A Guide for Background Characters to Survive in a Manga

Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Hearing his answer, Mu Tieren’s eyes lit up. Before he could ask further, the blond boy sitting in the chair curiously asked, “But why would you ask me such a question?”

Mu Tieren didn’t hide anything. “I remember you told Jiang Tianming yesterday that he’s the unluckiest person in this generation?”

It seems someone did remember what happened yesterday. Despite Mu Tieren’s burly appearance, he’s actually quite observant.

At the time, he didn’t think much of what Su Bei said to Jiang Tianming, only finding the words somewhat interesting. But after seeing what happened to Jiang Tianming today, Mu Tieren suddenly felt that Su Bei’s words might not have been random.

After all, sitting next to a dead body in a crowded cafeteria, discovering the deceased, and then being harassed by the victim’s unreasonable family for it could indeed be considered incredibly unlucky.

If someone had already predicted this, maybe there’s also a way to resolve it.

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

He then showed a disappointed expression. “Didn’t expect him to be a victim instead.”

The reason sounded completely unreliable, but Mu Tieren didn’t press further. He just glanced worriedly toward the door. “I wonder if they can handle this situation.”

He could already tell that just because Su Bei might have a solution didn’t mean he would offer to help.

Hearing this, Su Bei looked at him thoughtfully. “You’re really a caring class monitor.”

They’d only known each other for two days, yet Mu Tieren was already showing genuine concern for others. Was it just his nature, or was there something more to it?

Mu Tieren scratched his head, seemingly not catching the hidden meaning in Su Bei’s words, and smiled honestly. “Well, I am the class monitor, after all.”

After Mu Tieren left, Feng Lan gave Su Bei a probing look and suddenly spoke up. “You seemed a bit different from usual just now.”

Su Bei put down his phone, which he had been halfway through searching on, turned to him, and asked with interest, “Different how?”

Feng Lan thought seriously for a moment, then shook his head. “I can’t really say.”

Su Bei chuckled, but he knew Feng Lan was right. His behavior earlier wasn’t entirely in line with his usual character. It couldn’t be helped—if you want to stand out, you sometimes need to make some changes.

That’s right, Su Bei suspected that what had just happened might be recorded in a manga, so naturally, he had to act more in character.

The reason for this guess was because of the scene involving Meng Huai that he had seen today. If evaluating the protagonist was being recorded, what about discussions behind their back?

Especially when one of the people involved was Mu Tieren, who Su Bei believed would play a significant role in the upcoming plot.

As they spoke, the bell signaling the end of class rang, and Jiang Tianming and Lan Subing finally returned. However, both of them looked upset, with Lan Subing clearly still fuming.

Adjusting his expression, Su Bei smiled and moved closer. “Care to share what happened?”

In a bad mood, Jiang Tianming was about to refuse but suddenly remembered something. His eyes brightened as he changed his mind. “Was the hint you gave yesterday about the future related to this?”

“I don’t know,” Su Bei shrugged, spreading his hands in a gesture of helplessness. “But can you let me in on what happened?”

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

Soon, Su Bei learned the details of what had happened from Jiang Tianming.

The parents of the deceased, Sun Ming, were extremely wealthy, on par with the Lan family’s fortune. Sun Ming was their only child, born when they were older, so his death drove them to madness.

They knew that if even the Ability Academy couldn’t find the culprit, their chances of doing so were slim. So, out of anger, they turned their attention to the helpless Wu Mingbai.

The academy couldn’t protect him forever. Once Wu Mingbai left the school, he would likely face retaliation from the unreasonable couple. But even though the academy knew their plan, they couldn’t do anything about it because the couple hadn’t acted yet.

The final agreement was that if the school could find the culprit within two weeks, the couple would stop causing trouble. But if they couldn’t...

As Jiang Tianming recounted this, his eyes were filled with suppressed anger, and his dark gaze was a bit frightening. He was truly angry. The hardships he had endured before at least had some reason, but this time, it was pure misfortune.

Even though Su Bei had expected the protagonist group to get involved, he couldn’t help but twitch his lips at the situation. They were incredibly unlucky to encounter such unreasonable family members. They had merely discovered the deceased, yet they were being unjustly targeted for revenge.

This was even worse than doctors being harassed for not saving someone—after all, they had no obligation in this situation!

