The alley was dim, and the stench of garbage on the ground was so strong that no one bothered to clean it up in time. At the end of the road stood a dilapidated old building.
It was completely impossible to tell that such a corner existed in this bustling city.
Stopping before a door, the sound of a man's curses could be heard from the rundown room, utterly unbearable.
"001, are you sure it's here?"
A beep sounded, and after a few seconds, 001 replied with a hint of embarrassment, "Yes. Because we are on the run, the characters we transmigrated into cannot be too conspicuous. If it were characters closely related to the protagonist, we would be easily discovered. And those with good backgrounds and conditions are always being watched by other systems for their hosts..."
Wen Bai remained silent.
The system quickly tried to compensate, "But thinking positively, it won't attract the coveting of other systems. You can do whatever you want with this character. This character's name is the same as yours, Wen Bai. His family relationship is simple, with no other relatives. The original host also had no friends. He only has a disabled mother and a less-than-ideal father..."
Before he could finish speaking, the door was opened from the inside.
The man, reeking of alcohol, stared at Wen Bai, who was standing at the door, for a moment. Then, he reached out to grab Wen Bai's hair.
Wen Bai: "..."
The hair of this body was slightly curly and a little long. If someone were to grab it, they would surely hold on tight.
He tilted his head slightly, precisely avoiding the man's outstretched hand.
"You little brat, still trying to dodge, damn it!" The man spat and continued to grab at Wen Bai.
Wen Bai sidestepped and walked directly into the house.
Seeing this, the man sneered and, without closing the door, came to deal with Wen Bai.
As soon as Wen Bai entered, he saw a woman sitting on the floor, clutching the leg of a table. Her hair was disheveled, her eyes were vacant, and her nose was still bleeding.
Around her were shards of broken beer bottles. Her hand was pressed against the glass fragments, bleeding, yet she seemed oblivious.
The room was a mess.
The man was already behind him. The woman seemed to finally react, and disregarding her own injuries, she screamed hysterically, trying to crawl over to block the man's attack on Wen Bai.
The fat man easily kicked the woman to the ground.
Then, he grabbed something and hurled it at Wen Bai.
Someone passed by outside the door, unable to conceal their base human curiosity while not wanting to get involved. They peeked in from a distance.
This time, Wen Bai did not dodge.
The object hit Wen Bai's temple. It was a wine bottle, and fragments flew open, slashing a bloody gash on Wen Bai's face.
Under the impact of the sharp pain, his head buzzed for a moment, his vision went black, his cheeks stung, and hot liquid streamed down from his temple, blurring his eyes.
Wen Bai wiped away the liquid that obstructed his vision with his hand, as if talking to himself, "So this is what an unqualified father is like."
The system felt guilty, yet indignant, "Although we are on the run, it doesn't mean you have to endure the harm the original host had to. Do whatever you want. They won't find us easily with this identity."
Wen Bai: "I see."
The woman's hoarse voice became shrill.
When Wen Bai recovered, the people outside the door were gone.
After venting his rage, the man, still drunk, grunted and staggered out of the door, leaving mother and son in the messy room.
The woman then shakily got up and struggled to find a first-aid kit to bandage Wen Bai's forehead wound. Wen Bai, unaccustomed to being touched, avoided her, "No need."
"Bai Bai, are you... still angry with Mom?"
Wen Bai didn't quite understand how a woman beaten to this state could say such a thing. He was not good at handling such situations.
"I have something to do and need to go out."
A flicker of hurt and heartache crossed the woman's eyes, "Bai Bai, your injury..."
Wen Bai casually wiped the blood from his face, "It's fine, you stay home..."
He paused, as if thinking about what he should say in such a situation, "Rest well."
He walked in the direction the man had left.
Late at night, walking on an empty street.
The system's voice was exceptionally clear, "Although I have a lot of points now, due to our wanted status, I don't have the authority to redeem items and money. However, as soon as we crash the first world, I will obtain all the resources from this world. With system loopholes, I will also get redemption authority, and we will be well-off in the next world. Even for the poorest character, I can guarantee you a good life."
The only sound on the silent road was footsteps.
The system's voice continued, "So, you really don't want to treat your wound? Your blood is dripping on the ground." httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
001 had been with hosts for a long time and was a top scorer in points, having guided many hosts. However, he had never encountered someone like Wen Bai who was so indifferent to his own injuries.
Wen Bai's steps stopped. He stared at the bloodstains on the ground.
He had now reached the riverside. The cold night wind blew, and near the river, lights flickered, as if someone was smoking there.
"Lost him..."
"What?"
"The unqualified father."
The system beeped, and after a few seconds, "He's at a gambling den. There's a small path in the direction you're walking. You should turn there. Next time, you can just ask me directly."
Wen Bai didn't turn back. He simply found a place by the river and sat down.
He didn't want to return to that so-called home and be in the same room with that strange woman.
The flickering red dots by the river gradually extinguished. Footsteps sounded from afar and approached.
