LABMY CH127 [Arc 6]

Chapter 127: The Poor Little Thing Hated by the Entire Internet

When Jian Yuanbai first opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was a yellowed ceiling with traces of mold. The light fixture above him was covered in cobwebs, and a small flying insect was ensnared in a thread of spider silk, dangling just below the lightbulb. As the insect struggled desperately, the thread swayed back and forth, looking as though it would snap at any moment—but it held on stubbornly for a long time.

Jian Yuanbai inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief. If that silk broke, the dark little insect would drop straight onto his head, bringing the spider silk down with it.

Suddenly, a voice rang in his mind.

“Who are you?” Jian Yuanbai asked warily.

The system was already very familiar with this process and couldn’t even be bothered to sigh anymore. After briefly explaining the situation, it said, “So, in this world, you need to play the role of the Long Aotian protagonist’s loyal follower.”

Jian Yuanbai took a moment to digest the system’s words before asking, “Then where do I find this Long Aotian?”

The system fell silent.

Jian Yuanbai sat up from the damp, mold-scented bed and scooted over a little, making sure that if the spider silk broke, the insect wouldn’t land on his head. Only then did he begin examining his surroundings.

It was an extremely cramped and rundown room, small enough that he could take in everything with a single glance. The only furnishings were a bed, a rickety electric fan that creaked loudly when it spun but barely moved any air, and a large, yellow sack labeled “urea fertilizer” in the corner.

Despite having only these three items, the room still felt suffocatingly crowded.

Jian Yuanbai wanted to take a shower, but clearly, there was no place for that here. So he settled for the next best thing—changing into some cleaner clothes. He rummaged through the yellow sack for a long time and finally pulled out three crumpled garments, wrinkled like pickled vegetables.

“This is the good identity you chose for me?” Jian Yuanbai asked in a slow, chilly voice.

The system let out a dry laugh. “At least… at least, you’re a human, right?”

Besides, it wasn’t even the one who picked this identity.

Jian Yuanbai: “……”

A sudden “ding-dong” sound came from the head of the bed. Jian Yuanbai reached out and fumbled around until he found a small, palm-sized mobile phone with its buttons nearly worn blank.

It was a text message, from someone labeled “Aunt Zhang.”

[Aunt Zhang]: Don’t forget to meet Pei Yao at the café before five o’clock today. Whether you can find a job depends on him.

[Aunt Zhang]: If Pei Yao tries to brush you off, just throw a fit. Say you have nowhere else to go; remind him of your sister and brother-in-law’s kindness in raising him.

Attached was the address of a café.

Jian Yuanbai fell silent at the phrase throw a fit and tried to imagine himself doing it. It was difficult.

Then he replied with a single word: Okay.

He turned to the system and muttered, “Throw a fit? Just what kind of personality did this identity have?”

“What kind of grown man throws a tantrum like that?”

The system replied in an eerie tone, “Certain people, I suppose.”

For example, a certain someone from the last world—someone who had pestered Mu Jingzhuo into trying seven times in one night. Even though the system couldn’t see anything, and even though certain unspeakable sounds were automatically censored, it still had an “intelligent setting” that allowed important words to filter through during critical moments.

The system had cursed this “intelligent” setting countless times and had even mentally pretended to stuff its own ears with imaginary earplugs.

Jian Yuanbai checked the time—only three o’clock. He still had plenty of time. He flipped the yellow sack upside down, searching its contents, and finally found a wrinkled plastic bag with a grand total of 98 yuan inside.

In that instant, Jian Yuanbai finally understood why someone would be willing to throw a tantrum just to cling to Long Aotian Pei Yao.

Anyone who was this poor would abandon all sense of shame.

Of course, that didn’t include Jian Yuanbai.

Seeing Jian Yuanbai walk into a lottery shop, the system asked in confusion, “Aren’t you supposed to be waiting for Long Aotian at the café? What are you doing here?”

Jian Yuanbai stared at the lottery shop’s storefront for a moment, then spoke with great confidence in himself.

“Even though I don’t remember who I am, I have a feeling… that my luck is pretty damn good.”

The system scoffed. “Yeah, right. Keep dreaming.”

“Be careful, 98 might go to waste. If Pei Yao doesn’t want you then, you’ll be sleeping on the streets.”

