Chapter 128 (Extra 4): Rebirth of the Tool Man in a Pampered Protagonist Novel

Today was an ordinary day.

Xie Zheng was conducting the routine monthly meeting for Huanya Group as usual.

Although Fang Ziyang had some insights into running a company, he was still far from Xie Zheng’s level. His true strength lay in research, much like his elder brother.

In his past life, Fang Ziyang had been forced to handle business matters. In this life, he was much happier focusing on laboratory work. So after confirming the baby’s arrival, he discussed with everyone and decided to merge New World Tech and Dongsheng Pharmaceuticals into Huanya Group, placing Xie Zheng in charge of all operations.

Though the group currently consisted of only two companies, Huanya Group’s market value was immeasurable.

As Xie Zheng conducted the meeting as usual, his phone suddenly rang. Without hesitation, he stopped and answered immediately. His serious demeanor softened in an instant. “Hello, baby. What’s up?”

At the sound of his voice, the senior executives in the meeting room couldn’t help but twitch at the corners of their mouths.

The power of love truly couldn’t be underestimated. Even their icy boss was no exception. Ever since their boss started dating, his entire demeanor had transformed. The once cold and aloof figure now exuded warmth and charm, especially after marriage. He seemed to seize every opportunity to flaunt his love life, forcing everyone to hit “like” on his daily displays of affection.

After the call ended, as expected, Xie Zheng closed the file in front of him.

“This concludes today’s meeting. Each department, please organize your six-month plans and submit them by the end of the day after tomorrow.”

With that, he prepared to leave.

The PR Director seized the moment, his eyes gleaming with opportunism. “Boss, was that a call from Mr. Fang? Is he planning another surprise for you?”

Xie Zheng paused mid-step, turning back with a stern expression that could make hearts tremble.

But the PR Director, having long since mastered his boss’s temperament, stood his ground, wearing an eager expression that screamed, Boss, I’m so envious of your love life!

Sure enough, Xie Zheng wasn’t angry at the nosy remark. Instead, the corners of his lips curled into a proud smile as he replied in a tone laced with subtle bragging, “My husband said today is our anniversary of holding hands. He prepared a gift for me and told me to come home early.”

The PR Director immediately followed up with flattery, “Boss, Mr. Fang really loves you!”

Xie Zheng’s expression didn’t change much, but it was obvious he was pleased.

“Hmm. Not bad.”

With a rare approving look, Xie Zheng left the room swiftly, leaving the PR Director beaming with pride over earning his boss’s acknowledgment.

Meanwhile, the rest of the executives looked on, resigned.

Once again, this shameless guy got ahead of us Leaving the company.

Xie Zheng first stopped by a flower shop, personally picking out a bouquet of vibrant red roses. Then he went to a dessert shop to buy two portions of his little lover’s and son’s favorite treats before instructing the driver to head home.

Sitting in the car, holding the gifts for his husband and son, he was in a wonderful mood.

The distance from the company to their villa wasn’t far, but for some reason, the journey felt unusually long today.

So long that Xie Zheng started to feel drowsy. His eyelids grew heavy, and a wave of sudden fatigue overtook him. Without realizing it, he closed his eyes and drifted into sleep…

When he opened his eyes again, Xie Zheng found himself lying in a hospital room.

Although the surroundings were luxurious and didn’t quite resemble a typical hospital room, the faint scent of disinfectant in the air and the patient ID tag on the bedside confirmed his suspicions—this was indeed a hospital.

His muscles felt stiff, as though he had been lying down for a long time. Worse yet, he couldn’t feel his legs!

No matter how calm Xie Zheng usually was, the sudden and inexplicable situation left him shaken.

All he had done was doze off in the car, so how had he ended up in a hospital room with paralyzed legs?

Had there been an accident while he was asleep? But why hadn’t he felt anything? Everything was confusing and unnervingly strange.

Just then, the door to the hospital room suddenly opened, and a tall man with blonde hair and blue eyes, his face haggard and aged, walked in.

The man froze for a moment when he saw Xie Zheng awake, then broke into an expression of overwhelming joy. He rushed over excitedly.

“Xie Zheng, you’re awake? You’ve finally woken up! Do you know that if you had stayed unconscious any longer, I would have gone mad!”

It was none other than Rick.

But this Rick was worlds apart from the vibrant and spirited man Xie Zheng remembered. Though his face was the same, his entire demeanor was marked by a mix of despair and mania, his eyes reddened with emotion.

Unsure of what was happening, Xie Zheng could only ask, “Rick… what happened to you? Why… do you look like this? And where… is this?”

