Chapter 7: The Damn

"Did I transmigrate again, or did I just switch to a different planet?"

Li Ang hadn't expected 【Traveler】 to bring him straight from the interstellar era to... the Republic of China?

Although the architectural style before him perfectly matched his mental image of the Republic era, he still didn't dare confirm it on the spot.

Li Ang lowered his head to look at his body, confirmed that only a pure-white prison uniform had come along with him, and began thinking about how to find a place to stay.

Money—he definitely didn't have any.

"Seems like... there is money?"

Li Ang looked at the prison uniform on his body, and a plan immediately formed in his mind.

Although this thing in the previous interstellar world would be something even a dog wouldn't wear, everything has to be judged by the era's context.

Just look at this flawless needlework, and this fabric that's soft, smooth, and clearly top-grade at a glance—who would dare say it isn't a high-end garment if Li Ang said so now?

Thinking this, Li Ang made up his mind, then walked straight to a bun shop on the street to ask around: "Master, I'd like to ask you something—do you know where the nearest pawnshop is?"

Hearing his voice, the bun-shop owner, who had been kneading dough with his head lowered, neither looked up nor responded, just kept on with his work.

Li Ang would have liked to pull out some money to buy a bun and ask for directions, but he was flat broke, so he could only brazenly keep asking about the pawnshop's location.

Apparently fed up with his pestering, the bun-shop owner raised his head with some impatience, and casually pointed east: "Go two blocks, turn right, you'll see it."

"Thanks, boss, thanks, boss."

Li Ang didn't get angry at the bun-shop owner's attitude; after sincerely thanking him, he headed off in the direction the man had indicated.

And not long after he left, a few filthy beggars on the street raised their heads and exchanged a glance, then silently followed him.

Seeing this, the bun-shop owner couldn't help but shake his head slightly: "Another rich young fool about to have bad luck."

"What a damn world…"

Elsewhere, Li Ang followed the bun-shop owner's directions and indeed found the pawnshop, saving him the trouble of going back to throw the man a punch.

The moment Li Ang stepped into the pawnshop, the shopkeeper behind the counter's eyes lit up, and a perfectly measured smile immediately appeared on his face: "What might this young master like to pawn?"

Li Ang couldn't be bothered to correct the man's form of address, pointed at the prison uniform on his body, and said: "How much do you think this outfit could fetch?"

"?" Hearing this, the shopkeeper couldn't help but be stunned, then poked his head out from behind the counter and began sizing Li Ang up and down. "Young master isn't joking, is he?"

Having been a shopkeeper for so many years, he could naturally tell that the young man's garment was top-grade material, without a single flaw, a rare fine fabric.

At this point Li Ang nodded, then swiftly took off his top and handed it to the shopkeeper: "Take a look, how much can you give me."

Seeing this, the shopkeeper didn't waste any more words, just quietly rubbed the pure-white top in his hands.

After a moment like this, he asked: "Is the young master only pawning this one top?"

"If I pawn my pants too, how much can you give me?" Li Ang didn't answer, just countered with a question.

"One silver dollar."

Hearing this, Li Ang immediately took off his pants, leaving only a pair of underwear: "Fine, but you have to give me a set of clothes, any kind will do."

He certainly knew the pawnshop's offer was a rip-off, but he wasn't in the mood to haggle—after all, he needed to find a way to survive once he got back to his previous world as soon as possible.

As for Li Ang's request, the pawnshop owner had no reason to refuse, and soon handed him a pawn ticket, a set of coarse hemp clothing, and one silver dollar.

After putting on the somewhat scratchy clothes, Li Ang turned and walked out of the pawnshop, intending to find a shop to grab a bite to eat first.

Eating 'Nutrient Paste' every day—he really couldn't take it anymore.

But Li Ang had only walked a few steps before his path was blocked.

He looked at the two beggars before him, frowned slightly, and asked: "Is there something you two need?"

The words had barely fallen when Li Ang turned and ran—he wasn't stupid, he naturally knew they meant no good.

But the moment he turned around he stopped in his tracks, because two more beggars behind him were staring at him viciously.

At that moment, a voice came from behind him: "Stinky brat, hand over the money you just got, then have some fun with us, and we'll let you go."

Honestly, hearing the first half of that sentence, Li Ang didn't feel much of anything.

But hearing the second half, he laughed in spite of himself. I mean, if the one saying this were some fair-skinned, beautiful, busty, big-chested rich older woman, fine—but a beggar?

Get lost!

Thinking this, fury rose in Li Ang's heart, murderous intent flared in his gall, and he immediately turned and lunged at the beggar who had spoken.

The sudden turn of events left the remaining three beggars frozen in place, watching helplessly as the fair-skinned youth tackled their boss to the ground.

And after tackling the talking beggar, Li Ang smoothly straddled him, and rained down punches on his head as if his life depended on it.

"Have some fun, you say…"

"I'll let you have all the fun you want!"

By now the three beggars frozen in place had also come to their senses, and immediately tried to rush forward and stop Li Ang from beating up their boss.

But a bunch of scrawny beggars—how could they possibly budge Li Ang, whose physical strength, boosted by 【Prisoner】, had now reached 1.3?

Although Li Ang had never been in a fight, he knew that in a situation like this, you only needed to hurt one person badly enough—after all, what discipline could a bunch of beggars possibly have?

He ignored the attacks of the three beggars beside him, and gripped the neck of the beggar beneath him with both hands.

Finally, after seeing their boss's face turn beet red, looking like he was about to be strangled to death, a trace of fear quietly rose in the three beggars' hearts.

They hadn't expected that Li Ang, who looked so fair and tender, would fight so recklessly.

The three beggars exchanged a glance, then immediately turned tail and ran.

Sensing their departure, Li Ang released his grip, looked at the beggar beneath him whose eyeballs were practically bulging out, and said viciously: "From now on, I ask, you answer."

"Understood?"

At this moment, a bit of relief and lingering fear welled up in Li Ang's heart.

If he hadn't spent some time in prison, today he probably wouldn't have been able to act so decisively and ruthlessly.

You really think prisons are full of nice gentlemen?

But Li Ang didn't feel any psychological burden—he certainly didn't think those beggars' promise of letting him go after having their fun was true.

If he had been unable to resist, what awaited him would probably have been nothing but selling his ass.

Feeling the occasional twinge of pain across his body, Li Ang couldn't help but think to himself, "Even the 0.2 boost to physical strength from a trash-tier class like 【Prisoner】 is this noticeable — how overpowered must the other T0 classes be?"

"Good thing my class slots aren't limited. I need to hurry and squeeze some useful information out of him."

Thinking this, Li Ang immediately began interrogating the beggar beneath him.