"The Bailiffs, the Court, and the Ministry of Justice are all in my pocket. What will you use to convict me?"

"Mr. Prosecutor, what is your response to the comments made by Meng Xi, Chairman of Eternal Life Pharmaceuticals?"

"Mr. Prosecutor, the U.S. has issued an extradition request. Do you have confidence in keeping Meng Xi in Mexico?"

"Mr. Prosecutor..."

The sound of camera shutters clicked incessantly, and the constant flashing of cameras turned the scene in front of the Mexican Supreme Court into a disco. Reporters swarmed towards the courthouse entrance, surrounding the prosecutor's car so tightly that not even a drop of water could seep through. Today, the century's largest drug trafficking case, arms smuggling case, and multiple murder case were going to be heard.

Security personnel quickly cleared a path, and the prosecutors, flanking the nation's Attorney General, hurriedly entered the court as if fleeing a disaster.

The Attorney General's face was dark. So far, the coordination with the FBI and the National Security Commission had gone too smoothly, almost as if it was scripted.

He pulled a lighter and a cigarette from his pocket, his hand trembling slightly with excitement as he tried to light it.

Meanwhile, the sound of a helicopter buzzed from the sky, the downdraft scattering the reporters' notes like a flurry of leaves and extinguishing the Attorney General's painstakingly lit flame.

The helicopter descended slowly. Two FBI agents escorted handcuffed Meng Xi to the courthouse. This was the first and only case in the century where a helicopter escort and a temporary helipad at the Supreme Court were arranged.

As the helicopter's roar faded, Meng Xi's billowing coat ceased its flapping.

A plump agent walked over, removed Meng Xi's coat, and lit a pre-cut cigar for him.

Meng Xi, with his hands cuffed in front of him, turned slightly to take a puff from the cigar offered by the agent, exhaling a thick cloud of smoke. He then walked towards the courthouse without looking back, leaving behind a resolute profile amidst the countless camera flashes.

The flashes flickered back and forth between Meng Xi and the Attorney General, the reporters like sharks in a feast, eagerly awaiting more explosive details from this century's trial.

The Attorney General's face was tense, and the cigarette in his hand had already been crushed into tobacco bits. He followed into the court with suppressed anger.

"On August 14, 2020, the Mexican Supreme Court will hear a major case involving drug trafficking, money laundering, arms dealing, and multiple murders. Eternal Life Pharmaceuticals' Chairman Meng Xi provoked the Republic's Attorney General before the trial, yet the Attorney General remained silent. What secrets lie behind this? Stay tuned as we uncover the truth behind this case!"

...

"As the evidence shows, inventory records from the Derbyshire Laboratory indicate that two siRNA samples were lost on April 16, 2020. On April 18 of the same year, Derbyshire Laboratory's siRNA markers were detected at the Clawber Pharmaceuticals waste disposal center. On June 15 of the same year...

Given the case's significant public safety implications, to ensure fairness and thoroughness in the trial, we request a temporary adjournment and call for the prosecution to supplement their evidence and conduct a more comprehensive investigation."

"We object! The defense's doubts about Clawber Pharmaceuticals are irrelevant to the charges against Meng Xi."

"Objection overruled," the judge calmly stated.

"The new evidence regarding Clawber Pharmaceuticals could significantly impact the case. This court is adjourned for one month."

The prosecution, confident in the ample evidence prepared against Meng Xi for money laundering, drug trafficking, arms dealing, and murder, did not expect Meng Xi to delay the trial by creating a case within a case. Nor did they anticipate that Meng Xi had no intention of winning.

The Attorney General's clenched fist bulged with veins, his fierce gaze fixed on Meng Xi: "We can't let him leave Mexico. Once he returns to the U.S., Clawber Pharmaceuticals and I are finished!"

But in the Attorney General's eyes, the trial ended hastily.

Meng Xi would be extradited back to North America after being released on bail, at which point Clawber Pharmaceuticals and the Federal Prosecutor's Office would lose their last chance to bring down Meng Xi.

As bailiffs escorted Meng Xi past the Attorney General, Meng Xi slowed his steps, lightly stroking the ring on his left hand's ring finger and looking ahead, muttering as if to himself: "Your sister in Santos is quite lovely."

