![Death Progress Bar [Taekook]](https://cn-e-pic-aliyun.mangatoon.mobi/cartoon-posters/4250377af84.webp)
Death Progress Bar [Taekook]
Darling
Finding a job proved impossible. Taehyung hasn’t graduated from high school, he was not eighteen yet, workers moving bricks were disgusted with his fat body… He could only survive by playing mahjong. Aunties and uncles at the mahjong parlor were really open-minded and easy to talk to; Taehyung liked being there.
Kim Taehyung
Self-Pick, Chicken Hand!
*Boldly revealed his hand*
Kim Taehyung
*Smiled at his mournful opponents*
Thank you, masters. You can call me whenever you need me, I’ll be here until six o’clock.
Kim Taehyung
*Looked at the old man standing behind him*
Uncle Song, I helped you win some money.
*Smile more widely*
Uncle Song
*Patted him on the shoulder, praising*
You must be a reincarnation of some godly player, you can win against anyone. Here, it’s for your hard work today.
While saying this, he took the money that Taehyung had just won and added two red banknotes, stuffing it all back into Taehyung’s hands.
Taehyung smiled and quickly accepted the money, thanking him.
Kim Taehyung
*Stood up and gave his seat*
Uncle Song, you can play instead of me, I have to go.
Uncle Song smiled and waved his hand. After watching the boy leave, he sat down at the table and continued his game happily.
At six o’clock, Taehyung staggered onto the bus with the groceries he had just bought.
More than a month has passed since he escaped from the hospital. During this period of time, he traveled through many cities, working as an unskilled laborer, setting up street stalls and buying lottery tickets, surviving the first two weeks only through sheer determination. Finally, after careful consideration, he hid in Y Province, located on the border of Korea, and found a job in a mahjong parlor as a temporary player.
Although this kind of work environment was complex and the income not stable, but fortunately, he could leave at any time and neither capital nor formal written registration was needed. This suited him perfectly because he had to keep hiding for now.
Besides earning a living, he also paid attention to the situation of his family. The Daesung Corporation was a major company, the change of management was big news. Taehyung simply had to flip through the international financial news and he could see a lot of news about Kim family.
Unsurprisingly, after he gave up his inheritance, Namjoon joined the Daesung Corporation and became its new chairman, thoroughly suppressing Kang Daniel, the deputy chairman. Now, the public finally realized that Namjoon, who in recent years has been shining brilliantly in the Chinese business world, was actually the son of a well-known business shark, Kim Junghyun.
Kim Taehyung
Sure enough, Kim Namjoon really is formidable. It only took him a month to subjugate Kim Junghyun’s long-time subordinates. If I tried to compete against him for the company, how could I win?
*Poked at his newly purchased no-name cellphone*
Looking at the imposing Namjoon in the news photos he touched his scarred arm and shuddered at the memory of Namjoon.
TaTa
*Consoled*
<After Kim Namjoon took control of the Daesung Corporation, your progress bar dropped to 880.>
Kim Taehyung
That’s the only good news.
*Sighing quietly*
After getting the knife off his throat, Taehyung put some effort into understanding the world in the book. As a result, he was afraid he was going mad—it was both thoroughly familiar and completely foreign. The world in the book was generally the same as the world he used to live in, however, in some details, there were subtle differences. For example, you could own a gun in Korea and some criminal organizations were allowed to exist legally.
For Taehyung, it was simply inconceivable. He used to be a police officer in his last life and he knew not all policemen were allowed to carry guns then, never mind ordinary people!
TaTa
<TaeTae, when are you going to contact your brothers again?>
*Suddenly*
Kim Taehyung
*Thought for a moment*
Before I will, the progress bar should drop to under 700. I have to reserve at least 50 points for each of them as insurance, otherwise, it will be too dangerous.
TaTa
<How are you going to make it drop?>
Kim Taehyung
[I had actually figured out a way of eliminating the lethal factors one by one, but it still had to be carefully perfected. After all, if you wanted to keep your life while confronting a man-eating tiger, you couldn’t be even slightly negligent.]
