My name's Alexander Marson, a third-year college student and, frankly, a classic shut-in. In today’s terms? Just a low-tier nerd.

October 30th, 2012. That afternoon, bored out of my skull, I sat at my desk clicking aimlessly through a novel site. I wasn’t looking for anything special, just killing time. Then—bam—on the front page, a novel caught my eye: “The World of Beauties.”

Just reading that title lit a fire in my gut. Didn’t think they still had this kind of over-the-top fantasy stuff. My mind started cooking up images—every other guy on earth had vanished, and the streets were packed with women, all chasing after me. The idea got my blood pumping. No joke.

Without thinking, I hit “Read.”

Right then, my screen flared pure white, buzzing loud like an alarm. My heart nearly jumped out of my chest. I figured the monitor had fried. I tried to close the page in a panic, but the light got even worse—so bright I had to cover my eyes.

“What the hell’s going on?” I cursed, panicking. Was this some kind of virus? This old desktop? It was a second-hand machine—just got it from Dad for my birthday. Was it already toast?

I peeked through my fingers to see what was happening, and—bam—I froze.

Where was I?

That was the first thing that hit me. My room was gone. Computer, desk, bed—all of it—gone. I was surrounded by rocky walls. The place felt like a cave.

“Damn it… Am I dreaming?”

The air was damp and freezing. My mind was racing. I didn’t buy into any supernatural crap, always prided myself on being a man of reason. But this? This made zero sense. Five seconds ago, I was in my room clicking on some dumb novel. Now I was here?

I held my breath. The cave wasn’t pitch black. There was light coming from the entrance. Still, I didn’t dare move. Faced with the unknown, your first instinct is always to freeze and scan your surroundings. That’s exactly what I did. Stood there like a statue, thinking maybe someone had drugged me and dragged me to this place. Could’ve been sleepwalking too, but that seemed even less likely.

A whole minute passed. Dead silence. I couldn’t hear anything but my own heartbeat. No footsteps, no voices.

That’s when I finally loosened up a bit. But my gut was still full of questions. Where the hell was this place?

I inched toward the entrance, hunched low, trying to keep quiet. If this really was some kind of kidnapping, maybe the guy was still outside waiting.

I’d read stories—people getting knocked out cold, then waking up somewhere totally different, no memory of what had happened. That’s what scared me the most. Had someone really done that to me?Step by step, I walked out of that cave. To my relief, there were no thugs or kidnappers waiting outside—just thick grass up to my waist and a dense patch of forest beyond.

It looked like complete wilderness. No sign of people anywhere.

I scanned the area, staying alert. The whole place felt unfamiliar. Nothing around me looked even the slightest bit known.

That’s when I finally let out a breath. No one around, for now. No matter how I got here, first thing was to get out, fast. If I really had been kidnapped or something, better run while I still had the chance.

I darted through the trees ahead, avoiding open paths—just in case whoever brought me here was still nearby.

I must’ve run for about half an hour. First went uphill, then found a narrow trail that led down the mountain. Passed some fields, but not a single soul around. Didn’t seem like some deep mountain area though—more like a remote hill in the outskirts.

I’d never been to this place before, but there were small paths everywhere. My only plan was to get as far as possible and hopefully find a road or a shop to call home.

No phone on me. Just twenty yuan and a cheap Ultraman watch I got for fifteen.

Eventually, I found a downhill path where I saw a few women working by some fields. They wore plain clothes, looked local. I gave them just a glance and kept going.

At the bottom of the hill was a cement road. A few traffic signs stood along it. The scenery on both sides was wooded and wild. Probably the only road around here.

Damn it… Where the hell was I? How the hell did I end up here?

Frustration filled me to the brim, but what could I do? I kept walking, hoping a car might pass by.

After about fifteen minutes, right as I turned a corner, I heard a honk behind me. Heart skipped a beat.

Finally—someone!

But when I turned and saw the car, I froze.

What the hell kind of car was that?

A weird pink thing, shaped like a sliced egg. Or maybe a giant computer mouse. Windows and all, sure, but I’d never seen anything like it.

I stared, stunned—but only for a moment. No matter what kind of weird ride it was, as long as it could get me out of here, I was in.

I jumped right into the middle of the road, waving both arms like crazy.

“Hey! Driver! I’m lost! Can you give me a lift?!”

The car slowed down at once, pulling to a stop in front of me.

Through the window, I saw the driver.

A woman with long brown hair and sunglasses, probably in her twenties. Pale skin, striking face. Couldn’t tell exactly what she looked like with those shades on, but her crimson lips and sharp chin gave her away—this one was a stunner.I walked toward the car, planning to greet the woman driving it, but before I could say a word, I froze. Inside the car, besides the female driver, sat five other girls.

One in the passenger seat, four crammed into the back.

The car was packed.

