The Salted Fish is Rebellious – CH1

Chapter 01

Xing Shi stood silently, his eyes filled with confusion.

He was indoors. To his left was a dining area styled with a quaint, refreshing aesthetic. On his right was a long food counter, surrounded by a boisterous, noisy crowd.

If he wasn’t mistaken, this appeared to be a restaurant.

But what was going on? Wasn’t he supposed to be in the magical world?

Years ago, he inexplicably transmigrated into a world of magic—a place where technology was primitive, strength ruled above all, and nearly everyone possessed a magic core in their body. His days there were bleak. The only way to find peace was to grow stronger, so he worked hard and finally upgraded his magic core, stepping into the ranks of the elite.

The process of upgrading a magic core was grueling. It took him three days and nights to break through, after which he collapsed into an exhausted slumber.

But when he opened his eyes again, he found himself here.

Familiar skin tones, familiar clothes, and the familiar vitality of mundane human life.

Was he dreaming? Or had someone cast an illusion spell on him while he slept?

That seemed unlikely—his residence was fortified with high-grade defensive magic formations, and he carried a magic stone that resisted illusions. For someone to ensnare him without triggering any defenses was almost impossible.

Then there was another possibility.

He had transmigrated again.

This time, back to normal human society.

As this thought emerged, the entire world seemed to come alive.

He became acutely aware of his accelerated heartbeat, the faint sweat on his forehead, and the tantalizing aroma of food in the air that made his fingers twitch with desire.

Following the scent, he found a nearby food counter.

Soybean paste noodles!

Fresh, piping hot soybean paste noodles—something he hadn’t eaten in years!

Just as Xing Shi turned toward the counter, ready to step forward, a cold voice suddenly echoed in his mind.

[System 99 successfully bound to the host.]

Xing Shi froze.

Not far away, Fu Xiuning, sitting at a table, paused slightly as he picked up a piece of green vegetable with his chopsticks.

He resumed eating calmly but heard the voice that followed.

[Host, please complete the mission objectives as required, or face obliteration.]

[Mission target: Fu Xiuning.]

[Current Favorability: -5.]

Fu Xiuning remained expressionless.

Years ago, he started hearing voices like this. At first, he thought it was auditory hallucinations, but soon enough, the so-called “hosts” would flock to him, trying to complete their missions.

He had once attempted to humor them, but the system’s favorability tracking was precise. Any fluctuation within its scanning range was updated in real time, making it impossible to deceive.

No matter how friendly he appeared, the actual favorability kept dropping. Eventually, he gave up pretending.

After a period of anxiety and irritation, he became adept at dealing with them, ruthlessly driving away one “host” after another.

It had been over a month since the last host, and he had been wondering when the system would deploy another one. And sure enough, today, here came a new arrival.

Fu Xiuning sipped water, waiting for the newcomer’s response.

Meanwhile, after reporting the favorability, the system addressed Xing Shi: “Host, you can communicate with me in your mind to avoid causing inconvenience in your daily life.”

Xing Shi remained silent.

The system and Fu Xiuning were unsurprised. Encountering such a bizarre situation out of the blue, anyone would need time to process it.

The system helpfully offered options: “Host, you may now choose to access information on your mission target, Fu Xiuning, review your personal stats, or draw a newbie lottery reward.”

Xing Shi blinked and collected his thoughts.

He had slain magical beasts, faced off against demon clans, and routinely encountered grisly scenes on the roadside. Unless it was something extreme, little could faze him.

The voice in his mind lacked the mechanical tone of electronics. It was calm and indifferent, without any discernible emotion.

Since he could communicate mentally, Xing Shi decided to share his joy: “Fantastic!”

The system and Fu Xiuning simultaneously thought: Ah, he’s recovered his composure.

Both were accustomed to people who viewed the system as a turning point in their mundane or miserable lives.

Such individuals typically had high levels of acceptance, cooperation, and enthusiasm.

The system was satisfied and was about to guide him calmly when Xing Shi’s next words rang out, spirited and powerful: “SOYBEAN PASTE NOODLES!”

System: “?”

Fu Xiuning: “?”

What did that have to do with anything?

The system tried to steer the conversation back on track. “Host…”

Xing Shi declared, “It smells like soybean paste noodles!”

The system attempted to assert control. “Host, please…”

Xing Shi, more excited than ever, exclaimed, “Soybean paste noodles!”

“Are you even listening to me?” the system snapped.

Xing Shi retorted, “Shut up. Today, nothing will stop me from eating soybean paste noodles!”

The system’s tone grew icy: “Host, failure to cooperate will trigger punitive measures, up to and including obliteration.”

Xing Shi grinned: “There’s actually soybean paste noodles here!”

The system, unrelenting, began its countdown: “Primary punishment sequence initiated. Countdown: three seconds.”

Unperturbed, Xing Shi ignored it.

Though years of hardship had tempered his patience, one thing remained unchanged—he despised being threatened or controlled.

Upon hearing the word “obliteration,” his first thought was to dismantle the system.

But to do so, he needed to understand its mechanisms and power.

