I Am Not a Mastermind, But They Think I Planned Everything

Chapter 2: Wrong Place, Wrong Body

Jian had read plenty of stories about this exact situation.

A guy dies mysteriously and wakes up in someone else's body, usually in some fantasy or historical world. That was a classic plot! The protagonist would gain amazing powers, get a cheat system, or at the very least, have some memories of the original owner to guide them.

Jian had none of those things.

No powers. No system. No useful memories. Just a lot of confused people staring at him.

The woman—Lian—crossed her arms. "What the hell were you doing, Shen?"

Jian blinked. "Uh…"

He barely had time to think before another voice chimed in.

"Give him a break, Lian," a boy said, stepping forward. The bread thief.

He looked about Jian's age, maybe 15 or 16, just like this new body. He had messy brown hair, quick eyes, and a mischievous grin.

"You got caught stealing bread, huh?" the boy smirked. "Guess that's what happens when you get rusty."

Jian froze. They thought he was one of them.

Which made sense, because this wasn't his body.

Lian sighed. "I told you to lay low. You're lucky I was nearby, or they would've thrown you in jail."

The bread thief clapped a hand on Jian's shoulder. "Good to have you back, Shen."

Jian forced a smile. Right. Shen. That's who they thought he was.

He had no choice but to play along.

"Yeah… uh, good to be back?" he said awkwardly.

The thief laughed. "You're acting weird. What, did the guards knock you on the head?"

Jian scrambled for an excuse. "I—uh—I hit my head when I was running."

Lian frowned. "That explains why you're acting like an idiot."

Jian felt slightly offended. But more importantly, he was in serious trouble.

These people knew Shen. They expected him to act a certain way, know certain things. One wrong move, and they'd realize he wasn't him.

Lian sighed. "Whatever. Just don't screw up again. You know what happens to people who get caught."

Jian gulped. That sounded ominous.

"Go eat something and get some rest," Lian said. "The job's tomorrow."

Jian stiffened. Job? What job?

The bread thief—who Jian was starting to think of as Wei—grinned. "Hope you're ready, Shen. Tomorrow's gonna be fun."

Jian hesitated. "Just to make sure we're on the same page… what job are we talking about?"

Wei snorted. "What else? The boss's big plan."

Jian smiled weakly. That explained nothing.

Lian shot him a look. "Don't tell me you forgot."

Jian scrambled for an answer. "Uh—remind me?"

Wei laughed. "Wow, you really did hit your head."

Lian sighed. "We're hitting the merchant convoy at dawn. Try not to be an idiot before then."

And with that, she walked off.

Jian barely kept himself from collapsing on the spot.

A robbery?! They expected him to help rob someone?!

Wei smirked. "You seem nervous."

Jian forced a chuckle. "Yeah, well… I don't love the idea of getting caught and executed."

Wei rolled his eyes. "You always worry too much. We'll be fine."

Jian seriously doubted that.

Wei nudged him. "C'mon, I'll get you some food."

Jian followed, his mind racing. He needed to figure out how to survive in this world.

Step one: Learn who Shen was.

Step two: Avoid getting caught.

Step three: Find a way out of this mess.

Because one thing was clear—this gang wasn't just some group of street kids.

And if they figured out the truth?

Jian wouldn't live long enough to regret it.

End of Chapter 2

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