The Cold and Ruthless Supporting Male Lead

After the first level’s exit was discovered, other players began trickling in one after another.

The main goal of coming here was to win the championship, and Hai Ku didn’t want to waste too much effort on other matters. He directly pulled out the vehicle rewarded by the system and said, “Let’s use this car to search for supplies together. It’s better to stay concentrated. These system rewards are one-time-use items, so we should save the cars. Let’s use them one at a time until we find gasoline.”

Hai Ku had his reasons. They had received a total of five vehicles as rewards. Each vehicle came with a full tank of gas, but no spare fuel.

In a game like this, where profit was paramount, having a mode of transportation in such a dangerous world was a rare luxury. Although the rewards were the same for everyone, players would likely hoard these prizes for critical moments.

Since he was the one suggesting that, and the one who provided the vehicle, Hai Ku’s choice carried credibility and authority.

Bing Jingxue said nothing, but she thought Hai Ku was a fool.

Without hesitation, he climbed into the driver’s seat. Hai Ku turned on the car’s navigation system and remarked, “It looks like this navigation system has some critical information. If we follow it, we might find supplies.”

This vehicle could hold up to six people. After Hai Ku finished speaking, Bing Jingxue opened the door and sat in the front passenger seat. “There’s no way I’m cramming into the back with you sweaty guys. You all can sit back there.”

Hai Ku gave her a sideways glance and said coldly, “Do you know that the front passenger seat is the most dangerous place to be if something happens to the car?”

Bing Jingxue pouted, feeling that Hai Ku was deliberately targeting her. “I don’t care. It’s just a game, isn’t it? It’s simple enough to clear. Besides, I’m a girl. How could I possibly sit crammed in the back with all those guys?”

In the past, Hai Ku might have snapped back at her without hesitation, but now, he reconsidered. Staying close to the female lead, this so-called “luck queen,” actually had its advantages.

If her protagonist’s aura remained strong, no matter how hard he worked, her knack for finding rare items might surpass all his efforts.

Thinking of that, Hai Ku silently closed his mouth.

He couldn’t afford to directly oppose the female lead, but her behavior seemed like she was courting death. Even in the game, treating herself as a princess in a post-apocalyptic world was a surefire way to fail.

“Hey, give me that rabbit,” Bing Jingxue said, twisting around to reach toward Longde Chuanren after the car started moving.

Feeling annoyed, Longde Chuanren thought he was nothing more than a lackey here, especially with how Bing Jingxue treated him.

“Hey, what’s with that face? I’m the one who brought you here, remember? Without me, could you have cleared the second level?” Bing Jingxue rolled her eyes, reached out, and snatched the rabbit from him. “People these days, no gratitude at all. Do you even know who brought you here? How dare you treat me like–ah!”

Before she could finish her snarky comment, the car suddenly made a sharp turn. Bing Jingxue, who wasn’t wearing her seatbelt, was thrown against the window.

Feeling like her waist was about to snap, she let out a startled cry and glared at Hai Ku with wide eyes. “What kind of driving is this? That was dangerous! If this weren’t a game, I’d be injured by now!”

“Talk less, watch the road, and fasten your seatbelt,” Hai Ku replied, smirking slightly but not sparing her a glance.

Bing Jingxue glared at him unhappily, thinking to herself; Humph. I’ll see how far you get without my help when it comes to leaving this second level.

Thinking of her own car, which was still intact, made her feel a bit better. Although she couldn’t fully understand the map in her mind, she believed that with enough trial and error, she’d figure it out.

Hai Ku’s selfless act of offering his vehicle seemed utterly foolish to her.

***

After driving for about half a day, during which a few more groups of players entered the second level, the team finally made some progress. They managed to gather enough supplies to feed seven people for 2 days.

Seeing that it was getting late, Dong Hai suggested, “Let’s find a place to rest.”

The second level had a hunger mechanic, and after driving for most of the day, Hai Ku was starting to feel the effects. Even though they hadn’t encountered zombies or exotic beasts along the way, a break was much needed.

Hai Ku placed the car back into his inventory and rubbed his growling stomach. “I don’t know how this game does it, but the hunger feels real.”

“Drink some water,” Longde Chuanren said, handing him a bottle of mineral water. He felt somewhat awkward. Bing Jingxue clearly disliked Hai Ku, but Longde Chuanren found himself increasingly impressed by Hai Ku’s decisiveness. His growing dislike for Bing Jingxue only made him admire Hai Ku more.

“The first group’s car actually had some spare gasoline. If you don’t mind, I can get it for you.”

