A Guide for Background Characters to Survive in a Manga

Chapter 18

Hearing his response, Mu Tieren's eyes lit up. Before he could press further, he heard the Yellow-Haired Boy sitting on the chair curiously ask in return: “But why would you ask me such a question?”

Mu Tieren did not hide anything: “I remember you told Jiang Tianming yesterday that he was the unluckiest person in this batch?”

Someone had indeed remembered what happened yesterday. Despite Mu Tieren’s rough and burly appearance, he was actually a very meticulous person.

At the time, he hadn’t thought much of the words Su Bei said to Jiang Tianming, only finding the content somewhat interesting. But combined with what happened to Jiang Tianming today, Mu Tieren suddenly felt that Su Bei’s words might not have been said casually.

After all, sitting next to a dead person in a crowded cafeteria and being unreasonably harassed and retaliated against by the deceased’s family because of discovering the body—such an event could indeed be called the unluckiest.

If someone had already foreseen this incident, perhaps there was also a way to resolve it.

Su Bei’s eyes flickered, and he lazily leaned back in his chair, smiling cynically: “That was just a joke. Don’t you think his black hair and eyes make him look a lot like a villain from a novel?”

At this point, he showed a disappointed expression: “Who would’ve thought he’d be a victim, huh.”

This reason sounded utterly unconvincing, but Mu Tieren did not press further. He only glanced worriedly toward the door: “I wonder if they can handle this matter properly.”

He had already figured out that just because Su Bei had a way didn’t mean Su Bei would help.

Hearing this, Su Bei looked at him thoughtfully: “The class monitor really cares about his classmates, doesn’t he.”

They had only known each other for two days at most, yet Mu Tieren was so genuinely concerned about others’ misfortunes. Was it just his personality, or was there something more to it?

Mu Tieren scratched his head, seemingly not picking up on the hidden meaning, and gave a simple, honest smile: “Well, I am the class monitor, after all.”

After he left, Feng Lan looked at Su Bei inquisitively and suddenly said: “You seemed a bit different from usual just now.”

Su Bei put down the phone he had been halfway through searching on, turned to look at him, and asked with interest: “How was I different?”

Feng Lan thought seriously for a moment, then shook his head: “I can’t quite put my finger on it.”

Su Bei chuckled silently, but he knew in his heart that the other was right. His behavior just now wasn’t entirely his own personality. No way around it—wanting to shine in the spotlight always required some adjustments.

That’s right, Su Bei figured that what just happened might be recorded by the manga, so naturally, he had to act a bit more in line with his character.

The reason for this guess was still because of the plot involving Meng Huai he saw today. If evaluating the protagonist would be recorded, what about discussing the protagonist behind their back?

Especially when one of the people involved was Mu Tieren, whom he believed would have some plot relevance later.

As they spoke, the bell for the end of class rang, and Jiang Tianming and Lan Subing finally returned. However, both of their expressions were grim, the latter visibly still fuming.

Adjusting his expression, Su Bei sidled over with a grin: “Care to let me in on the gossip?”

Feeling down, Jiang Tianming initially wanted to refuse. But something suddenly clicked, and his eyes lit up. The words on the tip of his tongue changed: “That hint about the future you gave yesterday—was it about this?”

“I don’t know either.” Su Bei shrugged, spreading his hands in a helpless gesture. “Can I get the gossip now?”

Jiang Tianming hesitated, exchanging a glance with Lan Subing, and finally nodded: “Alright, I’ll tell you.”

Soon, Su Bei learned the follow-up from Jiang Tianming.

The deceased, Sun Ming’s parents, were very wealthy, on par with the Lan Corporation. Sun Ming was their only child, born late in their lives, so when he died, they went mad with grief.

They also knew that if even the Endless Ability Academy couldn’t find the killer, their chances were slim to none. So, to vent their anger, the couple turned their sights on the defenseless Wu Mingbai.

The academy couldn’t protect him forever. Once Wu Mingbai left the school, he would very likely face retaliation from this unreasonable couple. But despite knowing their plan, since the couple hadn’t acted yet, the academy couldn’t do anything.

The final negotiation was that if the school could find the killer within two weeks, the couple would stop causing trouble. But if not…

As he said this, Jiang Tianming’s eyes burned with suppressed anger, his dark gaze looking somewhat intimidating. He was genuinely furious. The hardships he’d faced before at least had some justification, but this was completely undeserved.