His voice was hoarse and strained, speaking with difficulty—a side effect of not having used it in a long time.

Hearing Xie Zheng’s question snapped Rick out of his emotional state.

Realizing he had been too impulsive, Rick quickly composed himself. Xie Zheng had been in a coma for ten years, unaware of anything. His body functions had not yet recovered, and he wasn’t ready to hear anything overly shocking.

But…

Rick thought, As long as Xie Zheng is awake, everything will be fine. As long as he’s here…

“Make them pay back a thousand times over!”

“I’m sorry, Xie Zheng, I got too emotional. Wait here, I’ll call the doctor first to have you thoroughly examined and treated. Once you’re better, I’ll explain everything… Xie Zheng, promise me, you have to recover. Only if you get better will those people face the retribution they deserve! I’m useless—I can’t deal with them on my own. Xie Zheng, you have to get better…”

Rick’s emotions were clearly unstable. His voice carried a heavy mix of hatred and despair, as though he were a drowning man clutching at the last straw of hope.

Seeing Rick’s expression, Xie Zheng was suddenly gripped by an overwhelming sense of unease.

His previously stiff hand regained its strength in an instant, tightly grabbing Rick, who was about to rush out to call the doctor. In a hoarse and urgent voice, he asked, “Ziyang… where is he?”

“Ziyang? Do you mean Fang Ziyang?”

Rick seemed surprised at the mention of the name, but he didn’t hide anything. A deep sorrow and regret washed over his face as he replied, “Fang Ziyang is dead. If it weren’t for his death, I might never have uncovered the truth…”

Rick clenched his fists tightly, but Xie Zheng no longer had the capacity to notice his emotions. It was as if his soul had been drained from his body.

Dead? How could Ziyang be dead? How could his beloved be gone?

Hadn’t they just spoken on the phone? His beloved had been perfectly fine. How could everything have changed so drastically in the brief time he’d been asleep?

Xie Zheng’s mind went blank, unable to accept the reality before him.

Rick, oblivious to Xie Zheng’s thoughts, assumed his shock was due to the abruptness of waking up and struggling to reconcile with reality. He pressed the nurse call button and dashed out to get a doctor, unwilling to waste even a second.

Amid the chaos, Xie Zheng began to piece together some unsettling realizations.

This… didn’t seem to be his world.

Here, New World Tech existed, but it wasn’t the industry leader he had painstakingly built. There was no Huanya Group, no Dongsheng Pharmaceuticals. Here, he was a cripple, unable to walk, with severe burns that had disfigured his body and face.

Xie Zheng began to suspect he had entered another world. Using the language of the internet, it seemed he might have crossed into a parallel universe.

He wanted to ask Rick for more details, but Rick refused to say anything for now, worried that Xie Zheng’s weakened body couldn’t handle the shock of the truth.

What kind of news could be so devastating that even he, with his strong mental fortitude, might not be able to bear it?

A deep sense of fear crept into Xie Zheng’s heart.

Since Rick wasn’t willing to explain yet, Xie Zheng had no choice but to cooperate with the doctors for now for treatment and diligently underwent rehabilitation training.

Xie Zheng was desperate to uncover the truth behind his situation and the deeply unsettling news that filled him with dread. He had a strong feeling that if he ignored it, he would regret it for the rest of his life.

Six months later, after completing his rehabilitation—though his legs remained paralyzed and his appearance irreversibly scarred—his body was otherwise back to normal. Only then did Rick reveal everything to him.

It was then that Xie Zheng finally understood the source of his deep fear.

This world wasn’t merely a parallel one. It was more fitting to call it… his past life.

A long-standing question that had haunted him was finally answered.

He had always believed that Ziyang’s hatred stemmed solely from the betrayal and deceit of Xie Wenxu and Fang Yandong. But now he realized that was only a small part of the story.

“…When you were in the car accident, though you didn’t die, you fell into a vegetative state. At the time, I was still grieving over Tang Xun’s death and unable to pull myself together. As an outsider, I couldn’t intervene in the Xie family’s affairs. By then, you had also drained most of Xie Corporation’s resources. All I could do was take you abroad for treatment and recovery.”

“I didn’t expect your coma to last twelve years.”

“Over those twelve years, I originally hoped you would wake up so we could strengthen New World Tech together and achieve our goals. If Tang Xun were alive, he would have been so happy… But two years ago, I discovered the truth.”

“Tang Xun’s death wasn’t accidental. He didn’t need to board that plane. It was all because of that vile man, Yan Tong! The photo Tang Xun found at the club was deliberately planted by him!”

