MTL - Rebirth: Rising Hong Kong - Chapter 1367 scapegoat!

※ This book contains coercive relationships and violent scenes. Please be aware before proceeding.※ The names, locations, and characters mentioned in this book are entirely fictional.The calculation method of gamblers is truly peculiar.They lend money at exorbitant interest rates to those who haven’t even spent any money as collateral.For 15 years, Hongju has been collecting debts from housemates while being tied to collateral.One day, a man appears, claiming he will invest in the house.A rich fool, a money tree.The housemates called him Mookyung.“As long as you do as I say, I’ll help you.”Mookyung makes a suspicious proposal, offering to repay the debts in exchange for house information.Why would he make such a proposal to a debtor who is already struggling?Still, there is suspicion about him…“Do you think I’m a swindler right now?”“No.”“You shouldn’t. It’s all too obvious. Swindlers can tell just by looking.”Hongju has no choice but to accept that proposal.Growing up on scraps, he knows exactly where to stretch his legs.

The most cherished Little Princess of the Dragon Clan has fallen on hard times, living in an era of scarce provisions. Thankfully, she had a grandmother who doted on her as much as life itself.She drank brown sugar water every day and ate chicken eggs for every meal, making her plump and fair-skinned; she also donned new clothes for every season. All the young women and newlywed brides from miles around were envious of her naturally good fortune.However, the Little Princess had her woes: she was a dragon, and she craved meat, meat, meat!!Watch as she flexed her Dragon's Prestige —With just a glimpse at the trees, wild chickens would stiffly drop to the ground.If she stood next to the river, the fish inside would voluntarily leap onto the shore.Merely standing still, wild rabbits would run into her thigh...And as the Dragon Clan were fiercely protective of their food, she would fight anyone who dared to snatch her eats.Her fierce reputation extended far and wide, causing children in her group to take detours around her.Many people sneered: “With such a greedy, delicate and fierce character, she will definitely remain unmarried!”A certain Great Demon King who followed her said, “Marry me and become my wife. My home has endless supplies of canned beef, beef jerky, Dabai rabbit milk candy, imported chocolates, and various kinds of meat...”

For as long as he could remember, life had always been cruel.A young man in his early twenties—his name now lost to the past—was dealt a life filled with misfortunes.A cold, empty apartment, a soul-crushing job, and, finally, a terminal diagnosis.With nothing left to live for, his only comfort had been escaping into the fictional world of Path of the Elemental Sage, a story of heroes, magic, and survival.But fate had other plans.When death finally came for him, he didn’t fade into nothingness.Instead, he awoke in the world he had only read about—a world of chaos and danger where death lurked around every corner.The air smelled of magic, the sky was filled with possibilities.{«[Status Window]»}[Name: Lyrium Blackwood][Age: 16][Rank: D-][Skills: None][Elements: None}At first, confusion filled his mind.Who was Lyrium Blackwood?Why was he here?And why did this body feel so different?But as his memories returned, so did the realization: this wasn’t some blessing or second chance.He wasn’t reincarnated as the protagonist.No destined savior.No cheat abilities.No grand fate.He was just another mob, a face in the crowd meant to exist and die without leaving a mark.But this young man—the one who had left his old name and life behind—wasn’t the kind of person to roll over and accept his fate.“This world is dangerous. The protagonist isn’t the only one fighting for survival here,”he muttered, his red eyes deep and sharp.Unlike the naïve characters in the story, he knew the stakes.He’d read the web novel.He’d seen the carnage, the betrayals, the disasters that wiped out entire cities.And if there was one thing he refused to be, it was a pawn in someone else’s game.“I don’t care about glory. I don’t care about saving the world. All I care about is surviving—no matter what it takes.”Lyrium Blackwood wasn’t planning to live quietly or avoid danger.The only way to survive in this brutal world was to rise to the top.To be strong enough to stand above both heroes and villains.Using his knowledge of the story’s events and his iron will, Lyrium sets out on a relentless path to surpass the protagonist.Whether through clever manipulation, brutal training, or sheer desperation, he’ll climb higher and higher, leaving nothing to chance.But the deeper he gets, the more he realizes that this isn’t just the story he once read.As fate pushes him closer to the heart of the narrative, Lyrium begins to suspect that his reincarnation wasn’t an accident—and the world itself might be watching him.“I don’t care who or what stands in my way. If the story wants to kill me, I’ll rewrite the ending myself.”----------------------------------I apologize for any mistakes in this story, as it’s my first attempt at writing a novel.