Three minutes later, Jian Yuanbai walked out of a lottery shop with 2,500 yuan from five scratch-off tickets and went to another store.

Ten minutes later, he had 5,000 yuan and switched to yet another shop.

Half an hour later, holding 9,000 yuan, Jian Yuanbai bought a suit and carried it in his hand as he arrived at a decent-looking hotel.

While checking in, Jian Yuanbai suddenly said in his mind, “Who just said I’d be sleeping on the streets tonight?”

System: ……

Could this damn dog just die?

Thinking this in its heart, the system responded with great adaptability, “I don’t know. Did someone say that?”

“Whoever said it, I’ll curse them out for you!”

After taking a shower and changing into his newly bought clothes, it was almost five o’clock.

When he stepped into the café, the time was precisely five o’clock.

Only after walking to the designated table mentioned in the text message did Jian Yuanbai realize someone was already there. From a distance, the young man in a simple white T-shirt and jeans looked incredibly fresh. He sat there without any sign of impatience, his head lowered, focused on his phone.

The moment Jian Yuanbai entered his field of vision, the stifling summer air seemed to be met with a rush of cool, clean wind.

Jian Yuanbai quickly walked over and extended his hand. “Pei Yao, sorry, I’m late.”

Pei Yao hadn’t actually noticed someone approaching from the sound of their footsteps. Instead, he first sensed a small shadow falling over his head. Before he could look up, a deep voice came from above.

When he finally looked up, he was a little surprised. It had been nearly ten years since he last saw this person. In his memory, this guy had been a dark, skinny, and utterly annoying little runt.

He had expected to see an adult version of that same scrawny, charcoal-like kid, but standing before him now was a tall, well-built man in a suit, with sharp, well-defined features, deep-set eyes, and a straight nose.

The man standing in front of him actually gave off a sense of pressure.

Pei Yao hesitated for a moment before calling out, “Jian Yuanbai?”

Jian Yuanbai’s voice was low and magnetic. “Mm, it’s me.”

Only then did Pei Yao shake his hand and respond to what was said earlier. “You’re not late. It’s exactly five o’clock—I just arrived a little early.”

Jian Yuanbai pulled out a chair and sat down. His long legs unconsciously crossed, but the café’s seating didn’t offer much space. As he moved, the tip of his leather shoe brushed against Pei Yao’s calf, then, due to the slight rocking motion, the shoe lightly grazed his ankle.

Pei Yao was wearing cropped pants, so the cool, smooth leather of the shoe brushing against the skin near his ankle felt particularly noticeable—itchy and a little cold. He frowned slightly and leaned back a little.

Jian Yuanbai also realized he had accidentally touched him and immediately put his leg down. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to.”

“It’s fine.” Pei Yao shook his head. After that small episode, he didn’t want to waste words with Jian Yuanbai. In fact, there wasn’t really anything to say.

Just seeing him reminded Pei Yao of his wretched childhood.

Pei Yao pulled an envelope from his white canvas bag and slid it in front of Jian Yuanbai. “I don’t have any jobs to introduce you to. You—”

Before he could finish his sentence, his phone rang, interrupting him.

Pei Yao glanced at the glowing screen, then said to Jian Yuanbai, “Sorry.”

With that, he picked up his phone and stepped outside the café to take the call.

Inside, Jian Yuanbai’s gaze fell on the young man standing outside in the blazing sun. He asked the system in his mind, “Is this Pei Yao really the ‘Long Aotian’ film emperor?”

“A film emperor, yet his clothes are so plain, and the café he chose is so remote and shabby.”

On such a scorching day, this café didn’t even bother putting up sunshades outside. The shop was tiny, with only four or five tables.

System: “That’s how the story goes. He’s a film emperor, and you’re the loyal errand boy by his side.”

Jian Yuanbai: “He’s already a film emperor. What more is there to develop?”

System: “A film emperor and ‘Long Aotian’ are not exactly the same. The goal is to win a grand slam, go international, become the most influential figure, and reach the pinnacle of life.”

Jian Yuanbai didn’t respond. He leaned back slightly, resting his chin on one hand lazily as he continued watching Pei Yao.

The café was small, and he hadn’t seen a single staff member since he entered. Pei Yao must have stepped outside to ensure Jian Yuanbai wouldn’t overhear his conversation.