After hearing the whole story, even Su Bei, who had long known the protagonist group would get involved, couldn’t help but twitch his lips. They were too pitiful, dealing with such a killer’s family. They had merely discovered the body, yet they had to bear the brunt of their unwarranted retaliation.

This was even worse than doctors harassed for failing to save a patient. At least doctors had some obligation, but they had none!

“So, what do you plan to do?” Su Bei asked with deep sympathy—though it was the kind of sympathy that cost nothing but companionship.

Hearing this, both of them looked dejected. If they weren’t still unfamiliar with Su Bei and possibly needing his help, Jiang Tianming might have rolled his eyes: “What else can we do? Work with the school to find the killer!”

Ever since the body was discovered yesterday, the entire school had been sealed by a barrier set up by ability users, allowing entry but no exit—not even a fly could escape. So even if the killer’s ability was to turn into mist, they were definitely still in the school.

Su Bei raised an eyebrow: “That’s it?”

As he asked, he called out in his mind to “Manga Consciousness”: “‘Manga Consciousness,’ are you there? Are protagonists not allowed to take revenge on others?”

“Manga Consciousness” appeared instantly: “This is a shonen manga. If the protagonist goes too far, it’ll affect the manga’s popularity.”

“So, they can still do something, right?” Su Bei’s lips curled into a smirk.

Jiang Tianming, in front of him, paused: “What do you mean?”

Then he gave a bitter smile: “What else can we do?”

He actually understood Su Bei’s implication—whether, in the face of the couple’s threats, all they could do was compromise.

But in reality, compromising was indeed their only option for now. The Sun family was a powerful enterprise, not something two orphans could confront. Once they left the school’s protection, they’d be as good as dead.

Lan Subing’s family could stand up to them, but it would likely end in mutual destruction. So as long as the couple didn’t target Lan Subing, her family wouldn’t act rashly. After all, Jiang Tianming and Wu Mingbai were just her companions, not worth too much effort.

“Did you know? The Sun family is a family enterprise, and that couple holds the top and second-in-command positions in their company,” Su Bei said slowly.

This was information he had just found on his phone. Large enterprises like this had some public information online.

Jiang Tianming looked puzzled, but a thoughtful glint flashed in Lan Subing’s eyes nearby.

Su Bei added another piece of public information: “To prevent the killer from escaping, the school is now in a state of entry-only, no exits. According to the demands of Sun’s parents, they’ll stay at the school for at least two weeks, possibly longer.”

Now Jiang Tianming vaguely grasped something, while Lan Subing, who had been trained by her family since childhood, asked with uncertainty: “You mean?!”

However, having said this much, Su Bei felt it was enough. Ignoring her question, he waved his hand and returned to his seat.

The moment he sat down, “Manga Consciousness” urgently asked: “Why did you do that? What’s in it for you to egg them on like this? If the protagonist group does something bad, the manga’s popularity will drop. If the author just drops or rushes the ending, you won’t come out on top either!”

It clearly understood what Su Bei meant. He had mentioned two pieces of information, but they could be combined into one: the Sun family was currently leaderless.

As long as Sun’s parents were cut off from the outside world, the Sun family enterprise would lack decision-makers. If they could find dirt on them during this time, a surprise attack could even deliver a fatal blow, bankrupting them outright!

It was precisely because it understood the plan in his words that “Manga Consciousness” was so anxious. This was a shonen manga, after all! What was with the protagonist group conspiring to harm others?

Readers often held protagonists to extremely high moral standards, especially in shonen manga. A protagonist with moral flaws could see their popularity plummet.

“Who said the protagonist group is doing something bad?” Su Bei showed a puzzled expression. “If they listen to me and use this time to dig up dirt on the Sun family, that’s doing society a favor!”

Hearing this, “Manga Consciousness” suddenly understood something: “You’re saying they’re breaking the law?”

Su Bei nodded with a smile: “A couple so arrogant, threatening innocent students without restraint—how could they possibly be law-abiding? Look for illegal activities, and you’ll catch them red-handed!”

“Manga Consciousness” thought it over and realized there really wasn’t any issue. If they could find evidence of the Sun family’s illegal actions and report it, that would be a perfectly justified retaliation. Not only would it avoid moral problems, but it could also give readers the thrill of a strategic revenge.

