The male supporting character was actually myself.

Before it could finish showing off, I felt myself being lifted up into the air.

“Its name is Xiaobai, and it’s my best friend.” Jiang Chen picked up the fluffy ball and handed it over. “You can pet it; it has a very good temperament.”

Hearing its host introduce itself like that, the little white cat felt as sweet as if it had eaten honey. To show its good temper, it took the opportunity to hug Lin Ruochu's hand, rub against it, and meowed softly twice.

"Wow! What an adorable kitten!" Lin Ruochu's heart melted instantly.

With its superbly soft, round, and fluffy body, pink paw pads, big, deep blue eyes, fluffy ears, and big tail, it's simply a fairy among cats!

After receiving confirmation, she carefully held the little white cat in her arms, scratching its chin with her fingers until the fluffy ball squinted and purred softly. "Meow~ Host, just based on this cat-petting technique... Meow unilaterally agrees to this marriage... Purr~ Good luck!"

Jiang Chen: ?–_–?

You've really gone to a lot of trouble as an auxiliary system!

Only after Lin Ruochu had had her fill of petting the cat did he teleport away with the fluffy ball.

Tomorrow they're going to team up to clear Treasure Island, so Jiang Chen needs to take care of everything beforehand. After all, there's a male protagonist out there who needs "redemption," and he can't be left hanging for too long.

He exited the game, removed his helmet, left his private game room, and walked into the office area inside the villa. He then used the internet to notify several capable assistants that an emergency meeting would be held in five minutes.

Based on "Perfect World", M Technology Company has perfected the use of virtual technology, allowing Jiang Chen to complete all company management and task assignments without leaving home.

Five minutes later, several men and women appeared on the projector screen in the conference room.

"Ladies and gentlemen, today I will be dividing you into a separate group to carry out a 'redemption plan' that is very important to M Technology Corporation." After a brief opening, he projected a newly compiled plan onto the big screen and explained: "The dispute over the core secrets of 'Perfect World' has lasted for ten years. Now it is time to prepare to end the feud with G Technology Corporation."

And you are the elite I have carefully selected; I believe you will be able to successfully complete this work, which is of paramount importance to the entire world.

Since the young master reacted quickly and used the incident involving his ungrateful nephew to get a full refund for the helmet, he has greatly improved the image of M Technology Company among the public, and now he has suppressed G Technology Company.

Many of the company's elites greatly admire his methods and keen observation skills. Now that they have the honor of joining the young master's personally directed plan, they are all full of enthusiasm and say that they will not let him down.

“The main body of the Redemption Plan is Si Anrui. As a negative example, he is now notorious. Giving him a chance to reform and set a positive educational example for society is something Si Anrui will not refuse.” Jiang Chen looked at the youngest and most beautiful girl he had chosen. “Xue Rui, you will be in charge of this Redemption Plan. The others will fully cooperate with you.”

The executive staff member named Du Xuerui immediately perked up, "Don't worry, I will definitely complete the mission perfectly!"

Although we don't know why we need to help that ingrate reform, since the young master said this plan is very important, he must have other follow-up plans, which is not something the employees need to consider.

As long as the bonus is paid, it's just playing games with some wild kid from the slums for a few days, nothing difficult.

The meeting ended three hours later, and it was almost noon.

"A redemption plan? Is it just to build and manage the company's image?" After leaving the meeting, a look of confusion crossed Du Xuerui's pretty oval face.

In order to compete with other companies for player resources, M Technology Company also needs to package and manage its operations. But that's something that the image department and advertising department should consider. Why should the execution department employees do it?

She flipped through Si Anrui's profile, her brows furrowing more and more as she read.

"Fine, I'll just have to put up with it for the sake of the high bonus." After carefully reading the information, Du Xuerui sighed helplessly.

She felt that guiding and educating a slum boy who had basically never been exposed to virtual games into a gaming expert, and then having him build a gang to help the slum dwellers improve their quality of life, was no less difficult than exploring Treasure Island.

As the saying goes, "It's easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one's nature." Given Si Anrui's attitude towards her aunt, she wouldn't dare entrust her back to her in real life. But things are better in the game; even if she gets tricked and killed, she can revive…

She washed her face, put on beautiful makeup, changed into sportswear, and left the staff apartment with all her might, driving her slightly worn car towards the slums of District 16, hoping to "bump into" Si Anrui.

"I'm so hungry!" Si Anrui said, rubbing his rumbling stomach as he crawled out of the secret base.

Looking at the mountains of waste nearby, and then at the dry land in the distance where the wind had blown up yellow sand, the blue sky, white clouds, green trees, green mountains, and mysterious islands floating in the sky of "Perfect Country" flashed before my eyes. Everywhere was clean, beautiful, and brightly colored, making me yearn for it.

Look at this damn garbage world. The sky is always dim and yellow, and everything in sight is dirty, dilapidated, dusty, and oppressive, making it hard to breathe.

"Gurgle!" After cursing a few more times in annoyance, his stomach let out a loud growl. Si Anrui licked his dry lips and felt utterly deflated.

Why do people need to eat every day?

