A Guide for Background Characters to Survive in a Manga

13:

The red-haired boy’s sudden turn startled Su Bei so much that, had his composure not been sufficient, he might have screamed out loud. Wasn’t this supposed to be a shonen manga? How did it suddenly turn into a horror movie!

Now it was clearly too late to retract his expression, his surprise laid bare before this dangerous fellow opposite him.

Considering that the murderer had chosen to kill just because they had seen each other in the same restroom, Su Bei feared that once the redhead harbored any suspicion, he would fall into a new round of death threats.

And this time, there would be no “manga consciousness” to save him.

What to do? He had to quickly think of a way to answer the other’s question!

In the blink of an eye, Su Bei maintained his stiff facial surprise, yet forcibly mixed in a bit of joy: “You seem to be a student from Class A?”

It was reasonable for someone from another class to be surprised upon realizing they were speaking with a Class A superpower user, given that there were only 20 people in their grade’s Class A.

The sense of danger dissipated in an instant, and the red-haired boy hung a smile back on his face, nodding with a bit of youthful pride: “Yes! I am going to be the strongest superpower user, of course, I’m in Class A!”

He guessed right!

Su Bei’s clenched heart suddenly relaxed. Of course, he had never seen this redhead, nor did he know which class the other was in. But he thought, as an undercover agent planted by an organization in the superpower academy, the superpower had to be very strong. The higher one climbed, the more information they could obtain. So, it was very likely that the redhead was assigned to Class A.

Fortunately, he had gambled correctly. Not only had he successfully dispelled the suspicion, but it seemed he might have even gained the other’s favor.

With the crisis over, Su Bei’s thoughts became lively again.

Now he had two choices: one was to take advantage of the other’s good mood, brush him off quickly, and then go back to his room to rest. The other was to take this opportunity to get on good terms with the other.

The first option certainly had no problems, but if he chose the second option, what would befriending an undercover agent of a dangerous organization bring him?

First, the disadvantages: the organization might target him, the usual suspicions he faced would increase, and if the redhead was exposed, the readers’ doubts and aversion to him befriending the villain.

Then, the advantages: he could very likely obtain information about the organization, have a new secret line in his identity that could be exploited, and if the redhead was exposed, the readers’ curiosity and desire to explore him befriending the villain.

It seemed like a dilemma, but in fact, if he made clear what he really wanted, it was quite easy.

What he wanted was the readers’ attention, which would allow him to more conveniently change his superpower and identity, not just simple affection. Simple affection could increase popularity, but it was of little use to him.

So obviously, in the eyes of the readers, having both a black and white identity would better achieve this purpose.

With this in mind, Su Bei took the initiative to ask: “I’m Su Bei from Class F, may I know your name?”

In his expectations, Bai Qiehei, whose personality seemed very similar to Wu Mingbai, might evade the question, show a hint of disdain, or even use it as an opportunity to inquire about the incident in the cafeteria.

But it didn’t matter. If this message could open up a new covert line, he didn’t mind. After all, in this matter, he was almost just a bystander, wasn’t he?

However, unexpectedly,

the red-haired youth showed not even the slightest malice. Instead, his eyes sparkled as he introduced himself: “My name is Mo Xiaotian, nice to meet you! Are we friends now?”

It was this sentence that made Su Bei acutely aware of the difference between him and Wu Mingbai.

Although it might sound strange, this undercover agent seemed genuinely eager to befriend him.

Don’t be fooled by Wu Mingbai’s sunny exterior; he’s actually quite reserved. He truly accepts only two people, Jiang Tianming and Lan Subing, and maintains a certain distance when conversing with others.

Mo Xiaotian, on the other hand, seemed to have no sense of distance at all. Apart from the brief moment when he suspected himself, at all other times, he seemed like a genuine simpleton.

Su Bei was well aware that as long as the author was sane, they would never give a supporting character the same design as the protagonist’s group. Yet, this contrast was still shocking.

The protagonist of Bai Qiehei and the naive antagonist—what was the author thinking?

If the other party really was naive, then Su Bei’s attitude needed to change. Initially wanting to show a normal person’s hesitation, Su Bei decisively nodded: “Of course, we’re definitely friends now.”

After saying this, he stared intently at the other party, observing their reaction. The previous answer might seem a bit too eager for a slightly wary normal person, as if he was desperate to cling to a Class A superpower user. So, a normal person would probably show a hint of sarcasm, and capturing that would prove that Mo Xiaotian wasn’t really naive.

However, Su Bei had to admit, he really found no anomaly. Mo Xiaotian’s eyes lit up, and he said happily: “That’s great! You’re the first friend I’ve made at the Superpower Academy.”