“But I still have one question.” After a long silence, “Manga Consciousness” spoke again. “What’s in it for you?”

The author’s original design was for the protagonist group to find the killer, with Sun’s parents tearfully apologizing. Though Su Bei didn’t know this outcome, most people could guess something close.

Either result made no difference to him. “Manga Consciousness,” based on its observations, thought Su Bei was a self-interested person. So why would he urge the protagonist group to retaliate against Sun’s parents?

“If the mountain won’t come to me, I’ll go to the mountain. I’ve already used up most of the info I got before. If I don’t do this, where’s my manga screen time?” Su Bei said, as if it were obvious.

But what he didn’t say was that this was just a reason he made up on the spot. The real reason was that he couldn’t stand the parents’ behavior. After all, with his own parents being soldiers, how could he not have a sense of justice?

But justice was something to keep to himself. Saying it out loud would make it easy for “Manga Consciousness” to manipulate him. Letting it think he was a self-interested person was far more beneficial than letting it know he was a good guy.

Honestly, if the protagonist group didn’t need to maintain a righteous image, his revenge plan would’ve been to use the killer to take out Sun’s parents.

Seeing Su Bei successfully get the juicy first-hand gossip, other classmates couldn’t help but gather around to ask about the situation.

Unfortunately, Jiang Tianming had things on his mind and brushed them off hastily before discussing Su Bei’s suggestion with Lan Subing.

Originally, he’d thought that if they couldn’t find the killer by the deadline, they’d find a way to kill Sun’s parents before they left the school.

But after hearing Su Bei’s words, Jiang Tianming suddenly realized that causing trouble for their company during this time was the real solution. It wouldn’t involve the crime of murder and could still neutralize the threat.

After all, didn’t Sun’s parents dare to threaten them so brazenly because of their company?

Lan Subing quietly reassured him: “My parents won’t oppose the Sun family for our sake and harm their own interests. But taking down the Sun family while they’re away? That’s fair business competition. They won’t refuse.”

It was her own narrow thinking, only considering that opposing the Sun family would harm the company, not realizing that handling this well could also bring benefits.

A fair fight was a 50-50 shot, but a sneak attack while they were leaderless? That was an 80-20 advantage, with them holding the 80.

“Let’s go talk to Mingbai!” Jiang Tianming stood up decisively.

When they’d parted earlier, he could tell Wu Mingbai was in a bad mood. Though the guy put on a cheerful front, how could the two who knew him well miss the gloom in his eyes?

He wasn’t exactly a kind person to begin with, and being targeted and retaliated against by the deceased’s family for simply finding a body in the cafeteria must have made him furious.

That’s why they hadn’t comforted him directly earlier, choosing instead to let him cool off alone while they figured out what to do.

Now that they had a good plan, they naturally had to go discuss it with him.

On the sports field, Wu Mingbai looked excited, his orange eyes brimming with energy: “This is really a great idea! If executed well, it could completely bankrupt those scumbags, even land them in jail! Who came up with it?”

Jiang Tianming and Lan Subing exchanged a glance: “…Su Bei. It was Su Bei who tipped us off.”

At that, Wu Mingbai’s excitement faded considerably: “Su Bei? Why would he… A-Jiang, you didn’t make another deal with him, did you?”

Jiang Tianming shook his head, also puzzled: “On the contrary, he gave us the suggestion proactively after asking about the situation, without asking for anything.”

“I think he’s paying for the ticket,” Lan Subing guessed. “We told him what happened next, and he gave us a suggestion we needed. Isn’t that just like our previous deal?”

“Makes sense!” Jiang Tianming had a sudden realization. He’d been willing to tell Su Bei the follow-up mainly because he thought they might need his help later. He hadn’t expected such an unexpected gain.

“But either way, I owe him for this,” Wu Mingbai said, rare seriousness replacing his usual facade in front of his two friends.

He wasn’t someone who didn’t know gratitude. Many things were judged by actions, not intentions. Regardless of Su Bei’s motives, this tip was extremely useful. Compared to his two friends, he was far more vengeful. A tip for retaliating against Sun’s parents meant more to him than one about the killer’s identity.