And not just packed—these were all young women around twenty, each with different looks but all striking. One had big, round eyes that gave her a sweet, doll-like charm. Another carried the icy air of a warrior—cold, proud, and sharp-looking. Then there was the one with short hair and glasses, calm and neat; another with dyed blonde hair, a wild spark in her eyes like a gang leader from the streets. The last had tanned skin and soft curls, not exactly pretty but full of energy and presence.

All girls, all stunning. I suddenly felt awkward.

I’m not small. A bit chubby, honestly. Never thought myself good-looking. Around girls, that little hammer of self-doubt always came knocking. They’d never pay real attention to someone like me.

In a world full of tall, rich, handsome types, guys like me are just background noise.

And now, sitting in that car? A dozen shining examples of dream girls. My heart started thudding. I could feel my face heat up, pulse racing. It was like adrenaline kicked in straight from my bones.

These kinds of girls surely have better guys lining up miles long. What would they think seeing me? Maybe laugh. Maybe just dismiss me outright.

The driver rolled down the window with a smooth flick of her wrist. She leaned out, a faint smile tugging at her lips as she pulled off her sunglasses. In that moment, her eyes caught mine—crystal clear, lashes long and perfectly curved. Her face, pale as porcelain, framed by jet-black hair, a touch of red on her lips—stunning.

“What’s wrong... friend?” she asked.

Her voice—soft, clean, almost floaty—hit me like a breeze in dead heat. I paused, caught off-guard, eyes trying their best not to linger on her face.

“I… I’m lost,” I stammered. “There don’t seem to be any carts or carriages by the road. I was wondering if you could give me a ride?”

She gave me a strange look, inspecting me like I was some curious beast. I know I don’t look great, but that kind of stare still stung a bit.

Her gaze roamed me up and down for a while before I couldn’t hold back anymore.

“Sorry, but can you help me out? I really don't know this place at all.”

“Ah… Sorry,” she said, blinking like snapping out of a trance. “I, uh, spaced out just now, didn’t catch all that.” Then her expression shifted—apologetic, a little troubled—as she glanced at the crowded seats behind her. “Thing is, we’re already full. Not sure there’s room.”

Not enough space? I looked in the back—sure, four girls sat there, but if they squeezed just a little more, I could fit.

Yeah. Truth was, they didn’t want to bring me along. And not because of space.

Disappointment sank in. My gut twisted. If I had been a dashing aristocrat or some gallant warrior? They’d probably have made plenty of room.

I let out a dry laugh, the kind filled with bitter air.

So that’s how it is. Alexander Marson—dreaming way above your league again.

I took a breath, cast her a glance, and said quietly, deadpan:“Oh, fine. If that’s the way it is, I’ll go on foot. No way I can’t walk out of this damned place!”

With that, Alexander Marson spun around and left without another word. He didn’t know where he was, but hell if he believed he couldn’t find a city after walking for days.

Determined, he filled his lungs, stiffened his back, and set his eyes straight ahead. However far the road went, he’d take it.

But just as he hadn’t gone far, a voice shouted from behind him—

“Hey, wait up, friend!”

That voice stopped him in his tracks. He turned to see the pink car catching up again, kicking up a small cloud of dust as it rolled closer.

“Sorry about earlier,” the woman behind the wheel called out. “We talked it over. If we squeeze a bit, we can make space. Hop in.”

Alexander blinked in surprise. He glanced inside—one of the smaller girls had perched herself on the lap of a darker-skinned one, clearing a tiny spot on the seat.

“Come on,” the driver grinned and winked. “You really do look lost. I only hesitated ‘cause I thought you might be trouble. But you seem alright.”

That genuine smile warmed Alexander’s heart a little. He hadn’t expected a second chance.

“Thanks… really. I appreciate it.”

“No worries. Sisters gotta help each other,” she said with a friendly nod.

Sisters?

That caught him off guard. He thought he’d misheard, but didn’t ask. After a second’s pause, he headed to the car. The aloof-looking beauty in the back opened the door for him. He hesitated, eyeing the cramped space, then squeezed in quickly and shut the door behind him.

The four girls in the back all shifted their toned hips a little to make space for him. He ended up next to a short-haired girl with glasses—quiet type, serious face. She didn’t say a word but glanced at him with curious eyes.

Once the door was shut, the pink car started moving again.

“So, where are you from?” the driver asked without looking back.

“Me? I’m from Hangzhou,” he said after a moment, giving his old hometown as his answer.

“Hangzhou?” she frowned, clearly confused. “Never heard of it. Where’s that? How do we get there?”

What? She’d never even heard of Hangzhou?

Alexander thought maybe he misheard. Maybe she just didn’t know which direction it was.

“Uh… I’m not sure,” he admitted. “Honestly, I don’t even know where I am right now.”

“Sunny, you heard of Hangzhou?” the driver asked the blonde next to her.

“Hangzhou?” Sunny Parker furrowed her brow. “You mean that old tourist city from four centuries ago? Yeah, that one I’ve read about in history books. But the city’s long gone. Not sure which Hangzhou he means.”