C7 He Was Not Afraid of Blackmailing

After saying goodbye to the trio outside the school gates, Feng Manlou turned and made his way to a row of street food stalls, each one a converted tricycle.

He settled on having Egg Fried Noodles for lunch before heading straight back to his dorm to select martial arts techniques.

Feng Manlou wasn't one to venture much when it came to food. Once he found something tasty and affordable, he'd stick with it until he was sick of it.

Scanning the area, he spotted the familiar "Camaraderie Noodle House" still in its usual spot and headed over.

"Boss, I'll have the Egg Fried Noodles and a bowl of Seaweed Soup, please."

"Coming right up," replied the middle-aged man, clad in a black sleeve protector and a dark blue work coat. He switched on the exhaust fan, caked with brownish-black grease, scrubbed the wok, cranked up the gas stove, and scooped a spoonful of oil into the wok.

"Handsome, there's a seat over here. Come and sit," the proprietress offered, clearing away the disposable utensils from a table.

"Thanks," Feng Manlou said with a smile.

As the oil sizzled, the boss cracked the eggs into the wok. The crackling sound and the aroma reached Manlou's ears first, allowing him to visualize the eggs puffing up and setting in the hot oil.

"Handsome, your Seaweed Soup is ready."

The proprietress served up the piping hot Seaweed Soup.

Manlou took a sip and was pleased to find it was the same familiar taste and ingredients: seaweed, fried dough sticks, shrimp skins, chopped green onions, with a touch of pork fat and sesame oil, all for just fifty cents a bowl—a fair price indeed.

"Ma'am, I bet you're the only one on this street who still adds pork fat to the Seaweed Soup. It's quite unique."

The proprietress paused, then smiled. "You have a keen eye. Yes, we're the only ones around here who still use pork fat. It's a bit more expensive, but I believe it makes the soup more flavorful than using just sesame oil."

Feng Manlou nodded in approval upon hearing the commendation. He was about to compliment the hostess for her warm hospitality when a sudden cry from the street interrupted him: "Watch out for the scam artist! Move away quickly!"

Scam artist?

Manlou looked up to see an elderly man lying on the right side of the road, with a luxury SUV parked less than a meter behind him.

Instantly, the college students dining nearby swarmed around the scene. Observing the SUV's dashcam, they began to mock the situation with dismissive shakes of their heads:

"Old man, give it up. They've got a dashcam. You won't be able to scam anyone."

"Stop the act, get up quickly. You'll be out of luck once they call the cops."

"Heh, you're quite the actor, pretending to be in pain."

A middle-aged man emerged from the SUV, impeccably dressed in a suit and leather shoes, a gold watch on his wrist, his hair meticulously styled.

With a furrowed brow, he glanced at the old man and bit his lip, "My bad luck, I guess. Here's 200 to leave; I've got a meeting and no time to waste on this."

As he reached for his wallet, an outraged college student objected.

"Sir, are you mistaken? You didn't even touch him. Why should you pay?"

"Sir, you're just perpetuating the problem by paying him off!"

"No way, you shouldn't pay. We need to call the police!"

The crowd agreed, insisting that no money should be exchanged and that the police must be called, offering to bear witness.

Seeing the consensus, the middle-aged man shrugged, pocketed his wallet, and addressed the old man on the ground, "You see, even if I'm willing to let it slide, these good-hearted and just students won't have it. Looks like we'll have to involve the police. You'd be wise to get up and leave now."

The old man remained motionless. With no other option, the middle-aged man reluctantly pulled out his phone to call the authorities.

Scams like this were nothing new to Manlou, who had seen it all before. He glanced over, noticed his freshly made egg fried noodles steaming on the plate, and decided to turn back to his meal.

[Rescue the critically ill elder, earn +60 Heroic Points. Will you seize the opportunity?]

Crap, this isn't a scam, is it?

"Ma'am, here's the money. Please save my noodles and soup!" Feng Manlou slapped 10 yuan on the table and dashed across the street.

"You've overpaid, young man!" the shop owner called out.