Jiang Tianming and Lan Subing understood his meaning and nodded: “If there’s a chance, we’ll repay this favor.”

With things clarified, the three stopped dwelling on it. Jiang Tianming said: “We have a plan, but we need specific steps. Subing, contact your family to investigate if the Sun family’s company has any illegal activities, like tax evasion—that’s the easiest way to get them locked up. On the surface, we don’t tip them off and keep investigating. Finding the killer is still the best outcome.”

“One more thing,” Wu Mingbai said, a glint in his eyes. “Steal their phones to completely cut off their contact with the outside world.”

If they could still freely communicate with the outside world, even if they were trapped in the school, it wouldn’t have much impact. They could still give orders as usual.

Only by completely cutting off these two true leaders from receiving timely and accurate information, creating a time gap, could they deal the heaviest blow.

In other words, they didn’t need to ensure Sun’s parents had no phones—after all, they could borrow from other teachers. They just needed to make sure they didn’t have a fixed, reliable phone number to receive calls promptly.

The time gap was the most critical.

The other two had overlooked this point but nodded in agreement after a moment’s thought. Jiang Tianming said: “No need to rush. They brought a few bodyguards. First, find out how many phones these people have in total before acting. Early on, if we’re careful, their company shouldn’t notice our little moves. Once they catch on, we steal their phones.”

Soon, the three divided tasks and split up. Jiang Tianming went to request leave from the teacher while gathering details about the situation. Lan Subing negotiated with her parents, and Wu Mingbai investigated how many phones Sun’s parents had.

Meng Huai was in the office and wasn’t surprised to see Jiang Tianming knock: “You’re here to request leave?”

Jiang Tianming nodded, explaining while glancing at the Class D teacher: “Until this matter is resolved, we can’t focus on classes. It’s better to find the killer quickly. So, I’d like to request leave for the three of us.”

Considering academic priorities, the Class D teacher pondered for a moment: “I know you’re eager to find the killer, and the school is working hard on the investigation. You don’t need to worry too much. Although Sun’s parents set a two-week deadline, the school can protect you for three years. As long as the killer is found within those three years, they shouldn’t keep targeting you.”

That made sense, but Jiang Tianming’s heart didn’t ease. Sure, they’d be safe for three years, but what about the other kids in the orphanage?

The school protecting them was already generous; it definitely wouldn’t extend to others. If the killer was found but the orphanage was gone, he couldn’t accept that outcome.

Besides, the school could only stay sealed for two weeks. After that, it would reopen, and the killer might escape. Even if they knew the killer’s identity, catching them would be uncertain. And if the killer wasn’t caught, Sun’s parents might keep targeting them.

“Teacher, I still hope we can find the killer as soon as possible,” Jiang Tianming said, his gaze resolute. “Can we bring in some detective ability users to investigate?”

Detective ability users typically had abilities suited for investigation, like retracing a deceased person’s death process or contacting their soul, which were crucial for solving cases.

Meng Huai nodded: “We’re already reaching out. However, detective ability users are very busy. The only one who can arrive within two weeks is expected the day after tomorrow. Their ability is [Soul Communication], which can contact the deceased’s soul. We’ll know the killer then.”

The day after tomorrow—there was plenty of time. Jiang Tianming breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that finding the killer shouldn’t be too hard. For him, resolving this matter was the priority; revenge came second. If they could find the killer, he could accept not retaliating against Sun’s parents.

The Class D teacher smiled: “Don’t worry too much. It shouldn’t be hard to resolve. So, we won’t approve the leave for now. Until that ability user arrives, attend classes properly. There’s nothing for you to worry about. We’ll handle everything once they’re here.”

At that time, almost everyone thought this drama would end quickly. Though curious, the students considerately avoided asking too much.

Only Su Bei occasionally watched them with a look of enjoying the show, making the trio’s hearts sink whenever they noticed his gaze, a bad premonition rising.

That look seemed to hint that things were far from over.

The bad premonition became reality when the detective arrived.

He couldn’t summon the deceased’s soul!

“I’m sorry, my ability can’t affect the deceased,” the detective said, shaking his head, brows furrowed. He rarely encountered this. “It’s like they’re under ‘Ability Suppression.’”

“‘Ability Suppression’ means what?” Wu Mingbai promptly raised his hand to ask. Though slightly out of place, his innocent appearance made it seem natural.

