Chapter 13
The red-haired boy’s sudden turn startled Su Bei. Without his composure, he might’ve screamed. Wasn’t this a shonen manga? Why the horror flick vibe?
Too late to hide his shock, the dangerous figure saw it all.
Recalling the killer’s choice to murder him just for crossing paths in the bathroom, if this redhead grew suspicious, Su Bei could face another death threat.
And this time, no “Manga Consciousness” would save him.
What to do? He needed an answer fast!
In a flash, Su Bei kept his shocked expression but forced a hint of joy: “You’re from Class A, right?”
The year’s Class A had only twenty students. It was reasonable for someone from another class to be shocked realizing they’d spoken to a Class A Ability user.
The dangerous aura vanished. The red-haired boy grinned, a touch smug: “Yup! I’m gonna be the strongest Ability user, so of course I’m in Class A!”
Nailed it!
Su Bei’s clenched heart relaxed. He hadn’t met this redhead or known his class, but he’d gambled that an organization’s spy in the academy would need a strong Ability to climb high and gather intel, likely landing in Class A.
Luck held—he’d bet right, dodging suspicion and possibly earning goodwill.
Crisis averted, Su Bei’s mind raced.
He had two options: one, brush the boy off while he was in a good mood and retreat to rest. Two, befriend him.
The first was safe, but the second—befriending a dangerous organization’s spy—what could it bring?
Downsides: the organization might target him, he’d face more scrutiny, and if the redhead was exposed, readers might distrust or dislike him for associating with a villain.
Upsides: likely access to organization intel, a new covert identity to leverage, and if the redhead was exposed, readers’ curiosity about his dual allegiance.
A tough choice, but clarifying his goal made it easy.
He wanted readers’ attention to reshape his Ability and identity, not just likability. Pure likability boosted popularity but didn’t serve his needs.
A character with black-and-white ties would better capture attention.
So, Su Bei took the initiative: “I’m Su Bei from Class F. Can I get your name?”
He expected this white-on-black type, similar to Wu Mingbai, to deflect, show disdain, or pry about the cafeteria.
No matter. If it opened a new covert line, he was fine with it. He’d been a mere bystander in the incident, hadn’t he?
Unexpectedly, the red-haired boy showed no malice, his eyes sparkling as he introduced himself: “I’m Mo Xiaotian, nice to meet you! Are we friends now?”
From those words, Su Bei sensed a key difference from Wu Mingbai.
Odd as it sounded, this spy genuinely seemed eager to befriend him.
Wu Mingbai’s sunny facade hid distance, truly accepting only Jiang Tianming and Lan Subing, keeping others at arm’s length.
Mo Xiaotian, however, had no such barrier. Except for that brief moment of suspicion, he acted like a true naive sweetheart.
Su Bei knew a sane author wouldn’t give a side character the same archetype as the protagonist trio. The contrast was jarring.
A white-on-black protagonist and a naive villain—was the author okay?
If Mo Xiaotian was truly naive, Su Bei’s approach needed tweaking. Planning a hesitant response, he nodded decisively: “Of course, we’re definitely friends now.”
He watched Mo Xiaotian closely. His reply, to anyone with a shred of caution, seemed overly eager, like he was desperate to cling to a Class A Ability user. Most would show a hint of mockery, and if Su Bei caught it, it’d prove Mo Xiaotian wasn’t truly naive.
But even Su Bei had to admit he saw no anomaly. Mo Xiaotian’s eyes lit up, saying happily: “That’s awesome! You’re my first friend at the academy.”
Su Bei wasn’t tactless enough to say, “You’re my second.” He naturally led Mo Xiaotian to his dorm door: “This is my place. Drop by anytime.”
A private dorm was personal, signaling genuine intent to bond.
Mo Xiaotian was thrilled, casually entering Su Bei’s room with him.
Closing the door, Su Bei hesitated, then offered sincerity: “Since we’re friends, I’ll leak a bit about the cafeteria, but don’t spread it.”
Mo Xiaotian’s reaction defied expectations again. He froze, then shook his head vigorously: “No, no, the teacher said not to talk. Don’t tell me, what if you get caught?”
Su Bei was momentarily speechless. Mo Xiaotian wasn’t playing hard to get—he genuinely didn’t want to know, or at least not from him.
These signs confirmed that, outside organization matters, Mo Xiaotian was a pure naive sweetheart.
This was great for Su Bei. It meant less suspicion and fewer tests.
But Mo Xiaotian’s instant reaction to Su Bei glancing at his neck mark showed keen perception. Even without probing, he’d quickly sense anything off.
Best to show goodwill first. Su Bei smiled: “Don’t worry, I won’t tell. But you already know the answer, right? If you’d been wrong, I’d have denied it outright.”
He stopped there, letting Mo Xiaotian ponder.
Soon, Mo Xiaotian got it, exclaiming with awe: “You’re right! That’s how you figure it out! Su Bei, you’re so smart!”
Getting his answer, he hesitated, torn between reporting back and chatting with his new friend.
Guessing his dilemma, Su Bei sent him off. He wanted to ask about Mo Xiaotian’s Ability but could wait. Today’s intel was enough to digest.
First, the black lightning tattoo. Barring surprises, the killer likely had one too, as the four gears’ shapes were limited, making suspicion inevitable.
So, what was this organization’s deal?
Initially, Su Bei thought the killer hunted Ability users, at the school for a mission. That explained killing him to avoid exposure.
But Mo Xiaotian’s behavior suggested the organization wasn’t hostile to Ability users, or they wouldn’t raise a kid like him.
If the school was their enemy, that felt off too. A sabotage mission wouldn’t use a naive kid like Mo Xiaotian.
Too little info.
Then Su Bei remembered something, opening his phone to the trailer page. Near the protagonist trio, a red-haired boy grinned, his smile identical to Mo Xiaotian’s.
Was this guy Mo Xiaotian?!
The more he thought, the surer he was. A character with such a unique personality and key role wouldn’t be obscure. Befriending him, despite his villain ties, was likely right.
“‘Manga Consciousness,’ you there?” When in doubt, use the cheat. Su Bei asked directly.
The next second, “Manga Consciousness” appeared: “What’s up?”
“Are people with black lightning marks part of an organization?”
Knowing Su Bei’s certainty and key clue, “Manga Consciousness” didn’t hide: “Yes.”
“What’s the organization’s purpose?” The core question—shared goals meant friendship, and he needed clarity to plan his role.
Sadly, “Manga Consciousness” didn’t indulge: “I can’t say. Only when you discover it can I discuss it.”
As expected. Su Bei sighed regretfully, shifting topics: “Manga updates tomorrow at 8 AM, first chapter?”
“Yes, I’ll sync manga and forum updates with the real world. Your forum account is active. Use it wisely for tasks.”