan residential community, a young man in his twenties slowly opened his eyes on the hospital bed. The blinding sunlight streaming through the window forced him to squint and turn his head away. As he moved his neck, a sharp pain shot through his head, making him gasp involuntarily.

The man lying on the bed was named Zhang Wei, a real estate agent from Zhongtong Real Estate in the neighborhood. He had gotten into a conflict with another real estate company and was knocked unconscious during the scuffle. Fortunately, his colleagues rushed him to this clinic, where timely medical treatment prevented any serious consequences.

"Zhang Wei, you're finally awake. You've been out cold for half a day. How are you feeling?"

A young man lying on the opposite bed, who had been reading a novel on his phone, immediately stood up at the sound of Zhang Wei's voice, his tone filled with relief.

This was Wang Jianfa, a colleague who had joined the company at the same time as Zhang Wei. Both were somewhat introverted, often helping each other at work and living nearby, which naturally led to a close friendship.

"It's nothing, just a throbbing headache. Is this the clinic under Building 3?" Zhang Wei gradually recalled the events before losing consciousness and asked weakly.

"Yeah, the doctor said you have a mild concussion, but it's nothing serious. Just rest for a couple of days and you'll be fine," Wang Jianfa replied, slipping his phone into his suit pocket. He then took a paper cup from the bedside table, walked to the water dispenser, filled it halfway, and magically produced a straw, which he handed to Zhang Wei's left hand. "Here, drink some water to soothe your throat."

"Mmm..." Zhang Wei placed the cup against his chest, sipped through the straw, and felt his throat moisten. Just as he was about to place the cup back on the bedside table, Wang Jianfa swiftly took it from him.

"Let me handle it. Don't move, just rest," Wang Jianfa said casually as he placed the cup on the table.

"Jianfa, did you see who hit me? That bastard really packed a punch," Zhang Wei grunted, struggling to turn his neck, which immediately triggered another wave of pain. His voice was laced with anger.

Conflicts between real estate agents over clients were common, but with the industry moving toward more regulated practices, physical altercations had become rare. Companies now had strict policies—any employee involved in a fight would be fired on the spot. While there had been a scuffle that morning, it had mostly been pushing and shoving, with no serious blows exchanged. Zhang Wei never imagined someone would stab him in the back.

"Zhang Wei, don't dwell on it. Focus on recovering," Wang Jianfa said, a hint of awkwardness flashing across his face as he stuffed his hands into his suit pockets.

"Jianfa, do you know or not?" Having spent so much time together, Zhang Wei could immediately tell when his friend was hiding something.

"I... I don't know. Don't ask. Let me go buy you something to eat," Wang Jianfa replied, feeling a pang of guilt. He tried to avoid Zhang Wei's gaze but found his eyes locked onto his, as if Zhang Wei could see right through him.

"Wait..." Just as Wang Jianfa turned to leave, Zhang Wei instinctively called out. Then, his eyes widened in shock as he froze completely.

The moment Wang Jianfa had said he didn't know, their eyes had met—and Zhang Wei's pupils dilated as a golden text suddenly appeared before him:

"Zhang Wei, it was Wang Zhen from Tian Tian Real Estate who hit you. But I can't tell you this, or you'll seek revenge and get fired."

Zhang Wei blinked, and the golden words began to scroll from right to left like a disappearing advertisement before vanishing completely—except for the last two characters, which lingered just long enough to confirm he hadn't imagined it.

"What the hell is going on? Did getting hit on the head mess with my brain?"

"Zhang Wei, blink. What the hell is going on? Did getting hit on the head mess with my brain?"

"Zhang Wei, are you okay? Does your head hurt? Should I call the doctor?"

A moment later, Wang Jianfa snapped out of his daze and, seeing Zhang Wei's stunned expression, panicked, thinking his injury had worsened.

"Jianfa, tell me the truth—was it Wang Zhen who hit me?" Zhang Wei didn't understand why he was seeing golden text in Wang Jianfa's eyes or what it meant, but he had to ask.

"Ah?! Zhang Wei, how did you know?! You were unconscious!" Wang Jianfa exclaimed, stunned that Zhang Wei had guessed correctly.

"So it really was him... Could it be that I can read minds? Is this some kind of 'mind-reading' ability?" Zhang Wei was both shocked and skeptical, wondering if he was just hallucinating.

Tian Tian Real Estate was a small, disorganized company with few resources and lax rules. Their favorite tactic was poaching clients from other agencies. While legitimate firms charged a full month's commission for housing rentals, Tian Tian only charged half—luring clients away with unfair advantages.

This was exactly why Zhang Wei had clashed with them. He had taken a client to view an apartment, and everything seemed set for a signing the next day. But after leaving his agency, the client was approached by Tian Tian's agents, who pumped them for information and offered a lower commission, securing the deal. The apartment in question was one Zhang Wei had personally shown the client—Tian Tian had obtained the unit number by digging through property records.

Zhang Wei had been kept in the dark until the client finalized the contract with the owner, who guiltily revealed the truth. Furious, Zhang Wei confronted Tian Tian's agents, leading to the morning's scuffle.

"Zhang Wei, are you alright? Should I call a doctor?" Wang Jianfa asked again, noticing Zhang Wei's distant expression.

"I'm fine, just thinking," Zhang Wei muttered, still seething with anger but forcing himself to stay calm.

Wang Zhen from Tian Tian Real Estate was a local with connections—his uncle worked in the police department and even held shares in the company. Even if Zhang Wei reported the incident, the punishment would be minimal—a fine at most, nowhere near enough to hurt Wang Zhen.

While Zhang Wei had been the victim, he had initiated the confrontation by confronting Tian Tian, making him partially responsible. Moreover, Tian Tian was a small outfit where Wang Zhen, as a shareholder, wouldn't face serious consequences. But Zhongtong, where Zhang Wei worked, was a reputable company with strict policies. If headquarters found out about the fight, he could face disciplinary action.

"Wang Zhen, I’ll remember this. I’ll settle the score with you sooner or later," Zhang Wei gritted his teeth, vowing revenge.

He rubbed his temples, as if trying to shake off his worries, then looked at Wang Jianfa. "Jianfa, don’t just stand there. Go back before you miss your quota and get fined."

"Alright, I’m leaving. Call me if you need anything," Wang Jianfa said, standing up and heading for the door.

"Damn it, another deal stolen right from under me. If I don’t close a sale this month, I’m done for," Zhang Wei muttered angrily after his friend left.

Real estate agencies typically had a three-month probation period. If an agent failed to meet their sales target within that time, they were let go. Zhang Wei had been with Zhongtong for two months and hadn’t closed a single deal. If he didn’t make a sale by the end of the month, he’d be fired—and with no savings, he’d be unable to pay rent, potentially ending up homeless.