Chapter 2 02
The main character is already in a bad mood, so what's the point of doing any missions?
Should we collect his skin fragments?
The system finally accepted the reality, wailing mournfully: [The protagonist is dead. The novel world will restart in five minutes!]
[Host, we must protect him as soon as possible after the reboot!!]
"Okay." Tan Quelu agreed, kicking aside the mangled skin fragments at her feet, and asked curiously, "So as long as the protagonist dies, a second playthrough can be started?"
Like reloading a save file and starting over in a game?
The system, choking back tears, honestly replied: "Theoretically, that's correct, but this world has limited energy. We can only reload three times in total, and each reload only returns us to five minutes before our death."
Tan Quelu said "oh," noted down the rule, and, with five minutes left before the restart, looked up to observe the St. Weston students in front of her.
A living person was hit and killed right in front of them; these seventeen or eighteen-year-old teenagers should have been terrified.
However, it was visibly clear that while most students were frightened and disgusted, and hurried away, there was no sense of despair or impending doom in their eyes. The perpetrator, Zhong Wan, even sped straight into the school without looking back, displaying extreme arrogance.
Not long after, the security captain in uniform arrived with his men, his face extremely grim: "Clean this place up... Call Principal Zhou and General Manager Zhong. Also, the photos and videos must not be leaked."
Tan Quelu overheard several students nearby laughing and talking.
"Zhong Wan has always been sensitive about people talking about her beloved motorcycle. Did that special admission student have some nerve?"
"Special admissions students, they're all idiots. I heard that Uncle Zhong Wan won the Tashan project, tsk tsk, he must be having a hard time at home lately."
"What should we do with this person? It's so unlucky for him to die."
"Oh, the Zhong family will handle it. Golden Dome Group is an internet company, isn't it..."
Tan Quelu squatted down, helping the security guard tidy up Xia Xing's fragments while carefully memorizing this information.
The original novel follows Xia Xing's perspective, focusing on his interactions with the F3 members and rarely mentioning the power and background of the other students at the school. Perhaps because of this, the system is also completely unaware of this aspect.
St. Weston School is a gathering place for the elite. From what I've seen so far, all you have to do to survive here until graduation is act like a dog without any self-respect.
It's difficult to protect someone.
More information about F3 is needed to discuss the Green.
He handed Xia Xing's blood-stained backpack to the security guard, and when he looked up again, his expression was one of fear and sorrow.
He whispered to the security guards who were cleaning up the debris, "Auntie, thank you for your hard work."
The security guard saw his appearance, sighed and said he was fine, urging him to leave quickly: "You're also a special admission student, right? Don't bother tidying up, or those young masters and ladies will remember you."
Tan Quelu pursed her lips, her long eyelashes trembling slightly, and nodded vigorously: "I know, but Xia Xing is my friend, I can't just ignore him..."
His dark pupils glistened with tears, and his eyes were moist: "Why is Zhong Wan so arrogant? Isn't she afraid of being sued?"
Photos can be prevented from being leaked, but how can a human life be so easily erased?
The security guard sighed again, looked around, and then said in a low voice, "I know you're sad, but the special admissions students are all selected from orphanages funded by the board of directors. Who dares to sue them?"
As for Zhong Wan...
Before the security guard could say anything more, his gaze fell on a black Cullinan not far away, and he suddenly gasped in surprise.
If I had to use a metaphor, it would be even more astonishing than Xia Xing being blown into tempura right in front of her.
She couldn't spare any more time to comfort Tan Quelu, and immediately walked towards the security captain. The two of them talked for a while, and their expressions became tense and serious.
The system, still reeling from its cyber-mourning state, choked out a reminder: [Host, we're restarting in ten seconds! We have to be quick this time!]
Tan Quelu nodded and stood still, her gaze following the tense security captain.
A black Cullinan pulled up in front of the school, and a tall young man quickly stepped out of the passenger seat. He was also wearing the St. Weston School uniform, and had striking good looks, with a handsome face slightly turned to the side and a gentle smile in his eyes.
The security captain quickly greeted him and stood respectfully by the side of the car, waiting. A few seconds later, the rear window slowly rolled down.
Tan Quelu saw a man sitting in the car, dressed in an expensive suit, with young and handsome features; objectively speaking, he was strikingly handsome.
His expression remained calm and indifferent.
It's a kind of composure that only those at the top of power can possess.
Tan Quelu remembered this seemingly pretentious person.
Just as he was about to look away, the man was very perceptive. He quickly shifted his gaze to the side and accurately met Tan Quelu's eyes at the school gate.
His black pupils were calm.
Tan Quelu wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and calmly sobbed for a moment.
The next moment.
[Congratulations, host! The world has been successfully restarted!]
...
Summers in Vis City are dry and hot.
Xia Xing held the orange cat in her arms and inexplicably felt a phantom pain in her body.
