《My Chip that Disguises Itself as a Cell》


 Chapter 1

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    On the night of Riverside City, Southeast Province, Zhongyun Empire, the Dragon River flowed silently through the city.


    This river divided the entire Riverside City into two.


    The west coast was a place with old districts and industrial areas. With the transfer of industries, the formerly bustling west coast quieted down.


    Only the places near the river were still popular.


    On the east side of the river, lights were everywhere, as bright as day, and crowds were surging.


    On the west bank, as long as they were some distance away from the river bank, other than the bright street lamps, there were only some lights in the residential area. The rest of the place was dark and quiet.


    Lin Zhendong, who was dressed in black sportswear, stood on an old water tower and looked into the distance.


    In the eyes of ordinary people, it was naturally pitch-black and nothing could be seen.


    But in his eyes, he could clearly see a blood-red barrier covering an abandoned factory a few kilometers away.


    This was not a special ability of his, but the function of a biochip that had been disguised as his brain tissue.


    That biochip was suddenly implanted by his father on his 12th birthday. At that time, he warned him harshly that he should not let on to anyone.


    Lin Zhendong did not even have time to ask before his father disappeared.


    A few days later, he received a letter informing him of his father¡¯s death.


    He became an orphan and grew up with his father¡¯s pension, the care of his father¡¯s company, and friendly neighbors.


    Lin Zhendong naturally suspected that his father¡¯s death was related to the chip in his brain that he could not detect.


    However, his father was not the only one who died heroically at that time. It was a mistake in a big operation that killed the elites of many joint units. At that time, the entire city mourned for it.


    He was also a young orphan. There was no way out. He did not even know where to start investigating.


    In addition, he had to follow his father¡¯s instructions. He could not tell anyone about the biochip, so his father¡¯s company could not borrow it.


    Finally, he had grown up safely and had never encountered such dangerous things as murder.


    Moreover, the neighbors were friendly, the father¡¯s company took care of him, and the classmates helped each other. His life was smooth and healthy.


    All of this made him wonder if he was thinking too much.


    Therefore, he could only hide this matter in his heart and confirm it when he found some clues.


    Lin Zhendong looked at the time at the corner of his eyes and sighed. ¡°Well, the government¡¯s reaction was a little slow. It¡¯s a pity that I didn¡¯t break into the lair, not even the smallest lair. Otherwise, I would have made a fortune and wouldn¡¯t have to worry about my next meal.¡±At this point, Lin Zhendong opened his hand, and a piece of White Jade Rice the size of a sunflower seed appeared in his hand.


    Then, he threw it into his mouth as if he was eating peanuts.


    Lin Zhendong smacked his lips a few times and felt the energy absorbed by his body. Then, he muttered in dissatisfaction, ¡°I¡¯m not happy. Half of my share was taken away. It¡¯s equivalent to me feeding two people with my share. I¡¯m lucky that I didn¡¯t starve to death!¡±


    Then, he opened his hand, and another piece of White Jade Rice the size of a sunflower seed appeared.


    Just like that, he ate the White Jade Rice grain by grain.


    This wasn¡¯t a magic trick. Lin Zhendong had storage space.


    This storage space appeared automatically after the biochip was implanted.


    Lin Zhendong did not know how the storage function was connected to the chip in his brain.


    Anyway, after the chip was implanted, he naturally felt a storage space in the void and naturally knew how to use it.


    It was also at that moment that Lin Zhendong knew that the biochip in his brain was definitely an extraordinary item. It was definitely not a biochip that could be found on the market.


    This was because he had never heard of a biochip carrying a storage space.


    Now, the storage space was one meter in length, width, and height.


    This was the result of Lin Zhendong¡¯s many years of feeding because, in the beginning, it was only a space of 1 cm in length, width, and height.


    How to feed them? Eating all kinds of natural treasures.


    Half of the resources he ate were for Lin Zhendong himself, and the other half was for the biochip.


    However, it wasn¡¯t really a pleasant experience for him. The biochip had devoured half of Lin Zhendong¡¯s resources. Other than the increase in its storage space, its ability to sense hostility and discover lairs had also increased. Other than that, there was nothing else.


    Perhaps there was, but Lin Zhendong did not notice it.


    It was clearly a biochip, but there was no explanation of the response mechanism and auxiliary functions! Lin Zhendong had to figure it out himself.


    Lin Zhendong suddenly saw a sign. He looked up and saw the location of three silent assault helicopters in the dark night sky.


    ¡°It¡¯s finally here.¡± Lin Zhendong grinned, shifted his position, and turned his head to look at the main road.


    As expected, under the illumination of the street lamps, dozens of military carriers of the same style and color were roaring toward them.


    ¡°Hiss! More than 50 troop carriers? At least three squadrons had been dispatched! What a big move. Was this a cross-regional joint operation? Or is it the city¡¯s brigade?¡±


    Lin Zhendong could not help but stretch his neck and mutter.


    They watched as the long line of military transport vehicles whizzed past from not far away toward the abandoned factory that was enveloped in red light.


    He watched as the three silent assault helicopters flew over his head.


    He did not dodge at all, not afraid of being targeted. This was because there were at least dozens of people like Lin Zhendong spying on the convoy from a few miles away.


    In the dark, it was unknown how many people were waiting eagerly.


    On the military transport vehicle, Chen Zhengyi, who had a resolute look on his face, saw the symbol on his tactical glasses and snorted disdainfully, ¡°These rats that aren¡¯t even hyenas are really smart! We haven¡¯t even arrived, but they¡¯re already waiting around our destination.¡±


    ¡°Sir, shouldn¡¯t we arrest these people who are spying on us?¡± Huang Feng asked curiously as he held an assault rifle and saw the young man on the tactical glasses.


    Before Chen Zhengyi could answer, Shen Fei, who was checking the weapon in his hand, smiled and said, ¡°Why did you capture them? They can perfectly clear out the lair after us. That saves us a lot of trouble.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Huang Feng was still a little hesitant.


    Chen Zhengyi waved his hand. ¡°Anyway, most of the money is in the hands of the Special Protection Department. It¡¯s not a bad thing to give them the rest of the rice crumbs as a reward for cleaning up the mess. They¡¯re also a part of the country. It¡¯s not a bad thing to use this to increase their strength. ¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Huang Feng had no choice but to agree.


    Li Bin, who had not said anything before, smiled and said, ¡°Xiaofeng, you don¡¯t have to think that there¡¯s a problem. As Sir said, firstly, they¡¯ve cleaned up the mess for us. Secondly, they¡¯re also a part of the country. Thirdly, when the resources fall into their hands, a portion of them will end up in the black market. This will give others a way to obtain additional resources and increase their strength. What¡¯s wrong with killing two birds with one stone?¡±


    Shen Fei no longer cared about Huang Feng¡¯s attitude as a newcomer. He turned to Chen Zhengyi and said, ¡°Boss, Dongdong has already celebrated his eighteenth birthday. What should we do with him?¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s to get him into university! He¡¯s about to take the college entrance examination!¡± Chen Zhengyi said without hesitation.


    Shen Fei said, ¡°Boss, I got information from a source of mine. In a few years, all companies in the country will add an apprenticeship system. No matter how you get in, you must go through three years of apprenticeship. In addition to the three-year rotation system, if you want to become a regular employee, you have to endure for at least six years! Many people with connections have already joined the company now. We can¡¯t delay it!¡±


    ¡°How can this be? Originally, the three-year rotation was actually a three-year internship. It was already annoying. Why was there a three-year apprenticeship system? He had to endure for six years! How many six years do you have in your life?¡± Chen Zhengyi flew into a rage. Li Bin could not help but frown. Only Huang Feng, the newcomer, had a look of relief.


    Shen Fei pursed his lips. ¡°What else could it be? You have to blame the dramatic increase in the lifespan of the people in the country these years. If we did not increase the number of years required to become a full-time employee, the distribution of cultivation resources would definitely be greatly reduced. Instead of the old men holding a grudge, it was better to exploit the newcomers. So, Boss, we can¡¯t delay Dongdong¡¯s matter. Hurry up and let him take up his post.¡±


    Huang Feng, who had been listening, had a glint in his eyes. He asked Li Bin in a low voice, ¡°You can join the Special Protection Department at the age of 18?¡±


    ¡°The son of a deceased martyr has the right to do so,¡± Li Bin said calmly.


    Huang Feng was enlightened and did not say anything.


    Chen Zhengyi knew that Shen Fei¡¯s news was not fake and was very tempted. However, he also said hesitantly, ¡°What if Dongdong gets into the university? Wouldn¡¯t it be a waste of effort?¡±


    Ben interjected, ¡°Boss, it doesn¡¯t matter. After he gets the job, he will take the college entrance examination and become a commissioned student. After graduation, he will return to our company to be a leader. At that time, we will all have to salute him!¡±


    ¡°That good? Haha, after this mission is completed, I¡¯ll help him get a job when I go back!¡± Chen Zhengyi slapped his thigh excitedly.


    ¡°Haha, after Dongdong graduates, I, the old uncle of his, will have someone to rely on. I¡¯ll definitely be very comfortable then.¡± Shen Fei also laughed.


    ¡°Is this how you act as an elder?¡± Chen Zhengyi shouted in displeasure. Just as he was about to say something, his tactical glasses lit up and his earpiece gave an order. [Everyone, get ready. We are about to arrive at our destination!]


    Naturally, he immediately shut his mouth and led everyone in the car to check their weapons.

 Chapter 2

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The military transport vehicles quickly surrounded the abandoned factory. The helicopter circled in the sky and the searchlights shone back and forth.


    The doors of the cars opened, and countless soldiers in black combat uniforms and all kinds of weapons jumped out.


    The first thing they did was to form a team of four and immediately spread out to occupy the various passages.


    As they arrived, dozens of groups of people carrying all kinds of equipment went to various places.


    They squatted at the edge of the abandoned factory and stuck some sticker threads that looked like electrocardiograms in the air. Then, they either checked the data of the instrument or desperately typed on the computer keyboard.


    While waiting, Shen Fei secretly adjusted the channel of his earpiece and whispered, ¡°Let me figure it out. This place is at least 8 acres!¡±


    ¡°Hiss, 8 acres? This, this is at least a second-class lair, right?¡± Huang Feng trembled.


    Chen Zhengyi glared at Huang Feng but replied, ¡°What are you shouting about? This is just a first-class lair.¡±


    ¡°A first-class lair is this big?¡± Huang Feng was shocked.


    ¡°It¡¯s rare to see such strange things. I¡¯ve even seen a first-class lair that covers an area of 100 acres. ¡°Huang Feng,¡± Li Bin said, ¡°Actually, you can see that we¡¯re all equipped with hot weapons this time. There¡¯s not a single cold weapon. You can tell that this must be a first-class lair. The higher-ups won¡¯t joke about this.¡±


    Huang Feng calmed down. Seeing Shen Fei counting with his fingers, he could not help but ask, ¡°Brother Fei, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Haha, I¡¯m calculating how much White Jade Rice can be planted in the 8 acres of land in this first-class lair. How much can be harvested every year, and how much we can get,¡± Shen Fei said.


    ¡°Yeah, according to the rules, whichever department has cleared the lair will get 10% of the harvested resources. How much do you think we will get?¡± Li Bin was interested.


    ¡°I can only increase it by one kilo per month at most. Well, there are too many people. There are three squadrons!¡± Shen Fei said helplessly.


    ¡°Better than nothing though. It¡¯ll be enough for a few days if you are thrifty.¡± Li Bin sighed.


    On the other hand, Huang Feng was a little excited. One kilo more per month was not a small number to him.


    ¡°Well, what are the higher-ups thinking? It¡¯s just a first-class lair. We can take care of it with just one squadron! Why are there three squadrons here?¡± Shen Fei muttered unhappily.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk bullsh*t! How long would it take for a squadron to clear out such a large first-class lair? If an accident happens, how should we deal with it?¡± Chen Zhengyi said solemnly.


    ¡°Understood. The higher-ups want security.¡± Shen Fei sighed.


    However, after he stopped for a moment, he complained, ¡°However, isn¡¯t this unsealing team too slow? Not skilled enough?¡±


    Just as Chen Zhengyi was about to say something, a loud roar sounded, ¡°Point A unsealed!¡± ¡°Point C unsealed!¡± ¡°Point F unsealed!¡±


    Following the shouts of the unsealing team and the evacuation of the unsealing team, the surrounding teams began to enter combat mode.


    As expected, as the last unsealing team left, everyone heard a crisp crack. Then, the abandoned factory that was still clear in front of them suddenly turned into a black-and-white photo.


    [Attack!] An order came from his earpiece.


    The soldiers surrounding the factory immediately charged in like ferocious tigers. Then, they disappeared one by one as if they had disappeared into the scene.


    Immediately after, the black-and-white photo-like abandoned factory began to ripple like water.


    Lin Zhendong, who had been standing on top of the abandoned water tower, saw the abandoned factory that was wrapped in a blood-red light suddenly dim, and the color began to fade rapidly. It started to shake, and holes began to appear on the light screen.


    ¡°It¡¯s in!¡± He couldn¡¯t help but grin.


    Looking around, the spies that had been marked earlier had begun to move forward. Without hesitation, they jumped out and directly jumped down from a height of more than ten meters.


    The cement ground cracked open when he landed on the ground.


    He stood up and looked at the cracked ground. He shook his head unhappily and whispered, ¡°I can¡¯t reach the peak of my cultivation. It¡¯s all because half of my resources were taken away! ¡±


    Then, he moved at a speed of several meters per second and quickly passed through the buildings. When he was 100 meters away from the abandoned factory and saw the warning light blocking the road, he stopped.


    With a sudden leap, he stepped on a few protruding points of the buildings on the side and lightly flew to the top floor.


    At such a close distance, he could clearly see the abandoned factory in front of him under the helicopter¡¯s searchlight. It looked like a black-and-white photo.


    Lin Zhendong first looked at it with his naked eye, then activated the chip¡¯s function to take a look. He nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Such a big first-class lair. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to pick up some good stuff.¡±


    Then, he silently looked at the old factory that continued to ripple like water.


    Everyone knew that this meant that someone was attacking and clearing the monsters in the lair.


    When the black-and-white photo completely shattered and the old factory regained its color, it meant that the lair had been cleared.


    How did the original lair come about? No one knew, because recorded history could be traced back to the earliest mythological era of mankind.


    However, those were scattered. In a decade or even a century, at most, one or two would appear around the world.


    The trend of large-scale burrows appearing had been seen during the First World War, but the real outbreak was during the Second World War.


    The vast and bloody slaughter and destruction of humans were like filling the lairs with energy, causing countless lairs to appear all over the world.


    This lair was very strange. It could appear anywhere and silently accumulate power.


    When the energy was fully accumulated, it would explode outward, shooting out all kinds of strange monsters nurtured in the lair.


    Before the explosion, even if one was in the lair, one would not be able to discover the existence of the lair. It was as if it existed in another space.


    Most of the monsters ejected from these lairs were brainless and would wantonly kill all creatures that were not from their lairs.


    That was right. The two lairs were mortal enemies. There was no place for them to coexist, let alone humans and other life forms.


    It was also because of the lair¡¯s wanton destruction that the Second World War was not as fierce as it seemed. The countries that were originally fighting were forced to cooperate to clear out the endless lairs.


    However, as more and more lairs were cleared by humans, the most intelligent of humans finally invented a technology that could detect the existence of lairs in advance. They invented a technology that could break through the hidden barriers of lairs in advance, achieving the advantage of discovering, attacking, and eliminating them first.


    After doing this, it could be guaranteed that the appearance of the lair would not bring too many casualties, nor would it cause social unrest.


    Only then did humans have the heart to study whether the lair could bring benefits.


    Other strange discoveries aside, the most important point was that the land left behind after the lair was destroyed could be developed for agriculture, animal husbandry, and fishing.


    The agricultural, animal husbandry, and fishery products developed in the lair ruins contained unique energy that could be easily absorbed by humans. It allowed humans to learn the various magical powers of the lair monsters and it was a power that came with no side effects.


    Once this discovery was made, it went without saying that the lair had become a strategic resource for various countries.


    The original symbol of national power began to change to how many lair sites one had. How to use the least lair sites to produce the most products became the most advanced technology in the world.


    For the technology to collect a few kilograms of grain for an acre of land, it was a small matter even if there was a bloody storm in the secret service world. It was normal for the two countries to have a military conflict because of this.


    It was not strange for some countries to launch an invasion war for the sake of some special and huge lair ruins.


    Therefore, even though the Second World War ended 50 years ago, everyone was still wary of the outbreak of the Third World War. For this reason, all countries were very cautious. However, there was no real peace in the world. Local wars and low-intensity wars were everywhere.

 Chapter 3

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    It was already three in the morning. The turmoil in the abandoned factory was getting more and more intense, but it wasn¡¯t broken through.


    ¡°This is too slow!¡± Lin Zhendong was a little anxious. At this rate, the lair would be destroyed at four or five o¡¯clock in the morning. How would I have the time to search for supplies? I still have to go to class at dawn!¡±


    Suddenly, a warning sign appeared in front of him. He immediately pulled up the zipper of his clothes all the way to the top of his hood. His entire face was hidden under the hood, revealing only his eyes.


    Then, he turned around and saw a figure rushing over from a nearby building.


    This was a great beauty who was dressed in tight-fitting black clothes, but her beautiful face was exposed.


    Lin Zhendong frowned. He had picked up scraps from the Special Protection Department so many times. All the treasure diggers he met had hidden their faces and identities and taken their own things.


    This beauty actually revealed an unforgettable beautiful face and even ran over to him. She must be a big trouble.


    Although this beauty was not hostile, he had to avoid her.


    Just as Lin Zhendong was about to dodge, the beauty called out to him, ¡°Friend, can I ask you something?¡±


    Lin Zhendong didn¡¯t even look at her. He shook his head and was about to run away.


    ¡°One gold coin!¡± The beauty took out a gold coin and tossed it up and down.


    Lin Zhendong sucked in a breath of cold air. His father was regarded as a martyr when he was still underage, so he could receive a monthly pension before he turned 18.


    Besides the pension, the government especially cared for the orphans of martyrs like him. There was also a special pension of two gold coins per month.


    However, he was already 18 years old now, and all his pension was gone.


    In other words, this beauty would pay for half of his father¡¯s monthly special pension just for asking the direction!


    Rich woman!


    The gold coins here were not made of ordinary gold. Instead, they were made by adding various strange metals to the foundation of gold and using a special process. Moreover, such gold coins were not the currency used by ordinary people in the market but were used to purchase agriculture, livestock, and fishery products in the lair site.


    One gold coin could buy 5 kilos of the White Jade Rice that Lin Zhendong had eaten as snacks.


    Therefore, there were also silver and copper coins under gold coins.


    One gold coin could be exchanged for ten silver coins, and one silver coin could be exchanged for ten copper coins.


    One copper coin could be exchanged for 50 grams of White Jade Rice.


    Lin Zhendong snatched the gold coin. His mind quickly worked on distinguishing the authenticity of the coin. The gold coin emitted fluorescent light.


    He nodded in satisfaction. It was real. He immediately stuffed it into his pocket and stored it in his storage space.


    At this moment, the beauty raised her eyebrows.


    Lin Zhendong did not notice this at all. He stared at the beauty and asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Is your nickname Treasure Hunting Mouse? If so, I have a big business deal to discuss with you,¡± the beauty said with a smile.


    ¡°No! You¡¯ve got the wrong person!¡± Lin Zhendong turned hostile and shook his head. Then, he jumped onto the fence and jumped down.


    ¡°Tsk, it¡¯s a little difficult.¡± The beauty wasn¡¯t angry at all. Instead, she smiled and snapped her fingers.


    Suddenly, the shadow under her feet trembled, and then a burly man appeared behind her.


    ¡°Su Yan, what should we do now? I¡¯ve tried several other famous treasure diggers in Riverside City, but they were all useless. The only one left is this guy nicknamed Treasure Hunting Mouse!¡± the valiant man said in a buzzing voice.


    ¡°He stopped for one gold coin just now, so naturally, he will agree to us for more benefits. Let¡¯s not hurry. After all, I don¡¯t trust him at all.¡± Su Yan smiled and looked at the abandoned factory.


    ¡°I was worried for you. Who knows if there really is a Snow Jade Lotus in that abandoned lair? We almost plowed that lair site,¡± the tough man said with a pout.


    ¡°Xiao Ye! Diviner had never made a mistake. There must be a Snow Jade Lotus there. I¡¯ll find it!¡± Su Yan turned her head and glared at the burly man.


    ¡°Are you sure that Treasure Hunting Mouse can find it?¡± The man named Xiao Ye shrugged.


    ¡°After the lairs being cleaned by the Special Protection Department and searched by various treasure diggers with advanced techniques, he was still able to find treasures by himself every time. As long as he appeared, he would not miss a single treasure. Do you think he will be able to find it?¡± Su Yan said confidently.


    ¡°Such a person would not bend over for a few gold coins.¡± Xiao Ye shook his head.


    ¡°A few won¡¯t do, but what about dozens? Hundreds of them? Moreover, I have cultivation techniques and treasures. I have plenty of things to make him work for me! The only thing missing is the trust between us!¡± Su Yan said with a determined gaze.


    ¡°Let¡¯s find him to get his trust. I don¡¯t believe you didn¡¯t do anything to that gold coin.¡± Xiao Ye smiled.


    Su Yan shook her head. ¡°As soon as he picked up that gold coin, the scent that I stuck to the coin disappeared. However, it¡¯s normal. Without this ability, he would have been captured by other treasure diggers long ago.¡±


    Xiao Ye opened his mouth in shock, but he didn¡¯t say anything in the end. He just accompanied her and looked at the abandoned factory under the searchlight¡­.


    Lin Zhendong found a new place and muttered unhappily, ¡°Treasure Hunting Mouse? What a terrible nickname. It¡¯s not always that I could find good things others couldn¡¯t. They actually called me Treasure Hunting Mouse! Outrageous! Rude!¡±


    After he found good things in three lairs in a row, many people came looking for him. Moreover, as he gained something every time, his reputation became even more resounding.


    However, Lin Zhendong rejected all of them without exception.


    ¡°First of all, why should I help people find things? Can¡¯t I find them myself and keep them?¡±


    ¡°Moreover, this ability to find things was brought about by the chip¡¯s scanning function. What if it suddenly failed? If I couldn¡¯t find anything, I might get an enemy.¡±


    ¡°Finally, I still had to attend classes and cultivate, so why should I take time off to work for others? It wasn¡¯t like I was short of food and clothing, so why should I work so hard?¡±


    He threw away these worries and looked at the old factory that was fluctuating violently.


    At this moment, a long line of cars drove over from afar.


    Lin Zhendong¡¯s spirits were lifted, and so were the treasure diggers who were waiting quietly around.


    Looking at the fleet of nearly a hundred containers, one could tell that this lair was about to be broken through because the logistics fleet of the Special Protection Department was here to collect the spoils of war.


    Sure enough, a series of glass-shattering sounds rang out in everyone¡¯s minds after a while.


    Under the searchlights, the originally black and white abandoned factory suddenly regained its color. Then, the abandoned factory collapsed into pieces, and a total of 8 acres of land became flat.


    The searchlights on the helicopters and the searchlights on the ground were extremely familiar with the procedure. They shone their lights on the center of the land.


    A three-story yellow pyramid with a radius of several acres and a height of more than ten meters appeared in the middle of the flat land.


    ¡°Earth element, level 1 lair with three floors on the surface.¡± Almost all the people who knew about this muttered with envious eyes.

 Chapter 4

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°The Special Protection Department is really lucky this time! They actually found a pyramid!¡± In the dark, a middle-aged man was looking at the yellow pyramid with a burning gaze.


    The young man beside him was shocked. ¡°Uncle, this, this lair can actually turn into a pyramid after being broken through?¡±


    ¡°Heh, we¡¯re lucky. I didn¡¯t expect to encounter a pyramid lair! We¡¯ll definitely hit it big this time!¡± The middle-aged man ignored his nephew¡¯s question and continued to mutter excitedly to himself.


    ¡°Uncle, is this pyramid lair different from the other lairs?¡± the young man asked curiously.


    Only then did the middle-aged man react and slap the young man¡¯s forehead. ¡°I¡¯ve asked you to memorize all that information, but you didn¡¯t listen! After the lair was breached, it would turn into all kinds of buildings, just like opening a blind box! It was impossible to tell before it was broken through! However, generally speaking, the lairs that are breached are either beehives or ant nests. Only a few of them will be of other styles, and the most peculiar is the pyramid!¡±


    The young man rubbed his forehead and asked, ¡°There¡¯s something good in this pyramid?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Moreover, most of them were strange and good things! The items produced by the pyramid were of higher quality than those produced by other lairs! This was a three-story pyramid, and it was 90% of higher quality than the other lairs! You have to know that each story¡¯s quality increased by 30%! If this is a four-story pyramid, then the three squadrons of the Special Protection Department, including us, who are to pick up the leftovers, will all be in trouble!¡±


    ¡°What trouble?¡± the young man asked.


    ¡°What trouble? The four-story pyramid was a level 2 lair. It could not be taken care of with firearms! Moreover, a level 2 lair will mature if it is stimulated. Perhaps it will explode if it is stimulated. At that time, let alone us, the entire administrative area will be finished! However, the Special Protection Department usually won¡¯t make the mistake of misjudging the level of the lair,¡± the middle-aged man said in a bad mood.


    Then, he smacked his lips. ¡°Tsk tsk, so the Special Protection Department is really lucky this time. They broke through a level 1 lair and actually opened up a three-story pyramid. They¡¯ve really made a fortune this time!¡±


    He tugged at his nephew. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Step back first. Don¡¯t stay here. The people from the Special Protection Department must be mad now. They will beat up anyone who dares to go forward at this time!¡±


    When Lin Zhendong saw that it was a three-story pyramid, he immediately turned around and flew away.


    He was familiar with the Special Protection Department and the lair, so he knew how the Special Protection Department would react when they encountered this three-story pyramid.


    Sure enough, three helicopters began to circle and expand their patrols after he flew away. The Special Protection Department¡¯s military transport vehicles also started to move out, and the cordon expanded to one kilometer.


    The loudspeaker of the helicopter and the car roared, ¡°Warning! All non-agency personnel. Retreat from the alert area immediately! Violators will be arrested!¡±


    The treasure diggers were hiding in the dark, and some mysterious guys naturally cursed in low voices and turned around unwillingly.


    There was no choice. Everyone knew what the Special Protection Department was like. They did not dare to ignore this warning.


    However, they did not go far away but stood guard outside the cordon.


    Everyone looked at the container trucks with burning eyes as they rushed toward the flat land. They watched as the large trucks circled the pyramid, blocking the eyes of outsiders.


    Because the searchlights were all directed outward and were no longer concentrated on the pyramid. The surrounding container trucks had collectively turned off their lights. Even if these treasure diggers stood on high ground, they could not see anything. It only attracted people surrounding the cordon, leaving them lured and anxious.


    All the people on the periphery were praying that the Special Protection Department would be careless and not clean up the lair so cleanly. Otherwise, they would not be able to get a single hair!


    Returning empty-handed from a pyramid lair? That would definitely make them regret it every time they think about it!


    Lin Zhendong did not care about the difficulty of seeing things clearly. He returned to the abandoned water tower and looked at the pyramid.


    With his strange chip, he could clearly see that several doors on the first floor of the pyramid were wide open. Warriors in black combat suits were either holding or carrying things to the container truck.


    In order to prevent outsiders from peeping, all the transported objects were covered with large pieces of radiation-resistant cloth.


    However, this anti-spying device was useless under the effect of Lin Zhendong¡¯s strange chip.


    He gritted his teeth. ¡°Hiss, what an ugly creature. But why does this thing look like a mutt that has been magnified countless times? However, this is an earth-element lair. It¡¯s normal for a mutt to appear.¡±


    His eyes suddenly narrowed as he looked at an entrance of the lair. ¡°Hey, Uncle Chen, Brother Fei, and Brother Bin are all here. Also, why are they smiling so terrifyingly? Especially Brother Fei. He looks like he just picked up a few million. It seems like he¡¯s gained a lot.¡±


    The pyramid was bustling with activity. In the distance, a few cars with flashing red and blue lights were coming their way. There were also more than ten helicopters in the sky, circling the pyramid.


    Lin Zhendong looked at the time and sighed helplessly. ¡°It looks like I came for nothing tonight. It would probably take a long time for them to finish cleaning. Moreover, this is a three-story pyramid. The Special Protection Department won¡¯t simply clean up and leave as they did in the previous lairs. Instead, they will clean up carefully. They might even destroy the lair and turn it into a farm. After all, this is an earth-element pyramid. After modification, the output will be much higher than other lairs!¡±


    ¡°What a pity! I came for nothing. Time to go home.¡± Lin Zhendong shook his head and jumped into the darkness.


    It was past seven in the morning. Lin Zhendong, who had only slept for a few hours, was exercising energetically on the balcony. However, he heard a voice from the balcony next door shortly after he started. ¡°Dongdong, have you had breakfast?¡±


    Turning to his left, he saw a middle-aged woman looking at him with concern.


    ¡°Yes, Auntie. Did Uncle Chen come back at midnight?¡± he replied with a smile.


    ¡°No, your Uncle Chen hasn¡¯t come back yet.¡± Aunt Chen forced a smile.


    Just as he was about to say something, a wailing voice came from the right. ¡°Brother Dong! Brother Dong! Something big! I¡¯ll talk at your home! Open the door!¡±


    Turning his head, he saw a robust young man standing on the balcony on the right. The young man waved at him and turned around to go in.


    ¡°Well, Auntie, I¡¯ll go in first.¡± Lin Zhendong smiled helplessly.


    Aunt Chen sighed. ¡°Go ahead. I know what Xiaohu wants to say. Alas.¡±


    Lin Zhendong¡¯s heart skipped a beat, but he did not overthink it because the door was already knocked on loudly.


    As soon as he opened the door, the young man from before, Shen Hu, immediately rushed in. Then, he took out a drink from the fridge and gulped it down.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of a stomachache? You drink cold drinks so early in the morning?¡± Lin Zhendong said helplessly.


    Lin Zhendong lived in the staff building of the Special Protection Department in Riverside City¡¯s Yuandong District.


    On the left was Chen Zhengyi¡¯s family, and on the right was Shen Fei¡¯s family. Shen Hu was Shen Fei¡¯s younger brother.


    By the way, Li Bin¡¯s family lived upstairs.


    In this era, unless they were transferred to other posts, they would stay in the same post and place for their entire lives. Therefore, the relationship between neighbors was much closer than that of relatives.


    Lin Zhendong was an orphan. With the help of his neighbors and the care of his father¡¯s workplace, the Special Protection Department of Riverside City¡¯s Yuandong District, his life was so smooth.


    As for why Shen Fei called himself uncle? Lin Zhendong called him brother? Shen Fei was calculating from Lin Zhendong¡¯s father¡¯s side, while Lin Zhendong was calculating from Shen Hu¡¯s side.


    It was the same for Li Bin.

 Chapter 5

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Shen Hu burped and said mysteriously, ¡°Brother Dong, do you know that something big happened last night?¡±


    ¡°Is it about our Special Protection Department breaking through the earth element three-story pyramid?¡± Lin Zhendong said casually as he turned on the television. As expected, the morning news was reporting this news.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s something that can¡¯t be broadcast on the news! I don¡¯t know if it has been leaked out. My little brother Ouyang Bin told me it when he sent me a message this morning!¡± Shen Hu said solemnly.


    Lin Zhendong could not help but be stunned when he saw the solemn expression on the face of this unruly boy. He wanted to laugh, but he could not. Because Ouyang Bin¡¯s father, Ouyang Jun, was the deputy chief of the district department in charge of intelligence work in Yuandong District of the Special Protection Department.


    ¡°Brother Dong, you didn¡¯t go to dig treasure last night, right? Fortunately, you didn¡¯t go.¡± Shen Hu said with a look of relief.


    ¡°What happened? Is there anything wrong?¡± Lin Zhendong asked with a frown.


    ¡°Sigh! Nothing too big. A greedy treasure digger actually snatched something from our Special Protection Department, and the most outrageous thing is that he actually succeeded! The humiliated Special Protection Department has gone crazy. They are searching and interrogating treasure diggers wantonly. That¡¯s why I said it¡¯s good that you didn¡¯t go last night.¡± Shen Hu curled his lips and said.


    Lin Zhendong was stunned. ¡°Who¡¯s so brave? How dare he snatches something from the Special Protection Department? Does he want to scourge our Riverside City treasure diggers?¡± For some reason, he suddenly thought of that beautiful woman.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know his background. He¡¯s a valiant man. According to the investigation, he¡¯s a treasure digger from another city. In addition to that, there are no other leads at all.¡± Shen Hu shook his head and sighed.


    ¡°What was robbed?¡± When Lin Zhendong heard that it was a man, he didn¡¯t mind and asked curiously.


    ¡°It¡¯s said to be a Jade Lotus Flower. It was snatched away before we even knew its effects.¡± Shen Hu said.


    ¡°Is it related to our district department?¡± Lin Zhendong asked.


    ¡°Hehe, we¡¯re lucky. That Jade Lotus Flower was stolen from the hands of the Baoyuan District, and the Baoyuan District is the one that should be blamed.¡± Shen Hu gloated.


    Lin Zhendong could not help but heave a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Alright, alright. The adults will handle this. It¡¯s time for us to go to school!¡± Lin Zhendong checked the time and urged.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Shen Hu stood up reluctantly.


    As soon as he opened the door, he saw two men in black suits standing at the door.


    Shen Hu immediately asked as if he was a local tyrant, ¡°Who are you? What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Hello, little boy. We are from the Intelligence Division of the Special Security Department of Riverside City. These are our credentials.¡± The two stern men forced a smile and took out their identification documents.


    ¡°Hello, colleagues from the city department. What can I do for you?¡± At this moment, Aunt Chen, who was also wearing a suit, interrupted and asked.


    Shen Hu, who was initially hostile, had already relaxed. He turned his head and blinked at Lin Zhendong.


    Lin Zhendong naturally did not need Aunt Chen to cover for him. He had a clear conscience, so he smiled and said, ¡°Auntie, you can go to work first. I¡¯ll talk to them. It¡¯s fine.¡±


    Aunt Chen looked into Lin Zhendong¡¯s eyes and saw that he was very frank. She smiled and nodded. ¡°Alright then. You entertain them. I¡¯m going to work.¡± As she spoke, she gestured goodbye to the two men in black suits.


    The two men in black suits also said goodbye to her politely with a smile. Shen Hu wanted to stay and join in, but he was chased away by Lin Zhendong, making him leave unhappily.


    The two men were invited into the room and sat down. Everyone looked very relaxed.


    Among the two men from the Intelligence Division, the slightly older one was named Li Zhi. He was the deputy captain of the Intelligence Division, Grade 4 Official.


    The younger one was called Xiao Bin, a clerk in the Intelligence Division, Grade 7 Official.


    Lin Zhendong poured two glasses of water for them and said, ¡°I did go to watch our Special Protection Department break into the lair last night, but when I saw that the lair site was a three-story pyramid, I didn¡¯t stop and went straight back. The access control system downstairs has my entry and exit time. This can¡¯t be fake.¡±


    The two men from the Intelligence Division smiled when they heard this. Li Zhi smiled and said,¡± You¡¯re the younger generation of our Special Protection Department. Naturally, you know better than those ordinary treasure diggers what you can and can¡¯t do. So we¡¯re not here to ask about these things today.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Then why are you here¡­¡± Lin Zhendong raised his eyebrows.


    ¡°From what you said just now, you should know that a treasure digger snatched a treasure from our Special Protection Department in the early hours of the morning?¡± Li Zhi hadn¡¯t gotten to the main topic yet.


    ¡°I just learned about it before you came.¡± Lin Zhendong nodded.


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you know it.¡± Li Zhi nodded and asked again, ¡°I heard that you have the nickname ¡®Treasure-Hunting Mouse¡¯?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t! I¡¯m not! Who said that!¡± Lin Zhendong immediately denied it again and again.


    Both Li Zhi and Lin Zhendong were stunned for a moment, but they could immediately tell that Lin Zhendong was angry and resistant. They knew what was going on after thinking about it.


    Li Zhi smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. Although this nickname doesn¡¯t sound good, it represents your ability. We came here to ask if you do have such an ability.¡± At this point, he was already staring at Lin Zhendong¡¯s expression.


    Lin Zhendong was not an idiot, so how could he not know what this question meant! He hesitated for a moment and sighed helplessly. ¡°Yes, I have such an ability. But I can¡¯t guarantee a 100% success rate.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great. Then, how do you use this ability? Do you need detailed information? Or can you follow and find things just by the remnant aura?¡± Li Zhi was delighted at first, but then he asked urgently.


    Lin Zhendong muttered in his heart, ¡°You guys are treating me like a tracking dog?¡±


    But he still answered truthfully, ¡°I find things by analyzing the information remnants and judging the location based on my senses. It¡¯s considered a talent skill. When there¡¯s a treasure somewhere, I can sense it, but I can¡¯t be sure what it is. Also, I haven¡¯t tried to track down a treasure by relying on its remnant aura. I don¡¯t know if I can succeed.¡±


    ¡°Very good!¡± Li Zhi clapped his hands and said excitedly, ¡°I think you know why we¡¯re looking for you.


    ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s nothing for our Special Protection Department that one treasure, two treasures, or even ten treasures are gone!¡±


    As soon as Li Zhi said this, the three people present, including Lin Zhendong, had a matter-of-fact look on their faces.


    The Special Protection Department was in charge of the lairs. There were all kinds of treasures in their inventory. So not to mention ten pieces, a hundred pieces was nothing!


    ¡°However, someone actually dared to snatch things from our Special Protection Department!


    ¡°And he even succeeded!


    ¡°It¡¯s a big disgrace for our Special Protection Department!¡± Li Zhi said through gritted teeth.


    Xiao Bin, who had been silent all this while, raised his eyebrows and his eyes were filled with anger.


    ¡°That¡¯s why the leader of the city department is so furious this time. He made an order directly that whoever catches that thief will be promoted to one grade higher official rank. And if one who is not on the payroll catches that thief, one will be directly put on the payroll!¡± Li Zhi stared at Lin Zhendong and said.


    Lin Zhendong, who was originally thinking of doing voluntary labor, suddenly became interested after he heard that.

 Chapter 6

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°We can¡¯t get outsiders to help us find it. This is a disgrace to our Special Protection Department, so we must get it back by ourselves!


    ¡°You¡¯re not an outsider. You¡¯re already 18 years old. According to your status, you¡¯re qualified to enter the position. You just need to be an intern for three years.


    ¡°But now, there¡¯s a chance. Not only will it save you three years of internship, but you can also be promoted one grade. If you find that treasure, you¡¯ll be promoted to Grade 8 Official!¡± Li Zhi said with a tempting tone.


