The Reward

'I'm not sure if the plot will return to its original trajectory, so I can't place all my hopes on Zhang Jianmin…'

After careful planning, Xia Xu decided that he had to do it both ways.

After all, Zhang Jianmin was the main character of the storyline. Even if he left his original destiny, he might still create another similar storyline. Moreover, if he couldn't find an antique storyline, there would be a follow-up storyline.

But he couldn't just hang himself on this tree. He could also try to find the old construction site man.

There was some information in the plot summary. Zhang Jianmin signed up at a travel agency named 'Traveling Together', then wandered from the city to a remote construction site before encountering an old man selling antiques.

With this, there should be an opportunity to confirm the approximate range. He could find the locations of the offline stores of the Traveling Together Travel Agency through the official website or map software.

Coupled with the information revealed in the storyline, Zhang Jianmin wandered around aimlessly, escaping from the crowd and arriving at a remote construction site.

Since he was wandering around, he must be walking with his legs. He couldn't have moved far, so the shop he signed up at must meet the criteria of 'being in a crowded area' and 'having a remote construction site nearby'.

'In addition, everyone has a range of daily activities, and whatever they do, they must abide by the principle of proximity, so they won't seek trouble from afar…'

He found an internet cafe and opened a computer. After Xia Xu operated it, he quickly found the locations of all the offline stores in Star City's Traveling Together Travel Agency. After comparing the location and Zhang Jianmin's range of activity, he finally identified an area.

True to his expectation and logic, this area was near the gambling area today.

Although many buildings were still being developed there, there were some residential areas that had been developed in stages. There were also small commercial districts nearby. Moreover, if one walked into the city, they would find themselves in a prosperous area.

Moreover, the neighborhood where they were gambling today was still under development. Night markets such as bars, nightclubs, and even barbecue stalls were not open there. Even if there were, most people would not go there.

The fact that Zhang Jianmin was able to appear there after getting drunk proved that it was either his daily work area, or he often went there for some reason.

After hearing the news and knowing that his life was coming to an end, Xia Xu put himself in his shoes and thought about it. His first thought was to go home. Even if he wanted to get drunk, he would stay at home alone or with his important family and friends.

Therefore, he could basically confirm that it was the area where Zhang Jianmin's home is. At the very least, it was the area where his relatives or close friends lived. If he wanted to sign up for a travel agency, he would have to search nearby.

However, these areas were still not small, and there were a total of three shops owned by the travel agency. As for which one it was, he could only confirm it when he had the time.

…

The next day, Monday.

Xia Xu arrived at school on time with his bag.

He had to admit that studying was a tough job. The bunch of textbooks he brought for high school could be comparable to working at a construction site.

The morning classes went by peacefully. The only thing that made Xia Xu a little uncomfortable was that his classmates kept stealing glances at him throughout the morning, whispering to each other.

As for the reason, he asked his deskmate Ma Bing about it and it was actually how he had helped Tang Youxin find her wallet last Friday.

Zhuo Ren, who had stolen the money, was caught on the spot. This was a true social death. At the very least, he would be labeled a 'thief' in this class, so he obviously couldn't stay here any longer. He didn't even come to class today.

Apparently, his parents had transferred him to another school overnight and he had already been transferred. No one knows which 'information broker' had leaked this news.

However, the news of him being caught stealing money spread throughout the class. After all, more than half of the class witnessed it.

The 'live audience' were talking excitedly to those who didn't see them. Usually, they would sit at the same table. Occasionally, they would talk excitedly, as if they were proud of their achievements for participating in that event.

As the main character, the 'thief', had already left, Xia Xu, the other protagonist of the incident, naturally became the only person to pay attention to. When this matter was mentioned, everyone would point and look over. It could be said that to a certain extent, he was famous.

Of course, this was just a novelty. After an entire morning, it basically stopped. But at noon, Xia Xu received good news.

The reward for reporting the gambling incident was already in his account. There was a total of fifty-six thousand yuan. By doing the calculations, the gambling capital of Yao Dawu and the others was probably close to a million yuan. The police called to ask him to confirm whether he had received the reward.

Xia Xu naturally received a transfer text. After replying, he asked about the case.

Yao Dawu must have been charged with gambling, but Xue Mingjie had long retired. He was only involved because he was threatened, so he was not guilty of gambling.

It was the same for Zhang Jianmin. Compared to gathering to gamble, purely wanting to gamble was a relatively vague concept. In the past, Zhang Jianmin had never even played daily poker games, let alone gambling. This time, he only participated because he was hot-headed due to his terminal illness. He did not want to win money. Considering the special situation, it was not considered gambling.

Xia Xu didn't know much about this, nor was he too concerned.

What made him more concerned, or rather troubled, was Zhang Jianmin's whereabouts.

After all, he was not a professional, so he did not know much about the laws and procedures. According to his plan, Zhang Jianmin should have been detained for a day or two. Letting him go so easily caught him off guard.

Although he speculated that Zhang Jianmin's residence might be at the construction site, it was like finding a needle in a haystack. He tried to ask the police station but due to privacy reasons, there was nothing to be said.

'Forget it, it's my lucky day. It is enough to have already earned fifty to sixty thousand, not to mention that I still have a chance with the old man at the construction site…'

Xia Xu comforted himself.

However, it was not easy to quell human greed. It was normal to want more before obtaining it.

Even though he had made a lot of money, he was not sure if there were any more benefits to be gained from the plot of «Person About to Die». But when he thought about how he missed a money tree like Zhang Jianmin, he still felt regretful and unwilling.

However, the reality was that Zhang Jianmin had already disappeared, so it was useless no matter how unwilling he was.

Thinking about it logically, even if he knew where Zhang Jianmin was, he couldn't follow him all the time. It was only a matter of time before he disappeared.

'I have to hire someone to help me. If there is a «Hunter» and a «Person About to Die» plot in this world, there must be something else. If I want to plan, someone has to keep an eye on the characters and the plot.'

Xia Xu wanted to find the old man at the construction site first, but now he felt that finding manpower was an urgent matter.