Naturally, Su Bei wouldn’t be so lacking in emotional intelligence to say, “You’re the second friend I’ve made.” He naturally led the other to the door of his dormitory: “This is my dorm, feel free to drop by anytime.”

A single dormitory is a relatively private space, and saying this also showed that he indeed intended to befriend the other party.

Mo Xiaotian was indeed very happy and carelessly entered Su Bei’s room with him.

After closing the door and hesitating for a moment, Su Bei still showed some sincerity: “Since we’re friends, I’ll reveal a little about the cafeteria incident, but don’t tell anyone.”

However, Mo Xiaotian’s reaction was once again unexpected. He first froze, then shook his head vigorously: “No need, no need, didn’t the teacher say not to talk about it? Then don’t say it, what if it’s discovered?”

For a moment, Su Bei didn’t know what to say. He could see that the other wasn’t playing hard to get; he genuinely didn’t want to know. Or rather, he didn’t want to know from him.

Various signs finally convinced Su Bei that, for now, as long as it didn’t involve that organization, Mo Xiaotian was a pure naive person.

This was undoubtedly a good thing for him, as it meant he wouldn’t be easily suspected, nor subjected to repeated tests.

But from the mere glance he had taken at the mark on Mo Xiaotian’s neck, and the immediate turn of his head, it was clear Mo Xiaotian was a very perceptive person. That is to say, even if the other party didn’t actively probe, any anomaly of his own would likely be quickly sensed.

Better to release goodwill first. Su Bei revealed a smile, “Don’t worry, I won’t tell you proactively. But

Actually, you should already know the answer, right? If what you said earlier was wrong, I should have denied it right away.”

After saying this, he fell silent, leaving Mo Xiaotian alone to ponder its meaning.

Soon, Mo Xiaotian caught on, expressing surprise and admiration, “You’re right, to be able to distinguish like that! Su Bei, you’re really smart!”

Having received the answer he wanted, a hint of hesitation appeared on his face. He wanted to rush back to report, yet also wished to chat more with his newly made friend.

Guessing the reason for his hesitation, Su Bei decisively sent him away. Although he was curious about the other’s special ability, there was no rush. The information he had obtained today was already plentiful; it warranted careful consideration.

Firstly, there was the tattoo of black lightning. If nothing was amiss, the culprit should bear the same tattoo. After all, there were only so many patterns those four points could form; he couldn’t help but be concerned.

So, the question arose, what was this organization about?

Initially, Su Bei thought the culprit specialized in hunting those with special abilities, possibly on a mission at the school. This would explain why, when his identity might be exposed, he didn’t hesitate to kill.

However, judging by Mo Xiaotian’s behavior, perhaps the organization bore no malice towards those with special abilities; otherwise, they wouldn’t have raised a child in such a manner.

If their enemy was the school, that also seemed off. If the enemy was the school, the undercover agent sent would surely have a mission to sabotage, and they wouldn’t likely send someone as innocently sweet as Mo Xiaotian.

The information he had was still too scant.

But speaking of which… Su Bei, as if suddenly recalling something, hurriedly opened his phone and clicked on the promotional page of a previous trailer. Not far from the trio of protagonists, there was a red-haired boy with a silly smile, the breadth of which matched Mo Xiaotian’s exactly.

Could this guy be Mo Xiaotian?!

The more Su Bei thought about it, the more he felt he was right. One could guess that such a character with a quirky personality and a special identity wouldn’t be obscure in the comics. So, his efforts to foster a good relationship with the other party were indeed correct, even if the other was part of an antagonist organization.

“Comic Consciousness, are you there?” When in doubt, activate the cheat, Su Bei asked straightforwardly.

The next second, “Comic Consciousness” appeared as expected: “What’s up?”

“Is the person with the black lightning mark part of an organization?”

Su Bei was certain about this matter, and since he had indeed found a crucial clue, “Comic Consciousness” did not hide the truth: “Yes.”

“What is the purpose of this organization?” This was the key question Su Bei wanted to ask. Only with aligned goals could they become friends, and he needed to understand clearly to arrange the next part of his plan.

Unfortunately, “Comic Consciousness” did not grant him such a cheat: “I cannot say. You can only mention it after you discover it yourself.”

An expected response. Su Bei sighed regretfully and changed the subject: “Is the comic updating its first chapter at eight o’clock tomorrow?”

“Yes, I will synchronize the updates of the comic and forum content with the real world. Additionally, your forum account has been activated, please use it wisely to complete whatever task.”