    Hearing this, Lin Zhendong¡¯s interest was naturally aroused, but he still said with some hesitation, ¡°But I want to get into university.¡±


    ¡°Haha, haven¡¯t you heard of the term ¡®Appointee¡¯? As long as you¡¯re employed, even if you get into university, you¡¯ll still be an Appointee of our Special Protection Department.


    ¡°Studying with a salary is definitely enviable.


    ¡°Moreover, when you come back from graduation, you will be able to achieve great things. If Xiao Bin doesn¡¯t make progress by then, he will have to salute you first.¡± Li Zhi laughed and patted Xiao Bin, who was beside him, causing Xiao Bin to look helpless.


    Lin Zhendong¡¯s heart thumped. To be honest, he did not expect to work in another workplace. The connections his father left behind, his friends, and his neighbors were all in the Special Protection Department. He intended to dedicate the rest of his life to the Special Protection Department.


    ¡°What should I do?¡± Lin Zhendong asked excitedly.


    Li Zhi said, ¡°You haven¡¯t been employed yet, right? First, you have to be employed. Moreover, once you are employed, it will be convenient for you to access the information left behind by that treasure.¡±


    He stood up and continued, ¡°Take your ID card and the high school diploma, or the junior high school diploma. I¡¯ll take you to the city department to report for induction.¡±


    Lin Zhendong, who stood up after him, was stunned. ¡°Reporting for induction to the city department? My dad¡¯s position is in the Yuandong District!¡±


    ¡°Oh, this is nothing. As long as you¡¯re a regular worker, it¡¯s easy for me to transfer you to the city department.¡± Li Zhi said dismissively.


    ¡°No, I want to join the Yuandong District.¡± Lin Zhendong said firmly.


    What a joke. Yuandong District was his base. His friends, elders, father¡¯s connections, and people he knew were all in Yuandong District. He should start from his base instead of going to the city department that he was unfamiliar with.


    Xiao Bin, who had been silent all this while, said, ¡°Xiaodong, are you stupid? You should just join the city department! We can ignore the salary level of newcomers because it¡¯s the same all over our country. Let¡¯s just talk about welfare. The welfare of the city department is twice as good as the district department¡¯s welfare! Moreover, the city department has a large structure. The speed of raising salaries and upgrading the ranks of the officials is definitely faster than that of the district department!¡±


    Lin Zhendong secretly pouted. He thought that the city department was indeed a large structure, but it would be a joke if they said that they were able to upgrade the ranks of their officials faster than the district department.


    First of all, the bigger the structure, the more people there would be. Once there were more people, the competition would be fierce. So it would be a dream if one wanted to upgrade the rank of one¡¯s official faster!


    On the other hand, his base was full of acquaintances and connections. As long as he made contributions, he would definitely be able to upgrade his official.


    But if he was in the city department, the majority of his merit might be taken by others or divided up. At that time, he might only be able to get verbal praise.


    He understood what the large structure of a department meant because he was an internal member. Moreover, he had a group of friends who often gossiped about all kinds of secrets of the Special Security Department. He was very clear about the workings of this department.


    Moreover, Uncle Chen and the others had always wanted him to join the district department. They had only kept it a secret because he wanted to get into university, and they did not want to hinder his future.


    If he didn¡¯t enter the job and went straight to university, no one would say anything no matter where he would be assigned after graduating from university.


    However, if he didn¡¯t join the Yuandong District now, he might offend the uncles and aunts in the Yuandong District. This way, his original base would become a malicious base. The gains wouldn¡¯t make up for the losses!


    Therefore, Lin Zhendong gritted his teeth and insisted on joining the Yuandong District instead of a city department.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you understand? It¡¯s so obvious which department is better. Why are you so stubborn?¡± Xiao Bin, who had been unable to persuade Lin Zhendong, was finally in a bad mood.


    Li Zhi had been staring at Lin Zhendong¡¯s expression. He was certain that Lin Zhendong¡¯s will could not be changed.


    So he smiled. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s okay if you join the Yuandong District. But you¡¯ll have to be temporarily transferred to the city department under my command. After the mission is over, I¡¯ll let you go back to the Yuandong District. You should understand what I mean.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Thank you for your concern, Captain Li.¡± Lin Zhendong nodded.


    Li Zhi heaved a sigh of relief. Actually, this way was better. At least he had bragged just now Transferring a person from the district department to the city department was not something that he could do easily. He would have to owe someone a favor.


    Now, he didn¡¯t need to owe that favor.


    ¡°Alright then. Take your ID card and school diploma.¡± Li Zhi said.


    Lin Zhendong quickly packed up his things and followed Li Zhi out.


    As for his classes, he could just make a call and ask for leave.


    Sitting in the car, Lin Zhendong looked at the scenery outside the window. Looking at the silent courtyard, he could not help but sigh.


    It was a pity that Yuandong District didn¡¯t react at all when the city department leader offered such a reward.


    His nickname of ¡®Treasure-Hunting Mouse¡¯ should have been known by everyone in the Yuandong District, but none of the big shots in the Yuandong District had come to him in advance.


    But Li Zhi, someone from the city department came to find him as soon as he heard the news.


    It was a pity that Uncle Chen had never returned. Otherwise, he would take Uncle Chen to take credit. It would be a good thing if he could make Uncle Chen get a promotion and a raise in salary.


    What a pity.


    Yuandong District was also part of the city department, so it didn¡¯t take long for them to arrive at the city department building of the Special Protection Department.


    Lin Zhendong followed Li Zhi and Xiao Bin through the access control system and went straight to the personnel office.


    Along the way, Lin Zhendong did not see many members of the Special Protection Department. He thought they might have all gone out to investigate and arrest the thief who humiliated the Special Protection Department.


    Li Zhi had a good relationship with the people in the Personnel Division. Perhaps he had the ability beyond the position of deputy captain of the Intelligence Division.


    Anyway, under his leadership, Lin Zhendong quickly completed the procedures of identity verification, physical examination, filling in the information, and entering information.


    Lin Zhendong was very calm during the physical examination because he had gone to the hospital several times in the past few years to check his brain. All kinds of instruments had been used, but the biochip disguised as brain cells in his brain had not been detected.


    Of course, the process was so fast because Lin Zhendong had followed the special regulations, not because of the difference in the recruitment of newcomers.


    His information had long been stored in the background of the computer. When he was applying for employment, the saved information was put into use. As soon as Li Zhi made a phone call to an unknown leader, a stamp that confirmed the approval appeared on his information.


    Lin Zhendong specially checked his employment information and confirmed that he had been assigned to the Yuandong District. Only then did he heave a sigh of relief.


    In the end, he received a temporary work permit and signed a secondment letter.


    Official work permits, household registration, and other matters could only be handled by him when he reported to Yuandong District with a certificate issued by the Personnel Division of the city department.


    This was also the reason why Lin Zhendong had to come to the Personnel Division of the city department to go through the induction procedures. The newcomers would be assigned after being registered by the city department.


    ¡°Alright, you¡¯re temporarily under my command. Follow me and check the treasure¡¯s remnant aura,¡± Li Zhi said.


    As he followed Li Zhi, Lin Zhendong slowly became puzzled. Because they had come directly to the office floor and not the inventory area. Was the treasure¡¯s remnant aura in the office?

 Chapter 7

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    They went straight to a door. The nameplate was labeled [Deputy Captain Li Zhi¡¯s Office].


    Xiao Bin eagerly opened the door. It was a small office that was more than ten square meters. There were two tables, a guest sofa, a coffee table, a hot water bottle, and everything else.


    ¡°Have a seat,¡± Li Zhi said and took out his keys to open the filing cabinet. Xiao Bin quickly poured three cups of hot water and put them on the table.


    Seeing Li Zhi take out a pair of tactical gloves from the filing cabinet, Lin Zhendong was a little shocked. He thought secretly, ¡°Is this Captain Li too powerful? It happened in the wee hours of the morning, and he already got the gloves that touched the Jade Lotus Flower. He even asked me to help him early in the morning! He must have planned everything long ago!¡±


    Without saying anything, Li Zhi placed the gloves in front of Lin Zhendong. After that, he and Xiao Bin stared at Lin Zhendong nervously.


    Lin Zhendong flipped the gloves over and over again. Under the effect of his strange chip, he could clearly see a thin layer of red mist sticking to the gloves, and a red line extending out along the door.


    Lin Zhendong was certain that he could track down the Jade Lotus Flower.


    Of course, he was just trying to kill some time by looking at the gloves over and over. Otherwise, if he indicated that he could track the treasure just after he saw the gloves, it would cause trouble for himself.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you need to sniff them? What can you tell only by looking at them?¡± Xiao Bin said anxiously.


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a dog?¡± Lin Zhendong¡¯s veins were bulging on his forehead.


    ¡°Uh, sorry, sorry. Um, do you have an idea?¡± Xiao Bin said apologetically.


    ¡°Yes, I can roughly feel it. However, we have to go to the place where the gloves touch the treasure first. The lair, that¡¯s where I should start.¡± Lin Zhendong said as he put down the gloves.


    ¡°Alright!¡± Li Zhi stood up immediately. ¡°But I¡¯ll get you a pistol before we set off.¡±


    ¡°I can even have a pistol? What model is it?¡± Lin Zhendong was excited.


    ¡°Dream on. You can¡¯t have it. I¡¯ll just lend it to you temporarily. After all, you¡¯re only on a temporary secondment.¡± Li Zhi sneered.


    Xiao Bin unbuttoned his suit and revealed the pistol under his armpit. He said with a sigh, ¡°Sigh, this pistol is really heavy. My back gets hurt because of it. By the way, boss, it seems that only members of our city departments can be equipped with pistols. In the county departments and district departments, only the officers above the rank of deputy captain can be equipped with pistols all year round, right?¡± As he spoke, he raised his eyebrows at Lin Zhendong as if he was saying, ¡°Do you regret it?¡±


    Li Zhi smiled. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do about it. Our city departments have to support all the county departments and district departments. Once there¡¯s an order, the people who get the order will immediately move out. It would be a waste of time to equip them with pistols on the spot. It¡¯s not too late for the district and county departments to distribute weapons when they encounter missions.¡±


    Lin Zhendong puffed up his cheeks. These words were infuriating.


    Needless to say, he really regretted not joining the city department. The difference in welfare benefits between the district department and the city department was really big.


    However, it was just a pistol! No one cared about it! Wasn¡¯t it better to find a fire bomb, water bomb, or air bomb skill to cultivate than to have a pistol?


    Although he thought so, he was still quite unhappy that he could not legally carry a toy that could make popping sounds with him.


    The process of borrowing a pistol was very simple. Li Zhi led Lin Zhendong to the gun room, and after signing a name, Lin Zhendong received the standard pistol, three fully loaded magazines, and a matching holster.


    Then, without asking if Lin Zhendong knew how to use it or not, Li Zhi brought him out directly.


    In the car, seeing Lin Zhendong playing with the pistol lovingly, Li Zhi smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re just having a temporary novelty. When you become stronger, these light weapons will be toys for you. Especially when you are against second-class lairs, you won¡¯t be able to use thermal weapons. Other than cold weapons, only your cultivation can be used. At that time, you probably won¡¯t even look at these firearms.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, I feel it¡¯s very novel now anyway.¡± Lin Zhendong grinned and continued to play with the pistol.


    Li Zhi stopped talking and closed his eyes to rest. Xiao Bin drove seriously and drove straight to the pyramid lair site.


    As they were on the road, Lin Zhendong could see several large containers escorted by police cars, military transport vehicles, and helicopters from time to time.


    This was the first time Lin Zhendong had seen such a big scene. He could not help but ask curiously, ¡°Such a huge defensive formation. Is it because the pyramid lair has a lot of resources, or are you afraid of being robbed again?¡±


    Li Zhi pondered for a moment. ¡°Both. At the very least, this is the first time the pyramid lair has appeared in Riverside City. In addition, it was robbed once before. It¡¯s normal for the escort formation to be a little bigger.¡±


    ¡°Tsk tsk. It seems that nothing will be left to treasure diggers.¡± Lin Zhendong clucked his tongue.


    ¡°Treasure diggers¡­ Hmm, there was news before that the higher-ups were preparing to register treasure diggers all over the country. Now that this robbery has happened, I¡¯m afraid that the registration of treasure diggers will be brought forward,¡± Li Zhi said.


    ¡°Treasure diggers registration? Is that possible?¡± Lin Zhendong was shocked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not about possibility or impossibility. The officials are preparing to let go of the clearing of the first-class lairs. This means that once the officials discover a first-class lair, they¡¯ll open it and open it up to the treasure diggers to clear it out. All the items obtained will belong to the treasure diggers. However, treasure diggers who are eligible to participate must be registered. Do you think treasure diggers will register now?¡± Li Zhi laughed.


    ¡°So cool? They will definitely register!¡± Lin Zhendong¡¯s eyes widened, and an excited expression appeared on his face. With his ability, he would be rich at that time!


    ¡°Don¡¯t look so excited. Public officials are not allowed to register as treasure diggers.¡± Li Zhi immediately made Lin Zhendong¡¯s excitement disappear.


    ¡°What? Why?¡± Lin Zhendong wailed.


    Li Zhi said nonchalantly, ¡°It¡¯s simple. Public officials receive an additional amount of cultivation resources. It¡¯s not justifiable if we even go to compete with the common people for cultivation resources. Moreover, opening up treasure-digging qualifications to public officials might cause problems such as negligence of duty and corruption, so public officials are all not allowed to do so.¡±


    Seeing Lin Zhendong¡¯s dejected expression, Li Zhi smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that. After all, the higher-ups haven¡¯t made a decision yet. Who knows, they may allow public officials to work part-time as treasure diggers during the holidays? After all, many big shots have been treasure diggers when they were young.¡±


    ¡°But even if there is a loophole, the rules will be very strict. After all, public officials are different from ordinary people. We have responsibilities.¡± Speaking of this, Li Zhi became serious.


    Lin Zhendong calmed down and said bitterly, ¡°That¡¯s good anyway. Being strict is better than having no chance to be a treasure digger.¡±


    Lin Zhendong suddenly realized that the red line in the air had become two, and both ended at the pyramid. One was at his side, and the other continued to another fork in the road.


    Needless to say, that was where the Jade Lotus Flower was taken!


    ¡°Turn around, that way!¡± he said hurriedly.


    Hearing Lin Zhendong¡¯s command, Xiao Bin looked at Li Zhi through the rearview mirror.


    Li Zhi nodded, ¡°Move.¡±


    The car immediately turned to another fork.

 Chapter 8

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    After the car turned, the scene outside the window immediately changed.


    The street was silent, and there was no one on the road. On both sides of the road were abandoned and sealed factories. There were no residential buildings around. It was a completely abandoned place.


    Li Zhi looked at Lin Zhendong, who guided the way from time to time, with great interest. He really wanted to know how ¡°Treasure Hunting Mouse¡± was able to determine the location of the treasure.


    Of course, it was just a thought in his mind.


    After all, everyone could cultivate and go to dig treasures, and the various cultivation techniques and skills obtained from lairs were all strange. It was simply impossible to count them.


    Besides, everyone had their secrets. There was no need to explore them so carefully.


    Therefore, Li Zhi did not ask anything in the end. He just quietly watched Lin Zhendong guide the way.


    Lin Zhendong¡¯s slightly narrowed eyes flickered with inexplicable light. It was obvious that he was thinking about something.


    In an office building in an abandoned factory somewhere in the industrial zone, Su Yan crossed her long legs and placed them on the dusty desk. Half of her body was supporting the chair that only had two legs left.


    She leaned against the chair and swayed with a satisfied expression. She was tossing a lotus flower that looked like it was carved from white jade up and down in her hand.


    Xiao Ye, the burly man was circling back and forth like a trapped beast. Then, he suddenly stopped and said to Su Yan helplessly, ¡°Su Yan, talk to me. I know I was wrong.¡±


    Su Yan also felt that she had left him waiting for long enough. She said unhappily, ¡°Hmph, I didn¡¯t know you were such a blind person. You actually snatched something from the Special Protection Department. Fortunately, you didn¡¯t hurt anyone. Otherwise, we would have to run away immediately!¡±


    Seeing that his companion was responding to him, the tall and burly Xiao Ye quickly explained happily, ¡°When I saw this lotus, I thought it was Snow Jade Lotus. I was anxious, so I snatched it.¡±


    ¡°This is White Jade Lotus! It was a completely different breed from the Snow Jade Lotus, alright? I can tell at a glance! How can you be mistaken?¡± Su Yan shouted angrily.


    ¡°It looks the same no matter how I look at it! Aren¡¯t they all white?¡± Xiao Ye muttered, then quickly said, ¡°Since it¡¯s not Snow Jade Lotus, then why are we staying here? Aren¡¯t we going to look for Treasure Hunting Mouse?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m waiting for him to come to me. This is much better than me going to him.¡± Su Yan smiled.


    ¡°Oh, no wonder you keep playing with that White Jade Lotus instead of keeping it in your shadow. I thought you were trying to lure the people of the Special Protection Department over for a big fight. It turns out that you were trying to lure Treasure Hunting Mouse!¡± Xiao Ye said with a look of realization.


    ¡°It¡¯s only because you, an idiot, suddenly attacked the Special Protection Department that I was forced to do this.¡± Su Yan rolled her eyes unhappily.


    ¡°What are you afraid of? As long as it¡¯s not a few big shots from the Special Protection Department, do we need to be afraid of them?¡± Xiao Ye said arrogantly while doing a bodybuilding pose.


    ¡°We must always be afraid! Where did your fear go? Your strength isn¡¯t the confidence to let you do whatever you want! If you hurt someone this time, we wouldn¡¯t be able to get anyone to help! The Special Protection Department will keep an eye on us! Do you really think you can dominate the world just because you¡¯re strong? There are a lot of things that can¡¯t be solved by force!¡± Su Yan directly exerted force with her feet to make herself stand on the table, roaring with an angry expression.


    The chair that had lost its support fell to the ground.


    When Xiao Ye saw that Su Yan was angry, he immediately acted like a bullied little girl. However, with his head lowered, he couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°Force can¡¯t solve everything, but it can solve everyone.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Su Yan glared.


    ¡°Uh, are you sure Treasure Hunting Mouse will come?¡± Xiao Ye immediately changed the topic.


    ¡°Hmph, we found out about the existence of Treasure Hunting Mouse only by casually asking around in Riverside City. Do you think the local tyrant, the Special Protection Department, doesn¡¯t know about the existence of Treasure Hunting Mouse? Now, the Special Protection Department wants to find White Jade Lotus to restore its reputation. As long as the people in the Special Protection Department are not all idiots, there will naturally be smart people who will use the power of Treasure Hunting Mouse to take shortcuts.¡± Su Yan said with certainty.


    ¡°Yes, yes, Su Yan. You¡¯ve reckoned accurately!¡± Xiao Ye flattered Su Yan.


    ¡°Hmph, I¡¯m just cleaning up the mess for you! I can¡¯t use this face next time. You have to compensate me!¡± Su Yan touched her face regretfully.


    ¡°I¡¯ll compensate you. When we go back, I¡¯ll buy all the new faces you like. You can use any new face you want.¡± Xiao Ye immediately patted his chest and promised.


    ¡°That sounds great. Eh, they¡¯re here so quickly.¡± Su Yan raised her eyebrows and looked out of the window.


    ¡°Tsk tsk, they¡¯re really bold. They only sent three people, and they¡¯re very weak,¡± Xiao Ye pouted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t kill them! Put on a show with them. Don¡¯t forget that my goal is to please Treasure Hunting Mouse!¡± Su Yan instructed.


    ¡°Got it. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Xiao Ye nodded.


    Lin Zhendong had already seen the red line extending into an abandoned factory. He did not let the car drive in directly. Instead, he asked Xiao Bin to stop the car from afar. Then, he jumped a few times and directly jumped to the top of the building at the side. He looked at the abandoned factory in front of him.


    Li Zhi¡¯s voice suddenly came from beside him. ¡°It¡¯s hidden in that factory?¡±


    Lin Zhendong turned his head and saw that Li Zhi silently appeared beside him, also looking at the factory in the distance.


    Lin Zhendong was not surprised at all. It would be strange if Li Zhi did not have the ability.


    He looked around the factory. The red line went straight into the factory and did not go out.


    He nodded and said, ¡°It should be in that factory. Let¡¯s call for reinforcements.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, don¡¯t underestimate us. The people of the Intelligence Department have faced more danger than that of the special forces on the front lines.¡± Li Zhi smiled proudly and said, ¡°You can stay outside. Xiao Bin and I¡¯ll go in.¡± He jumped down and landed beside the car.


    After Li Zhi made a gesture, Xiao Bin immediately left the car and followed him to the factory.


    ¡°Do they think highly of themselves, or are they confident in their own strength?¡± Lin Zhendong didn¡¯t know what to say. They didn¡¯t even know the background of the enemies, but Li Zhi and Xiao Bin just rushed in like that.


    ¡°But their strength should be pretty good, right? Captain Li is C-rank, and Brother Xiao is D-rank. Out of all the people I know in Yuandong District, the two of them are already the best,¡± Lin Zhendong glanced at the information provided by the chip and muttered to himself.


    Then, Lin Zhendong was conflicted. He thought it was not good for him to just watch aside, but it would be even worse if he followed them in and got all wiped out.


    After all, he did not know the strength of the enemy, but those who dared to openly rob the Special Protection Department were definitely not weak.


    Suddenly, there was a roar from inside the factory, accompanied by dust appearing and the sound of buildings collapsing, and it continued.


    Realizing this situation, Lin Zhendong did not think about it anymore. He muttered to himself, ¡°Oh, I should be the first member of the Special Protection Department to call the police in trouble, right? But there¡¯s no other way. My superior is fighting now, and I don¡¯t have the city department¡¯s number. The people I know in the district department can¡¯t get involved. I¡¯m really helpless!¡± He took out his phone and called the police.


    After confirming the address and hanging up the phone, Lin Zhendong sighed. Just as he was about to get involved in the battle that was getting more and more intense and was about to tear down the entire factory, he suddenly smelled a fragrance. Then, someone blew at his ear and snickered. ¡°We meet again, Treasure Hunting Mouse.¡±


    At this moment, the chip in his brain also showed a prompt, but Lin Zhendong didn¡¯t have time to read it.


    He immediately jumped down from a high place out of reflex. However, just as he landed, the ground cracked. Before he could get up, the beautiful woman who gave him a gold coin when they met the night before squatted in front of him with a smile. She supported her chin with one hand and played with his hair with the other. She sized Lin Zhendong up with a smile.


    Lin Zhendong subconsciously exerted force in his palm and jumped back a few meters. He immediately took out his pistol.

 Chapter 9

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    However, he didn¡¯t load the gun, nor did he start to take aim. He just held the muzzle down.


    Lin Zhendong finally realized that his strange chip did not warn him that the other party was hostile. Otherwise, it would have flashed a red warning in front of his eyes.


    ¡°Haha, so Treasure Hunting Mouse is a handsome young man who has just come of age. Moreover, he¡¯s from the Special Protection Department.¡± Su Yan combed her hair and sized up Lin Zhendong with a smile.


    Lin Zhendong thought that the Special Protection Department¡¯s standard gun had exposed his identity, so he immediately put away the gun. This thing was even worse than a toy to the person in front of him.


    With a thought, the chip immediately gave the other party an evaluation. [The target is kind. Strength: A]


    These few words made Lin Zhendong¡¯s heart skip a beat. A chill spread from his tailbone to the top of his head. He couldn¡¯t help but regret not letting the chip evaluate this beauty last night.


    Who would have thought that this delicate beauty was actually an A-rank!


    It was impossible to beat her up. The other party could crush him to death with one finger.


    Thinking of this, Lin Zhendong pretended to be helpless and said, ¡°Miss, are you partners with the person who stole the treasure from the Special Protection Department?¡±


    ¡°Haha, that¡¯s right. My companion is currently fighting with your comrade. Those two should be your superiors, right?¡± Su Yan said with a smile.


    ¡°It really is you. When I first heard the news, I couldn¡¯t help but think of you. However, when I heard that the criminal was a burly man, I stopped thinking about it.¡± Lin Zhendong sighed.


    ¡°Oh, your sixth sense is really strong. No wonder you are the Treasure Hunting Mouse.¡± Su Yan looked at Lin Zhendong with a hint of surprise and admiration.


    ¡°Miss, could that lotus be the thing you wanted me to help you find previously?¡± Lin Zhendong asked.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s the White Jade Lotus. It¡¯s just that my companion saw that the color and shape were similar, so he snatched it on impulse.¡± Su Yan shook her head.


    Lin Zhendong didn¡¯t know what to say. Did he just snatch it on impulse? This was snatching something from the Special Protection Department!


    However, at the same time, their hearts skipped a beat because it could be seen that they really did not have the slightest fear of the official department!


    ¡°Miss, since it¡¯s not what you want, can you give it back to the Special Protection Department?¡± Lin Zhendong could not help but ask.


    ¡°Sure. Otherwise, why do you think it¡¯s so lively inside? My companion will show a flaw after a certain period of time. Moreover, he will coincidentally leave the White Jade Lotus behind.¡± Su Yan smiled.


    Lin Zhendong was dumbfounded and said bitterly, ¡°Miss still wants my help?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m doing you a favor. Otherwise, with the strength of your two superiors, Haha.¡± Su Yan smiled meaningfully.


    Lin Zhendong was at a loss. She was an A-rank, and her companions were either A-ranks or B-ranks. Just as she said, they were simply putting on a show. Otherwise, Captain Li and Brother Xiao would definitely be doomed.


    However, it seemed very dangerous to help just like that. It was not the danger of finding things, but the danger after finding things. Who could guarantee that they would not be bumped off!


    Su Yan saw the change in Lin Zhendong¡¯s expression and immediately understood what was going on. She smiled arrogantly and said, ¡°What? Afraid that I¡¯ll do away with them afterward? Don¡¯t worry, with my strength, if I force you to go, how can you not go? Do I need to be so nice? Besides, I, Su Yan, am not afraid of being found out. You can report to your superiors after this.¡±


    The chip¡¯s prompt was still the same. [The target is kind. Strength: A]


    Lin Zhendong decided to take his chance. After all, as she said, if she forced him to go, how could he not go?


    With her strength, she could easily destroy the entire Yuandong District! It was not worth lying to a child like him.


    ¡°Alright, Sister Su Yan, I¡¯ll help you find the treasure.¡±


    ¡°Haha, you¡¯re so sweet. I don¡¯t even know your name.¡± Su Yan got what she wanted and immediately smiled brightly.


    ¡°My name is Lin Zhendong. I¡¯m 18. I¡¯m a newcomer to the Special Protection Department¡¯s Riverside City¡¯s Yuandong District,¡± Lin Zhendong reported matter-of-factly.


    ¡°Xiaodong, give me your phone number. I¡¯ll call you in a few days. Don¡¯t ignore me.¡± Su Yan said as she took out a phone from her back and waved it around.


    Lin Zhendong quickly reported his phone number. When the other party called, he quickly saved the number and especially gave it a remark: [Sister Su Yan].


    However, Su Yan, who was peeping over, reminded him, ¡°It¡¯s Yan with a Y, not an I. Don¡¯t forget that.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Lin Zhendong was stunned for a moment, but he quickly corrected himself.


    ¡°That¡¯s my nickname, not my real name. Look, the label says Brother Treasure Hunting Mouse.¡± Su Yan smiled and showed her phone to Lin Zhendong.


    This made Lin Zhendong speechless. Black lines appeared on his forehead.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m leaving. See you in a few days.¡± Su Yan smiled and pinched Lin Zhendong¡¯s cheek.


    Then, under Lin Zhendong¡¯s watchful gaze, she disappeared into her shadow and disappeared with a whoosh.


    Lin Zhendong quickly went to harass the chip, but the chip did not react to this skill it had never seen before. This made Lin Zhendong extremely helpless.


    Shaking his head, he turned around and ran toward the factory that was almost completely demolished because there was no longer any sound of fighting over there.


    Just as they entered the factory, they saw Li Zhi and Xiao Bin walking out of the ruins, supporting each other.


    Their well-ironed suits had been torn into pieces, and their faces were bruised and swollen, but they were smiling happily with their teeth exposed.


    ¡°Captain Li, Brother Xiao, you won! Where are the enemies?¡± Lin Zhendong immediately went forward and tried to help him up, but he was naturally rejected.


    ¡°Haha, the enemies have been beaten away. Fortunately, you didn¡¯t come in. Otherwise, you would have been a giveaway! You probably can¡¯t even withstand a punch! The enemy this time is really strong. No wonder they dare to rob our Special Protection Department.¡± Xiao Bin laughed, but he immediately drew in a breath of cold air when he talked about his injury.


    ¡°Have you found the treasure?¡± Lin Zhendong asked as he looked at the thing in Li Zhi¡¯s hand.


    Li Zhi weighed the White Jade Lotus in his hand and said with a look of satisfaction, ¡°I found it. The quest this time is really a little dangerous. I wonder how such a powerful but unknown guy would appear in Riverside City.¡± As he spoke, his brows furrowed.


    When they arrived at the car, Li Zhi said to Lin Zhendong, who was about to get into the car, ¡°Xiaodong, give me the gun.¡±


    Lin Zhendong did not hesitate and immediately took out his gun and handed it over.


    However, the other party still had his hand out. He took off his holster and handed over the clip.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll return the gun and cancel the loan letter for you. The situation is urgent now. I have to rush back to the city department to report. We¡¯re headed in different directions so I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t drive you home. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll give you what I promised.¡±


    Ignoring the dumbfounded Lin Zhendong, he closed the car door and drove away.


    ¡°F*ck! He¡¯s clearly making a tool of me! I thought so highly of you before!¡± Lin Zhendong couldn¡¯t help but put his hand behind his back and raise his middle finger up as he watched the car drive away.


    He didn¡¯t dare to point his finger at the back of the car for fear of being seen.


    Lin Zhendong sighed helplessly in the end. He had wanted to report Su Yan¡¯s matter previously, but now he didn¡¯t have the heart to do so.


    He couldn¡¯t be blamed for making such a decision. After all, he had just joined the company and didn¡¯t know what a public official should do when faced with such a situation. Instead, he had the same mentality as a student and did whatever he wanted.

 Chapter 10

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Lin Zhendong did not leave immediately. He stayed where he was and waited for the police to arrive.


    He had no choice. He had already called the police.


    Perhaps it was because he called the police, or perhaps it was because of the commotion of the demolition of the building.


    After waiting for about ten minutes, several police cars came whistling.


    The rest was simple. Lin Zhendong registered his temporary work permit.


    Then, he led the police into the ruins to check it out. Then, he shamelessly left the place in a police car.


    However, the police officers who were dispatched this time were also speechless. As a member of the Special Protection Department, he actually called the police. They wondered if he was joking.


    However, there was no other way. Since they had received the call, they could only take action according to the rules.


    Lin Zhendong, who was sent to the street of Yuandong District by the police car, stood at the fork in the road and looked left and right in confusion.


    He had taken a day off, and it was only noon. He wondered if he should go home for the rest of the time or go to school instead.


    Thinking of the registration pass issued by the city department in the storage space, he slapped his thigh and walked toward Yuandong District.


    Looking at the old building in front of him, Lin Zhendong felt a sense of familiarity.


    Lin Zhendong nodded in satisfaction as he compared his feelings back in the city department. It seemed that he had made the right choice to work in Yuandong District.


    At the very least, the city department couldn¡¯t give him this kind of satisfaction.


    He greeted the guard at the door warmly and entered the Yuandong District¡¯s building of the Special Protection Department with ease.


    They arrived at the main department¡¯s floor without any obstructions and greeted each other all the way to an open door.


    There was a nameplate hanging on the door. [Captain Shen Yan¡¯s Office of the Human Resources Department]


    He looked around, grinned, and knocked on the door.


    A beautiful woman who was flipping through something looked up and immediately smiled. She waved her hand and said, ¡°You came, Xiaodong. Come on in.¡±


    ¡°Auntie.¡± Lin Zhendong called out sweetly and helped to fill Captain Shen Yan¡¯s glass with water. Then, he even attentively massaged Shen Yan¡¯s shoulders to help relax her muscles.


    What was the relationship between the captain of the Human Resources Department, Shen Yan, and Lin Zhendong?


    It was nothing. She was just the older sister of Shen Fei and Shen Hu, his neighbors. When they were young, this aunt of theirs took much care of them.


    Although they had less interaction after Shen Yan got married, they were still very close.


    As for the way they addressed each other, it was still the same.


    Anyway, Lin Zhendong would never call Shen Hu uncle.


    Shen Yan enjoyed Lin Zhendong¡¯s service and said with a smile, ¡°Kid, you¡¯re quite capable. You actually settled the employment procedures yourself. The marketing department sent over the employment information early in the morning. At first, I was scared. I thought there was a newcomer with the same name.¡±


    ¡°But why did you change your mind? I remember when you were celebrating your 18th birthday, we asked you about your employment status. You even said that you wanted to go to college.¡±


    ¡°Auntie, I was also forced to go into battle,¡± Lin Zhendong sighed helplessly. As he spoke, he handed over the employment certificate issued by the city department.


    ¡°Eh? What happened?¡± Shen Yan asked with a frown as she took it and placed it aside.


    ¡°Well, early this morning, deputy captain Li Zhi from the Intelligence Department of the city department directly came to my door and asked me to help find traces of the stolen treasure.¡±


    ¡°This is a matter of the Special Protection Department. Of course, I agreed to help without saying anything.¡±


    ¡°But he also said that this must be done by the Special Protection Department, and I happen to meet the entry regulations. That¡¯s why I got hired first and then helped out. That¡¯s why I was forced to get hired just like that.¡±


    ¡°Hey, back then, deputy captain Li Zhi even said that he wanted me to join the city department directly. I refused to do so, forcing him to help me join the district department.¡± Lin Zhendong briefly explained what had happened in the morning.


    However, he didn¡¯t say that he would level up after completing the mission. After all, Li Zhi had been putting people aside after using them. Who could guarantee he wouldn¡¯t do this again this time? It was frustrating to point it out, so he didn¡¯t say anything.


    Shen Yan slammed the table and stood up angrily. She turned around and grabbed Lin Zhendong¡¯s ear. She roared angrily, ¡°Are you stupid? Are you stupid? This was a good opportunity to directly enter the city department, yet you chose to let it go? You actually insisted on joining the district department? You¡¯re really an idiot!¡±


    ¡°Ouch, Auntie, it hurts. Be gentle!¡± Lin Zhendong grinned and begged for mercy while saying disapprovingly, ¡°Auntie, I¡¯m not familiar with the city department. I¡¯ll be bullied! It¡¯s not like we¡¯re at home in this district.¡±


    Shen Yan thought for a moment and gently pinched Lin Zhendong¡¯s ear. After letting go, she nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true. In this district department, no one bullies you. Almost all the old people have seen you grow up. But you¡¯re already employed now. Aren¡¯t you going to go to university?¡±


    Rubbing his ears, Lin Zhendong grinned and said, ¡°Of course. Aren¡¯t there Appointees?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m taking the path of an Appointee. There are only a few universities that I can study in.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that with your grades, you should have gone to those famous universities. Although you¡¯re all university students, graduates from famous universities and ordinary universities will have a different rate of improvement in their work in the future!¡± Shen Yan still felt a little regretful.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. We¡¯re all university students. When we graduate, we¡¯ll be promoted to a few levels of official positions. Our salary and benefits will be much better than mine now,¡± Lin Zhendong said disapprovingly.


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s not bad to work early. At least we won¡¯t be short of money and resources.¡± Shen Yan nodded helplessly.


    ¡°But since you¡¯re taking the path of an Appointee, your position can¡¯t be placed in the special forces.¡±


    ¡°Although you can enjoy wartime subsidies and share the spoils of war, you won¡¯t have the chance to learn.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll assign you to your Auntie¡¯s Logistics Department. When the time comes, I¡¯ll get her to approve a long vacation for you. Then, you can prepare for the college entrance examination in peace,¡± Shen Yan said as she sat back in her chair and started to control the computer.


    Lin Zhendong grinned. This was the benefit of having one¡¯s own territory. It was convenient to do anything.


    He didn¡¯t even make any requests, but the other party had already arranged everything for him.


    Shen Yan, who was altering the information, was suddenly stunned. ¡°Wait? How did you become a Grade 8 Official?¡±


    He probably looked at the reason for the promotion and looked at Lin Zhendong in shock. ¡°You actually found the treasure that was stolen? You actually completed the mission given by the city¡¯s big boss?¡±


    ¡°Haha, that¡¯s true. Why don¡¯t you take a look at who I am? Otherwise, would I have the time to report here?¡± Although Lin Zhendong said that, he was extremely satisfied. Li Zhi was quite eloquent and guaranteed that he would really do it.


    Moreover, this speed was really super fast. It was not enough to describe it as swift and decisive!


    Once the treasure was handed over, the city department¡¯s big boss would probably reward him. The power was so strong that it was scary!


    Lin Zhendong had witnessed it with his own eyes, and he knew very well how inefficient the department was in doing things.


    He also knew how incredible it was to receive the reward immediately after the mission was completed.


    Naturally, he had a deeper understanding of the power of Li Zhi, the deputy captain of the city department Intelligence Division.


    Lin Zhendong couldn¡¯t help but rejoice. ¡°Fortunately, I hid my middle finger behind my back. Otherwise, if I had really pointed it at the car, I¡¯m afraid I wouldn¡¯t have the treatment I have now. ¡°Not to mention that the credit will be erased, and at least the reward will not be immediately received on the same day.¡±


    ¡°Tsk tsk, your ability is actually so strong? I thought your nickname of ¡®Treasure Hunting Mouse¡¯ was just for show!¡± Shen Yan clicked her tongue.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask our people to do this?¡± she asked with a frown.


    Lin Zhendong felt wronged. ¡°Auntie, deputy captain Li Zhi blocked my door early in the morning. Shen Hu and Aunt Chen can testify! ¡±


    ¡°He began with a mission issued by the city¡¯s big boss. How could I refuse? Can I get someone from my district department to complete it? I don¡¯t want to make any enemies.¡±


    When Shen Yan heard this, she knew what he meant. She shook her head helplessly.¡± I¡¯m afraid the people in our district are the same as me. They thought that your nickname ¡®Treasure Hunting Mouse¡¯ was just for fun. I didn¡¯t expect for you to really have such an ability. ¡±


    ¡°The reason for your promotion is written in the file. If someone checks it, they will know what¡¯s going on. When that time comes, you will definitely be blamed.¡±


    ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll help you out. I¡¯ll explain that Li Zhi was eager to make a contribution and came to block the door early in the morning.¡±


    ¡°It was Li Zhi who beat us to it, not you who didn¡¯t want to be in our district.¡± Shen Yan made a decision.


    ¡°Thank you, Auntie. You¡¯re so good to me.¡± Lin Zhendong was immediately moved to tears.


    He was even more certain that his decision to join his family was the right one.


