C5 The Bottom Line

Chen Mo leaned out and gazed downward, his eyes stretching to take in the sight of a verdant lawn below. He scrutinized the scene, estimating the distance, and concluded that he was at least on the third floor. The height was not extreme, but it was certainly not negligible.

"Is it absolutely safe to jump from the third floor?" Chen Mo mused, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

However, the system, typically silent, had a knack for becoming enthusiastically involved at critical moments.

[Hey, young man, can't contain your urge to act? Planning to do something?]

[Please, be at ease. No matter the severity of the injury, you'll be completely healed by the Life Pendant. So, the only thing you need to overcome is the fear in your heart.]

[Come on, take the leap. It's the first step in your life. Then we can decide whether to rob the bank across the street or ask around the street corners for some living expenses...]

The system had a penchant for suggesting outlandish ideas. Chen Mo was both amused and exasperated. Despite their short time together, he had gotten the measure of the system's character. Dealing with the system meant learning to ignore its wilder ideas.

Yet, the system's advice wasn't entirely useless. Chen Mo had already experienced the power of the Life Pendant that day and harbored no doubts about its effectiveness. It seemed everything was ready; all that was needed was the courage to make that leap.

He gently closed his eyes and made sure his backpack was secure.

Looking down at his hospital gown, Chen Mo accepted that his own clothes were likely lost, especially considering the previous day's ordeal. The likelihood of them being intact was slim. With no desire to ponder further, he decided to make do with the gown.

Everything was prepared; all that was lacking was the proverbial east wind.

Yet courage is not easily conjured. Even with his determination, Chen Mo couldn't muster the courage to jump.

His lifelong accumulation of common sense and values screamed that jumping from the third floor was akin to suicide.

He was facing not only the physical height but also the daunting fear of death itself.

Confronting death, anyone is entitled to hesitate. In this moment, Chen Mo, doubting himself, pondered for a long time but couldn't find a convincing reason to proceed. Instead, waves of fear surged within him, each stronger than the last.

Maybe a change in approach was in order. There was no need to court death, right?

Especially when it seemed like a straight path to suicide, possibly even making tomorrow's headlines.

No matter how he weighed it, the equation didn't balance—it was a major loss.

The cowardice and fear deep within him began to whisper seductively, trying to coax him into abandoning this risky venture.

Chen Mo appeared to have convinced himself. His legs, which had been hanging out the window, gradually retracted. Then, with a powerful push against the wall, he launched himself into the air.

Despite the fear and weakness, despite all the rationalizations and excuses,

once a man makes his choice, he should not waffle or hesitate. The path he chooses must be followed through to the end, even if it means crawling.

Otherwise, he would lose respect for himself, let alone from anyone else.

What seemed like an agonizingly long decision was, in reality, just a few seconds. Chen Mo, jumping from the third floor, felt the sharp pain as his feet struck the ground. He rolled with the momentum and, upon standing, found the pain in his legs healed by the Life Pendant over his heart. The piercing pain also began to fade away.

He crossed the lawn, slipped through the hospital's half-open automatic doors using the trees as cover, and vanished.

Standing outside the hospital, watching the traffic on the streets, Chen Mo calmed his pounding heart. This was the first time he had made such a bold decision, having always played by the rules.

Though partly driven by external pressures, at the core, he made this choice because he had something to rely on, an absolute certainty of success without leaving behind any terrible, incurable injuries.

That's why he suddenly took such a bold, even somewhat rebellious, action.

If it had been the old Chen Mo, he would have first gathered detailed information and considered if there were other ways to achieve his goal, instead of choosing this straightforward, forceful method from the get-go.

Chen Mo acutely sensed this change within himself, feeling a bit estranged by the shift in his thinking.

But what overwhelmed him more was his racing heart and the burgeoning sense of excitement.

This excitement stemmed from challenging established norms and achieving what he, and most others, had never dared before, igniting an irrepressible joy deep within.

Chen Mo, youthful and spirited, couldn't resist a touch of rebellion and rashness.

[Isn't it exhilarating? Don't you feel a rush of excitement, as if the last ten years have been in vain?]

[Come now, if you take up my offer, you'll experience even more thrills and excitement that you won't be able to get enough of. You'll truly understand what it means to be free, without constraints, to fully release your desires, making the whole world your personal stage.]

The system sprang into action once more, seemingly hell-bent on causing mayhem, its voice generously and persistently looping in Chen Mo's mind, determined to indoctrinate him.

Yet, when confronted with the system's taunts, Chen Mo simply offered a knowing smile.

Responding as if the system had missed the point, Chen Mo said deliberately,

"System, there's a reason rules exist. People are recognized as such because they're destined to enjoy only a measure of freedom. Those who seek unlimited freedom are, in fact, lost in the depths of their own hearts. We have something called a bottom line, an essential and unbreachable boundary that must always be maintained."

"If the day comes when that bottom line is trampled upon, then that person can no longer be called human."

The beast of desire, the marionette of freedom...

No matter what, Chen Mo was adamant about not testing the bottom line within his heart. It was the guarantee that allowed him to lead a normal life. This kind of excitement, similar to an excess secretion of hormones, was fine occasionally, but if pursued as a goal or standard of behavior, it would deviate from his original wishes.

Indeed, the system was intrigued by him, but the more one has, the more one stands to lose. What will your future hold?

We shall see.

Chen Mo had a set of fixed values that, although not typical, shielded him from being swayed by desire like so many others. He would never step beyond the bounds he had set for himself.

He had his own standards of right and wrong, his own code for living, unaffected by external factors, deeply ingrained in his core.

"Now, let's head back."

With nothing to do on the streets and having already requested leave from school, Chen Mo's only option was to head home. Confident in his knowledge of the route, he opted to walk rather than take the bus. Although most of the city was still unfamiliar to Chen Mo, he knew the area around his school like the back of his hand.

He plunged into the winding back alleys, and in just an hour, Chen Mo arrived home. He quickly changed out of his hospital clothes, which faintly smelled of disinfectant, and took the opportunity to shower.

Basking in the perfect sunlight, Chen Mo didn't waste any time. He pulled a small stool out into the yard and started tending to his collection of flowers and plants. He had planted them all himself, using seeds he brought from the countryside.

Whenever he needed a break from studying, these plants became his leisurely retreat. Whether he was admiring them, watering them, or loosening the soil, these simple tasks brought immense joy to his otherwise monotonous academic life.

Chen Mo rarely played computer games, preferring to read novels or catch up on the latest anime. Instead of gaming, he relished the natural breeze in the yard, nurturing his plants, or sitting under the shade of a tree, lost in a book.

These were habits deeply rooted in his time spent in the countryside, now an inseparable part of him. The courtyard returned to its peaceful state, with only the occasional sound of pages turning, creating an atmosphere of tranquility.

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