A Guide for Background Characters to Survive in a Manga - Chapter 96



Once the three reached this conclusion, Zhao Xiaoyu fainted. Su Bei and Si Zhaohua had no other choice but to carry her onward to the shore.

However, Su Bei took a moment to check Zhao Xiaoyu’s condition with his powers, and to his surprise, the small needle above her head was nearly pinned to the far left, indicating that something significant was about to happen—or was already happening—to her.

This discovery made Su Bei raise an eyebrow; he felt a sense of relief. Whatever was occurring, it was bound to be a good thing for Zhao Xiaoyu.

As they caught sight of the mainland from afar, Si Zhaohua intentionally lowered their flying altitude, gradually bringing the three of them down into the sea. Although many ordinary people were aware of the existence of supernatural beings, they remained distant from their lives. If they were to land on the mainland, who knew how much attention it would attract?

They had escaped the base, but they hadn’t returned to the academy; in fact, they were still in a foreign land, so it was best to keep a low profile.

Sure enough, as they swam to a populated area, the first thing that met their eyes was a crowd of foreigners. Upon seeing the two boys carrying an unconscious girl, the onlookers immediately grew wary.

Two women in swimsuits swam over, one holding a phone wrapped in a plastic bag, clearly ready to call for help. The other asked in a foreign tongue, “What is your relationship with her? Why is this girl unconscious?”

Si Zhaohua cleared his throat, casually tossing his drenched silver hair back, revealing his delicate features, and replied in fluent foreign language, “We are friends, and then…”

Then he faltered, for the situation indeed looked strange. How could he explain why Zhao Xiaoyu was unconscious? Not one to lie easily, Si Zhaohua turned to Su Bei for help.

Su Bei noticed the two girls staring at Si Zhaohua’s face, their expressions softening into smiles. He brushed the stray hair from his face and smoothly took over the conversation: “Our friend saw something shiny in the sea and wanted to take a look, but she fainted from low blood sugar after swimming for a short while.”

His explanation wasn’t particularly clever; the idea of fainting from low blood sugar was rather implausible. But it didn’t matter; Su Bei knew these two would buy it, at least enough to avoid calling for help.

Sure enough, after he finished explaining, the girl with the phone lowered it. Though they were from different countries, many aspects of aesthetics were universal. Even foreigners could easily see the handsomeness of Su Bei and Si Zhaohua.

With two such strikingly handsome individuals, they could easily pass for stars; it was hard for the two women to believe they would resort to kidnapping another girl for love or money.

—

When it comes to human affairs, just looking at their faces makes such thoughts seem utterly unrealistic.

Yet, there was a flicker of concern among them; after all, if one disregarded appearances, the sight of two boys carrying an unconscious girl was hard not to overthink.

Noticing their unease, Su Bei’s eyes glinted as he smiled and said, “If you’re worried, we haven’t rented a place yet. We could take her to stay with you for now, and wait until she wakes up to decide what to do. What do you think?”

He was troubled, unsure where to stay; he had no ID, no passport, and his phone was ruined by seawater. Carrying an unconscious girl made returning home a daunting task—at least, it was impossible to go back immediately. Thus, before they could return, they needed to find somewhere to stay.

The people who had captured them might not let them off easily; they could very well continue searching. Without ID, they would be forced to stay in shady motels, making it difficult to hide their tracks.

But if they could stay in a local’s home, it would be different. As long as those people didn’t conduct a thorough search, it would be hard to find them.

Upon hearing the latter part of his suggestion, Si Zhao Hua paused for a moment, then quickly grasped his meaning. Indeed, given their current situation, staying in a local’s home was the best choice.

The two women hesitated for a while, and the one who had spoken earlier replied, “Let us discuss it first.”

With their agreement, she and her companion stepped aside to confer. Moments later, they returned, agreeing to their request. However, there was a condition: “You three can stay at my house, but I will call my brother over to join us.”

“Of course, that’s fine.” Su Bei nodded in immediate agreement, “Just arrange… two rooms for the three of us.”

In truth, he preferred one room; with Zhao Xiao Yu currently unconscious, it was hard to feel at ease with her alone in a separate room. However, given their suspicious circumstances, asking for another room might not be well-received by the others.

The two women led them to a three-story villa. They were merely friends, not family. After settling the three of them, one of the women hurriedly left. The one who remained was named Eliza.