“So what are you planning to do?” Su Bei asked with genuine sympathy, even though it was more like the sympathy of someone who wouldn’t get involved.

When they heard this question, both of them looked frustrated. If they weren’t still unfamiliar with Su Bei and didn’t potentially need his help, Jiang Tianming would have rolled his eyes. “What else can we do? We’ll have to work with the school to find the culprit!”

Since the discovery of the deceased yesterday, the entire school had been sealed off by a barrier created by espers—nothing could get in or out, not even a fly. So even if the culprit could turn into smoke, they were still within the school.

Su Bei raised an eyebrow. “Is that all?”

As he asked, he silently called out to “Manga Awareness”: “‘Manga Awareness,’ are you there? Can’t the protagonist take revenge on others?”

“Manga Awareness” immediately responded: “This is a shonen manga. If the protagonist goes too far, it will lower the manga’s popularity.”

“So, it means they can do something, right?” Su Bei smirked.

Jiang Tianming paused. “What do you mean?”

Then he sighed bitterly. “What else can we do?”

He actually understood what Su Bei was implying—he was asking if their only option in the face of the couple’s threats was to compromise.

But the truth was, compromise was the only option they had at the moment. The Sun family was powerful and wealthy—two orphans couldn’t stand against them. Once they left the school’s protection, they would undoubtedly be doomed.

The Lan family could potentially compete with the Sun family, but it would likely end in mutual destruction. So, as long as the Sun family didn’t target Lan Subing, her family wouldn’t take any rash actions. After all, Jiang Tianming and Wu Mingbai were just her friends; they weren’t worth too much effort.

“Do you know? The Sun family is a family business, and that couple you saw earlier holds the top two positions in their company,” Su Bei said slowly.

This was information he had just looked up on his phone; large corporations like theirs have some information publicly available online.

Jiang Tianming was confused, but Lan Subing’s eyes flashed with a thoughtful expression.

Su Bei added another piece of public information: “To prevent the culprit from escaping, the school is currently on a lockdown—only entries are allowed, no exits. Based on Sun’s parents' request, they’ll be staying at the school for at least two weeks, maybe even longer.”

At this, Jiang Tianming began to understand, while Lan Subing, who had been trained by her family from a young age, asked in surprise, “Are you suggesting...?”

However, Su Bei felt he had said enough and didn’t answer her question. He simply waved it off and returned to his seat.

As soon as he sat down, “Manga Awareness” urgently asked, “Why are you doing this? What good does it do you to egg them on? If the protagonist group does something bad, the manga’s popularity will drop. If the author stops the manga abruptly, you won’t benefit either!”

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

If Sun’s parents' connection to the outside world was cut off, their business would lack leadership. If they could find some dirt on them during this period, they could strike a fatal blow, potentially bankrupting the Sun family.

That’s why “Manga Awareness” was so anxious. This is a shonen manga, after all! How could the protagonist group plot against others?

Readers have high moral expectations for protagonists, 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 feigned confusion. “If they follow my advice and use this time to dig up dirt on the Sun family, that would be doing society a favor!”

Hearing this, “Manga Awareness” suddenly understood. “You’re saying they should look for illegal activities?”

Su Bei smiled and nodded. “A couple who are so arrogant and recklessly threaten innocent students—how could they possibly be law-abiding citizens? If you search for illegal activities, you’re sure to find something!”

“Manga Awareness” thought it over and realized there was nothing wrong with this plan. If they could find evidence of the Sun family’s illegal activities and report them, it would be a perfectly legitimate form of retribution. Not only would there be no moral issues, but it would also give readers a satisfying sense of justice.

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

The author’s original plan was for the protagonist group to find the culprit, leading to Sun’s parents tearfully apologizing. Although Su Bei didn’t know the exact ending, it wouldn’t take much to guess something along those lines.

No matter the outcome, it wouldn’t make much difference to him. From what “Manga Awareness” had observed, Su Bei seemed like someone who only cared about his own gain. So why was he encouraging the protagonist group to take revenge on Sun’s parents?

“If the mountain won’t come to me, I’ll go to the mountain. I’ve already used most of the information I had before. If I don’t do this, how will I get more manga screen time?” Su Bei answered as if it were obvious.

But what he didn’t mention was that this was just the reason he made up on the spot. The real reason was that he couldn’t stand the behavior of those parents. After all, he also had parents who were soldiers—how could he not have a sense of justice?

