Chapter 2

Chapter 2

After walking for half an hour, Ji Mian finally reached the bridge’s underpass. He was starving and had no idea how long the original host had gone without eating.

A few of his "good brothers" had arrived and were deep in the game, all smiles.

Their clothes were neat and clean, unlike Ji Mian’s.

Some were even from big brands, and unlike Ji Mian’s—theirs were genuine.

From the host’s memories, these guys came from stable, even happy families. With food and clothing, they were naturally different from a drifter like Ji Mian.

A guy with a buzz cut and a cigarette dangling from his mouth glanced at Ji Mian, of course noticing his wounds and stains.

He threw out, "Brother Mian."

After that, he turned back indifferently.

As if the term was no different from calling out to a stray animal, the "brother" tag was just that—empty, with no respect behind it.

But according to the host’s memories, every time he heard these people call him "Brother Mian," he would smile. That smile was a shred of dignity dredged up from the dirt.

Ji Mian didn’t get it, but he forced a smile anyway. Less than half a second later, he retracted it, like he was just putting on a show.

The guys had some snacks around them, convenience store stuff, judging by the packaging, along with a few packs of cigarettes. But the host, too proud, always turned down their food.

Ji Mian walked over, grabbed a sandwich and a bucket of warm oden, then sat down to eat.

The card players froze and turned to stare at him.

But Ji Mian pretended not to notice. He started with a sip of the hot soup, then dug into the spinach and egg cake, taking a big bite.

He told the system, "This is good."

The system: "..."

Ji Mian added, "What's it called?"

"Oden, and what you're eating is spinach and egg cake," the system replied, then added, "Quit asking questions and eat."

"Brother Mian, no 'score' today, huh?" the one who first called Ji Mian "Brother Mian" said with a laugh, his tone a bit strange.

Another one jumped in with a sly grin, "We're treating Brother Mian to a meal. When Brother Mian gets some results, remember to give us a couple of packs of cigarettes, huh?"

Ji Mian neither agreed nor shook his head. He’d eat first and deal with them later.

Not getting a response, the others frowned, on the verge of snapping. But then they thought about Ji Mian’s usual behavior and swallowed their anger.

Why push it? If they pissed him off, where’d they find another easy mark like him?

Even a cornered rabbit can bite. Better to hold back for now. Probably, this guy hadn’t eaten and was starving. You can’t argue with a starving man.

After filling his stomach, Ji Mian washed his face by the river and went under the bridge to find a place to rest.

Luckily, it was summer. The wind blowing through the bridge was strong, but in summer, it felt nice.

If it were winter here, his bones would probably be shattered by the cold wind in no time.

He closed his eyes, feeling almost at ease, as if his wounds didn’t sting as much.

"The original host's sixteenth birthday is coming up in a couple of days, and the first plot point is approaching. You need to figure out how to get to the district where the female lead lives and take shelter with her foster brother."

Ji Mian asked, "Is it a long way from here?"

"You could walk there."

"Oh," Ji Mian said, feeling relieved.

"It’s only a few dozen kilometers."

"..."

Ji Mian quickly gave up on the idea of walking. He checked his pockets, finding nothing but half a pack of tissues in his back pocket. There was nothing else.

But to find the female lead, he’d need money.

At the very least, he’d need money for a ride.

Where could he get the money? Ji Mian lowered his head in thought.

"Earn it."

"Steal it."

Two different ideas popped into his head at the same time. The first was Ji Mian’s own idea, while the second was the system’s terrible suggestion.

He shook his head. "Steal? No way. That’s wrong."

The system scoffed, "Morality? What’s that? Does it feed you?"

Ji Mian didn’t feel like arguing with it.

The system shot back: 【You came to this world for a mission, and staying in character is your top priority. You’ve got to act like the original host, no matter what. Otherwise, changing ‘Ji Mian’s’ personality could set off a chain reaction. You’re not just ‘allowed to steal’—you ‘have to steal.’】

It added, "And where’d you even get this moral compass?"

"You don’t even remember your past. For all you know, you could’ve been a total criminal."

"..."

Ji Mian gave in, but only to ‘stay in character.’ He brushed off the idea that he might’ve been a ‘criminal’ in his past life.

*

Ji Mian took a few days to recover, and the bruises from the beating finally started to fade.

During that time, he lived off the snacks his ‘buddies’ shared while playing cards.

Ji Mian knew if he stuck around much longer, his ‘buddies’ would lose it.

On the fourth day, he left the bridge pier just as they were about to reach their breaking point.

—He was going to steal.

Who to steal from? Ji Mian hadn't figured that out yet.

How to steal? Ji Mian didn't know either.

He wandered the streets, walking aimlessly. The original host was clearly a habitual offender in this area. Some people recognized Ji Mian and instinctively checked their pockets and bags, wary of whether they had lost any belongings.

Ji Mian clenched his fists tightly, his palms sweating slightly.

It was his first time stealing, and he was a bit nervous.

He clenched his jaw, found a spot on the curb to sit down, and started scouting for a target.

He saw a couple passing by, chatting and laughing, their eyes soft with affection. He couldn’t bring himself to go after them.

He saw a fashionable girl with a high ponytail bouncing behind her, full of energy. He couldn’t bring himself to go after her.

Then he saw an ordinary middle-aged man with a beer belly swaying as he walked. Still, he hesitated.

The system paused, then sighed, "Are you even going to do this?"

"I... can do it," Ji Mian replied hesitantly.

Under the scorching noon sun, sweat beaded on his forehead. He couldn't delay any longer.

Dizzy, he finally spotted a suitable target.

It was a young man who had just gotten out of a car, with a striking head of red hair. His car was parked by the roadside, and as long as Ji Mian found the right angle, the dashcam wouldn't capture him. The original owner had pulled this off here many times, and he was sure there were no surveillance cameras nearby.

But the reason Ji Mian chose him wasn't because of these factors, but because: this guy looked like a total deadbeat.

The red-haired youth was the textbook definition of a delinquent—his hairstyle was flamboyant, he wore a slightly tight tank top, his jeans were adorned with a few non-mainstream chains, he carried a large leather bag on his shoulder, and his exposed skin was covered with flashy tattoos.

Ji Mian didn't like to judge people by their appearance, but at this moment, doing so did bring him some comfort. He really needed that comfort: he was about to rob a thug, a real piece of work.