    ¡°You can say that I brought you up. If I¡¯m not good to you, who should I be good to?¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve already transferred your position to the Logistics Department. Report to your Auntie. Remember to ask her to give you a long vacation. I¡¯ll approve it again. ¡±


    ¡°When the time comes, don¡¯t worry about work. Go back to school and concentrate on your studies. Get good grades!¡±


    ¡°Although you can¡¯t choose the school for the students if you can get first place in the city, your qualifications will be superior in the future!¡± Shen Yan guided him.


    ¡°Yes, yes. Thank you, Auntie. I¡¯ll report to Auntie now.¡± Lin Zhendong immediately nodded in agreement.

 Chapter 11

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The following register and leave approval were effortless.


    The reason was simple. The chief of the Logistics Department was his Aunt Chen, Chen Zhengyi¡¯s wife.


    Chen Zhengyi and his wife did not have any children. They treated Lin Zhendong, the orphan neighbor, as their son.


    Therefore, when Aunt Chen learned that Lin Zhendong had joined her department, she was overjoyed and personally led him to finish the procedure.


    As for the matter of taking leave to prepare for the exam, there was no need to say anything at all. Aunt Chen had already handled it for him.


    Shen Yan, the chief of the Human Resources Department, who had been waiting for a long time, also gave her approval immediately.


    Therefore, Lin Zhendong, who had been given a three-month leave on the same day he registered for work, left happily while humming a song.


    However, just as he was about to leave, he suddenly froze for a moment. He turned his head, rubbed his chin, and sized up the Yuandong District office building.


    ¡°That¡¯s weird. Why do all my close neighbors seem to have super-powerful women? ¡±


    ¡°Each of them is either a Grade 5 or Grade 4 Official. Their positions are either deputy captains or captains. They are either the chiefs or deputy chiefs of various departments.¡±


    ¡°On the other hand, although the men in their family are of similar levels, the one with the most impressive position is Uncle Chen, a team leader. The others don¡¯t have any positions and are just employees! Is there a problem with the geomancy of this office building?¡±


    Thinking that he might end up like the other men in the future, he couldn¡¯t help but shiver and immediately ran away.


    Lin Zhendong heaved a sigh of relief when he returned home. He was doing very well now. Not only was he employed, but he also received a salary and cultivation resources every month.


    Although he could only get half of his salary and resources because he was on leave, it was better than nothing.


    Moreover, he could prepare for the college entrance examination in peace and get a good score. His future could be said to be worry-free.


    Therefore, he began to calm down. He took out his textbook and test papers to study.


    As for Bauhinia Legion? He had forgotten. He was preparing for the exam. His attention was all on the college entrance examination in the future.


    However, Lin Zhendong thought he could focus on his study like this, but his wish to take the college entrance examination could not be realized.


    The next day, just as the sun rose, the phone rang.


    He opened his eyes and squinted at his phone. Seeing the caller ID Sister Su Yan, he was jolted awake immediately.


    The moment the call was answered, he said sweetly, ¡°Sister Su Yan¡­¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, Su Yan¡¯s crisp voice came from the other end of the phone. ¡°Wash up quickly. I¡¯m waiting for you outside the gate of your courtyard!¡±


    Before Lin Zhendong could reply, she hung up.


    ¡°What? Didn¡¯t you say we would meet again in a few days? It¡¯s only been more than ten hours!¡± Lin Zhendong got out of bed in distress and went to wash up helplessly.


    He moved very quickly and finished it in a few minutes. Then he left the house feeling slightly refreshed.


    The guard of the courtyard was sleeping soundly in the guard room. He did not wake him and swiped his card to leave.


    He immediately saw a black car waiting. Su Yan, who was sitting in the back row, opened the window and waved at him. ¡°Hurry up!¡±


    Once they got into the car, Lin Zhendong received soy milk and buns, and the car started moving.


    After thanking her, he didn¡¯t stand on ceremony and started eating.


    After a few bites, Lin Zhendong finally had the heart to scan the man in the driver¡¯s seat. He was silent and focused on driving.


    Above this ordinary-looking man in a suit immediately popped out an evaluation message: [The target is kind. Strength: C.]


    Lin Zhendong immediately understood that he was just a driver, not Su Yan¡¯s companion. He was not the burly man who could beat Li Zhi and Xiao Bin up even when he was acting.


    The sky was still dark outside, and the street lights were still on.


    Lin Zhendong asked as he cleaned up the remains of the breakfast, ¡°Sister Su Yan, why are you so early?¡±


    ¡°Originally, I was going to come to you for help in a few days, but something came up suddenly, so I came earlier than planned. Brother Treasure Hunting Mouse, you shouldn¡¯t have any objections, right?¡± Su Yan smiled.


    Lin Zhendong quickly shook his head. ¡°No objection, but Sister Su Yan, can you call me by my name?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better not to call yourself by your real name. Remember this,¡± Su Yan said.


    ¡°Uh, alright.¡± Lin Zhendong was stunned for a moment, but he could only accept it helplessly.


    As he watched the car drive out of the city, he couldn¡¯t help but be curious. ¡°Where is our destination? How long will it take?¡±


    ¡°Somewhere in the mountains of Zilong County. It will take about four to five hours,¡± Su Yan replied.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to ask for leave again later.¡± Lin Zhendong sighed helplessly, thinking that he had thought of going to school today yesterday.


    ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s fine. Anyway, the last semester of your third year is all about revision. Some students just asked for leave and didn¡¯t show up. They studied at home and only returned to school until the college entrance examination,¡± Su Yan said as if she had experienced it before.


    Lin Zhendong¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He didn¡¯t say that he was still a high school student! He didn¡¯t say that he was asking for leave from school!


    The other party had completely learned his information.


    After suppressing his emotions and chatting for a while, Lin Zhendong could not help but want to get some information. ¡°Sister Su Yan, may I know the name of this faction you¡¯re in?¡±


    ¡°Bauhinia Legion,¡± Su Yan said without hiding anything.


    When Lin Zhendong heard this unfamiliar name, he subconsciously took out his phone and prepared to search online.


    However, Su Yan stopped him with a smile. ¡°Foolish little brother, you can¡¯t find this information on the public network or log in to the dark web. If you log into the intelligence network of your Special Protection Department, you should be able to find some information.¡±


    Lin Zhendong had no choice but to take back his phone. Needless to say, the intelligence network of the Special Protection Department was not something that a newcomer like him could access.


    So he simply asked, ¡°Sis, are there many such forces in the country?¡±


    ¡°There are about seven or eight legions in the world that are similar to ours, and there are dozens of second-tier ones and countless third-tier ones,¡± Su Yan said casually.


    ¡°Uh, these organizations can operate in the Zhongyun Empire? I¡¯ve never even heard of it.¡± Lin Zhendong was shocked. There were actually so many unofficial organizations. He had not heard any news about it!


    Su Yan explained, ¡°They¡¯re all extraordinary organizations. The control of public opinion in Zhongyun Empire is relatively strict, so they didn¡¯t reveal it to the ordinary people.¡±


    ¡°However, everyone knows about it in countries with lax control over public opinion. Moreover, in some countries, some extraordinary organizations have even appeared openly and even opened offices.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only because the official control of the Zhongyun Empire is so strong that extraordinary organizations like us are secretive here.¡±


    Lin Zhendong nodded. This was an era where power belonged to the individual. It was normal for all kinds of extraordinary organizations to appear.


    He also wanted to find out more about the Bauhinia Legion, such as how many people there were, what their highest combat power was, where their headquarters was, and so on.


    ¡°This is a secret of the organization. I can¡¯t tell you.¡± Su Yan directly refused him.


    However, Su Yan did give a general idea of the situation regarding the other extraordinary organizations.


    With just that, Lin Zhendong¡¯s horizons were broadened.


    As they chatted, time flew by. When the car stopped, Lin Zhendong realized they had arrived at the foot of a dense forest.

 Chapter 12

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°Let¡¯s go up the mountain.¡± Su Yan took the lead and walked quickly into the forest. Lin Zhendong followed immediately.


    Before leaving, he glanced at the driver curiously and found that the driver had only turned around and rested in the car.


    Climbing over mountains and ridges was not difficult for people these days. It was only slightly more tiring than running on flat roads.


    Therefore, not long after, the two arrived at the mountain¡¯s top with calm expressions.


    Lin Zhendong looked around and didn¡¯t find anything special. As he was about to ask, Su Yan threw him a jade token and shouted, ¡°Follow me.¡±


    It was a purple jade token with a bauhinia flower carved on it. It was obviously the symbol of the Bauhinia Legion.


    Lin Zhendong lowered his head and played with the jade token as he subconsciously followed a few steps. Then, the chip suddenly gave him a notification.


    Lin Zhendong was stunned when he looked up.


    This was because the ordinary mountain peak had turned into a huge, flat, rocky land that covered hundreds of acres.


    In the middle of this rocky land stood a four-story pyramid that occupied at least eight acres. It was green and more than twenty meters tall.


    Lin Zhendong groaned, ¡°Oh my god! Wood element four-story pyramid! This is a second-class lair!¡±


    When he came to his senses, he hurriedly asked Su Yan, who was looking at it calmly with her arms crossed, ¡°Sister Su Yan, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just that the barrier master has cast a barrier. Only with the jade token of our Bauhinia Legion can you enter the barrier,¡± Su Yan explained.


    ¡°No, Sis, why didn¡¯t the Special Protection Department discover such a second-class lair in Zilong County? This is too much of a dereliction of duty!¡± Lin Zhendong was still shocked.


    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s what you¡¯re asking. It¡¯s still about the barrier.¡±


    ¡°Back then, when we discovered this lair, we cast a barrier and directly broke through it.¡±


    ¡°The reason why the people within a radius of dozens of kilometers couldn¡¯t hear the sound of glass breaking when the lair shattered was naturally due to the barrier,¡± Su Yan said casually.


    Lin Zhendong¡¯s heart trembled. A second-class lair, how could they break through it just like that?


    And what the hell was this barrier? It could actually block the search of the Special Protection Department and cover up the sound of glass shattering when the lair was broken through.


    After all, the sound of glass shattering affected the human brain.


    No known facility could stop it! Now, it was actually blocked by a barrier?


    More importantly, it could block the scanning of the chip in his brain!


    The barrier of a barrier master could actually disable the chip¡¯s scanning function?


    This Bauhinia Legion was definitely many times more powerful than he had imagined!


    As he was thinking and walking on the rocky ground, he subconsciously looked at the rocks on the ground. He could not help but frown when he saw that these rocks of different sizes were very strange.


    ¡°Sister, what are these rocks? Didn¡¯t they say that after the lair is destroyed, the area will be flat, and only the lair will be left?¡± Lin Zhendong asked curiously.


    ¡°Oh, these stones are the materials for the floors in the lair. Previously, when I was finding Snow Jade Lotus, I dismantled the internal structure of the lair and threw them away with a sieve,¡± Su Yan said casually.


    These words gave Lin Zhendong a huge shock.


    There were a lot of videos on the internet of the government clearing out useless lairs.


    The first-class lairs were directly blasted with a large number of explosives, while second-class lairs were slowly ground down with impact drills, hammers, claw machines, and other machinery.


    Without a lot of manpower, resources, and time, it was impossible to clear a second-class lair.


    As a result, on Su Yan¡¯s side, it seemed like there were only a few people, but they were able to solve a problem that would have taken several months and involved hundreds or even thousands of people in just one go.


    He knew that the gap was huge, but he did not expect it to be so huge.


    While he was sighing with emotion, a sound suddenly came from the huge, pitch-black entrance of the pyramid on the first floor.


    He looked up and saw a dozen men in black tights, carrying sabers on their backs and wearing hoods. They were escorting a burly man who was almost two meters tall.


    The other men in black bowed in unison. The burly man grinned and waved at Lin Zhendong with a smile. ¡°Hahaha, Treasure Hunting Mouse, you¡¯re finally here! Welcome, welcome!¡±


    ¡°This is my partner, nicknamed Xiao Ye. His appearance should have been printed on the wanted list all over Riverside City,¡± Su Yan introduced.


    Lin Zhendong smacked his lips. He really wasn¡¯t sure about this matter. However, according to Li Zhi¡¯s swift and decisive personality, it should be as Su Yan said.


    Seeing that they did not seem to care about the arrest warrant, he did not know if they did not care because they were powerful or had other ways to hide from others.


    Lin Zhendong had the chip scan them.


    The result was not surprising at all. The big man nicknamed Xiao Ye: [The target is kind. Strength: A.]


    Then, the men in black: [The target is kind. Strength: C.]


    Looking at these signs, Lin Zhendong simply decided to give up. He couldn¡¯t beat any of them anyway.


    ¡°Haha, cut out the courtesy. We¡¯re in a hurry.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll bring you in to find Snow Jade Lotus!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there. Hurry up and go in to light up!¡±


    Xiao Ye started shouting loudly.


    The man in black rushed into the dark doorway. Lin Zhendong was caught by Xiao Ye¡¯s big hand as if he was a child. He was carried into the doorway.


    It was pitch black before, but suddenly, a dozen daylight lights lit up in all directions.


    The darkness was instantly dispelled.


    Lin Zhendong looked at everything in front of him speechlessly.


    The pyramid occupied an area of eight acres. A huge pit of about seven acres and three meters deep had been dug into the ground on the first floor.


    Moreover, all the layers between the floors had been torn down, and the first to fourth floors had become a whole space.


    To put it simply, the entire second-class four-story pyramid of wood elements was only an outer shell left, and there was nothing inside.


    As long as the outer shell was removed, it would be equivalent to directly dismantling the lair.


    Moreover, it was the kind that dug three meters into the ground. It could directly carry out farming, animal husbandry, and fishing work.


    ¡°You guys still haven¡¯t found Snow Jade Lotus?¡± Lin Zhendong was conflicted.


    The moment he entered the lair, the chip had already marked out all the treasures hidden in the pyramid.


    Looking at those places, Lin Zhendong could not help but wonder if their luck was too bad.


    Xiao Ye curled her lips. ¡°I even suspect there¡¯s no Snow Jade Lotus in this place. It¡¯s no different from plowing through it. But Su Yan insists that there must be Snow Jade Lotus in this place.¡±


    ¡°If you didn¡¯t come, I would have taken off the shell and filtered it with a sieve.¡±


    Lin Zhendong looked at the silent Su Yan and said hesitantly, ¡°Uh, there are indeed treasures here, but I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the Snow Jade Lotus.¡±


    ¡°Eh? You actually discovered it immediately? Where was it? Find it quickly!¡± Xiao Ye was excited.


    ¡°Little brother, go ahead and look for it. I won¡¯t blame you if you can¡¯t find it in the end.¡± Su Yan promised solemnly.


    ¡°Give me a digging tool.¡± Lin Zhendong nodded and extended his hand.


    ¡°Forget about the tools!¡± Xiao Ye immediately said, ¡°Show me the suspected location. I¡¯ll dig it up!¡±


    Lin Zhendong was about to nod when Su Yan stopped him. ¡°Don¡¯t. Finding treasures depends on luck! Don¡¯t get involved. Find a tool and give it to him quickly!¡±


    Xiao Ye¡¯s entire body stiffened when he heard that.


    Then, he scratched his head and looked left and right. Finally, his eyes lit up, and he waved at the man in black closest to him. ¡°Give him your sword!¡±


    The man in black immediately took off his saber and handed it over.


    Lin Zhendong looked at the saber and then at the crowd. He held the saber helplessly and jumped into the three-meter-deep pit.


    He walked all the way to the other side, jumped into the pit, and then pulled out his sword and started digging at the corner of the wall.

 Chapter 13

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Seeing Lin Zhendong¡¯s actions, Xiao Ye was dumbfounded. He turned his head to look at Su Yan, who was also in a daze, and muttered, ¡°It can¡¯t be, right? Where was Snow Jade Lotus buried? I remember passing by that place several times!¡±


    Su Yan suppressed her excitement and said, ¡°That¡¯s why I said that looking for treasures depends on one¡¯s luck!¡±


    ¡°I can find it even if I tear down the entire lair!¡± Xiao Ye was a little dissatisfied.


    ¡°Bullsh*t! At most, you can blow up the entire lair and filter it. You definitely won¡¯t explore the underground in that corner because you¡¯ve already dug three meters deep! You¡¯ll blame the fortune teller when you can¡¯t find anything!¡± Su Yan said unhappily.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s dark here¡­ Should we go over and help?¡± Xiao Ye smiled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t. Let him dig it out. Finding treasures depends on one¡¯s luck. Treasures should not be revealed to others. Let¡¯s not get involved.¡± Su Yan stopped Xiao Ye nervously.


    Xiao Ye also knew how important Snow Jade Lotus was to Su Yan, so he stood where he was and stretched his neck, watching Lin Zhendong dig anxiously.


    Lin Zhendong was not sure if his knife were not good or because the ground was solid. After a while, Xiao Ye was getting anxious from waiting. Lin Zhendong put down the knife and started to dig into the ground with his hands.


    Then, Lin Zhendong finally stood up with a ball in his hands. The sharp-eyed Xiao Ye and Su Yan naturally saw it was a lotus-shaped object at a glance.


    ¡°You found it?!¡± Xiao Ye was dumbfounded.


    Su Yan was overjoyed, but she was also afraid.


    For a moment, the two big shots did not move. They watched from afar as Lin Zhendong gently tidied up the soil, revealing a snow-white Snow Jade Lotus.


    ¡°Snow Jade Lotus!¡± Su Yan shouted in surprise.


    At this moment, Su Yan¡¯s expression suddenly changed. She roared angrily, ¡°How dare you!¡±


    That was because a black-robed man, who was not far away from Lin Zhendong, suddenly drew his saber after the Snow Jade Lotus was revealed. He rushed over quickly and slashed at the Snow Jade Lotus in Lin Zhendong¡¯s hand.


    The man in black closest to Lin Zhendong did not react in time. After all, who would have thought that his people would suddenly attack?


    At this moment, the Snow Jade Lotus disappeared.


    The blade slashed into the ground, slashing a hole in the ground. Lin Zhendong¡¯s body was also blown back and fell into the three-meter-wide hole.


    The black-robed man drew his blade and leaped toward Lin Zhendong, who was in the pit as if he wanted to continue attacking.


    But at this moment, everyone reacted.


    The black-robed man¡¯s body was stuck in the air. He struggled desperately but could not move at all.


    One could see that inch-wide black shadows were binding him everywhere on his body.


    Su Yan made a move.


    The other men in black also drew their weapons in unison. Some were on guard, while others were wary of the assassin.


    However, no one dared to approach Lin Zhendong. They did not want to get suspicious.


    Xiao Ye roared and leaped from the other side of the pit to the top of the assassin. He raised his fist and prepared to kill the assassin with a punch.


    ¡°Wait! Brother Xiao Ye, don¡¯t kill him!¡± Lin Zhendong, who was standing up, shouted in a panic.


    Xiao Ye forcefully retracted his hand and silently landed beside the assassin. He did not dare to land beside Lin Zhendong to disturb Lin Zhendong.


    Xiao Ye¡¯s expression darkened because he was the one who brought these men in black. He also knew what Snow Jade Lotus meant to Su Yan. His subordinate wanted to destroy Snow Jade Lotus. He really couldn¡¯t explain himself!


    Therefore, even if he wanted to kill this assassin, he had to suppress his killing intent. Otherwise, it would be hard to explain.


    In a flash, Su Yan had already floated over. She didn¡¯t even look at the assassin she had imprisoned. Instead, she looked nervous. She carefully sized Lin Zhendong¡¯s body up and asked, ¡°Little brother, are you alright?¡±


    Lin Zhendong patted the dirt off his body. Of course, he knew what Su Yan was concerned about. He naturally grinned and stretched out his hand. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I didn¡¯t disappoint you. Sister Su Yan, is this the Snow Jade Lotus you wanted?¡±


    Su Yan saw the Snow Jade Lotus appear in Lin Dongyun¡¯s palm. Her eyes were glued to this treasure that she had been yearning for. She gently received it with trembling hands.


    After a careful examination, she muttered with trembling lips, ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s indeed the Snow Jade Lotus! That¡¯s great!¡± Then, Su Yan stuffed it into her shadow and hid it.


    After doing this, Su Yan¡¯s emotions finally stabilized.


    She looked at Lin Zhendong gratefully. ¡°Thank you, little brother. This Snow Jade Lotus is important to me. I owe you a favor.¡±


    As Su Yan said this, she turned to look at the assassin who was trapped in the air and said coldly, ¡°I¡¯ll give you an explanation for this.¡±


    Xiao Ye rubbed his hands anxiously, but he couldn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°Sister Su Yan, don¡¯t be anxious. You and Xiao Ye have to check this big brother carefully,¡± Lin Zhendong said.


    ¡°When he attacked me just now, I realized something was wrong with him.¡±


    Lin Zhendong spoke up because the chip had given a strange indication when it had issued the hostile warning earlier. [Target is hostile (controlled). Strength: C]


    It was not to defend the assassin but to prevent the mastermind from hiding and watching the show.


    More importantly, Lin Zhendong, the clever little guy, looked at the men in black around him with shock and disbelief in his eyes.


    From their expressions alone, it was clear that these men in black were not emotionless tools of the evil organization.


    ¡°Eh?¡± Hearing this, Xiao Ye and Su Yan exclaimed.


    The eyes of the other men in black who were surrounding him couldn¡¯t help but light up. They all looked at the person who was floating in the air.


    With a look, everyone could tell something was wrong because that person¡¯s eyes were dull. No matter how they looked at it, he did not look like an ordinary person.


    Su Yan didn¡¯t say anything. She waved her hand, and a black palm suddenly appeared in the air, pulling off the other party¡¯s mask.


    It was a dull, expressionless, ordinary-looking young man.


    The black palm appeared again and imprinted itself on the other party¡¯s face before entering his brain.


    After a while, black lines seeped out of the young man¡¯s nostrils, and at the end of the lines, there was a slender, white, and tender little bug tied up.


    When Xiao Ye saw the bug, he roared, ¡°It¡¯s a puppet worm? Damn the Vodun Sect!¡±


    Not only that, but the other men in black were also furious.


    As soon as the puppet worm was pulled out, it seemed to have been set up with some kind of device. It struggled a few times and then shattered into a pool of liquid.


    The young man also regained his senses. He looked around in confusion and realized he was trapped in the air. He subconsciously asked, ¡°What happened to me?¡±


    Su Yan didn¡¯t say a word nor did she let go of the young man. Her body shook, and dozens of black shadows appeared, quickly surging into all the men in black floating in the air.


    The men in black who were on guard did not resist and allowed the black shadow to enter their bodies.


    It was not until all the shadows came out of the black-robed man¡¯s body and disappeared into the shadows under Su Yan¡¯s feet that Su Yan released the shackles and allowed the black-robed man to fall.


    Xiao Ye rubbed her hands and drooled, but she didn¡¯t know what to say and followed Su Yan.

 Chapter 14

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Looking at her companion, who looked like a loyal hound, Su Yan flicked her hair. ¡°I have to make it up to that brother just now. The Vodun Sect is targeting me. He¡¯s just implicated.¡±


    Xiao Ye was overjoyed at first, but then he waved his hand with a straight face and said, ¡°I don¡¯t need you to make up for it! It was all because of that idiot¡¯s carelessness. He was unlucky to be schemed against by the enemy! I haven¡¯t even punished him yet. I don¡¯t need you to make up for it. I don¡¯t need it at all!¡±


    The other men in black finally rushed out and helped the panting young man up.


    ¡°What I¡¯m saying is you have to make it up to that brother! He is your subordinate! He was controlled by someone else. Shouldn¡¯t you make it up to him?¡± Su Yan glanced at Lin Zhendong from the corner of her eyes and then glared at Xiao Ye.


    Xiao Ye was stunned, but he quickly nodded. ¡°Yes, yes, you¡¯re right. Su Yan, you¡¯re the wisest! As the leader, I should indeed compensate my brother for his grievances. It¡¯s my duty!¡± As he spoke, he grinned foolishly.


    Lin Zhendong¡¯s heart calmed down. As expected, it was not that kind of cruel and cold organization!


    When he secretly scanned the men in black, he realized that all of them had become [The target is friendly (friend), C-rank].


    The young man who had put on the mask again reached the same level: [The target is friendly (grateful friend), Strength: C-rank]


    Xiao Ye also became: [Target is friendly (friend), strength A-rank.]


    As for Su Yan, she changed it to [Target is friendly (good friend), strength A-rank.]


    Lin Zhendong was overjoyed. The people he knew in the past, other than the few neighbors who were especially good to him, had only two states of kindness: [normal] and [kind].


    He didn¡¯t expect that he would be able to get so many people to be friendly with him just by reminding them!


    Just as Lin Zhendong was feeling smug, Su Yan came over and said with concern, ¡°Little brother, because you helped me, so you might have angered the great villain. But don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make them pay the price soon! For this period, it¡¯s best if you don¡¯t go to some remote places, especially don¡¯t leave the surveillance area. When it¡¯s over, I¡¯ll let you know.¡±


    Xiao Ye patted his chest. ¡°Bro, don¡¯t worry. With our attacks, those rats won¡¯t have time for you. As long as you don¡¯t be stupid and send yourself to them, there won¡¯t be any problems! ¡±


    Lin Zhendong grinned. ¡°I¡¯m preparing for the college entrance examination. I¡¯m either going to study at home or go to school. I won¡¯t go anywhere else.¡±


    Su Yan¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°That¡¯s good. Let¡¯s not talk about the family area of the Special Protection Department. The schools in Zhongyun are forbidden areas we don¡¯t dare to disturb. You¡¯re doing very well!¡±


    After saying that, she reached into the shadow beside her and took out a small metal box.


    The box opened with a click in front of Lin Zhendong.


    Lin Zhendong took a few deep breaths when he saw what was inside.


    Dense, vertically stacked gold coins filled the entire small box.


    He didn¡¯t know how many stacks there were, but there were at least five stacks!


    As for the green diamond-shaped crystal object on top of the gold coin, it was as thick as two fingers. He ignored it.


    Su Yan said in embarrassment, ¡°Little brother, I came out in a hurry this time and didn¡¯t bring much. These 500 gold coins and this skill crystal dug out from the brain of a lair boss from a second-class lair are part of your reward. I¡¯ll thank you again the next time we meet.¡±


    ¡°Brother!¡± Xiao Ye immediately jumped out to show off. ¡°I dug up that crystal!¡±


    Lin Zhendong, who was attracted by the gold coins, immediately shifted his attention to the diamond-shaped crystal. The light of the gold coin could no longer attract his attention.


    ¡°This, this is the skill crystal?!¡± Lin Zhendong held the diamond-shaped crystal with trembling hands.


    ¡°Little brother, take it home and find a quiet time to use it.¡± Su Yan smiled.


    ¡°Ah, oh!¡± Lin Zhendong immediately stuffed the diamond-shaped crystal into the box in a flurry, closed it, and hugged it tightly in his arms.


    However, he only realized that the reward seemed too generous. Should he reject it?


    But that was a skill crystal! And it was a skill crystal produced by a wood-type lair boss from a second-class lair! He did not want to reject it!


    However, in his dilemma, Lin Zhendong still handed the box to Su Yan with reluctance in his eyes. ¡°Sister Su Yan, you don¡¯t need to pay me. Since you agreed to help, you naturally don¡¯t need to pay me.¡±


    Su Yan raised her hand to block it and said with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t be so wishy-washy. Take this reward. Unless you don¡¯t see me as your big sister.¡±


    Seeing Lin Zhendong¡¯s conflicted and tempted look, Su Yan patted Lin Zhendong¡¯s head. ¡°Be good. Just take it. Use the method you used to make Snow Jade Lotus disappear to keep this box.¡±


    On the other hand, Xiao Ye secretly muttered, ¡°Isn¡¯t it just the crystal of a lair boss from a second-class lair boss? You don¡¯t have to be like this?¡± As soon as he said this, his feet were stomped on painfully. Needless to say, there was no one else present who could make his feet hurt.


    Xiao Ye was so scared that he gritted his teeth and shut up.


    When Lin Zhendong saw this, he gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Then I won¡¯t stand on ceremony. Thank you!¡± With a thought, the box directly entered his storage space.


    No one paid attention to Lin Zhendong¡¯s ability to make things disappear. They were probably used to this kind of ability to hide things.


    ¡°Haha, the work is done. Now, watch me destroy this lair shell!¡± Xiao Ye suddenly burst into laughter. Before anyone could react, he punched the top of the tower.


    ¡°Xiao Ye!¡± Su Yan roared angrily. Then, before Lin Zhendong could react, he was wrapped in a layer of black film.


    A deafening sound rang out, and then only the sound of rocks cracking could be heard. Other than that, it was pitch-black and nothing could be seen.


    However, the black membrane soon disappeared.


    Then, Lin Zhendong¡¯s eyes lit up, and he looked around in a daze.


    The tall pyramid was gone. At a glance, the hundreds of acres of rocky land had become flat ground. There was no place higher than 30 centimeters.


    And several hundred acres away, there was a circle of dust dozens of meters tall. It was being driven far away by an unknown force.


    Of course, there was Su Yan with a dirty face and a dozen other black-clothed people with similar looks.


    Looking at Su Yan¡¯s sorry state, and then looking at his refreshing state, it seemed the black protective shield from before could not take care of many people.


    Meanwhile, Xiao Ye was laughing loudly in the middle of the flat ground with its hands on its hips.


    However, he was beaten by Su Yan with a few punches.


    Lin Zhendong could only put on a fake smile and look on awkwardly.


    He couldn¡¯t use any other expression to show his shock.


    It was only one punch, but bthe sturdy and tall second-class lair was destroyed!


    It was impossible for a human to do this!


    At this moment, Lin Zhendong also had an understanding of the A-rank strength evaluated by the chip.


    In any case, it was not someone he could provoke.


    There was nothing else to do after that. Su Yan sent Lin Zhendong down the mountain and sent him to the car waiting at the foot of the mountain.


    She waved her hand apologetically. ¡°Little brother, I can¡¯t send you home personally. I still have things to do. I¡¯m sorry. See you next time.¡±


    Then, Su Yan watched the car leave until it disappeared. Then, she turned around and left.

 Chapter 15

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Lin Zhendong was also waving in the car. He only turned around and heaved a sigh of relief when he couldn¡¯t see Su Yan¡¯s figure anymore.


    Just as he subconsciously wanted to take out his phone, he was shocked to find that he still had the purple jade token with the purple bud carved on it.


    Lin Zhendong hurriedly handed the jade token to the driver. ¡°Mister, I forgot to return this jade token to Sister Su Yan. Please bring it back to her later.¡±


    ¡°Sir, this is our organization¡¯s precious item. Only the sender and their superior can retrieve it. Su Yan is one of the highest-ranking members in the organization, so other people do not have the authority to retrieve this jade token. Please keep it safe.¡± the driver said politely.


    ¡°Ah, I see. I¡¯ll give it back to her next time.¡± Lin Zhendong kept the jade token in his storage space.


    The driver glanced at Lin Zhendong through the rearview mirror and subconsciously introduced, ¡°Sir, that jade token can mobilize a portion of the strength of the Bauhinia Legion. It can also mobilize funds of less than a hundred gold coins per month. It also has many privileges.¡±


    Lin Zhendong was not moved at all. He just smiled and nodded.


    Seeing Lin Zhendong¡¯s reaction, the driver was silent for a while. Suddenly, he lowered his head and said gratefully, ¡°Sir, I thank you on behalf of my younger brother for speaking up for him. Otherwise, my younger brother would have been killed by the furious Mr. Xiao Ye.¡±


    The driver continued, ¡°Even if Mr. Xiao Ye showed mercy, my younger brother would still be imprisoned. If they find out the truth after the investigation, his reputation in the organization will plummet, instead of being rewarded like he is now with no punishment. It is all thanks to your words.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that man is your younger brother! Is he your biological brother?¡± Lin Zhendong did not expect it to be such a coincidence.


    ¡°Yes.¡± The driver nodded affirmatively.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a piece of cake. Moreover, I did notice his abnormality. Besides, Sister Su Yan was willing to speak up so that Brother Xiao Ye showed mercy. I think Brother Xiao Ye will not punish your brother in the first place.¡± Lin Zhendong quickly waved his hand.


    ¡°Without your help, the two big shots wouldn¡¯t have given you a way out. After all, Mr. Xiao Ye would have killed my brother.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s nothing to you, but you did save my brother¡¯s life.¡± The driver said gratefully.


    Lin Zhendong was a little enlightened. He finally understood what the chip¡¯s evaluation meant by grateful friend.


    He couldn¡¯t help but scan the driver with the chip. [The target is friendly (grateful friend), Strength: C-rank]


    After the driver said a few words of gratitude, he saw Lin Zhendong was extremely polite. Then, he did not thank Lin Zhendong anymore. Instead, he said, ¡°Sir, I¡¯m a member of the organization stationed in Riverside City. In the future, if you need any help in Riverside City, feel free to call me.¡± As he spoke, he even handed over a business card.


    ¡°Zhongsheng Trading Company in Riverside City. Salesperson, Yang Wen. Phone number¡­¡± Lin Zhendong could not help but blink his eyes when he read this.


    ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s a job to hide my identity. As a salesperson, I need to look for customers everywhere. I have a list of customers every month. I can avoid going to the company all year round. It¡¯s also convenient for me to do things.¡±


    ¡°Sir, please give me your phone number. I can contact a lot of people. I might be able to provide you with some useful information.¡± Yang Wen said politely.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Naturally, Lin Zhendong immediately gave the driver his number. He didn¡¯t even need to take out his phone to remember it. He would remember it after hearing it once.


    Sensing that the other party had a different impression of him, Lin Zhendong could not help but ask boldly, ¡°Brother Yang, may I ask, why is your brother also a member of the Bauhinia Legion?¡±


    ¡°Haha, I know what you mean. Let alone my brother and I, my parents, and even my grandparents are members of the Bauhinia Legion.¡± Driver Yang Wen said with a smile.


    ¡°Uh, Bauhinia Legion¡¯s legacy has been around for so long?¡± Lin Zhendong was stunned.


    ¡°Sir, on the way here, Lord Su Yan already introduced you to the extraordinary organizations in the world. Actually, we have privately divided the unofficial extraordinary organizations into five levels.¡±


    ¡°There are eight first-tier organizations, including Bauhinia Legion.¡±


    ¡°There are about thirty second-tier ones in the world.¡±


    ¡°Hundreds and thousands of third-tier, tens of thousands of fourth-tier, and the rest are fifth-tier.¡±


    ¡°As for extraordinary organizations above third-tier, they have existed for at least a few hundred years.¡±


    ¡°There are even rumors that some fourth-tier has existed for thousands of years. However, this is only a rumor, and no one is sure of it.¡± Yang Wen said in detail.


    ¡°What level is that Vodun Sect?¡± Lin Zhendong asked.


    ¡°The second-tier. You don¡¯t have to worry about this Vodun Sect. Lord Su Yan and Lord Xiao Ye won¡¯t let them off. They will make them pay the price. During this period, you only need to be careful and not go to remote places.¡± Yang Wen said.


    ¡°Second-tier? Why do they dare to provoke the first-tier organization?¡± Lin Zhendong was a little puzzled.


    ¡°Tier is only about power and strength. In the face of benefits, even the lowest fifth-tier organizations would dare to snatch food from first-tier organizations. ¡± Yang Wen said matter-of-factly.


    ¡°Understood. Oh right! How do you calculate the power and strength of the tier of extraordinary organizations? How long has the organization existed? Territory controlled? Or the number of members?¡± Lin Zhendong asked curiously.


    Yang Wen shook his head. ¡°No. It¡¯s all about strength. As long as someone in the organization is strong enough to destroy a city by himself. We also call these people the nuclear bomb-level extraordinary if they could destroy a first-tier city with a population of ten million.¡±


    ¡°Then, an organization with a nuclear weapon-level extraordinary is a first-tier extraordinary organization. Even if there are only one or two people in the organization at the beginning, the territory, manpower, and power will naturally roll in until they match the strength of this extraordinary.¡±


    ¡°Destroying a first-tier city with millions of people by oneself?!¡± Lin Zhendong was shocked.


    Even though he was a disciple of the Special Protection Division, he could not imagine a person who could destroy an entire city by themself.


    Lin Zhendong had always thought that the Special Protection Department was responsible for finding lairs, clearing lairs, and collecting treasures. It was a pure combat organization.


    Now that Lin Zhendong thought about it, there were so many extraordinary organizations in the world, and each of them was so powerful. Was the Special Protection Department also specially established to deal with these organizations?


    The members of the Special Protection Department that he knew were not as good as the members of the Bauhinia Legion. However, the people he knew were all at the district department level, while the Bauhinia Legion was at the international level.


    However, even though they were one of the top eight extraordinary organizations in the world, they still carried out their operations sneakily in Zhongyun.


    Although they seemed to not care about the Special Protection Department, they didn¡¯t kill anyone from the Special Protection Department.


    With Xiao Ye¡¯s A-rank strength, it should be easy for him to wipe out a city, right?


    Xiao Ye was strong but was willing to accompany Li Zhi and Xiao Bin in putting on a show.


    Li Zhi and Xiao Bin¡¯s faces were bruised and swollen. Compared to Xiao Ye¡¯s strength, they were no different from kittens.


    It meant that Bauhinia Legion was wary of a nuclear bomb-level extraordinary in Zhongyun.


    According to the system of the Zhongyun Empire, such a nuclear bomb-level extraordinary would exist in the Special Protection Department!


    Thinking about how powerful the country was and how awesome the Special Protection Department was, Lin Zhendong, who was a member of the Special Protection Department, felt full of confidence for some reason.

 Chapter 16

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Yang Wen saw Lin Zhendong was deep in thought and deliberately kept quiet.


    He waited until Lin Zhendong raised his head and looked over before continuing, ¡°Sir, a nuclear bomb level extraordinary is the most important existence in any extraordinary organization.¡±


    ¡°Once a nuclear bomb extraordinary dies, the organization¡¯s level will immediately drop by one tier, and the power they have will also drop.¡±


    ¡°A nuclear bomb level extraordinary will die?¡± Lin Zhendong asked in shock.


    ¡°It¡¯s normal. People have all kinds of accidents. Although they¡¯re a nuclear bomb-level extraordinary, they¡¯re still human. Humans will always encounter some unsolvable dangers.¡± Yang Wen sighed.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. People will have many problems.¡± Lin Zhendong nodded.


    He continued to ask, ¡°Oh right, is the level of extraordinary organization automatically decreasing or something? Who will evaluate it? For example, if the nuclear bomb level extraordinary of my organization dies and I hide it from others, isn¡¯t my organization still first-tier?¡±


    ¡°Of course, you can hide it,¡± Yang Wen said with a smile, ¡°However, some top-notch conflicts of interest and fights must be resolved with the presence of a nuclear bomb level extraordinary.¡±


    ¡°You can find an excuse once or twice, but the other organizations will come to find you if you don¡¯t show up three or four times. After your nuclear bomb level extraordinary is dead, the other organizations will immediately open their mouths and devour him.¡±


    ¡°So, as long as a nuclear weapon-level extraordinary fall, regardless of whether it¡¯s hidden or exposed, the organization¡¯s power will inevitably decline.¡±


    ¡°After countless experiences and lessons, the current organization is very eye-catching. Rather than being forced to decline and face all kinds of risks, it¡¯s better to be prepared to automatically shrink and wait for the day when we rise again.¡±


    ¡°When you¡¯re prepared, you can minimize the risk of losing a nuclear bomb-level extraordinary.¡±


    ¡°This is also why there are rumors about extraordinary organizations that have existed for thousands of years hidden in the fourth-tier. It is indeed possible.¡± Yang Wen sighed.