Since he couldn’t contribute, the detective explained: “It means no abilities can be used on this deceased.”

He then suggested: “Perhaps you could find an ability user who can rewind time to replay what happened in the cafeteria. That might make it easier to find the killer.”

That was true, but the problem was that the earliest available appointment for such an ability user was a month away. While they could jump the queue at a high cost, the school clearly wouldn’t go that far for a few Class F students.

Besides, as Meng Huai had said, as long as the killer was found within three years, Jiang Tianming and the others wouldn’t face retaliation. As for the orphans behind them, who cared?

After learning this, Jiang Tianming, Lan Subing, and Wu Mingbai all frowned, realizing the school likely wouldn’t offer much help.

“Why not suspect the killer has an ability to block other abilities?” Jiang Tianming asked suspiciously. “If that’s the case, finding the killer should be easy!”

Ability users’ abilities had to be registered. Failing to register and being discovered was akin to breaking the law. If they knew the killer’s ability, finding them wouldn’t be hard.

Meng Huai sighed: “That possibility exists, but it’s very unlikely. First, abilities that block other abilities are extremely rare, and the few known ones are busy with their jobs and haven’t left their posts.”

“Second, while the cafeteria’s internal cameras were broken, there are plenty of cameras outside. The school’s buildings are made of special materials, so abilities like phasing through walls don’t work. The only way into the cafeteria is through the main entrance—not even the windows. But the entrance cameras didn’t catch any suspicious figures. The only explanation is that the killer used an ability to evade the external cameras. If they have an ability to avoid cameras, they likely don’t have another ability.”

Wu Mingbai sharply spotted a loophole: “You can only enter the cafeteria through the entrance, but what about leaving?”

“There are indeed many ways to leave the cafeteria, like through the back door or windows. After all, the cost of materials that block both entry and exit would be too high,” Meng Huai said honestly.

After a moment’s hesitation, he opened his computer and clicked on a video: “Look, this is the surveillance footage from the cafeteria entrance, recording the time before and after the deceased’s death.”

In the footage, Sun Ming leisurely walked into the cafeteria. Not long after, more students gradually arrived. The footage ended when Jiang Tianming and the others entered.

“Sun Ming was the first student to come to the cafeteria for dinner. Before he arrived, only the kitchen staff were there. Per regulations, the staff leave through the back door, and we’ve confirmed they didn’t break any rules.”

The trio’s expressions were grim. Anyone would be in a bad mood knowing a sure thing had slipped away. The school wouldn’t keep wasting time in these two weeks, the killer’s trail had gone cold, and now they could only rely on themselves.

Finally, Jiang Tianming spoke heavily: “Then, Teacher, since the school can’t find the killer in the short term, we hope to have freedom of movement these two weeks to try and find the killer as soon as possible.”

Unlike the dean, who decided to handle this a month later, Meng Huai, who also came from humble beginnings, understood their concerns and nodded without hesitation: “Alright.”

The Class D teacher glanced at him and finally agreed: “Fine, but I have conditions. Wu Mingbai, you can skip classes for these two weeks, but you’ll need to catch up on the coursework afterward.”

In his view, Class F students learning or not didn’t matter much; 99% of them wouldn’t become real ability users after graduation.

But Class D students were different; their abilities were useful. Wu Mingbai’s ability even had potential for higher classes, and the teacher didn’t want this matter to hold him back.

Prompted by this, Meng Huai suddenly remembered: “Right, right, you two as well. After these two weeks, catch up on your classes, or you’ll be in trouble!”

Leaving the office, the three exchanged glances and headed to Class F. For now, the person most likely to know something about this was definitely Su Bei.

His behavior lately had practically screamed that he knew something.

Entering Class F, Su Bei was still in the corner. But next to him was a red-haired boy, Mo Xiaotian from Class A.

These past few days, Mo Xiaotian had been a frequent visitor to Class F, often dropping by. His lively and cheerful personality made him friendly with everyone. Combined with being a strong Class A student, he quickly won the affection of the entire class, including Jiang Tianming and Lan Subing.

The only one who didn’t like him was Wu Mingbai, who said: “We’re clashing character types!”

Hearing such shameless words, even Lan Subing, who usually kept her complaints to herself, couldn’t help but blurt out: “Stop piggybacking on his little sun vibe, okay?”