TaTa
<This, you…>
*Stuttered*
TaTa
<You are being way too lazy. Why don’t we start looking for the owner of the second progress bar?>
*Proposed timidly*
Kim Taehyung
*Slightly taken aback, then nodded decisively*
We can, but how are we going to find your ‘Darling’? Do you have any clues?
Kim Taehyung
[If I found that other unlucky guy first, it should be to my advantage—this way they could help each other out, being two people in the same plight.]
TaTa
<Waah, TaeTae, you’re so kind! I love you! I grease you and give you a nest of little monkeys!>
*So excited its speech became incoherent*
Kim Taehyung
*Face turned remorseful*
You are a great system, but I really doubt I would be able to get it up for you, so… I’m truly sorry!
Kim Taehyung
👉The one who is very thick-skinned, felt that revenge tasted sweet.
Kim Taehyung
You haven’t told me how to find your Darling yet. Give me some hints and I’ll try my best.
TaTa
*Monotonous mechanical voice*
<The thread of fate.>
Kim Taehyung
Eh?
*Didn’t understand*
TaTa
<Finding any clues related to my Darling—it’s up to fate.>
*Explained*
Kim Taehyung
*Blanked out for a moment*
Kim Taehyung
Are you serious?
TaTa
<Today, I feel I’m much more serious than you.>
He continued to look out the window with a troubled expression and felt that the future was bleak.
When it got dark, the bus finally reached its final stop—a bus terminal on the edge of the old and uncared-for urban park.
Taehyung took his groceries and got off. He bypassed the gate with the ease of someone knowing his way around, heading towards a hill behind the park, and entered a small bungalow.
He stumbled upon this place by accident. It was located on the hillside and appeared shabby and overgrown with weeds, yet had a fully-equipped interior—there were beds, tables, and kitchenware. Water and electricity were turned on and there was also an independent bathroom in the basement. Living here was actually quite comfortable if one could ignore the surroundings.
According to the park-keeper, the house was once occupied by a mountain keeper. Later, the mountains surrounding the hill were all bought by some rich man and planted with fruit trees. The owner of the orchard dismissed the mountain keeper and the house was abandoned.
Taehyung was extremally poor. After confirming the house really was ownerless, he gathered his scant possessions and simply moved in.
Today, his earnings were decent. Uncle Song often needed to leave: to pick up his granddaughters/take care of the grandson/go home to feed his cats/let the dog out, and Taehyung was left in charge at that time. Each time he would be rewarded with several red banknotes, making his daily income rather satisfactory.
In order to save money, Taehyung padded his stomach with a bowl of plain noodles first, then slaughtered the pheasant he had caught yesterday. After seasoning it and preparing vegetables bought earlier, he put it into a pot and left to simmer, then fell into bed with a contented sigh.
While waiting for it to cook, he fell asleep imperceptibly. He was in the middle of a dream when TaTa woke him up.
TaTa
<TaeTae, several people are coming over here. They look rather suspicious.>
Taehyung came awake in an instant. First, he hid the cucumber pillow with all his belongings and documents under the bed. Then he turned off the lights and tiptoed to the front door, pulling out a newly purchased dagger and gripping it tightly. He looked out the crack in the door.
What he saw was a single dark green eye, giving him a cold stare across the gap, similar to that of a savage beast.
Taehyung was startled. Before he could react in any way, he felt a breeze coming from behind, then his neck hurt and he stopped to be aware of anything.
Before he lost consciousness though, what had passed through his mind was
Kim Taehyung
[I’m so hungry; my pheasant stew!]
Upon waking up, Taehyung found himself being dragged toward the living room like a dead dog.
There were several people standing in the hall. When they saw him, their leader asked in an indifferent tone
Someone
Has he woken up yet?
Someone
He will soon, Four can control his strength well
Someone
Go on then
*Waved his hand*
The man who dragged Taehyung moved toward the living room, unblocking Taehyung’s line of sight and letting him see the people in the hallway clearly.
There were three tall men. Their appearance was either plain and ordinary, simple and honest or refined and polite; none of them would stand out in the crowd. They were wearing identical khaki coveralls, with a banana logo and words “Flowery Orchard” embroidered on the chest pocket.
