Chapter 311 - A Guide for Background Characters to Survive in a Manga

Chapter 311 Upon returning to his room, Su Bei opened his phone and immediately saw the messages from Wu Mingbai. 【Wu Mingbai: I'm done here, want to grab a late-night snack together?】 【Wu Mingbai: [Poke]】 【Wu Mingbai: You know that suddenly not saying anything at this time will make me overthink, right?】 【Wu Mingbai: Wow, our busy guy isn't really in his room, is he? [Smile]】 【Wu Mingbai: You need to reply before midnight, or don't blame me for coming to your room to find you.】 The messages stopped there, causing Su Bei to sigh. Long before this mission, he had already guessed that Wu Mingbai would want to chat with everyone after completing the ritual. With friendships like theirs, secrets are nonexistent; anything that's a hot topic usually gets shared unless a king strictly prohibits it. Even then, snacks and conversations often can't be avoided. After witnessing something incredible, Wu Mingbai would undoubtedly be energized and seek out his friends, perhaps just to vent. Despite foreseeing this, Su Bei had no excuse not to participate. Anything he said before receiving an invitation would seem insincere. However, getting caught wouldn't bother him; he had gone missing unexpectedly more than once. He trusted they wouldn't suspect any conspiracy because of his occasional absence. Fortunately, things turned out better than he'd thought. Wu Mingbai had shown restraint by not coming to his room, which eliminated any risk of being discovered. Although his recent contract with the guardian deity included a non-disclosure clause, who knew if the royalty hadn’t installed some kind of surveillance in that secret chamber. Once the guardian’s issues come to light, the king is bound to review the events there, possibly discovering someone's visit. Thus, he couldn't afford any slip-ups, lest he be one of the "thousand wronged ones" in this scenario, even if he was actually the "one that shouldn't be missed." The most gratifying aspect of "King of Superpowers" to Su Bei is how none in the protagonist group are deadweights. Even the simplest character, Mo Xiaotian, wouldn't drag others down without the "Black Lightning" missions. Their decision not to come to his room was the greatest help. Feeling relieved, Su Bei casually replied: 【EastSouthWest: I fell asleep earlier and missed your messages.】 Whether Wu Mingbai was watching his phone moment by moment was unclear, but the quick reply suggested so. 【Wu Mingbai: ...】 【Wu Mingbai: Could you be any more dismissive?】 【Wu Mingbai: We haven't finished our late-night snack yet. Want to join? If you want to come, turn left when leaving the castle, and you'll find us in the commercial street.】 Su Bei pondered over it and realized there wasn't much reason to go, but sensing from Wu Mingbai's words that important topics might be discussed, he asked: 【EastSouthWest: What are you guys up to?】 【Wu Mingbai: Xiaoyu and Zhou Renjie are leaving early tomorrow. We're wrapping up that bet today. Apart from you and Feng Lan, everyone needs to share a secret they discovered in the castle.】 Upon seeing this message, Su Bei showed a flicker of interest and decided on the spot to go. Secrets discovered by the protagonist group were bound to be valuable. It would be a waste not to find out, even if their conversation might end up in the manga. The chance that it wouldn't was enough to warrant his attendance. Arriving at the vibrant commercial street, Su Bei immediately spotted Jiang Tianming and the group enjoying skewers outside. He walked over, took a seat in an empty spot, and asked casually, "Who's up next?" "Wu Mingbai and Ling You just finished. Wu's discovery was that there's a staircase leading to the guardian deity from the banquet hall's back door. Ling You found out that the butler Weiss and the Second Princess seem to have a private relationship." When Zhao Xiaoyu mentioned the latter, she winked, clearly finding the gossip more intriguing than the guardian deity. To be honest, Su Bei found the latter more intriguing as well. He glanced at Ling You in amazement, "How did you find out?" "By chance," came Ling You's concise reply, followed by a supplementary explanation when realizing her response was too terse, "I saw them holding hands yesterday." That was indeed conclusive evidence, leaving Su Bei with a look of astonishment. Ai Baozhu wrinkled her nose in disdain, "Though Weise does possess some charm, it's not enough to warrant a relationship with the butler." From her perspective, such a relationship was utterly inconceivable. Qi Huang, however, had a different