Chapter 2, The Most Useless Transmigrator

As the shopkeeper Liu from the car dealership mentioned earlier, he is merely a "good-for-nothing"

Chen Qiang did not know where he should go, nor did he know what he should do. He instinctively followed his memories and headed towards his "home." That was Chen Qiang's residence in old Shanghai

If any disciple establishes their own school without the master's permission after leaving, they have broken the rules, and the entire industry will not welcome them

Currently, Chen Qiang is so poor that he only possesses two short shirts and two pairs of pants, and they are patched upon patched. In summer, he wears the thin ones, and in winter, he puts on the thin ones inside and layers a thick one on top. With such attire, he is hardly better off than a beggar; when he encounters the patrol officers in the concession, he has to avoid them to prevent being beaten out of the concession.

Thinking of this, Chen Qiang let out a long sigh. Although he did not come from a background in history, he had at least studied high school history and had a general understanding of the major events that were about to unfold in the future, as well as the suffering that the entire Chinese nation was about to endure

Chen Qiang felt that compared to those time travelers in the novels, he was simply a good-for-nothing

Looking at his own situation, Chen Qiang suddenly felt that in order to survive in Shanghai, he really had to think a bit more

Moreover, if one wishes to find a respectable job in the concession, at the very least, one must have a decent outfit; even if it is not a suit and leather shoes, one should at least wear a long gown.

After careful consideration for half a day, Chen Qiang realized that it seemed he could only return to his original profession.

Even this grass hut is not free to live in. The land prices in Shanghai are inherently high, and this slum is not a no-man's land. Here, an acre of land incurs an annual rent of 200 yuan, which is distributed among the various grass huts and wooden shacks on that acre. The rent is proportional to the area occupied by each family's hut. Chen Qiang's dilapidated grass hut requires a monthly rent of 0.3 yuan to be paid to the landlord. This 200 yuan is allocated among the various grass huts and wooden shacks on that acre, with each family paying rent according to the land their hut occupies. Chen Qiang's dilapidated grass hut requires a monthly rent of 0.3 yuan to be paid to the landlord.

He has also worked as a sports commentator, and if he were to commentate on a match, he would undoubtedly be able to deliver a stream of brilliant remarks

Chen Qiang's "home" is located in the slums of Zhabei. He no longer has any family, and what is referred to as "home" is merely a thatched hut that struggles to provide shelter from the wind and rain

Thus, Chen Qiang was expelled from a car dealership, which effectively placed him on the blacklist of all car dealerships in Shanghai Huajie. Those whom Master Gu does not want will no longer be accepted by any of the rickshaw businesses in Shanghai Huajie. It is also for this reason that Manager Liu of the dealership said, "You cannot stay in this line of work," and advised Chen Qiang to "find another means of livelihood"

These are all established practices that must be adhered to

Chen Qiang, who has fled from another region and has no relatives or acquaintances in Shanghai, does not meet the requirements for apprenticeship and lacks even the qualifications to become an apprentice. No master would accept someone of such an unclear background.

There is indeed only a very simple thatched hut, and such huts can be seen everywhere in the slums of Zhabei

The only truly useful skill is probably language

The protagonist in the novel can be a soldier king, agile and capable of eliminating an enemy with a single shot, while Chen Qiang does not even know how to use a gun; when he steps onto the battlefield, he is merely a target for others

In this era, when masters take on apprentices, there must be a formal apprenticeship ceremony, a guarantor, and a written agreement outlining the rules. For instance, it is stipulated that the apprenticeship cannot be terminated within three years and one season, apprentices will not receive wages during the apprenticeship, apprentices are not allowed to marry, and if a master accidentally injures an apprentice, there will be no liability, all of which are agreed upon in advance

The unfamiliar instills fear in him

In old Shanghai, the term "bǐ sān" cannot be considered a completely derogatory term, but it is indeed a label filled with disdain. At that time, the upper class of Shanghai referred to social drifters, individuals in low-status occupations, those without legitimate jobs, and beggars as "bǐ sān." The scope of "bǐ sān" is broad and somewhat vague; however, Chen Qiang, as an unemployed person who fled from another region, indeed fits the definition of "bǐ sān" as understood by the people of old Shanghai.

The protagonist in the novel is well-versed in various aspects of history, while Chen Qiang has only a superficial understanding of the history of this era, and he cannot even clearly remember many historical events

He even holds the title of chief committee member in several sports-related associations, making him an internationally recognized sports professional

Although Chen Qiang is a time traveler, his special skills seem to be of little use in this era

During his tenure as a professor at a sports university, his research papers frequently appeared in international journals

The protagonist in the novel can be an inventor; some may invent simple items like stockings or condoms, while others may develop complex substances such as penicillin or insulin. However, Chen Qiang only has a superficial understanding of how cotton fabric is woven.

Becoming an apprentice is not something that just anyone can do. Masters have their own rules when it comes to taking on apprentices. For many skilled masters, they only accept children from their own relatives or those from the same hometown, as they are familiar with their backgrounds.

