Julien: Red and Black? I Know That One

An ambitious man from the 19th century transmigrates into the dark vortex of the 21st century.

"You think transmigrating is a gift? No. It's just the beginning of another execution."

Julien Sorel, the most captivating ambitious man in 19th-century French literature, opens his eyes at the guillotine and finds himself beneath Tokyo's dazzling neon lights. Language, technology, class: this is a whole new world, but the rules are the same. Either climb to the top, or be crushed to pieces.

[Dark Invitation]

"Work for me, or die." A silver-haired man presses a gun to his forehead. "A stray dog like you is only good as a pawn."

Julien smiles and nods, but a flame of defiance burns in his eyes.

[Cat-and-Mouse Game]

"Who exactly are you?" The Public Security Bureau officer slams his coffee cup down on the table.

"Someone who knows how to disguise himself better than Bourbon." Julien smiles and clinks his cup against the other's.

(Should his codename be Chambertin, Napoleon's favorite, or Constantia, the wine he drank before he died? Better yet, I'll use a secret identity and take both.)

Theme: Perseverance in the face of adversity.