take: "Princesses in Afri-Kingdom can become queens. Being with the butler could offer her insights into the king's sentiments. If I were in her shoes and Weise showed interest, I might consider it, though actually making him a consort would be another matter." Although she was generally open-minded and cheerful, Qi Huang wasn't above strategic alliances. Collaborations could be pursued if both parties saw benefit and had mutual accord. "True enough," Ai Baozhu nodded in agreement, finding the idea less problematic after Qi Huang’s explanation. While lacking ambition for leadership herself, Qi Huang's reasoning made the Second Princess's choices comprehensible. “Aren’t you overlooking something?” Su Bei couldn't help but speak up, “How old is the Second Princess?” “Uh... isn't she about thirteen?” Wu Mingbai’s expression turned grim, realizing he had not considered this before – the Second Princess was underage! Did this make Weise a pedophile? Though all understood the more likely political nature of their relationship, it didn't sit right. The Second Princess being too young for such intellectual deceit was one thing, but Weise stooping to that level for personal gain was infuriating. "What are you planning to do about it?" Qi Huang’s eyes burned with anger, puzzled why the outrage hadn’t occurred to her sooner, treating it merely as amusing gossip. If Su Bei knew her question, he could likely provide an answer. Of course, it was because they were in the world of manga. While such plots would meet severe criticism in reality or novels, they were commonplace in manga. Thus, Su Bei wasn’t overly shocked, though it still astonished him. Being manga characters, Jiang Tianming and the others naturally adapted, subconsciously overlooking inconsistencies in such narratives. However, once pointed out, they could question and see beyond the illusion. "I'll tell my father-king when we're about to leave," Wu Mingbai decided after some thought. Given the duration they likely had been together, urgency wasn’t essential. Informing the king now could lead to difficulties if the Second Princess learned who revealed their secret. Better to mention it only when they were on the verge of departure; unable to take retaliatory measures across borders. Provided he did take steps, Qi Huang nodded understandingly, naturally following up: "Then I'll share my turn. I found out the king doesn’t plan on making the Crown Prince his successor." This revelation triggered collective surprise. Wu Mingbai opened his eyes wider in disbelief, "Why? How do you know?" "On the first day, everyone greeted you. The king, queen, Second Princess, and one of the twin brothers dressed modestly." Ai Baozhu twirled a strand of her pink hair, "Whereas the Crown Prince and two younger siblings wore extravagantly, without any concern from the king and queen." The king and queen appeared to adopt a populist approach, reflected by two smart contenders mirroring them outwardly, even if their intentions were varied, adopting a popular stance. However, the Crown Prince lacked this awareness, indicating the king and queen held no plans for him. Brilliant minds as they were, the group quickly grasped her implied suggestion. Only Mu Tieren voiced a confusion: "How can you tell who’s dressed more luxuriously? Their clothes all looked the same to me." Recalling the attire, he confidently added, “It seemed like the number of gems was nearly identical.” When it came to familiar matters, Ai Baozhu explained confidently, “The gem count is a formal specification for royal garments. The opulence is determined by gem quality. Can you really equate sapphires to tanzanite?” Although unsure what tanzanite was, Mu Tieren understood her point, offering a thumbs-up in admiration. Everyone shared their secrets, but none seemed particularly useful, except when Jiang Tianming was about to speak, prompting Su Bei to shift from his contemplative state. Jiang Tianming revealed, "I found that the guardian deity doesn’t save people unconditionally. After each catastrophe, Afri-Kingdom holds a celebration in its honor." Si Zhaohua voiced his confusion, "Isn't that normal?" “That isn’t normal,” Jiang Tianming pointed out calmly. “After a major disaster, the priority should be rescue operations and post-disaster reconstruction, not celebrations. An occasional morale boost is understandable, but doing it every time raises suspicions.” Upon hearing this, Li Shu showed interest and astutely remarked, “If it’s not the state’s requirement, then it appears to be the guardian deity’s need. Does it require a celebration... to proclaim its deeds?” “That’s