“No need,” Hai Ku said after taking a big gulp of water and shaking his head. “Even if I weren’t giving you a ride, I’d still use the car. No need to repay me for something I’d do anyway.”

When Bing Jingxue sat in the car, at least their journey was free of danger, which effectively turned her into a kind of tool. With this understanding, Hai Ku maintained an indifferent attitude toward her.

It was all about mutual exploitation; Bing Jingxue used him to conserve resources, while he used her to reduce harm. All things considered, neither side was at a disadvantage.

“So annoying! How are we supposed to eat this dry stuff?” Bing Jingxue looked disdainfully at the instant noodles in her hands, her face full of grievance. “Can’t we get some hot water to soak them?”

After complaining a few times and realizing no one responded, Bing Jingxue frowned and muttered under her breath, “Chuanren, you don’t think dry noodles taste good either, right? Why don’t we soak them before eating?”

This perfectly demonstrated the attitude of ‘Look at that poor person! Go help them right now!’

It was absolutely exasperating. Hai Ku wondered why he hadn’t found this type of contrived and pretentious female lead so irritating in the novels he used to read.

Could it be that my taste in books had changed with the times?

Hearing Bing Jingxue’s words, Longde Chuanren, who had been standing next to Hai Ku, froze for a moment, his expression suddenly turning complicated. “I’ll go gather some firewood…”

“Huh?” Hai Ku patted Longde Chuanren’s shoulder with a hint of confusion. “You really don’t have to keep accommodating her like this. Sure, she got you to the second level, but her attitude is way over the line.”

Longde Chuanren smiled faintly. “What choice do I have? When you take someone’s favor, you owe them. She’s the one who brought me here; the least I can do is help her out a little. Otherwise, it feels like I’ve taken advantage of her in a big way.”

It was just a game, yet things had escalated to this level. Longde Chuanren couldn’t help but feel disgusted with the vanity that had driven him earlier.

Seeing his name on the global announcement had felt great at first. But now, he was paying the price.

At first, he thought Bing Jingxue was pretty cute. But as she kept asking him to do this and that, he found it increasingly exhausting.

When it came to his girlfriend, Longde Chuanren didn’t mind treating her this way; he was happy to do it. But who was Bing Jingxue to him? She wasn’t anyone special…

“Chuanren~ Hurry up and get some firewood! I’ll cook the noodles for you if you bring it back, okay?” Bing Jingxue’s stomach was already growling, and watching the others eat their bread so contentedly made her swallow hard. She kept urging Longde Chuanren non-stop.

With a bitter smile, Longde Chuanren replied in a muffled voice, “I’m going now.”

Hai Ku watched his retreating figure thoughtfully.

After being kicked out of the Five Seas team, Bing Jingxue’s character seemed to become less likable.

But upon closer analysis, perhaps there was more to it.

In the original plot, Bing Jingxue had always been this kind of contrived and pretentious character. However, with her protagonist’s lucky aura and Dong Hai’s humorous personality, every time Bing Jingxue acted in a pretentious manner, Dong Hai would dissolve the tension.

This dynamic made her seem more like a little girl playfully teasing someone she liked.

A girl playfully bantering with her boyfriend wasn’t a big deal. In fact, it often made onlookers think the couple had a great relationship.

But now, without Dong Hai as a foil, Bing Jingxue’s actions became a solo performance.

It had to be said that some of the sweetness in these stories relied on the chemistry between the male and female leads. When they were separated, it became apparent that one had a skewed moral compass, while the other had an aura so overpowering it defied logic.

But what exactly is a “Mary Sue”? This type of character was exactly Mary Sue. It’s just that stories which once felt satisfying to read now seem unbearable upon reflection.

With a sigh, Hai Ku couldn’t help but mock his younger self, who used to hide under the covers with a flashlight, engrossed in these stories. Back then, he found them utterly captivating; now, he couldn’t stand them.

***

“Why isn’t Chuanren back yet…?” Only after seeing the others finish eating and prepare to rest did Bing Jingxue finally start to worry.

Longde Chuanren had been gone for at least an hour, yet there was still no sign of him.

Hai Ku, who had been relatively relaxed, felt his heart sink when he heard Bing Jingxue’s comment.

He had indeed been too careless, thinking that staying near the protagonist would keep him covered by her aura of good fortune. But it was different for Longde Chuanren; away from her, he might encounter significant danger.

Immediately standing up, Hai Ku brushed the dust off his clothes, his expression turning serious. “I’ll go take a look.”

As he spoke, his gaze remained fixed on Bing Jingxue.