    ¡°What was the earliest beginning of this extraordinary organization? How did they start?¡± Lin Zhendong took the opportunity to ask about some non-confidential matters.


    ¡°Simple. Occupy a lair, develop it privately, and operate it privately. One can naturally establish an extraordinary organization with resources.¡± Yang Wen smiled.


    ¡°I see.¡± Lin Zhendong nodded.


    However, he still had a question, ¡°Are the treatment of these extraordinary organizations good? I feel that there are too many extraordinary organizations. How can they recruit many people to work for an extraordinary organization?¡±


    Yang Wen was stunned for a moment. Then, he smiled proudly and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know about the other extraordinary organizations, but the Bauhinia Legion is pretty good. Sir, you can join if you¡¯re interested. I believe Mrs. Su Yan will be happy to be your referee.¡±


    Seeing Lin Zhendong shake his head and wave his hand to reject him without hesitation, Yang Wen sighed helplessly and paused before continuing, ¡°I don¡¯t know about your situation, but I think you should have seen something.¡±


    These words made Lin Zhendong frown and wait for the follow-up.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about other countries first. Take our Zhongyun Empire as an example. The government has announced the cultivation methods of the two major systems of [body technique] and [spiritual] to the entire population. They have even implemented them directly into the compulsory courses from kindergarten to university.¡±


    ¡°You are a high school student, so you should know that although the two major elements, [body technique] and [spiritual], have reached a stage where everyone can cultivate them, the level of strength varies from person to person.¡±


    Lin Zhendong nodded his head vigorously. He knew this very well.


    At this moment, Yang Wen seemed to have met a soulmate. He opened his mouth and complained, ¡°If everyone¡¯s cultivation strength is determined according to their aptitude, then there¡¯s nothing much to say. Some geniuses have gifts from the heavens. We cannot compare to them and can only accept our fate.¡±


    ¡°But the reality isn¡¯t like that. People with power and influence will have special treatment! You also know what special treatment is. It¡¯s all kinds of cultivation resources and powerful teachers.¡±


    ¡°Ordinary students can only get some resources from their parents and cultivate according to the official information. Poor people can even give up on the idea of cultivating! On the other hand, the nobles can enjoy the training resources to their heart¡¯s content! Even a cultivation idiot can forcefully pull it to an extraordinary level!¡±


    ¡°Some might say that their ancestors worked hard for several generations in exchange for the special treatment their descendants have today. You just started. How can you compare yourself to someone wealthy for many generations?¡±


    ¡°You want a fair competition with the descendants of people, who have eight generation worth of resources? How is it fair?¡±


    ¡°Alright, logically speaking, it¡¯s unfair to wipe out the accumulated wealth of eight generations and ask for fair competition on the same starting line as you.¡±


    ¡°But since we were born in this era and are in this seems fair and unfair situation, why don¡¯t we make a change?¡±


    ¡°Follow the official system? Hehe¡­¡± Yang Wen, who was speaking excitedly, suddenly reacted and quickly explained, ¡°Sir, I¡¯m not mocking you. You¡¯ve joined the job and haven¡¯t felt how restrained and terrifying the system is.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Continue.¡± Lin Zhendong quickly waved his hand.


    After listening to Yang Wen¡¯s words, he knew this old man was a little angry, but Lin Zhendong thought it was a normal reaction.


    He was an orphan. Although he had good neighbors, a good unit to take care of him, and his father¡¯s legacy, he had grown up smoothly.


    However, it did not mean he did not know what Yang Wen was talking about. Because he was in the family area of the Special Protection Department, he could understand more about the situation.


    For example, the resources produced by the lair could only be purchased with gold coins.


    And where did the gold coins come from? The most basic source of income was from the country, which would distribute the salary according to the job position.


    It was already considered good. Although it had not spread to everyone in the country, it had spread to everyone with a job. It could be said that it covered all the elites of society.


    On the contrary, in foreign countries, they either directly controlled the lair and did not give anything to outsiders or sold the resources produced by the lair at an expensive price, ensuring that only those at the top of the pyramid could enjoy it.


    In comparison, Zhongyun was already a great and fair country.


    Therefore, Lin Zhendong did not pay much attention to Yang Wen¡¯s explanation. Yang Wen¡¯s meaning was that cultivation resources were monopolized by the government and the giants. The extraordinary organizations were the ones who broke this monopoly and allowed ordinary people to enjoy cultivation resources.


    Therefore, the extraordinary organizations did not lack manpower. Instead, they were troubled by the number of people who wanted to join them.


    It was unknown whether Yang Wen did it on purpose or not. He kept talking about the most common complaints of those online nationalists.


    Lin Zhendong asked about the extraordinary organizations several times, including the Vodun Sect that controlled Yang Wen¡¯s younger brother. Yang Wen only said a few big and meaningless words before he changed the topic to the nationalistic youth.


    Lin Zhendong knew he would not get any information out of Yang Wen.


    Or rather, with their current relationship, he could only get this information.


    Thus, the two of them chatted for the entire journey. The car sent him back to the family area of Yuandong District.


    After putting Lin Zhendong down, Yang Wen told him to contact him if he needed help and the car left in a flash.


    Looking at the bright sunlight, Lin Zhendong suddenly felt a little dazed. It was only afternoon?


    Just the journey alone had taken him seven to eight hours, and he had only spent a little time in the second-class lair.


    Why did it feel like a long time had passed?


    Shaking his head, he swiped his card, greeted the guard, and went home.

 Chapter 17

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    People went to work, and students went to school. The family building was silent.


    Lin Zhendong returned home with ease, closed the door, and locked it from the inside.


    He immediately took out a metal box and opened it.


    A box of gold coins and the skill crystal appeared.


    His gaze did not linger on the box of gold coins for even a second. He immediately took out the skill crystal with both hands.


    ¡°Tsk tsk, so this is the legendary skill crystal! It¡¯s simply too beautiful! I don¡¯t know what skill is in this skill crystal!¡± Lin Zhendong looked at the crystal obsessively.


    Lin Zhendong seemed to have thought of something and immediately ran around the room in a flurry.


    First, Lin Zhendong ran to the bathroom to freshen up and specially washed his hands and face several times.


    Then, he used a wet tissue to wipe the skill crystal. He found a new clean towel to wipe the plate clean and placed the crystal in the middle of the plate.


    Finally, he pulled out the table and placed it in the middle of the living room. He then placed the fruit biscuits and the skill crystal on top.


    Then, Lin Zhendong tidied up his appearance, lit the incense, and kowtowed respectfully. He muttered, ¡°God, please give me the best wood elemental skill!¡±


    After praying, Lin Zhendong picked up the skill crystal with trembling hands.


    It was impossible not to be nervous. Lin Zhendong, the Treasure-Hunting Mouse, had always returned with a harvest.


    He had eaten at least twenty of those random heavenly treasures.


    However, there were no skills.


    Lin Zhendong did not have any skills, not even a cultivation technique.


    On the other hand, he cultivated the two main elements of [body technique] and [spiritual] quite well.


    However, what was the use of this? He would only be a punching bag without any attack or support skills.


    It wasn¡¯t that Lin Zhendong didn¡¯t want to learn cultivation techniques.


    It was expensive! Then, he had to spend a lot of energy, time, and resources to cultivate.


    What was the student¡¯s mission? Upgrade! Elementary school to junior high school! Junior high school to high school, high school to university!


    If one didn¡¯t complete these leveling goals, their future would be gloomy. Of course, no matter if one failed or succeeded, one could still learn the cultivation technique.


    One had to know that only university students or people with jobs could learn cultivation techniques!


    So as a student, how could Lin Zhendong waste his time on cultivation techniques? He would probably be beaten to death by his parents and teachers!


    The only possibility for a student to have a skill was through a skill crystal or a heavenly treasure.


    He didn¡¯t even dare to think about the skill crystals. There was a shortage of skill crystals for the demand. Not many people sold it, and he couldn¡¯t afford it either.


    It seemed like Lin Zhendong could only achieve his goal by picking up scraps from the Special Protection Department.


    However, Lin Zhendong¡¯s face darkened. Ordinary people could not even see a single heavenly treasure. He had eaten more than 20 of them but did not obtain any skills.


    He couldn¡¯t blame anyone for his bad luck.


    Now that a skill crystal of second-class lair had fallen into his hands, it would be strange if he wasn¡¯t nervous.


    Just as Lin Zhendong was about to place the crystal between his eyebrows, his expression suddenly changed. He quickly put down his hand and disturbed the chip in his brain.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you want half this time too? Let me tell you, you took half of the treasures before. I ate over 20 of them and still didn¡¯t get any skills!¡±


    ¡°Forget about it. This is not a heavenly treasure! You will not get half of it!¡±


    ¡°Otherwise, I¡¯ll die with you!¡±


    Lin Zhendong fiercely warned the chip in his head. Although the chip did not respond, Lin Zhendong felt slightly relieved.


    Only then did he place the crystal between his eyebrows.


    Then, the seemingly hard crystal began to soften. When Lin Zhendong let go of it, it stuck to his forehead.


    Lin Zhendong sat cross-legged and closed his eyes to sense.


    The crystal became softer and softer until it finally turned into a puddle of liquid and stuck to Lin Zhendong¡¯s glabella.


    Then, as if there was a hole between his eyebrows, it slowly absorbed the liquid.


    The liquid slowly decreased and finally disappeared.


    Lin Zhendong continued to meditate.


    Finally, he opened his eyes, his face full of excitement. ¡°Tsk, I¡¯ve activated the [Wood Elemental Shadow] skill. The name of this skill is strange, but it¡¯s indeed a wood-type skill. It has wood in its name.¡±


    ¡°Looks like my face isn¡¯t dark, but that¡¯s normal. The skill crystal has a 90% chance of producing a monster skill.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s see what kind of skill this Wood Elemental Shadow is. It would be great if it¡¯s a shadow skill like Sister Su Yan¡¯s.¡± Lin Zhendong licked his lips and quickly moved the things in the living room to the side to make the living room empty.


    Then, he stood up straight, took a deep breath, and began to use the skill according to the method transmitted by the skill crystal.


    ¡°Wood Element Shadow!¡± he shouted.


    As Lin Zhendong looked on expectantly, a ball of black flames wrapped around his palm. The black flames crackled and swayed.


    Lin Zhendong was stunned. His eyes were filled with confusion and shock as he looked at the flames wrapped around his palm.


    ¡°This is Wood Elemental Shadow? What kind of joke is this? It clearly has nothing to do with the wood or the shadow elements! Could it be the 10% chance of the skill crystal¡¯s mutation, and I¡¯m just unlucky enough to encounter it?¡± Lin Zhendong¡¯s face was filled with disbelief.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t they say the skill crystal was dug out by the lair boss of the wood-type second-class lair? No matter how ridiculous it is, it should be a wood elemental skill! What the hell is this!¡±


    ¡°Moreover, this thing looks completely different from the name of the skill! The name should be [Black Flame] instead of [Wood Elemental Shadow], right?¡± Lin Zhendong was still in a dilemma.


    Once a person absorbed a skill crystal, not only would the person automatically learn it, but it would also impart the name of the skill and the method to use it.


    As for the power and effect of the skill, that would have to be explored by the user.


    ¡°[Wood Elemental Shadow]¡­ That¡¯s the name, but isn¡¯t this black flame? Is this black flame a shadow?¡± Lin Zhendong did not give up. He raised his hand in front of his eyes to check.


    ¡°It¡¯s not hot at all. Is it not a flame?¡± Lin Zhendong muttered, and an unpleasant smell was emitted. The black flames vaporized his drooping hair.


    ¡°F*ck!¡± Lin Zhendong was so frightened that he flung his hand outwards.


    The ball of flame that was wrapped around his palm was thrown out and landed on the sofa.


    ¡°No!¡± Lin Zhendong shouted subconsciously.


    However, the scene of the sofa being burned by the black flames didn¡¯t happen.


    The ball of flame continued to stick to the spot where the sofa had landed and continued to shake. The spot where the black flame had stuck to the sofa was safe and sound.


    ¡°Eh? What was going on? I didn¡¯t burn? Then how did my hair get burned?¡± Lin Zhendong touched his hair. He could feel part of his hair that had been burned off.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me it only burns living things?¡± Lin Zhendong muttered in confusion. Just as he had the thought of burning his brain, smoke started to rise from the sofa to where the black flame was attached to.


    In an instant, a red flame ignited. In a second, a large basin of fire burned on the sofa.


    ¡°F*ck! Quickly extinguish it!¡± Lin Zhendong hurriedly shouted.


    Then, he could see the black flame within the red flame extinguished with a bang.


    However, the red flame was even stronger. The entire sofa was on fire, and the flames spread to other places.


    Thick smoke billowed, and the fire alarm bell naturally rang out desperately.


    ¡°This is bad!¡± Lin Zhendong slapped his forehead and rushed to the bathroom.

 Chapter 18

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Lin Zhendong hurriedly extinguished the fire. He looked at the messy living room and shook his head helplessly.


    At this moment, there was a knock on the door, and a strong voice sounded, ¡°Dongdong, what are you doing? The thick smoke even set off the fire alarm!¡±


    ¡°Grandpa Li!¡± Lin Zhendong quickly responded. Just as he was about to open the door, he quickly put the box of gold coins into his storage space.


    The door opened, and a skinny old man with white hair walked in. He glanced around and knocked on Lin Zhendong¡¯s head.


    ¡°You fool! I¡¯ve warned you not to cultivate at home since you were young. You have to go to an open space or a special cultivation room to cultivate. Look, you¡¯re cultivating a fire-type cultivation technique, right? Look at what you¡¯ve done to your house!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, Grandpa Li. I won¡¯t dare to do it again. I couldn¡¯t hold it in for a moment before.¡± Lin Zhendong scratched his head in embarrassment.


    The old man took his walkie-talkie and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. The fire alarm has been lifted.¡±


    Then, he patted Lin Zhendong¡¯s head. ¡°Although you¡¯re already employed, you¡¯re still preparing for the exam. Your task now is to focus on preparing for the exam and getting good results. Otherwise, your aunties will lose all their faces because of you, and people will gossip behind your back! ¡±


    Lin Zhendong¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He looked at Grandpa Li and saw the expression in his eyes. He nodded and said, ¡°Got it. Don¡¯t worry, Grandpa Li. I¡¯ll definitely shock everyone with my results for the college entrance examination!¡±


    Grandpa Li was stunned for a moment, then nodded. ¡°It¡¯s good that you have this confidence. This way, your aunties won¡¯t be in a difficult position, and no one can talk behind your back. Alright, pay attention and focus on preparing for the exam.¡± He patted Lin Zhendong¡¯s shoulder and left with his hands behind his back.


    Lin Zhendong watched Grandpa Li leave before closing the door.


    Lin Zhendong knew what Grandpa Li meant by his words. Wasn¡¯t it because his aunties had given him a three-month leave, which invited gossip and rumors?


    Of course, they only gossiped behind his back, and it did not spread.


    Lin Zhendong was a third-year student, so he could stop the rumors by saying he was taking leave.


    After all, no one could guarantee that their juniors would enter the job at 18. They also needed to prepare for the exam.


    With Lin Zhendong as an example, it would be easier for whoever came later.


    Therefore, this matter was nothing.


    However, Lin Zhendong realized that everyone in the district department was not as kind as he had imagined.


    Otherwise, such gossip wouldn¡¯t have fallen into Grandpa Li¡¯s ears.


    However, after thinking about it carefully, he understood that this was a matter of course.


    Every workplace had its factions. When Lin Zhendong joined the company, he was in his aunties¡¯ faction.


    The people who were eyeing the positions of his aunties treated him as an enemy.


    In the past, Lin Zhendong had no conflict of interest with the people in the workplace because he was his aunties¡¯ relative. Of course, everyone would show a friendly attitude toward him.


    After all, they could bluff and not tell the truth.


    However, after Lin Zhendong joined the workplace, he immediately chose a side. He could not help but get involved in the factional strife.


    Hence, the others did not need to be nice to him. It was because he had become their colleague, and there was a possibility of a conflict of interest.


    Although Lin Zhendong understood this logic, he was still a little unhappy.


    He had always thought that the district department was his base.


    Now, it seemed he had only received the support of a faction in the district department.


    Shaking his head and letting out a sigh of relief, Lin Zhendong began to clean up the place with renewed vigor.


    Was there a choice in this matter? He had no choice. Even if his aunties did not allow him to take sides, he had to take their side. They were family after all.


    As for getting good results in the college entrance examination to bring glory to his aunties?


    Lin Zhendong revealed a proud smile.


    Ever since he was 12 years old and was implanted with that strange chip, [eidetic memory] became his basic skill.


    That was because no one in the entire district department was the same age as him. In the entire school, he was the only one at his age in the district department. He did not dare to be arrogant, so he suppressed his results and did not dare to rush to first place.


    Of course, it was also because he didn¡¯t want to be known by the teacher and be dragged to participate in all kinds of competitions all day long, so he didn¡¯t have time to go to find treasures.


    Otherwise, humph, humph, he would impress everyone!


    Therefore, the college entrance exam preparation and taking three months off was just a way for him to slack off and obtain the last bit of free time.


    After all, there was no need to prepare for the exam at all. All the knowledge from high school was imprinted in his mind. He remembered all of it.


    Well, the only thing he wasn¡¯t confident about was mathematics.


    It wasn¡¯t something that could be learned by imprinting textbooks into one¡¯s mind.


    He still had to do more exercises and imprint all of them in his mind to be safe.


    However, there was only one subject to study, so there was plenty of time.


    Therefore, under such circumstances, Lin Zhendong couldn¡¯t focus on his revision and not fiddle with the [Wood Elemental Shadow] he had just obtained!


    Therefore, Lin Zhendong hurriedly cleaned the house, threw the burnt furniture into the special garbage dump, took a few books, and ran out.


    When he passed the gate, he even greeted Grandpa Li. ¡°Grandpa Li, I¡¯m going to school to revise! I might not be back for dinner. If Uncle Chen and Aunt Chen are back, please help me inform them.¡±


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s good. Focus on preparing for the exam! Get a good result to blind their eyes!¡± Grandpa Li immediately laughed so hard that his teeth could not be seen.


    They were so respectful to Grandpa Li, the guard. He was Li Bin¡¯s father, the neighbor upstairs, and a retired member of the district department. It was said that he was an important person when he was young.


    In any case, there was no harm in being respectful to the guards of the national unit. Crouching tigers and hidden dragons were not enough to describe these old guards.


    Lin Zhendong called a taxi and arrived at the West Coast Industrial Zone.


    There was no other way. The east coast was too prosperous, and there was almost no space. If he wanted to cultivate, he had to come to the abandoned industrial zone on the west coast.


    Lin Zhendong found a place to get off the car and wandered around. He found a quiet factory and entered an empty factory.


    Looking at this spacious and empty place, Lin Zhendong nodded in satisfaction. He extended his palm, and a ball of black flames immediately wrapped around it.


    With a flick of his wrist, the flames flew about ten meters away. With a thought, the cement ground cracked.


    ¡°The power is not bad, but the distance seems too close?¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t consume much energy. One flame consumed about one percent of my energy. I¡¯ll recover after taking a few breaths.¡±


    ¡°The energy in my body is so abundant. It¡¯s related to the fact that I¡¯ve eaten more than 20 treasures.¡±


    ¡°The only pity is that the chip has devoured half its energy. Moreover, I ate it randomly at that time. I didn¡¯t care about the attributes. I just ate it if I could. Now that I think about it, it¡¯s such a waste.¡± Lin Zhendong smacked his lips in pity.


    However, there was no other way. At that time, he only wanted to obtain a skill. How could he care about so many things?


    However, in the future, should he continue to eat wood-type treasures to increase the power of the [Wood Elemental Shadow], or should he eat other attributes?


    After all, this black flame had nothing to do with the wood element.Lin Zhendong hurriedly extinguished the fire. He looked at the messy living room and shook his head helplessly.


    At this moment, there was a knock on the door, and a strong voice sounded, ¡°Dongdong, what are you doing? The thick smoke even set off the fire alarm!¡±


    ¡°Grandpa Li!¡± Lin Zhendong quickly responded. Just as he was about to open the door, he quickly put the box of gold coins into his storage space.


    The door opened, and a skinny old man with white hair walked in. He glanced around and knocked on Lin Zhendong¡¯s head.


    ¡°You fool! I¡¯ve warned you not to cultivate at home since you were young. You have to go to an open space or a special cultivation room to cultivate. Look, you¡¯re cultivating a fire-type cultivation technique, right? Look at what you¡¯ve done to your house!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, Grandpa Li. I won¡¯t dare to do it again. I couldn¡¯t hold it in for a moment before.¡± Lin Zhendong scratched his head in embarrassment.


    The old man took his walkie-talkie and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. The fire alarm has been lifted.¡±


    Then, he patted Lin Zhendong¡¯s head. ¡°Although you¡¯re already employed, you¡¯re still preparing for the exam. Your task now is to focus on preparing for the exam and getting good results. Otherwise, your aunties will lose all their faces because of you, and people will gossip behind your back! ¡±


    Lin Zhendong¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He looked at Grandpa Li and saw the expression in his eyes. He nodded and said, ¡°Got it. Don¡¯t worry, Grandpa Li. I¡¯ll definitely shock everyone with my results for the college entrance examination!¡±


    Grandpa Li was stunned for a moment, then nodded. ¡°It¡¯s good that you have this confidence. This way, your aunties won¡¯t be in a difficult position, and no one can talk behind your back. Alright, pay attention and focus on preparing for the exam.¡± He patted Lin Zhendong¡¯s shoulder and left with his hands behind his back.


    Lin Zhendong watched Grandpa Li leave before closing the door.


    Lin Zhendong knew what Grandpa Li meant by his words. Wasn¡¯t it because his aunties had given him a three-month leave, which invited gossip and rumors?


    Of course, they only gossiped behind his back, and it did not spread.


    Lin Zhendong was a third-year student, so he could stop the rumors by saying he was taking leave.


    After all, no one could guarantee that their juniors would enter the job at 18. They also needed to prepare for the exam.


    With Lin Zhendong as an example, it would be easier for whoever came later.


    Therefore, this matter was nothing.


    However, Lin Zhendong realized that everyone in the district department was not as kind as he had imagined.


    Otherwise, such gossip wouldn¡¯t have fallen into Grandpa Li¡¯s ears.


    However, after thinking about it carefully, he understood that this was a matter of course.


    Every workplace had its factions. When Lin Zhendong joined the company, he was in his aunties¡¯ faction.


    The people who were eyeing the positions of his aunties treated him as an enemy.


    In the past, Lin Zhendong had no conflict of interest with the people in the workplace because he was his aunties¡¯ relative. Of course, everyone would show a friendly attitude toward him.


    After all, they could bluff and not tell the truth.


    However, after Lin Zhendong joined the workplace, he immediately chose a side. He could not help but get involved in the factional strife.


    Hence, the others did not need to be nice to him. It was because he had become their colleague, and there was a possibility of a conflict of interest.


    Although Lin Zhendong understood this logic, he was still a little unhappy.


    He had always thought that the district department was his base.


    Now, it seemed he had only received the support of a faction in the district department.


    Shaking his head and letting out a sigh of relief, Lin Zhendong began to clean up the place with renewed vigor.


    Was there a choice in this matter? He had no choice. Even if his aunties did not allow him to take sides, he had to take their side. They were family after all.


    As for getting good results in the college entrance examination to bring glory to his aunties?


    Lin Zhendong revealed a proud smile.


    Ever since he was 12 years old and was implanted with that strange chip, [eidetic memory] became his basic skill.


    That was because no one in the entire district department was the same age as him. In the entire school, he was the only one at his age in the district department. He did not dare to be arrogant, so he suppressed his results and did not dare to rush to first place.


    Of course, it was also because he didn¡¯t want to be known by the teacher and be dragged to participate in all kinds of competitions all day long, so he didn¡¯t have time to go to find treasures.


    Otherwise, humph, humph, he would impress everyone!


    Therefore, the college entrance exam preparation and taking three months off was just a way for him to slack off and obtain the last bit of free time.


    After all, there was no need to prepare for the exam at all. All the knowledge from high school was imprinted in his mind. He remembered all of it.


    Well, the only thing he wasn¡¯t confident about was mathematics.


    It wasn¡¯t something that could be learned by imprinting textbooks into one¡¯s mind.


    He still had to do more exercises and imprint all of them in his mind to be safe.


    However, there was only one subject to study, so there was plenty of time.


    Therefore, under such circumstances, Lin Zhendong couldn¡¯t focus on his revision and not fiddle with the [Wood Elemental Shadow] he had just obtained!


    Therefore, Lin Zhendong hurriedly cleaned the house, threw the burnt furniture into the special garbage dump, took a few books, and ran out.


    When he passed the gate, he even greeted Grandpa Li. ¡°Grandpa Li, I¡¯m going to school to revise! I might not be back for dinner. If Uncle Chen and Aunt Chen are back, please help me inform them.¡±


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s good. Focus on preparing for the exam! Get a good result to blind their eyes!¡± Grandpa Li immediately laughed so hard that his teeth could not be seen.


    They were so respectful to Grandpa Li, the guard. He was Li Bin¡¯s father, the neighbor upstairs, and a retired member of the district department. It was said that he was an important person when he was young.


    In any case, there was no harm in being respectful to the guards of the national unit. Crouching tigers and hidden dragons were not enough to describe these old guards.


    Lin Zhendong called a taxi and arrived at the West Coast Industrial Zone.


    There was no other way. The east coast was too prosperous, and there was almost no space. If he wanted to cultivate, he had to come to the abandoned industrial zone on the west coast.


    Lin Zhendong found a place to get off the car and wandered around. He found a quiet factory and entered an empty factory.


    Looking at this spacious and empty place, Lin Zhendong nodded in satisfaction. He extended his palm, and a ball of black flames immediately wrapped around it.


    With a flick of his wrist, the flames flew about ten meters away. With a thought, the cement ground cracked.


    ¡°The power is not bad, but the distance seems too close?¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t consume much energy. One flame consumed about one percent of my energy. I¡¯ll recover after taking a few breaths.¡±


    ¡°The energy in my body is so abundant. It¡¯s related to the fact that I¡¯ve eaten more than 20 treasures.¡±


    ¡°The only pity is that the chip has devoured half its energy. Moreover, I ate it randomly at that time. I didn¡¯t care about the attributes. I just ate it if I could. Now that I think about it, it¡¯s such a waste.¡± Lin Zhendong smacked his lips in pity.


    However, there was no other way. At that time, he only wanted to obtain a skill. How could he care about so many things?


    However, in the future, should he continue to eat wood-type treasures to increase the power of the [Wood Elemental Shadow], or should he eat other attributes?


    After all, this black flame had nothing to do with the wood element.

 Chapter 19

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Lin Zhendong¡¯s imagination ran wild as he threw the black flames in all directions while carefully analyzing the power of the flames and the energy consumption in his body.


    He was satisfied with the power and consumption but was not happy with the attack range. No matter what he did, the attack range of the flames was only about 10 meters at most.


    It wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t throw the flames further. He could even throw them 20 meters away.


    However, Lin Zhendong could no longer control the flames once they passed the 10-meter limit.


    The flames would be extinguished after 10 meters.


    On the contrary, the flames within 10 meters would continue to burn, and they could even explode with a single thought.


    Lin Zhendong knew that his current attack range was his limit after several attempts.


    Perhaps he would have to eat treasures later on, or he would have to have a deeper grasp of [Wood Elemental Shadow] to increase his attack range.


    Since the attack range could not be forced, then he turned to think about the attack method.


    When Lin Zhendong did not have any skills, he searched for countless videos of skills on the internet.


    After all, everyone liked to show off these days. Many people with skills uploaded videos to show off on the internet.


    Among them, some were purely showing off. Some were doing research and explaining step by step.


    After watching so many videos, Lin Zhendong thought that the way to use this skill was all about imagination.


    As long as one could put the time to research it persistently, a new method would naturally appear.


    Of course, this could not go against the attributes of the skill.


    For example, if one used a fire-type skill as an ice-type skill, one would fail no matter how much one practiced.


    On the other hand, he could give the Storm Fire a try.


    Lin Zhendong naturally sat cross-legged and began to ponder while holding his chin.


    His skill could be used as a fire-type skill.


    However, if it were used as a fire skill, it would be like picking up a sesame seed and throwing away a watermelon.


    It was because the skill name was [Wood Elemental Shadow].


    The name of the skill crystal would never be wrong.


    Therefore, he probably hadn¡¯t sorted out the details yet.


    What did [wood element] represent?


    Plants, growth, absorbed sunlight and water? Flammables? Firm? Firm? Absorbed nutrients from the soil?


    It seemed that many abilities could be extended from the word [wood element].


    What about the shadow?


    Dark, formless, and could go anywhere? No weight? No need for air? Elegant? Hiding? Fast?


    He thought so much that he was about to implode. He kept thinking of more ideas.


    Lin Zhendong hurriedly patted his head. It was useless to overthink. After all, he couldn¡¯t try everything, let alone practice everything.


    He could only choose a few general directions to practice.


    How to choose? It was simple. Since it was called [Wood Elemental Shadow], he would only choose plants, vitality, and shadows. He would try these three functions and wait for the effects to be successful.


    Lin Zhendong, who had just stood up and was about to start, was suddenly stunned. Didn¡¯t he only need to consider the variety of attack skills? Why did he worry about the variety of skill strategies?


    Helplessly shaking his head, he opened his hand, and the black flames immediately wrapped around his palm.


    Then, Lin Zhendong stared at his palm for a while. The raging flames that were crackling calmed down slowly.


    Then, the flame began to converge, slowly forming a fist-sized ball.


    He tossed the black ball around, and with a flick of his hand, it flew straight into the factory wall dozens of meters away like a baseball. Then, with a boom, a washbasin-sized hole was blasted into the thick wall.


    Lin Zhendong¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. He ran over and looked at the hole. It was about five to six centimeters!


    Looking at this thick reinforced concrete wall, the power of this black egg was definitely beyond imagination.


    ¡°Haha! As expected, I have to be imaginative! The attack range and power will increase after turning the flames into balls!¡± Lin Zhendong jumped up and down excitedly and immediately started to condense a new black egg.


    The walls of the factory were riddled with holes. Lin Zhendong finally stopped and took a breath.


    ¡°The speed of forming an egg is too slow. It takes at least five seconds. I still have to practice hard. However, with the recovery of the energy in my body, I can continue to bombard without any problems. I now have a relatively powerful continuous attack method.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that I can¡¯t increase its power no matter what. Perhaps it has something to do with my aptitude. However, the black egg¡¯s power is almost the same as a grenade. It¡¯s a pretty good move.¡±


    At this point, Lin Zhendong¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up. Black flames appeared on his palm again. Then, the flames were evenly distributed among his five fingers and slowly condensed into black eggs the size of glass beads.


    With a swing, five soft popping sounds sounded, and five holes appeared on the ground. Lin Zhendong reached his finger into the hole, but he couldn¡¯t touch the bottom.


    Lin Zhendong was excited this time. He condensed another black egg and threw it at the wall in the distance.


    After the popping sound, he immediately rushed over to check.


    However, he was greatly disappointed because it was only a one-centimeter deep tiny hole.


    After a few tests, the most powerful one could penetrate a thick wall by about 30 centimeters within a distance of 10 meters.


    Lin Zhendong was not disappointed by this result. Instead, he grinned and said, ¡°Haha, this move of mine is countless times more powerful than a pistol! No wonder Li Zhi said those light weapons are just toys when you¡¯re strong enough!¡±


    The sky was already dark. It was so dark in this factory that one could not see their fingers.


    However, Lin Zhendong didn¡¯t care. He was practicing his proficiency anyway. It didn¡¯t matter whether he could see it or not.


    Therefore, he forgot about time and continued to cultivate here.


    He didn¡¯t know if the chip in his brain was playing tricks on him or if Lin Zhendong himself was superhuman. He was given random practice and trained to the point where he was just like a model.


    He had set three offensive moves, one of which was the flame attachment.


    He had already practiced to the point where he could release ten flames in all directions at the same time, and he could also control when the ten flames would burn at will.


    Moreover, there was a unique skill in it. It could split ten flames into 100 small flames. The effect was similar to a flame explosion.


    Unfortunately, this attack didn¡¯t have a long-range, only about 10 meters.


    Moreover, the ultimate skill consumed a lot of mental energy. After all, controlling ten flames increased by ten times.


    Therefore, this could only be considered an ultimate move. It could not be used often. After using it, Lin Zhendong had to rest for a while.


    Lin Zhendong named this move [Flame Explosion]. His ultimate move was called [Incinerating Inferno].


    The second attack was the black egg, which was like the explosive hand grenade.


    Lin Zhendong could now condense a black egg in 4 seconds. Because of the low consumption and fast recovery, as long as he had enough energy, he could keep releasing black eggs.


    The attack range of this move was very far. It could be thrown as far as it could. It would explode on contact, just like a touch grenade.


    Therefore, this move was named [Throwing Grenades] to mislead people.


    Then, it was the last attack and might also be the most commonly used attack in the future. It was to condense the black flame into the size of a glass bead and shoot it out from Lin Zendong¡¯s finger.


    The attack range was about 10 meters, and the power could penetrate 30 centimeters of reinforced concrete walls. Other than the distance, its power should be comparable to a sniper rifle.


    Lin Zhendong could shoot out any of his ten fingers, but he was used to using his index fingers.


    The speed of his condensation was reduced to 2 seconds. Due to his fast recovery, he could shoot non-stop.


    Unfortunately, the condensation speed was too slow and impractical.


    But to compress the time to the point where it was like pulling the trigger of a pistol, would be amazing.


    Therefore, Lin Zhendong could not be bothered to name this skill before it reached this level.


    This move also had an ultimate move, which was to shoot all ten fingers at the same time. It was limited by the speed of condensation, so it was not powerful.


    However, it was still like a ten-barrel machine gun in terms of firepower.


    Therefore, he didn¡¯t give it a name. He wanted to keep this skill secretive to trick people.


    After confirming that he had mastered these three moves, the only problem in the future was to increase his proficiency and reduce the time needed to condense them.


    Lin Zhendong nodded his head in satisfaction and prepared to go home.

 Chapter 20 - Sudden Attack

    Chapter 20 Sudden Attack


    He slipped out of the factory and came to a quiet street. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that the street lights were still on, he would have thought he had come to the end of the world.


    ¡°Sigh, I wonder if any cars are willing to take orders in this remote place. Otherwise, I¡¯ll have to walk to a crowded place.¡± Lin Zhendong took out his phone and was about to call a cab.


    At this moment, a red alert suddenly lit up in front of his eyes.


    Without thinking, he put his phone back into his storage space and did a few backflips. Several black daggers were stabbed into the ground where he had been standing.


    The attack did not stop. The black dagger chased after Lin Zhendong without stopping, forcing Lin Zhendong to hide in the factory.


    Hiding in the pitch-black factory, Lin Zhendong finally calmed down and had the time to look at the chip¡¯s notification.


    [Target is hostile (Assassination). Strength: E-rank.]


    He heaved a sigh of relief. There was only one enemy, and it was only an E-rank. He should be able to defeat the assassin, right?


    However, he shook his head helplessly. There was no need to think about it. The person who came to attack must be the existence of the Vodun Sect.


    Su Yan¡¯s sister had kept them busy, and they did not have time for him. Moreover, they probably did not take him seriously. Otherwise, why would they send out an E-rank attacker after him?


    Any random C-rank would be enough to take his life.


    Moreover, the attacker was likely to be an assassin and not from the Vodun Sect.


    Otherwise, with the reputation of the Vodun Sect and the worm they used in the second-class lairs, they would not need to use weapons to kill Lin Zhendong. They could poison him or send bugs to attack him.


    After confirming this, Lin Zhendong heaved a sigh of relief and decided to fight back.


    With a thought, he took out a saber from his storage space. He silently pulled out the weapon and stood quietly in the darkness with the saber in his hand.


    With the saber in hand, Lin Zhendong became even more courageous. He licked his lips and said, ¡°Humph, I have to let this assassin know how strong the elites of the third-year body technique class are!¡±


    Lin Zhendong could not see their fingers. At the same time, he could not hear the slightest movement. This assassin¡¯s infiltration ability was not bad.


    However, under the effect of the chip, the assassin did not know that he was like a firefly in the night.


    The chip could even identify a silent helicopter that flew a few hundred meters away in the night sky, let alone a hostile person right next to it.


    Therefore, when Lin Zhendong saw the assassin enter his attack range, Lin Zhendong did not even think about it and immediately slashed his saber fiercely.


    It was unknown if it were the wind or the killing intent that gave the warning. Whenever the assassin attacked, Lin Zhendong immediately sensed it and raised his knife to block it.


    Clang! Clang! Clang! A series of clashing sounds rang out as the two began to fight rapidly in the darkness.


    During the fight, the assassin would occasionally throw out a dagger. However, Lin Zhendong would either dodge it or chop it down.


    The two of them continued to fight.


    Lin Zhendong did not know what the other party was doing, but he had fought to the fullest. The saber techniques he had learned in the body technique class had been rapidly improved and integrated into this life-and-death battle.


    In the past, Lin Zhendong, like many of his classmates, had despised the simplicity of the saber techniques in the body technique class. However, only after a life-and-death battle did he understand it was useful. The class did provide the saber technique that the country had gathered countless saber technique experts to compile and condense. It was suitable for the public to learn and use!


    This saber technique wouldn¡¯t give any super powerful or strange saber techniques. Everything was so righteous and grand, and it could also be used for offense and defense.


    It wasn¡¯t a profound saber technique, but it was enough for a person proficient in this set of saber techniques to fight against experts with similar strength.


    Therefore, Lin Zhendong was lucky this time. The assassin who came was only an E-rank, about the same strength as him. That was why he could fight so easily.


    Moreover, he had a deeper understanding and mastery of the saber techniques in the body techniques class.


    If a D-rank swordsman had come at the start, Lin Zhendong would have been killed. But now that a D-rank swordsman had come, Lin Zhendong could still fight against him for a while.


    Lin Zhendong felt the life and death experience that was impossible to experience in this body technique skills class, and he quickly improved his strength.


    Even if the assassin didn¡¯t notice this at the beginning, he would naturally be able to sense it later on. The target was using him as a target to practice his saber technique.


    The assassin was flustered and exasperated, and he immediately started shouting. Lin Zhendong frowned at the unfamiliar language. It was a foreign assassin? How did he sneak in?


    The assassin suddenly dodged a slash and retreated. Just as Lin Zhendong was about to unleash his ultimate move, Lin Zhendong shouted, ¡°Go to hell!¡±


    With a series of puffing sounds, the assassin fell to the ground without any struggle, with 20 bloody holes in his body.


