New Life

"Would you like to help?" The man suddenly looked up and asked calmly, holding a piece of minced meat in his hand.

Wang Yanfei just stared at him without answering. His body moved slightly, his footsteps splashed a circle of slight ripples in the rain, and then he slowly turned around and left without looking back.

The man watched his back gradually disappear in the rain, and a look of understanding flashed in his eyes. He lowered his head and continued to clean up the scene, with a smile on the corner of his mouth.

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Wang Yanfei wandered aimlessly through the streets of the slums, and the surrounding environment made him feel familiar and strange. He remembered every road and every corner here clearly. This place was where he and his sister had lived for several months, a place they tried to escape from but was deeply imprinted in their memories.

The dilapidated houses were close together, high and low, and the houses with leaking roofs groaned in the heavy rain. The streets were scattered with mud and garbage, and the air was mixed with a foul smell, which was disgusting. Some people on the roadside were as thin as a skinny monkey, and some had sallow faces and dull eyes, as if their lives were only left with the instinct to survive.

Wang Yanfei stopped and his eyes fell on a boy not far away. He was squatting next to a pile of garbage, looking for something to eat. The rain soaked his hair and clothes, but no one came forward to help him. Wang Yanfei clenched his fists, and an indescribable feeling surged in his heart.

Nine years ago, they were trapped here like these people, with nowhere to escape.

The death of his parents was a sudden disaster. The scene of that day is still deeply engraved in his mind - car accidents, sirens, blood-stained roads, and his uncle's cold face. At that time, he and his sister, who were young, had not yet reacted. The family's property had been taken over by his uncle, and then they were driven to this place.

During that time, life was like groping in the abyss. They ate food discarded by others, wore tattered clothes, avoided those hooligans who specialized in bullying the weak, and struggled to survive. Even so, his sister Wang Xiaonan always stood in front of him, even if she was hungry, she had to let her brother eat.

"Hold on, there will always be a way." At that time, the sister always said so, but she cried secretly at night, afraid that her brother would hear it.

Later, the uncle died unexpectedly. It is said that he accidentally fell down the stairs after drinking heavily, hit his head on the ground, and died on the spot. Surprisingly, before his death, his uncle left a will and took the initiative to return the property to them.

Wang Yanfei still doesn't understand whether his uncle's decision at the time was due to a change of conscience or other reasons.

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The rain subsided a little, and Wang Yanfei stood in front of a dilapidated shed. The surging emotions in his heart made it difficult for him to calm down. He lowered his head and looked at his blurred reflection in the stagnant water. The pale but stubborn young man seemed to overlap with the helpless little boy in his memory.

At this moment, he subconsciously raised his hand, and the familiar black fog appeared again. As the dark fog surged, the translucent panel gradually appeared, and the white text was as clear as ever.

[Name]: Wang Yanfei

[Race]: Human

[Attributes:]

 Body: 0.9 ↑ (Standard for an adult: 1)

 Spirit: 1.2 (Standard for an adult: 1)

[Ability]: Unnamed

[Refresh Time]: 22:54:32

Wang Yanfei's eyes fell on the small arrow next to the "body" attribute, and he was slightly stunned. This was the first time he saw a similar sign on the panel. Although "0.9" was still lower than that of an ordinary adult, the rising arrow told him that it seemed that exercising could also make him stronger.

He stretched out his hand and carefully felt the faint but real change. Perhaps it was because of the awakening of the card, or perhaps it was because of the battles and struggles he had experienced this day, he could feel that his body was constantly pushed to the limit by some force, gradually breaking away from the weak self in the past.

"Fate..." He whispered, with a hint of sarcasm in his tone, but more of a kind of frankness, "Since you like to tease me, then I will take over all your arrangements."

He stopped, put his hands in his pockets, looked up at the sky in the distance, and the thick dark clouds still blocked most of the light, with only a faint ray of sunlight shining through the gap.

"The gift of fate, let's call it this." He said softly, as if he was announcing to himself and the unknown future.

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Wang Yanfei took out a few banknotes soaked in rain but still usable from his pocket. Most of them are now terminal payments. It is his habit to keep banknotes. His fingertips trembled slightly and he sighed. He can't leave the slums yet. Outside is the wilderness. After the Black Rain War, there is serious radiation there. Only those "rats" will be outside. Thinking of this, Wang Yanfei showed sarcasm on his face, but now he is also a rat.

He continued walking along the alley until he found a dilapidated house in the corner. The door was open, and it seemed that no one had lived in it for a long time. The smell in the house was musty and damp, but it was more suitable as a hiding place than the street. A thin old man sat at the door, holding an extinguished pipe in his mouth, with turbid but sharp eyes, examining Wang Yanfei.

"I want to live here." Wang Yanfei walked straight to the door, raised his hand and handed over a few banknotes, "Are these enough?"

The old man looked at him for a few seconds, nodded slowly, and said hoarsely: "Enough. But you have to be careful, the people around are not very friendly, and I'm afraid you can't keep the money."

Wang Yanfei just smiled and didn't say much. He took the key handed by the old man, stepped into the room, and closed the door casually. A dilapidated atmosphere came to his face. There was only a shabby wooden bed and an equally shabby table in the room. Rain dripped from the cracks in the roof, making a rhythmic sound.

Wang Yanfei locked the door, simply tidied the bed, and sat down to take a breath. Just as he closed his eyes and planned to rest, there was a whisper outside the door, accompanied by slight footsteps. He frowned, stood up, and listened quietly to the door.

"The guy inside looks like a rich guy. How about we brothers go in and divide his wealth?"

"Keep quiet and don't disturb the old man."

A few low voices came from outside the door. Wang Yanfei's eyes turned cold and his fingers tapped the door frame unconsciously. He turned slowly, picked up a sharp piece of broken glass from the table, and stood behind the door.

With a slight sound, the door lock was pried open. Several figures walked in with their waists hunched. One of the strong men felt a chill rushing from his back to his head before he could see the situation in the house clearly.

"What are you looking for?" Wang Yanfei's cold voice sounded behind them.

Several people were stunned at the same time. When they turned around, they saw a thin figure in front of them. He held the piece of glass in his hand and his eyes were cold.

"Brother, brother, let's talk!" The leading strong man smiled stiffly and tried to retreat, but was approached by Wang Yanfei.

"Sorry." Wang Yanfei's mouth corners slightly raised, but there was no smile in his eyes, "I don't like to be disturbed."

He raised his foot and kicked out suddenly, hitting the strong man's knee. The other man screamed and fell to the ground. Seeing this, the other people wanted to escape, but they were frightened by Wang Yanfei's sharp eyes and dared not move.

"Get out," Wang Yanfei roared, the glass fragments glittering in his hands.

A group of people hurriedly climbed out, tripping themselves in their haste. They didn't dare to breathe until they were far away from the house.

Wang Yanfei snorted, closed the door, and threw the glass shards onto the table, causing them to shatter even more violently. He slumped in his chair and closed his eyes as the rain outside gradually subsided. His mind was filled with thoughts of how to escape the quagmire that imprisoned him.