Through Eliza, Su Bei gleaned some information. Most foreigners shared similar traits, and their language was relatively uniform, which had left Su Bei unsure of which country they were in.

Now he knew; the country they were in was quite famous—Abogode. This nation was renowned not for its strength or technology, but purely for its wealth.

Moreover, this wealth wasn’t the kind marked by stark disparities, where the upper class lived in luxury while the lower class suffered; rather, it was a wealth shared among the indigenous people.

There was no denying it; this country was dubbed “the nation built on gold.” Just hearing that name made it clear why it was so affluent—every native had their own gold mine.

And it wasn’t just gold mines. After the emergence of supernatural beings, this country had also discovered vast amounts of psychic crystals beneath the earth.

These crystals allowed supernatural beings to quickly replenish their mental energy during battles, and the importance of mental energy to them was self-evident. Since supernatural beings were generally wealthy, these crystals had skyrocketed in value.

Damn it! It was Abogode?

Su Bei felt a headache coming on.

Before, the scorpion braid had revealed a crucial piece of information: that cursed “Loyalty Crystal” was crafted in collaboration with others.

Connecting this to another force that emerged at the auction, it was clear that the collaborator was the “Black Flash” organization. Abogode had wealth and resources, while the “Black Flash” had people and technology. When the two joined forces… just look, even something like the “Loyalty Crystal” could be researched into existence, right?

Noticing his grim expression, Elisa thought Su Bei was cold and pointed to a room: “That’s the bathroom; you can take a shower there. As for clothes, I have a few washed ones. They might be a bit big, but you can manage.”

In someone else’s home, one couldn’t demand much, especially since the two of them were now broke and without identification—purely living off the kindness of others.

When Su Bei finished his shower and stepped out, Elisa’s brother had also arrived. A burly foreign man, covered in tattoos, he looked particularly intimidating. No wonder Elisa had called him over.

However, this brother didn’t make things difficult for them; after all, Su Bei and the others clearly looked like underage kids. Even if they were a bit handsome, his sister wouldn’t be so shameless as to pick a boyfriend from among them.

After Su Bei finished, Si Zhao Hua went to wash up, asking Elisa to help dry off Zhao Xiao Yu and settle her in.

Seizing the opportunity, Su Bei chatted a bit more with the brother to learn about the situation in Abogode. Their country wasn’t controlled by a single government like his own; instead, it was dominated by three conglomerates that held the largest mineral resources.

Of course, on the surface, they appeared to be united, presenting themselves as a single government. But according to the brother, there were many hidden agendas within; their political stances didn’t completely align, and there were instances of sudden policy changes.

It seemed that if the people collaborating with the “Black Flash” were indeed government officials, they must belong to just one of the three conglomerates. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be cowering on an island conducting experiments.

Yet, with something like the “Loyalty Crystal” already developed, one couldn’t guarantee that others from the other conglomerates wouldn’t be under the control of the same kidnappers. It would be best to return and inform Meng Huai and the others; surely the academy’s teachers would have a suitable way to handle it.

Back in his room, Su Bei closed the door, and he and Si Zhao Hua began discussing how to return home.

“Should I go to the embassy?” Si Zhao Hua suggested, confident that it would work out.

Hearing him propose such a plan, Su Bei was puzzled: “Huh? Why not just call your family and have them come pick you up?”

International calls were expensive, but they certainly could afford it. The Si family was powerful; getting someone to Abogode to pick them up wouldn’t be difficult. Relying on the embassy would inevitably lead to a lot of red tape, and it was far more convenient to rely on one’s own family.

At this, Si Zhao Hua coughed lightly: “…I don’t remember my family’s phone number.”

With contacts stored in mobile phones, modern people rarely memorized others’ numbers, and Si Zhao Hua was no exception.

Su Bei: “…”

To be honest, if he had to call someone right now, he wouldn’t be able to do it either.

However, sending Si Zhao Hua to the embassy wouldn’t work. Su Bei shook his head: “You shouldn’t go; I will. Such a simple method, if we can think of it, they surely can too. They’ve seen you before, and with your silver hair, you’ll definitely be recognized. I’m different; they haven’t seen me, so I can go without raising any alarms.”

Before, at that base, he had always appeared as a child, and by the time he transformed back, he had already slipped from the kidnappers’ sight, so they would not recognize him.