I never realized how uncomfortable it was to be hungry before. Now I'm hungry all the time, which is really frustrating!

Where can we get something to eat?

Thirsty and hungry, with no strength left in my body, I knew I wouldn't make it to the construction site to get paid.

As the sun slowly approached its zenith, lunchtime was fast approaching. Si Anrui thought long and hard, then decided to try his luck again. Perhaps the kind old woman who had given him food the night before could still offer something to tide him over?

If all else fails, you can try asking her to take you in!

She's so old, it must be very inconvenient for her to do things like cleaning, and she's also easily targeted by thugs who might steal from or bully her. If she stays, I can not only keep her company, but also protect her and do some simple work.

All the old woman needs to do is provide three meals a day, which she probably won't refuse.

With a hint of anticipation, Si Anrui left the secret base and slowly walked towards the building he had visited the previous night. The sun scorched the earth, and with each breath, dust particles entered his lungs, making him feel dry and uncomfortable, and his mouth felt even drier.

"If only I had a bottle of water..." He looked up at the pile of buildings in the distance, fantasizing that the old woman could take him in, or at least give him some food and water so he could get through the day.

Du Xuerui spotted the target from afar.

To be honest, putting aside his character and environment, Si Anrui is quite outstanding.

With his handsome looks, well-developed physique, and long, slender legs, coupled with his smooth, untouched skin, the eighteen-year-old exuded a strong youthful vibe.

Unfortunately, the virtual world has become all the rage.

Du Xuerui had long been immersed in the world of "Perfect Country," filled with handsome men and beautiful women, and was completely immune to outstanding looks. She only wanted to complete her tasks beautifully, earn more bonuses, gain the young master's favor, and get promoted. She was only twenty-one years old and had a bright future ahead of her. She had to seize every job opportunity and widen the gap between herself and others in social class as much as possible.

Otherwise, if something unexpected happens to a family member, or if their job changes and they are replaced, without enough money to support themselves, they are very likely to end up in a slum.

Every year, many people fall from their current social class, while even more young people strive to climb up. With limited resources, one must work hard to achieve a better life.

Self-pity is useless in the face of reality. Whether I can get a promotion and a raise to show the young master my work ability depends on this "redemption plan"!

"Hello, I wanted to ask..." Du Xuerui slowly stepped on the brakes and parked the car not far from Si Anrui, pretending not to recognize him and waving, "Are you familiar with the roads around here?"

Chapter Fourteen: Taking the Bait

A dry wind blew across the streets piled with rubble, stirring up yellowish-brown dust.

Si Anrui turned around upon hearing the clear and melodious voice and was immediately stunned. What a beautiful girl! Even the yellow sand all over the street paled in comparison to her, as if a blue lotus had bloomed from the chaos.

"I'm asking you a question. Are you familiar with this area?" Du Xuerui was a little annoyed by his blatant drooling. It was so rude and ill-mannered. How could he stare at someone so openly and without any attempt to hide it?

Already harboring prejudice, and with Si Anrui's protagonist aura only truly shining through in "Perfect World," Du Xuerui felt no liking for him and even found him quite distasteful.

Chapter Fourteen: Taking the Bait

A dry wind blew across the streets piled with rubble, stirring up yellowish-brown dust.

Si Anrui turned around upon hearing the clear and melodious voice and was immediately stunned. What a beautiful girl! Even the yellow sand all over the street paled in comparison to her, as if a blue lotus had bloomed from the chaos.

"I'm asking you a question. Are you familiar with this area?" Du Xuerui was a little annoyed by his blatant drooling. It was so rude and ill-mannered. How could he stare at someone so openly and without any attempt to hide it?

She already harbored prejudices, and the fact that Si Anrui's protagonist aura could only be fully utilized in "Perfect Country" made Du Xuerui dislike him and even find him annoying.

"It looks familiar!" Si Anrui forced down his excitement, ran to the car, and casually put his arm on the open window. He looked down at the fair-skinned and beautiful girl and smiled slightly. "I grew up here. I can spot the roads and buildings, and even a cockroach crawling on the ground can tell me where its nest is!"

Smooth talk is annoying!

Du Xuerui rolled her eyes inwardly, but outwardly smiled slightly and snorted, "Bragging!"

Having grown up in a slum, the girls around him were all malnourished, thin, and dirty, lacking enough water to wash themselves. Apart from the sales staff at the sales outlet, this was the first time Si Anrui had seen such a beautiful girl in real life. More importantly—she had a car!

Anyone who can afford to drive a consumable car around the real world, even if it's only a semi-new one, is definitely from a wealthy family. Good-looking and rich, wouldn't it be better to be on this bandwagon than that old, dirty woman living in a cramped apartment building?

“A pretty girl like you, why are you wandering around the slums all by yourself? This place is nothing like the inner city. It’s dirty, chaotic, and full of thugs. You’d better be careful not to get bullied.” Si Anrui pretended to be very worried about her, patting his chest and saying, “You don’t often get to meet a good person like me. If it’s not important, you should hurry back to the inner city.”