likely the case,” Wu Mingbai nodded affirmatively, recalling the haggling that had transpired during the secret chamber ritual. Reading Wu Mingbai's demeanor, Li Shu feigned dramatic disappointment, “I thought it was truly divine. Does that mean gods don't really exist?” Jiang Tianming glanced at him, “If gods did exist, wouldn’t that actually frighten you?” “…” After a contemplative silence, Li Shu whimsically covered his face with feigned shyness, “Oh, Tianming, you really know me!” Jiang Tianming's composed expression nearly cracked, threatening nausea. Unfazed by their banter, Su Bei yawned and turned to Lan Subing, “Your turn, you’re the last one.” Please, provide some useful information; he didn’t want to waste a night out for nothing. “I’m not entirely sure if my discovery is correct,” Lan Subing preemptively cautioned. “During my chat with the butler, I used ‘Verbal Charm’ to coax out a recent suspicious occurrence. He mentioned a suspicion of outsiders having entered the castle. That should count as a secret, right?” Indeed, it did count as a secret and was not only useful to them but also to Su Bei. Lan Subing continually proved to be the luckiest person, obtaining the hardest-to-get information. Originally, Su Bei contemplated hiding in the castle, reasoning that even if the guardian deity lost its mind, with the royal castle’s defenses, there shouldn’t be any major issues. However, the fact that outsiders had infiltrated the castle revealed its unreliability. A safer location was imperative. Considering the guardian deity’s abilities were bound to the earth, nowhere on the ground would be truly secure, so Su Bei’s thoughts turned skyward. Without the ability to fly, he would have to rely on tools. The “Fate” organization boasted numerous flying tools, any of which he could easily procure. However, considering Jiang Tianming and his group’s knack for detecting Nightmare Beasts at their academy, it was likely that many Nightmare Beasts had infiltrated the Afri Kingdom as well. Flying in the sky would make him an easy target. Looking up thoughtfully, Su Bei finally settled on a target. While castles weren’t secure, wasn't the most dangerous place often the safest? Unexpectedly, upon returning to his room, “Manga Awareness” suddenly spoke, “King of Superpowers has updated, please check.” A manga update? Su Bei considered the recent events and thought it logical. Updating at this time wouldn’t affect anything. He opened his phone to check the manga. The manga started at the airport, with Wu Mingbai’s bet naturally setting a light-hearted tone, bringing joyful laughter to readers. The creator of King of Superpowers consistently structured the plot with early light-heartedness followed by tightened postures as tensions escalated. Thus, after an incident began, Su Bei always knew when to relax and when to remain vigilant. This incident’s first half, covering the entire chapter, lacked crises, but the author surely planted many clues. Su Bei’s interest was piqued by this. Skimming quickly, apart from known events, Mo Xiaotian’s plot was a major highlight. The manga showed a scene where Mu Tieren saw Mo Xiaotian’s silhouette, juxtaposed with a momentary overlap of the transformed Mo Xiaotian with his former self. Mutieren paused, intending to pursue, but the pursuit ended fruitlessly. While Mu Tieren, as a character, doubted his sight, the readers, as manga consumers, had no such doubt. Mo Xiaotian’s rare appearance spurred a flurry of reactions. “Wow! It’s Mo Xiaotian! It’s been ages!” “Strangers upon reunion (sniffle).” “Mu Tieren’s face looks a bit heart-wrenching, the lone honest soul…” “What’s Mo Xiaotian doing in Afri?” “How does he keep running into the ‘Black Lightning’ missions abroad, too? Is this the bond between hero and villain?” “Fast-forward to ‘Black Lightning’ making its move.” Following this were Su Bei and Mo Xiaotian’s dialogue, surprisingly illustrated in the manga. Readers were equally astounded that they could converse calmly. Reflecting on it, Su Bei thought that Mo Xiaotian had indeed progressed significantly. Judging solely by his demeanor, one wouldn’t guess that ‘Black Lightning’ operatives were shadowing him. If not for Su Bei’s deduction based on Mo Xiaotian’s status as a Saint, he might have missed the presence of shadows. If unaccompanied, Su Bei could have intensified his questioning, probing ‘Black Lightning’ future plans, their leader’s movements, or upcoming research targets—topics Mo Xiaotian might know and could inadvertently reveal. Because he wasn’t alone, Su Bei restricted his queries to the current mission to mask any ulterior