Chapter 1: Return to 1908

How to use the question

Although it is San Francisco, the city with the largest Chinese population in the United States, the white owner at the front desk was momentarily taken aback when he saw a person of Asian descent like Yan Guang walk in, as he had never encountered such a tall individual of Asian descent before

Should we go to Chinatown and take a look? Since it is mostly Chinese people there, perhaps we can look out for each other. However, I do not know traditional characters. Although I can recognize them, what if I accidentally write in simplified characters? Those older Chinese people might tear me apart. Thinking about the legendary conservative nature of those older Chinese people abroad, what if they see me writing in simplified characters

"Please give me a single room, um, something inexpensive..." After considering his wallet, Yan Guang forced a smile.

Forget it, let's take it one step at a time. The money I have on hand can last for a while. If it really comes to a dead end, I can only see where labor is needed...

The deflated wallet brought a profound sense of crisis to Yan Guang, as he had no idea what the original owner of his body had come here for, nor did he know how he would sustain himself after arriving in the United States. He only understood that if he did not find a solution, the contents of his wallet would likely not support him for much longer

Yan Guang smiled broadly as he rubbed his hands together. "This is my new invention; you should try it out and see if it works well."

"There are still no ballpoint pens..." Unable to suppress the smile on his face, Yan Guang rushed out of the hotel after quickly filling out the form

"I never expected to still be alive..." Looking at the unfamiliar ceiling, Yan Guang forced a bitter smile.

Indeed, these past few days have been quite distressing for me. Reflecting on a few days ago when I even considered whether to go to Chinatown to beg, Yan Guang let out a deep sigh. In fact, to acquire this ballpoint pen for the illustration, there isn't much money left in his wallet. If he cannot sell the pen quickly, he will have to go to Chinatown to beg this week

"That is because heaven does not accept yellow-skinned people," Yan Guang said half-jokingly

What is the matter

"That guy was down in the dumps a few days ago; what happened today?" Shaking his head, Jim continued to attend to the next pair of guests

A faint smile appeared on the doctor's face. "You should be grateful for God's mercy, Yan, as you are the only one from that boat who has been returned to the world."

After leaving the hotel, Yan Guang spent two hours registering a patent for the ballpoint pen, and of course, the registered name was simply "ballpoint pen," as Yan Guang's impoverished mind could not conceive of any other name. Subsequently, Yan Guang spent several more hours inquiring throughout the city about how many companies in San Francisco produced stationery and which of them were the most powerful.

"Just use it like an ordinary pen, give it a try first," she said, placing a piece of paper in front of Jim.

Although it is said that Simplified Chinese characters were developed during the Republic of China period, they actually date back to the late Qing Dynasty, and the Republic of China itself came at least twenty years later

"... ... The writing is very smooth..." After Jim wrote several letters continuously with a metal tube, he looked astonished

At the very least, let's find a place to settle down first and then get something to eat Considering the issue of finances, Yan Guang chose a somewhat small but reasonably nice hotel

There was a moment of excitement, but after considering his wallet, Yan Guang shook his head. "No need..." He grabbed the keys, thanked her, and then walked towards the stairs

Just as Yan Guang lay on the hospital bed, shaking his head and smiling wryly, a knocking sound came from outside the ward door

As long as the patent for the ballpoint pen is sold, Yan Guang can proceed with the next phase of the plan

What do you think? I am about to register the patent, and my living expenses will depend entirely on this pen!" Taking the ballpoint pen back from Jim, Yan Guang clenched his fist in a determined manner

Jim, do you have a ballpoint pen

Is it truly that heaven has forsaken me?

"Jim, come over and try this pen." On the fourth day, Yan Guang approached Jim with a metal cylindrical tube in hand

Ah, the sorrow... At this moment, Yan Guang felt that it would be nice to have a cigarette at hand, even though he did not smoke

He now carries only the identification documents that prove his identity and a money pouch that is already half deflated. Yan Guang, troubled by the issue of meals, even lacks the mood to look at the scenery around him that he could only see in nostalgic films in the past

After a moment of hesitation, Jim still took the metal tube and made a few marks on the paper

... ...

Jim shrugged. "I don't know what high-end product you're talking about; I've never heard of something called a ballpoint pen."

In the following days, Yan Guang kept running around outside, hoping to find a suitable job. However, it seemed that fortune was not on his side, as not a single place was willing to accept Yan Guang

What should I do next ... '' Lying on the bed, once again looking at the unfamiliar ceiling, Yan Guang did not know what he could actually do.

A shabby identification, poor English, and a reasonably strong body; if no solution is found before his wallet is completely empty, Yan Guang can only consider whether to beg in Chinatown or take on laborious work. However, before that, Yan Guang decides to think of a solution first.

