F-class thief? Sorry, I can steal anything.

The way home felt somewhat unfamiliar.

On the giant light screen of the suspended bus stop, the once glamorous celebrity endorsements have disappeared.

Instead, there were black and white faces, still showing signs of immaturity.

[Deepest condolences to the 217 students who tragically lost their lives in the "May 5.17 Goblin Mine Incident"]

Beneath the cold, impersonal text scrolled the psychological support hotline and the city education bureau's pale apology letter.

The air in the entire city was thick with a sense of oppressive sadness.

Conversations among passersby invariably revolve around this heavy topic.

"Have you heard? The incident at No. 1 Middle School, more than two hundred people died, it was so tragic."

"My nephew is in the class next door, and he's so scared he's afraid to even leave the house. He says he's having nightmares."

"Sigh, didn't they say they had an SSS-level genius? But so what? Over two hundred lives were lost!"

"What genius? I heard from a friend who's a teacher at No. 1 High School that he's just an F-rank thief who got lucky! Somehow, he lured all the monsters from deep within the dungeon to the first floor, which is why so many people died..."

Rumors are an invisible poison.

It is spreading silently along the capillaries of the city.

Upon hearing this, Fatty Wang's fat face turned a deep purplish-red with rage, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white, and he wanted to rush up and fight several times.

Each time, Chen Yifan held him down firmly.

"Don't act impulsively."

Chen Yifan's eyes were as calm as ice.

"But they're talking nonsense! They're slandering you!"

Fatty Wang growled.

Chen Yifan's gaze swept past the crowd and landed in the direction of his home in the distance, the coldness in his eyes instantly melting away.

He didn't expect the news of his SSS-level rating to spread so quickly.

It was even linked to a Class A disaster event.

There must be someone pulling the strings behind the scenes.

Who is it?

Li Wei?

This was the only person he could think of who had a grudge against him.

Of course, it cannot be ruled out that others may want to achieve some other purpose through this incident.

but……

He won't fall into the trap of trying to prove himself.

"Let them talk."

His voice was soft, yet it carried an undeniable air of control.

"The fire of public opinion is not so easy to extinguish."

"If that's the case, let it burn even brighter, and who will it ultimately burn to? Who knows..."

"We have more important things to do."

Home is almost here.

Chen Yifan took out his key and opened the door very quietly, afraid of disturbing the peace inside.

The door hinges made a soft "creaking" sound.

In the living room, a figure suddenly sprang up from the sofa.

It was her mother, Wang Shufen.

She wore a faded old apron, her eyes were sunken and filled with alarming bloodshot veins.

Clearly, she hadn't slept for several days and nights.

The moment she saw Chen Yifan, her eyes, dulled by life, instantly shone with light.

"Xiao Fan!"

She rushed over, hugged her son tightly, her arms trembling from the force, and stroked his back repeatedly.

It's like using the warmth of your palm to confirm that the person in front of you is real.

"It's good that you're back...it's good that you're back..."

After all the words, only these four simple words remain.

Chen Yifan felt a sudden soreness in his nose.

"mom……"

"elder brother?"

A clear, yet somewhat uncertain voice came from the inner room.

Immediately afterwards, Chen Xue groped her way out along the wall.

She can't see.

But in her world, her brother's presence was clearer than the sun.

"Brother, is that really you?"

Chen Xue's lips were trembling, and her voice was filled with suppressed sobs.

"It's me, Xiaoxue."

Chen Yifan walked over and gently took his sister's cold hand.

He tucked a stray strand of hair from his sister's forehead behind her ear, his voice gentler than ever before.

"Brother's back. From now on, I'll never let you and Mom worry again."

"Um!"

Chen Xue nodded heavily, but tears involuntarily streamed down her face.

They were truly terrified these past two days.

Fortunately, Chen Yifan called home immediately.

Fatty Wang stood at the door, watching this scene, and his eyes couldn't help but redden.

He sniffed and wisely kept quiet.

Wang Shufen pulled her son down to sit, looked him up and down, and kept muttering, "He's lost weight, he's lost weight."

Chen Yifan took a heavy package out of his backpack and placed it on the old coffee table.

"Mom, this is what I got from this dungeon run."

He didn't mention the SSS rating, nor did he talk about those horrifying experiences.

He simply said in the most neutral tone:

"I made some money."

He opened the package.

Stacks of brand-new Chinese currency, still smelling of ink.

A full 100,000.

On his way back, he stopped by the bank.

The gold coins obtained from the dungeon were used to buy the things that this family needed most.

Of course, this is just a drop in the ocean.

A beginning.

Wang Shufen was stunned.

"One hundred thousand? This...this...so many?"

Wang Shufen's voice trembled uncontrollably.

One hundred thousand yuan.

For this family, who lost their husband and daughter and were struggling to make ends meet with medical expenses, this was an astronomical sum that could knock them unconscious.

"Brother, you...you didn't do anything bad, did you?"

Chen Xue gripped his hand tightly with her small hand.

Chen Yifan smiled and patted his sister's head.

"Don't worry, it's all legal income."

He looked at his mother and, speaking slowly and deliberately, in an extremely solemn tone, made a promise:

"Mom, Xiaoxue's eyes will get better soon."

"soon."

Wang Shufen could no longer hold back her tears.

She covered her mouth, her shoulders heaving violently, but no sound came out.

All the bitterness and exhaustion turned into silent weeping at this moment.

This woman, who had been burdened by the weight of life for half her life, finally saw hope.

My son has grown up!

"Enough...enough...my little Xue is saved..."

Seeing his mother and sister crying tears of joy, the hardest part of Chen Yifan's heart was completely melted.

That is the whole meaning of his fight.

SSS-level ratings and top three universities are nothing compared to the genuine smiles on my family's faces at this moment.

however.

However, in this heartwarming moment, no one noticed.

On "Jiangcheng Night Talk," the largest forum for extraordinary individuals in Jiangcheng, a post is rapidly gaining popularity.

[Title: Rational Discussion: Are there any unknown secrets behind Jiangcheng No.1 Middle School's SSS-level rating?]

The poster is an anonymous ID.

The post contained no direct accusations, but was full of malicious insinuations.

First, let us observe a moment of silence for the 217 students who passed away. Then, let's analyze a problem.

Why is it that in an A-level disaster with a casualty rate as high as 47.3%, a thief with an F-level talent can not only survive but also level up to 15 and get an SSS rating?

According to the survivors, a large number of elite monsters that should not have existed appeared on the first floor, and countless geniuses with A-level and B-level talents perished on the spot.

Can we come up with a reasonable conjecture?

Could it be some behavior of this student Chen Yifan, or something about him...?

Did the dungeon rules get corrupted, causing abnormal monster spawns?

Was his SSS-level rating, the appearance of the hidden BOSS, and his soaring level... built on the lives of the other 217 classmates?

I have no evidence; I'm merely raising a reasonable question. After all, luck can't explain everything.

The comments section below the post exploded instantly.

"Holy crap! This is terrifying to think about!"

"The original poster is right! An F-rank? What makes them so special? There's definitely something fishy going on here!"

"Heh, what kind of commoner genius? I think he's just a jinx who climbed to the top by stepping on his classmates' corpses!"

"My son was one of the victims. He was an A-level talent warrior! I don't believe he died, but an F-level thief survived! This must be thoroughly investigated! Give us an explanation!"

"Yes, we must give the public an explanation!"