The first day after Reincarnation into another world, I walked barefoot down the street and found myself a Beggar controlled by the gang, with bread that tasted worse than old granny’s foot skin.
The second day, I stole a bag of money.
At least my stomach was full, but I almost lost a hand.
Now it’s the third day.
I haven’t bathed, my whole body is uncomfortable, lice are torturing me, and I already want to jump into the river.
Sitting by the street, leaning against the wall, a broken bowl in front of me, I started doubting the meaning of Reincarnation.
I never expected it to be pleasant, but it certainly wasn’t to beg in another world.
“Akai, is there anywhere to take a bath? I can’t stand it.”
Mel Carlo was gradually going a bit crazy.
“Mel, for safety, don’t wash yourself too clean. Otherwise, those perverted adults might buy you.”
Akai’s kind gaze had a hint of simple honesty.
For these Beggars, a dirty appearance was also a kind of protection.
If someone took a liking to them because of their looks, that would be worse than death.
From Akai’s words, he at least understood that such things had happened before.
As long as someone offered money, those gang members would definitely be willing to sell them.
“Just bear it. You’ll get used to it.”
Mel Carlo still didn’t clean himself.
It was time to go steal.
Begging like this probably wouldn’t work.
Some people would give food, but coins were pitifully rare.
Because he’d eaten a lot yesterday, he wasn’t too hungry today.
“Mel, are you going to steal again?”
Akai wanted to stop him, but Mel Carlo didn’t stop.
“What else can I do? Relying on these dry bread scraps from poor people, how can I report back? I’m afraid Lili and I won’t survive next month.”
Mel Carlo continued forward.
Now the crowd was growing, and the risk was much lower.
But there was also a bit of worry in his heart.
People with guards were absolutely not targets.
If discovered, he might be cut down on the spot.
In a world like this, a Noble could kill lowly Beggars like them with a single thought.
A successful steal netted 30 Orens.
Even if it was just copper coins, it was still money.
These were what he could get openly.
When he made his move, someone was obviously watching.
He wasn’t sure if it was the Noble who lost their wallet or a gang informant.
But it didn’t matter.
Now, the target he picked wasn’t that dangerous.
Even if caught, it would just be a beating.
As long as he wasn’t killed, there was no problem.
The most important thing right now was survival.
As the sun set, he found Akai and Lili again.
As long as they got 5 copper coins a day, 5 Orens were enough to buy black bread.
“You only begged 5 Orens? That’s not enough. Here, my business is open. Each of you take 10 copper coins. With what you already have, at least you won’t get beaten to death.”
Mel Carlo laughed darkly.
He wasn’t mocking.
He just had an idea in his mind.
Simply sitting there and waiting for charity was too unlikely.
The other side didn’t know what you’d been through and it all depended on their kindness.
So you needed to identify your target group.
If you wanted money, you had to aim at literate people.
Find a wooden sign, write a tragic story on it to stir sympathy, and you might get more.
The three split the 30 copper coins.
To Mel Carlo, it was nothing.
He already had a fortune, but that was for escape, not for spending openly.
If the wallet he stole really belonged to a Noble Young Lady from a powerful family, then the gang should soon face immense pressure.
Thinking about all this, Mel Carlo and the two others returned to the Gang Compound.
Just entering the yard, a sense of foreboding filled the air.
The previously arrogant gang boss now had his head wrapped in bandages and his face covered in bruises.
It looked like he’d been beaten up.
His whole face was full of fear.
“What do we do, Anke! I don’t want to die yet. How could someone be stupid enough to steal the Duke’s daughter’s wallet!”
The fat middle-aged man sat in a chair, muttering to the Scar-faced Man beside him.
Because the incident happened in his territory, they’d come to him.
Whether he did it or his subordinates did, the people above only wanted results.
At least his head was needed to appease their anger.
If the wallet was recovered, he’d survive.
If not, someone would come to dig out one of his eyes in a week.
When Mel Carlo and the other two returned, the gang boss’s fury instantly shifted to the three small figures.
He stood up, his fat trembling, and shouted:
“Was it you? Did you steal the Duke’s daughter’s wallet!”
Akai and Lili were terrified, shaking their heads and repeatedly explaining, “Not me, we didn’t.”
“We didn’t steal it.”
Mel Carlo also put on a frightened face.
Though he’d anticipated this, he’d still underestimated the power of that doll-like girl.
What happened next was easy to guess.
If the wallet couldn’t be found, the gang boss’s head would roll.
A scapegoat was needed to calm the Duke’s fury.
Other people’s status was too low, and the boss was just right—not too high or low.
As for whether he felt guilty about getting someone killed like this, definitely not.
He wasn’t kind enough to pity a piece of scum.
After the three were beaten and scolded, the Scar-faced Man stopped the fat man’s rampage.
Even transferring anger had its limits.
“Anke, what are you trying to do! I’m not dead yet, and you dare go against me?”
Anke didn’t say much.
He just touched the scar on his face, glanced at Mel Carlo, and kept his tough stance toward the gang boss.
“How much longer do you think you’ll live? If you can’t find the wallet, just wait to die!”
When this man died, he could take over this area.
Hearing this, the gang boss could no longer hold on.
He’d enjoyed too many years and lost the drive of his youth.
The layers of fat were proof.
His heart was full of fear, but he couldn’t accept it.
He couldn’t give up.
He had to find that wallet.
Falling to the ground, the fat man climbed up again, screaming:
“Go search! Everyone, go search! You little piglets, don’t sleep, go find it across the city! Turn the sewers upside down if you have to!”
Yelling like this actually woke him up.
Even if he took out his anger on these little piglets, it was useless.
They wouldn’t die for him.
While there was still a last chance, he had to take it.
No matter what, he had to find it.
“If you can’t find it, you can all go die!”
The many Beggars standing outside the door stopped and hid, not wanting to be beaten by the raging gang boss.