In the scorching summer heat, Pei Yao’s face turned red within moments of standing under the sun. Whatever was being said on the other end of the line made him look anxious. After a while, his face was completely flushed, and sweat dripped from his forehead. His delicate features were overheated to an abnormal degree.

For some reason, Jian Yuanbai found it hard to keep watching. He strode outside.

Seeing him, Pei Yao immediately paused his conversation and shot him a confused look.

“I’ll stand outside. You go inside. No need to worry about me overhearing.”

After Jian Yuanbai finished speaking, he pushed Pei Yao into the air-conditioned café.

Pei Yao looked surprised and somewhat bewildered, but he didn’t argue with Jian Yuanbai and continued his phone conversation.

Jian Yuanbai lifted his gaze to the scorching sun hanging high in the sky, relentlessly radiating its light and heat, before retracting his gaze.

During a brief pause in the conversation, when Pei Yao occasionally looked up, he saw the tall man in a suit unfasten two buttons at the collar of his shirt with one hand.

A thought suddenly crossed Pei Yao’s mind—on such a hot summer day, wouldn’t Jian Yuanbai, dressed in a suit, be even hotter than himself, who was only wearing a T-shirt?

Then why did he suddenly come outside and let him take the call inside the café instead?

After all, the one who had urgent matters to handle and didn’t want to be disturbed was himself.

Jian Yuanbai had no reason to do this.

The kid Pei Yao knew ten years ago—dark-skinned, filthy, and scrappy—would never have done something like this.

This person had changed so much.

Ten minutes later, Pei Yao picked up the envelope and his canvas bag, walked out of the café, and said to Jian Yuanbai:

“I have to go now. I really don’t have a suitable job for you. Just take this—”

“Where are you going?” Jian Yuanbai interrupted. “I’m coming with you.”

“I came here for work, and you think you can just send me away like this? No way.”

Jian Yuanbai had a strong feeling that the envelope contained money and that Pei Yao intended to use it to get rid of him, so he quickly cut him off before he could finish his sentence.

And he gambled on the fact that Pei Yao, who had looked so anxious earlier, wouldn’t have time to argue with him now.

Skillfully, he reframed the conversation, changing the offer from “introducing work” to “working for Pei Yao,” even adding, “I can do anything. Consider it a free trial period.”

Dressed in a sharp suit, strikingly handsome with a sharp, defined face, Jian Yuanbai winked at Pei Yao with one eye. “Just provide food and shelter; that’s all I need.”

“Boss, give me a chance?”

“Try me out; see if I’m useful.”

Sure enough, his gamble paid off.

Pei Yao was in a rush to get to a dinner appointment and had no time to argue with Jian Yuanbai. Although he frowned slightly at his words, he still said, “Come with me, then.”

“Do you know how to drive?”

Jian Yuanbai felt like he did, so he confidently said, “Yes.”

Pei Yao took a car key from his canvas bag and tossed it to Jian Yuanbai. “Then you drive.”

He thought about the tall figure standing under the blazing sun earlier, and for some reason, he made this decision on impulse.

The moment he threw the key, he immediately regretted it. His life was already full of trouble, and he really didn’t need to add another problem.

But the man had already asked, “Where’s your car?”

When Jian Yuanbai saw Pei Yao’s car, his doubts deepened. The car looked quite old, and its original price probably wasn’t very high.

Logically speaking, would a highly paid, wealthy film emperor really choose to drive a car like this?

Sitting in the driver’s seat, Jian Yuanbai started the engine. It didn’t take long for him to confirm his suspicions—not only was this car not expensive, but it was downright cheap. The performance, the design, the components—none of them were great.

His gaze shifted to Pei Yao sitting in the passenger seat, then to his smooth, fair wrist. In his mind, he silently labeled the system’s storyline as unreliable.

Halfway through the drive, Pei Yao, who was keenly observant, caught Jian Yuanbai’s glance and suddenly remembered—this guy had just come from the countryside.

“Wait a minute. Do you even have a driver’s license?”

Jian Yuanbai put on an innocent expression.

And so, on his very first day as a boss, Film Emperor Pei ended up switching seats with his “driver” halfway through the trip, taking on the role of chauffeur himself.