Chapter 34: For the uninitiated, this city is far from friendly.

[Page 1/3]

[Two-Star Rating: Completely annihilate the Lysangton Special Response Unit "Trauma Team" and eliminate the manager of the Lysangton Detroit branch.]
[Three-Star Rating: Hidden Objective]
[Note: Achieving the minimum rating is sufficient to prevent the player's death in reality.]

[Trial Abilities:
1. Ability Card Visualization:
To increase the entertainment value while confronting the Lysangton Corporation, you will receive an ability card usable for this playthrough as a reward for every event you experience.
(Note: Experiencing an event does not necessarily require combat.)
2. Novice Mixology Mastery:
(Stir the base spirit, then add 4 ounces of gin.
Next, shake the silver shaker.
Okay, you are now a mature bartender.
It's time to find a way to mix a "Golden Age" for the President of the United States that will make him unable to resist running to the restroom after one sip.)]

Su Wen looked at the slightly dark humor in the game's annotations and couldn't help but smile.
He didn't dislike these prompts.
In fact, he quite enjoyed this style.
After all, for a chief player capable of reloading save files, mixing a "laxative cocktail" for the U.S. President in an uncollapsed timeline wasn't necessarily a bad idea.

He clicked to start the game.
Amidst a cacophony of background noise, Su Wen appeared in the midst of a torrential downpour.

[You are now drenched.]
[Vital signs are slightly declining.]
[It is recommended to seek shelter immediately.]

In the distance, through the curtain of rain, a road sign with only two panels illuminated pointed toward the Midtown district, which once marked the glory of Detroit.
Corktown, with its mix of Greek-style architecture, possessed a profound sense of history.
The area was filled with long-standing wooden houses, trendy lofts, exposed brick facades, long stretches of art galleries, and artisan shops.
Of course, there were also plenty of cafes and taverns.
In such a storm, the vast majority of passersby, even those holding umbrellas, had no intention of admiring the scenery.
As for Su Wen, standing under a flickering streetlamp in his black attire, he went entirely unnoticed.

[The First Bartender]
[Game Progress: Day 1, Nightfall, 8:00 PM]
[Tonight, you may encounter people representing different factions.]
[Feature Unlocked: Friendship System]

He clicked to examine the Friendship System:
[Friendship System: Your choices will determine others' favorability toward you. If your favorability with a certain faction is low, you will receive a debuff. Conversely, if your favorability with other factions is high, you will receive corresponding positive buffs.]
(Network relations will determine your attributes; isn't that crazy?)
(As an intruder in a chaotic city, do you choose to be a normal person, or a "madman" or "thug" who can resonate with them?)

Looking at this prompt, Su Wen felt this game would be very interesting.
After all, [Page 1/3]

[Page 2/3]

As a player who didn't follow the rules, his favorite thing to do was clear levels using unconventional methods.

[Phase Objective: Successfully demonstrate your bartending skills in front of "White Hound" Fern Onions before 11:00 PM.]
[First, you need an opportunity to access the liquor bottles.]
[Note: The Ice Point Bar is just a short distance away from you.]

Su Wen stood in the heavy rain; because he had been browsing the game rules, he was already soaked.
Normally, even if someone noticed him, they would likely look at him with strange eyes. After all, Su Wen was standing motionless in the pouring rain without an umbrella.
If it wasn't a broken heart, it was probably that the Wall Street stocks he bought had plummeted, and he was preparing to go to the rooftop to become an "aerialist."

But this was Detroit.
Accompanied by the muffled sound of gunfire in the rainy night, Su Wen watched a man in a trench coat flee past him through the curtain of rain.
And behind this man, two figures—one fat, one thin—rushed out.
They were chasing and hurling abuse at the same time, using classic American profanity.

The next second, just as Su Wen sensed danger and prepared to dodge, a bullet struck him precisely.
He had become the unlucky shield.

[You have been hit by Bacchus's gunfire.]
[Currently in an injured state.]
[Because your appearance blocked Bacchus from chasing Gore, the "Carnival Convoy" faction's favorability toward you is -10.]
[Player currently has a debuff: Noise from the Racing Carnival.]
[Debuff—Limp: Player movement speed reduced by 30%.]
[You have died.]
[Reload save file?]

???
You shot me, a complete bystander, and lowered my favorability at the same time?
Is your conduct really that poor?
I've remembered you.

Su Wen had died once without doing anything. He had no choice but to reload the save.

[Reload: Game Start]

This time, he didn't stand still staring at the information. Instead, he moved with extreme agility and hid in a street corner.
Before long, the same gunfire rang out.
After the fleeing man passed, Su Wen watched the two pursuers cross the rain curtain and arrive near him.
He extended his foot. [Page 2/3]

[Page 3/3]

*Thump!*
The person who had shot him earlier fell face-first onto the ground in a perfect nose-dive.
Before that person could react, Su Wen rolled and grabbed the pistol the thug had dropped on the ground.
Subsequently, he pulled the trigger decisively!

*Bang!*
*Bang!*

Two shots. The two thugs collapsed on the ground.
As a Tier 1 [Sequence: Knight] transcendent, in a sneak attack scenario, even if the number of enemies were doubled, they would still be done for.
Besides, he felt no pity for these thugs who had no regard for bystanders.

[Because your actions were not discovered by the "Carnival Convoy," the faction favorability has not decreased.]
[Because you saved Gore, "Environmentalist" faction favorability +30.]
[Player currently has a buff: Weeds cannot cut the pruner.]
[Buff Effect: When facing low-favorability factions, you gain an evasion probability.]
[You have experienced the event: Escape.]
[Obtained one opportunity to draw a temporary ability card for this game session.]

What a trashy game.
As a mere bystander, I not only got shot for no reason but also had to endure a "limp" debuff. On the contrary, killing all the witnesses meant not only avoiding bad luck but also getting to draw a card.

Su Wen felt the increasingly absurd nature of Detroit five years into the Origin Era as a city of chaos.
Because there were numerous treasure ruins here, and the U.S. government's control was relatively weak, it fostered a lot of disordered madness.

"For a pure bystander, this place really isn't friendly."

He felt like he wasn't experiencing a bartender simulator, but had become an assassin mixed with elements of "Assassin's Creed: Unity" set against the backdrop of Detroit.

After the two gunshots, Gore suddenly stopped hearing the chasing shouts.
He cautiously pulled away and looked back, only to realize it was Su Wen who had saved him:
"You have a grudge against the Carnival Convoy too?"
"I did a moment ago, but not anymore."
Su Wen was referring to the save reload. But to Gore, it sounded like the handsome, cold gentleman simply had no interest in dead men.

"That's so cool!"
He said gratefully:
"Brother, thanks to you. I really didn't expect those guys from the Carnival Convoy to be able to chase me for two kilometers in a downpour without their bikes. It's a shame I only have three hundred dollars on me, otherwise, I'd definitely treat you to a good time at the Rose Hotel." [Page 3/3]