What to Do if You Mess With an Omega? - Chapter 2

The group had probably never encountered such a bold target, especially a female Beta who combined beauty with fragility, which left them utterly stunned.

The four of them were momentarily caught in a dilemma.

Rob her or not?

Not robbing her seemed like a loss of face.

Alpha Star had no shortage of poor people.

But these poor folk weren’t quite like the ruffians bred in harsh, lawless lands. If given a choice, no one would willingly take this path. They only wanted money, and specifically from the wealthy passengers stepping off spaceships, who looked loaded at first glance.

Ning Hanzhu noticed their hesitation and quickly pulled the leader, Snake Bro, aside. “Snake Bro, this woman seems like bad news. Look at her—she’s got this low-key luxurious vibe. An ordinary Beta would be pale with fear and crying by now if faced with this.”

You couldn’t fake someone’s aura.

There was a clear difference between someone who’d grown up scavenging in garbage heaps and someone raised in wealth and comfort.

As Ning Hanzhu spoke, she glanced at the woman, who stood there leisurely with her arms crossed, watching her with an air of amusement, not a trace of panic from being targeted.

This woman had clearly seen the world.

Snake Bro lowered his voice. “You think I don’t know that?”

Having been in the game this long, he had some street smarts. Someone this fearless either had powerful connections or something to rely on. Of course, there was also the chance she was bluffing.

But that “what if” was a gamble he couldn’t afford.

Ning Hanzhu wanted to bolt, but you could escape the monk, not the temple—it wouldn’t solve anything. She pondered, “Snake Bro, how about this? Let me handle it. If we can settle this peacefully, we call it quits. You know I’ve got a five-year-old sister to look after. I don’t want to live with my head on the line…”

Anything would be better than robbery.

Jobs that brought quick cash were too risky—she couldn’t handle that.

Snake Bro frowned, his voice rising. “You’re chickening out already?”

Ning Hanzhu wasn’t the original owner, nowhere near desperate enough to be forced into crime. One wrong move on this path could mean fleeing across planets, becoming a fugitive, or even a space pirate—truly making an enemy of the entire empire.

No way, not worth it.

Ning Hanzhu held her ground. “Snake Bro, just call me a coward.”

Snake Bro glared at her fiercely. “Ning Hanzhu, you’re so ungrateful. So many people beg to join me, and I don’t let them. If it weren’t for how broke you are, I wouldn’t bother dragging you along, you burden.”

Ning Hanzhu nodded eagerly. “Yes, yes, Snake Bro, you’re generous. Don’t stoop to my level. If you let me back out, I’ll go settle this.”

Mentioning the woman in the distance, Snake Bro seemed to choke on his words. “You sure you can handle it? Guarantee no trouble later?”

How would she know?

Ning Hanzhu smiled. “I’ll try.”

Try it, then.

The group watched as Ning Hanzhu approached the target. Perhaps due to her recent differentiation, she’d grown taller, standing a head above the woman. When they faced each other, there was an unexpected sense of harmony.

Xu Yuqing sized up the poor soul they’d pushed out as a scapegoat. “Talked for so long—slash or no slash?”

Ning Hanzhu’s head ached. “Stop scaring them. They wouldn’t dare.”

Forget that they were only after money—slashing her would bring consequences none of them could bear. Snake Bro might be greedy, but he mostly intimidated Alphas and was decent to Betas and kids.

Otherwise, the original owner wouldn’t have hesitated so long before deciding to join.

Xu Yuqing nearly laughed in exasperation.

That was a new one.

Ning Hanzhu came with sincerity. “You might not know how bad the security is on Alpha Star. It’s chaotic—chaotic enough that you might run into another group of robbers the moment you leave this alley. If you’ve got backing, pretend I said nothing. But if you’re here alone to relax, my advice is to give them some money. Think of it as paying for protection. Snake Bro has some clout around here; it could save you from—”

Meeting Xu Yuqing’s striking face, Ning Hanzhu quietly finished her sentence, “harassment.”

Call it paying to avoid trouble.

Xu Yuqing got it. “Them? So you’re not with them?”

Ning Hanzhu fell silent. She was trying to ditch them, which was why she took this hot potato. “I’ve seen the error of my ways and stepped back in time. I’m still a law-abiding citizen and don’t plan to do this again.”

A silvery laugh rang out.

Ning Hanzhu watched her laugh so hard she trembled, utterly baffled.

When Xu Yuqing finally stopped, she got to the point. “Can you guarantee I won’t face something like this again, or that if bigger trouble comes, they’ll handle it for me?”

That…

Ning Hanzhu really couldn’t promise that.

