The Robber Was Right Beside Me

"Cleaners wanted! 80 per day, daily payment!

Part-time security guards! 4,000 a month!

Flyer distributors, urgently hiring!"

The labor market.

An Yi watched the surging crowd, a sense of helplessness washing over him.

Only in such an environment could one truly understand the toil of the working class, running back and forth for mere scraps of silver.

To make money, he had brought out his entire life savings—50,000 yuan.

He had already made up his mind: if he couldn’t find a suitable job, he’d head to the underground boxing ring.

50,000 yuan—five fights!

Earn 250,000! Then fight another 25 matches—earn 1.25 million!

And then, another 125 fights—earn 6.25 million!

"Hey, kid, you’ve been standing here for ages. What kind of job are you looking for?"

A chubby, bearded man grinned. "A strong young guy like you is pretty popular here. Tell me what you want, and I’ll hook you up."

An Yi snapped out of his thoughts and pondered for a moment.

Right now, he needed to earn 100,000 a day just to break even. If his daily income fell below that, it’d be a waste of time.

If he was going to waste a day, it had to be worth it.

After a long pause, An Yi said seriously, "Old bro, got any jobs that pay 200,000 a day?"

The bearded man froze, then stared at him. "Bro, I’d like to know too."

An Yi: "..."

Daily-paid jobs? The most lucrative were construction workers.

They could make 300 yuan a day!

Skilled workers like Ding Renfeng could pull in 400!

A solid 10,000 a month—a high-paying job by any standard!

In the past, An Yi would’ve been drooling over this.

But now, knowing he needed 100,000 a day just to stay afloat, even these "high-paying" jobs felt like a waste of life.

"Damn it! Where the hell did Lin Chen find that bodyguard gig worth 100 million?!"

Clearly, it wasn’t at the labor market.

An Yi glanced at the bank across the street and sighed.

Was he really being forced to rob a bank?

Just then—BANG! BANG!

Two gunshots rang out from the bank opposite the labor market!

"Stop him! Someone’s robbing the bank!"

A woman’s scream echoed through the street.

An Yi looked up.

Two burly men in black stockings over their heads were firing into the air, stuffing bag after bag of cash into the trunk of a car.

"Bank robbery? Seriously? People actually do this?!"

An Yi frowned.

Only then did he realize that everyone else had ducked for cover at the sound of gunfire.

He was the only idiot still standing, sticking out like a sore thumb.

Without hesitation, An Yi crawled under a nearby table, mimicking the bearded man’s pose—head down, hands over his head. "Old bro, make some room."

When it was time to be cautious, you had to be cautious.

These guys were robbing a bank!

They were desperate criminals with guns!

Playing hero wasn’t worth dying over.

The bearded man scooted aside, letting An Yi squeeze in, his face pale. "Bank robbery… damn, how do these guys have the guts? They’ll get the death penalty!"

"Get down! Everyone the hell down!"

The two masked robbers kept their guns raised as they loaded the last of the cash, their faces flushed with excitement.

They hadn’t expected things to go so smoothly.

Their escape route was set—as long as no cops interfered, they’d be home free once they cleared this alley.

"In this world, if you really want to get rich, robbing a bank might be the only way. These guys are bold," An Yi mused.

The bearded man: "???"

"Kid, that’s some dangerous thinking!"

An Yi planned to stay put and wait for the robbers to leave.

But then—right on cue—the system’s voice chimed in.

Ding! Side Quest: [Robbery]! Reward: [Demon Fund], Evil Points +30!

An Yi: "..."

He was a law-abiding citizen!

Why was the system assigning him this?!

[Robbery]

Objective: Steal over 100,000 yuan! Time limit: 60 minutes!

"Rob 100,000?! And in an hour?!

This is pushing me to the brink! I could die!"

He absentmindedly tapped the reward details—then froze.

[Demon Fund]

Effect: Doubles all money earned through evil acts!

An Yi’s blood boiled with youthful fervor.

The wise system was guiding him toward a new path!

Just then, the two robbers sped off in a black van, weaving through the crowded streets.

The trunk wasn’t fully closed—bundles of red bills fluttered out behind them.

As the van plowed through a fruit stand and barreled past, An Yi’s eyes gleamed with delight.

CRASH!

An Yi "righteously" stood up, flipping the table over.

"A true hero stands up against injustice!

As a fine young man raised under the red flag, how can I stand by and let these criminals escape?!"

The bearded man, now fully exposed, clutched his head in horror.

"If you wanna die, don’t drag me into it! Those robbers are still out there!"

"Oops, my bad!"

An Yi flipped the table back over the bearded man.

He grabbed a nearby paper bag, poked two eyeholes in it, and pulled it over his head.

A black combat knife materialized in his hand.

Under the table, the bearded man gaped.

"What the hell is this kid planning?

Gonna hit the bank for round two?

Damn—the real robber was right beside me!"

Curious (and maybe looking for inspiration), the bearded man peeked out.

He wanted to witness—er, observe—how this kid planned to strike it rich.

An Yi watched the black van fade into the distance. Without hesitation, he flagged down a taxi.

He yanked the young driver out of the seat and tossed him onto the street.

"I’m chasing robbers! I’ll buy this car for 50,000!"

The taxi’s wheels screeched as An Yi slammed the gas.

He floored it, racing after the van.

A stack of cash flew out the window—five bundles of bills.

The driver, sprawled on the ground, was dumbfounded.

"Who carries that much cash these days—wait, that’s not the point!

HELP! SOMEONE JUST STOLE MY CAR!!!"