What’s the First Thing to Do After Transmigrating?

“I thought this was the end for me.
But now… it seems… I’m still alive.”

Noon sunlight streamed in through the window.
A gust of warmth rode the breeze, bringing with it the freshness of a new world.

White stone walls were covered in tangled vines, golden patterns faintly shimmering beneath them—silent remnants of this building’s once-glorious past.

But time had not been kind.
The once-pristine walls had aged, begun to crumble… just like the original masters of this estate—the once-prosperous Xi Family, now buried beneath the weight of history.

In the prime of the Mingxi Empire, the Xi Family had stood as one of its greatest powerhouses.
Their influence once stretched across the realm, a single word enough to shake the capital.

But that was history.
Now, the Xi Family was little more than a declining remnant hidden within Noah City—a faded shadow on the verge of extinction.

And as fate would have it, Sui Ming was the sole remaining heir to this dying legacy.
Which also meant—every last problem his runaway parents left behind… was now his to bear.

“What the hell… What did I ever do to deserve this?!”

His roar echoed through the empty halls of the mansion.

Sui Ming reached for the glass of water nearby, hoping to calm himself—
But a chunk of plaster from the ceiling fell with a plop, smacking him right on the head.

With one hand holding his forehead, Sui Ming could only sigh at his tragic state.

The boy’s delicate features glimmered in the sunlight.
His white hair, soft as the finest silk, fluttered gently with the breeze.

A face that straddled the line between elegance and masculinity—now drained and weary.

He pulled out a blank sheet of paper from the drawer, determined to organize his thoughts.

Though he’d never paid much attention to isekai tropes in his past life, he’d still absorbed a bit through sheer osmosis while working undercover.

Things like… “becoming the strongest in another world,” or “building a harem in a fantasy land”…
All the usual junk he’d read purely for the sake of approaching targets.

Those “toilet paper-tier” web novels always had one thing in common—
The protagonist always got some kind of cheat ability.

“So what about me?
Where’s my cheat code?
Don’t tell me it got smashed by that hundred-ton truck!”

His parents had left him nothing but a mountain of debt.
Not even the cliché old man in a ring showed up to help.

“…Wow. You’re really forcing me to start a business, huh?”

Still, if he wanted to live a peaceful life in this new world, Sui Ming couldn’t afford to give up here.

“Knock, knock…”
“Young Master, it’s time to eat.”

A calm, aged voice came from outside the door.

“Coming, Uncle Ai!”

Sui Ming quickly crumpled up the note and tossed it back into the drawer, hurrying toward the dining hall.

Despite the estate’s obvious decline, its luxurious design still hinted at its former grandeur.

…Of course, a large part of it had already been sold off to pay debts.

Almost all the servants had been dismissed by Sui Ming.
Only Ai—the loyal old butler—chose to remain without asking for wages.

He once said:
“Master Xi already paid me long ago. Young Master needn’t worry—I’ll stay with you until the end.”

Those words had moved Sui Ming deeply.
He had never received kindness from anyone in his past life.

His parents died young.
He never even had the luxury of learning what warmth or care was.

After all, who would invest in a kid who might bleed out in an alley the next day?

A person with no future was destined to have nothing.

“But that no longer matters.”
“If Heaven gave me a second chance, I’ll make damn sure to live it right.”

Not long after, Uncle Ai emerged from the kitchen with a few dishes.

The plating was neat—but the ingredients were clearly meager.

Just a few pieces of coarse bread and a bowl of something that resembled dough-drop soup.

Sui Ming had no complaints.

He knew full well how poor things had become.
If they still had meat and seafood at a time like this, that would be strange.

“Apologies, Young Master. This is all that remains in the pantry. If it’s not to your liking…”

“No need.
It’s just right.”

Sui Ming cut him off before he could finish.

In Ai’s memory, the young master had never been one to complain much.
Still, given that he was raised on fine delicacies, Ai had assumed he’d have a hard time adjusting.

Before leaving, the old master—Sui Ming’s grandfather—had specifically entrusted the boy to him.

“I won’t fail you, Master Xi.”
“I will protect the young master to the very end.”

It didn’t take long for Sui Ming to finish everything on the table.
He exchanged a quick word with Ai, then rushed back to his room.

In truth, Sui Ming hadn’t come to this world entirely empty-handed.

He glanced around the room—not because it would help, but just to feel safer.

Then, from inside his robes, he pulled out a dark purple ring.

Even in direct sunlight, the ring remained dim and obscure, its full form barely visible.

Something like this could only be a precious artifact.

If guys like Xiao Fire-Fire got one, why not him?

…But he’d already been here a day and a half.

And this thing hadn’t reacted at all.
Not even a glimmer.

“…Don’t tell me this thing’s really just a decoration?”

Sui Ming turned the ring over in his hand, suspicion growing.

He’d been wearing it ever since he woke up.
Most likely, it belonged to the body’s previous owner.

But considering how bad the family’s situation was, there’s no way they’d have kept something this valuable.

Bottom line—Sui Ming had no idea where the hell this thing came from.

“Sigh… whatever. I’ll just keep it on me.”

After all, what place could be safer than his own hand?

With that decision made, Sui Ming turned to the first item on his checklist for living a proper life in this fantasy world.

As one of the top assassins of the twenty-first century, the very first thing he needed to do was—

Get a gun.

What else?

Did he really expect to throw hands with monsters using this frail excuse of a body?

He pinched his ribs, grimacing at his skinny, malnourished frame.

“…This body probably struggles to run a full kilometer.”

“Looks like my ‘Peaceful Life in Another World Plan’ still has a long way to go.”