Remember Not to Steal Other People's Money

"Ah, I finally feel alive again." Rope set down the bowl as big as her face and let out a long sigh. She had not had a proper full meal in days, so today counted as a good one.

"Full? Then I'll be leaving first." Seeing that she seemed to have eaten her fill, Zhuang Xiaolin stood up and headed straight out of the noodle shop.

"Hey, hey, wait, big brother! Aren't you curious about the secret here?" Seeing her target was about to leave, Rope immediately grew anxious. In her panic, she hastily made up an excuse. In truth, she had no idea what secrets the slums held. There were simply too many rumors passed around, so many that even she had started to believe those vague, illusory tales.

"Oh, really? Then I am rather curious. Let me introduce myself. My name is Zhuang Xiaolin. You can call me Xiaolin, or Mr. Zhuang." Zhuang Xiaolin raised a brow, the corner of his mouth curving slightly where she could not see it.

"My name is Rope, Mr. Zhuang. It's a pleasure to meet you." Rope smiled and extended her soft, pale hand to shake Zhuang Xiaolin's large one before letting go.

"Come on. Take me to see this so-called secret." Zhuang Xiaolin looked at Rope.

"Sure, sure, we'll set off right away. But don't blame me if you don't find any secret later." As she spoke, Rope started walking toward one area of the slums.

"Let me tell you, there's a legend in some corner of these slums. They say the big shot of Lungmen's underground world is there. Supposedly, he's a gang boss who kills without batting an eye. I don't know much about it either, but very few people here know of him." As Rope spoke, she gestured with both hands, looking rather comical.

"The ruler of Lungmen's underworld? That does sound interesting. It might turn out to be useful intelligence." Zhuang Xiaolin merely nodded, showing no other reaction.

Rope beside him was a little disappointed. After all, the more curious he was about that place, the greater her chance of successfully making a move. Robbing him outright had a pretty good chance of succeeding too, but as the saying went, if the owner came looking for her afterward, there might be hundreds of possible ways things could end for her.

"We're here. According to the legend, the big shot of Lungmen's underground world appears at the candy shops. Let's see if any of those shops have clues first." Rope's little head tilted slightly, and an ingenious idea immediately surfaced in her mind. She made up her mind at once, grabbed Zhuang Xiaolin, and headed toward the candy shops.

Zhuang Xiaolin did not stop her. He merely watched Rope calmly.

He wanted to see what this little bunny was capable of. Since she bore him no hostility, it would probably just be some everyday mischief, like petty theft.

He was not in much of a hurry anyway. Playing along with this Cautus for a while was not a bad way to pass the time.

Rope had no idea that her supposedly flawless plan had already been guessed almost completely. At that moment, she was still immersed in fantasies of handing out candy to the children in the slums after getting the money, then treating herself to several delicious meals.

After entering one of the candy shops, Zhuang Xiaolin caught a rather strong scent of malt sugar. Compared to mass-produced candy, the handmade sweets here were vastly different from handmade candy on Earth.

Due to a shortage of ingredients, the makers of these handmade candies could only use substitute materials. As a result, both their taste and other qualities were far inferior to industrially made candy. Put simply, they reeked of cheapness.

Still... for children in remote mountain regions, candy like this was probably a wonderful memory. Zhuang Xiaolin's gaze as he surveyed the shop softened.

He wondered how they were doing. Had the will he drafted so early been properly carried out?

As his thoughts drifted, Zhuang Xiaolin shook his head, casting aside the distractions.

"Two bags of candy, please." Zhuang Xiaolin handed the owner five 100-denomination Lungmen Dollar bills. To be honest, the candy here cost more than several bowls of noodles, but in practical terms, it was still much cheaper than industrially made candy.

Rope watched eagerly from the side as Zhuang Xiaolin took out money to buy candy. How she wanted to snatch away that bulging little leather bag of his. She did not even dare imagine how many happy days that would buy her.

"Here. This is for you." Just as Rope's mind filled with scenes of what she would do after getting the money, two large bags of candy were stuffed into her arms.

"Huh? These are for me?" Rope cutely tilted her head, and the pair of purple rabbit ears atop it swayed rhythmically.

"Rope, a habitual thief. You've been acting for so long. Isn't it about time you took a break?" Zhuang Xiaolin smiled at the purple-haired Cautus girl before him.

"You knew all along?" Unwilling to give up after learning that she had been exposed, Rope asked.

"You gave yourself away the moment you stood in front of the noodle shop." As he spoke, Zhuang Xiaolin took out a stack of Lungmen Dollars from his bag and pressed it into Rope's hands. "Consider this what I let you 'steal.' Don't go stealing from anyone else again, okay? If you run out, you can come ask me for more at the pharmacy on the west side of Lungmen's slums. And remember to give these bags of candy to the children."

Zhuang Xiaolin's instructions left the purple-haired Cautus girl before him completely stunned.

For the first time in a long while, Rope felt warmth—not physical warmth, but warmth in her heart. Ever since the day she contracted Oripathy, that warmth had almost never appeared in her life again.

Holding two large bags of candy and a stack of 1,000-denomination Lungmen Dollar bills, Rope stood blankly at the entrance of the candy shop, watching the black figure gradually disappear into the distance.

After a long time, Rope revealed a sweet smile. It was not one she had put on; it came from the bottom of her heart.

No one cared about a piece of trash from the slums, much less an Infected.

But—Rope understood that someone would always give off warmth and light, pointing the way forward for those who wished to keep moving.