Strange, he's always been very healthy, a legendary high-energy person, how could he be in pain?
The thought flashed through Xia Xing's mind, but he quickly came back to his senses, looked at the motorcycle boy in front of him, and his expression became serious.
"Stop! Who are you? You think you can just run away after bumping into a cat?"
The bustling school gate fell silent instantly.
All eyes were on Xia Xing, but she seemed oblivious, still confronting Zhong Wan, her brown pupils filled with stubbornness, as vibrant as wild grass.
Zhong Wan narrowed her eyes impatiently, but before she could tell him to get lost...
"Xia Xing!"
A voice suddenly broke into the standoff.
Xia Xing was startled and subconsciously turned his head to look. A few meters away, he saw a strange boy wearing a short-sleeved shirt running towards him from the sidewalk.
Sunlight fell on the boy's porcelain-white face, his hair soft, as if God had automatically slowed down his movements, making him breathtakingly beautiful.
The orange cat in Xia Xing's arms stopped struggling and let out a blank meow.
Xia Xing was also stunned. He only spoke after Tan Quelu ran up to him: "...Are you calling me?"
“Yes,” Tan Quelu smiled brightly at him, handing him a Paradise umbrella from her bag, slightly out of breath, “We’re from the same orphanage, you forgot?”
"Look, your umbrella is still with me."
As the cannon fodder roommate of the protagonist, Tan Quelu certainly has a status.
He and Xia Xing both came from an orphanage called Seagull, and were raised with the support of a conglomerate. However, Xia Xing, as one of the top ten students in the city, was recruited by St. Weston Academy at a high price to serve as its face, while Xia Xing, who was ranked in the top 500 in the city, was just a bonus.
Xia Xing looked at the red checkered umbrella, blinked, and said, puzzled, "But this umbrella isn't mine."
"I don't want to."
The color scheme of this umbrella is so tacky.
Although he was born in a bird welfare home and lacked parental love, he was well-liked by influential figures involved in philanthropy, who showered him with expensive gifts from a young age. As a result, Xia Xing's judgment was far superior to that of ordinary people.
Only poor people like these flashy colors.
Rich people all go for sophisticated Morandi color schemes; that's called old-money style.
Tan Quelu noticed the hidden disdain in the protagonist's eyes, gave a soft "oh," put the umbrella back in her bag, and seemed a little embarrassed: "Then maybe I remembered wrong... It's okay, let's go report together."
These umbrellas were all handmade by Tan Quelu. Most of the prison orders came from the factory. During his three years in prison, these were all the umbrellas Tan Quelu could make.
Perhaps his smile was forced.
The system suddenly spoke up: [Host, pull the protagonist to the side of the road, then wait for the F1 car to enter the school.]
I saw red Christmas trees and colorful fireworks on my retina.
The system replied earnestly: "I think the red checkered pattern is very pretty, like Santa's gifts, it's lively."
Tan Quelu pursed her lips, thanked it gratefully, and then, following the system's instructions, pulled Xia Xing to the side of the road.
He looked at Zhong Wan and apologized in a very good-natured manner: "I'm sorry, my friend acted impulsively. I apologize on his behalf. This student, you can go now."
Zhong Wan glanced at Tan Quelu and, through the heavy helmet, could faintly smell a cheap soapy odor emanating from him.
It has a pungent smell.
He looked away, tightened his wrist deftly, and the engine roared to life.
They actually let Xia Xing go like that.
The system breathed a sigh of relief and praised Tan Quelu: "Host is both capable and kind; truly the pure and innocent lotus I chose!"
Tan Quelu pursed her lips shyly.
Xia Xing, standing next to him, was glaring at him, practically bursting with rage!
The boy flung Tan Quelu's hand away, ignoring the cat struggling and running away from his arms. He took two steps to block the motorcycle, glaring angrily at Tan Quelu: "Are you alright? This is ridiculous. He's just a rich man, why are you fawning over him like this??"
"Do you know he almost killed that cat? Do you think money is more important than a small life?!"
Tan Quelu paused, clenching her fingers tightly: "I just don't want you to get hurt, Xia Xing. We can't afford to mess with these people. I'm begging you, let's go..."
Xia Xing sneered: "Coward."
"He's just a motorcycle enthusiast, what's so great about him? It's laughable to put your pride in such childish and brainless tricks—"
Bang.
The boy's last words hadn't faded.
Tan Quelu kicked him in the knee and quickly took a big step back. At the same time, the black motorcycle roared violently and crashed into the terrified boy with a loud bang, instantly smashing him to pieces.
Everything happened in just a few seconds.
Familiar fragments flying everywhere.
Warm blood slid down Tan Quelu's porcelain-white cheeks, like tears of blood.
The system froze for a moment, then emitted a sharp, loud bang: [It exploded again!!]
The person who started this did not leave.