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That afternoon, Su Bei inquired about the location of the embassy, then left Eliza’s home and made his way there.

Upon arriving nearby, Su Bei did not enter directly; instead, he first observed the surroundings. His eyesight was keen, and it wasn’t long before he spotted two individuals watching him.

Seeing these two, a heaviness settled in Su Bei’s heart. If they were indeed sent by the Scorpion Braid gang to track him down, it spoke volumes of their swift action and considerable influence in Apoguo.

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This was certainly not good news.

Once he confirmed that he was being followed, Su Bei entered the embassy to avoid drawing attention. To his surprise, the embassy, which he remembered as usually leisurely, appeared quite busy today. Staff members rushed back and forth, and it took a while before someone came to attend to him.

“So your request is to return home as soon as possible?” The staff member in charge frowned, looking rather troubled.

Seeing his expression, Su Bei felt a twinge of surprise. From what he understood, the embassy could provide emergency financial support to citizens abroad and assist in repatriation. Why did he look so distressed?

“Is there a problem?” Su Bei asked, concern creeping into his voice.

The staff member indeed seemed to struggle: “I’m very sorry, but if you wish to return home, you might have to wait a bit longer. There have been some issues in Apoguo recently… It’s a bit complicated, so related matters will be delayed.”

After saying this, he quickly sought solutions for Su Bei: “However, we can help you reissue your ID and passport, and we can also contact your relatives back home…”

At the mention of “relatives back home,” Su Bei’s eyes lit up: “Ah, speaking of which, can you help me get in touch with the ‘Endless Ability Academy’?”

If he could reach the academy, their safety would be ensured. The embassy was an official organization, so he wasn’t worried about them failing to contact the Ability Academy.

The staff member paused at his words: “The ‘Endless Ability Academy’? You’re an ability user?”

Su Bei nodded, flipping his wrist to reveal a gear that appeared in his hand. The staff member’s eyes brightened: “So that’s how it is! You’ve come at the right time!”

“How so?” Su Bei asked, though he already had a hunch.

As expected, the staff member replied: “That matter is related to you ability users; several academies back home have sent people here. It’s a bit late today, but come back tomorrow at two in the afternoon, and I’ll call them in. Does that work for you?”

Su Bei had no objections. After they made arrangements, he turned and left.

Stepping outside, he feigned casualness as he scanned the area; the two watchers were still there. He didn’t mind, leaving boldly without a care.

However, unexpectedly, after walking a few steps, Su Bei felt that one of the two people was indeed following him.

Why would they be tracking him? Did they recognize him?

Su Bei’s eyes flickered with uncertainty, and he instinctively wanted to quicken his pace, seeking a suitable place to shake off his pursuer.

But soon he calmed down, realizing he couldn’t afford to be so hasty. One thing was certain: that group of kidnappers definitely did not know what his golden hair looked like.

After all, that “transformation mask (fake)” had been crafted by the “comic consciousness” itself; it was impossible for anyone to see through it, and thus, they could not recognize him.

So,

() there were two possibilities: either they were actually following him for another reason, and were not even the Scorpion Braid people at all. The other possibility was that they were merely testing the waters, considering only one person had followed him out, indicating he was not of particular importance.

With this in mind, Su Bei maintained his previous pace, allowing himself to relax. He appeared completely unhurried, even taking the time to browse the local gold shop.

Being a nation rich in gold, the prices in Aboguo were generally quite low, and Su Bei found himself quite tempted. He wasn’t short on money, but who would ever complain about having more? It was just a pity that he had not a single coin on him, forced to watch with longing.

If it had been Zhao Xiaoyu, or Jiang Tianming, or Wu Mingbai who had come, they might have already quietly crumbled under the pressure.

After finishing his visit to the gold shop and stepping back outside, the person following him had vanished. Su Bei let out a sigh of relief and returned to Eliza’s home.

When he got back, Zhao Xiaoyu was still asleep. Knowing the inside story, Si Zhaohua was fine, but Eliza, who was completely in the dark, looked a bit flustered: “You’re back. Wait, is this girl really hypoglycemic? How could she still not be awake after so long?”

“I don’t know either?” Su Bei instantly got into character, his expression bewildered, “She has a problem with low blood sugar; she suddenly felt weak and fainted not long after. So we thought it might be hypoglycemia.”