motives. Even then, he couldn’t delve too deeply, to avoid potentially provoking an immediate interruption, leading to an awkward confrontation. Subsequent to this, Su Bei’s offhand comment to Qi Huang about “seeing a cute puppy” was also featured. Though innocuous, readers took it entirely out of context! “Hahaha, Su Bei, do you think Xiaotian knows you said this?” “Aww, Xiaotian the puppy!” “Yes, our Mo Xiaotian is indeed a cute puppy (nods).” “The tease transcends the screen, Brother Bei.” “I’m shipping this!” “They thought Su Bei was dismissing them, but Su Bei was heartfelt.” Su Bei: “……” When would he finally learn to switch off the comments feature? The last segment with Mo Xiaotian involved was at the chapter’s end, post their bet-night feast, shifting focus to Mo Xiaotian. He was on the phone with his leader, reporting that their setup was complete, and the next step awaited Afri Kingdom’s celebration for the guardian deity. Were they planning something during the celebration? Su Bei mused, wondering what their plan entailed. Disrupting the festivities couldn’t threaten Gaodi Anzuo, right? That seemed unlikely. Examining the dialogue between Gaodi Anzuo and the Afri King suggested that while the celebration held importance, it wasn’t urgent. Comparable to a grand feast for slight hunger—ideal to have but survivable without. Lan Subing’s intel on an intruder in the castle suggested ‘Black Lightning’s infiltration. Their target was undoubtedly Gaodi Anzuo, signifying a direct maneuver against him. With the amassed manga experience, Su Bei surmised ‘Black Lightning’s intent, contemplating their plan to provoke Gaodi Anzuo against humanity during the celebration. Unexpectedly, the scene where the twin brothers confronted him appeared in the manga. Initially, readers were enamored with his presence, but as soon as he articulated the deal, they began wildly speculating. “So cool, Su Bei!!! That door-kick moment was amazing.” “You seem like a school bully; were you a school bully in your original school?” “What’s this deal about?” “Keeping anomalies under wraps even if discovered tomorrow? Is there some hidden agenda?” “?????” “Where’s this contract from?” “Su Bei, don’t tell me you’ve joined forces with ‘Black Lightning’?” “Coincidence much? Feels like the twins were part of Su Bei’s scheme!” Seeing this scene in the manga earlier, Su Bei foresaw the readers’ misunderstanding. Still, it didn’t diminish a headache of seeing rampant conspiracy theories in the comments. While some of their conjectures bore partial truth, it was just that—a fraction. Collaborating with ‘Black Lightning’ or orchestrating twin conflicts? Pure fabrication! The subsequent family acknowledgment ceremony contained planted seeds by the ‘Black Lightning’ author. Su Bei recognized these oddities as ‘Black Lightning’s machinations, though readers pinned them as Su Bei’s “abnormal conditions” mentioned in his contract, further solidifying the belief that he was orchestrating chaos. However, in truth, he had let slip merely the noises created when entering the secret chamber, nothing more. But explaining it wouldn’t work; he couldn’t just use his prophetic insight to clear things up. What else could Su Bei do? He could only greet the situation with a smile. :) After reading all the content related to himself in this chapter, he opened the forum as usual and skimmed through it. One hot thread was rife with conspiracy theories about him, causing a slight pang as soon as he saw it. Not wanting to get annoyed, he clicked on another thread also related to him. "Su Bei, you really got me emotional, not even a hint of conflict with Mo Xiaotian." 【IsThereAnyoneNo.0: Ever since Mo Xiaotian’s defection, I wondered what it would be like if he appeared before everyone again. I thought any encounter would be fraught with tension, or at the very least, complex emotions. Yet he runs into Su Bei, and there’s not a shred of conflict—it’s so peaceful you’d think Mo Xiaotian never switched sides. I’m really curious, is Su Bei so calm because he has an organization of his own and can empathize with Mo Xiaotian?】 【No.1: Hahaha, truly harmonious.】 【No.2: Su Bei’s style is always unique.】 【No.3: I expected Su Bei to be sarcastic, but nope, none of that. Their interaction was even somewhat heartwarming—practically uncanny.】 【No.4 replies to No.3: Their vibe was simply like old friends reuniting, no betrayal, no hidden agenda.】 【No.5 replies to No.4: But the fact that Mo Xiaotian is here already means the 'Black Lightning' organization is up to something. Whether it’s scheming or betrayal, it’s definitely real.】 【……】