Wen Bai watched the blood dripping onto the ground, his vision shifting between clarity and blur, yet his mind was exceptionally clear.
A pair of shoes appeared in his field of vision, dirty shoes whose original appearance could no longer be discerned.
"Hey? Got any money on you? Lend some to us~" a coarse voice rang out from the person wearing the shoes.
Wen Bai didn't want to bother with them now. He was in a bad mood, "No."
"Hey, kid, you looking down on us brothers without even lifting your head? Hurry up and hand it over. We don't have much time or patience..."
Someone raised a foot and stepped on Wen Bai's shoulder, leaving a clear footprint on Wen Bai's white T-shirt. He was about to forcefully kick Wen Bai backward...
Wen Bai grabbed that foot with one hand and looked up coldly, "I told you I don't have money."
Wen Bai's skin was naturally pale. The bloodstains were a striking red. In the moonlight, half of his face was smeared with large patches of red, making him look particularly eerie. There were also scattered bloodstains on his collar.
"Damn..."
Those people were startled.
The person whose foot was grabbed was a young man with bright yellow hair, which was eye-catching even at night.
Startled, he forcefully kicked his leg to pull his foot back. Wen Bai leaned back with the momentum, and the man split into a horse stance with a heart-wrenching scream.
Seeing their companion in trouble, the few people who had been somewhat intimidated by Wen Bai looked at each other. Ignoring their discomfort, they rushed forward, wanting to save face for their companion.
Ten minutes later.
Wen Bai lowered his head slightly, "You guys have some, right?"
The bruised and swollen people on the ground trembled, "Big brother... What do you mean, big brother?"
"Money."
"..."
Wen Bai looked at the two hundred-plus yuan in his hand with some disdain, but it was better to have it than not at this moment.
He put the money in his pocket. At least he wouldn't have to spend the night by the roadside.
"Get up." Wen Bai kicked at the person on the ground.
"B-big brother, I really don't have any money, really!" As he spoke, the person turned his pockets inside out for Wen Bai to see. The others also quickly begged for mercy, all claiming they truly had no money.
A group of people walked on the quiet road. Four people walked together, keeping a distance from the last person. Wen Bai walked slowly behind. The people in front kept looking back. The scene looked somewhat strange.
Wen Bai genuinely didn't know the way. With people available, there was no need to call 001. He had originally just wanted someone to lead the way. He hadn't expected them to be so united, fearing he might do something, and insisted on coming along.
The group led Wen Bai towards a slightly more prosperous area, as per Wen Bai's request to find a place to stay for 200 yuan.
Halfway there, Wen Bai's vision became increasingly blurry, and his speed slowed down.
He paused, looked at the people ahead, and stopped.
"B-big brother?" One person looked back timidly. It was the one with the bright yellow hair who had stepped on Wen Bai's shoulder. They wanted to leave, but this guy was so slow; who knew how long it would take at this pace? Yet, he didn't dare to ask.
The group dared not approach Wen Bai. Without hearing Wen Bai's reply, they cautiously moved in his direction, stopping within 2 meters and unwilling to get any closer.
"Big brother, are we still going?" The yellow-haired man mustered some courage, took a few steps forward, and asked again.
Before Wen Bai could answer, he stumbled slightly and braced himself against the nearby railing.
The yellow-haired man's eyes darted around. He finally noticed something was wrong with Wen Bai. His eyes rolled, thinking about the 200 yuan they had lost. Was there a chance to get it back?
But he was also hesitant, considering how fierce that sickly-looking person was when fighting. His whole body ached, and the tearing sensation was painful with every step.
A gentle voice intervened, "What are you doing?"
Now was the time to run! Money could always be earned later.
The group quickly scattered like startled birds, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Wen Bai couldn't see the newcomer clearly, but the voice sounded a little familiar, yet indistinct, as if drifting from across a mountain.
He hadn't been in this world for long, and he hadn't spoken to many people. 001 hadn't warned him, so it wouldn't be the male protagonist.
The person he had beaten up in the bar's back alley wasn't so fond of meddling.
While he was still thinking, the person had arrived and steadied Wen Bai's swaying body, "Are you alright?"
Wen Bai's vision cleared slightly, and he could see the ground. He took a step back, trying to create distance from the person in front of him.
Before he could exert any force, the world spun.
This body's constitution was too poor...
The person in front, however, held him steady. Wen Bai stumbled into his embrace.
"You're injured," Wen Bai felt his hair being lifted from his forehead. "This wound needs to be treated. Can you walk?"
Wen Bai could barely hear his own voice, but it didn't stop him from speaking, "Stay away from me..."
"What did you say?" The person leaned closer, and Wen Bai felt his breath on his ear, warm and ticklish, making him uncomfortable.
He felt his body was so heavy.
This feeling of being out of control again, disgusting... abhorrent...
Wen Bai suddenly found some strength and tried to break free from the person's grip, "Stay away from me..."
The hand that was examining Wen Bai's wound paused. "I'm sorry, your wound needs immediate attention, or it will get infected."
With that, the person picked up the defenseless Wen Bai.