However, some things are better kept to oneself. If “Manga Awareness” thought he was just a profit-driven person, it would be more advantageous than letting it know he was a good person.

To be honest, if the protagonist group didn’t need to maintain a righteous image, his plan would have been to use the culprit to kill Sun’s parents.

After seeing Su Bei successfully obtain firsthand gossip, the other students couldn't resist approaching to ask about the situation.

Unfortunately, Jiang Tianming had something on his mind and quickly brushed them off before starting a conversation with Lan Subing about the advice Su Bei had just given.

Originally, Jiang Tianming thought that if they couldn’t find the culprit before the deadline, they would find a way to kill Sun's parents before they left the school.

But after hearing what Su Bei said, Jiang Tianming suddenly realized that causing trouble for their company during this time would be the right move. It would eliminate the threat without bearing the burden of murder.

After all, what gave Sun's parents the confidence to blatantly threaten them was their company, wasn't it?

Lan Subing quietly reassured him, "Although my parents wouldn’t oppose the Sun family for our sake at the expense of their own interests, they wouldn’t refuse to undermine the Sun family’s business under the guise of reasonable competition while they're away."

It’s true that her thinking was too limited. She had only considered that opposing the Sun family would harm her own company’s interests but hadn’t thought that handling this matter well could actually benefit the company.

In a fair fight, it’s a fifty-fifty chance, but with a surprise attack while they’re leaderless, the odds are eight to two in their favor—and they’re the eight.

"Let's go talk to Mingbai!" Jiang Tianming stood up decisively.

When they parted earlier, Jiang Tianming noticed that Wu Mingbai was in a bad mood. Although he had a smiling face, how could the two of them not see the gloom in his eyes?

He was never a kind person, and now he was certainly furious after discovering a dead body in the cafeteria and being retaliated against by the deceased's family.

For this reason, they hadn’t comforted him directly earlier, choosing instead to let him calm down on his own while they thought about what to do.

Now that they had a good plan, they had to hurry and discuss it with him.

On the sports field, Wu Mingbai was visibly excited, his orange eyes full of energy. "This is a great idea! If executed well, it could bankrupt those scumbags and even land them in prison! Who came up with it?"

Jiang Tianming and Lan Subing exchanged glances. "…Su Bei, it was Su Bei who reminded us."

As soon as they said this, Wu Mingbai's excitement faded a bit. "Su Bei? Why would he… Ah Jiang, did you make another deal with him?"

Jiang Tianming shook his head, still somewhat puzzled. "On the contrary, he gave the advice on his own after asking about the situation, without asking for anything in return."

"I think he's paying us back," Lan Subing guessed. "We told him what happened afterward, and he gave us a piece of advice we needed. Doesn’t that match the previous deal?"

"That makes sense!" Jiang Tianming suddenly realized. He had been willing to share the aftermath with Su Bei because he thought they might need his help later. He hadn’t expected such a pleasant surprise.

"But no matter what, I owe him for this," Wu Mingbai rarely dropped his usual pretense and showed a serious expression in front of his two friends.

He wasn’t someone who didn’t understand the importance of returning favors. Many things are judged by actions, not intentions. No matter what Su Bei’s motives were, his advice was extremely helpful. Compared to his two friends, Wu Mingbai was much more vengeful. A tip that could help him take revenge on Sun's parents was more valuable to him than knowing the culprit’s identity.

Jiang Tianming and Lan Subing understood his meaning and nodded. "If we get the chance, we’ll repay this favor."

With everything clear, they didn’t dwell on it any longer. Jiang Tianming said, "We have a plan, but we need specific steps for implementation. Subing, contact your family and investigate whether the Sun family’s company has any illegal activities, like tax evasion. That’s the easiest way to get them jailed. Meanwhile, we shouldn’t alert them publicly. We’ll continue our investigation, and finding the culprit would be the best outcome."

"There's one more thing," Wu Mingbai's eyes flashed. "Steal their phones and completely cut off their contact with the outside world."

If they could still communicate freely with the outside, being trapped in school wouldn’t have much impact. They’d still be able to direct things.

Only by ensuring that these two actual leaders couldn’t receive timely and accurate information could they deliver the most devastating blow by taking advantage of the time lag.

In other words, they didn’t need to actually deprive Sun's parents of their phones since they could borrow other teachers’ phones. They just needed to make sure they didn’t have a fixed phone number that could receive calls in a timely manner.