Fu Xiuning, observing from afar, expected the typical outcomes of the punishment: pale faces, trembling bodies, or agonized screams.

Yet what he heard instead stunned him.

“I don’t feel anything. Are you done yet?” Xing Shi asked. “Or are your countdowns on a different timescale?”

System: “?”

Fu Xiuning: “?”

The system faltered: “You’re unaffected?”

Understanding dawned on Xing Shi. “So that’s it—punishment complete. That’s all you’ve got?”

Brimming with nonchalance, he said, “Time for soybean paste noodles. Goodbye!”

The system’s composure shattered, and its voice trembled: “Wait—why aren’t you affected?”

Ignoring it, Xing Shi purchased his bowl of soybean paste noodles. Finding out it was free, he eagerly dug in, savoring every bite.

The system announced, “Detected non-compliance from the host. Initiating Level One Punishment. Countdown: 3 seconds.”

This time, it closely monitored the host’s breathing, heartbeat, muscle activity, and nervous system. Surprisingly, not a single rhythm wavered. Doubting its findings, the system performed a self-diagnostic and confirmed there were no errors in its programming. It exclaimed, “You’re really unaffected!”

Fu Xiuning, overhearing this, was also taken aback.

In all these years, this was the first host immune to Level One Punishment. Why?

The system wondered the same: “Why aren’t you affected?”

Xing Shi, focused entirely on eating, pretended not to hear.

The system fell silent for a moment.

It scanned the bustling restaurant and felt a rare pang of loneliness.

Unaccustomed to such indignity, it vented with impotent rage: “Could you at least acknowledge me?!”

Xing Shi treated it as if it didn’t exist.

After finishing his noodles with gusto, he set his chopsticks down, still yearning for more. He glanced at the other counters, wondering what else he could eat.

Just then, from the corner of his eye, he noticed the guy sitting nearby raise a hand toward him. Turning, he saw the young man holding out an open packet of tissues.

“Need one?” the guy asked, his tone friendly.

Xing Shi paused briefly before accepting a tissue. “Thanks.”

The boy, sporting dyed gray hair, flashed a sunny smile. “I’m Feng Zifan. What’s your name, brother? Are you here for an interview or are you already recruited?”

The guy across from Feng Zifan introduced himself right after. “I’m called Da Zhuang. That’s what everyone calls me. You must be a recruit, right? That face of yours—one word: handsome!”

Xing Shi didn’t understand. He silently called the system: “What are they talking about?”

For the first time, the system was addressed directly. Trying to maintain its aloof demeanor, it replied, “Oh? Weren’t you ignoring me earlier?”

Xing Shi smiled at the two young men in front of him and repeated their question: “Are you guys here for interviews or already recruits?”

Feng Zifan answered, “We’re here for interviews. We both passed and are waiting for the class assignments this afternoon. But we’ll only make it into the regular classes. You’ll probably be in Class One, right?”

Xing Shi replied, “Not necessarily.”

Changing the topic, he asked, “I’m going to grab something to drink. Do you guys want anything?”

Feng Zifan and Da Zhuang both already had drinks and politely declined.

Rising from his seat, Xing Shi asked the system in his mind, “Do you think you’re that important?”

The system retorted, “This is just the beginning. Do you know where you’re supposed to go this afternoon? What you’re supposed to do? After all this, do you know where you’re staying? Do you even know this body’s name?”

Xing Shi admitted, “No idea.”

The system, taking an arrogant tone, declared, “Then adjust your attitude, cooperate, and complete the mission. I’ll provide you with the information.”

Xing Shi countered, “Or I could sprint a hundred meters headfirst into that wall, tell the police I have amnesia, and get all the answers I need.”

The system froze. “What?!”

Caught off guard, it blurted, “You’re not afraid of dying from a headlong sprint?! Fainting would be a better option!”

Xing Shi, of course, knew fainting was the more practical choice.

But his goal wasn’t just to obtain information; he also wanted to probe the system’s limits. Fainting would take less time than running, and he was curious about how much control the system had over his body during the process.

He replied, “No, I don’t like leaning backward. It feels unsafe.”

The system argued, “And sprinting into a wall doesn’t scare you?”

Xing Shi retorted, “Of course, but I can close my eyes and charge blindly.”

Mimicking the system’s tone, he added, “Detected system refusal to provide information. Initiating 100-meter sprint. Countdown: 3 seconds.”

The system warned, “Engaging in irrational behavior will trigger punishment procedures!”

Xing Shi asked, “What level?”

The system hesitated. “…Level One.”

Xing Shi replied casually, “Whatever makes you happy. I’m running now.”

The system detected his leg muscles tense instantaneously and panicked. “Wait, stop! I’ll tell you!”

Fu Xiuning, maintaining his composure, thought to himself, Go ahead, run if you dare.

But since it was the system’s responsibility to provide information, its compromise meant he could also eavesdrop… Just as that thought crossed his mind, he saw someone in his peripheral vision suddenly take off running.

At the same time, the system screamed, “Aaaaah! Stop running!”

Fu Xiuning blinked in disbelief. “…?”