Chapter 1: The Interdimensional Travel System

Parallel World · Blue Star

Jiang Ye sat behind the travel agency counter, the morning light streaming through the glass window casting a pale glow on his face. The medical report in his hand was crumpled and worn at the edges, betraying the turmoil within him.

His gaze was vacant, unable to accept the harsh reality before him—terminal cancer, only three months left to live.

His parents had passed away, and the travel agency they had tirelessly built was on the brink of collapse, powerless against the tides of change.

And he himself, his fragile life was nearing its end.

In this world, there could scarcely be anyone more unfortunate than him.

Jiang Ye stared at the bleak scene outside the window, and a phrase from the online fiction community flashed unbidden through his mind—“Parents sacrifice to heaven, boundless magic.”

He forced a bitter, self-mocking smile. Others might have been handed the protagonist’s “script,” playing through life with extraordinary luck and rewriting their fate; yet here he was, burdened with the same “treatment,” but without the protagonist’s fortune.

Just then, a cold mechanical voice sounded in his ear.

[Beep! Binding conditions met. Initiating binding.]

[Beep! Binding successful! The Dimensional Travel System is at your service. Host must recruit five tourists within three days for a half-day tour (12 hours) to the Qin Dynasty, priced at 1,000 yuan per person. Notice: The travel destination must be clearly disclosed; no deception or fraud in recruiting tourists is permitted.]

[Complete the mission to receive a reward of seven extra days of life and a bonus of 100,000 yuan.]

Jiang Ye almost thought he was hallucinating.

(⊙O⊙)… Could it be that his luck was finally turning around!

Upon hearing the reward, Jiang Ye felt a glimmer of hope, but the joy lasted barely two seconds before his expression stiffened.

[This mission is also a trial task to assess the host’s eligibility as a task taker. Failure will result in system disengagement.]

“System, this half-day tour to the Qin Dynasty—is this the Qin Dynasty I know of?”

[The Qin Dynasty from over two thousand years ago.]

Wasting no time, Jiang Ye grabbed his phone, along with the portable promotional whiteboard and other recruitment tools from the agency, and headed toward the busiest train station.

He picked up the whiteboard and began writing the recruitment headline.

Success hinged on the wording.

According to the system’s requirements, honesty was paramount. Tourists must be made fully aware that their destination was indeed the Qin Dynasty two millennia past, not a theme park with Qin-style architecture.

As for the price of 1,000 yuan per person—traveling through two thousand years for just a thousand yuan would surely seem a bargain to those in the know, who might even exclaim, “Wow! That’s ridiculously cheap!”

But the question was—would anyone believe it?

Traveling two thousand years back to the Qin Dynasty, plus paying a thousand yuan, sounded like a double whammy of disbelief—an outright scam.

It was like treating people as fools.

If it weren’t for the system in his mind, even he wouldn’t buy such an idea.

There is a saying: ‘Under a great reward, there must be brave men.’

Jiang Ye wrote on the whiteboard: “Special tour line traveling back to the Qin Dynasty two thousand years ago. One-day tour, 1,000 yuan per person. If false advertising is found, a compensation of 100,000 yuan per person will be paid.”

Though the system marked it as a half-day tour, in reality it was a full day.

Traditionally, a one-day tour doesn’t last a full 24 hours, usually gathering early in the morning and returning by evening.

So, what the system called a half-day tour was, in real life, a one-day tour.

He wrote “one-day tour” on the board, which the system allowed as it wasn’t considered deception.

The initial part was just a preface; the key was the bold “100,000 yuan” compensation at the end.

Jiang Ye wrote the compensation amount in large, eye-catching characters, making sure it stood out.

He placed the completed whiteboard in front of him, waiting patiently for the fish to bite.

If this plan failed, he had a second one, though it would cost money—something he was short on now. For the moment, every penny counted, but if necessary, he would spend.