Du Xuerui rolled her eyes inwardly. He was young but had a lot of sleekness, and his attempts to flirt with girls were so childish. But for the sake of the high bonus, she still put up with it.

“I need someone familiar with the neighborhood to guide me.” She looked the other person up and down, then patted her waist lightly. “You don’t need to worry about safety. The fact that I was chosen to be in charge of this job means that I have the ability to operate independently in the slums.”

Du Xuerui changed the subject with a light smile and said, "If you are really familiar with this place, you can be my guide, and I can pay you for it."

Upon hearing that he could work with beautiful women and even get paid, Si Anrui was so excited he almost jumped for joy.

"Get in the car. Let me see your abilities first. If you're exaggerating, I won't pay a piece of trash."

"Ha! I've been running around in the slums for so many years, how could I not know it? Let me show you what I'm capable of!" Si Anrui had never ridden in a car before. There were very few opportunities to see such a thing in the slums, not to mention that most of the time cars would roar by, kicking up a cloud of smoke. He really didn't know how to open the car door, so he could only sway back and forth in the passenger seat.

Seeing this, Du Xuerui had no choice but to lean forward and open the door for him, indicating that he should close the car door after getting in.

"Um... what did you mean by 'person in charge' or something? What does that mean?" Si Anrui sat awkwardly in the car, trying to ease the embarrassment of not knowing how to open the car door by chatting.

He was most afraid of being looked down upon, but it was too embarrassing to not even be able to open the car door in front of a pretty girl. He stole a glance at her, afraid of being laughed at, and his face involuntarily turned slightly red.

"I am an employee of M Technology Company." Du Xuerui didn't think much of it. For someone who had lived in a slum since childhood, it was normal to have never ridden in a car and not know how to open a door. If you don't understand, ask; if you don't know, learn. What's the big deal?

She got straight to the point: "We're preparing to develop a new map, and we want to come here to scout out some locations and gather inspiration. So I need a guide who's familiar with this area to lead me to buildings that are of reference value. I'll pay you three hundred dollars a day."

Three hundred yuan?!

Si Anrui suddenly felt his heart race. If he saved up 3,000 yuan in 300 days, he could buy a helmet and enter the game world!

"Then... can you provide meals?" He subconsciously rubbed his rumbling stomach and whispered, "I've been running around the slums since I was a kid, I know this place like the back of my hand. I guarantee I can help you complete your mission perfectly. You can also take care of three meals a day, right?"

Du Xuerui thought for a moment and nodded. "Those are not important things. As long as you do well enough, I can provide you with three meals a day and give you an extra three hundred yuan as a reward. But the problem is... you don't look very old, and you are dressed much better than those people on the street. Your family should be well-off, right?"

Don't you go to school? Where do you find the time to wander around the slums? My job is very important; I need to make sure the guide is very familiar with this area. If you don't think you can handle it, just say so. You'll regret wasting my time.”

How can you let a sure thing slip away?

Si Anrui patted his chest and said confidently, "Don't worry, I'm absolutely not exaggerating! As for going to school, I'm really not cut out for it, so when I say I'm going to school, I'm just going through the motions and I'll slip away as soon as I get the chance."

All those flowery, academic things and all that complicated stuff are incomprehensible; it's not nearly as fun as just wandering around outside. Over the years, I've not only mastered every street and alley, but I've also found several really well-hidden secret hideouts!

As he spoke, he thought to himself that once he received the reward and bought the helmet, he would hide in the secret base to play games. Apart from eating, drinking, relieving himself, and sleeping, he wouldn't need to come out anymore. Hiding in the secret base, no one could find him. With the new helmet, he would create a new appearance and change his name, so no one would know who he was, and he wouldn't have to worry about being hunted down anymore.

The thought of soon being able to enter the "Perfect World" he had been dreaming of made his breathing quicken with excitement.

Du Xuerui glanced at him, feeling even more contempt for this good-for-nothing ingrate.

Short-sighted and ungrateful, what's the point of redeeming such a person? Let him rot in the slums with the garbage!

“I want to find a typical slum building, old and dilapidated enough, the kind that has a strong impact.” She started the car and pointed out the location that the young master had specifically marked.

Sure enough, Si Anrui immediately took the bait, "Then we must go to the 'department store' to take a look. It's said to be the only one left from the earliest pile-up buildings, so it's guaranteed to have a strong enough impact!"

He pointed out the way, while secretly pleased with himself.

The so-called "department store" is actually a very old, massive, and densely populated building. Because of its early construction, it is said to have been modeled after some typical pre-disaster buildings. From a distance, it resembles a huge castle, but upon closer inspection, it turns out to be nothing more than a dilapidated junkyard.

The stacking of old and new building materials and the mixed styles create a bizarre yet harmonious effect. Even people living in slums would find it spectacular at first glance.

Si Anrui wasn't secretly pleased that he could immediately find a building that met her requirements; rather, he lived near the "department store," and once he arrived on that street, he would basically run into neighbors and acquaintances.

The thought of the hatred and humiliation of being surrounded and mocked that day made him want everyone to see him riding home in a car with a beautiful girl!