I Have to Make Something of Myself

The urban village where Gao Teng lived was in an appalling state.

The haphazardly built houses leaned crookedly against one another, while filthy water flowed through the alleys. The stench was so bad it was almost suffocating.

Fortunately, Gao Teng's previous life had been miserable enough that he was used to this kind of environment. It felt just like coming home, and everything was familiar.

"Hey, handsome. Want to have some fun?"

On his way home, middle-aged women called out to Gao Teng from time to time.

They wore revealing clothes and heavy makeup, and the pungent scent of perfume clung to them.

Gao Teng was used to it by now. He rode past them as if he hadn't heard a thing and soon reached the run-down building where he lived.

He carried his bicycle into the dark, damp stairwell and hurried up to the third floor. After taking out his key and opening the iron door, its green paint flaking away, he stepped into a cramped room.

The room was barely forty square meters, with the bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom crammed together. There was precious little space to move around.

Gao Teng gave a self-deprecating laugh. In his previous life, when he delivered food in a big city, he had lived in a single room just like this one.

If not for the powerful force coursing through his body, he would have suspected he'd returned to Earth. It all felt far too familiar.

"In this life, I'm going to make something of myself!"

Gao Teng drew a deep breath, a fierce look appearing on his face.

He wanted to live a life of luxury and extravagance. He never wanted to be cooped up in a cramped, damp, dilapidated building again, living without a shred of dignity!

To make that dream come true, he would have to work twice as hard, hunt monsters to earn merit points, and exchange them for more chances to steal.

Only then could he meet the admission requirements for a top university.

Gao Teng washed his face in the bathroom and changed into his uniform as an auxiliary employee of the Public Security Bureau. Then, carrying a long saber, flashlight, recorder, mask, rat attractant, insect attractant, and other equipment, he hoisted his bicycle onto his shoulder and left the apartment.

He had found a job with the Public Security Bureau. Every night, he went into the sewers to exterminate insects and rats. After working six hours, he earned three hundred yuan, with extra bonuses for killing mutated creatures.

Because the major pharmaceutical companies carelessly dumped wastewater, the plants and animals in this world had all begun to mutate.

Linshan City had already suffered several insect and rat infestations, so clearing the sewers had become a top priority. The goal was to stop such disasters from breeding at their source.

But the sewers were filthy and foul-smelling, and no one at the Public Security Bureau wanted to do such grueling work, so they outsourced it.

Gao Teng had beaten out a crowd of applicants in the interview to get this opportunity.

"Hey, handsome. Want to have some fun? I'll only charge you twenty yuan."

As he rode out of the urban village, people still called out to him now and then.

He continued to act as though he hadn't heard them. Before long, he had left the village and reached the wide road.

Across the street, high-rises stood beneath dazzling neon lights, the whole scene alive with prosperity.

Behind him, the urban village was filthy and chaotic, rife with disease and utterly ravaged.

Heaven and hell lay just across a single road from each other.

Gao Teng sighed inwardly for a moment, then pedaled faster.

A little over ten minutes later, he locked his bicycle beside the road near the Regent Hotel and walked to Sewer No. 3, not far from the hotel.

The sewer was home not only to rats and insects but also to many homeless people.

Gamblers, addicts, beggars, people suffering from serious illnesses, martial artists weighed down by countless loans... The place was a complete mess.

Gao Teng acted as though none of them were there. He waited at the entrance for a few minutes until a tall young woman finally arrived.

She wore the same auxiliary uniform as he did. Her hair was tied up and tucked under a baseball cap, and a mask covered her face, concealing her features completely.

Even so, her figure alone was enough to tell that she was a pretty girl.

"Good afternoon."

Gao Teng raised a hand in greeting. It was his fourth day working with Zhang Meizhu, and by now, they had gotten to know each other a little.

He knew Zhang Meizhu was a student at Third Middle School and ranked fifth in her entire school. She worked in the sewer to earn money for cultivation resources.

Her background was also very similar to his. Both her parents had died in the rat disaster six years ago, leaving her with no family to rely on.

"Good afternoon."

Zhang Meizhu replied and turned on the recorder clipped to her chest.

Anyone working in the sewers had to record audio and video the entire time, then upload the footage to the Public Security Bureau after finishing their shift.

She had no intention of chatting with Gao Teng and immediately got down to work.

The two entered the sewer one after the other, each holding a flashlight in one hand and gripping a long saber in the other.

As they passed shacks made of broken wooden planks and plastic sheets, they saw all kinds of expressions on the faces of the people inside. Some had vacant, numb eyes; some looked cold and indifferent; others watched them like prey...

Gao Teng even saw someone swallow a blue pill, then flop down on a tattered mat and sink into a state of almost frenzied pleasure.

He knew what the blue pill was: a psychoactive drug called Blue Elf, which could give people an intense rush of euphoria for a short time.

It was cheap and potent, and once someone got hooked, it was hard to quit.

Nearly everyone living in the sewers took Blue Elf to escape the harsh reality.

Gao Teng warily swept his gaze over the crowd. His uniform had a deterrent effect, but he still had to be careful.

Ordinary people wouldn't dare cause trouble, but there was no telling what the crazies would do once the drugs took hold and they lost their reason.

They walked for more than ten minutes. The makeshift shacks disappeared, and darkness filled the sewer, broken only by the beams of their flashlights.

The two sprayed rat attractant and insect attractant on themselves, then continued deeper into the tunnel.

Once they entered the rats' and insects' territory, things would no longer be so peaceful.

They hadn't gone far when a rustling sound came from a nearby drainage pipe. A rat as big as a bulldog suddenly sprang out and lunged straight at Zhang Meizhu.

"I've got it!"

Gao Teng sprang into action at once and swung his saber.

The blow was swift and brutal. In an instant, he split the rat in two, splattering filthy blood across the ground.

[You have gained 28 merit points]

As the rat died, a pleasant notification rang in Gao Teng's ears.

Unfortunately, the rat hadn't mutated into a monster yet, so the merit points he gained were pitifully few.

"Let's keep going."

Gao Teng swept his flashlight around several times. After confirming there was no danger, he turned to Zhang Meizhu.

She gave him a strange look. "Why do you always steal my work? Don't tell me you like me. Can you stop having such weird ideas? It's really troubling me."

Gao Teng rolled his eyes. "I'm trying to train myself and improve my grades over the last two months. You're reading way too much into it, aren't you?"

Zhang Meizhu breathed a sigh of relief. "So many people at school try to curry favor with me, and you keep stealing my work. I couldn't help but wonder.

"It's great that you're not interested in me. Otherwise, I'd have to find a new partner. I don't want to waste my time on something so pointless."

Gao Teng said solemnly, "Put your mind at ease. I only want to improve my strength. I'm not interested in you at all."