Back to the present.

The trio approached Su Bei’s seat. Jiang Tianming first said to Mo Xiaotian: “Xiaotian, we need to talk to Su Bei about something.”

Mo Xiaotian, who had been happily chatting one-sidedly with Su Bei, blinked: “Oh? Do you want me to leave now?”

“Yeah, seems like you’re not welcome here,” Wu Mingbai said with a sunny smile, his words dripping with shade.

Jiang Tianming unhesitatingly smacked the back of his head, then shook his head: “Ignore him. No need, you can stay. Su Bei, can you step outside with us?”

Finally able to escape the chatterbox, Su Bei raised an eyebrow, stood up knowingly, and said somewhat eagerly: “Let’s go.”

He was genuinely regretting showing kindness to Mo Xiaotian that day. The guy was indeed a little sun, but as everyone knew, manga little suns often came with the traits of “not understanding human speech” and “talkativeness.”

He couldn’t fathom if it was because he was the first to directly show Mo Xiaotian kindness, but these past few days, he’d been utterly overwhelmed by the guy.

Su Bei genuinely couldn’t understand how Mo Xiaotian could talk nonstop for ten minutes about a trivial matter like “a fresh rose always appearing on Si Zhaohua’s desk every class.”

He’d had enough!

Leaving the classroom for the sports field, the field was dotted with a few students, but its vast size made it feel empty.

They found a quiet corner with fitness equipment. Jiang Tianming and the others sat on sit-up benches, while Su Bei effortlessly flipped onto a pull-up bar, dangling his legs: “So, what’s up?”

Jiang Tianming, who had already planned, got straight to the point: “Do you know who the killer is?”

Hearing this, Su Bei froze for a moment, then raised an eyebrow, surprised he’d ask so bluntly.

Likely realizing his question was abrupt, Jiang Tianming quickly explained: “I just want to have some assurance.”

Su Bei understood.

If he knew, they could trade for that information, giving them a safety net. With their companions’ safety at stake, even someone as calm as Jiang Tianming couldn’t help but feel anxious.

But unfortunately, he didn’t know.

“I don’t know,” Su Bei answered honestly. He had no need to lie here. As for whether Jiang Tianming would overthink this answer, that wasn’t his concern.

True or not, the response was reasonable. Jiang Tianming wasn’t too disappointed and instead invited: “Want to investigate with us? Watching the show is more fun when you’re in it, right?”

He’d thought it through. From Su Bei’s previous behavior, he at least had no ill intent toward them in this matter. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have tipped them off about targeting Sun’s parents’ company during this time.

If that was the case, bringing in someone as capable as Su Bei would surely help find the killer.

“Quick, agree to him! Quick, agree to him!” The voice of “Manga Consciousness” suddenly rang out, sounding urgent. It hoped Su Bei would join the protagonist group soon, getting closer to the main storyline.

But to its surprise, Su Bei refused: “If a spectator steps onto the stage, they become the performer. That… would be boring.”

As he spoke, his brows slightly furrowed, his purple eyes dark and deep, filled with an inexplicable weariness. The usual lively expression was replaced by a detached, world-weary air.

Being rejected was normal, but Su Bei’s fleeting strange demeanor caught Jiang Tianming off guard. Why did he show such an expression? Was his invitation somehow troubling to Su Bei?

Unfortunately, that look vanished quickly, and Su Bei’s face soon wore a smile again: “Find the killer and attend classes properly. I don’t want teammates who drag us down during the monthly exams.”

With that, he seemed to lose interest in talking, lazily waved his hand, and turned to leave.

Watching his back, Jiang Tianming blinked.

“Find the killer afterward”?

Was he so sure they’d find the killer?

On the other side, “Manga Consciousness” was still nagging in Su Bei’s ear: “Why refuse? Weren’t you always eager to get close to the protagonist group? Now you finally have such a great opportunity—the protagonist invited you himself! How could you say no?”

“Why are you so anxious?” Su Bei suddenly countered, annoyed by the pestering.

“Manga Consciousness”’s voice abruptly stopped.

Caught off guard, huh? Su Bei gave a light scoff: “It’s only been two weeks since school started. Even if I joined the protagonist group, there’s no way we’d start tackling power balance issues yet. So why are you so eager? Why do you want me to join them so badly?”