The Attorney General's face turned from red to purple upon hearing Meng Xi's words. He slammed the table and grabbed Meng Xi's collar with a trembling hand: "You dare break the rules? If you harm her, I'll make you and your family pay!"

Meng Xi knocked the Attorney General's hand away and pulled a wet wipe from his pocket, wiping where the Attorney General had touched him. He asked, expressionless: "Rules? Who broke them first?"

"It wasn't me!" the Attorney General, restrained by his colleagues, shouted hysterically at Meng Xi.

"You, or Clawber, what's the difference? Go find your sister in the Atlantic, swim fast enough, and maybe you'll leave with a leg."

"You devil, God will punish you!" The Attorney General's eyes were bloodshot, his clenched fists digging into his palms, leaving bloody marks.

Meng Xi adjusted his tie, turned, and followed the bailiffs, his voice cold and calm: "I look forward to it."

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

Just as Meng Xi was about to leave the court, a sudden snap echoed behind him, followed by a few sharp cracks, like firecrackers. He turned back, puzzled, to see the prosecutor pinned to the ground, a Glock scattered in the distance, and everyone staring at him in astonishment.

Meng Xi, confused, reached for his chest, feeling something sticky. Blood was gushing out in waves.

"Is this...blood?"

In the chaos, with the ceiling coming into view, Meng Xi's consciousness plunged into endless darkness amidst the cacophony of shouts.

...

My name is Meng Xi, and I am a hand model.

I actually studied music performance in university, focusing mainly on piano.

The reason I became a hand model is complex, involving factors like college enrollment expansion, economic recession, limited job opportunities, low salaries, solar flares, etc. But the main reason is my billionaire father chose to raise me poorly.

One time, while assisting at a bar, I was noticed by the owner of a health products company. He offered me a commercial for one thousand dollars, a price I, raised poorly, couldn't refuse.

So, after hesitating for half a second, I accepted this offer that seemed to test my integrity, becoming a hand model.

A month ago, my patron introduced me to a side job, a temporary acting gig. Overseas filming, all expenses covered, a top-tier crew, and a somewhat enticing thirty thousand dollars remuneration.

I lied to myself that I was raising funds for my musical dreams, so I signed this life-changing temporary acting contract with complex tears in my eyes.

My name is Meng Xi, and I am a hand model.

Now, I'm lying on the courtroom floor, staring at the blood dripping from my hand, lost in thought.

Thinking back, I realized this was fishy. A pharmaceutical chairman with the same name as me, a film crew hidden too perfectly, and a so-called one-take shot.

Of course, the most important point is that such a dangerous project only pays thirty thousand dollars. Even working on a risky construction site is better than this. These damned capitalists, including my father.

Amidst the chaos and shouting, my consciousness sank into endless darkness, like a long dream. In the dream, I wandered in an endless void, traversing the vast star sea, arriving at an isolated island.

...

The sky roared with thunder, heavy clouds tearing the sky into deep chasms. Lightning thundered, winds plowed the ground, and rain poured down.

The storm shredded my clothes into rags and woke me from the bone-chilling cold.

My consciousness was still hazy when a sharp pain pulsed through my temple with my heartbeat. My brain began to flood with strange, fragmented memories.

I was the illegitimate son of a border noble, who earned his father's recognition through constant effort and became a candidate for inheriting the title. I was sent to the Royal Lionheart Academy to study magic. However, on the day of enrollment, I was falsely accused of assaulting a grand noble and ended up in prison, where I spent my 16th birthday. I was summoned to this storm-ravaged Ethereal Realm, and died in the storm. I am the youngest son of Viscount Nightbane, Lei Nightbane.

"Am I... dead?"

"No, this isn't me!"

These memories, flooding in like hundreds of movies playing simultaneously, crammed into my mind. My brain felt like a large bottle of Coke with Mentos stuffed in, ready to explode.

I rolled on the ground, clutching my head, repeatedly hitting it on the ground to alleviate the tearing pain in my brain. Blood from my forehead mixed with rain blurred my vision, my screams swallowed by the storm.

"This isn't me! I... I am Meng Xi!"

The splitting pain gradually subsided after my roar. I gasped for air, looking at my frail body, fragments of memories echoing in my mind. Even now, I found it hard to believe:

"I... I have transmigrated?"