The time lag was the most important thing.

The other two hadn’t thought of this, but after considering it for a moment, they nodded in agreement. Jiang Tianming said, "No need to rush. They still have a few bodyguards with them. Let’s first find out how many phones they have in total before we act. Also, as long as we’re careful in the early stages, their company shouldn’t notice our small moves. Once they do, we’ll steal their phones."

Soon, the two of them divided the work and split up. Jiang Tianming went to find a teacher to ask for leave and get a clear understanding of the situation. Lan Subing negotiated with her parents, and Wu Mingbai investigated how many phones Sun's parents had.

Meng Huai was sitting in his office when he saw Jiang Tianming knocking on the door, which didn’t surprise him. "You’re here to ask for leave?"

Jiang Tianming nodded and spoke as he looked at the Class D teacher. "We’re too preoccupied with everything to focus on classes before this is resolved. It’s better to find the culprit quickly, so we’re asking for leave."

The Class D teacher pondered for a moment, considering the situation. "I know you really want to find the culprit, and the school is also making efforts to investigate. You don’t need to worry too much. Although Sun's parents gave you a two-week deadline, the school can protect you for two years. As long as the culprit is found within these two years, they shouldn’t hold a grudge against you."

What he said was reasonable, but Jiang Tianming still didn’t feel at ease. While they might be safe for the next two years, what about the other children in the orphanage?

The school had already gone above and beyond by protecting them; they certainly couldn’t protect anyone else. By the time the culprit was found, the orphanage might be gone too. He couldn’t accept such an outcome.

Moreover, the school could only remain closed for two weeks. After that, when the school reopens, the culprit might escape. Even if they identified the culprit, there was no guarantee they could catch them. And if they couldn’t catch the culprit, who knows if Sun’s parents would stop targeting them.

"Teacher, I still hope we can find the culprit as soon as possible," Jiang Tianming said with determination. "Can we bring in some detective ability users to investigate this?"

Detective ability users usually have powers related to investigation, such as abilities that can trace the death process of the deceased or communicate with the deceased’s soul—both of which are crucial for solving cases.

Meng Huai nodded. "We’re already in contact with one. However, detective ability users are generally very busy. The only one who can arrive within two weeks is expected to come the day after tomorrow. His ability is called 'Spirit Communication,' which allows him to contact the souls of the deceased. By then, we’ll know who the culprit is."

The timing was perfect. Jiang Tianming breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that finding the culprit shouldn’t be too difficult. To him, solving the case was the top priority, and revenge could only come second. If they could find the culprit, he could accept it, even if they couldn’t retaliate against Sun’s parents.

The Class D homeroom teacher smiled and said, "Don’t worry too much; the issue should be resolved soon. So, we won’t grant you leave for now. Until the ability user arrives, it’s best if you continue attending classes. There’s nothing you need to worry about. We’ll take it from there once he arrives."

At that time, almost everyone thought this drama would soon be over. Although the students were curious about the situation, they were considerate enough not to ask too many questions.

Only Su Bei occasionally watched them with a look of anticipation, which always left the two feeling uneasy whenever they noticed his gaze, filling them with a sense of foreboding.

It was as if his gaze was hinting that things were far from over.

That bad feeling turned into reality when the detective arrived.

He couldn’t summon the deceased’s soul!

"I’m sorry, but my ability doesn’t work on this deceased person," the detective said, shaking his head with a frown. He rarely encountered such situations. "It seems the deceased has been 'ability-blocked.'"

"What does 'ability-blocked' mean?" Wu Mingbai quickly asked, though it was slightly out of place. His innocent appearance, however, made it seem less odd.

The detective, having failed to be of help, explained on his own, "It means that no abilities can be applied to this deceased person."

He then suggested, "Perhaps you could try finding an ability user who can rewind time. Rewinding the events in the cafeteria might make it easier to find the culprit."

His suggestion was valid, but the problem was that the earliest appointment with such an ability user was a month away. Although they could cut in line if they didn’t care about the cost, the school clearly wouldn’t spend so much on a few Class F students.

Besides, as Meng Huai had said earlier, as long as the culprit was found within two years, Jiang Tianming and the others wouldn’t be targeted for revenge. As for the orphans they cared about—who would bother with them?