The motorcycle roared back, crushing Xia Xing's body as it sputtered, and suddenly stopped in front of Tan Quelu.
Zhong Wan's face was hidden under her helmet as she stared mockingly at the man covered in blood, her voice cold and harsh: "Why don't you go keep your friend company?"
He noticed his subtle actions.
Tan Quelu didn't answer, and turned to look at the roadside.
After a delay of almost five minutes, the familiar black Cullinan finally arrived.
Tan Quelu turned around and, without warning, stepped forward and kicked the pretentious Zhong Wan off the motorcycle.
The students watching gasped in shock.
Taking advantage of the moment Zhong Wan fell, Tan Quelu pounced on him, slamming her knees hard against his firm, hard abs, and clamping her hands around his neck, asking in a low voice, "Whose car is that black Cullinan by the roadside?"
F2 or F3?
The system couldn't distinguish them at all; it only knew that all three of them were in this storyline.
Zhong Wan was caught off guard and restrained. The feeling of suffocation, coupled with the tighter constriction of the helmet, caused the veins in her neck to bulge instantly.
He realized that the boy in front of him really intended to strangle him—Tan Quelu's grip was very strong, and although the calluses on his fingertips and pads had become much shallower, there were still traces of gun use.
With a life in his hands, the man's expression remained completely unchanged, his hand as steady as a chicken's head.
Zhong Wan dared not pretend any longer; his survival instincts compelled him to speak with difficulty: "The Wei...Wei family..."
Wei family?
F3 Wei Zhiyan's family is one of the three top wealthy families in Vis City. In the original novel, it was only mentioned that the Wei family mainly focuses on AI, and its Eden Group has products all over the country, making its power extremely terrifying.
Just then, the security captain finally arrived with his team, albeit belatedly.
But to Tan Quelu's surprise.
The captain only sent four of his men to Zhong Wan's side to persuade and threaten Tan Quelu. She herself led the rest of the group forward and, just like in the first playthrough, waited respectfully outside the back seat of the Cullinan.
Tan Quelu was taken aback and looked at Zhong Wan: "Your life doesn't seem to be worth more than Xia Xing's, does it?"
Zhong Wan was furious!
He suppressed his surging anger and curses, gasped for breath, and said in a hoarse voice, "That license plate belongs to... President Wei! Cough cough... It's only right to welcome him first, what do you know!"
Tan Quelu was genuinely surprised.
He thought the world was crazy. Wasn't the F3 group supposed to be equal? How come when this Boss Wei came along, Zhong Wan felt that Boss Wei's pretentious image was more important than her own life?
It's too distorted.
A distorted world and its inhabitants should not exist.
This world should be absolutely wonderful.
Tan Quelu looked at Zhong Wan and asked him, "Why are you in a bad mood today? You wouldn't normally kill someone, would you? Otherwise, the Zhong family would have locked you up in a mental hospital long ago."
Zhong Wan glared at him through her helmet, gritting her teeth: "...My uncle won the project from Tashan Group, and my dad forced me to ask Xie Chenbi. How could I possibly ask him!"
Xie Chenbi is F2, and his family mainly deals in the medical field, with the Tashan Group under its umbrella. Xie Chenbi is the only son of the Xie family, and he will definitely inherit the family business in the future.
How could Zhong Wan possibly ask him on her own initiative? It would only make her look inferior.
Tan Quelu gave a meaningful "oh".
Zhong Wan was furious. Tan Quelu forced him to talk about several unspoken rules of St. Weston School. Realizing that Tan Quelu clearly wanted to continue studying at St. Weston, he immediately felt that he had been tricked and started cursing.
Tan Quelu was too lazy to listen and only asked, "What is President Wei's full name?"
Zhong Wan stared at Tan Quelu with a look that seemed to want to tear Tan Quelu to pieces, as if she would kill him the moment he let go.
“Wei Guan”.
Tan Quelu nodded and repeated, "Wei Guan."
I've got it.
After saying that, he raised his hand and snapped Zhong Wan's neck.
A distorted world and its inhabitants should not exist.
So just go die already.
Security personnel and onlookers froze, staring blankly at Zhong Wan's head, which was rotating 180 degrees, completely dumbfounded.
A few seconds later, terrified screams erupted one after another.
The security captain noticed something was wrong, frowned and turned his head, and the window in the back seat of the black Cullinan rolled down at the right moment.
Wei Guan glanced sideways, his handsome features unwavering, as he looked towards the chaotic screams of the crowd.
Tan Quelu just stood up and turned around.
Their eyes met.
The boy wiped away the blood and tears from the corners of his eyes and calmly sobbed a little.
Still innocent and pure.
The next moment.
The world has successfully restarted!
A note from the author:
Meanwhile, Xia Xing was incontinently looking at the system from the sky (not...).
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Seeing so many familiar IDs, I'm so touched (crying)
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