Feeling a bit guilty under Hai Ku’s scrutiny, Bing Jingxue muttered softly, “Why are you staring at me? It’s not like I intentionally put him in danger… I didn’t mean to.”

Trying to absolve herself of guilt, Bing Jingxue instinctively resorted to her usual excuses. “Besides, I’m the one who brought him to this level. Even if he faces danger in this world, at worst, he’ll just start over. And if he somehow makes it to the third level, it’s thanks to me for bringing him here…”

“Shut up.” Dong Hai, standing nearby, couldn’t take it anymore. He felt like he must have been blind to have had a favorable first impression of this woman.

“What do you mean? I’m just speaking the truth.” Bing Jingxue, already annoyed by her growling stomach, snapped. Being scolded by a group of men made her even angrier.

“You guys are unbelievable! You’re so rude to a girl like me! Not only do you refuse to protect me, but you also stand there criticizing me. Do you even have any manners?”

Hai Ku felt a headache coming on. Covering one ear with his hand, he checked his gear. “Just stop talking for a while. No one will think you’re mute if you stay silent.”

“You’re all so mean! I don’t want to team up with you anymore!” Tears welled up in Bing Jingxue’s eyes, and she looked utterly aggrieved. “Do you think I’m not scared? I’m just a girl here all alone, and you have zero sympathy. You’re all terrible!”

“If we didn’t have any sympathy, you’d already be dead,” Hai Ku retorted coldly. His patience was wearing thin as he stepped closer, towering over Bing Jingxue with a sharp tone. “Don’t you know that in this game, people can loot gear from others? If we truly lacked a conscience, we’d have stripped you of all your good equipment long ago.”

Bing Jingxue’s face turned pale instantly, and her legs grew weak as she stumbled back a step. “You!”

For a moment, her mind went blank. She couldn’t think of anything to say. But out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a small figure in the distance. Though it was far away, she recognized it as Longde Chuanren.

Noticing her strange reaction, Hai Ku followed her gaze. His anger subsided slightly upon seeing what she was looking at.

“I’m back.” Behind them came Longde Chuanren’s weak yet excited voice.

He set down the firewood in his hands and looked at them with a mixture of joy and exhaustion. “While I was gathering firewood, I stumbled upon a strange-looking area. I think the exit to the second level might be there.”

His clothes were torn, his knees were stained with blood, and upon closer inspection, there were quite a few wounds on his body.

Even though the pain in this game was set to only one-twentieth of the real thing, Hai Ku felt an ache in his chest just looking at the injuries.

“You’ve got so many wounds… Did you get bitten by zombies? What if you infect us?” A tactless voice suddenly cut through the moment.

As soon as Bing Jingxue spoke, Longde Chuanren’s expression changed. His previously cheerful face instantly fell, and his voice became small and defensive. “Isn’t there that antidote potion? I used it.”

He had let his guard down entirely after the journey had been so uneventful. While gathering firewood, he had been in a relaxed state. But who could have guessed that after walking only a short distance, he would encounter both zombies and mutated beasts?

If it hadn’t been for the generous rewards from the first team, which included tools that helped him hold out, he would have been sent back to the first level by now.

“Tsk… They say the most poisonous thing is a woman’s heart. I used to think the little girls in reality were all cute, and I thought that saying was a lie. Never thought I’d experience it firsthand.”

“Exactly, exactly. Listening to her all this way has made my ears feel like they’re growing calluses. Who even talks like that?”

“Haha…”

Even Xi Hai, who had been silent the entire time, finally exploded, and his words were sharp and venomous. Bing Jingxue was so upset that her tears started to fall.

“I didn’t mean it! And besides, wasn’t I just trying to clarify things?” she protested angrily, picking up the firewood with an aggrieved look. Her already starving stomach now felt even emptier.

She couldn’t understand why these people kept saying such things. I’m clearly not in the wrong, so why are all these grown men ganging up to bully me? It’s disgusting!

The others ignored her, even Longde Chuanren, who was resting nearby. Bing Jingxue found herself speechless for a moment and could only start building a fire on her own in silence.

After much effort, she finally got the firewood to ignite, her forehead now covered with a thin layer of sweat. Taking a pot from her backpack, she poured a bottle of mineral water into it.

The roaring flames grew larger and larger, and the area under the firewood started to show signs of melting water stains.

A sizzling sound came from somewhere, and before they could react, a crack had already formed where they were sitting.

The first to notice the problem was Longde Chuanren, who hadn’t been sleeping because of the pain. But just as he managed to say, “Watch out,” the entire section of the floor they were sitting on collapsed.

Caught completely off guard, they all fell down. For a moment, everyone’s minds went blank, but there was no time to react.