Asking for Money

Though he couldn’t cut off this ridiculous mop of long hair, Lin Yu had no intention of returning to his tiny rented room just yet.

He needed to figure out a way to get some money!

Lin Yu rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.

The original owner of this body—some punk with bleached hair—was practically penniless. The cash he had on hand wasn’t even enough to cover next month’s rent!

To avoid being thrown out by the landlord, Lin Yu needed at least 1,500 yuan—enough to pay for the next three months.

He massaged his forehead, trying to recall how the original owner had scraped by. Maybe he could use some of those methods to survive.

After a moment of reflection, Lin Yu’s face darkened.

Damn it!

Aside from the measly 1,000 yuan monthly allowance from his uncle, the punk had survived by extorting pocket money from younger students.

No way in hell was Lin Yu doing that!

He’d end up in jail before he even got into college!

He needed another way to make money.

After some thought, Lin Yu decided the most reliable option was squeezing cash out of his uncle.

The man had embezzled every last bit of his parents’ inheritance—Lin Yu had every right to demand it back!

The plan seemed solid.

Sure, in the original owner’s memories, the kid had been terrified of his thug uncle. But Lin Yu wasn’t afraid.

Before transmigrating, he’d been one of the heirs to his family’s martial arts school.

Not only was he skilled in various combat techniques, but he’d even dabbled in some lethal moves.

How could he possibly fear some lowlife like Li Yuan?

With his mind made up, Lin Yu immediately headed to his uncle’s place.

When he arrived, he knocked on the door. It swung open almost instantly, revealing a middle-aged woman caked in heavy makeup.

Lin Yu recognized her—Li Yuan’s girlfriend.

She clearly knew him too. Turning her head, she shouted inside,

"Li Yuan! Your nephew’s here!"

Without another word, she walked away, disappearing into a small room deeper inside.

Lin Yu stepped into the living room, where the clattering of mahjong tiles immediately caught his attention.

Following the sound, he entered the same small room the woman had gone into and spotted his uncle at the table.

Li Yuan sat on a chair, tall and gaunt, his cheeks so hollow they looked like they barely held two ounces of flesh. His entire demeanor screamed menace, and according to the original owner’s memories, he was some kind of gang leader.

Lin Yu gave a slight nod. Now he understood why the kid had been so scared.

This guy was clearly not someone to mess with.

When Li Yuan noticed his nephew, he didn’t even acknowledge him. Instead, his brow furrowed, as if annoyed by the kid’s presence.

Lin Yu ignored his uncle’s displeasure and casually walked over to stand behind him, watching the game while silently plotting how to demand his inheritance—or at least squeeze a hefty sum out of the man.

At the very least, he needed enough to survive.

Time ticked by, and Li Yuan’s luck at the table seemed unnaturally good. Win after win piled up, and the stack of cash in front of him grew steadily.

Watching his uncle’s smug grin, Lin Yu frowned, still struggling to come up with a convincing excuse to ask for money.

Should he say he needed it for school?

No.

Even if Li Yuan agreed, he’d probably toss him a couple hundred at most. The original owner’s memories painted the man as miserly.

What if he just confronted him outright?

Demanded he return every cent he’d stolen?

No, that wouldn’t work either.

Lin Yu quickly dismissed the idea.

Starting a fight was easy, but actually getting the money would be another story.

He couldn’t just rob the guy, could he?

If things turned violent, everyone here would side with Li Yuan. The odds of walking away with cash were slim.

And if Li Yuan called the cops, accusing him of theft, Lin Yu would be the one in trouble—regardless of who was actually in the wrong. He might even end up behind bars!

Just as Lin Yu was racking his brain for a solution, a faint glimmer of light flickered into his right eye—the one not obscured by his dyed hair.

Squinting, he instinctively turned toward the source.

His gaze landed on a small vanity mirror. Li Yuan’s girlfriend sat with her back to them, using it to touch up her makeup.

But the mirror didn’t just reflect her face—it also clearly showed the tiles of the player sitting across from Li Yuan.

A smirk tugged at Lin Yu’s lips.

Well, well.

Looks like money’s coming his way after all.

Pulling out his phone, Lin Yu opened the camera, puckered his lips, and struck a peace sign—pretending to take a selfie.

After snapping a photo of the cheating in action, he furrowed his brows and fiddled with his phone, muttering,

"Huh?"

"That’s weird."

"It was working fine just a second ago."

"How’d it suddenly glitch out?"

After a bit of exaggerated button-mashing, he held the phone out to Li Yuan and said,

"Uncle, could you take a look? My phone’s acting up."

"The screen’s all messed up suddenly."

Li Yuan had been sneakily using his girlfriend’s mirror to cheat. When Lin Yu shoved the phone in his face, blocking his view, he nearly swatted it away in irritation—until his eyes widened, and his hand froze mid-air.

He slowly looked up at Lin Yu, his narrow eyes burning with a silent, dangerous threat.

Lin Yu just grinned back, feigning innocence.

"Uncle, my phone’s broken. Since you’ve won so much tonight, how about buying me a new one?"

Li Yuan’s glare sharpened, but Lin Yu didn’t flinch. Instead, he put on a pitiful expression.

"It really doesn’t work anymore."

"Here, let this guy check—he can confirm it’s busted."

He started to hand the phone to the player sitting to Li Yuan’s left.

"Wait!"

Li Yuan’s voice was icy. After a long, searing glare at Lin Yu, he grabbed a stack of bills from the table and thrust them forward.

"Take it and get lost."

Lin Yu eyed the thin wad of cash—barely a few hundred—and kept smiling, though internally he was seething.

This is it?

You’re treating me like a beggar?

"Uncle, didn’t you promise to buy me the new Hammer 7 phone when it came out?"

"Well, it’s out now. 14,000 yuan."

"And since my phone’s broken…"

"Just give me the cash. I’ll go buy it tonight."

Li Yuan’s gaze turned murderous, as if he wanted to tear Lin Yu apart with his teeth.

But Lin Yu just kept smiling. He had no interest in a staring contest.

With a subtle shift of his arm, he pretended to offer the phone to the other player again.

"Fine!"

"Take it!"

Li Yuan spat through gritted teeth. With a vicious nod, he counted out 140 crisp hundred-yuan bills and slammed them onto the table.

Lin Yu happily scooped up the cash, double-checked the amount, and beamed.

"Thanks, Uncle."

Then he stuffed the cash into his school uniform pocket and left Li Yuan's house.