“I don’t know how Yan Tong knew the plane would crash, but Tang Xun’s death was his doing! If I’m not mistaken, he feared that Tang Xun’s close relationship with Fang Ziyang would be exposed and threaten his position.”

“From what I’ve uncovered, everything Fang Ziyang suffered over the years was linked to Yan Tong and the man by his side…”

“And… after that night between you and Fang Ziyang, he had your child…”

“I’m sorry, Xie Zheng. If it weren’t for my cowardice and avoidance of news from home, Fang Ziyang wouldn’t have had his accident, and your child wouldn’t have… I’m sorry. It’s all my fault for not stepping in.”

Rick’s voice was filled with guilt and hatred as he recounted the events of those years and the truths he had uncovered.

Back then, Tang Xun’s death had devastated Rick, leaving him in a state of despair. When Xie Zheng was in a car accident and became a vegetative patient shortly after, it was another crushing blow.

The successive tragedies made Rick fear facing the memories tied to their homeland. After leaving, he stopped paying attention to anything happening in their country.

Rick avoided facing reality for ten years. It wasn’t until he accidentally learned of Fang Ziyang’s death that he began to investigate and uncovered so many truths.

“For the past two years, I’ve been trying to dismantle and retaliate against Yan Tong and those people, but I’ve discovered that they’ve grown so powerful that I can’t fight them anymore. And… there’s something strange about them. Their luck is unbelievably good. No matter what I do, I can’t go up against them…”

Rick’s voice was filled with despair.

He had never experienced such defeat before. Yan Tong’s group seemed like the darlings of destiny, blessed with extraordinary fortune—especially Yan Tong himself, whose intelligence was clearly mediocre at best.

Xie Zheng listened quietly, his expression calm, but inside, waves of turmoil raged.

Before him, two golden books emitting an eerie glow appeared. Although both books were golden, they radiated distinct auras—one emitted a pure white light, while the other exuded a hazy black light.

On the covers of these books were titles that reeked of online fiction: “My Ancestors Left Me a Golden Finger” and “Transmigrated into a Book: The Whole World Loves Me.”

As Rick spoke, the golden books began to slowly flip their pages, and the contents flowed directly into Xie Zheng’s mind.

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About “My Ancestors Left Me a Golden Finger”

This was a novel balanced between romance and career development. The story centered on a carefree young master from a wealthy family who, after being betrayed and framed by his scheming relatives, accidentally discovered that the necklace left by his mother held extraordinary secrets. The necklace contained advanced technological knowledge, revealing that his maternal ancestors hailed from a future interstellar civilization. These ancestors passed down unique bloodlines and special genes to their descendants.

From then on, the young master, armed with the golden finger left by his ancestors, began striving for success, advancing technology, and building his career.

Like a rising star, the young master transformed from an arrogant rich heir into a celebrated young genius admired by all.

Naturally, such an exceptional person attracted many admirers. Among them was a former fiancé who had broken off their engagement due to misunderstandings, only to later express deep affection.

However, the young master showed no interest in these suitors and rejected them all. Instead, he connected deeply with an online friend using the username “Heavenly Scourge.” While their relationship wasn’t explicitly romantic at first, the novel hinted at their strong compatibility.

Later, it was revealed that “Heavenly Scourge” was the true male lead, and their slow-burning relationship unfolded over the course of several years…developed their online relationship over time, eventually meeting in real life. After confessing their feelings, they officially began dating, transitioning from close friends to lovers, and ultimately ended up together.

As for the suitors rejected by the young master, they eventually became his closest partners and friends in their professional endeavors. Together, they propelled technological advancements, fulfilled the ambitious dreams and aspirations they had during their school years, and each found their own true happiness with deserving partners.

The novel was incredibly inspiring, emphasizing career growth and resilience. It concluded with a perfectly satisfying ending.

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On the other hand, “Transmigrated into a Book: The Whole World Loves Me” was a completely different genre. While the former novel focused on career development, this one was pure indulgence for romance enthusiasts.

The protagonist of this novel was originally an ordinary person from another world. After reading the first novel, they felt deeply sympathetic toward the devoted male supporting characters and left scathing comments criticizing the author under the story.

The next day, to their surprise, they woke up inside the world of the novel.

Although they hadn’t finished reading the book before transmigrating, they had read most of it and were therefore well-versed in the plot, the major events, and the development of the world.

Initially, the transmigrator’s goal was to change the romantic storylines of the book, ensuring the male supporting characters they pitied could have better love lives. They were a typical romance-driven fan.