The rickshaw was the primary mode of transportation in old Shanghai, and at that time, nearly all rickshaws in Shanghai were controlled by gangs. The dominant figure in Shanghai's rickshaw industry was the one referred to as "Master Gu Si" by Manager Chen

How can one sustain oneself? Chen Qiang furrowed his brows in contemplation; at present, he could probably only engage in some unskilled labor.

Chen Qiang wandered aimlessly along the streets of old Shanghai, observing everything around him. The buildings from the Republic of China era came into his view, making him feel as if he were visiting a film studio.

The protagonist in the novel can be a military enthusiast, capable of designing guns, cannons, tanks, and airplanes with just a blueprint; however, Chen Qiang knows nothing about this.

"Find a place to be an apprentice?" Chen Qiang shook his head again

In his previous life, Chen Qiang was an outstanding athlete, proficient in various sports

Go become a newsboy

"Going to the dock to work as a laborer?" Chen Qiang immediately dismissed this idea. After all, he was only fifteen years old; although he was already able to pull a cart, the kind of heavy physical labor required of dock workers was still beyond his capacity.

In the worst-case scenario, the protagonist in a novel can also copy from books, perhaps transcribing some magical energy or the like, and still manage to become a well-known author

Master Gu, a native of Northern Jiangsu, is a senior member of the "Tong" generation in the Qing Gang and is also known as "Big Head Xiang" in Zhabei. This title signifies great power and high status within the Qing Gang. Master Gu claims to have 8,000 rickshaw pullers under his command, and he monopolizes the entire rickshaw business in the Chinese community of Shanghai

Chen Qiang wore a look of confusion. In the memories of the original Chen Qiang, he had fled from Shandong and had been living in this Bund of Shanghai for several months. However, for the current Chen Qiang, this Bund of Shanghai remained utterly unfamiliar.

These two languages are still quite useful in today's Shanghai. Shanghai has the International Settlement and the French Concession, with the French Concession naturally being for the French, while the International Settlement is formed by the merger of the British and American concessions. Therefore, old Shanghai had many British, American, and French expatriates who spoke English and French, making it a very practical skill. Mastering one of these languages could allow one to find a respectable job in the concessions, even if one could not become a compradore bourgeois.

However, Chen Qiang is only fifteen years old, and at such a young age, it is impossible for him to secure a decent job. Just imagine, those foreign firms in the concessions are all quite arrogant; how could they possibly hire a fifteen-year-old child

In addition, Chen Qiang also knows a bit of French. The reason he knows French is primarily because the official languages of the International Olympic Committee are English and French. In international sports affairs, French is often used, so Chen Qiang has also learned some French to facilitate communication

Chen Qiang has hardly read any novels at all; he certainly cannot remember those lengthy masterpieces that span millions of words

He is still an excellent coach, proficient in technical training, physical training, and rehabilitation training

The protagonist in the novel can be a financial expert who ventures to Wall Street to engage in investments, and with a single economic depression, he can earn a fortune and instantly become the richest person in the world, while Chen Qiang has never even bought a stock

Chen Qiang is a rickshaw puller who has only been in the profession for two days. Rickshaw pulling is considered a lowly occupation, falling into the category of "inferior classes".

But the reality is authentic; this is not a film studio, but the real old Shanghai

In the Zhabei slum, thatched huts are not the most rudimentary dwellings; there are many people who cannot even afford a thatched hut and can only sleep in tattered tents. Those who are slightly better off may construct a wooden shed, which is much sturdier than a thatched hut and can withstand a typhoon for a longer period. If one can build a wall with mud bricks and support a roof with wooden beams, it would be considered a mansion in the slum.

In his previous life, Chen Qiang was quite proficient in English, with no issues in listening, speaking, reading, or writing; otherwise, he would not have become an international sports professional

It is now the year 1929, a year in which many significant events have occurred. To be precise, in the coming decades, each year will witness numerous major events.

However, in this era, Chen Qiang's skills are all rendered useless

Changing history is no easy task! The wheels of history roll forward relentlessly, and they cannot be stirred by a mere butterfly.

Returning to his own grass hut, Chen Qiang gradually calmed down. Everything he had experienced in reality was real, and he slowly accepted the fact that he had traveled through time.

In old Shanghai, the two largest residential areas for the Chinese were Nanshi and Zhabei. Nanshi was originally the site of the old Shanghai county town, and its residents were primarily local natives of Shanghai, while Zhabei had a relatively larger population of migrants.

However, ever since he was hit by a car, Chen Qiang can no longer continue in the rickshaw puller profession; at least in the rickshaw business in the Shanghai Huajie area, there is no longer a place for him.

I want to change all of this... This thought suddenly emerged in Chen Qiang's mind, followed by the addition of "right?"

In his previous life, Chen Qiang dedicated his entire life to sports. Upon arriving in Shanghai in this era, he found himself lacking any survival skills, which predetermined that he could not pursue a technical profession and could only rely on physical labor to earn a living. Furthermore, he had no capital; even setting up a street stall for a small business was not feasible.

Do not ponder too much for now; finding a way to survive is the priority! Chen Qiang rubbed his belly. In this chaotic era of war, even filling one's stomach has become a difficult task

In this chaotic era, peace and tranquility are so precious. In a time when people cannot even afford to eat, who has the leisure to engage in sports