    ¡°Hmph, I could have killed you in one move when I threw the dagger in the previous battle. The only reason why I dragged it out for so long was to improve my saber technique.¡± Lin Zhendong muttered as he swung the blade, pulled out the scabbard, and put it back into his storage space.


    Lin Zhendong was not an idiot. Even if he wanted to continue practicing his saber techniques, the other party would not cooperate. Moreover, he was prepared to use an ultimate move. He could only use a finger to shoot out a small black egg and finish off the other party in one move.


    After all, in this day and age, no one knew what kind of ultimate move someone was hiding. If the other party used it, Lin Zhendong might be killed in one move instead.


    Therefore, safety was the most important thing.


    It was dark, so Lin Zhendong did not see the tragic state of the corpse, so he did not feel uncomfortable after killing someone.


    He wanted to leave and call the police later. However, he stopped and hesitated.


    If Lin Zhendong called the police, he would have to make a record, and the police would ask him why the assassin wanted to kill him. How would he answer?


    Would the assassin tell the truth? Although Su Yan¡¯s sister had told Lin Zhendong he report it directly to his superior, he would be interrogated back and forth for several days if he did so. Lin Zhendong might even have to hand over the 500 gold coins he had received.


    It was so troublesome, and there were no benefits. Lin Zhendong didn¡¯t want to do it. With such a thought, it meant that Lin Zhendong did not have the mentality that he was already a member of the Special Protection Department.


    However, this was normal. Lin Zhendon had taken leave to prepare for the exam when he joined the company and had not had time to attend the on-the-job training. His mentality still hadn¡¯t shifted from the commoners.


    ¡°Yes, destroy the corpse and eliminate the evidence. Just pretend that this matter never happened.¡± Lin Zhendong made this decision subconsciously.


    Lin Zhendong threw out ten black flames at the location of the corpse. With a thought, he prepared to burn the corpse into ashes.


    However, things were out of his expectations. There was not a trace of fire, which made him think the flames did not attach to the corpse. But what was with the crazy drop in energy? There was no way to stop it, and the consumption rate was fast. Lin Zhendong felt that the energy in his body had rapidly dropped to the warning line.


    When he was just a hair away from being drained dry, the crazy consumption of energy finally stopped.


    ¡°F*ck! What¡¯s going on?¡± Just as Lin Zhendong was about to examine his body carefully, a hint of information appeared in his mind. Then, he was stunned.


    After comprehending the information, Lin Zhendong was extremely shocked. ¡°It can¡¯t be, right? Is this the use of the [Wood Elemental Shadow]?¡±

 Chapter 21 - Unexpected Wealth

    Chapter 21 Unexpected Wealth


    Shaking his head, Lin Zhendong woke up. Now was not the time to think about this. He tried to touch the corpse with his foot but did not touch anything.


    He squatted down and touched his surroundings. He could only touch his shoes, clothes, and saber but couldn¡¯t find the corpse.


    ¡°As expected.¡± Lin Zhendong muttered and kept everything he touched in his storage space.


    As for the daggers that were flying everywhere, he looked at this pitch-black place and shook his head helplessly before walking out.


    After leaving the dark room to the factory, he could vaguely see through the street lamps outside and the stars in the night sky.


    After looking around, he put away the dagger stuck in the cement ground and came to a dilapidated iron bucket.


    Lin Zhendong first threw the dagger and the saber into it and took out the assassin¡¯s clothes. It was black hooded sportswear, nothing special about it.


    He skillfully rummaged through the pockets and took out some messy things.


    There was a mobile phone, a foreign passport, a foreign bank card, which country he didn¡¯t know, and a stack of Zhongyun money.


    Lin Zhendong immediately put the Zhongyun money back into his storage space and threw everything else into the metal bucket.


    Then, he took out the assassin¡¯s right shoes. He picked up the dagger and cut open the inner sole, digging out a tightly sealed roll.


    Lin Zhendong knew that something was hidden in the right shoe because once it entered his storage space, he could sense all the secrets inside and outside of it.


    When the scroll was unfolded, it was a special piece of paper.


    He didn¡¯t recognize the words, but they were different from the passport.


    Just as he was about to throw it into the metal bucket, he suddenly stopped, took out his phone, and translated it with a photo.


    He took a deep breath and exclaimed, ¡°Wow! It¡¯s an unregistered bond from the Vulture Kingdom worth one million Vulture coins! ¡±


    After a moment of excitement, he tilted his head and thought, ¡°Hmm, between one million Vulture coins and five hundred gold coins, which is more valuable?¡±


    Lin Zhendong searched on his phone. Ten thousand Zhongyun coins could buy a gold coin, but no one was selling it.


    Then, he looked for the exchange rate between Vulture coins and Zhongyun coins. It was 1:6.


    ¡°Hehe, not bad, not bad. It is equivalent to getting another 500 gold coins. However, this money could only be used at a big bank, right? Hmm. There¡¯s nothing troublesome about this kind of bearer bond. I can keep it. ¡±


    The bearer bond disappeared in an instant.


    Then, Lin Zhendong threw a black flame into the metal bucket and set it on fire.


    After a few breaths, another black flame was thrown in.


    There was no other way. Previously, his energy had been mostly absorbed. He could only use the black flames one by one. He could not use them ten times.


    His clothes were quickly burned to ashes, and then the dagger, saber, and metal bucket began to melt. It impressed Lin Zhendong. He did not expect the temperature of the black flames to be so high.


    However, he was also relieved. After being burned into molten iron, there would be no traces left.


    Then, Lin Zhendong heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that I¡¯ve used up all my energy. I¡¯ll need at least two days to recover. If I want to see the true skill of the Wood Elemental Shadow, I¡¯ll have to wait for another two days.¡±


    ¡°This skill consumes too much energy. Not only will it absorb all of my energy before using it, but it will also continuously consume my energy and spiritual energy during its use. It¡¯s an ultimate move. I hope it¡¯s useful.¡± After confirming this, Lin Zhendong quickly ran out of the street and moved towards a popular place. At the same time, he took out his phone and called for a taxi.


    As for the messy scene, Lin Zhendong was too lazy to care about it. No one would come to this place unless it was specially done.


    Most importantly, there was no corpse, so even if someone who came here out of curiosity saw some traces, they wouldn¡¯t report it to the authorities.


    After a while, all traces would be covered by dust.


    Lin Zhendong finally managed to get a taxi.


    Not long after he got into the car, his phone suddenly rang.


    Looking at the number, it was Yang Wen from Bauhinia Legion, who was stationed in Riverside City.


    Yang Wen¡¯s anxious voice immediately sounded when the call was connected. ¡°Sir, I¡¯m very sorry. We found out that an assassin had accepted an order to kill you. We didn¡¯t expect the Vodun Sect to use this trick. We were careless and let the assassin come to Riverside City. But don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll deal with him as soon as possible!¡±


    ¡°No need. I¡¯ve already taken care of it.¡± Lin Zhendong said casually.


    ¡°Uh, you mean that the assassin has already found you?¡± Yang Wen was a little surprised.


    ¡°Just now. I just finished killing him.¡± Lin Zhendong said.


    ¡°I¡¯m extremely sorry! Sir, this is our mistake. We will compensate you!¡± Yang Wen immediately said respectfully.


    ¡°Ah, no need, no need. It¡¯s also because I didn¡¯t listen to your advice. I went to a remote place to give others a chance. It has nothing to do with you.¡± Lin Zhendong quickly refused. He did indeed think so because he did not believe that if he did not leave the school, an E-rank assassin would dare to come to the Special Protection Department and the school to assassinate him.


    Therefore, if he had listened to the Bauhinia Legion¡¯s advice and not gone to a remote place, the assassin would have been found and taken care of by the Bauhinia Legion. He would not have had the chance to personally take care of the assassin.


    ¡°No, this is caused by us. We must compensate you for your shock.¡± Yang Wen said firmly. Then, without waiting for Lin Zhendong to speak, he asked, ¡°Sir, where were you attacked? We¡¯ll help you clean up the mess!¡±


    Lin Zhendong didn¡¯t want them to go to the scene to check on him and find out his background. Naturally, he refused. ¡°No need. I¡¯ve cleaned up everything thoroughly. Trust me. Even if there are loose ends, it won¡¯t be a big deal given my status.¡±


    As soon as Lin Zhendong said this, Yang Wen guessed something and immediately changed his tone and hung up.


    The driver had been listening attentively, but it was clear he wasn¡¯t skilled enough to pick up the sounds on the other end of the phone, which had been intentionally lowered. He only took a glance at Lin Zhendong through the rearview mirror and thought to himself, ¡°Just a young man with a different tone of voice,¡± didn¡¯t think much of it.


    and Lin Zhendong left the car a long way away from the family compound. He then took out his textbook and walked toward the family compound while humming a song. He was no different from other high school students who went home after evening self-study. He swiped his card and greeted Grandpa Li, who was humming a song, ¡°Grandpa Li!¡±


    ¡°Oh, Dongdong, you¡¯re back. Have you eaten? Your Uncle Chen and the others have also returned.¡± Grandpa Li smiled. ¡°Wow, Uncle Li and the rest have finally completed their mission and returned? ¡± Lin Zhendong was delighted. When he was about to run, he suddenly thought of something and asked, ¡°Grandpa Li, you¡¯re very knowledgeable. Can you tell which country¡¯s language this is from?¡± As he spoke, he repeated the assassin¡¯s words. Grandpa Li reached out and slapped Lin Zhendong¡¯s forehead. ¡°That¡¯s a curse word from the Gallia Nation. Where did you learn it?¡±


    ¡°Gallia? The country that regards that filthy river as its mother river?¡± Lin Zhendong was stunned. ¡°It¡¯s an arrogant country. Did you se foreigners on the streets?¡± Grandpa Li¡¯s eyes were shining as he asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I met someone shouting in a flustered and exasperated manner on the street.¡± Lin Zhendong smiled and said, ¡°When I heard this language, I immediately remembered it.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re so free, isn¡¯t it better to focus on studying? Alright, go back quickly.¡± Grandpa Li waved his hand.


    Seeing Lin Zhendong jumping into the family building, Grandpa Li grinned and said, ¡°This kid is still inexperienced. The true meaning of the Gallia words is, ¡®Why are you so powerful?


    This shouldn¡¯t be an F-rank bounty! I¡¯ve suffered a huge loss!¡±¡±


    Grandpa Li smiled and shook his head. He didn¡¯t do anything and continued to hum the old song.

 Chapter 22 - Teaching

    Chapter 22 Teaching


    Lin Zhendong rushed to his floor excitedly. He did not return to his house but went straight to knock on his neighbor¡¯s door.


    Before the door opened, Aunt Chen¡¯s voice could be heard. ¡°He¡¯s here. He¡¯s here. Is Dongdong back?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Auntie.¡± Lin Zhendong replied with a cheeky smile.


    Aunt Chen opened the door and saw the textbook in Lin Zhendong¡¯s hand. She nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Come in quickly. Your uncle is back. Auntie made your favorite supper.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Auntie.¡± Lin Zhendong went into the house to change his shoes. Then, he greeted Chen Zhengyi, who was drinking and watching TV on the coffee table in the living room. ¡°Uncle, are you drinking? I¡¯ll accompany you to make a few cups.¡±


    Chen Zhengyi, who was smiling at Lin Zhendong, raised his eyebrows and scolded, ¡°What are you thinking about¡­¡± However, he suddenly came to his senses and slapped his forehead. ¡°I forgot that you¡¯re already an adult!¡±


    Then, he waved with a smile, ¡°Quick!¡± Come over and drink with me! I¡¯ve been waiting for this day for so many years! Honey, get me a few more dishes to go with the wine!¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Aunt Chen responded with a smile and patted Lin Zhendong¡¯s arm. ¡°Don¡¯t drink too much.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± Lin Zhendong excitedly rushed to wash his hands. Then, he quickly sat beside Chen Zhengyi and nervously looked at the white liquid in the small cup.


    ¡°Come, let¡¯s toast.¡± Chen Zhengyi raised his wine glass.


    ¡°Yes, a toast for your victorious return!¡± Lin Zhendong quickly clinked his cup with his hands, then raised his head and drank a mouthful of wine. Then, he started coughing violently.


    Chen Zhengyi immediately burst into laughter. Aunt Chen, who had come out with the dishes, put down the plate and patted Lin Zhendong¡¯s back while scolding him with concern, ¡°Why are you drinking like that? Take small sips.¡± As she spoke, she glared at Chen Zhengyi. ¡°You too. You¡¯re an elder, and you didn¡¯t even remind him. You just sat there and watched!¡±


    ¡°Haha, a man should drink the whole glass at once!¡± Chen Zhengyi laughed.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Auntie. I just choked because I drank too quickly.¡± Lin Zhendong, who had recovered, quickly waved his hand and said.


    ¡°Come, fill it up and eat. This time, we¡¯ll drink slowly.¡± Chen Zhengyi giggled as he poured the wine.


    Aunt Chen¡¯s eyes turned wet when she saw the two of them eating and chatting. However, a blissful smile appeared on her face as she quickly went to the kitchen to prepare the dishes.


    After casually asking about Lin Zhendong¡¯s studies, Chen Zhengyi changed the topic to Lin Zhendong¡¯s work. ¡°I was prepared to bring you in after the mission ended. I didn¡¯t expect you to be brought in by the people from the city department.¡±


    ¡°Uncle, I can¡¯t do anything. Vice-Captain Li Zhi came directly to my door. I can¡¯t reject him.¡± Lin Zhendong quickly explained.


    ¡°I don¡¯t blame you. Besides, you seized this opportunity very well. As soon as you joined, you became a Grade 8 Official. You¡¯re much faster than those university students who graduated and became official!¡±


    ¡°Your father and I were promoted to Grade 8 Official after five years. You have a brighter future than us. Even if you don¡¯t make any moves in your university years, by the time you come out, those university students will have only been full-time employees for one or two years. At most, they will be at the same level as you. You have to maintain this advantage!¡± After a few words of praise, Chen Zhengyi began to guide, ¡°Now that you¡¯re working, drinking is inevitable. With your superiors, colleagues, subordinates, and people from all walks of life, these banquets are indispensable, so you need to have an idea of how to handle them.¡±


    ¡°You can drink, but you can¡¯t get drunk. Moreover, you can¡¯t be addicted to alcohol. You have to have a bottom line in your heart. Once you cross the line and pretend to be drunk, it won¡¯t work for anyone. After all, your body belongs to you.¡±


    ¡°At the same time, only by maintaining clarity can you know what others say and what you can¡¯t say. A lot of things are ruined by drinking.¡±


    ¡°Also, there¡¯s a limit to who you drink with.


    For example, when you toast to your seniors or superiors, you have to hold your glass like this.


    Toast to them like this, and then drink like this. ¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think that these gestures are restrictive.


    They can give people a feeling of respect. When the person you¡¯re toasting to sees you, they will naturally feel that you are a sensible person. This feeling may not mean much in everyday life. But during special occasions, it might bring you benefits,¡± Chen Zhengyi explained and demonstrated.


    Lin Zhendong, who was seriously memorizing the culture of the drinking scenes, was suddenly stunned. He subconsciously asked, ¡°Uncle, how do you know these details?¡±


    ¡°Haha, do you think your uncle is a fool? After all, I¡¯m so old and have experienced so many things.¡± Chen Zhengyi smiled.


    Then, while he was still a little tipsy, he continued to guide, ¡°Dongdong, we¡¯re working in the system. Don¡¯t worry about the level. The level represents the amount of salary and resources. It¡¯s fine as long as it¡¯s enough.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to care too much about strength. Even if one¡¯s strength reached the peak of the pyramid, they were just subordinates in the system. Of course, don¡¯t be too weak. If you¡¯re too weak, you won¡¯t be able to stand out.¡¯ ¡°The stronger you are, the better. Because the stronger you are, the more danger you have to face and the more missions you have to go through. Therefore, it¡¯s good that your strength is just right.¡±


    ¡°What should you pay attention to in the system? Position! Because a position represented power! At the same time, with the enhancement of the system, it can allow the position of the system to ignore many restrictions.¡±


    ¡°For example, with your current age and strength, if you were to become the district department chief, everyone in the district who is stronger than you and older than you would have to listen to your orders obediently.¡±


    ¡°Even if your order is wrong, your subordinates must pay with their lives before they can truly confirm that your order is wrong.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way to refute your wrong order with knowledge and experience alone. Only a dead person can make the higher-ups change your orders.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, if you don¡¯t want to change it, the higher-ups will only forcefully change it when more people die and reach or even exceed the authorized limit of your position. This is the effect of having unrivaled authority.¡±


    ¡°Of course, your unrepentant behavior will tarnish your resume. If there¡¯s no special reason, you will no longer be able to hold a position above the chief officer in the future.¡± Lin Zhendong was dumbfounded. He had never heard of such comments before. Aunt Chen, who had already prepared the dishes and sat down to pour herself a glass of wine, patted Lin Zhendong¡¯s arm gently and reminded him, ¡°Remember what your uncle said. This is experience.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes.¡± Lin Zhendong nodded dumbly. He looked at the blushing Chen Zhengyi and hesitated for a second before asking, ¡°Since you know all this, why are you still only a team leader?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, you think I¡¯m just talking big or theorizing? Hehe, ask your aunt.¡± Chen Zhengyi pointed proudly at his wife. Lin Zhendong looked over. Aunt Chen raised her glass and took a sip. Then, she smiled and said, ¡°I was able to secure my position as the head of the logistics department because of your uncle¡¯s guidance and support. He¡¯s not interested in climbing the ranks, so he¡¯s happy to stay as a team leader.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m not interested in grinding the rank.


    In terms of serving the country and the people, I¡¯ve been on the front line for decades and haven¡¯t even taken good care of my family. I¡¯ve already fulfilled my duties and obligations, and that¡¯s enough to justify the salary and resources provided by the country.¡±


    ¡°Besides, we¡¯re already this old. Your aunt and I have jobs. We don¡¯t have to worry about our salary and cultivation resources. I don¡¯t want your aunt to be ordered around by others, and I don¡¯t want her to work too hard. That¡¯s why I¡¯m helping her with the captain position.¡± Chen Zhengyi said emotionally. Aunt Chen didn¡¯t say anything. She just raised her glass and clinked it with her husband¡¯s.

 Chapter 23 - Reminder

    Chapter 23 Reminder


    Although Chen Zhengyi drank a little too much, he was still conscious, so he continued to give teaching. ¡°Dongdong, in the office, you have to watch more, listen more, talk less, and be careful of all kinds of things. Let me give you an example.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a person whose colleague asked him for help, but because he¡¯s busy and this matter isn¡¯t his business, he bluntly refused. Then, the colleague asked the leader for help. The leader directly asked that person to help, and that person agreed.¡±


    At this point, Chen Zheng squinted at Lin Zhendong and asked, ¡°What do you think of that person doing?¡±


    ¡°Uh, giving face to the leader? Offended that colleague?¡± Lin Zhendong asked hesitantly.


    ¡°It¡¯s certain that this person offended that colleague, but the so-called giving face to the leader is nonsense. Does the leader need his subordinates to give him a face? The leader doesn¡¯t care about it. The leader will only stare at the subordinate who doesn¡¯t give him a face!¡± Chen Zhengyi sneered.


    ¡°In the end, that person still had to do the job, but his boss didn¡¯t care about him and offended his colleagues. He didn¡¯t get anything and even suffered a big loss because that colleague would always stab him in the back in the future. If it were you, what would you have done in the beginning?¡± Chen Zhengyi asked.


    ¡°Uh, when a colleague asks for help, I agree directly?¡± Lin Zhendong probed.


    ¡°Then your colleagues will push the blame onto you.¡± Aunt Chen interrupted.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll reject it. When the leader asks for help, I¡¯ll also reject him?¡± Lin Zhendong shook his head, ¡°No. I¡¯ll offend the leader if I do that.¡± Then, he fell into deep thought.


    Chen Zhengyi and his wife did not say anything. They just waited for Lin Zhendong to think on his own.


    Lin Zhendong suddenly slapped his thigh. ¡°I have two ways. One is to ask my colleague to help me with my work before he asks. The second is to complain to the leader and ask for guidance before your colleagues.¡±


    ¡°You can, but you have to be sure you¡¯re more important than your colleagues in the leader¡¯s heart. Otherwise, what would you do if the leader asked you to help your colleagues first? Once you refuse, you¡¯ll be at a disadvantage.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why in the system, no matter what happens, you have to keep yourself busy first. It didn¡¯t matter if you were pretending to be busy or really busy. You just wanted to keep yourself busy. This way, even if someone wants to find trouble, they will subconsciously choose those who are free.¡±


    ¡°Of course, if the other party directly targets you, they will have to use different methods.¡± Chen Zhengyi and Aunt Chen gave Lin Zhendong a detailed analysis of how to survive in the system, how to climb up, how to avoid disaster, how to avoid responsibility, and many other skills and methods to deal with various matters.


    Lin Zhendong was also learning earnestly.


    Because he knew no one else would tell him about this in detail, not even Aunt Shen Yan.


    Only Chen Zhengyi and Aunt Chen could explain these things clearly.


    To be honest, Chen Zhengyi and Aunt Chen held a higher position in Lin Zhendong¡¯s heart than his heroic father.


    After his father died when he was 12, Uncle Chen and Aunt Chen took over the role of his guardians.


    They were in charge of the parent-teacher conference and the teachers¡¯ home visits.


    Moreover, since he was 12 years old, Lin Zhendong had been using three portions of rations to cultivate.


    Chen Zhengyi and his wife¡¯s rations with Lin Zhendong¡¯s father¡¯s pension were enough to support Lin Zhendong¡¯s cultivation expenditure for the past few years.


    It was also why Lin Zhendong was so powerful among his peers.


    One had to know that even the children of ordinary wealthy families could not enjoy such a quota.


    It was because the cultivation resources in the Zhongyun were not something that could be obtained with money alone. One had to have power and influence.


    No one dared to do anything like using their higher positions to encroach on their subordinates¡¯ resources. It was related to their strength and future. Those who were robbed and taken away really dared to risk their lives.


    Moreover, this was a world where everyone could cultivate. Everyone could work hard to be successful.


    At first, Lin Zhendong naturally rejected the Chen couple¡¯s offer, but they forced him to use it.


    After a few times, Lin Zhendong had no choice but to accept it with gratitude.


    Faced with these two people who treated him like their own son, Lin Zhendong hesitated for a second before telling them about how he met Su Yan and how he had used the skill crystal. He even took out the box of gold coins. Lin Zhendong did not hide anything from Chen Zhengyi and his wife except for the chip.


    It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t trust Chen Zhengyi and his wife, but he was afraid that they would be in danger if he told them about the chip. After all, Lin Zhendong¡¯s father had done a heroic deed the day after he implanted the chip. Whether it was a coincidence or something else, Lin Zhendong did not dare to reveal anything about the chip.


    And now, he could use the excuse of the [Wood Elemental Shadow] skill to explain that he had magical storage space.


    Otherwise, it would be too troublesome to hide the storage space. The storage function was equipped with many skills, so it would not attract attention. Previously, he did not have any skills and wanted to show off his storage space, but he could not find an explanation for the storage space.


    Of course, he would not mention the assassin, so he could not show off the bond. Hearing Lin Zhendong¡¯s words, Chen Zhengyi¡¯s eyes went blank for a moment. He immediately quivered, and the tipsiness immediately turned into a sweat and disappeared.


    ¡°Hiss, you¡¯re saying that the Bauhinia Legion is behind the rage of the city department¡¯s big boss? You¡¯ve even become friends with the higher-ups of Bauhinia Legion?¡± Chen Zhengyi gasped and exclaimed in a low voice.


    On the other hand, Aunt Chen grabbed Lin Zhendong¡¯s hand happily and said, ¡°Dongdong, you have a skill? Is this skill powerful? No matter what this skill is, just the portable storage function is exceptional. In the future, when I bring you shopping, I won¡¯t have to carry anything.¡±


    The couple¡¯s attention was not on the box of gold coins. They were both focused on the matters they were concerned about. Looking at his wife nagging at him and asking Lin Zhendong to put all kinds of things in and out of the house, Chen Zhengyi could not help but smack his forehead and say, ¡°Honey, shouldn¡¯t you be worrying about the Bauhinia Legion?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Aunt Chen said calmly. ¡°They are one of the top eight extraordinary organizations in the world, and their higher-ups could talk to the big shots of the Special Protection Department headquarters. Now that they are on good terms with Dongdong, why should we worry? What can grassroots personnel like us do about this?¡±


    ¡°Uh ¡­¡± Chen Zhengyi was speechless.


    Indeed, they were one of the top eight extraordinary organizations in the world. Their status was on par with the Special Protection Department and even higher in the outside world.


    After all, the Special Protection Department was an official organization. In many cases, their deterrence was not as great as that of a private organization.


    Moreover, his status was directly equivalent to that of the head of the Special Protection Department headquarters. As a person at the level of a division leader, he did not even have the right to express his opinions, let alone do anything.


    ¡°Ahem, Dongdong, don¡¯t tell anyone about this! Even though the members of the Bauhinia Legion wouldn¡¯t mind, you can¡¯t say much about it. You can¡¯t go around shouting about the benefits. You¡¯re lucky to be able to befriend such a high-level figure.¡±


    ¡°However, you have to be careful. This kind of relationship can be a double-edged sword. It can bring you benefits and disadvantages. Anyway, it¡¯s better to hide it than to spread it everywhere.¡± Chen Zhengyi warned. Lin Zhendong was happy that Uncle Chen and Aunt Chen stood by his side no matter what. Naturally, he nodded in agreement to Chen Zhengyi¡¯s advice.


    After a detailed discussion, both sides felt they had gained a lot.


    Finally, he had to prepare for the exam to get good grades! Lin Zhendong bid farewell to Uncle Chen and his wife and returned to his house next door to wash up and rest.


    While Lin Zhendong and Chen Zhengyi were chatting, Yang Wen was searching the factory where Lin Zhendong had killed the assassin. He took away the dagger left on the scene, cleaned up the blood on the ground, and erased all traces of the battle and Lin Zhendong¡¯s cultivation.


    He had promised Lin Zhendong that he would not interfere with the assassin, but he still came to help clean up the mess.


    After Yang Wen finished, he heaved a sigh of relief when his phone rang. When Yang Wen saw the caller ID, he immediately said respectfully, ¡°Sir, I am Yang Wen, the officer of Riverside City. I await your orders.¡±


    ¡°Uh, Sir, what kind of compensation do you want to give Mr. Lin for him to accept?¡± Yang Wen was stunned.


    fter thinking for a while, he said carefully, ¡°Sir, I think that giving gold coins and cultivation techniques as compensation is too direct. Mr. Lin will not accept it. Why don¡¯t we let Mr. Lin handle the second-class lair site in Zilong County?¡±


    ¡°Yes, let Mr. Lin handle it. Whether it was to hand it over to the Special Protection Department or to keep it for his development, it was up to Mr. Lin. I think Mr. Lin can¡¯t refuse this compensation.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will inform Mister Lin when the energy of the barrier is exhausted.¡± Yang Wen hung up the phone and looked at the night sky. He smiled and said to himself, ¡°Sir, this is the best compensation I can get for you.¡±

 Chapter 24 - Shocking Discovery

    Chapter 24 Shocking Discovery


    The alarm clock woke Lin Zhendong up from his meditation.


    He opened his eyes and checked his body. He nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Not bad, not bad. I recovered half of my energy in one night. It seems my previous estimation of taking two days to fully recover was correct.¡±


    ¡°It might be because I used up all my energy yesterday. The energy I¡¯ve recovered seems to be a little more than before.¡±


    At the thought of this, Lin Zhendong was happy. ¡°Although it is better to use it at full energy, it is not impossible to use it at half energy.¡±


    his Unable to hold it in any longer, he swung hand and unleashed the true [Wood Elemental Shadow].


    In an instant, a pitch-black figure without facial features stood beside him.


    Although he was mentally prepared, he was still shocked by this figure.


    Lin Zhendong calmed down after he felt that he could control the figure. He circled the figure and sized it up.


    ¡°Yes, it has no facial features. I can¡¯t even see its outline. It¡¯s just a completely black shadow.¡±


    ¡°However, it can be touched and can be hard or soft. It can be converted between physical and virtual. It¡¯s probably useful as an assassin. Tsk tsk, it doesn¡¯t seem to be of much use.¡±


    Lin Zhendong examined the black shadow with some disdain as he beeped.


    There was no way he wouldn¡¯t despise it. It was the result of devouring the assassin¡¯s flesh, blood, hair, and bones!


    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that he had to use the skill more to level up, he wouldn¡¯t have been willing to use the real [Wood Elemental Shadow] skill.


    He tried to get the shadow to squeeze toothpaste and fill it with water. He immediately felt his energy and spiritual energy depleting rapidly.


    ¡°Wow! Just a slight movement consumes more energy than casting flames!¡±


    ¡°This can¡¯t be supplemented! I can only put it on standby!¡±


    With a thought, Lin Zhendong¡¯s shadow disappeared under his feet and hid in his shadow.


    Lin Zhendong nodded in satisfaction after sensing the consumption of his energy and spiritual energy.


    In this standby state, the consumption could be ignored and replenished in a breath.


    Seeing that he had wasted a lot of time, he immediately brushed his teeth, washed his face, and changed his clothes hurriedly.


    Then, Lin Zhendong took his textbook and notes and left the room.


    She had already taken two days off. It would not make sense if she did not go to school!


    She hummed a song as she ran towards the city¡¯s First High Street.


    Along the way, they first met a few students wearing the uniforms of the First High School, and then slowly, they met more and more. Finally, there was a road full of students from the First High School.


    The students¡¯ chattering, the sirens of passing cars, the police whistling to ease the traffic, and the deafening music from the campus made the area extremely noisy.


    Logically speaking, the high school department should be a dormitory for all students.


    However, the people who had planned the city had a narrow vision. The First High School only occupied an area of about 5 acres, but there were more than 6,000 students in three grades. The classrooms were already tight, let alone the dormitories.


    As for expansion? The surrounding area of the First City High School is either a variety of unit buildings or residential buildings. It¡¯s impossible to expand in the city center.


    However, a large piece of land near the city of South County¡¯s border had been requisitioned for a new school¡¯s construction.


    In this regard, the students of First High School were now mourning the fate of their future juniors. Not to mention the traffic problems, just the general state of high school that only had a break every two weeks after boarding was enough to make these seniors who enjoyed the treatment of day school gloat.


    Lin Zhendong hummed a song with a relaxed expression. He even threw his textbook aside and slowly followed the crowd of students.


    Among the students, he didn¡¯t look like a third-year candidate at all. Instead, he looked no different from a first-year student. He had a silly smile on his face.


    However, there was nothing he could do. After all, Lin Zhendong was happy from the bottom of his heart.


    He had a job, and the admission requirements of those universities that enroll appointees were low.


    According to his experience, even if he lay flat and did nothing, he would not fail the college entrance examination.


    He had a job, a university, a windfall, and a skill. What was there to be unhappy about? However, as the crowd turned around the corner, Lin Zhendong, who entered the sight of the First High School, suddenly stood rooted to the ground. His eyes were wide open as he stared at the school 100 meters away. Because he saw a transparent layer of light with red lines covering the entire school. ¡°Lair?!¡± Lin Zhendong groaned helplessly. He did not expect that the lair would envelop his school! Why didn¡¯t he notice it when he returned to school two days ago?


    Lin Zhendong calmed himself down and looked at the transparent light shield and the few red lines that extended to the light shield. He could not help but heave a sigh of relief.


    It was a newly born lair, a brand new lair that even the Special Protection Department¡¯s monitoring agency had yet to discover.


    His chip was amazing. It could even see a newly born lair.


    After confirming that this lair had just been born, Lin Zhendong was completely reassured. The time from the discovery of the lair to the outbreak of the lair was no unified standard. It could be fast or slow.


    But so far, the fastest outbreak took three months, and the slowest took more than ten years.


    In other words, this lair would erupt after his college entrance examination at the earliest. Moreover, when the lair developed to a certain extent, such as when the transparent light shield turned blood-red, the Special Protection Department would rush over to crack, break, destroy, and develop.


    Lin Zhendong knew this lair would not pose any danger, but he still felt a headache. Although the lair could appear anywhere at any time, it would be disgusting if it happened to appear at his alma mater.


    After the lair was breached, the entire school would be gone. Although there was a new school in Yuannan County, it wasn¡¯t the school that he had studied hard for three years.


    In the future, if he wanted to reminisce about his high school days when he came back, there would be no place to reminisce! Just as Lin Zhendong was letting his imagination run wild, a red warning suddenly appeared in front of his eyes.


    With just a glance, his hair immediately stood on end. [Target is hostile (attention). Strength: A-rank]


    Lin Zhendong didn¡¯t dare to look at the target, but the chip had many functions. He didn¡¯t need to look at the target. The chip marked the target¡¯s location and focused on it like a video. They were on the top floor of the building hundreds of meters away from the school. Three people wearing hoods and black cloaks covered their faces and figures. The hostile one was the one on the left.


    Lin Zhendong subconsciously let the chip scan the strength of the other two.


    [Target is neither good nor evil (overlooking ants). Strength: S-rank]


    [The target is neither good nor evil (all mortals). Strength: A-rank]


    Lin Zhendong could not help but twitch his eyes. The black-robed man in the middle was S-rank? The two people beside him were also at A-rank.


    It was the first time he had seen an S-rank existence. In the past, he had thought that an A-rank was super awesome! Looking at it now, Su Yan and Xiao Ye were nothing!


    ¡°Sh*t! Could it be that the super big shot of the Vodun Sect had made a move? That¡¯s impossible!¡± Lin Zhendong¡¯s mind was racing. He did not believe the Vodun Sect would send an S-rank big shot to deal with him. At this moment, a red warning appeared in his eyes again. The data on the left that had been hostile before changed: [Target is hostile (suspicious), strength: A-rank]


    Lin Zhendong was shocked and quickly thought about why this mysterious guy was targeting him.

 Chapter 25 - Mysterious People

    Chapter 25 Mysterious People


    Lin Zhendong looked around and immediately understood why he was being targeted!


    All the students were either laughing or walking to school dejectedly. He was the only one standing there in a daze.


    Not to mention the mysterious person who would notice him, even the passing students would look at him curiously!


    Lin Zhendong¡¯s mind raced. Suddenly, he slapped his head and immediately opened his notebook. Squatting in a corner, he took a pen and began to solve a math problem.


    The students who had been curiously sizing up Lin Zhendong earlier all revealed looks of realization and admiration on their faces. However, they all avoided him and took a detour.


    ¡°Eh? Lin Zhendong, are you serious? You can suddenly think of solving a problem at the school gate?¡± A voice rang out.


    Lin Zhendong looked up and saw a classmate from the next class she was familiar with. She grinned and replied, ¡°I just happened to have some inspiration. I want to see if I can solve it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, let me see which question type you¡¯re solving.¡± The student poked his head over to look at his notes and said proudly, ¡°I know this question. This should be done first, then this.¡± He started to give pointers very obediently. Lin Zhendong nodded in agreement as if he had just realized the solution. However, his attention was completely focused on the existence had a hint of hostility towards him. At this moment, the red warning light in his eyes disappeared. The chip peeked and answered. [Target is neither good nor evil (All mortals in the world). Strength: A-rank]


    At this point, Lin Zhendong heaved a sigh of relief. He put away his notebook and walked to the school gate while chatting with his classmates.


    However, his attention remained on the three mysterious people.


    The three black-robed men were currently staring at the scene of the students walking into the school.


    The black-robed man in the middle sensed something was wrong with the person on the left. He could not help but ask, ¡°Lefty, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Master, I marveled at how many people there are in this world.¡± Lefty quickly replied.


    He wouldn¡¯t say he was overly sensitive and would be extremely vigilant when he saw something amiss.


    but It was fine to be laughed at by the master, it was unpleasant to be laughed at by Righty.


    ¡°Hmph, they enjoy the sun and rain, so their reproduction is naturally prosperous.¡± The master in the middle said unhappily.


    The master suddenly complained, ¡°I don¡¯t know why those old fellows are so stupid and stubborn.¡±


    ¡°In the beginning, our Inner World absorbed too many negative emotions, flesh, and souls from the Surface World. There were so many lairs that they almost filled up our Inner World. That¡¯s why we threw the lair into the Surface World without any care. This is normal and beyond reproach.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s been decades, and we keep throwing the lairs to the Surface World without considering the consequences. Now, the lair has become a place for the Surface World to accumulate resources, and it doesn¡¯t know how to change! It¡¯s infuriating!¡±


    Neither of them responded to these complaints.


    There was no way to respond. It was a question directed at the top brass. It was better for the subordinates not to get involved.


    ¡°They don¡¯t even think about it. Even the people from the Inner World would kill those ugly, disgusting, and brainless monsters when they see them. How can the people from the Surface World be an exception?¡±


    ¡°They said we could ease the space in the Inner World by throwing the lairs to the Surface World. It could also disrupt the order of the Surface World and let our Inner World obtain more resources.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, look at how the people of the Surface World discovered the lair in advance, cracked it, destroyed it, and finally developed it. Not only did the lair not disrupt the order of the Surface World, it even increased the resources of the Surface World for free!¡± The master continued to speak angrily.


    Lefty and Righty looked at each other. They felt that if they didn¡¯t talk, they might let their master¡¯s anger spread over them.


    They exchanged glances, and Lefty spoke, ¡°Master, I believe there is no other way. Our Inner World is only so wide. Because there are many people in the Surface World, their thoughts are complicated, and negative emotions keep pouring in, causing more and more lairs to appear. We have no choice but to throw the lairs out.¡±


    Righty also added, ¡°Yes. Although these lairs have become resources for the people of the Surface World, they are still in the Surface World. This way, it will indeed benefit our Inner World. After all, the flesh and soul of these people who have cultivated are much better than the aptitude of ordinary people in the past.¡±


    ¡°This kind of behavior is equivalent to charity from the Surface World. We don¡¯t need charity! Because we are the true masters of the Surface World! Servants giving alms to their masters? It was an insult, a humiliation! I cannot accept this!¡± The master roared emotionally.


    Lefty and Righty did not say anything. They were two sides of the same body. No one was the master of the other, and no one could escape from the other.


    However, their master was powerful and had a group of big shots with similar thoughts. So, he would do whatever he said. ¡°Hmph, hmph, those old fellows who are unwilling to change, I will let them know that the times have changed! What¡¯s the use of creating those evil monsters? It had not changed for thousands of years! They don¡¯t know that the closer a creature is to humans, the more afraid humans are!¡±


    ¡°And only if these lair monsters survive can they truly disrupt the order of the Surface World! Only then could we continue to increase the resources of the Inner World! Those old fellows ¡®brains are all rusted. They¡¯ve never thought of such a thing!¡±


    ¡°Now that I have planted the seeds I have personally concocted, we will know I was right when we compare the harvest! ¡°The master pointed at First High School and said proudly. ¡°Sir, the extraordinary organizations in the Surface World can discover lairs in advance. This seed will probably be killed before it matures.¡± Lefty reminded him subconsciously. ¡°Humph, humph, how can the seeds I concocted be compared to those randomly scattered lairs? This batch of seeds I concocted will not be discovered before they develop!¡±


    ¡°When they discover and crack these seeds, the seeds would be forced to ripen. Then, the monsters that I modified will swarm out. At that time, let¡¯s see how they deal with these familiar-looking monsters!¡±


    ¡°Haha, it¡¯s difficult for them to tell who the monster is!¡± The master was very pleased with himself.