After receiving this news, both Jiang Tianming and Wu Mingbai frowned, knowing that the school likely wouldn’t be of much help.

"Why not consider the possibility that the culprit has an ability that blocks other abilities?" Jiang Tianming asked suspiciously. "If that’s really the case, finding the culprit should be easy!"

All ability users are required to register their abilities, and not registering is a direct violation of the law. If they knew the culprit’s ability, finding them wouldn’t be difficult.

At this, Meng Huai sighed. "That possibility does exist, but it’s extremely slim. First of all, ability-blocking abilities are extremely rare, and the few known users are all employed and haven’t left their posts."

"Secondly, although the school cafeteria’s surveillance cameras were damaged, there are plenty of cameras outside the cafeteria. Our school buildings are made of special materials that prevent abilities like phasing through walls. The only way to enter the cafeteria is through the main entrance; not even the windows work. But the entrance surveillance didn’t capture any suspicious figures, so it’s likely the culprit used an ability to evade the outside cameras. If they have an ability to avoid surveillance, they likely don’t have another ability."

Wu Mingbai astutely identified a loophole. "If the only way to enter the cafeteria is through the main entrance, what about leaving the cafeteria?"

"Leaving the cafeteria does have many options, like using the back door or windows. After all, making the material block both ways would be too costly," Meng Huai said honestly.

After hesitating for a moment, he opened his computer and played a video. "Take a look. This is the surveillance footage from the cafeteria entrance, showing the moments before and after the deceased’s death."

In the video, Sun Ming leisurely walked into the cafeteria. Soon after, more students began arriving one by one. The footage ended when Jiang Tianming and Wu Mingbai entered the cafeteria.

"Sun Ming was the first student to arrive for dinner. Before he arrived, the only people in the cafeteria were the kitchen staff. According to the rules, the staff must leave through the back door, and we’ve confirmed that they didn’t break any rules."

Both of their expressions darkened. Anyone would be in a bad mood after losing a sure thing. The school wouldn’t waste more time on this over the next two weeks, and the clues to the culprit were gone. Now, it was up to them.

Finally, Jiang Tianming spoke with a heavy tone, "Teacher, since the school can’t find the culprit in the short term, we hope to have free time for the next two weeks so we can try to find the culprit ourselves."

Unlike the director of education, who had decided to wait a month before dealing with this matter, Meng Huai, who had also come from humble beginnings, understood their concerns and nodded without hesitation. "Alright."

The Class D teacher looked at him and finally agreed too. "Okay, but I have one condition. Wu Mingbai, you don’t have to attend classes for the next two weeks, but afterward, you must make up for the lessons you missed."

In his view, it didn’t matter whether Class F students studied or not. Ninety-nine percent of them wouldn’t become true ability users after graduation.

However, the situation was different for the Class D students; their abilities were useful. Moreover, Wu Mingbai’s ability had the potential to place him in a different class, and the homeroom teacher didn’t want this incident to hold him back.

With this reminder, Meng Huai suddenly remembered and said, "Oh, right, you two as well. After these two weeks, make sure to catch up on your lessons, or you’ll be in trouble!"

As they left the office, the two exchanged a glance and headed to Class F together. From the current perspective, the person most likely to know something about this situation was Su Bei.

His behavior during this period almost made it clear that he knew something.

Upon entering Class F, Su Bei was still sitting in the corner. However, next to him was a red-haired boy, Mo Xiaotian from Class A.

Mo Xiaotian had been a frequent visitor to Class F these days, often coming by to hang out. He had a lively and cheerful personality and was friendly to everyone. Moreover, as a strong student from Class A, it didn’t take long for him to become well-liked by the entire class, including Jiang Tianming and Lan Subing.

The only one who didn’t like him was Wu Mingbai, who often said, "We have a character clash!"

Hearing his shameless words for the first time, even Lan Subing, who usually only complained silently in her mind, couldn’t help but say aloud, "Stop trying to leech off the ‘Little Sunshine’ persona, will you?"

Back to the present.

The two approached Su Bei’s seat, and Jiang Tianming spoke to Mo Xiaotian first, "Xiaotian, we need to talk to Su Bei."

Mo Xiaotian, who was happily chatting with Su Bei, blinked and asked, "Huh? Do you want me to leave now?"

"Yes, it seems you’re not welcome here," Wu Mingbai said cheerfully, but his words were laced with sarcasm.

