Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Ji Mian casually stood up, ambling across the street and approaching the red-haired young man. In just two minutes, Ji Mian was behind him, blending into the crowd as an ordinary passerby.

The original host was a seasoned pickpocket, and after becoming "Ji Mian," he inherited this skill.

The red-haired young man was walking towards the sun, his shadow trailing short behind him. Ji Mian's shadow also followed, dragged along behind.

He held his breath, his steps as light as a cat's, while putting on an innocent act to avoid arousing suspicion from passersby.

Through a tiny gap in the zipper of the red-haired young man's shoulder bag, Ji Mian's heart raced—he spotted a black wallet. Though only a corner was visible, Ji Mian was certain it was a wallet.

As the young man stepped into a meat pie shop, Ji Mian quickly followed.

The aroma of oil, dough, and meat from the pies immediately hit his nostrils, making him stumble slightly.

There was a line ahead, and the red-haired young man stood at the end, calling out loudly, "Boss! Two Xianghe meat pies! Pack them to go, in two bags."

A woman's voice chimed in cheerfully from inside, "Coming right up."

Ji Mian's mind wandered briefly: Xianghe meat pies... they sound delicious, maybe even better than the spinach and egg cake from the oden stand.

"Why are you zoning out? Get to work!" the system urged.

Ji Mian nodded and quietly joined the line behind the young man, his right hand stealthily reaching out to open a ten-centimeter gap in the bag.

His hand shifted to a vertical angle, sliding smoothly through the zipper's gap without touching the bag.

By now, Ji Mian's fingers had already touched the wallet inside, seamless.

With two fingers, he pinched it and tucked it into his palm.

Ji Mian froze, his hand still.

In his right hand, he felt a thick wad. If it were his own, he would feel at ease, but since he wasn't the wallet's owner, he only felt panic.

Too much! He only needed enough for cab fare.

Ji Mian was extremely uneasy. Could he put some back?

"...Return what?!" the system snapped, "Since when do thieves complain about too much cash?"

"But what if he doesn't have enough to pay later?"

"Who cares!" the system was seething with frustration, "Why even think about that? Why not think about the possibility that this money might be for his sick mother's medical treatment?"

The system said it offhandedly, but Ji Mian's expression changed, taking it seriously.

It seemed... not impossible.

Ji Mian's hand shook slightly. He’d just stolen someone’s life-saving money!

A pickpocket's hand must be steady; any instability could cause the stolen item to shake, alerting the target.

Ji Mian's trembling was disastrous. The wallet accidentally bumped against the inside of the bag, and the slight movement caused the young man to turn around.

"What the hell are you doing, kid!" the red-haired young man roared upon seeing Ji Mian's hand.

His loud voice was right next to Ji Mian's ear, making his ears ring.

"Oh no, oh no..." the system sighed.

How did I get stuck with such a Tasker?

While it blamed Ji Mian, it also couldn't help but blame itself: why did I have to say that extra sentence earlier?

"Trying to steal from me?" the red-haired guy narrowed his eyes.

"I... I..."

Ji Mian stammered, unable to speak.

After all, his hand was still in the guy's bag.

Hearing the noise outside, the boss lady came out of the kitchen. Seeing Ji Mian, she immediately frowned, "Oh, it's this kid again!"

"Oh, a habitual offender?"

The red-haired guy chuckled and suddenly grabbed Ji Mian's wrist with such force that Ji Mian couldn't pull away.

Only then did he notice the long, thin scar on his target's face. He looked very tough.

"I'm really sorry," Ji Mian said, giving up on pulling his hand out, "Are you going to take me to the police station?"

The red-haired guy raised his eyebrows, surprised by the kid's calm tone.

"Police station?" he grinned, "Your grandpa likes to handle things privately."

"..."

The red-haired guy roughly dragged Ji Mian outside by his wrist.

Ji Mian was beaten up again.

The red-haired guy's fists were as hard as the last guy's kicks, each punch landing solidly. Ji Mian's old wounds hadn't healed, and sometimes the red-haired guy's punches hit them, causing such intense pain he couldn't even cry out.

This time, even the system couldn't bear it and scolded him, "What did I tell you? Random acts of kindness don't pay off. Be more decisive next time."

Even while being beaten, Ji Mian managed to reply, "But didn't you say it was money to save a life?"

"...I was wrong. Dead wrong."

You can't joke around with this forgetful idiot Tasker. The system deeply reflected on its actions.

Just as the red-haired guy was about to throw another punch, a voice suddenly interrupted him—

"Did I tell you to do this?"

It was a man's deep voice, and even his displeasure was casual.

The red-haired guy looked up at the newcomer, his raised hand slowly dropping. He still held Ji Mian by the collar, but he straightened up as he addressed the newcomer, "Big brother, why did you come down?"

Big brother...

Since arriving in this world, the two most important words in Ji Mian's mind were "big brother" and "big sister."

He wanted to look up and see this "big brother," but he couldn't.

He only heard the "big brother" speak in a lazy tone, "I told you to buy some food, and you've been out here for half the day, beating people up?"

"No... Big Brother."

The red-haired guy chuckled, as if he’d stumbled upon something amusing, and with one hand, he yanked Ji Mian by the hair, pulling him up to face the newcomer.

He said, "I came out to buy a bun and actually ran into a pickpocket."

And not a very skilled one either.

Ji Mian was practically shoved into the Big Brother's face. His swollen eyes were half-closed, and all he could see was the Big Brother's sharp jawline and a muscular, well-defined neck.

So, the Big Brother was quite young.

He struggled to lift his eyelids, wanting to get a clear look at the Big Brother's face.

In an instant, Ji Mian's gaze met a pair of deep black eyes, hidden beneath lashes as dark as ink, icy and penetrating.

Oh. So, the Big Brother was really good-looking.