Taehyung felt he had a stroke of luck
Kim Taehyung
*Cried out loudly*
I’m innocent! I didn’t steal your fruit! Believe me, I am a good person!
TaTa
👈The one who was about to warn him that the situation was not good
For a moment everyone froze. The refined-and-polite looking man who was asking questions before felt his face twitch. He stepped on Taehyung’s ribs, pressing down hard
Someone
*Expression warped by anger*
Tell me who sent you!
Feeling the force bearing down on his chest, Taehyung let out a pained grunt. He looked up at the man, whose face was distorted by rage, and inexplicably thought that there was something familiar about him. After a moment of scrutiny, Taehyung’s expression changed to one of disbelief
Kim Taehyung
You… Aren’t you Uncle Song?
After his disguise was seen through, the look in the man’s eyes changed. He reached out and grabbed Taehyung’s jaw, roaring
Uncle Song
Stop pretending! You deliberately got close to me at the contact point and then approached the base—it proves that the identity you set up is completely fake! Now tell me, what’s your aim, who sent you!?
Kim Taehyung
[What contact point? What base?]
*Stupefied
He quickly realized that there has obviously been a misunderstanding and tried to explain
Kim Taehyung
I’m just a teenager trying to make a living, I don’t understand what you mean.
Uncle Song
Still going to keep lying? I see you want to do it the hard way.
*Sneered and stood up, pulling a gun out of his pocket and loading it*
Uncle Song
*Aimed it at Taehyung’s head*
I’ll give you one more chance to say something I want to hear.
Kim Taehyung
[Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck!]
Taehyung’s eyes widened in alarm—he was deeply aware of the damage the gunshot can cause to the human body. Cold sweat damped his forehead and the cogs in his head were turning madly. Apparently, he has been unknowingly living in some big force’s hidden base and they have mistaken him for an enemy spy.
TaTa
*Wailed*
<TaeTae, the progress bar has started to rise, it’s already at 900!>
Kim Taehyung
[I want to cry—after making countless calculations and plans, I actually hadn’t realized that playing mahjong also counted as a lethal factor!]
Uncle Song
Not going to talk?
*Put a finger on the trigger*
Uncle Song
I will give you three seconds. One…
TaTa
<Ah ah ah, 930!>
*Shrieked*
Kim Taehyung
[Am I going to die!]
Kim Taehyung
[Why did it rise so fast?]
Kim Taehyung
*Chest constricted painfully, making him unable to take a breath*
TaTa
*Voice kept rising*
<950! 960! TaeTae!!!>
Kim Taehyung
[Am I going to die!]
The more dangerous the situation, the calmer Taehyung became. He continued to repeat the words “what I want to hear” in his mind. When the man opened his mouth again, he had a flash of inspiration.
Kim Taehyung
*Shouted*
I’m a younger brother of the new Chairman of the Daesung Corporation! I have a high social status and my background is troublesome, you can’t kill me!
Someone
*Doubtful*
Daesung? You mean that company from overseas?
Kim Taehyung
*Nodded fervently*
The man moved his foot away, frowned, and looked toward his two companions.
Taehyung let out a relieved sigh, rubbing his chest and coughing a few times. He turned his sight in the same direction as the refined-looking man. As a result, he couldn’t help but stare.
From behind two men, who had been standing still this whole time, emerged a thin man sitting in the wheelchair. His complexion was pallid, his face enchantingly beautiful, and his phoenix eyes were calm and seemingly devoid of life. He was wearing a black silk robe embroidered at the hem with tiny red petals of unknown flowers, resembling blood splattering at night.
He arrived beside astonished Taehyung
Someone
*Soft tone*
Are you Kim Junghyun’s youngest son, Kim Taehyung?
Taehyung’s lips trembled, his eyes shifting from the man’s clothes to his face, finally stopping over the top of his head.
He looked at the second progress bar in his mind that was gradually becoming sharp and clear, face contorting from wanting both to cry and laugh… Taehyung forgot himself for a moment and blurted out
Kim Taehyung
[Why are you here? What’s more, why are you so close to death?]
Comments