Jiang Tianming unhesitatingly gave him a light smack on the head and then shook his head, "Ignore him. No, you don’t need to leave. Su Bei, can you come out with us for a moment?"

Finally able to escape from the chatterbox, Su Bei raised an eyebrow and quickly stood up, eager to say, "Let’s go."

He was truly regretting showing kindness to Mo Xiaotian that day. Although Mo Xiaotian was indeed a "Little Sunshine," it was common knowledge that such characters in manga often had two traits: "not understanding when people want them to leave" and being a "chatterbox."

He couldn’t understand how something as simple as "there’s always a new rose on Si Zhaohua’s desk every class" could be stretched into ten minutes of continuous talk by Mo Xiaotian.

He’d had enough!

They left the classroom and went to the playground. Although the playground was scattered with students, it was still quite spacious, giving the place an empty feel.

They casually found a quiet corner with some exercise equipment. Jiang Tianming and Wu Mingbai sat on the sit-up assist machine, while Su Bei effortlessly flipped onto the horizontal bar, swinging his legs as he asked, "So, what do you want to talk about?"

Jiang Tianming, who had already made up his mind, got straight to the point, "Do you know who the culprit is?"

Su Bei was momentarily stunned by the directness of the question, then raised an eyebrow, surprised by Jiang Tianming’s straightforwardness.

Perhaps realizing that his question was abrupt, Jiang Tianming quickly explained, "I just want to have some certainty."

Su Bei understood.

If he knew, they could trade for the information, giving them a so-called safety net. When it came to matters involving the safety of their companions, even someone as calm as Jiang Tianming couldn’t help but be a bit anxious.

Unfortunately, he didn’t know.

"I don’t know," Su Bei answered honestly. There was no need for him to lie about this. However, whether Jiang Tianming would overthink this answer was not something Su Bei was concerned about.

Regardless of the truth, this answer was within reason. Jiang Tianming wasn’t too disappointed and extended another invitation, "Would you like to investigate with me? Watching from the sidelines is more interesting when you’re actively involved, right?"

He had thought it through. Based on Su Bei’s previous behavior, he didn’t seem to harbor any ill intentions toward them in this matter. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have suggested they take action against Sun’s parents' company during this time.

Since that was the case, inviting Su Bei, someone who was truly capable, to join their team would undoubtedly help in finding the culprit.

"Agree! Agree!" The voice of the "Manga Awareness" suddenly urged, eager for Su Bei to join the main characters and move closer to the main storyline.

However, to its surprise, Su Bei declined, "If a spectator takes the stage, they become part of the play. That would be… boring."

As he said this, his brow furrowed slightly, his purple eyes deep and unreadable, and his gaze filled with an inexplicable weariness. The enthusiasm that had previously animated his expression was replaced by a distant apathy.

Being rejected was no surprise, but the brief flash of that strange expression on Su Bei’s face caught Jiang Tianming off guard. Why did he show such an expression? Was his invitation really that troubling for Su Bei?

Unfortunately, that look vanished as quickly as it appeared, and Su Bei’s face soon returned to its usual smile. "Once you’ve found the culprit, make sure you attend class properly. I don’t want my teammates dragging me down in the monthly exams."

After finishing his sentence, it seemed like he lost interest in the conversation. He lazily waved his hand and turned to leave.

Watching his back, Jiang Tianming blinked.

“‘After finding the culprit?’”

Is he really that confident they’ll find the culprit?

On the other side, the "Manga Awareness" kept chattering in Su Bei's ear: “Why did you refuse? Weren’t you always wanting to get closer to the main characters? Now, you finally have such a great opportunity, and the protagonist himself invited you! How could you refuse?”

“What’s your rush?” Su Bei suddenly asked, annoyed by the persistent questioning.

The voice of the "Manga Awareness" suddenly fell silent.

Was it feeling guilty? Su Bei sneered lightly, “It’s only been two weeks since the school year started, so even if I joined the main group, there’s no way we could start solving the power balance issue yet. So why are you in such a hurry? Why do you want me to join the main characters so badly?”

“I just thought that if you joined the main characters, you’d get more screen time, making it easier to mislead the readers,” the "Manga Awareness" explained.