As my consciousness cleared, the storm's cold began to assault me. I had to force myself to assess my surroundings.

An extreme storm, cold rain mixed with ice, occasionally revealing a full moon through the fast-moving clouds.

A dark forest blocked my retreat. Cliffs flanked me on both sides, and the only path led to a huge Gothic castle standing at the edge of the cliff in front of me.

The castle garden was overgrown with twisted thorns, and a few gargoyle statues were vaguely visible on the roof. Several bats huddled under the gargoyles, seeking shelter from the wind and cold.

My current body could hardly sustain me in this extreme environment for long. If I stayed out here any longer, I might transmigrate again.

I really didn't want to go back and face my uniquely nurturing father, so I dragged my exhausted body towards the castle, despite its ominous appearance.

...

Knock, knock, knock! The violent storm drowned out my feeble knocking. This body, teetering on the edge of death, seemed to be running out of fuel.

I huddled by the castle's massive door, shivering and muttering to myself about the previous owner of this body:

"Damn...this unlucky guy's past self, at least...learn a rain-avoidance spell before dying..."

"Well...never mind, can't blame you. If...if you'd learned some miraculous spell, maybe...I wouldn't be here."

My consciousness grew increasingly fuzzy. Just when I thought I might become history's most feeble transmigrant, a trembling old man's voice came from behind the door:

"Wolf, is that you? My dear old friend, you finally came! I thought I wouldn't live to see you."

The door creaked open, a warm yellow light spilling out like a beacon. An old man, stooped and dressed in a bathrobe, peeked out, squinting against the storm.

I reached out with a trembling hand, clutching his pant leg, my voice hoarse: "Help...help..."

I hoped the old man would quickly bring me inside. Instead, he displayed an agility that belied his age, darting back behind the door and slamming it shut with a bang. My hand hung in mid-air, bewildered, staring at the closed door.

"What...just happened?"

Just as despair set in, the door opened again. A chubby maid holding a lamp assessed me, then hurriedly brought me into the hall. Another maid fetched towels and a woolen blanket, helping to dry me off.

Inside the hall, the warmth from the fireplace and a special incense quickly revived my spirits.

At the far end of the hall sat the old man, now elegantly dressed in formal wear, sipping from a silver cup and smiling at me.

It was the same old man who'd slammed the door, clearly having taken some time to dress up for his grand entrance.

"Very well, I'll remember you!" While mentally stabbing a voodoo doll of the old man, I heard his voice from the hall's end.

"Oh, my dear friend, what brings you to my domain?"

My mind raced, desperately searching for any information related to this place. Unfortunately, the original owner of this body had never been to this so-called Ethereal Realm. He should have received basic education about the Ethereal Realm during his first week at the Royal Lionheart Academy. Sadly, he got caught in a grand noble's conspiracy and ended up in prison before he could learn anything, eventually getting summoned here and dying in the storm.

From the sparse memories inherited from his family, I could only confirm that this Ethereal Realm was like a dungeon with various themes and backgrounds.

While drying my hair, I took the opportunity to observe the surroundings, noting the medieval-style decor. The old man's seat was at the furthest point from the entrance, near the kitchen.

Having roughly determined the etiquette standards, I prepared to bow in the noble manner, stepping back with my left leg and bending my right knee. However, I tripped over myself and fell.

It was a bit embarrassing. I felt my face flush. Alternating between hot and cold, I half-fainted.

There was a flurry of activity in the hall. I vaguely heard the old man instructing his servants: "Quickly, take our esteemed guest to the resting room. Prepare a pot of warm malt wine. Don't lose the Van Helsing family's etiquette."

"Van...Van Helsing? Buddha help me, please don't let it be that Van Helsing, the vampire hunter. My liver and spleen wouldn't look good on a platter."

I felt a plump maid carry me to a room, the soft silk bedding and slightly hard mattress underneath. I secretly grabbed a handful; it seemed to be an animal fur blanket.

The room was scented with incense that had a calming effect, quickly helping me regain my composure.

As I pondered how to deal with the upcoming events, a calm male voice suddenly echoed from the sky:

[Welcome to Ethereal Realm 103, 'Dracula's Mystery.' All five Ethereal Mages have been summoned. Please assist the Van Helsing family in defending the castle and repelling the invaders within three days.]