However, upon discovering certain hidden “truths” about the world and harboring a pre-existing bias against the original protagonist, the transmigrator became increasingly convinced that the protagonist was a hypocritical and despicable person.

Fueled by growing confidence and tempted by various opportunities, the transmigrator’s mindset shifted. Under the guise of “saving the poor male supporting characters” and “teaching the despicable original protagonist a lesson,” they veered down a path of intentionally stealing the protagonist’s opportunities.

Of course, the novel didn’t explicitly describe these actions.

This was something Xie Zheng inferred from the storyline, narrative style, and choice of words.

Although the original depiction painted the transmigrator in a positive light, when analyzing the cause-and-effect logic of the story’s events and looking beneath the surface, it became evident that the transmigrator’s actions were driven by greed and an unscrupulous desire for what belonged to others. Their methods were ruthless, and they even caused harm to others in the process.

The validity of Xie Zheng’s deductions was further supported by the comments from readers, filled with criticism and outrage, at the end of the novel.

It was clear that the world of “Transmigrated into a Book: The Whole World Loves Me” had significant issues with its moral framework, and the protagonist’s worldview was deeply flawed.

Perhaps due to the overwhelming criticism and resentment from readers, the golden glow of the books before him differed dramatically.

The first book emanated a gentle and sacred light, while the second radiated a dim, murky black aura.

And most importantly, the names of the protagonists in these two books were none other than Fang Ziyang and Yan Tong.

With Rick’s recounting of events, everything became crystal clear to Xie Zheng in an instant.

Reality was far crueler than what the books had depicted. In the novels, Yan Tong had merely stolen everything that rightfully belonged to Ziyang. But in reality, Yan Tong not only took what was Ziyang’s but also schemed in the shadows to ruin Ziyang’s entire life!

Under the guise of saving Ziyang, everything Yan Tong did was simply to satisfy his own selfish desires.

No wonder Ziyang carried such overwhelming resentment and was willing to turn into a demon for revenge, paying the ultimate price. No wonder Ziyang’s aura always carried an inexplicable sadness.

The truth was, his lover, his son, his friends and brothers, and even himself… none of them had a good ending.

Especially his beloved Ziyang, who had lived so many years in darkness, struggling helplessly and in despair, bullied to such an extreme degree.

Fine.

Just perfect!

“Rick, go to China now and find Shi Liangchen. He should still be alive… Good luck? I want to see if those people can continue to enjoy their so-called good luck now.”

Xie Zheng’s eyes were icy, his anger burning so intensely that his mind had never been clearer.

His cherished lover and son, his lifelong friends and brothers—all had died with unresolved grievances. How could he allow those people to continue their carefree lives?

He had always believed in persistence and had once advised Ziyang not to let hatred consume him. But he had never opposed the idea of revenge.

Revenge for grievances, gratitude for kindness—that has always been my guiding principle.

Yan Tong’s extraordinary luck and meteoric rise were nothing more than the result of a protagonist’s halo and meticulous scheming.

Ziyang’s defeat came because his enemy’s foreknowledge of the future allowed them to steal his greatest opportunities and isolate him from his strongest allies, leaving him weakened and unable to fight back.

Rick’s failure stemmed from being a mere pawn, naturally at a disadvantage when opposing the protagonist’s halo.

But that didn’t matter.

Yan Tong might have had a protagonist’s halo, but so did Xie Zheng. After all, he and Ziyang were natural soulmates, destined to be together. No matter the storyline, he was Ziyang’s rightful partner and one of the main characters himself.

Yan Tong had knowledge of the plot, but now, so did Xie Zheng.

With equal advantages, head-to-head collisions would cancel out any halos, leaving only their innate abilities to determine the winner.

Before transmigrating, Yan Tong had been nothing more than an ordinary person living on the bottom rung of society. Xie Zheng refused to believe that if he gave his all, he would lose to someone like Yan Tong.

It was time for the debts of the past to be repaid—tenfold!

Xie Zheng had never used such ruthless and merciless methods to deal with anyone before.

Not even with the greedy second branch of the Xie family had he been this harsh.

Without the advantage of the protagonist’s halo and foreknowledge of the plot, Yan Tong was nothing more than a fragile and easily defeated opponent.

As for the supporting characters Yan Tong had managed to gather around him, while they were capable, they were still too inexperienced to stand against Xie Zheng. Dealing with them was only a matter of time.

On Xie Zheng’s side, besides Rick, he also had Shi Liangchen, who had descended into a state of madness.

