Choosing to Degenerate

"Vrooom—"

Accompanied by the low growl of an engine, a black sedan with reinforced armor rolled smoothly over and stopped outside the south gate of the residential complex.

Painted on the car were the words "Dart Dart Ride," one of this world's ride-hailing services.

In this era where danger lurked everywhere, ride-hailing vehicles all had high security ratings. Bulletproofing and armor were merely the basics.

Besides the driver, there was also an accompanying bodyguard stationed in the front passenger seat.

During the time Li Jinshui had been standing guard, he had already seen quite a few such ride-hailing cars.

The car had stopped at the complex entrance, so some distinguished resident had most likely returned.

He immediately straightened up. He still had to put on the proper welcoming posture, lest a resident complain and get his pay docked.

At that moment, the rear door was pushed open, and a tall, slender figure stepped out of the car.

The girl wore a loose, casual white martial arts uniform and carried a designer handbag. Her fair, delicate face carried the vibrant air of youth.

Li Jinshui glanced at her. Just as he was about to go through the motions and salute, he suddenly found her somewhat familiar.

Perhaps his lingering gaze caught the girl's attention, because her eyes casually swept over to him as well.

Their gazes met, and the girl abruptly stopped, a trace of astonishment flashing across her face.

"Eh, you're... Li Jinshui?" After a brief pause, she still called out his name.

From scattered fragments of memory, Li Jinshui finally recognized her as well.

His deskmate and class monitor from their first year of high school, Yao Xiaona.

"It really is you, Li Jinshui."

Yao Xiaona stepped closer and looked him over from head to toe in his security uniform, her face full of surprise. "You took a leave of absence in our first year of high school, right? It seemed like you were sick? And... how did you end up working here as a security guard?"

"Sigh, it's a long story. I was poisoned and fell into a coma back then. I only got out of the hospital a few days ago." Li Jinshui sighed, then patted his empty pockets. "I don't have a single cent on me now. This place provides food and lodging, so I came here to scrape by for a while."

"Scrape by?"

Yao Xiaona's eyes widened at his words, as though she had heard something utterly incomprehensible.

In her view, martial artists cultivated their hearts, and what mattered most was that spirit of charging upstream against the current and refusing to let go even with one's teeth clenched.

No matter what setbacks they encountered, they should fight desperately to overcome them, conquer everything, and never abandon the path of martial arts.

Yet now, Li Jinshui was saying he was merely whiling away his days here?

"Li Jinshui, you can't be like this. You're still young." Yao Xiaona's expression turned stern, her voice carrying a matter-of-fact concern. "I know that after being unconscious for so long, your family's finances must have suffered. But that shouldn't become your reason for giving up martial arts."

"???" Li Jinshui tilted his head on the spot, his mind full of question marks.

Shouldn't you first be concerned about why I was poisoned and investigate who might have poisoned me?

How had this somehow turned into me giving up martial arts?

"Wait, Class Monitor, I haven't given up martial arts. Working as a security guard is only a temporary solution to my living problems. I might still return to martial arts school later." Li Jinshui hurriedly explained. Though his face showed his difficulties, his eyes revealed a fanatical pursuit of martial arts.

He believed that this warmhearted class monitor would surely sense his martial heart and be so moved that she would immediately offer him help.

"Maybe later? Li Jinshui, that way of thinking is very dangerous. Flowing water does not compete to be first, but martial artists must strive to be first."

Yao Xiaona clearly had not sensed anything at all. She only kept picking at his words. "You said you have financial difficulties, so you can temporarily lower your living standards. For example, rent out the unused training room at home, eat less Exotic Beast Meat for nourishment, and sell any leftover Supplement Potions through Doudou Secondhand. Put in a little effort, and won't you have enough for tuition and living expenses? Why waste away your youth here?"

"..." Li Jinshui stared at her dumbfoundedly, the veins at his temples throbbing. He nearly had a fit and wanted to chop someone up.

Just how rich was this woman's family?

Did she understand what the kill line was? Did she understand that people at the bottom like him did not even know where their next meal would come from?

"Class Monitor Yao, I need to explain my situation. First, I'm an orphan. The money and house my parents left behind were taken by the hospital to cover my medical bills." Li Jinshui stated coldly. "So I have no training room, no Exotic Beast Meat, and no potions. I only have myself."

"Then let me ask you: have you used Assault Loan? Have you claimed the Drug Trial Fund?" Yao Xiaona rattled them off without pause, gesturing as though commanding rivers and mountains. "Though both require signing a ten-year contract to serve a corporation, that's exactly why, now that you've already fallen to rock bottom, you should rebound from the bottom and try these dangerous industries."

Her eyes shone brightly, as though she were describing a sacred broad road. "Danger is something every martial artist must go through. Only by standing out from dangerous trials can your future path in martial arts stretch farther and longer.

"Isn't that ten thousand times better than hiding in this stable residential complex, guarding the gate for others and wasting your time?

"Li Jinshui, the strong have never emerged from greenhouses."

"..."

I don't dare open my eyes. I hope this is just an illusion!

Li Jinshui chose not to speak and remained silent.

The barriers between classes truly were thicker than city walls!

He had no idea whether this class monitor understood that the so-called "Assault Loan" was essentially receiving a few tens of thousands in settlement money before being sent straight to the front lines as cannon fodder for ten years.

As for the "Drug Trial Fund," that was truly worse than death. It was not even as clean and straightforward as Assault Loan.

Li Jinshui had already tried ordinary loans. For a person with no property, no fighting ability, and no education like him, he could not get even a single cent approved. The review requirements were locked down tighter than the Earth itself.

"Hey, Li Jinshui, did any of that actually sink in? We were classmates, after all. I really don't want to see you willingly degenerate like this." Yao Xiaona's endless nagging continued.

"Ah, right, right, right. Class Monitor, you're right. I'll reflect deeply on it. Look how strong the wind is outside—you should hurry home." Li Jinshui came back to himself, having no desire whatsoever to explain any further.

There was simply no communicating with this woman!

"You..."

Seeing Li Jinshui's perfunctory attitude, Yao Xiaona's face immediately turned livid. Her face was filled with the indignation of someone whose goodwill had been betrayed. "Li Jinshui, you've disappointed me too much. You're simply beyond saving."

With that, she turned and entered the residential complex without looking back.

"Pfft!"

Li Jinshui rolled his eyes at her with an arrogant, disdainful look.

What the hell was wrong with her!

If Yao Xiaona had been willing to take out ten or twenty thousand to sponsor him, quitting really would not have been impossible. After all, hiding here to train was indeed far too slow.

What he did not know was that Yao Xiaona really had considered giving him some money for a moment.

A few tens of thousands was merely the price of a designer handbag to her.

But Yao Xiaona believed that giving a man fish was worse than teaching him to fish. She had to push Li Jinshui.

After entering the complex, before she had even reached her door, she had already taken out her phone and called the property management office.

"Manager Zhang, doesn't your Security Squad require applicants to be college graduates?

"My classmate Li Jinshui hasn't even finished high school. Why is he working as a security guard in our residential complex?

"He might not even have mastered the Basic Stance Technique. Where does that leave the safety of you residents?

"Assessment? No assessment should be allowed to make a joke out of the residents' safety.

"I don't care. My mother is the owner of the residents' group chat. If you don't handle this properly, don't blame me for @-ing everyone in the group."