“I just thought that joining the protagonist group would give you more screen time, making it easier to mislead readers,” “Manga Consciousness” explained.

But this explanation didn’t convince the skeptic: “You know my goal is to mislead readers about my ability! If I need them to misjudge my ability, I just have to show up at key moments to display it. The more I say, the more likely I’ll slip up. More screen time could make me more suspicious. You wouldn’t miss that, would you?”

After two seconds of silence with no response from “Manga Consciousness,” Su Bei dropped the smile, his eyes calm as still water: “Be honest. We’re partners now. If you don’t want me to slack off, I suggest you don’t lie to me.”

“…Alright, I do have some selfish motives,” “Manga Consciousness” finally admitted. “I hope you can build more bonds with the protagonist group, so your resolve to save the world will be stronger.”

From reviving Su Bei until now, “Manga Consciousness” hadn’t strongly felt his desire to save the world. Though his current actions were methodically misleading readers to grow stronger, it felt a large part of his effort was to avoid dying as a cannon fodder. Once he escaped that doomed fate, he might let loose and stop caring about the world.

So it hoped Su Bei would join the protagonist group, ideally being inspired by Jiang Tianming and the others’ charisma, genuinely wanting to save the world.

Su Bei neither confirmed nor denied this answer, but suddenly, as if struck by a whim, asked: “If I suddenly tied Jiang Tianming and the others up and took them to the Arctic, what would happen?”

“Huh?”

“Manga Consciousness” was baffled, not understanding how the topic jumped here: “Don’t be impulsive! If my behavior upset you, I’ll apologize. Don’t mess with the plot.”

“I’m not planning to do it, just curious,” Su Bei said with an utterly innocent expression. “Would the manga switch protagonists? Or would it shift to drawing Jiang Tianming and their Arctic life?”

He truly had no intention of doing it, just exploring a possibility. If the main storyline could be derailed so drastically, it meant many things could also be changed.

Skeptical of his rebuttal, “Manga Consciousness” observed him for a while, finding no flaws, and reluctantly answered: “Neither. Plot inertia would pull everything back to the main storyline. If you took them to the Arctic, the school’s next event might just happen there. But that said, the plot wouldn’t even let you take them out of the school. Even if you tried, you’d definitely fail.”

“I see,” Su Bei nodded thoughtfully, chuckling. “I really don’t have that idea. No need to be so wary.”

He was just thinking that if the main storyline couldn’t be changed, joining the protagonist group would mean plot inertia would entangle him with the main plot. Especially since Su Bei was tied to the “Destiny” line, he’d be even more susceptible to plot influence. As a bystander, he could stay rational, but as a member of the protagonist group, his thinking would inevitably shift. Then, many outcomes would be beyond his control.

Was that “Manga Consciousness”’s plan?

No, if it were just that, “Manga Consciousness” wouldn’t have answered his earlier question honestly. With Su Bei’s limited knowledge of the manga world, hiding things from him wouldn’t be hard.

Su Bei boldly guessed that “Manga Consciousness” answered honestly because its stated reason for wanting him to join the protagonist group was true—at least, it believed that was its true motive.

But in reality, that motive itself was influenced by the world. Though unaware, all of “Manga Consciousness”’s actions were for the sake of this manga world.

Just like before, when “Manga Consciousness” had unconsciously tried to manipulate him but promptly apologized after being called out, proving it didn’t mean to do so—it just hadn’t realized its mistake.

It was all subconscious at work.

This discovery wasn’t good news for Su Bei. If “Manga Consciousness” had malicious intent, that’d be fine. For someone as perceptive as him, malice was like a black dot on white paper—easy to spot.

But Manga Consciousness wasn’t malicious. It was influenced by its subconscious, unaware its actions were harmful, even believing it was helping him. This well-intentioned manipulation couldn’t trigger his radar, so he had to rely on his own judgment.

Still, this wasn’t bad news. Manga Consciousness genuinely meant well toward Su Bei, which was a good thing. They were partners now, and if they had conflicting motives or infighting, that’d be real trouble.

Since Manga Consciousness was unknowingly swayed by the world, he just needed to ensure it didn’t affect him.

Nodding to himself, Su Bei set aside his sorted thoughts and returned to the main issue. He said firmly: “I won’t join the protagonist group.”