Si Zhaohua cast an admiring glance at him, internally marveling at Su Bei’s strong mental fortitude, how easily he spun a lie. No wonder he had managed to deceive them for so long; it wasn’t that they were too foolish, but rather that this guy was too cunning.

“Otherwise, we should take her to the hospital,” her brother suggested, seeing Eliza’s worried expression. “If you two don’t have any money, we can cover the medical expenses for now.”

Thanks to the average wealth of the populace, Aboguo’s social security was particularly good; locals hardly needed to spend much when using their health insurance cards. Otherwise, even a kind-hearted brother wouldn’t have offered such help.

Su Bei certainly didn’t mind; if the doctor could truly find out what was wrong with Zhao Xiaoyu, he would actually be grateful to them.

“Of course, that would be great! Thank you so much!” he replied without hesitation, but then added, “However, I need to go to the embassy tomorrow afternoon. Should we wait to go to the hospital until after I return from the embassy, or should we go before I head there?”

Eliza immediately responded, “Before you go.”

She was starting to doubt the two of them again; after all, Zhao Xiaoyu’s condition looked nothing like hypoglycemia, and they seemed more like they were involved in trafficking girls.

What if Su Bei went straight to the embassy and took Zhao Xiaoyu away? Without evidence, our government would have a hard time intervening in foreign affairs.

So Elisa thought it best to visit the hospital first, to have a look at Zhao Xiaoyu. If there were indeed traces of a drug on her, it would count as a form of evidence.

Back at the dormitory, Si Zhaohua was also troubled: “Xiaoyu still hasn’t woken up. What if something really happened? By the way, how did it go at the embassy?”

“They can’t let us return home immediately, but I heard there have been some supernatural incidents related to our country in Aboguo recently, and people from the Ability Academy have already arrived. I can meet with them tomorrow,” Su Bei replied, withholding his own suspicions.

He figured that, true to the style of the comics, this incident might indeed be connected to them. At the very least, it was related to the chaos at the auction and the “Black Flash” organization.

Perhaps they might even run into other classmates in this foreign land!

Hearing that they could meet with people from the academy, Si Zhaohua let out a sigh of relief. This was already a fairly reliable solution; no matter which academy the teachers were from, they would surely be able to confirm their identities, and then they could return home.

But Su Bei brought up another matter: “I did see someone tailing me at the embassy. They followed me for a while after I came out.”

“Did you shake them off?” Si Zhaohua didn’t seem too worried; after all, the fact that Su Bei had safely returned and was able to share this meant he had already dealt with the issue.

Su Bei shook his head, then nodded: “I didn’t shake them off, but after following me for a while, they just stopped.”

At this point, he looked a bit puzzled: “Do you think they’re from that group of kidnappers?”

“You’re suspicious, aren’t you?” With that, Si Zhaohua understood his meaning, “Indeed… you’ve never shown your face in front of them, so why would they follow you? But if it’s not about that, then what could it be?”

“Maybe it’s related to what the embassy mentioned.” Su Bei sighed, placing his hands behind his head, leaning against the bedside table: “I hope this won’t affect our return home.”

He had already taken up enough space in this plot; he really didn’t want to complicate things further. After all, any follow-up could be seen in the comics, and returning home would be completely fine.

Early the next morning, the group took the unconscious Zhao Xiaoyu to the hospital for examination. The results were as expected; the hospital couldn’t find anything. With no other options, they had to bring her back. At least the hospital’s diagnosis confirmed that Zhao Xiaoyu’s coma was likely not caused by Su Bei and the others, which eased Elisa’s mind.

In the afternoon, Su Bei returned to the embassy as agreed.

“Teacher!” Upon seeing Meng Huai sitting on a bench, Su Bei felt a surge of joy, confirming his suspicions.

The moment Meng Huai saw him, he also relaxed slightly: “You did well, kid, managing to escape. Where are Si Zhaohua and Zhao Xiaoyu? Are they with you?”

Su Bei nodded: “We’re currently staying in a house belonging to the indigenous people, but Zhao Xiaoyu has fallen into a coma due to some unforeseen circumstances, and we need the academy to check on her.”

Hearing this, Meng Huai’s brow furrowed sharply: “Take me to them first. Tell me what happened on the way.”

—

Thus, on the road, Su Bei succinctly recounted their journey, including the matter of the “Loyalty Crystal.”