"No worries. I'll sort it out when I return. Just keep my noodles and seaweed soup for me, please!" Feng Manlou called back as he hurried away.

Crossing the street and about to weave through the crowd, he noticed everyone was busy filming with their phones.

Seriously? What's the big deal with everyone having smartphones? Trying to do a good deed incognito is impossible!

[Do you wish to disable the electronic devices?]

Feng Manlou paused, taken aback.

You can actually disable electronic devices?

[Indeed. By activating the shielding function, all electronic devices capturing you will malfunction (including but not limited to cameras, mobile phones, handheld DVs, digital cameras, etc.), ensuring complete security.]

That powerful?

[Moreover, the system features the Thousand-mile without Trace skill. Once activated, you won't leave behind any fingerprints, footprints, hair, or even DNA!]

What are we waiting for? Activate it now, lives are on the line!

[Understood. The shielding function costs 5 Heroic Points per use. The Thousand-mile without Trace skill costs 10 Heroic Points per use. If both functions are used concurrently, the total cost will be 15 Heroic Points. Please confirm your selection.]

[Confirm payment of 5 Heroic Points]

[Confirm payment of 10 Heroic Points]

[Confirm payment of 15 Heroic Points]

Feng Manlou's face froze.

You've got to be kidding me. I have to spend Heroic Points?

[There's no such thing as a free lunch. The privilege of accessing the system is already a tremendous blessing. Don't be overly greedy.]

Ugh... a preachy system, too...

Fine, consider it highway robbery, but I'll pay...

Just as Feng Manlou was about to relent, his gaze inadvertently caught a glimpse of a small supermarket across the street.

I've got this; I'll go buy a mask and earn my hard-earned Heroic Points. They can dream on if they think they'll get them from me.

Feng Manlou dashed into the supermarket and approached the cashier. "Excuse me, do you have masks for sale?"

"Yes, it's $3 for a pack, with 20 masks in each pack."

"I'll take a pack!" Feng Manlou said, pulling out three coins.

With a mask in hand, Feng Manlou quickly put it on and didn't waste another moment. He pushed through the crowd to reach an elderly man, turned him over, and saw his lips had turned purple. "Sir, how are you feeling? What's wrong?"

A young man nearby covered his face, unable to look. "This is bad. He's going to get conned. He knows it's a setup, yet he dove right in. He must be out of his mind."

A girl with glasses sighed as well. "So naive. Does he really think a mask will protect him? Once that guy grabs hold of him, he'll be helpless."

Before she could finish, the old man's trembling hand clutched Feng Manlou's arm.

The crowd gasped, "It's over. He's got him now..."

A middle-aged man shook his head, "Young man, you're too impulsive. Even if this old guy is faking, and even if he's genuinely ill, you shouldn't have touched him. Haven't you heard of people getting framed for trying to help these days?"

Feng Manlou remained calm and asked softly, "Sir, what do you need to tell me?"

"I... I have heart disease... my medicine... it's in my pocket..." the old man said weakly, "Don't worry, I... I won't scam you..."

"Okay, I'll get it for you right now!" Feng Manlou quickly retrieved a bottle of emergency heart medicine from the old man's pocket. "Sir, how many pills should you take?"

"Ten..."

"Got it!" Feng Manlou counted out ten pills and placed them into the old man's mouth.

The old man's mouth was too dry to swallow the pills. Feng Manlou turned to the onlookers and yelled, "What are you standing around for? Can't you see he's genuinely ill? Get me a bottle of water, quick! Do you want to just watch him die?"

The crowd was jolted into action, and the students exchanged glances as if waking from a trance. They quickly pulled out their phones to dial emergency services.

The bespectacled girl, clutching a bottle of mineral water, hesitated before stepping forward. "Here, have some water," she offered to the student.

Feng Manlou nodded in thanks, unscrewed the cap, and gently gave the elderly man a drink.

The old man's lips regained a hint of color after taking his medication. Feng Manlou carefully moved him to the roadside, ensuring he was out of harm's way from passing vehicles.

As the old man was taken away, the middle-aged man paused briefly before driving off.

