Chapter 2: The Plan

As if prearranged with Chu Zhu.

The moment he completed this series of actions, the robbers sprang out like phantoms from a steam car resembling a bread van at the door, charging forward wildly. Their figures flickered through the smoke, stepping with frantic urgency.

“Big A, Big B, you two handle those still able to fight... Is there someone still standing over there? No, Big C, is that all the firepower your explosives have?”

“Boss, it’s me! I’m B2, the one who gave you the intel!” Chu Zhu rushed forward without hesitation, but instead of addressing the leader wearing the tiger-head mask, he spoke to the man behind him donning a dog-head mask.

Chu Zhu pounded his chest fervently. “Loyalty!”

Dog-head man: “???”

Other robbers: “!!!”

“...How come you—” The dog-head man fell silent, hesitating to speak.

Before he could question further, Chu Zhu smoothly turned and vaulted over the shattered glass of the bank counter. “Follow me! I know where the operation details are.”

Chu Zhu couldn’t afford to delve deeper into conversation; previous resets had all failed because they got tangled in talk and exposed flaws.

The robbers exchanged glances before all looking at the dog-head man. Tugging at his hair in confusion, he muttered, “No, could he really be... No, that’s the intel broker, but how did he recognize me?”

He couldn’t understand, since he had never met B2.

Although the dog-head man was the true leader of this gang, he preferred to stay behind the scenes, letting his junior take the front role. This was also to draw any possible official sniper fire later.

Even if it was B2, wouldn’t he seek out the tiger-head man first? Or could it be...

“The intelligence capability of B2 is terrifying?” The dog-head man gasped. Could their entire plan and scheme have been anticipated by B2? Impossible. So there must be a mole in their ranks leaking plans to B2.

Sensing the dog-head man’s sharp gaze, several robbers looked at each other nervously.

“Boss, you know about me—”

“Enough, shut up, no more talk!” The dog-head man cut off his subordinate’s rambling.

“So... Boss, do we still proceed as planned?” The tiger-head man’s face twisted in uncertainty.

“Big A, Big B, follow the original plan: capture all survivors! Anyone still able to fight back must be crippled immediately.” The dog-head man issued orders coldly.

---

The two wearing pig-head and monkey masks nodded and began rounding up those still struggling, dragging them out like tied-up pigs, ropes binding them tightly.

Hidden behind the shattered wealth tree, Lu Muxue trembled silently.

…

“Wait, you’re really good at this?” In the bank’s back office, the dog-head man stared in disbelief as Chu Zhu expertly punched in the digits 9187, then dragged over the bank manager, who lay like a dead dog. Chu Zhu wiped the manager’s bloodied fingers with his clothes and pressed them onto the fingerprint lock.

Clang.

The door swung open.

The dog-head man’s mind raced wildly. Could there be a spy inside the bank? B2’s terror was beyond measure!

“But no wonder it’s a bank—truly loaded.” The dog-head man glanced enviously at the fingerprint scanner. “Using ancient relics for access control.”

Chu Zhu stiffened briefly but quickly recovered and stepped into the vault room. This was one of the key reasons he believed this world was a dream.

Though it resembled the real world, it was fundamentally different. Communication devices like phones or other electronics were unimaginably cheap compared to his previous life because they were all called “ancient relics.”

According to Chu Zhu’s information, these relics were dug up from unknown places rather than manufactured. People in this dream world seemed to think these devices were divine artifacts rather than man-made objects.

Ignorance! Illogical to the point of laughter.

Moreover, electronic devices break down after a few decades; how could they be preserved for who knows how many years and still be used normally?

Still, Chu Zhu had long since resigned himself to this being merely a dream. If every logic were airtight, that would be strange indeed.

Chu Zhu skillfully approached the third bank safe, input the password, then pulled out the access card he had taken from the manager, swiping it forcefully.

“Beep!”

The safe automatically opened.

Inside lay a yellowed map and a key.

“This is it, Boss!” Chu Zhu held it up, turning with a grin toward the dog-head man.

---

The dog-head man was silent for a long moment before whispering, “You’re an insider at the bank. So why hire us to rob it... no, you used us as scapegoats?”

“Injustice, Boss!” Chu Zhu raised his hands innocently, tone playful. “Even if I knew everything clearly, if you hadn’t broken in, how could I openly take this out? That’s the logic!”

“Besides, the commission only pays out if it succeeds! With me assisting, the difficulty drops and your death rate lowers. Isn’t that good?”

“I offered my heart to the bright moon, but the moon shone into the gutter!” Chu Zhu feigned grievance.

The dog-head man fell silent. The tiger-head man glanced at their leader, realizing he found Chu Zhu's words reasonable and quickly offered a way out.

“Alright, next we need to rob the bank vault as a diversion! Big C, prepare the explosives...”

“Oh, no need!” Chu Zhu interjected calmly. “I also know the vault’s password and authentication.”

The robbers were speechless.

Bro, how do you know everything? What kind of scheme is this!?

Are you the bank’s former manager who was fired and now seeking revenge? That’s not even cool anymore!

“Boss,” Big C, wearing a bear mask, hesitated before carefully suggesting, “Honestly, compared to stealing cash... stealing these ancient relics seems more profitable!”

Chu Zhu blinked.

Wait—Chu Zhu watched the dog-head man’s conflicted expression and felt his heart twitch.

Bro... are you really tempted?

…

Bundles upon bundles of cash were stuffed into sacks. In the end, they didn’t bother collecting any electronic devices. The reason was simple: they tried to pry one open, but broke it, and it wouldn’t start in their hands.

Chu Zhu knew they had ruined it, but this group of robbers, unfamiliar with electronics, couldn’t understand why and ultimately chose the cash they knew.

The dog-head man silently carried the money and placed it on the bank counter. At that moment, the alarm bell outside the bank blared.