    ¡°This seed has already sprouted. There¡¯s no need to pay attention to it. Let¡¯s go to the next place to plant other types of seeds!¡± The master waved his hand. Lefty and Righty responded, ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Then, the three of them disappeared. Lin Zhendong, who had been watching the three of them through the chip, could not help but heave a sigh of relief when he realized they had disappeared.


    He could not understand what these three mysterious superpowers were doing. They had appeared in that place for no reason, and one of them had even become hostile because of his uniqueness.


    He thought of the three mysterious people and saw the light barrier surrounded by red lines. Lin Zhendong¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Could those three people be related to this lair? Otherwise, it would be too much of a coincidence!


    Coincidentally, a newly born lair had appeared in First High School. Not far away, there was an S-rank and two A-rank extraordinaries spying on them.


    Who would believe that there was no relationship between them?


    Were the three mysterious people the same as him? Did they notice the newly born lair at the first moment?


    That shouldn¡¯t be the case. This lair that occupied an area of five acres would only be a first-class lair after it matured. Moreover, the area was so small. Uncle Chen¡¯s team could probably destroy the lair with just one team.


    Even if the lair developed to the point where the Special Protection Department could detect it, they would not panic.


    They had no choice but to send two or three teams to take care of this lair because it was too small and weak.


    How could such a weak and newly born lair attract the attention of people with S-rank strength?


    His S-rank strength should be infinitely close to the nuclear bomb level, right?


    Destroying Riverside City alone shouldn¡¯t be a problem!


    Why would such a big shot care about a newly born and weak first-class lair?


    It was not how one should brag. But if they didn¡¯t stop because of curiosity, why did they appear so coincidentally? Why were they staring at the school¡¯s situation? And they were even hostile to a student like him?


    It couldn¡¯t be that this lair was led out by the other party, right?


    Lin Zhendong shook his head to get rid of this thought.


    Who didn¡¯t know that lairs were naturally formed? Perhaps the growth and number of lairs were related to negative emotions such as war, but no one could control the birth of lairs. Otherwise, such a shocking discovery would have long been described in history books.


    After all, the lair had existed since the beginning of human history. If someone could control the birth of the lair, he didn¡¯t believe that the countless elites of the human race over the past few thousand years wouldn¡¯t have discovered this.


    Lin Zhendong shook her head and threw away these random thoughts.


    He nervously stepped into the light screen that enveloped the school.


    It was the first time he had entered a developing lair barrier. He wondered what he would feel.

 Chapter 26 - Lair Fluctuation

    Chapter 26 Lair Fluctuation


    Lin Zhendong entered the campus and carefully sensed his body. He did not feel anything strange.


    It made him realize that he was overthinking things. He laughed at himself, greeted his classmates, and turned to walk toward the teacher¡¯s office.


    He walked to his teacher¡¯s office with familiarity and knocked on the door.


    Lin Zhendong¡¯s class teacher was a female teacher in her forties. She was still charming and was an excellent teacher.


    When she saw Lin Zhendong, she could not help but smile. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Lin Zhendong. How¡¯s the matter at home?¡±


    ¡°Thank you for giving me the leave, Miss. The matter has been settled, but ¡­¡± Lin Zhendong took a card from his pocket and handed it over with an embarrassed expression.


    ¡°But what? You¡¯re about to take the college entrance examination now. You have to focus on preparing for it!¡± The class teacher said as he took the card.


    ¡°Work permit?¡± The class teacher was dumbfounded. Or the work permit of the Special Protection Department? Are you employed?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the two days of leave I took previously was to start work.¡± Lin Zhendong laughed.


    ¡°Tsk, so you¡¯re not planning to go to university?¡± The class teacher said regretfully.


    ¡°No! I want to go to the university! I¡¯m preparing to be an appointee.¡± Lin Zhendong quickly said.


    ¡°It is an option. However, there are very few schools that appointees can choose from, especially those from the Special Protection Department. I remember that there are only two or three schools.¡± The class teacher nodded.


    ¡°Becoming an appointee is also a good choice. At least you won¡¯t lose your job just because you¡¯re studying at university. After graduating from university, the time you spent studying will be counted as your working years. It¡¯s much better than those who only joined after graduating from university.¡± The class teacher sighed.


    ¡°Hehe, that¡¯s what I was thinking.¡± Lin Zhendong nodded with a silly smile.


    The class teacher sighed to herself. Who wouldn¡¯t want to be exempted from the examination at the age of 18 and directly enter the national organization?


    However, this opportunity was not available to ordinary people.


    Moreover, no person would be willing to get such an opportunity, because such an opportunity was obtained from their family¡¯s hard work.


    ¡°Alright, are you here to get the files this time? This file can only be taken away by the principal.¡± The class teacher said.


    ¡°What? No, I¡¯m already preparing to take the exam for the appointee. Why do I need this file? When I get into university, the university will transfer my file away.¡± Lin Zhendong quickly waved his hand.


    ¡°Then now¡­¡± The class teacher was puzzled.


    Lin Zhendong smiled embarrassedly. ¡°Hehe, Miss, you know my results. Besides, the universities that appointees can choose from have low admission requirements.¡±


    ¡°In addition, I¡¯m now employed. Although I¡¯m taking leave to revise and prepare for the exam, I have some work to do. Therefore, I want to take a long leave and return only when I get my admission ticket. It also saves the trouble for me to keep taking leave from you, right?¡±


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s not a problem. In any case, you¡¯ll have to rely on yourselves to revise for the last semester.¡± When the class teacher heard this, she readily agreed.


    Lin Zhendong was secretly pleased with himself as he watched the class teacher begin to write the approval slip.


    This was great. Lin Zhendong had taken a three-month leave from work and got another one from school too. He could finally enjoy these few months of free time.


    ¡°Here are the copies, but you¡¯d better leave after school at noon. After all, you¡¯re wearing your school uniform now. It won¡¯t be good for you to hang out during class.¡± The class teacher handed the spare part of the leave slip and the previous work permit to Lin Zhendong.


    ¡°Yes, thank you, Miss. I¡¯ll go back to class in the morning.¡± Lin Zhendong immediately nodded.


    The class teacher nodded and waved her hand to let Lin Zhendong leave. However, he suddenly thought of something and asked, ¡°Wait, you¡¯re going to be an appointee. Has your unit written an application yet?


    ¡°Yes, the HR department has submitted it to the district department head for me. I believe it won¡¯t be long before it¡¯s approved.¡± Lin Zhendong replied.


    ¡°Alright, but don¡¯t look down on the school that accepts the appointees. You still have to study hard for the exams and get good grades. That way, you¡¯ll get preferential treatment in all aspects.¡± The class teacher said.


    ¡°I understand. Thank you, Miss.¡± Lin Zhendong bowed and left.


    He slipped into his classroom. It was silent. He looked around and saw that only one-third of the seats were occupied.


    These students were all studying. When Lin Zhendong came in, no one raised their heads to look. Lin Zhendong quietly walked to his seat and listened to the rustling of writing and the flipping of papers. He looked at the empty classroom and then at the figures, who were immersed in their studies. Lin Zhendong secretly sighed.


    The students who were not here, two-thirds of the class, either had no hope of taking the college entrance examination or had already taken their high school graduation certificates to find a job. Otherwise, they would be those who had been guaranteed entry or had been admitted early. These students who had already decided which university they would go to in the future were probably traveling around the world now.


    There were many photos of them showing off on their social media.


    The students still studying in the classroom were the middle-rank students who had to rely on themselves to get into the school. The recommendation and early admission had little to do with the results. Everyone knew this.


    Therefore, Lin Zhendong, who was one of the top students in the school, did not enjoy such treatment.


    In the past, he might have felt indignant, but now it didn¡¯t matter.


    He couldn¡¯t leave the school during class time, and he couldn¡¯t wander around. He couldn¡¯t revise his mathematics, and he didn¡¯t have the heart to do so because the school was covered by the light shield of the lair. Therefore, the frustrated Lin Zhendong casually flipped through the small mountain of books on his desk.


    He flipped through the books, and for some reason, he found the textbook for [Study of Lair]. He took it out and flipped through it casually.


    Although these textbooks were imprinted in his mind, it was boring. He could just read mindlessly to kill time.


    Casually flipping through the book, Lin Zhendong suddenly saw a paragraph of text recorded in the book.


    It meant that there was once an ancestor who deliberately stayed in the light barrier of the lair that had not erupted yet. He used his heart to sense the fluctuations of the lair and then directly entered the lair without breaking the barrier.


    However, this ancestor had paid a miserable price to leave the lair. They could not bring out the items he obtained from the lair. It proved that without breaking the lair¡¯s barrier, even if they entered the lair, they would not be able to profit. In the end, he even pointed out with a sigh that although the ancestor did nothing, his spirit of exploration was worth learning from. Lin Zhendong¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up after reading the text. He looked out of the window and saw the faint light shield of the lair in the space outside.


    Lin Zhendong was tempted. It was a newly formed lair, and it was a small lair that occupied less than five acres of land.


    If he could crack it, he wouldn¡¯t be sure to destroy the lair alone, but at least he would retreat safely.


    It was not difficult to sense the fluctuations of the lair. It was even easier for Lin Zhendong because as long as he could see the rise and fall of the lair¡¯s light barrier, he could feel the fluctuations of the lair. However, only a small number of people would study this. After all, if they entered the lair without breaking the lair¡¯s barrier, there would be no benefits other than killing. They would not bring out the things obtained from the lair.


    Who would do something that didn¡¯t benefit them?


    Lin Zhendong would do it!


    He was bored and curious about the newly formed lair in the school. Therefore, he naturally looked at the lair barrier outside and began to sense the frequency of the lair.


    Slowly, his mind and the red line on the light barrier of the lair fluctuated. Lin Zhendong had a thought at this moment.


    ¡°Success!¡±

 Chapter 27 - Strange Lair

    Chapter 27 Strange Lair


    As soon as this thought appeared, Lin Zhendong realized that he was at the school gate.


    The campus was empty. Lin Zhendong turned his head and looked at the school gate behind him. It was a vast expanse of white. When he reached out to touch it, it was as if he were touching a layer of glass.


    ¡°Uh, I did enter the lair, but this lair looks like a school?¡±


    Lin Zhendong looked left and right. No matter how he looked at it, it was no different from a school in reality.


    It made him a little flustered.


    Although he had never been to the lair before it was cracked, he had been to the lair after it was cracked many times!


    Those were the typical lairs with the maze, gloomy, all kinds of strange things.


    How could it be like this, where it was copied from the real school?


    For some reason, the three powerful extraordinaries suddenly appeared in Lin Zhendong¡¯s mind.


    Subconsciously, he felt that this lair was so strange. It was related to those three people!


    Otherwise, there was no way to explain!


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you in class!¡± Suddenly, a furious roar sounded.


    [Target is hostile (slaughter). Strength: F-rank.]


    Lin Zhendong sighed and turned to look at the familiar person who walked out of the security room.


    Looking at this familiar face, he looked down and sighed helplessly. ¡°Strange indeed. Monsters can talk. ¡±


    ¡°Who are you calling a monster?!¡± The guard roared. ¡°How impolite! State your class and name! I¡¯ll give you a demerit!¡±


    ¡°Please pretend to be human. Look at your feet.¡± Lin Zhendong took out a saber from his storage space.


    ¡°What happened to my leg?¡± The guard moved his lower limbs in confusion and took out his baton. He said with a gloomy expression, ¡°You dare to bring a weapon to school? Looks like you¡¯re a dangerous person. I have to capture you!¡±


    ¡°You talk too much. Your lower body is like an earthworm. It¡¯s disgusting!¡± Lin Zhendong immediately swung his saber and slashed over.


    The guard raised his baton to block, but he was cut in half by Lin Zhendong.


    The guard was still alive. He was still howling miserably. Moreover, he was still struggling to attack even though he had been split into two. Although it was screaming miserably, not only was there no blood or internal organs flowing out of its body, but the two halves of its body began to transform into two intact bodies.


    ¡°It¡¯s so weak and has such a strong vitality, yet it can recover into two. It should be an earthworm-type monster. Fortunately, it hasn¡¯t turned into a human yet. Otherwise, I would have some psychological barriers to killing it.¡± Lin Zhendong muttered as he conjured a black flame.


    Just as he was about to throw the flames over to burn the monster, his shadow suddenly trembled.


    The shadow transmitted a vague thought, which stunned Lin Zhendong. He hesitated and extinguished the flame.


    After a moment of consideration, the shadow immediately pounced on the two halves of the guard.


    The shadow directly covered the guard, and the screams stopped. Then, the shadow shook non-stop. Then, the raised shadow became flat.


    The shadow returned to Lin Zhendong¡¯s feet, and the guard monster disappeared without a trace.


    ¡°Come out and let me take a look.¡± Lin Zhendong was moved.


    The shadow immediately stood up.


    It didn¡¯t look much different. It was still the same black, pitch-black existence without any facial features.


    He reached out and pinched it. It was still the same feeling as before he went to school.


    ¡°Maybe this earthworm monster is too weak. That¡¯s why there¡¯s no obvious change?¡± Lin Zhendong shook his head and let the shadow shrink back under his feet.


    Lin Zhendong had no qualms about his shadow becoming stronger by devouring the monsters in the lair.


    He had long been mentally prepared after watching all kinds of strange videos on the internet.


    As mentioned before, those who obtained skills would upload their videos to show off.


    Some were showing off the magnificence of their skills, while others were showing off how their skills had been enhanced.


    It was also because there were thousands of people and for all kinds of strange reasons. Especially those foreign videos.


    The locals of Zhongyun were more restrained in their actions. They paid more attention to moral values when it came to online reviews.


    However, those foreigners were reckless. They dared to take all kinds of videos and upload them online. The more shocking they were, the more popular they became.


    Therefore, there were even disgusting videos of eating human-shaped monsters raw, let alone using skills to devour monsters to increase their strength.


    Therefore, Lin Zhendong did not feel anything out of the ordinary when his shadow wanted to devour the monster.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Another furious roar sounded.


    However, Lin Zhendong¡¯s expression was a little strange when he looked over. Because it was also a security guard, he looked angry and waved his baton, looking fierce.


    However, its lower body was moving forward like a worm.


    Not only did he not feel terrified, but he also felt like laughing.


    Lin Zhendong heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°If this lair is filled with such monsters, I can wipe it out alone.¡±


    He rushed forward and cut the security guard in half. The shadow automatically pounced on him to finish him off.


    He killed another monster effortlessly.


    Then, Lin Zhendong patrolled the campus. After killing another security monster, there were no other monsters left.


    He could not help but look at the towering teaching building.


    First, he chose the office building for the school leaders and teachers.


    He scanned the floors one by one. Every monster became a school leader and teacher that he was familiar with. The only good thing was that the number of monsters was small. There were only three or four monsters on each level.


    However, when he met a monster teacher who happened to be teaching him third-year mathematics, the monster suddenly shouted, ¡°Lin Zhendong, what are you doing?¡± Lin Zhendong¡¯s scalp went numb. He quickly cut down the teacher, and then the shadow pounced on it to eliminate it.


    Lin Zhendong did not continue to exterminate the monsters. Instead, he leaned on his saber and panted heavily. Cold sweat dripped down his forehead.


    That monster called out his name, which made him unable to help but tremble.


    He could vaguely sense why there was an S-rank extraordinary watching over such a weak lair.


    After calming himself down, he immediately went to flip through the documents in the office.


    What made him slightly relieved was that these books were all blank. Only the book cover was the same as the real book.


    The computer only had the shell. However, Lin Zhendong shuddered when he saw the cover text of those books.


    This lair was still new. If it developed for a long time, would these books be complete? At that time, those monsters should have completely turned into the same person. They might even have the same memories.


    If these monsters ran into the real world, no one could tell they were monsters unless they were killed!


    Fortunately! This strange lair had yet to take shape, and he was already allowed to enter. However, Lin Zhendong felt that his worries were groundless. This lair had just taken shape, and the Special Protection Department would not be able to discover it.


    However, as the lair developed, the Special Protection Department would be able to discover it.


    Once it was breached, even if there were all the same students and teachers inside, the people of the Special Protection Department would only be stunned for a moment before they would immediately eliminate them. They would also increase the intensity of monitoring the lair at the first moment. It would not happen in his imagination that these monsters who had turned into humans and still had the memories of their bodies would run to the real world to do real people and fake people.


    It was because once the Special Protection Department discovered the existence of the lair, the people in the school would be evacuated immediately and then surrounded. Moreover, it would be the Special Protection Department that would attack the lair. In the lair, the slightly experienced members of the special forces would not be fooled. Thinking of this, Lin Zhendong heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Seriously, don¡¯t think so badly of the Special Protection Department. Could it be that this lair can successfully develop to the point of eruption without the Special Protection Department discovering it? Only in this way can these monsters that can change people and rob people of their memories have the possibility of causing trouble.¡± However, Lin Zhendong still felt uneasy. ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s not think about those things. I¡¯m just a third-year student. If I encounter it, I¡¯ll solve it. If I don¡¯t, I can¡¯t do anything about it, right? Anyway, there are tall people up there. If the sky falls, they will hold up for us. After consoling himself, Lin Zhendong cleared the monsters in the school at an even faster speed.


    In any case, as soon as he found a monster, he would kill it with a slash. Then, the shadow would pounce over and devour it. He could not be bothered to see who the monster would become.

 Chapter 28 - Shadow Transformation

    Chapter 28 Shadow Transformation


    When Lin Zhendong arrived at his classroom, it was surprisingly empty.


    It was great that he did not have to kill his classmates.


    Although they were monsters, he was still unwilling to kill monsters with familiar faces.


    However, this newly born lair was terrible. There were more than 6,000 people in the entire school, but only 100 of them turned into half-human monsters.


    Moreover, among the monsters, 70% of them became employees and teachers, while only 30% became students.


    Was this related to age and experience? He didn¡¯t understand.


    Since the number of monsters was small, it was easy for Lin Zhendong to clear them out. Lin Zhendong was puzzled when he couldn¡¯t find a single monster after searching through all the buildings.


    It was because they were missing a lair master that was indispensable to the lair.


    Could it be that he killed it as if it was an ordinary monster?


    That was impossible. No matter how much the Lair Lord hid, its characteristics made it different from other monsters. It made people know that it was a special monster at a glance.


    Lin Zhendong rubbed his chin and pondered. What did he miss?


    ¡°Principal!¡± he suddenly slapped his thigh. He didn¡¯t see the principal who had turned into a monster! Even the class teacher has come out. I don¡¯t believe that the principal hasn¡¯t been conjured!¡±


    ¡°And according to the principal¡¯s habits¡­¡± Lin Zhendong turned his gaze to the roof of the office building.


    Then, he rushed to the office building and ran up the stairs to the roof. When he saw the tightly shut iron door, he kicked it open.


    Rushing into the rooftop, he saw a huge monster half human and half earthworm. It stood by the railing with its hands behind its back and looked at the entire campus.


    Hearing the sound, the monster turned its head and smiled kindly. ¡°Not bad, Lin Zhendong.¡±


    Lin Zhendong, who was about to launch an attack, was stunned for a second. He subconsciously asked, ¡°You know me too?¡±


    ¡°All the mischievous students and those who are good at their studies are recorded in my mind. What kind of student do you think you are?¡± The monster principal said with a smile.


    ¡°Uh, are you confused by the principal¡¯s memories? Do you think you¡¯re the principal?¡± Lin Zhendong¡¯s eyes twitched as he said in a bad mood.


    ¡°I know I¡¯m a monster in your eyes, but I prefer the title of principal. What a pity.¡± The monster principal shook his head.


    Lin Zhendong endured the fear in his heart and gritted his teeth as he raised his saber and slashed forward.


    It was partly due to the strange tone of the monster principal, and partly because his chip did not warn the monster before him.


    This monster principal, who was the lair master, did not resist at all, just like the chip did not warn him. He smiled and allowed Lin Zhendong to slash him to the ground.


    Lin Zhendong forced himself not to look at the monster¡¯s expression. With a thought, his shadow pounced on it.


    This time, it was not as fast as before. The bulging shadow trembled endlessly, and there were faint roars of the monster.


    Lin Zhendong did not look at the commotion. He held onto the railing and looked at the quiet campus wrapped in white fog.


    He sighed slowly. ¡°Seriously, a monster is a monster. Why are you so pretentious? If this lair continues to grow, I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to tell who the monster is!¡±


    ¡°I hope this lair is an exception and not created by someone behind the scenes. Otherwise, it¡¯s going to be a disaster. ¡± Although Lin Zhendong said that, he could not help but think of the mysterious S-rank and two A-rak extraordinaries.


    After a while, Lin Zhendong turned his head when he received the notification from the shadow. He was shocked to find that although his shadow still had no facial features, it had become much thicker.


    Previously, he was 1.7 meters tall. Now, he was already 1.8 meters tall.


    More importantly, the shadow was holding a broken crystal the size of a finger.


    Lin Zhendong quickly took it and examined it, then shook his head regretfully. ¡°What a pity. It is still a skill crystal that has yet to take shape.¡±


    However, he immediately gasped in horror.


    ¡°The lair monster could condense a skill crystal! This is not a first-class lair!¡±


    ¡°Sh*t! An earthworm-type weakling monster of a second-class lair and occupied an area of five acres? If this gets out, wouldn¡¯t it rewrite the textbooks of lair studies!¡± However, Lin Zhendong shook his head quickly. ¡°However, this lair itself is strange enough. It can replicate the scene outside the lair, transform into a human, and absorb people¡¯s memories. It wouldn¡¯t be strange for it to be a second-class and above lair!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a pity that no one will believe this. I don¡¯t know what to say!¡±


    ¡°Nobody will believe I can discover the newly born lair before the Special Protection Department and clear it.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if no one believes me. I¡¯m afraid that if someone believes me, they¡¯ll directly arrest me for experiments!¡±


    ¡°Besides, it¡¯s fine if they do experiments. The government won¡¯t be so bad that they¡¯ll cut me into pieces for research. But it¡¯s not good to be used as a human-shaped monitoring machine!¡±


    ¡°So, don¡¯t blame me for being selfish. For the sake of freedom, I can only pretend that this matter doesn¡¯t exist.¡±


    Lin Zhendong muttered to himself and casually threw away the incomplete skill crystal.


    He came in by synchronizing the lair fluctuation. Hence, he couldn¡¯t bring anything out of the lair.


    In addition, this was a skill crystal that had yet to take shape. It had no effect, and no one dared to use it. Therefore, it was not a pity to throw it away.


    However, the shadow picked up the crystal and looked at Lin Zhendong.


    ¡°Uh, you want to eat it? Do you think it¡¯ll benefit you? Then you eat it.¡± Lin Zhendong blinked and said subconsciously. With permission, the shadow directly absorbed the crystal into its body.


    Lin Zhendong looked at the motionless shadow and waited.


    After waiting for a few minutes, the shadow suddenly began to shake.


    Then, he saw the shadow shrink. That figure looked very familiar.


    Then, facial features appeared. Its hair, clothes, and skin were all revealed.


    Lin Zhendong¡¯s eyes widened because the shadow had turned into him! ¡°F*ck! Can you change your appearance? Don¡¯t become me! Just looking at it made all the hair on his body stand on end! Hurry up!¡± Lin Zhendong shouted in exasperation. Lin Zhendong, who had transformed into a shadow, had a puzzled expression. Then, he nodded in realization, and his figure changed again.


    Her figure was even thinner, slimmer, and taller. Her skin was snow-white, and her hair was flowing in the wind.


    Looking at that familiar face, Lin Zhendong was stunned for a moment. Then, he quickly waved his hand with a flushed face. ¡°No! Hurry up and change into another one!¡± The girl tilted her head in confusion, revealing a cute face. Then, she clapped her hands in realization, and her figure and face changed again, turning into a mature beauty.


    Lin Zhendong wiped his face and shook his head helplessly. ¡°Forget it. I know you can turn into anyone. Go back to your black and faceless appearance.¡±


    The beautiful woman pouted her lips in dissatisfaction. Her figure changed again, and she returned to her black figure without facial features.


    Seeing this, Lin Zhendong heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t change into anything without my orders in the future. Don¡¯t cause trouble for me!¡±


    The shadow disappeared under Lin Zhendong¡¯s feet without saying a word. Looking at this scene, Lin Zhendong could not help but mutter, ¡°F*ck, I feel that after the shadow swallowed that monster¡¯s crystal, its emotions have changed a lot! It¡¯s so weird!¡± Shaking his head, he stepped on the railing and jumped from the roof.


    Instead of landing on the ground, he bent his legs slightly and removed the gravity of the fall. Cracks appeared on the ground in a radius of several meters.


    He came to the school gate with his knife and started hacking at the white fog. The unpleasant sound of the machete hitting the glass rang out.


    Those who entered the lair by sensing the lair fluctuations had to forcefully break through the barrier from the inside if they wanted to leave.


    This method of breaking was only to let the person inside out. It was not breaking the barrier.

 Chapter 29 - Most Popular Girl

    Chapter 29 Most Popular Girl


    Crack! A hole appeared in the barrier.


    Lin Zhendong rushed in without thinking.


    Then, he realized that he had returned to his seat.


    The students in the classroom were still engrossed in their studies. They did not notice that Lin Zhendong had already gone to the lair to fight.


    ¡°Is the time wrong?¡± Lin Zhendong made a sound and kept the saber in his hand in his storage space.


    He raised his head and looked outside. The light shield of the lair was still there, but the few red lines that surrounded the light shield had disappeared.


    Obviously, it was because Lin Zhendong had killed all the monsters.


    It made him smile with a sense of accomplishment.


    After that, he became a little restless.


    What a joke. Lin Zhendong had just fought a battle, and it was such a strange scene. He was so scared that he broke out in a cold sweat. It made him unable to focus on his revision.


    Looking at the casual clothes that he had specially stored in the storage space, his eyes could not help but light up.


    Wasn¡¯t it forbidden to leave school in school uniforms and wander the streets during class time for fear of affecting the school image?


    Then couldn¡¯t Lin Zhendong change his school uniform?


    Just as he was about to go to the bathroom to change his clothes, a man and a woman suddenly walked in from the classroom door.


    Lin Zhendong was stunned when he saw the familiar face of the young lady at the head of the table.


    Sensing that the shadow under his feet was shaking, he naturally knew what was going on. He immediately stomped on the shadow to warn it.


    Liu Jingyi, who had walked to Lin Zhendong, tilted her head. Her long hair naturally floated towards Lin Zhendong as she asked with a smile, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Uh, nothing. My feet suddenly itched.¡± Lin Zhendong grinned.


    Liu Jingyi naturally pulled out the chair in front of Lin Zhendong and sat down. She turned her head and asked in a low voice, ¡°You haven¡¯t been here for the past two days. Did something happen at home?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I just finished my family matter. I¡¯m going home to revise. I¡¯ll only come to school after I get my admission ticket. I¡¯ve already asked for leave from the class teacher.¡± After Lin Zhendong answered in a low voice, he asked carefully, ¡°Didn¡¯t you get a recommendation? Why are you back at school?¡±


    The girl played with her hair and smiled. ¡°I want to take the college entrance examination and see what I¡¯ve learned in the past three years.¡±


    ¡°You have ambition.¡± Lin Zhendong gave him a thumbs up.


    At this moment, a male voice sounded from the side. ¡°Lin Zhendong, which university are you going to apply to? Jingyi and I are going to universities in Imperial City! Why don¡¯t you apply it too? At that time, we can continue to be classmates.¡±


    Lin Zhendong glanced at Yang Zhi, the handsome and arrogant student who had entered the classroom with Liu Jingyi. He smiled and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it too, but it¡¯s quite difficult. I have to get super high marks to get into Imperial University. Unlike you, who has already been accepted in advance.¡±


    Before Yang Zhi could say anything, he asked again, ¡°But you¡¯ve already been accepted in advance. Why are you still going back to school? Are you also preparing to take the college entrance examination?¡±


    ¡°Uh, I just came back to get something.¡± Yang Zhi looked at Liu Jingyi and saw she was already flipping through her textbook. He sat down and flipped through his desk.


    Lin Zhendong smiled when he saw this fake action.


    Everyone in the class and even the grade knew what Yang Zhi was thinking.


    This student, Yang Zhi, had average grades and was not qualify for the recommendation.


    However, he was accepted by Imperial University in advance and had already become classmates with Liu Jingyi.


    Liu Jingyi sat in front of Lin Zhendong. She was one of the best students at First High School. Her grades were top-notch, and she was well-developed in all aspects.


    Her body technique and spiritual skills were also very exquisite. She was a girl without any flaws.


    Needless to say, such a girl was naturally the white moonlight in the hearts of the city¡¯s high school boys.


    Lin Zhendong and this girl had something that most people did not know.


    That was, they were not just classmates for three years in high school. They were classmates for 15 years from three years in kindergarten, six years in primary school, three years in junior high school, and three years in high school.


    They came from different families and did not live in the same neighborhood. They did not even know each other, but miraculously, they were in the same class for 15 years from kindergarten to high school.


    They were the only ones who had such a strange fate. They had met so many classmates in their long student life, but they were the only ones who had such a fate.


    However, they were not childhood sweethearts because their relationship was no different from other students.


    It was simple. Before primary school, Lin Zhendong was the king of children. He played with his friends all day long. He rarely hung out with girls.


    Liu Jingyi was a proud little sun, attracting the stars to form her body. Who were those hooligans?


    In addition, they couldn¡¯t get along with each other due to their connections outside the school.


    Therefore, although they had a deep impression of each other as the two extreme symbols of the class, they were just familiar strangers. They only knew that they were classmates.


    Other than knowing the other party¡¯s name and studies, they did not know where the other party lived, what their family did, what they liked, hated, happiness, troubles, and so on. Especially during junior high school, Lin Zhendong fell into a low ebb in his life and shut himself off for some time. Later on, he focused on his cultivation and studies.


    Liu Jingyi, on the other hand, had always been shining brightly, surrounded by stars. They became even more distant than normal classmates.


    It wasn¡¯t until the third year of high school that the two of them happened to sit at the same table, and their relationship became closer. After all, they knew they had been in the same class as him for 15 years.


    This strange fate naturally made him different from the other students.


    For example, Liu Jingyi¡¯s smile was something other male students couldn¡¯t enjoy. However, this attitude that was different from the other students caused Lin Zhendong to be criticized by many people. Yes, he was secretly dissing her and did not dare to do it openly.


    Why?


    Lin Zhendong, who had three portions of cultivation resources and more than twenty portions of treasures, could sweep through the entire First High School in terms of body technique, including the teachers.


    Lin Zhendong was in his third year of high school. However, no matter how outstanding he was, he was not guaranteed entry or early admission.


    Everyone knew this.


    Because of this, no one dared to criticize Lin Zhendong because of Liu Jingyi¡¯s unusual attitude toward him.


    Lin Zhendong knew that if anyone dared to insult him, he would drag them onto the arena and beat them up until their faces were swollen before kicking them off the arena mercilessly. It wasn¡¯t that there weren¡¯t people who stepped forward one after another. After all, they were young and frivolous. Many of them thought they were big shots. When all the youths who didn¡¯t know their limits were beaten to a pulp, no one dared to stir up trouble. Helplessly, some people went to find Liu Jingyi¡¯s best friends and asked them to find out why she treated Lin Zhendong so specially, but they didn¡¯t get an answer.


    At first, it was noisy, but after seeing that the two of them did not interact at all outside the school, it did not seem like they were in love, so it calmed down.


    However, the number of people who were desperately refining their body techniques increased by quite a bit. Because many people thought Lin Zhendong¡¯s body techniques were good, Liu Jingyi, who was also in the body technique class, looked at him differently.


    Lin Zhendong quietly watched Liu Jingyi¡¯s back.


    She was a perfect girl and had been classmates with him for 15 years.


    It would be impossible for Lin Zhendong to not have this young girl in his mind when he was young.


    However, he became an orphan at 12 years old and experienced a lot. He had a different mentality from his peers. Putting everything else aside, just the fact that he could not overcome it was enough to let him know not to think so much.


    At this moment, a red hostile warning flashed in his eyes. He turned his head to look at the notification and saw Yang Zhi glaring at him with hatred.


    Lin Zhendong did not care about this and calmed his chaotic thoughts. He got up and patted Yang Zhi¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Yang Zhi, as you said, I can¡¯t get into Imperial University, but I should be able to get into other universities in Imperial City. So when we are in the same city, please take care of us.¡¯ Yang Zhi¡¯s expression changed, and he forced a smile. ¡°Of course, we are classmates.¡±


    ¡°Why do you say that? Don¡¯t you have the confidence to get into Imperial University?¡± Liu Jingyi stared at Lin Zhendong and asked. ¡°I¡¯m very confident in my grades, but it¡¯s a pity I can¡¯t get into Imperial University.¡± Lin Zhendong laughed.


    ¡°Which school are you going to?¡± Jingyi asked again.


    ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, it should be the Imperial Military and Political University.¡± Lin Zhendong said casually.


    Only a few universities could accept appointees from the Special Protection Department. The best one was naturally the Imperial Military and Political University. looked into Liu Jingyi¡¯s eyes and Lin Zhendong chuckled,¡± Then, allow me to sneak away. I¡¯ll see you again during the college entrance examination, an old classmate. ¡°¡® After saying that, he waved his hand and left.


    Liu Jingyi watched Lin Zhendong leave, her eyes flickering as she pondered. When Yang Zhi saw this scene, he gritted his teeth so hard that they creaked. His expression kept changing, thinking.

 Chapter 30 - The Yang Family

    Chapter 30 The Yang Family


    Lin Zhendong went to the toilet to change his clothes. Then, he went to the school gate and chatted with the familiar security guard. He even took out the attached leave slip to show it.


    The sealed school gate opened with a click, and Lin Zhendong slipped out.


    Lin Zhendong took a few steps outside and turned to look at the school.


    The transparent lair barrier was still there.


    He didn¡¯t know if the lair that had been cleared out could be restored.


    If it couldn¡¯t recover, it was still fine to leave it there.


    If it could recover, Lin Zhendong should be able to discover it at any time.


    At the thought of this, Lin Zhendong relaxed. With his hands in his pockets, he walked away while humming a song.


    Liu Jingyi was standing in the corridor. She watched Lin Zhendong leave. She thought for a second and took out her phone to make a call. ¡°Come pick me up.¡¯ After hanging up, she walked downstairs.


    Not far away, Yang Zhi, who was pretending to enjoy the scenery, was stunned for a moment. His expression became even more displeased, but he quickly followed.


    ¡°Liu Jingyi, we¡¯ve all been accepted by Imperial University. When it¡¯s time to relax, why don¡¯t we go on a trip with a few friends? You can visit the Imperial University first to familiarize yourself with your studies in the future.¡±


    Liu Jingru ignored Yang Zhi and continued walking.


    Yang Zhi was also used to this attitude. As he followed, he continued to chat.


    Just like that, the two of them arrived at the school gate.


    It was unknown if the guard was familiar with them or something else. As soon as he saw them, he immediately opened the fence.


    An ordinary-looking car was already parked outside.


    Liu Jingyi opened the car door, and before she got in, she suddenly stopped and turned to look at Yang Zhi, who was staring at her with an eager expression. ¡°I have to prepare for the college entrance examination, so you can look for someone else to travel with you.¡±


    After saying that, she got into the car and closed the door. The car drove away with a whoosh.


    Yang Zhi didn¡¯t say anything. He clenched his fists with a furious expression.


    At this moment, a luxury car stopped beside him. A man in a black suit got out and opened the back door to wait.


    In the driver¡¯s seat, a man in a black suit asked, ¡°Young Master, do you want to follow Miss Liu¡¯s car?¡±


    ¡°No, go home!¡± Yang Zhi gritted his teeth.


    The driver and the man sitting in the passenger seat looked at each other. They didn¡¯t say anything and started the car.


    As the car drove towards the suburbs, Yang Zhi, who had been silent all this while, suddenly said, ¡°Do you know my classmate, Lin Zhendong?¡±


    The driver and the man in the passenger seat nodded. ¡°We know, Young Master.¡±


    ¡°He said that he¡¯s going to get into the Imperial Military and Political University and continue to live in the same city as me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so happy to think about it. When the time comes, I¡¯ll have another acquaintance.¡±


    ¡°But what if something happens to him before the college entrance examination? He must be sad that he couldn¡¯t take the college entrance examination, right? At that time, he will live a completely different life compared to the students who took the college entrance.¡± Yang Zhi said leisurely.


    The two men looked at each other and nodded without hesitation. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Young Master. Your classmates will not have an accident before the college entrance examination!¡±


    The man sitting in the passenger seat couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Young Master, although I am your subordinate, I really can¡¯t stand your classmate named Lin Zhendong. He jumps around like a grasshopper all day long. It¡¯s normal for something to happen to such an annoying fellow.¡±


    ¡°My classmate has connections in the Special Protection Department!¡± Yang Zhi frowned and snorted. ¡°What could have happened?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s just a remnant of the officer of the Special Protection Department. Don¡¯t worry, Young Master.¡± The assistant man laughed sinisterly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand!¡± Yang Zhi stared at his subordinate and said.


    The man in the passenger seat smiled and nodded without saying a word.


    Seeing this, Yang Zhi closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat.


    At this moment, he did not look like a senior student. Instead, he looked like an outstanding man who had worked hard in society for many years.


    The car sped to the suburbs and then drove onto a small road.


    At the foot of a mountain, a giant iron gate blocked the road.


    Before the car arrived, the iron gate automatically opened on both sides, revealing a winding road into the forest.


    The car drove along the mountain road. After a while, they passed a high place, and the vision immediately became clear.


    The spacious valley had a private manor with many buildings.


    Around the manor, two men and a dog could be seen patrolling in groups.


    The car drove straight to the main building, and the servant who had been waiting for a long time opened the door.


    Yang Zhi, who got off the car, asked casually, ¡°Is my father home?¡±


    ¡°Master is at home.¡± The attendant hurriedly nodded and replied.


    Yang Zhi didn¡¯t say anything and went straight into the house.


    After passing through the spacious and magnificent waiting room, they came to a hall that was more like a home. A mighty middle-aged man sat on the sofa, flipping through the newspaper. Many servants around him were standing like puppets.


    Yang Zhi¡¯s father, Yang Wu, looked up from the newspaper and saw his son.


    Even if they were father and son, Yang Zhi was stabbed by his father¡¯s sharp gaze. He bowed respectfully and said, ¡°Father, I¡¯m back.¡±


    ¡°Yes, go wash up. It¡¯s rare for your mother to cook personally today, so you and I can have a good meal.¡± Yang Wu smiled gently.