However, it seems that the owner of this body was not very lucky either; sitting on a ship to America, it unexpectedly sank due to a storm. If it weren't for this, I probably wouldn't have had the chance to be reborn into his body. At that time, drifting alone on a wooden plank in the sea, I truly thought I was about to be reincarnated again

Yan Guang propped himself up and forced a smile. "Yes, but my wallet has shrunk by half."

Understood! The boss nodded slightly and, after Yan Guang completed the registration form, handed him a key. "Room 302, please rest assured that our charges are not very high, but the service is absolutely excellent." At this point, the supervisor revealed a smile that any man would understand. "Do you need any special nighttime services?" It seemed that he did not look down on Yan Guang simply because he was of Asian descent.

Thank you, Jim!" With a firm pat on Jim's shoulder, Yan Guang ran back to his room without explaining why, leaving Jim standing at the front desk, staring blankly at him

Perhaps it is truly necessary to thank God. Although it is unclear what the original owner of this body came to the United States for, at least he possesses all the necessary documents. Therefore, after Yan Guang was rescued, he was not treated as an illegal immigrant, but was instead sent to the hospital for treatment

What is this?" Jim asked curiously after receiving the metal tube

"Your compatriots, but it seems they do not understand English, so I would like to trouble you to help me register them," Jim said, pointing to a pair of Chinese couples next to the front desk.

After completing the discharge procedures and dressed in the clothes that the doctor had kindly brought from outside, Yan Guang walked out of the hospital, fully attired, alongside the librarian.

The doctor nodded after the examination. "Your body has no issues now, congratulations"

The fountain pen that was still filling out the form came to a halt. "Don't you know about ballpoint pens?" Yan Guang widened his eyes and looked at Jim

I remember that during school, Yan Guang's favorite writing instrument was the ballpoint pen, as it did not require daily ink refills like a fountain pen, and careless use could lead to various mishaps. In elementary school, because the teacher prohibited the use of ballpoint pens, Yan Guang even believed that the teacher was in cahoots with the fountain pen manufacturers

What else can he do in this world? The teachers in his previous life did not teach him how to survive in early 20th century America.

After running out onto the street, Yan Guang dashed towards a shop. "If there are still no ballpoint pens available, can’t I register it as a patent and sell it for profit?"

Labor? Just think about myself, a tall individual over 1.8 meters; perhaps I could earn some money if I were to do manual labor

Just as Yan Guang was sitting in the hotel lobby feeling dejected, the hotel owner, Jim, called out to him

The next day, Yan Guang returned with a pile of items he had bought from outside, leading Jim to believe that he intended to conduct experiments in the room

"Please come in," said a white doctor and a nurse, who entered while speaking broken English.

"What is a ballpoint pen?" Jim, who was drinking water nearby, asked with some curiosity

After a few days of interaction, Yan Guang, although not exactly friends with this white boss, had become relatively familiar with him. Therefore, when he heard that Jim was looking for him regarding a matter, he walked over.

... ...

In fact, the only path that Yan Guang could think of for himself was that of manual labor. Although he had indeed learned many things in his previous life, after so many years, he had long since returned the books to his teacher. Moreover, in this world, it is likely that a high level of education is less useful than a practical skill.

It is indeed very useful; now you no longer have to worry about living expenses. Jim naturally knew why Yan Guang had been troubled these past few days, so he sincerely felt happy for him

After taking the registration form and pen from Jim, he exchanged a few words with the Chinese couple before starting to fill out the form. However, while filling it out, Yan Guang felt that the pen was somewhat uncomfortable to use, so he turned to Jim and said.

The most criticized aspect of fountain pens is that they can easily damage paper, and their nibs are quite fragile. They require refilling with ink almost daily, which are precisely the strengths of ballpoint pens. Of course, modern ballpoint pens still need to be refilled with ink, and the earliest versions of ballpoint pens historically had issues with leaking ink. However, these problems have long been resolved.

Indeed, in the early 20th century America, to be precise, in January 1908, this information was obtained from the doctors and nurses at the hospital. His current location is the first choice for Chinese immigrants to America, San Francisco, also known as Old Gold Mountain.

Understood

Yan Guang was uncertain whether his luck could be considered good or bad. In his previous life, he had drowned due to misfortune, and now, having reincarnated into the body of its current owner, he nearly drowned again.

After learning from the store that there were only fountain pens and pencils, but indeed no ballpoint pens, Yan Guang returned to the hotel with a secretive smile of delight

This metal tube appears quite rudimentary, measuring twenty centimeters in length and approximately the width of two pens, presenting a rather peculiar appearance

Yan, come over and help me

"Did you really invent this?" Jim felt that he truly needed to reassess the Chinese man before him