Xu Yuqing spread her hands. “So, do you think your suggestion is reasonable?”

Ning Hanzhu nodded cautiously. “Pretty reasonable.”

Xu Yuqing froze for a moment, then laughed again. “You’re really something.”

Ning Hanzhu, “?”

“Fine, it’s getting late. Since you’re so interesting, I’ll pay them the protection fee.”

Ning Hanzhu had prepared a whole list of arguments, none of which she needed.

She was interesting!?

How did they get that?

Watching the exchange, Snake Bro’s smile was radiant, his attitude flipping 365 degrees as he fawned over the woman. Ning Hanzhu figured she must’ve paid a hefty sum.

Seeing she wasn’t needed, she slipped away.

The matter was settled.

Next, she needed a job to solve their basic food and shelter issues.

But what job?

Ning Hanzhu thought about it the whole way back, even after picking up Ning Qianqian, but came up empty. This world was still too foreign to her, so she asked Lu Qianran, “Auntie Lu, what job do you think could earn money the fastest?”

Lu Qianran raised an eyebrow. “You’re looking for work?”

The original owner had taken odd jobs over the years, but since she hadn’t differentiated, was underage, and had a little tagalong, few employers wanted her long-term. She’d been stuck with temporary gigs.

Like a brick, moved wherever needed.

She did the hardest, most exhausting work for the least pay. To prepare for differentiation, she’d spent all her savings, yet still failed to survive it.

Lu Qianran didn’t approve of her rushing into work, but knowing the sisters’ situation after all this time, she said, “Since you’ve differentiated into an Alpha, you could apply for a security job at Patrol Tech. They need people.”

“Security?”

Basically, guarding doors.

“Yeah, Patrol Tech pays well. Being a security guard is at least safer than being a bounty hunter.”

“Bounty hunter?”

“You’ve got Qianqian to look after. Don’t even think about it.”

“Alright.”

Another job she didn’t understand.

Lu Qianran was relieved when she didn’t press further.

Unaware of her concern, Ning Hanzhu took Ning Qianqian home. They’d used half a nutrient tube that day—one tube was enough for an adult’s daily needs.

Since they’d received their subsidy, Ning Hanzhu generously opened another tube for Ning Qianqian.

She found a piece of paper and a pen from the junk pile and listed the jobs she knew about. Ning Qianqian sat obediently beside her, sipping the nutrient solution slowly. “Sister, drink.”

Ning Hanzhu was hungry too. She patted Ning Qianqian’s little belly, and thinking it was a game, Ning Qianqian twisted around, nearly turning into a pretzel, giggling. “Auntie Lu gave me a white lychee fruit.”

“Was it good?”

“Yummy.”

Ning Qianqian pouted. “I wanted to save some for Sister, but Auntie Lu said it’d go bad.”

Ning Hanzhu remembered her mom saying daughters were like warm little jackets. She never thought she’d feel the truth of that. “Auntie Lu’s right—it’d spoil if you didn’t eat it. You did great, Qianqian.”

Ning Qianqian’s face flushed, her eyes sparkling. “Next time, I won’t eat it. I’ll save it for Sister.”

Ning Hanzhu’s heart melted. How could there be such a soft, adorable sister? She couldn’t help ruffling her fuzzy head. “Alright, when I earn money, we’ll each have one every day.”

Ning Qianqian raised her hands excitedly. “Yay!”

To make her big promises come true, Ning Hanzhu left Ning Qianqian with Lu Qianran the next day and headed to Patrol Tech to inquire about jobs and the application process. They sent detailed info to her optical computer.

The salary was the highest she’d seen—20,000 credits a month, with two days off every five. It was the dream job she’d always wanted: high pay, plenty of time off, eight-hour days, no overtime.

Then she saw the requirements and her vision darkened.

One of them: must know combat, firearms, and have experience handling emergencies.

Did playing with toy guns count?

Ning Hanzhu read the requirements again and sighed. High pay demanded matching skills—she wasn’t qualified.

She spent the rest of the time wandering nearby streets, asking at every shop. Some were hiring, but the jobs were demanding, paid little, and didn’t allow kids at work.

She’d never imagined finding a job could be this hard.

On her first day in this world, she was already facing an unemployment crisis.

As most of the day passed, Ning Hanzhu rubbed her stiff, smiling face, gathered her spirits, and went to pick up Ning Qianqian. From a distance, she saw someone holding Ning Qianqian’s hand at the relief station.

“Qianqian.”

“Sister!”

Ning Qianqian let go of the person’s hand and ran joyfully toward her.

When the person turned, Ning Hanzhu saw that unforgettable, delicate face. The woman even had the leisure to throw her a wink.