    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Yang Zhi also smiled.


    After returning to his room, he hurriedly washed up and changed his clothes before returning to the hall.


    Seeing that his father was still reading the newspaper, he couldn¡¯t help but want to look for his mother.


    As soon as he moved, Yang Wu patted the sofa beside him and said, ¡°Come and sit.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Yang Zhi sat down without hesitation. ¡°Ha, don¡¯t be so nervous. You and I are father and son. Don¡¯t make it like we¡¯re meeting as superior and subordinate.¡± Yang Wu hugged Yang Zhi¡¯s shoulder and smiled.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Yang Zhi grinned, but his body tensed up. Yang Wu frowned slightly and let go of his son.


    Then he said sternly, ¡°You did well this time. Be careful with your words and actions.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Yang Zhi didn¡¯t know why he was praised, but he immediately smiled from the bottom of his heart.


    Yang Wu sighed. ¡°Sigh, our Yang family has too many enemies for various reasons. On the surface and in the dark, you don¡¯t even know which one of the people around you is a needle that has been inserted.¡± As he said this, he glanced at the servants, who were acting as puppets.


    These attendants all lowered their eyes and did not move at all.


    ¡°So, even when you¡¯re alone, you must be careful with your words and actions. Don¡¯t reveal anything that can be used against you.¡±


    ¡°Because you don¡¯t know who will record your words and things.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t know that your casual word or thing will be used by the enemy as the last straw to crush the camel of the Yang family.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why your previous performance was great. You didn¡¯t leave any evidence behind. There¡¯s no problem if you directly take your words to your classmates.¡± Yang Wu patted his son¡¯s shoulder and said gratefully.


    Yang Zhi¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Apparently, his father knew what he had said in the car. ¡°Don¡¯t be like this. Your father is praising you.¡± Yang Wu rubbed his son¡¯s head helplessly.


    ¡°But you¡¯re too late. You know very well why I asked you to study at the First High School and sent you to the Imperial University. You have to kick away the stones that get in your way as soon as possible.¡± Yang Wu stared at his son and said.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± Yang Zhi wanted to explain. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. As a member of the Yang Family, you must have the courage to do so. Moreover, I want you to win her heart, not to be a bootlicker!¡±


    ¡°So you can be more relaxed when doing things. Don¡¯t be afraid of this and that.¡±


    ¡°Families like ours look down on bootlickers the most!¡±


    ¡°For a family like ours, evidence is not important. But to outsiders, evidence is important.¡±


    ¡°Without evidence, who dares to say that you did it? Who would know that you did it?¡±


    ¡°Besides, so what if they know? You¡¯ll only be slandered behind your back, but who can do anything to you?¡±


    ¡°You have to know that this is not the ancient era. It¡¯s the modern era. Without enough reason, no one can do anything.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t do anything to them, and they can¡¯t do anything to us. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve told you to be careful since you were young.¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡± Yang Zhi took a deep breath and nodded.


    At this moment, a gentle voice sounded. ¡°What are you two talking about? Time to eat.¡± The father and son turned their heads and saw a beautiful woman in an apron smiling at them.


    The attendants at the side all bowed in unison.


    Then, a beautiful woman was followed by two maids.


    However, at this moment, Yang Wu and Yang Zhi didn¡¯t have anyone else in their eyes. They only had that beautiful woman in their eyes. Yang Wu immediately opened his arms and walked forward to hug her. He laughed and said, ¡°Haha, I have to drink a few glasses today so I won¡¯t let down the delicacies that my wife cooked! Isn¡¯t that right, son?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I haven¡¯t eaten Mom¡¯s cooking in a long time.¡± Yang Zhi also revealed a happy smile. ¡°Haha? Is that so? Then you have to clear out all the food.¡± The beautiful woman smiled happily.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We will clean all the dishes!¡± Yang Wu patted his chest and said. The family of three went to the restaurant, chatting and laughing.

 Chapter 31

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Lin Zhendong did not go home, nor did he wander around.


    He subconsciously ran to the nearby Second High School and District High School to take a look.


    He checked with his naked eye and the chip¡¯s function, but there was nothing wrong.


    Lin Zhendong heaved a sigh of relief when he realized that the light shield of the lair that he was worried about did not cover the schools.


    Just as he was about to rush home, his phone rang. Yang Wen¡¯s voice came through. ¡°Sir, is it convenient for you now? I¡¯ll go look for you.¡±


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll wait for you at the entrance of Li Feng Park.¡± Lin Zhendong found a nearby road sign and said.


    As he fiddled with his phone, he thought about what Yang Wen, the man from Bauhinia Legion stationed in Riverside City, wanted to talk to him about.


    After thinking for a while, he couldn¡¯t think of anything and could only wait quietly.


    Yang Wen was a very polite and gentle person. It was not a problem to interact with him more.


    Yang Wen quickly found Lin Zhendong in his car. After Lin Zhendong got into the car, Yang Wen handed him a file.


    Lin Zhendong took it and opened it. It was a document stating Lin Zhendong had contracted a mountain in Zilong County and a simple jade token with nothing carved on it.


    Holding these two items, Lin Zhendong could not help but ask in puzzlement, ¡°What is this for?¡±


    Yang Wen started the car and said, ¡°The mountain on the document is where the lair site is located. As for the jade token, you have to inject energy into it.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Lin Zhendong did as he was told, and the jade token emitted a faint light. It felt similar to the way gold coins were distinguished.


    Lin Zhendong could not help but play with it curiously. He continued to ask, ¡°What use is this?¡±


    ¡°This is the entry pass to the barrier of the second-class lair site,¡± said Yang Wen with a smile.


    ¡°Initially, I wanted to wait until the energy of the barrier was exhausted before handing the second-class lair to you.¡±


    ¡°But after thinking about it, I decided to make changes to the barrier first and leave it to you to deal with.¡±


    ¡°You can understand this change in the barrier as changing the door lock. This way, it will be more convenient for you to enter and exit the lair ruins.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, this jade token is very easy to duplicate. Find a jade token of the same size and stick it together. Then, you can transfer the energy in your body into it and you can duplicate another key.¡±


    ¡°From now on, only those who carry the jade token you made can enter and leave the lair site.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it means this is a new key.¡± Lin Zhendong said as he tossed the white jade token.


    However, he was stunned and looked at Yang Wen¡¯s figure in shock. ¡°No, wait, what did you say? Leave the lair site to me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, this is the compensation for getting you into trouble.¡± Yang Wen said.


    ¡°No need. I didn¡¯t lose anything. There¡¯s no need to compensate me!¡± Lin Zhendong quickly waved his hand to reject.


    ¡°Sir, you don¡¯t have to refuse. To be honest, that lair was found by Mrs. Su Yan. The things inside were also taken away, leaving behind only ruins.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible for us to develop it. After all, this ruin¡¯s level is low. If we send people to develop it, it¡¯s not worth it for the organization¡¯s effort.¡±


    ¡°According to tradition, the lair site these organizations don¡¯t want is either thrown to the local department or sold to the local wealthy families.¡±


    ¡°And Mrs. Su Yan¡¯s personality is impatient to deal with these matters. She left them to the local garrison to handle.¡±


    ¡°This matter was handed over to me. I suggested handing it to you, and Mrs. Su Yan agreed immediately.¡±


    ¡°So, Sir, please accept it. Whether you develop it yourself or hand it over to the Special Protection Department, it¡¯s all up to you. We¡¯re just showing our sincerity.¡±


    ¡°And you don¡¯t have to worry about the official issues. Since we can help you apply for the development of that mountain, it means the official has already tacitly agreed.¡±


    Lin Zhendong did not know how to respond to Yang Wen¡¯s words.


    However, he suddenly thought of something and said, ¡°Wait, sell it to the local tycoons? Can we privately develop a lair site?¡±


    ¡°Sir, you haven¡¯t come into contact with such matters yet?¡± Yang Wen was stunned.


    ¡°It¡¯s very normal for private developers to develop the lair ruins,¡± he explained.


    ¡°You know lairs are everywhere like sands on the beach.¡±


    ¡°The country doesn¡¯t have the energy and manpower to break through and develop so many lairs. After all, some high-class lairs already occupy a large amount of manpower and resources.¡±


    ¡°Hence, some low-class lairs are either abandoned after breaking through or directly contracted by private parties.¡±


    ¡°From the beginning, all the lairs in foreign countries were occupied by private individuals. Zhongyun lacks the power to control it. Supposedly, the country was in charge of everything from the start.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s still the same reason. The number of lairs is increasing. They occupy a huge part of the country¡¯s power. However, those lairs that appeared had to be cleared, so the low-class lairs were slowly transferred to private companies.¡±


    ¡°The development we¡¯re talking about here is not the lair sites, but the lairs that have not been broken through.¡±


    ¡°Many years ago, Zhongyun had already handed over the discovered lairs to private parties for development. These private parties were allowed to attack the lairs and develop the lair sites. ¡±


    ¡°Although this matter is secretive, as far as I know, at least more than ten lairs in Riverside City are developed by private parties.¡±


    Lin Zhendong sucked in a breath of cold air. In the past, he had always thought that the lair was country-owned, and he could follow behind the Special Protection Department to pick up some leftovers.


    He didn¡¯t expect the higher-ups to be so open. Private individuals could contract the lair and be responsible for the subsequent development.


    He had never heard of this before, and there was no news about it on the internet.


    But thinking about it, it was normal for the message to be blocked.


    How could the government publicize something that indicated the country was not strong enough?


    Then, they would naturally hide the personal power of obtaining opportunities. They wished that they could not eat enough. Why would they publicize it to increase the number of opponents fighting for food?


    Presumably, those who could participate in the private development of the lair were all local dignitaries. Otherwise, they would not develop the breached lairs.


    Lin Zhendong¡¯s eyes flickered. As long as one wasn¡¯t a fool, they would know what benefits there were to developing an unbroken lair.


    Of course, he would not be able to get this kind of treatment. However, developing the lair sites himself would still be a rich and endless benefit!


    Now, the benefits were right in front of him! He could get it by nodding his head!


    However, there was a problem. If Lin Zhendong agreed, his relationship with the Bauhinia Legion would be even closer than before.


    When it came to the occasion, this might be his crime!


    However, he was unwilling to give up many benefits that could last for a long time.


    Lin Zhendong could not be blamed for being greedy. The more he desired strength, the more he knew what a second-class lair site would bring.


    Not to mention anything else, he wouldn¡¯t be short of resources in the future!


    His mind was filled with crazy thoughts, but he asked curiously, ¡°Do those who develop the lair have to pay taxes?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to hand over the corpses of the monsters in the lair and the treasures, but if you want to trade them, you have to pay taxes according to the regulations,¡± said Yang Wen. ¡°As for the output of agriculture, animal husbandry, and fishing, you must pay one-tenth of it as a contract fee, and you can only trade with the government. Other than for your use, you can¡¯t sell it to the outside world.¡±


    ¡°What if I take the second-class lair for my development? I¡¯ll have to hand over 10% of the production?¡± Lin Zhendong asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that because you didn¡¯t obtain this lair from Zhongyun. Moreover, the things in the lair were all taken away by our Bauhinia Legion. Therefore, you only need to sell all the products to the government after deducting your usage. There will be no taxes.¡± Yang Wen smiled.


    Lin Zhendong nodded thoughtfully.


    From this sentence alone, it was clear that the Bauhinia Legion, or perhaps those extraordinary organizations, had secret agreements with the governments of various countries.


    Otherwise, if the lair was in other people¡¯s territory, just because one discovered it first and broke through it first, one could monopolize the monster corpses and treasures.


    Lin Zhendong did not believe that the Special Protection Department would not know anything about the Bauhinia Legion emptying a second-class lair.


    The Bauhinia Legion did not mention this, and the Special Protection Department did not say anything. Clearly, this was the result of tacit agreement between both sides.


    In that case, it should not be a problem for him to accept this second-class lair site and use it for his development.


    Thinking of this, he said anxiously, ¡°Drive me home. I have to discuss this with the elders.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but why don¡¯t you try the new jade token first?¡± Yang Wen asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I believe you.¡± Lin Zhendong laughed.


    ¡°Thank you for your trust. I won¡¯t let you down.¡± Yang Wen nodded and drove Lin Zhendong to the family courtyard of the Special Protection Department in Yuandong District.¡±

 Chapter 32

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    After returning to the community block, Lin Zhendong rushed to his floor and knocked on Uncle Chen¡¯s door next door.


    Chen Zhengyi yawned as he opened the door. When he saw Lin Zhendong, he walked back while muttering, ¡°You¡¯re back? Why isn¡¯t your aunt back yet?¡±


    ¡°Uncle, don¡¯t stay at home during the holidays! You have to go out and have fun! Moreover, it was only a little past noon! Auntie won¡¯t be back so soon!¡± Lin Zhendong said as he changed his shoes.


    ¡°You brat! I just came back yesterday. Can¡¯t I stay at home today?¡± Chen Zhengyi scolded angrily. ¡°Oh, right. It¡¯s only two in the afternoon. Didn¡¯t you go to school today?¡± Why are you back so early?¡±


    ¡°I asked the teacher for leave. I don¡¯t have to go to school to revise in the future. There aren¡¯t many students in the class.¡± Lin Zhendong said casually.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s true. It¡¯s just a revision period now. It¡¯s good that you¡¯re confident.¡± Chen Zheng nodded.


    ¡°Uncle, the Bauhinia Legion¡¯s men stationed in Riverside City called me and said they want to compensate me.¡± Lin Zhendong sat down.


    ¡°What?¡± Chen Zhengyi was stunned.


    Lin Zhendong explained everything in detail and even took out the document and the white jade token.


    Of course, he didn¡¯t say this was compensation for being attacked by the assassin. Instead, he said it was compensation for helping him find the treasure last time and felt it was too little.


    ¡°There are people privately developing the lair. It¡¯s just that people like us can¡¯t come into contact with it. I only heard about it occasionally because I¡¯m an old employee!¡± After reading the document, Chen Zhengyi played with the white jade token with a stern expression.


    Lin Zhendong heaved a sigh of relief when he heard that. He said with a look of longing, ¡°Look at this second-class lair site¡­¡±


    ¡°Get it! After all, other people can even contract their lairs privately. Why can¡¯t you!?¡± Chen Zhengyi said firmly.


    ¡°Then what should we do?¡± Lin Zhendong rubbed his hands excitedly.


    ¡°Let me think about it.¡± Chen Zhengyi got up and started pacing around the house.


    Chen Zhengyi thought for a while and suddenly stopped. He stared at Lin Zhendong and asked, ¡°Dongdong, are you going to develop this lair site alone, or are you going to find a few more people?¡±


    Lin Zhendong blinked and looked at Chen Zhengyi as if he was asking a silly question. ¡°Uncle, how can I develop it alone? That place had at least 80 acres of land! I¡¯m here to look for you to develop it together!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you don¡¯t eat alone. However, we can¡¯t develop it with just you and me. Let me think about it again.¡± Chen Zhengyi continued to pace after he finished speaking.


    ¡°Dongdong, is it okay for me to bring a few more people for you?¡± Chen Zhengyi stopped and asked again.


    ¡°No problem. Is it my aunt, Brother Shen, Brother Li, and the others?¡± Lin Zhendong nodded his head nonchalantly.


    ¡°It¡¯s them, but I still feel they¡¯re a little unreliable. Go down to the sentry box and call your Grandpa Li up.¡± Chen Zhengyi muttered.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Lin Zhendong immediately stood up and rushed downstairs.


    ¡°You little monkey, why are you in such a hurry? I haven¡¯t even waited for the replacement, but you didn¡¯t say anything when I asked you.¡± Grandpa Li grumbled as he followed her.


    ¡°Grandpa Li, I have to tell you about this.¡± Lin Zhendong eagerly led Grandpa Li into the house.


    ¡°Uncle Li,¡± Chen Zhengyi greeted.


    ¡°I called your aunties, Shen Fei, Li Bin, and the others. They¡¯ll be here soon,¡± he said to Lin Zhendong.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Zhendong naturally wouldn¡¯t object. These were the people closest to him in the district department.


    He helped Grandpa Li sit down and even served him tea.


    Grandpa Li, who was holding a glass of water, saw Lin Zhendong quickly close the door. He could not help but look at Chen Zhengyi and ask, ¡°Why are you being so mysterious? Calling so many people? You even called me here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all this kid¡¯s fault.¡± Chen Zhengyi pouted at Lin Zhendong. ¡°Dongdong, tell Uncle Li everything.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Lin Zhendong had no choice but to retell the story of how the boss of the Bauhinia Legion came to help him find the treasure and how he got the compensation. He even showed Grandpa Li the documents and the jade token.


    He was sure he would have to repeat these words when everyone was here. He was too young to have any human rights.


    ¡°I understand now. You want us to work together to develop this second-class lair.¡± Grandpa Li put the documents and jade card on the table and took a sip of water.


    ¡°Uncle Li, do you think this is feasible?¡± Chen Zhengyi rubbed his hands and asked.


    Lin Zhendong couldn¡¯t help but raise his eyebrows. He had never seen his Uncle Chen so cowardly.


    Grandpa Li smacked his lips. ¡°If it¡¯s a first-class lair site, we can protect and develop it. However, this is a second-class lair site. It has double the resources of a first-class lair. It¡¯s not something we can handle.¡±


    ¡°Is that the case?¡± Chen Zhengyi sighed and looked at Lin Zhendong apologetically. Lin Zhendong was baffled.


    ¡°What¡¯s your decision?¡± Grandpa Li looked at Chen Zhengyi calmly.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to hand half of it over to the district department. The remaining half will be handled by our families, but we have to ensure that Dongdong gets a large share.¡± Chen Zhengyi said.


    Grandpa Li shook his head. ¡°If you think you can control people¡¯s hearts, you¡¯re too naive. You have to know that there are a lot of troubles when private and official partners do business!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better to hand over all of it than half of it to the district department. This way, Dongdong can still level up a few levels. There will only be praise and no slander.¡±


    ¡°If we do as you say, we¡¯ll just have to wait for countless maddening things to happen in the future. Dongdong won¡¯t be able to stand firm in the district headquarters!¡±


    ¡°What? What should we do then?¡± Chen Zhengyi quickly leaned over and eagerly helped to refill the water.


    ¡°Simple. Other than us, we need to find a few big shots from the district department to participate.¡±


    ¡°Also, take this document with Dongdong to register the agricultural company now. When the time comes, we¡¯ll divide the shares. This way, it¡¯ll be official and easy, and things will be easier to handle.¡± Grandpa Li said slowly.


    Chen Zheng clapped his hands and said, ¡°Haha, your idea is good. But how many shares should Dongdong have?¡±


    ¡°Originally, it was best for Dongdong not to take shares. It would be best for our families and the big shots in the district to have relatives holding shares. After all, we are all public officials. However, wasn¡¯t Dongdong going to university? That was all. Dongdong would take 30% of the shares, and the others would each take 10%. Dongdong, you don¡¯t have any objections, right?¡±


    Grandpa Li looked at Lin Zhendong.


    ¡°No, no objections.¡± Lin Zhendong immediately shook his head.


    He had no opinion on how to divide the shares. After all, the lair sites were given to him by others. Lin Zhendong couldn¡¯t develop them alone. With the help of these relatives and friends, it would a lot easy for him.


    ¡°It¡¯s settled then!¡± Chen Zhengyi slapped his thigh and hurriedly said,¡± Uncle Li, you can rest here. They¡¯ll be here soon. I¡¯ll take Dongdong to register the company now.¡±


    ¡°Wait, Xiao Chen, let me remind you. When we discuss the shares later, don¡¯t say you don¡¯t want them. Even if you want to transfer the shares to Dongdong, you have to transfer them later. When you signed the agreement, you should have taken the shares.¡± Grandpa Li reminded.


    ¡°I understand. I will do as everyone does.¡± Chen Zhengyi nodded.


    ¡°Okay, then hurry back. I know it¡¯s fast to register a company now.¡± Grandpa Li waved his hand and chased them away.


    Chen Zhengyi quickly changed his clothes and asked Lin Zhendong if he had brought all the documents and information. After learning that he had put them in the storage space, he dragged him away.


    As they walked downstairs, Lin Zhendong asked subconsciously, ¡°Uncle, didn¡¯t you think of getting the big shots to invest in the company?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t do this, how can you make my Uncle Li and your Grandpa Li work hard? His network was really wide. At least I can¡¯t find where the big boss¡¯s door is, but he can rush over at mealtime to freeload!¡± Chen Zhengyi said with a sly smile.


    ¡°Impressive!¡± Lin Zhendong gave him a thumbs up.

 Chapter 33

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Chen Zhengyi brought Lin Zhendong to the administrative hall responsible for these matters.


    After checking that Lin Zhendong was not guilty of fraud, wanted, or any other crimes, it was approved immediately.


    As for the company¡¯s name, Lin Zhendong chose United Agriculture and added Riverside City and a company limited at the back. There was no company with the same name.


    The administrative department had its template for the company¡¯s articles of association. They could download it, print it, and sign it.


    In any case, these regulations and other information could be revised later. They could go to the counter and update it.


    Then, they had to pay the registered capital. The company had to pay a minimum of 100,000.


    At this moment, Chen Zhengyi, who had been silent and allowed Lin Zhendong to do whatever he wanted, stepped forward and handed over a bank card.


    He followed Lin Zhendong here to help with the registration funds.


    Lin Zhendong didn¡¯t care who gave him the money.


    Uncle Chen and Aunt Chen treated him as their son, and he also treated them as his parents.


    There was no need to calculate so clearly who the money belonged to.


    These procedures were very smooth. But when they reached the registration place, they were stuck.


    A house could not be used as a company address.


    ¡°An agricultural company should be registered at the farm.¡± Chen Zhengyi gestured for Lin Zhendong to hand in the contract.


    The young lady at the counter took the document and checked it. However, she quickly asked in surprise, ¡°Why isn¡¯t there a contract period and fee?¡±


    Lin Zhendong blinked his eyes in confusion. How would he know?


    ¡°Enter the number on the document into the company¡¯s asset section. The registration location will be automatically generated,¡± Chen Zhengyi said with a smile.


    The lady at the counter looked at Chen Zhengyi in confusion. But she still tried to do it.


    ¡°Uncle, are you familiar with this business?¡± Lin Zhendong asked curiously.


    ¡°Heh, I¡¯ve heard about it before. Those private contracts are also like this, and they¡¯re all converted into company assets.¡± Chen Zhengyi smiled.


    As expected, the lady at the counter muttered in surprise, ¡°It¡¯s passed!¡±


    When she checked if there were any mistakes, she exclaimed again, ¡°How did the capital become 1 billion?!¡± She was so frightened that she hurriedly checked it carefully.


    ¡°That¡¯s no problem. This contract is worth more than 1 billion.¡± Chen Zhengyi said calmly.


    When Lin Zhendong first heard that the capital had increased to 1 billion, he was also shocked.


    However, when he thought about the 500 acres of second-class lair site, even if he could only sell them to the country, he could still exchange them for countless gold coins every year.


    A price of 1 billion was still considered undervalued.


    He also calmed down.


    It wasn¡¯t a billion gold coins. It was just a billion Zhongyun dollars and wasn¡¯t worth making a fuss about.


    Looking at them, after checking carefully and finding no mistakes, the young lady clicked the pass button with some hesitation.


    Then, he handed over the brand-new company certificate.


    Then, he gestured for Lin Zhendong to go to the bank counter at the side to get his company account card.


    After receiving the bank card and the authentication terminal for online transactions, he ran to the counter next door to receive the company seal that had just been carved.


    After that, everything was settled. Riverside City United Agriculture Co., Ltd. was officially registered and could start the business.


    Lin Zhendong owned 100% of the company¡¯s shares. After filling in the share division document and verifying the change at the counter, the company¡¯s shares could be changed.


    ¡°Tsk, Uncle Li said it¡¯s fast to register a company now. I thought it would take a few days, but I didn¡¯t expect it to take only one or two hours. It took several months in the past. It¡¯s completely different now!¡± Chen Zhengyi said emotionally.


    ¡°Did it take so long in the past?¡± Lin Zhendong was curious.


    ¡°When I was young, about 30 years ago, it was difficult to register a company. There were dozens of approval departments, and each seal had to be personally sent to the corresponding department to be stamped by the leader.¡±


    ¡°At that time, it would take a few months to complete all the seals. In addition to the waiting time for the final approval, it would take at least half a year to complete.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like we can settle everything with just one counter now. That¡¯s why the government reform is still very effective.¡± Chen Zhengyi was touched.


    Lin Zhendong blinked his eyes. Thirty years ago, such a long time ago was unimaginable.


    Afterward, the uncle and nephew returned home, chatting and laughing.


    At this moment, Chen Zheng¡¯s house was already filled with people.


    Shen Yan, Aunt Chen, Shen Fei, Li Bin, and Grandpa Li were there.


    There was also Shen Yan¡¯s husband, Old Master Shen of the Shen family.


    Shen Yan¡¯s husband was called Zhang Yewen. He was the secretary of a big shot in the city government. His future was bright.


    He had the time to come over, which was very surprising.


    Grandpa Shen did not continue to work like Grandpa Li but retired.


    If he weren¡¯t looking for friends to play chess with, he would go fishing by the river. He lived a carefree life.


    The old grandma of the Shen and Li family died of illness early, leaving only him.


    ¡°Is the company registered?¡± Grandpa Li waved his hand and said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve registered.¡± Lin Zhendong quickly passed the information to everyone.


    Shen Yan grabbed Lin Zhendong¡¯s hand happily.¡± My Dongdong is amazing. He managed to obtain the second-class lair sites gifted by the Bauhinia Legion!¡±


    ¡°This kid is really bold. He dares to take over such a big project.¡± Aunt Chen chided.


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of?!¡± Chen Zhengyi was unhappy. Those nobles can directly contract the entire lair. So what if Dongdong gets the lair sites!¡±


    ¡°Yes! If others do it, can¡¯t we do it?¡± Shen Yan¡¯s husband, Zhang Yewen, said.


    ¡°Uncle!¡± Lin Zhendong shouted.


    ¡°When I look at Dongdong, I¡¯m reminded of my daughter. She¡¯s not as outstanding as Dongdong!¡± Zhang Yewen ruffled Lin Zhendong¡¯s hair.


    Because of the relationship between Shen Yan and Lin Zhendong, Zhang Yewen bribed Lin Zhendong to put in a good word for him when he was pursuing Shen Yan. Therefore, their relationship was very close.


    ¡°Yun Xin is a girl. How can she compare herself to this shameless monkey?¡± Aunt Chen quickly defended him.


    ¡°Sister Yun Xin is so awesome! Her grades are super good and well-behaved!¡± Lin Zhendong quickly put in a good word.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you guys tell?¡± Chen Zhengyi said unhappily. Yewen is showing off.¡±


    After some fun, everyone quieted down and urged Lin Zhendong to recount the incident.


    Although it was obvious that they had already gotten a rough idea of the situation from Grandpa Li, Lin Zhendong had no choice but to repeat what had happened to the Bauhinia Legion for the third or fourth time.


    ¡°Tsk, as expected of the world¡¯s top eight extraordinary organizations. They give away a second-class lair site just like that, and they even helped to apply for the contract directly. They¡¯re generous!¡± Shen Fei couldn¡¯t help but give him a thumbs up.


    Li Bin laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t think that they are generous. In fact, for a large organization like the Bauhinia Legion, it¡¯s not suitable for them to personally explore a lair below the fifth class. They won¡¯t waste this time.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, the profit from selling the lair is only so little. It¡¯s better to give it to Dongdong as a favor. In the future, they can ask Dongdong to continue helping them.¡±


    Shen Fei clapped his hands. ¡°That¡¯s right, I forgot. The Bauhinia Legion is so friendly to Dongdong because of his ability to hunt for treasures! Dongdong, you¡¯re also a member of the Special Protection Department. Next time we attack the lair, you can follow us. Who knows, our group might find a lot of treasures!¡±


    Lin Zhendong was tempted and immediately nodded. ¡°Alright, alright!¡±


    However, Chen Zhengyi immediately slapped his head. ¡°What are you thinking? The most important thing for you now is to prepare for the exam! Let¡¯s talk about it after getting into university! If you keep talking nonsense, I¡¯ll teach you a lesson!¡±


    Lin Zhendong and Shen Fei could only hide their heads and keep quiet.

 Chapter 34

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Grandpa Li said, ¡°I¡¯ve already discussed this with you guys, so I¡¯ll be the host now.¡±


    ¡°Lin Zhendong got the second-class lair, so he has 30% of the company¡¯s shares. Other than that, he doesn¡¯t need to pay anything else.¡±


    ¡°In the future, the funds and manpower for the development of the second-class lair will be paid by the other 70% of the shareholders.¡±


    ¡°Then, the Li family, the Chen family, and the Shen family will each take 10% of the shares.¡±


    ¡°As for the 10% of shares, it¡¯s up to each family to decide how to split it.¡±


    Everyone nodded. Grandpa Li had already discussed this with them.


    Zhang Yewen took out the printed shares document and distributed it to everyone.


    Everyone was unconcerned about his actions. It had been discussed long ago.


    Lin Zhendong naturally followed the advice and signed the share division document.


    Chen Zhengyi and his wife owned a share. Everyone knew these shares would return to Lin Zhendong¡¯s name in the future.


    They were both employees, and it was difficult for them to hold shares.


    The two of them had no relatives and treated Lin Zhendong as their son.


    It was the truth, but the rules still had to be followed.


    Otherwise, if Chen Zhengyi and his wife didn¡¯t sign it, how could the others sign it?


    On the Shen family¡¯s side, 10% of the shares were divided into two shares. One was in the name of Shen Hu, and the other was in the name of Zhang Yunxin.


    Zhang Yunxin should call Shen Hu¡¯s uncle, but they were about the same age. As long as Zhang Yunxin was not in front of the elders, she would call him by his name. Just like how Lin Zhendong would never call Shen Hu uncle.


    On the Li family¡¯s side, Li Yi, who was currently studying at Imperial Media University, was in charge.


    Li Yi was Li Bin¡¯s biological sister and Grandpa Li¡¯s youngest daughter.


    Lin Zhendong had always called her sister.


    If one were to argue, Zhang Yunxin and Lin Zhendong were the only ones of the same generation in these families. The others were all elders.


    It was just a random way of addressing him, so no one cared.


    Before Chen Yan married, Zhang Yuxin even forced Lin Zhendong to call her sister.


    Parents could sign on their behalf, so Shen Hu, Zhang Yunxin, and Li Yi were not present. They held the shares of United Agriculture on their behalf.


    The follow-up signing was just a small matter. Right now, it was more important to divide the shares.


    Grandpa Li collected the documents and handed them to Lin Zhendong. Then, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s discuss which big shots to get the remaining 40% of the shares.¡±


    ¡°How about the four big shots in our district department?¡± As soon as Chen Zheng suggested, Shen Fei and Li Bin nodded subconsciously.


    Pa, pa, pa. The three of them knocked Grandpa Shen¡¯s head.


    Grandpa Shen glared at them. Are those four bastards from our district worth so many shares? That¡¯s shares that can be passed down for generations and let them eat for a lifetime!¡±


    ¡°Uncle Shen, who do you think we should choose?¡± Chen Zhengyi asked helplessly.


    ¡°Hmph, just give the district 10% of the shares. Who cares how many people get it?¡±


    ¡°The lair is in Zilong County, so the Zilong County department will also give them 10% and let them split it among themselves.¡±


    ¡°As for the remaining 20%, 10% will be given to the big shots of the city government, and another 10% will be given to the big shots of the Zilong County government.¡± Grandpa Shen sounded like he had the lair and the country in his hands.


    ¡°Good! This division was good! Old Shen, your suggestion is good.¡± Grandpa Li clapped in support.


    ¡°Hmph, of course. It is what it means to split the benefits equally! Besides, what happens after that has nothing to do with us. Anyway, we¡¯ll give them this much. They¡¯ll fight for the division, saving us a lot of trouble.¡± Grandpa Shen said proudly.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. If we push such trouble out, we still have to owe them a favor. If the others can¡¯t get their share, they won¡¯t be able to find us. The few big shots who got the shares won¡¯t allow anyone else to come in and share.¡± Zhang Yewen nodded.


    Shen Fei was a little worried. ¡°Those big shots who can¡¯t get any shares, will they target the shares of our three families?¡±


    Chen Yan said disdainfully, ¡°Our Dongdong!¡± Those big shots would not be so stupid as to not investigate clearly before taking action. Once they knew that the lair site was given to Dongdong by the Bauhinia Legion, they would not dare to make a single move! Do you think the world¡¯s top eight extraordinary organizations are fake?¡±


    Lin Zhendong listened to their discussion foolishly. Since he didn¡¯t understand and they wouldn¡¯t harm him, he might as well do whatever they said.


    After some discussion, it was finally decided that according to Old Master Shen¡¯s suggestion, the big shots of the Yuandong District department would get 10% of the shares, the big shots of the Zilong County department would get 10% of the shares, the big shots of the city government would get 10% of the shares, and the big shots of Zilong County government would get 10% of the shares.


    As for why there was no big shot from the Yuandong District government?


    What did it have to do with them?


    None of the people present were under their jurisdiction, and the lair¡¯s location was not in their jurisdiction. What right did they have to get a share of the loot?


    As for how the big shots would split the shares, that was up to them.


    The greedy one directly swallowed it himself. However, this was impossible. It should be split between one and two hands.


    As for the generous ones, the top 10 in the department would probably be able to split this 10% of the shares.


    There were four departments, and each department had 10% of the shares. How they divided the shares would be discussed internally, and it had nothing to do with Lin Zhendong and the others.


    Perhaps they would ask, was there a need to make such a big fuss for such a small thing?


    They wanted to ally with the big shots of the city, county, and district. Would they accept it?


    The most basic White Jade Rice in the development of the lair was an example.


    In a first-class lair site, White Jade Rice was usually 20 kg per acre.


    If it were a second-class lair site, the number would not change, but the level would be upgraded to Green Jade Rice.


    Green Jade Rice was expensive!


    Five kg of White Jade Rice was sold for one gold coin, while 2kg of Green Jade Rice was worth two gold coins. The price had increased tenfold!


    Fifty arcs out of over 80 acres of lair site would be enough for sapphire rice.


    That was 30,000 kg of Green Jade Rice, worth 60,000 gold coins.


    Since the country was collecting all of them, they couldn¡¯t sell them at this price. They could discount it to 40,000 gold coins.


    Gold coins could be exchanged for Zhongyun dollars. Although Zhongyun dollars were not traded on the market, exchanging one gold coin for 10,000 Zhongyun dollars was more than enough.


    It was the price of 400 million Zhongyun dollars, and it did not sound like a lot.


    They dared to take this little money and wanted to ally with the big shots of the city government, county government, district department, and county department.


    It was still the same sentence. It was easy to exchange gold coins for Zhongyun dollars, but it was difficult to exchange Zhongyun dollars for gold coins.


    Therefore, the real value of gold coins was beyond imagination.


    For example, Lin Zhendong, a new employee, had a monthly salary of about 2,000 Zhongyun dollars. He was given a gold coin per month according to his salary.


    Looking at it from here, 1 one gold coin was only worth 2,000 Zhongyun dollars, not even 10,000 Zhongyun dollars!


    However, this was a quota that was allocated according to the salary.


    One¡¯s salary of 4,000 would be given two gold coins, and a salary of 6,000 would be given three gold coins.


    Other than the quota, it was difficult to buy gold coins with money.


    This gold coin could be used to buy 5kg of White Jade Rice at a special store.


    It meant Lin Zhendong only had 5kg of White Jade Rice for a month.


    No matter how rich Lin Zhendong was, as long as he couldn¡¯t exchange gold coins, he couldn¡¯t buy food!


    He would not increase his cultivation and aptitude by eating resources.


    One had to know that the vast majority of resources were strictly controlled by the country. If one didn¡¯t have gold coins, don¡¯t even think about buying them!


    Earning gold coins was not the priority of the development of the lair site.


    Instead, it was the output of the lair site, which was the food resources!


    It was because he could directly eat the food to increase his cultivation!


    Strength, healing, lifespan, and other physical attributes were all provided by food!


    Therefore, the most important strategic resource at the moment was not anything but food!


    Compared to the country-owned lairs that were controlled by the country, these privately controlled lairs could be used for their use!


    Although the remaining resources would be taken over by the country, one could use more resources before handing them to the government.


    As long as one didn¡¯t use half of the production for their use, the country would not care.


    After all, they were grown by themselves. The country was already happy to get a batch of free resources.


    Therefore, everyone valued their private lairs for these resources.


    Money was not worth mentioning here.


    Even gold coins were not worth mentioning.


    Why did he need gold coins? Wasn¡¯t it just buying supplies?


    Therefore, things were simple. One could hundreds of millions of coins to the big boss, but the big boss would not appreciate it.


    However, the boss would be pleased if one gave them 50 kg of rations every month!


    Then, the shareholders of United Agriculture at home began to divide their tasks.


    The old masters of the Li and Shen families were the big shots in charge of the district and county departments.


    The big shots of the city and county governments were handed over to Zhang Yewen, the city¡¯s secretary.


    The others did what they were supposed to do, especially Lin Zhendong, the major shareholder. They just had to study for the exams obediently.


    In any case, he didn¡¯t even need to meet them. He only needed to sign the agreement and split the shares.

 Chapter 35

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    The adults of the few families began to get busy with this Riverside City United Agriculture Co., Ltd.


    Of course, the first step was to get Lin Zhendong to duplicate dozens of jade tokens that could pass through the barrier. The company would reimburse the money for the jade tokens.


    The second step was to send all the existing shareholders to visit the lair sites in Zilong County on the weekend.


    After all, they could only communicate with the big shots of the four departments if they knew the condition of the lair site.


    Before they went to the lair site, several shareholders came up with all sorts of ways to borrow a batch of tools especially used to examine the lair sites.


    Then, everyone carried the tools up the mountain. After entering the lair site, they began to operate the machines to examine them.


    After some investigation, they confirmed that this was the ruins of a wood-type second-class lair site.


    After confirming this, everyone heaved a sigh of relief and began to discuss how to develop this place.


    In the end, it was the two old men who made the decision. They proposed planting fruit trees here with the help of the characteristics of the wood element.


    Firstly, the characteristics of the lair were suitable. Secondly, the fruit trees did not need to be managed. After all, everyone had jobs. Moreover, it was not reliable to hire outsiders to do things.


    It would be more convenient to plant fruit trees. The barrier was sealed anyway, so there was no need to worry about people stealing.


    Usually, he would come in from time to time to fertilize, cut, and nurture the fruit. Then, they would wait for the fruit to ripen and pick it.


    Another point was that planting fruit trees not only made it easier but allowed them to harvest resources earlier.


    It was because they only needed to buy fruit trees that were about to bear fruit and transplant them. When they bore fruit, the fruits would directly become resources containing special energy.


