A Northeast Veteran's Comeback in 1995

At 38, Li Xiangyang was a miserable office drone in 2025. After dying suddenly from a stroke, he found himself back in Shenyang in 1995, inhabiting his high-school self, “Li Gousheng.” In his previous life, his father had been laid off, his mother had worked herself to the bone, and he had amounted to nothing. Those regrets were the deepest scars in his heart. With the secrets of the times from the Shenyang Gazetteer etched into his mind and a head start on state-owned enterprise reform, the boom at the Wuai Market, and the rise of real estate, Li Xiangyang vowed to rewrite his fate: first, save his dad’s secure job at the machine-tool factory, then give his mom a life of luxury, and make a fortune by riding the wave of the times!

But turning his life around was never going to be smooth sailing. From standing up to thugs and placating his parents to spotting business opportunities and matching wits with old foxes, this Northeast boy muddled through 1990s Shenyang, a city steeped in coal smoke and everyday bustle, relying on his boldness and foresight. At home, family squabbles kept everyone on their toes; in business, the waters were treacherous. He had to deal with an unexpected layoff crisis, seize the chance to launch a hit at Wuai Market, and watch out for schemers lurking in the shadows.

With the characteristic warmth and humor of someone from the Northeast, Li Xiangyang used his 38-year-old soul to guide his 17-year-old self. He protected his family amid the wave of state-owned enterprise reform and struck gold in the benefits of the market economy, turning the regrets of his past life into the sweetness of this one. This is an exhilarating tale of an ordinary man using his transmigration golden finger to turn his life around in a pivotal era, making money while warming hearts. It is flavored with the Northeast and filled with a generation’s youthful memories and hopes for a better future.