"Ding ding ding, ding ding ding."The old ringtone from an outdated phone quickly woke Jiang Ming.
He yawned and made his way to the bathroom.
The new update to the game—changing dungeon entry to once every three days—actually felt pretty reasonable now.
While your physical state resets when entering a dungeon, the mental fatigue is very real.
After washing up, Jiang Ming prepared to head out and collect his subsidy for the month.
Otherwise, he wouldn't even have mashed potatoes or rice at home.
Just in case, he wrapped a knife in cloth and slipped it into his school bag.
As an orphan and a high school senior, carrying a knife for self-defense made sense.
He swung his bag over his shoulder and headed to the breakfast shop near the entrance of the neighborhood. There, he ordered a small plate of pickles and a bowl of porridge.
After finishing quickly, he checked the time. It was half past seven.
Jiang Ming still had time to scan a shared bike and pedal over to the Federal Poverty Assistance Center just two blocks away.
He stopped the bike outside and jogged into the hall.
Only then did the staff begin to yawn and open the service windows.
Seeing Jiang Ming, one of them greeted him warmly."Jiang Ming, you're here early again."
Jiang Ming smiled and nodded. "Good morning, Sister Chen."
"Morning. I prepared this for you yesterday. I knew you'd come today."
"I know Sister Chen dotes on me. Thank you!" he said cheerfully. "I'll get going, then."
Jiang Ming put away the 2,200 yuan subsidy, got back on a shared bike, and made his way along familiar streets toward the wholesale vegetable market.
He had been receiving this subsidy for four years now.
The federal support system had truly done a solid job.
Orphans like him were allowed to collect subsidies independently from the age of fourteen, as long as their identity could be verified. No one dared to interfere.
There was a stipend every month, and even additional gifts during the New Year holidays.
This was also why Jiang Ming could stay focused on his studies.
He returned the shared bike and merged into the bustling crowd, heading to a vegetable stall with practiced ease.
"Boss, how much for the potatoes?"
The vendor looked up. "Same as always, Jiang Ming. I'll give you three yuan a pound."
"Alright, I'll take five kilograms."
Jiang Ming handed over some cash.
"You're about the only one still using cash," the boss said, chuckling. "I always keep some change around just for you. Everyone else uses mobile payment now—much more convenient."
The vendor weighed out five kilograms of potatoes, then grabbed a small bag to prepare the change.
"Boss, with games being so popular now, why are you still selling vegetables here?"
Jiang Ming looked around. Despite the crowds, a large section of the market stalls sat empty.
"I don't really get how those games work," the vendor admitted. "Besides, I've still got to make a living. Even if you become a Card Master, you still need to eat, right? And with other stalls shutting down, my business actually got better."
He handed Jiang Ming the change with a smile he couldn't quite hide.
Not wanting to hold him up as more customers arrived, Jiang Ming left to buy carrots and onions before heading home. The wholesale market wasn't far.
"Hey! Are you blind or something? Can't you see your father's standing here?"
"Watch your mouth! Who the hell are you calling that?"
A sudden shouting match broke out behind him, drawing Jiang Ming's attention.
A couple had gotten into it with a tattooed man, and the argument had turned ugly.
Carrying a heavy bag of vegetables, Jiang Ming quietly stepped back and kept his distance.
He couldn't hear the shouting clearly, but he noticed that the young man with the girl had summoned a stream of water to his hand.
It looked like a fight was about to break out.
"Hello, is this the Card Master Administration? Dongxing Vegetable Market."
Jiang Ming dialed the emergency number on the Card Master app.
They confirmed that someone was already on the way.
Efficient as always.
He put away his phone and continued to watch what had now become a real-life Card Master confrontation.
The rest of the crowd wasn't stupid. As soon as someone used an ability, they all backed away quickly. Jiang Ming was pushed another ten meters back.
The tattooed man, seeing the other guy summoning water, didn't hesitate. He charged forward with a punch.
That's when Jiang Ming witnessed what could only be called live-action bondage cosplay.
The younger man was clearly stronger. Several thick water streams twisted like ropes and bound the tattooed man mid-air, immobilizing him.
Jiang Ming analyzed the scene, trying to mentally switch places with the tattooed man to figure out if he could escape the water restraints.
No definite answer—it would depend on the water's strength.
Just then, a voice rang out nearby.
"Card Master Administration! Make way!"
A man in a windbreaker pushed through the crowd.
As soon as he stepped out, he saw the confrontation and dashed toward it, shouting, "Card Master Administration—stop!"
Jiang Ming watched closely. It took the agent less than two seconds to cover the thirty or forty meters between them.
With a single palm strike, he shattered the water bindings, turning them into plain water that splashed to the ground.
A few more windbreaker-clad agents followed, emerged from the crowd, and quickly cuffed both men without a word.
"Alright, it's over. Everyone disperse. No fighting in a harmonious society," one of them called out as they led the two away.
The first officer took a phone call, cursed under his breath, then vanished from sight.
With the incident over, Jiang Ming resumed his walk home.
But just before he exited the market, two police officers stopped him.
"Hello, Mr. Jiang Ming. Did you report the incident just now?"
"Yes."
"Could you help us by making a brief statement?"
"Sure."
Jiang Ming placed the bag of vegetables on the ground and began describing the events.
Just then, someone bumped into his backpack. The wrapped knife, longer than the bag itself, fell out and clattered to the ground, blade exposed.
The officers tensed.
Jiang Ming remained calm. He bent down, picked up the knife, and rewrapped it.
He looked up and said seriously, "As you can see, in this superpowered society, it's entirely reasonable for someone like me—a high school orphan—to carry a knife for self-defense."
In the end, the officers escorted him home. After all, he hadn't committed any crime, and he had helped maintain public order.
They simply reminded him not to carry such items openly or use them recklessly.
Back home, Jiang Ming stored the vegetables and transferred 1,000 yuan in rent to the landlord.
The "one deposit, one rent" deal was already an act of great leniency from his landlord.
He checked the time. It was still before ten.
Jiang Ming opened the Card Master app and continued memorizing entries in the Exotic Beast Atlas.
Dozens of new exotic beasts were added daily.
He might never encounter them in dungeons, but if he did, the knowledge could make a big difference.
Time passed quickly, and soon it was noon.
Jiang Ming kept refreshing the Card Master app.
Finally, a prompt appeared.
"Do you want to update to the latest version?"
"Yes."
After the update, a new feature appeared at the bottom of the screen:[Mall]