However, this explanation didn’t convince Su Bei: “You know my goal is to mislead the readers, right? Since I need them to misunderstand my ability, it’s enough to show up at key moments to display my power. The more I talk, the more mistakes I might make. If I get more screen time, it would be easier to arouse suspicion. You couldn’t have overlooked that, could you?”

After waiting for two seconds without a response from the "Manga Awareness," Su Bei’s expression turned serious, his gaze cold and unreadable: “Let’s be honest—we’re in a partnership right now. If you don’t want me to slack off, I suggest you don’t try to deceive me.”

“...Alright, I do have some selfish reasons,” the "Manga Awareness" eventually admitted. “I hope you can form more bonds with the main characters so that your desire to save the world becomes stronger.”

Since reviving Su Bei, the "Manga Awareness" had never truly sensed a strong desire in him to save the world. Although Su Bei was indeed methodically misleading the readers to enhance his powers, the "Manga Awareness" believed that a significant part of his motivation for improving his abilities was to avoid dying as a minor character. And once he escaped his destined demise, he might just let himself go and stop caring about the world.

That’s why the "Manga Awareness" hoped Su Bei would join the main group, preferably being moved by Jiang Tianming and the others’ personalities, and develop a genuine desire to save the world.

Su Bei was noncommittal about this answer, but suddenly, as if struck by a random thought, he asked, “What would happen if I suddenly kidnapped Jiang Tianming and the others and took them to the North Pole?”

“Huh?”

The "Manga Awareness" was bewildered, not understanding how the topic had jumped to this: “Don’t be impulsive. If my behavior has upset you, I apologize, but please don’t mess with the plot.”

“I’m not planning to; I’m just curious,” Su Bei replied with a perfectly innocent expression. “Would the manga switch to a new protagonist? Or would it start focusing on Jiang Tianming and the others’ lives at the North Pole?”

He genuinely had no intention of doing such a thing; he was just exploring a possibility. If the main plot could be diverted so drastically, it would mean that many other things could also change.

The "Manga Awareness" was suspicious of his rebuttal, and after observing him for a while without detecting any flaws, it reluctantly answered, “Neither. The plot’s inertia would bring everything back to the main storyline. If you took them to the North Pole, the next school activity might just happen to take place there. But in any case, the plot won’t allow you to take them away from the school. Even if you tried, you’d definitely fail.”

“I see.” Su Bei nodded thoughtfully, then added with a chuckle, “I really don’t have such plans; you don’t have to be so on edge.”

He was simply contemplating that since the main storyline couldn’t be altered, joining the main group would force him to become entangled with it. Especially since Su Bei was following the "Fate" route, he’d be more susceptible to the plot’s influence. As a spectator, he could at least maintain his sanity, but if he became one of the main group, his thinking would inevitably change. At that point, the course of many events would be out of his control.

Was this the "Manga Awareness"’s plan?

No, if that were the case, the "Manga Awareness" wouldn’t have honestly answered his earlier question. After all, Su Bei knew very little about the manga world, so keeping things from him wouldn’t have been difficult.

Su Bei boldly speculated that the reason the "Manga Awareness" had answered him truthfully was because its desire for him to join the main group was genuine—at least, the "Manga Awareness" believed that was its true intention.

But in reality, this intention itself was influenced by the world. Although it wasn’t conscious of it, all of the "Manga Awareness"’s actions were driven by the interests of the manga world.

Just like before, when the "Manga Awareness" subconsciously tried to manipulate him, but once called out, it apologized decisively. This also proved that it had no ill intentions; it just wasn’t aware of its mistakes.

Everything was driven by the subconscious.

For Su Bei, this discovery wasn’t good news. If the "Manga Awareness" had harbored malice, it would have been easier to detect, like a black dot on white paper.

But the "Manga Awareness" had no malice; it was simply influenced by its subconscious, not realizing that what it was doing was wrong. It even believed it was acting in his best interest. Such well-meaning manipulation wouldn’t trigger his radar, and he would have to rely on his own judgment.

However, it wasn’t all bad news either—the "Manga Awareness" still bore goodwill toward Su Bei, which was a good thing. They were in a cooperative relationship now, and if they started to have conflicting intentions and infighting, that would be the real trouble.

Since the "Manga Awareness" was being unconsciously influenced by the world, the key was to ensure that this influence didn’t affect him.

Nodding to himself, Su Bei collected his thoughts and returned to the main topic. He firmly stated, “I will not join the protagonist group.”