Chen Yan strolled into campus, with the warm sun cast on his face. For the first time since his unpredictable rebirth, he had ever felt this strangely satisfied. The after-effect of the adrenaline rush from yesterday evening still hadn't worn off, neither did the slightest bit of pride that he stood up for two thugs, used new powers, and then triumphantly walked away.

Not bad for a guy who, in his previous life, had made a career out of running away.

The good mood didn't last.

"Chen Yan," a voice snarled from behind.

He turned toward the man and found himself staring at one of yesterday's thugs. Bruises coloured the man's face. His left eye was swollen shut, but the twist of his lips spoke unequivocally: scowl. Chen Yan stiffened, the battle instincts yelling at him to prepare for a fight.

The thug didn't attack but jabbed a finger in the direction of Chen Yan. "You think you're smart, huh? You think this is over? Luo Ming knows your name now, kid. Enjoy your last days while you can."

With that, he turned and limped away, leaving Chen Yan there with a sinking feeling in his chest.

"Well, that escalated quickly," the System chimed in, its tone amused. "Congrats, champ. You’ve officially pissed off a crime lord."

Chen Yan’s fists clenched. “Who the hell is Luo Ming?”

"Small-time crime boss with a big ego and a short temper. He runs some rackets in the city: gambling, loans, the usual shady stuff. Word on the street is, he doesn't take kindly to people messing with his business. And guess what you just did."

Chen Yan swallowed hard. "Great. So now I've got a target on my back?"

"Bingo. But hey, look on the bright side—you’re still breathing. For now."

---

Chen Yan spent the rest of the morning in a distracted haze, replaying the thug’s words. By lunchtime, he found himself wandering to the library, seeking the quiet to think.

That’s when he spotted Lin Xia.

She sat at a corner table, her head buried in a thick book. Still, even from a distance, Chen Yan could make out the tension in her shoulders, the way she bit her lip as if to hold her worries at bay.

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He approached cautiously. "Lin Xia?"

She looked up with a start then relaxed when she saw him. "Chen Yan. What are you doing here?"

Trying to think, he said, tugging out a chair across from her.

She hesitated, tightening her fingers around her pen. "Studying. Or at least trying to."

Chen Yan leaned forward. "Look, about yesterday… Are you okay? Did those guys come back?"

Lin Xia shook her head. "No. But…" She blew her breath out, dropping her pen. "They won't stop. My brother owes them a lot of money. He thought he could gamble his way out of debt, but it only got worse. Now he's in hiding, and I'm the only one left to deal with his mess."

Chen Yan frowned. "Why didn't you tell me this yesterday?

"What difference would it have made?" she snapped, her voice shrill with frustration. "You've already done more than enough. I cannot ask you to get involved any more than you already have."

Chen Yan leaned back, his mind racing.

"Ding ding ding. Here comes the guilt trip," the System said.

"Shut up," Chen Yan muttered under his breath.

Lin Xia raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Nothing," Chen Yan said quickly. "Look, if you want to stay out of this, fine. But if these guys are after you, I can't just sit back and do nothing."

---

The familiar blue screen popped up in front of Chen Yan's eyes.

[Task 3: Sabotage Luo Ming's Operations.]

Mission objective: Cause at least 10,000 yuan of loss to Luo Ming's criminal undertakings.

Bonus: Gain intelligence on Luo Ming's organization.

Chen Yan stared dead at the text, his stomach plummeting. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Oh, I never kid about tasks," the System said, its voice almost gleeful. "Time to roll up your sleeves, champ. This one's a biggie."

"Do you want me to die?!" Chen Yan hissed under his breath.

"Relax. You've got this. Probably."

Lin Xia frowned. "Chen Yan, are you okay? You're acting… weird."

He waved her concern away. "I'm fine. Just thinking. Listen, do you know anything about Luo Ming's businesses? Anything that could give me an edge?"

Lin Xia hesitated and then nodded. "My brother mentioned a gambling den he runs near the old factory district. It's small, but it's one of his main sources of income."

"That's a start," Chen Yan said, his mind already weaving a plan.

Later that night, Lin Xia brought Chen Yan to meet Wu Tian, a wiry man with messy hair and an affixed smirk. They were to meet in a dingy café on the fringe of campus, well away from prying eyes.

"This is the guy?" Wu Tian said, eyeing Chen Yan skeptically. "He doesn't exactly scream 'mastermind.'"

Chen Yan forced a smile. "Nice to meet you too.

Wu Tian chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "So, you're the hero who pissed off Luo Ming. Bold move, kid. Dumb, but bold."

"I prefer to think of it as necessary," Chen Yan replied.

Right. Well, if you're serious about taking a shot at Luo Ming, you'll need more than guts. Lucky for you, I've got skills. For the right price.

Chen Yan turned to Lin Xia, who nodded slightly. "What do you mean by skills?"

Wu Tian smirked, pulling out a laptop. "Hacking, surveillance, sabotage-you name it. You want to hit that gambling den? I can get you the floor plans, security details, and maybe even access to their accounts. But it won't be easy."

"Nothing worth doing ever is," Chen Yan said.

A plan was mapped out, with Wu Tian's assistance: to sabotage this gambling den where Chen Yan had been undertaking a simple task, highly dangerous since it entailed sneaking inside the premises and installing the device provided by Wu Tian that was capable of bringing down power and security mechanisms.

The night of the operation found Chen Yan crouching behind a dumpster outside the gambling den, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Nervous?" the System asked, his voice almost teasing.

"Shut up," Chen Yan muttered.

For a little while, everything went according to the plan, Wu Tian's stolen security feed told him when and where the guards would be Chen Yan slipped in. Just about the time that he put the device there, suddenly the lights dimmed.

"What the.?." was heard in a voice resounding from the hall.

In an instant, Chen Yan completely froze, his thoughts rushing.

"Time to improvise, champ," it said.

Chen Yan smiled self-satisfactorily. "Improvise, huh? Let's see how this Iron Fist really works."