Consumed by revenge, Shi Liangchen had become a deranged madman, a rabid dog who followed Xie Zheng’s orders with reckless abandon and a complete disregard for his own life.

With Xie Zheng’s strategies and the relentless execution by Rick and Shi Liangchen, Yan Tong and his group were utterly dismantled within just two years, falling from the heights of paradise into the depths of hell.

• Fang Yandong and Fang Qianhao, the father and son, were sent to prison just as Xie Zheng remembered from his previous life.

But this time, Xie Zheng prepared a little “gift” for them in prison, ensuring that their lives would be “extra exciting” from then on…

• Xie Wenxu lost everything. When he was reduced to wandering the streets in despair, Xie Zheng made sure he learned the truth that Yan Tong had hidden from him.

For the rest of his life, that blind and foolish man would live in poverty and torment, haunted by the knowledge that he had personally destroyed the one he had truly loved.

• Lu Yan, that cold-blooded, heartless man who had turned a blind eye to the suffering of his only nephew over an inheritance, deserved no success or wealth. Such a person should live in destitution, despised by everyone, just like Ziyang had once been—forced to live in fear and darkness with no chance of recovery.
• Mo Er, who had schemed to send Xie Zheng’s lover to the infamous Caesar cruise, was now sent there himself to endure what he had planned for another.

And as for Yan Tong…

The true mastermind behind it all, Xie Zheng made sure his life became a living hell.

Xie Zheng’s revenge was swift and merciless. Yan Tong and his allies didn’t even have time to react before they were utterly destroyed, leaving not a single one with a good ending.

He had avenged his lover and vented his fury.

But Xie Zheng felt no satisfaction.

No matter the retribution these people faced, it couldn’t erase the pain Ziyang had endured or the memories of his struggle and despair in the darkness.

And here, in this world, there was no Ziyang.

All he had was a cold tombstone and a photograph with no trace of a smile.

Xie Zheng could only hope that if he slept again, he might wake up in the world where Ziyang was still alive, smiling at him once more.

He longed for his vibrant and radiant lover and their clever, adorable child, a symbol of their love.

He vowed to protect them, even though in that world there were no longer any threats or dangers. He would still shield them, giving them a life filled with joy and happiness, erasing the shadows of their past.

But perhaps he hadn’t done enough. He couldn’t go back; he remained in this world without his beloved.

Xie Zheng didn’t know what else to do or if he could ever return. In the face of this uncertainty, all he could do was patiently wait.

No.

There were still things he could accomplish.

Even in this world, he could do many things for his lover and child in another.

He poured all his assets and wealth into charity. He translated the research from the “golden finger” entirely from memory, much like Ziyang had done in the novel as the protagonist, advancing technology and benefiting countless people. He performed numerous good deeds, earning him the nickname “the foolish billionaire” among his peers in the wealthy elite.

But he didn’t care.

He only hoped that everything he did, all the blessings he accumulated, would inspire the heavens to treat his lover and child kindly.

In the next life, the life after that, and the one after that, he hoped his lover and child could enjoy simple happiness. He hoped they could be reunited as a family and live together again.

When he closed his eyes for the last time in this world, he silently sent his most sincere and persistent wish to the heavens.

When he opened his eyes again…

He saw the familiar interior of his car, along with the roses and the desserts his lover and son adored, still in his arms.

“Sir, wake up. We’re home. Look, Mr. Fang and the young master are waiting for you at the door,” the driver said with a smile as he pulled the car into the villa’s driveway.

Xie Zheng looked out the window, and there they were—his beloved and his son, just as he remembered them.

Overcome with emotion, he dashed out of the car and ran to embrace the two most precious people in his life. He held them tightly, unable to speak, his throat choked with overwhelming feelings.

“Hubby, what are you doing? Why are you suddenly so clingy…?”

Fang Ziyang couldn’t help but laugh. His usually composed husband rarely displayed such affectionate behavior in public—he was more inclined to brag verbally than act out physically.

Five-year-old Xie Zaizai pinched his father’s face and giggled. “Daddy, shame on you!”

“Nothing, I just missed you and Zaizai all of a sudden.”

Xie Zheng looked at his smiling lover and son, his voice hoarse but his heart full of contentment.

Fang Ziyang gazed at his deep-eyed husband, his face slightly flushed but filled with happiness. He reached out to hug Xie Zheng back and leaned in for a kiss. “Hubby, I missed you too.”

Their noses brushed.
Their lips met.
Their eyes locked, overflowing with inseparable love.

Forgotten on the sidelines, little Xie Zaizai covered his face in embarrassment.

“Oh no, Daddy and Papa forgot all about me again!”