At the entrance and exit of the station, many travelers and solicitors passed by. As soon as Jiang Ye set down his sign, it immediately caught the attention of pedestrians.

An elderly man, out for his morning walk nearby, stopped curiously at the sight of the 100,000 yuan compensation.

“Young man, this tour back to the Qin Dynasty—is it to that Qin Palace film set?”

Finally, someone approached to ask. Jiang Ye smiled and replied, “No, it’s a tour taking you back two thousand years to the actual Qin Dynasty for a full day.”

Several people nearby pricked up their ears, but upon hearing Jiang Ye’s answer, they all looked at him as if he were a fool.

“Brother, if you’re going to lie, at least come up with a better excuse.”

“Travel back two thousand years to the Qin Dynasty? You’ve got some nerve.”

“If you really had that ability, why would you be standing here hawking tours?”

Just then, two trains arrived at the station, and a crowd of passengers poured out. Among them was a stout young man holding a selfie stick, talking nonstop into the camera as he walked.

“Family, I’ve arrived in Hangzhou. Soon, I’ll take a taxi to West Lake to try the famous West Lake Vinegar Fish dish.”

“I can’t say yet whether it’s really bad or good. If I haven’t tried it, I can’t just listen to others. Once I’ve tasted it, I’ll let you all know.”

Zhang Tao was a travel and food vlogger. Recently, West Lake Vinegar Fish had gained widespread attention, and he was planning to make a feature on it.

Just after exiting the station, he noticed a crowd gathered around something. Always eager to join the excitement, he hurried over, all the while introducing to his fans through the camera, “Family, it looks like something’s going on up ahead.”

Pushing his way through with his large frame, Zhang Tao got to the center of the crowd.

He immediately noticed the large “100,000 yuan compensation” on the whiteboard. As a content creator, he sensed a potential story and promptly told his livestream audience, “Family, I didn’t expect to encounter something unusual as soon as I arrived in Hangzhou.”

As he spoke, he turned the camera toward the promotional whiteboard.

The viewers in the livestream instantly erupted upon seeing the message.

Zhang Tao ignored the barrage of comments and asked Jiang Ye, “Hey, handsome, this ‘travel back to the Qin Dynasty’—are you saying it’s actually traveling back two thousand years?”

His tone was teasing, a mocking smile on his face—but that smile froze the moment Jiang Ye answered seriously.

“Yes.”

Zhang Tao blinked in surprise, then burst out laughing. “Are you kidding me?”

Jiang Ye pointed firmly at the “100,000 yuan compensation” on the whiteboard. “If this is false advertising, I’ll pay 100,000 yuan.”

“Are you serious?”

Zhang Tao’s eyes widened as he scrutinized Jiang Ye, wondering if the man was crazy—but he didn’t seem like it.

Within a minute, the livestream chat exploded with messages.

Zhang Tao noticed the chat’s lively activity, rivaling even his peak popularity.

[Taozi, tell your dad what’s going on!]

[Whoa, did I just hear that right? Traveling back to the Qin Dynasty.]

[Haha, have scammers gotten this careless now?]

[Hey, did you guys miss the point? If it’s not really the Qin Dynasty, he owes 100,000 yuan! That’s the real highlight.]

[Why haven’t I ever met such a generous guy? Ahh, I want that 100,000 yuan!]

—

Regarding Time-Space Travel Safety Assurance:

Conventional historical worlds: Like real-world travel, as long as you abide by local laws and customs and don’t provoke trouble, your journey will generally be safe and enjoyable. [Emphasis added.]

Supernatural worlds: The system provides corresponding protections, including but not limited to basic protective barriers and emergency evacuation plans.

After all, this is a guided tour, not a suicide mission. O(∩_∩)O

In short—eat well, have fun, and the system has you covered!

If you expect the protagonist to act like a babysitter, bailing you out no matter what trouble or foolishness you cause, please stop reading. Thank you!

Let go of the savior complex; respect others’ destinies!