As for the politicians, Meng Huai was already aware: “Those politicians have successfully contacted the homeland. We suspected you had escaped, but couldn’t reach you. It’s clever of you to find the embassy so quickly.”

He then spoke of Zhao Xiaoyu: “Once we arrive, I’ll call your teacher Ye over to take a look. If she can’t discern any issues… then let Old Lei send Zhao Xiaoyu back to school.”

At this last remark, Su Bei immediately raised his hand: “How can she go back to school alone? I’ll go with her!”

Meng Huai saw right through his intentions, smacking his head lightly, chiding with a grin, “Don’t you want to participate? You can’t just run away when things get tough!”

The two returned to Eliza’s home, where the door was opened by the host herself. In front of outsiders, Meng Huai maintained a serious demeanor, though no matter how earnest he tried to appear, a hint of roguishness lingered.

“Hello, I am the teacher of these children. Thank you for taking care of our students over the past few days; I’ll reimburse you for all expenses incurred.”

Without a doubt, Meng Huai was quite the handsome man, exuding a mature charm that neither Su Bei nor Si Zhao Hua possessed. To many, a mature man was far more attractive than a youthful boy.

Clearly, Eliza was one of those people. She felt her cheeks flush, her heart racing, wondering if this was some sort of idol training academy. How else could the teacher and students be so strikingly good-looking? Shyly, she replied, “It’s no trouble; they’ve both been very understanding. As for the expenses…”

Before she could finish, her brother interrupted, disregarding her furious glare, continuing on, “We’ll prepare a list of expenses for you when we return. It’s not much; once settled, you can leave.”

The request was reasonable, and Meng Huai had no objections, nodding in agreement.

Hearing the commotion, Si Zhao Hua stepped out of the room, visibly surprised to see Meng Huai: “Teacher?! You’re the one who came here!”

Compared to Su Bei, Si Zhao Hua was undoubtedly a good student. After exchanging greetings, he quickly added, “Are you here to handle something? Once Xiaoyu is settled, if there’s anything I can assist with, please do let me know.”

At this, Meng Huai shot a knowing glance at Su Bei, a smirk playing on his lips before addressing Si Zhao Hua, “There are indeed some matters I’ll need your help with.”

He emphasized the word “you,” and Su Bei sighed, realizing he could not escape this.

“Alright, first, take me to see Zhao Xiaoyu.”

As the serious business was broached, everyone’s expressions turned grave. The two led Meng Huai to Zhao Xiaoyu’s room, where she lay peacefully asleep, her initially pale complexion now restored. If they hadn’t known better, they might have thought she was merely dreaming.

Meng Huai gently patted Zhao Xiaoyu’s face twice, then lifted her eyelid to examine her pupils, using his experience to assess, “This is beyond my ability to resolve; I’ll need to consult Xiao Ye… cough, Teacher Ye.”

—

“Speak, then. He has gone out to settle the medical bills from the past two days; under Eliza’s insistence, the costs for lodging and meals are waived.”

Once the last details were tidied up, Meng Huai returned, slightly bending at the waist, effortlessly hoisting the unconscious Zhao Xiaoyu onto his shoulder. “Let’s go.”

Watching his movements, Si Zhaohua hesitated, words caught in his throat, but ultimately couldn’t hold back. “Teacher, why don’t I carry her? That position can’t be comfortable.”

“A person in a coma needs no comfort,” Meng Huai scoffed, yet he shifted his hold, transforming it into a princess carry.

Su Bei, with a mischievous grin, clasped his hands to his heart in a mock gesture of admiration. “Oh, Si Shao, you truly are a gentleman.”

Even with Si Zhaohua’s usual composure, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of irritation, ready to strike back. “I’m still not over what happened before! And now you come at me again?”

“Oh? What happened?” Meng Huai turned, intrigued by his tone. Although Su Bei had recounted the events of their capture over the past two days, it was clear he had concealed some details. At the very least, Meng Huai hadn’t caught wind of any discord between them.

Yet Si Zhaohua was unwilling to divulge. Su Bei’s lack of integrity was one thing, but hadn’t he failed to recognize the situation himself? Engaging in such self-destructive antics, harming oneself while trying to harm another, was not something he would stoop to.

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Su Bei chuckled knowingly; he had long since realized that Si Zhaohua would never air such an embarrassing incident. Did Meng Huai want to see his performance? How naive!