"Young student, thank you. If it hadn't been for you, I might not have made it... What's your name?" the old man asked, propped against a lamppost, having regained a bit of his strength.

"Sir, you should conserve your energy and not talk. Help is on the way, and I've also notified your family; they should arrive shortly."

With so many onlookers recording on their phones, Feng Manlou chose not to reveal his identity.

Noticing Feng Manlou's evasion, the old man's eyes flickered with curiosity, but he quickly smiled knowingly. "Little student... are you trying to be an anonymous benefactor?"

"Ha, that was indeed my plan," Feng Manlou replied with a chuckle. "I think it's about time for me to take my leave."

"It's truly admirable... you have a heart of gold," the old man praised, causing the surrounding students to blush with embarrassment.

"Gold or not, I can't say," Feng Manlou laughed, "but I've always preferred to keep things low-key, to act and then discreetly move on without leaving a trace."

The old man chuckled. "Ah, so we have a young student with a heroic spirit. You must have enjoyed many of Mr. Jin's martial arts novels, haven't you?"

"I've read through both Old Jin's and Old Gu's works," Feng Manlou admitted, then paused. "Um... Sir, given your condition, is it really appropriate for us to be making small talk?"

"You're right, it's not," the old man agreed with a smile. "Young student, since you aspire to be a hero, I won't press you for your name. Go on, and if fate allows, I'll treat you to tea at the Qingfeng Pavilion someday."

[Successfully saved an elderly man in critical condition. +60 Heroic Points.]

"Sir, you really are something else. I'll be on my way now. Please take care."

Having saved the man and secured the Heroic Points, Feng Manlou saw no reason to stick around for accolades. He bid farewell and departed.

Back at the food stall, after finishing his seaweed soup, Feng Manlou said to the proprietor, "Ma'am, could you pack the fried noodles for me? I'll take them to go."

"Sure thing."

The proprietor packed the fried noodles into a lunchbox and handed over five dollars with a smile.

Feng Manlou was puzzled: "Aren't the fried noodles and soup six dollars? Why are you giving me five?"

"It's a discount for a good Samaritan," she replied, still smiling.

"Haha, well, I can't argue with that. I hope your business thrives." Feng Manlou accepted the money and lunchbox, waving cheerfully as he left.

During the lunch rush, as Feng Manlou entered the school grounds, Li Guizhi was bustling about nonstop.

While she was serving a young couple their order of fried noodles and seaweed soup, a stretch Rolls-Royce pulled up across the street. A distinguished-looking middle-aged man in a shirt and trousers hurriedly stepped out, lifted the previously incapacitated elder into the car, and drove away.

"Wow, that young man saved someone important," Li Guizhi exclaimed in amazement.

She might not have recognized the make of the car, but its length, stature, and glossy finish clearly indicated it was no bargain.

As the luxury car disappeared, the university students who had been attending to the elderly man stood there in shock.

Before they could gather their thoughts, a black SUV smoothly pulled up. The rear door opened, and an elegant woman in business attire stepped out, distributing a dozen red envelopes to the bystanders.

The woman smiled and said, "Please, accept these without hesitation."

“In ancient times, Zi Gong was rewarded with a cow for saving a life. When Confucius heard about it, he didn't criticize Zi Gong for accepting the cow; instead, he joyfully affirmed that Zi Gong had done the right thing.”

"Everyone who assisted our chairman's father has also performed a noble act of saving a life, and it's only right to accept this token of appreciation."

Cars came and went, and the elderly man who had been resting on the curb had disappeared. Yet, they found themselves holding a thick red envelope.

It all felt like a dream.

The bespectacled girl opened the red envelope and peered inside, involuntarily taking a sharp breath.

"Wow, there's got to be 5,000 yuan in here. She handed out over ten red envelopes. That's got to be a total of seventy to eighty thousand yuan given away—talk about generous!"

She pushed her sliding glasses back up her nose and muttered, "Who was it that said we shouldn't intervene even if the old man was truly ill?"

With red envelopes in hand, everyone exchanged bewildered glances.