    This way, there was no need to take care of the saplings and bear fruits. It could be said that this method was the fastest way to obtain resources from the lair site!


    Moreover, the fruits produced by the second-class lair site were even more high-end resources than the Green Jade Rice.


    Grandpa Li¡¯s suggestion was applauded by everyone.


    Grandpa Shen suggested that the 8 acres pit, which was three meters deep, be used to raise fish!


    Raising fish was also a convenient way. It was easy to change the water, raise juvenile fish, and feed them.


    Fish was a resource that was more expensive than fruits.


    Therefore, Grandpa Shen¡¯s suggestion was applauded and supported by everyone.


    Lin Zhendong, the major shareholder, could only nod his head.


    After the matter was confirmed, everyone got busy again.


    Like Shen Hu, Lin Zhendong could only focus on his studies.


    However, Shen Hu was jealous of Lin Zhendong.


    Shen Hu had to go to school on time every day, but Lin Zhendong could sleep at home until he woke up naturally or play until he was tired before going to bed.


    But there was nothing he could do. He was just a high school student. Moreover, he had a job and was preparing to become an appointee.


    Lin Zhendong had nothing good to do after relaxing for a while. The chip had not notified him of the appearance of a new lair, so he could not pick up the loot. Moreover, Uncle Chen¡¯s house next door was full of people.


    He didn¡¯t dare to go out to cultivate. After all, everyone knew that he didn¡¯t have to go to school to revise. There was no excuse for him to go out.


    It made him a little regretful. Why did he say that he was taking leave back then? Otherwise, he could use the excuse of going to school to revise and then go out for a walk!


    However, he also knew that this was only temporary.


    Everyone was just busy preparing for United Agriculture. When everything was done, peace would return.


    When his relatives and friends went to work, he could go out anytime.


    Therefore, other than occasionally calling the shadow out to hang out, Lin Zhendong patiently revised his lessons and even put aside his cultivation.


    A few days later, Grandpa Li knocked on his door and handed him a stack of documents. ¡°These are the documents of the new shareholders. After you¡¯re done reading them, sign them. After you¡¯re done, submit all the shareholder documents to the office to change the company¡¯s information. Also, print out the information on the company¡¯s shareholder composition and take a photo for all the shareholders to see.¡±


    Lin Zhendong took the documents. Before he could say anything, Grandpa Li left in high spirits.


    Lin Zhendong raised his eyebrows. Not to mention Grandpa Li, even Grandpa Shen had been full of energy these days.


    No wonder the country encouraged people to find jobs after retirement. Their spirits were completely different from before.


    Lin Zhendong flipped through the documents. There were many of them, and none of the names were familiar.


    There was no need to count the number of documents. Just by looking at the new shareholders, who only accounted for 1% of the shares, it was obvious that the top leaders of the four departments were very generous.


    However, this was understandable.


    It wasn¡¯t a matter of money or power, but the benefit of resources. This benefit could guarantee a good life for future generations! Hence, no one was willing to give up!


    Even if Lin Zhendong did not know about the inside story, he could get a clue from the thick stack of shares documents in his hands.


    He had already contacted the city government, the Zilong County government, the Yuandong District department, and the Zilong County department!


    However, after thinking about it carefully, Lin Zhendong realized he didn¡¯t need to be arrogant.


    If he dared to be arrogant, he would immediately be taught a lesson by Uncle Chen and Aunt Chen.


    He felt that this network seemed useless in his hands because when he got into the capital, there would be nothing to do!


    However, when he thought of Uncle Chen, Aunt Chen, Aunt Chen, and Uncle Chen, he felt he had to be careful.


    This network should allow the Chen family, Shen family, and Li family to take root in Riverside City. They would develop by leaps and bounds, right?


    Lin Zhendong shook his head. This matter was too far away for him.


    Therefore, he didn¡¯t look at it carefully. He took out a pen and started to sign one by one.


    He took the other share documents from his storage space, tidied them up, and took them to the government office.


    He quickly uploaded the review, downloaded and printed the new shareholder change information, then directly took a photo and uploaded it to the shareholder group.


    After that, there was nothing for him to do. The other shareholders would do everything properly. Anyway, it was his task to focus on revision.


    The days passed. Finally, Lin Zhendong was informed by Grandpa Li that the company had entered the official business. The fruit trees were about to bear fruit and had been transplanted to the 66-acre land.


    The 8-acre fish pond was also filled with small fishes, and a few houses were built on the lair site to rest and store various materials.


    They also built a road from the lair site to the foot of the mountain, connecting it to the existing road system, including the water and electricity network.


    Lin Zhendong only heard about it, and Grandpa Li only told him about it.


    No one wanted Lin Zhendong to get involved in these trivial matters. Everyone¡¯s requirement for him was to get good results in the college entrance examination.


    Lin Zhendong did not have any objections to this. He did not even participate in the company¡¯s listing ceremony, let alone these trivial matters.


    However, it was said that only a few people attended the listing. Only Grandpa Li, Grandpa Shen, and the 40 nominal shareholders attended. No real shareholders were present.


    Then, Uncle Chen¡¯s house became quiet again, and it returned to the usual state where no one was at work.


    Grandpa Li also returned to the sentry box to hum songs and spend the day. Grandpa Shen also went around looking for chess friends and fishing.


    Lin Zhendong knew that everything had returned to normal.


    He was so excited that he was ready to go out for a walk. However, at this moment, Lin Zhendong received a call from Li Zhi. ¡°Lin Zhendong, the city department has a mission for you to complete!¡±

 Chapter 36

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    ¡°No way. Captain Li, I am from the district department. You want me to do a mission from the city department?¡± Lin Zhendong asked in astonishment.


    ¡°Hey, there is no difference. We¡¯re all under the Special Protection Department of Zhongyun!¡± Li Zhi laughed.


    ¡°But I have to prepare for the exam! I¡¯m about to take the college entrance examination!¡± Lin Zhendong was still howling.


    ¡°The mission time is likely to be very short. It won¡¯t affect your college entrance examination! Let me tell you, once this mission is completed, it won¡¯t be a problem for you to be promoted to an official! So, what say you!¡± Li Zhi said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡± Lin Zhendong¡¯s eyes immediately lit up.


    ¡°I know you would not agree if there¡¯s no benefit! Come to my office directly.¡± Li Zhi hung up the phone.


    Naturally, Lin Zhendong eagerly went out to hail a cab.


    Sitting in the car, Lin Zhendong was happily thinking about the promotion to the official rank.


    ¡°Haha. Captain Li has wide connections. He already promised I would be promoted immediately after completing the mission. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t do it!¡±


    Lin Zhendong smiled. ¡°I¡¯m now a Grade 8 Official. After completing this mission, I¡¯ll be a Grade 7 Official before the college entrance examination. I can get a salary of 3,000 Zhongyun dollars!¡±


    ¡°In the entire city, there isn¡¯t a youngster as powerful as me, right? It¡¯s awesome!¡±


    Lin Zhendong happily went to the city department, showed his work pass to the guard, and then went to Li Zhi¡¯s office according to his memory.


    The door was closed. Lin Zhendong looked at the door plate. [Intelligence Department, Captain Li Zhi¡¯s office]


    Lin Zhendong was stunned. However, he suddenly realized that he had been promoted to a higher rank when he had found the treasure. Hence, it was normal for the deputy captain, Li Zhi to be promoted to a higher rank.


    When Lin Zhendong thought of Li Zhi¡¯s ability, he immediately felt he had followed the right leader.


    This way, he could complete a few more missions and advance a few more ranks!


    He might even catch up to Uncle Chen before the college entrance examination!


    When Lin Zhendong thought about how Uncle Chen was shocked and in disbelief, he knocked on the door with anticipation.


    Xiao Bin opened the door. When he saw Lin Zhendong, he immediately shouted happily, ¡°Xiaodong, you¡¯re finally here.¡±


    After entering the room, Lin Zhendong saw that Li Zhi was not in the room.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Captain Li?¡± he asked curiously.


    ¡°Big boss just called him over. You have to wait a while. Come, have some tea.¡± Xiao Bin greeted warmly.


    ¡°Brother Xiao, look at your glowing face. Did you rank up?¡± After Lin Zhendong thanked him, he teased him with a smile.


    ¡°Heh. Thanks to your ability, I completed the last mission on the same day. I¡¯m now a Grade 6 Official. The head has already started to help me with the position of team head.¡± Xiao Bin said with a smile.


    Lin Zhendong raised his eyebrows and asked in surprise, ¡°Brother Xiao, you¡¯re already a Grade 6 Official, and you¡¯re only now a team head? Shouldn¡¯t it be the vice team captain?¡±


    Xiao Bin laughed. ¡°Do you think this is a district? We are in the city department. There are many people here, and they are of high rank! In a district, a Grade 7 Official can already be a squad leader, but in the city, it¡¯s normal for a Grade 6 Official to be a squad leader.¡±


    When Lin Zhendong heard that, he smacked his lips. He thought of his Uncle Chen, a Grade 4 Official. He was only the team head of a four-man team. It was really a waste of his talent.


    However, with his personality, he probably wouldn¡¯t even be able to be a team head when he came to the city department!


    Thinking of this, Lin Zhendong could not help but feel that it was the right choice for him to join the district department.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m promoted to a Grade 6 Official and become a team head because of you!¡± Xiao Bin couldn¡¯t help but thank him.


    ¡°What are you talking about? Isn¡¯t this the result of your hard work? If it¡¯s mud, the higher-ups won¡¯t be able to support it even if they want to, right?¡± Lin Zhendong quickly waved his hand modestly.


    Xiao Bin sighed, ¡°That¡¯s true, but everyone that could work at the Special Protection Department was capable. Every one of us was grinding slowly from the bottom. Besides having a good boss who is willing to promote their subordinates, we also need to encounter influential people to succeed.¡±


    ¡°For example, I would never find the treasure without a benefactor like you in the last mission. Even if I had all kinds of abilities, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to use them to advance, right?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t say that. I¡¯ve also advanced a rank because of this. Everyone will benefit, so let¡¯s not talk about whose credit it is.¡± Lin Zhendong quickly waved his hand.


    ¡°And to be honest, Captain Li is the best. Otherwise, how could we have accepted the mission and improved so easily?¡±


    ¡°Haha! Yes, you¡¯re right!¡± Xiao Bin gave him a thumbs up.


    ¡°Captain Li has also been promoted, right? I saw that the door plate has been changed.¡± Lin Zhendong asked.


    ¡°Yes, he got promoted to the main team position a few days ago.¡± Xiao Bin nodded.


    ¡°Eh? Just mentioned a few days ago? Didn¡¯t we rank up on the day we completed the mission?¡± Lin Zhendong was curious.


    ¡°Rank and position are different. Captain Li¡¯s rank was promoted on the same day. Now, the head is a Grade 3 Official.¡± Xiao Bin said.


    Lin Zhendong nodded in realization. Rank and position were completely different.


    Once a person had achieved their rank, they would naturally be promoted.


    After all, the promotion was permanent. If someone blocked another person to rank up, they would become a deadly enemy.


    But positions were different. The competition was fierce. Even if one changed their boss, the position they worked hard to climb up to would be gone.


    Therefore, if Lin Zhendong wanted to be promoted, it was not just about merit and rank. He also needed the support of a backer and a big shot.


    Hence, the lower-level personnel pursued increasing their rank. Their rank be with them for a lifetime, and their salary and resources would depend on it.


    The two of them chatted for a while. Li Zhi had not returned yet. Lin Zhendong, who had already drunk a few cups of hot tea, could not help but ask, ¡°Brother Xiao, what mission did Captain Li ask me to do this time?¡±


    Xiao Bin did not answer immediately. Instead, he stood up and closed the door that was previously open. Then, he deliberated for a second and said, ¡°I only heard a little about this from the head. It shouldn¡¯t be a matter of our city department, but it¡¯s the jurisdiction of the provincial department.¡±


    ¡°What? Jurisdiction of the provincial department?¡± Lin Zhendong was shocked at first, but then he was pleasantly surprised. ¡°Captain Li¡¯s connections are wide. He can even get a provincial mission?¡±


    Looking at Lin Zhendong¡¯s bright eyes, Xiao Bin couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Tsk, aren¡¯t you afraid that the mission will be too difficult and you won¡¯t be able to complete it? At that time, we¡¯ll be punished by the provincial leaders!¡±


    ¡°Haha, what other mission could Captain Li have called me for? It¡¯s a mission to find treasures! On the contrary, he wouldn¡¯t look for me to kill monsters. I dare to say I¡¯m good at treasure hunting!¡± Lin Zhendong said proudly.


    At this moment, Li Zhi suddenly pushed the door open and said, ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯m looking for you for this!¡±


    ¡°Captain Li!¡±


    ¡°Captain Li!¡±


    Lin Zhendong and Xiao Bin immediately stood up to welcome him.


    Li Zhi closed the door again and threw a document at Lin Zhendong. ¡°Look, I hope it¡¯s as you said just now. You¡¯re the best at finding treasures!¡±

 Chapter 37

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Lin Zhendong flipped through the documents. After reading a few, he asked curiously, ¡°Captain Li, why are these the resumes of the Special Protection Department? Why am I looking at this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll explain while you read through them,¡± said Li Zhi.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Lin Zhendong continued to flip through the information.


    Li Zhi pondered for a second, picked up the hot tea Xiao Bin had just brewed, and took a sip. He sighed and said, ¡°This mission was originally a scandal in the provincial department. Logically speaking, I shouldn¡¯t bring you guys along.¡±


    Lin Zhendong subconsciously raised his head and exchanged glances with Xiao Bin. Neither of them said a word, but their ears perked up.


    Li Zhi said, ¡°Let¡¯s put it this way. Seven days ago, the head of the provincial department personally broke a fourth-class fire lair and obtained a level 4 skill crystal. He was going to give it to his granddaughter as a gift. In the end, this skill crystal disappeared without a trace during the transmission process.¡±


    ¡°Head of the provincial department?!¡± Xiao Bin was shocked.


    ¡°Skill crystal of forth-class fire lair?!¡± Lin Zhendong was also shocked.


    The two of them recovered from their shock. Xiao Bin frowned and said, ¡°Boss, that¡¯s impossible, right? The skill crystal was gone? Did it disappear in the hands of the provincial head? Or was it in the hands of the escorts? However, no matter who it was, this had never happened!¡±


    What kind of strength did a department head have? How strong were those guards? Who could steal something from under their noses?


    Lin Zhendong put down the documents and said helplessly, ¡°Captain Li, you¡¯ve caused me trouble this time. I don¡¯t know if the skill crystal is considered a treasure. I¡¯ve never come into contact with it before, so I can¡¯t guarantee that I can find the skill crystal like how I find other treasures.¡±


    Li Zhi did not answer Xiao Bin¡¯s question. Instead, he said, ¡°I have no other choice. After all, the skill crystal is also a product of the lair. Maybe you can find it after you come into contact with it.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s important to know how to consume a treasure. The skill crystal can be used up by sticking it on your forehead. At that time, even if we find the target, it won¡¯t be of much use.¡± Lin Zhendong continued to frown.


    ¡°In this mission, it doesn¡¯t matter if the skill crystal is found or not. The main thing is to find the person who stole the skill crystal. Or perhaps, it was to find out if there was a mole among the guards. If there was a mole, who was the mole? If there was no mole, then who was the thief?¡± Li Zhi said seriously.


    Xiao Bin suddenly realized that the skill crystal was lost in the hands of a guard, and this mission was actually to find a thief or a mole.


    Lin Zhendong clicked his tongue. A level 4 skill crystal was not important! They only wanted to find this thief or mole, as expected of the provincial department¡¯s big shots.


    ¡°So this is the information of the guards escorted the skill crystal?¡± Lin Zhendong asked as he tapped on the stack of information.


    Li Zhi nodded. ¡°Yes, because the leader of the team is my friend. After receiving the news, I thought of you. Hence, I took responsibility for this matter. You won¡¯t disappoint me, right?¡±


    ¡°Captain Li, I should contact these people who have come into contact with the skill crystal. Only then can I trigger my sixth sense. Reading this information is useless to me.¡± Lin Zhendong said helplessly.


    ¡°My bad. Then let¡¯s go to the provincial capital now.¡± Li Zhi immediately slapped his forehead and stood up.


    Naturally, Xiao Bin didn¡¯t need to say anything. He immediately took out his phone to book the train tickets. Li Zhi also started to pack up his documents while Lin Zhendong watched from the side.


    Although Lin Zhendong looked calm now, his thoughts were complicated.


    The worry of not being able to find the skill crystal floated in his mind.


    Since the chip had been able to display the traces of the White Jade Lotus¡¯s movements last time, it should be able to display the traces of the skill crystal this time too.


    After all, as Li Zhi had said, the skill crystal was also a product of the lair. The treasure of the lair couldn¡¯t have any reaction when the chip reacted, right?


    Lin Zhendong didn¡¯t care if the mission would succeed or not. What he cared about was that Li Zhi¡¯s background was much stronger than he had imagined.


    The mission was only about a stolen gift from the provincial department head to his granddaughter.


    Skill crystals were the least important thing here.


    Lin Zhendong was even sure that when the provincial department head found out that his granddaughter¡¯s gift had been stolen, he would only be a little unhappy. He might even comfort the guards, order them to catch the thief, and ask them not to make the mistake again. Then, he would go and prepare a new gift.


    But to the guards, this was a big deal.


    They had failed in their duties. Moreover, they left a poor impression on the head of the provincial department. They probably would not have the chance to succeed for the rest of their lives.


    If the skill crystal were stolen by an outsider, there was still a possibility of catching the thief and restoring their reputation.


    However, if the skill crystal were stolen by one of their own, their team would be thrown into the abyss!


    Therefore, if they could resolve this matter by themselves, they would not rely on outsiders.


    Even if they were forced to borrow power, would they not borrow the power of the provincial department?


    Instead, they came to ask Li Zhi¡¯s help, the captain of the intelligence department of Riverside City.


    Not to mention how Li Zhi got this news, just the fact that he could directly take responsibility for this matter was beyond imagination.


    Did he think he would take responsibility for the guards just because he said so?


    Why?


    Moreover, would the guards decide to let Li Zhi handle the matter without reporting it to the provincial department head?


    Even brothers wouldn¡¯t do this, let alone friends.


    It was definitely because Li Zhi had a reputation and status in the provincial department. He was very close to them.


    Those guards were the personal guards of the provincial department head. Usually, department heads would hide their subordinates¡¯ mistakes. Others would be disrespectful to ask about it, let alone interfere. Therefore, without a close relationship that wasn¡¯t afraid of exposing the scandal, one couldn¡¯t intervene and help.


    As Lin Zhendong thought about this, he secretly glanced at Li Zhi and sighed in his heart.


    Since Li Zhi had such a close relationship with the provincial department head, his backer must be at the level of the provincial leader or even higher.


    With such ability, Li Zhi went to Riverside City¡¯s intelligence department to be a lousy captain. He wasn¡¯t even the deputy chief of the intelligence department. He was ambitious!


    Li Zhi wanted to rely on his flawless qualifications to climb step by step.


    No wonder the rewards came quickly, and he could get such a mission.


    Needless to say, if Li Zhi completed this mission, it would be a small matter to be promoted to a Grade 1 Official!


    Moreover, Lin Zhendong¡¯s dream of surpassing Uncle Chen¡¯s official rank was no longer a dream, but a real possibility if he followed Li Zhi!


    ¡°Boss, the tickets are booked. It¡¯ll take half an hour!¡± Xiao Bin said.


    Lin Zhendong was stunned when he heard that. You didn¡¯t even ask for my ID number and helped me book a ticket?


    However, when he remembered this was the city intelligence department, he was afraid that his information had leaked to them before the first time they came looking for him, so he became indifferent.


    However, he secretly admired Xiao Bin¡¯s memory. He didn¡¯t ask or look it up. He just pressed the button on his phone to book the tickets. It meant that he remembered the three people¡¯s ID numbers.


    Lin Zhendong had the chip, which was why he had a photographic memory. He was just an ordinary person, but he had such an ability.


    Therefore, the Special Protection Department was full of crouching tigers and hidden dragons! There was nothing that could be overlooked.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Li Zhi immediately went out first, followed by Lin Zhendong and Xiao Bin.

 Chapter 38

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    While Lin Zhendong was on the train to the provincial capital, somewhere in Gallia Nation, hundreds of miles away.


    In the magnificent palace, a tightly shut metal door slowly opened.


    Then, a man with hair that looked like a lion, a mighty expression, and a muscular body walked out leisurely.


    ¡°Welcome, Lion King!¡± The two men who were standing guard at the door, dressed in the gorgeous costumes of the Gallia Nation, smiled and nodded.


    At the same time, dozens of men and women outside who were not dressed so luxuriously and did not have so many accessories knelt in unison and shouted, ¡°Welcome, Your Highness the Lion King!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, Tiger King, Bear King, there¡¯s no need for the two of you to be so polite. Isn¡¯t it just a period of closed-door cultivation? Why did the two of you come to welcome me?¡± The man called Lion King laughed as he grabbed the arms of the two men.


    As for the dozens of people kneeling on the ground, they were completely ignored by him.


    ¡°Lion King, you are our brother. What¡¯s the big deal if we welcome you as brothers?¡± Tiger King on the left laughed.


    The Bear King on the right laughed as well. ¡°Lion King, you¡¯re the symbol of our Beast King Palace¡¯s combat strength. Every time you go into seclusion, the palace¡¯s strength will rise a little. It¡¯s a shame that only the two of us came personally to welcome you. We think the kings of our Beast King Palace should come.¡±


    ¡°Haha, there¡¯s no need for that. For the sake of the Beast King Palace, our brothers need to control all the places. Moreover, I¡¯ve grown every time I go into seclusion, and it¡¯s always like this. It¡¯s too tiring for all of you, brothers. It¡¯s better to wait until I break through and gather all of you to celebrate.¡± Lion King laughed loudly.


    Tiger King and Bear King had a strange look in their eyes, and then they laughed out loud.


    The three of them chatted for a while. The dozens of people continued to kneel, and no one paid attention to them.


    ¡°Brothers, let¡¯s go take a bath together. Then, we can enjoy fine wine, delicious food, and beautiful women together. I¡¯ve been in closed-door cultivation for so long!¡± Lion King laughed arrogantly.


    ¡°Haha, let¡¯s go together!¡± Tiger King and Bear King laughed.


    Then, Tiger King said to the kneeling crowd, ¡°What are you waiting for? Hurry up and prepare!¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡± Everyone stood up. The men quickly bowed and retreated while the women smiled and surrounded Lion King with light footsteps.


    Just as these beauties were about to leave with the three of them, Lion King suddenly stopped and swept his gaze across the men who had retreated. He frowned and said, ¡°Where¡¯s my brother?¡±


    Tiger King and Bear King were stunned for a moment. It was no wonder they felt that something was amiss today. It turned out that Lion King¡¯s younger brother, who had been the first to congratulate Lion King was not around.


    Tiger King and Bear King did not care about the younger brother of Lion King, who had been accepted into the organization because of Lion King. Their gazes were on the beautiful women surrounding them.


    Tiger King and Bear King were the higher-ups. Hence, it was naturally impossible for them to know where the younger brother of Lion King, who was only a low-level member of the organization, had gone.


    On the contrary, these beauties knew better because they needed to curry favor with Lion King¡¯s younger brother.


    The beauties looked at each other. No one knew.


    Seeing that Lion King was displeased, Tiger King smiled and said, ¡°I think your brother must be busy with something. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll get someone to look for him. I¡¯ll call him over in a while.¡±


    ¡°Haha, I¡¯m just not used to him not welcoming me,¡± Lion King said with a smile. Then, he hugged the two beauties and left flirtatiously.


    Tiger King and Bear King also left with beauties in their arms. In any case, with their status, there would naturally be someone to deal with what they said.


    Ample wine, delicious food, and beautiful women allowed the three of them to have a good time. Lion King was so happy that he had forgotten about his younger brother.


    On the contrary, Tiger King, who had sent someone to call for help earlier, frowned.


    It wasn¡¯t because Lion King hadn¡¯t called his younger brother over, but because he felt his subordinates weren¡¯t efficient in their work and damaged his dignity.


    Just as he was about to give an accurate order, a subordinate came forward and whispered.


    Lion King and Bear King naturally saw this scene but did not mind. They each laughed and drank with the beauties.


    However, Tiger King¡¯s expression suddenly changed. He stood up and shouted, ¡°Retreat!¡±


    They could not help but stop in shock and let the beauties in their arms leave. After all, they knew that something must have happened.


    Only the four of them were left in the place where they had been fooling around.


    Yes, the subordinate who secretly reported the matter also stayed behind.


    Lion King grabbed the wine cup and drank it in one gulp. Then, he stared at Tiger King and asked, ¡°Tiger King, what happened?¡±


    ¡°Report to Lion King.¡± Tiger King said to his subordinates.


    The subordinate bowed to Lion King and said, ¡°Your brother received an assassination bounty of 100,000 Vulture dollars from the dark web while you were in seclusion. He went to Zhongyun, and there has been no news of him since then.¡±


    Lion King and Bear King could not help but be stunned. Tiger King sighed to himself. When he heard the news, he could not help but be stunned.


    Lion King¡¯s younger brother might not be able to do whatever he wanted in the entire Gallia Nation, but he could do whatever he wanted in the territory of the Beast King Palace. After all, the kings of the Beast King Palace had to give Lion King a face.


    With the influence and wealth that Lion King had built up over the years, it would not be a problem for Lion King¡¯s younger brother to take out a million Vulture dollars.


    Even if he had to spend millions, he could ask for it from Lion King¡¯s subordinates.


    Lionking¡¯s younger brother could even ask for a hundred million Vulture dollars. With Lion King¡¯s status, he could even borrow it from the Temple Lords!


    In the end, he accepted an assassination bounty of 100,000 Vulture dollars from the dark web and ran to Zhongyun without saying a word. It was not the way to look for excitement!


    Bear King lowered his head to hide his gaze. Lion King¡¯s veins were bulging from anger.


    ¡°Leave. Send the information about Lion King¡¯s bother on the dark web and his whereabouts to Lion King.¡± Tiger King waved his hand and let his subordinates leave.


    As Lion King¡¯s aura was getting stronger and stronger, Tiger King was afraid that Lion King would lose control and crush his capable subordinate to death. Therefore, Tiger King hurriedly asked his subordinate to leave.


    Tiger King¡¯s subordinate was naturally a clever person. He retreated quickly. After retreating to a certain extent, he turned around and ran away.


    Without any servants present, Lion King¡¯s vigorous aura dissipated. He covered his face and wailed, ¡°How could I have such a stupid brother!¡±


    Bear King raised his head. One could see that he forcefully restrained his smile, then put on a solemn expression and said, ¡°Lion King, there¡¯s no need to be anxious. Your brother can¡¯t go to Zhongyun alone. There¡¯s still no news of his entourage returning. Perhaps he¡¯s been delayed for some reason.¡±


    ¡°These damn fellows! I asked them to protect my brother, and this is how they protect him. I want to execute them!¡± Lion King stood up and roared with bloodshot eyes.


    ¡°We have to be careful about this. We must contact the Special Protection Department of Zhongyun or send someone to infiltrate. King-level existences like us cannot enter Zhongyun, or else it will be war.¡± Tiger King said hurriedly.


    ¡°I understand. I¡¯m not feeling well. We¡¯ll discuss it later. I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Lion King said in a heavy voice before stumbling away.

 Chapter 39

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    After Lion King left, Bear King poured himself a glass of wine and drank it in one gulp. Then, he chuckled and said, ¡°Why was he so dramatic? Didn¡¯t he pretend to have a good relationship with his half-brother? What kind of relationship did he have with his half-brother? Could it be that he¡¯s been pretending for so long that he¡¯s started to believe it himself?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what it means to fake it convincingly. Existences like us have to show an obvious weakness to others.¡± Tiger King also drank a cup of wine indifferently.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. But isn¡¯t Lion King¡¯s brother too unreliable? What kind of identity did he have to go to Zhongyun to assassinate someone for 100,000 Vulture dollars? Does he think he can dominate the world with the name of Lion King?¡± Bear King clicked its tongue and shook its head.


    ¡°Heh, stop joking, Second Brother. We kings also have such unreliable fellows around us.¡± Tiger King shook his head.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Bear King was speechless for a moment because he remembered that there was such an unreliable fellow around him.


    After drinking a mouthful of wine to calm his mind, Bear King continued to ask, ¡°How should we deal with this? Zhongyun is not to be trifled with.¡±


    Tiger King said, ¡°It has nothing to do with Zhongyun. It¡¯s only a target worth 100,000, so it¡¯s not someone important. However, they must be stronger than Lion King¡¯s brother. Seeing that Brother Lion King¡¯s guards don¡¯t dare to return, it¡¯s obvious that Brother Lion King¡¯s fate is obvious.¡±


    ¡°Haha, any of our subordinates is more powerful than Lion King¡¯s brother. That guy is trash!¡± Bear King laughed.


    ¡°Humph, he¡¯s spoiled and overestimates himself. He¡¯s a piece of trash.¡± Tiger King laughed in disdain.


    Then, he said solemnly, ¡°This matter is nothing to the Beast King Palace and the Lion King. However, that fellow is using the name of the Lion King to flaunt himself everywhere. He already represents a portion of the Lion King¡¯s prestige, and the majesty of the Lion King is naturally the majesty of our Beast King Palace.¡±


    ¡°Therefore, if we don¡¯t deal with this matter, the prestige of the Beast King Palace will be weakened, especially when those hostile factions stir up trouble.¡±


    Bear King¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°That¡¯s true. But are we going to send people to Zhongyun for revenge? Or directly report it to the Special Protection Department?¡±


    ¡°Where can I inform the Special Protection Department? Do you want this joke to spread all over the world? We can only send people to take revenge, but we can¡¯t send powerful people from the Beast King Palace. Our elites shouldn¡¯t be sent out for such a ridiculous matter.¡± Tiger King said.


    ¡°What do you mean? Send those trash? Isn¡¯t that suicide?¡± Bear King frowned.


    ¡°Hehe, Lion King has a lot of treasures. I have to help him consume some.¡± Tiger King smiled meaningfully.


    ¡°Understood.¡± Bear King immediately understood. ¡°I do have to help Lion King expend some treasures.¡±


    Tiger King grabbed the bottle of wine and poured it while saying, ¡°Therefore, let¡¯s set a rule first. The person or faction that killed Lion King¡¯s brother must suffer revenge. Otherwise, how can our Beast King Palace stand firm in the current world?¡±


    ¡°However, we cannot start a conflict with Zhongyun. Thus, only the Lion King¡¯s forces can go. I believe that Lion King will not lose his elites. He knows what to do.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already sent the news to the kings.¡± He raised his glass.


    Bear King also raised his wine cup. ¡°Yes, Lion King is a smart person. He knows what to do.¡±


    ¡°Haha, cheers!¡±


    ¡°Cheers!¡±


    ¡ª¡ª-


    In Lion King¡¯s territory, the current Lion King was no longer as sorrowful as before. Instead, his expression was indifferent as he listened to the consolation calls from the kings on the other end of the phone.


    ¡°I understand. Don¡¯t worry. I know what to do. I won¡¯t lose face for the Beast King Palace, and I won¡¯t trigger the warning line.¡± Lion King hung up.


    The subordinate who had been waiting by the side for a long time began to report on the investigation of Lion King¡¯s younger brother.


    The information was very detailed. It included the time and place where Lion King¡¯s brother had received a bounty from the dark web, how he had prepared, who he had brought with him, the time and place he had left when he had arrived in Zhongyun, where he had gone, and where he had gone missing.


    ¡°Are you sure he wanted to show off and accepted the bounty? No one instigated him?¡± Lion King asked.


    ¡°If it isn¡¯t instigation when his friends talk about the might of assassins.¡± the subordinate replied.


    ¡°Get rid of his friends.¡± Lion King waved his hand coldly.


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The subordinate accepted the order. This matter was simple. As long as it was not the people of the kings, they could even deal with the children of high officials in Gallia.


    And the descendants of the kings would not play together, so this mission was foolproof.


    Lion King listened as he read the follow-up information. When he saw a paragraph, he could not help but frown and ask, ¡°He went to Zhongyun to carry out an assassination mission. The Special Protection Department of Zhongyun didn¡¯t stop him. Instead, Bauhinia Legion was trying to obstruct him?¡±


    ¡°Um, we found out that the stationed members of the Bauhinia Legion in Riverside City, Zhongyun were the ones obstructing him. I¡¯m not sure if that counts as the Bauhinia Legion¡¯s opposition,¡± the subordinate hesitated and said.


    ¡°Tsk, a city-level garrison. With the vast majority of its top leaders coming from Zhongyun, they dare to blatantly install their people there. Zhongyun still hasn¡¯t eliminated them. Their relationship is really good. Our Beast King Palace can¡¯t even send garrison personnel to all the provinces and cities in the Gallia Nation.¡± Lion King smacked his lips in envy.


    The subordinate didn¡¯t say anything, but he cursed in his heart.


    What a joke. Even though the Bauhinia Legion did things for their benefit, when it came to the interests of Zhongyun, as long as there was no conflict of interest between the two parties, they would be inclined to help Zhongyun!


    If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that the other countries would be wary of allies, and it would be inconvenient for them to move around, the Bauhinia Legion would have allied with Zhongyun long ago!


    Hence, Zhongyun turned a blind eye to the actions of the Bauhinia Legion.


    On the other hand, the Beast King Palace treated the territory they occupied as a private kingdom. The officials of the Gallia would be crazy to allow the Beast King Palace to send people to guard the various provinces and cities in the country.


    Even if the officials of the Gallia went crazy and agreed, the other extraordinary organizations would not allow it!


    After all, the Bauhinia Legion was one of the top eight extraordinary organizations in the world. They had a reputation wherever they went.


    The Beast King Palace might be one of the best in the Gallia Nation and the surrounding small countries, but in the world, it would not even be ranked in the top 100!


    Of course, these words could only be silently criticized. Those who did not dare to say it, even in private, did not dare to say it because this was courting death.


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be the Bauhinia Legion¡¯s obstruction. It¡¯s just the obstruction of a mere city guard. I think the bounty target has a personal relationship with this city guard.¡± Lion King made his judgment.


    ¡°Bring me a map of Zhongyun,¡± Lion King said.


    Immediately, a large and detailed satellite map of Zhongyun appeared in front of him. His subordinate also obediently circled the location of Riverside City with a pointer.


    ¡°There¡¯s a river, and it¡¯s close to the sea. No wonder it¡¯s called Riverside City.¡± Lion King rubbed his chin and muttered.


    ¡°Dijon,¡± Lion King called out his name in a low voice.


    ¡°Lion King!¡± A skinny man with slightly tanned skin came out and bowed.


    Lion King turned his wrist, and a green flat box appeared in his hand. He then threw it to Dijon. ¡°Take these 30 seeds and head to Riverside City. You are allowed to confirm your target. After activating the seed, you can leave Zhongyun immediately.¡±


    Dijon, who had received the box, did not move, but a hint of panic flashed across his face. However, after hearing this, he immediately knelt and said resolutely, ¡°Lion King, I will complete the mission! ¡±


    Lion King¡¯s order made everyone present, who was initially pulling a long face, involuntarily soften their expressions.


    Lion King laughed. ¡°You guys, I¡¯m not stupid enough to take elites like you to be buried with my stupid brother. If it weren¡¯t for the pressure from the kings, I wouldn¡¯t even want to use those 30 seeds!¡±


    ¡°Lion King, you¡¯ve endured too much humiliation.¡± Everyone immediately sighed.


    ¡°This is nothing. It¡¯s just a rule. If the other kings encountered this kind of thing, I would also use words to suppress them and make them lose a portion of their strength.¡± Lion King waved his hand and said disapprovingly.


    After saying that, he spoke to the subordinate who reported, ¡°Galava, prepare the seed¡¯s weapon. We must let Zhongyun understand that this is my, Lion King¡¯s, revenge, but we don¡¯t want to be caught red-handed.¡±


    Galava immediately nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lion King. I¡¯ll handle it properly.¡±


    ¡°Right, Dijon, find my brother¡¯s guards and execute them. I don¡¯t blame them for not protecting my brother. I blame them for not daring to come back to see me! Someone else told me about my brother. I can¡¯t tolerate their mistake!¡± Lion King finally said.


    ¡°Yes! I will make them regret not being able to appreciate your tolerance and kindness, Lion King!¡± Dijon said furiously.

 Chapter 40

    Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio


    Naturally, Lin Zhendong did not know what had happened in the Gallia Nation thousands of miles away.


    At this moment, he followed Li Zhi and Xiao Bin to the provincial capital. After getting off the train, he immediately took the bus that the provincial office of Riverside City had been waiting for a long time and went straight to the provincial department building of the Southeast Province of the Special Protection Department.


    Lin Zhendong was shocked when he saw the bus from the city department office waiting at the train station.


    After all, no matter how ignorant he was, he knew that this was the treatment only the city¡¯s big shots received.


    When they arrived at the provincial department building, Lin Zhendong was even more impressed when he saw that Li Zhi was allowed to visit the provincial department head by reporting his name.


    Awesome. Really awesome! He had to hold onto this superior leader tightly.


    They were allowed to pay their respects, but they couldn¡¯t pass immediately. They still had to go through the security scan.


    Xiao Bin could go through the security check at the station and bring his gun with him. He filled in the information and received the safekeeping form.


    Li Zhi did not bring any weapons, let alone Lin Zhendong.


    After passing the security check, Lin Zhendong followed Li Zhi to the provincial department building. Although he maintained a solemn expression, he could not help but wink at Xiao Bin, who was beside him.


    Seeing Xiao Bin¡¯s eyes in response and his suppressed excitement, it was obvious that Xiao Bin was also impressed by his superior¡¯s power.


    He could guarantee that Xiao Bin would have the same thought as Lin Zhendong. He had the thought of clinging onto Li Zhi tightly.


    As Li Zhi led the way, he introduced the provincial department¡¯s building and structure. From time to time, he would turn around to size up Lin Zhendong and Xiao Bin¡¯s expressions.


    Seeing their reactions, Li Zhi naturally smiled in his heart. He had directly brought them here to improve his image. It was also to show off his power. This effect was good, and Xiao Bin would be loyal to him.


    As for Lin Zhendong, Li Zhi believed this little rascal would become his admirer too.


    Needless to say, Li Zhi had trained Xiao Bin by himself.


    He brought Lin Zhendong, a high school student who hadn¡¯t worked, to the provincial department. This way, he could show off his abilities to Lin Zhendong.


    This first reason was naturally because of Lin Zhendong¡¯s strange ability to find treasures.


    The second reason was he was interested in the power of the people behind Lin Zhendong in Riverside City.


    Yes, Li Zhi had been observing the alliance of interests, Riverside City United Agriculture Co., Ltd, and the connections and power behind it.


    It was a piece of cake for Li Zhi. He was working in the intelligence department, so he paid attention to it. In addition, Lin Zhendong and his men did not hide their activities. Naturally, everything about Lin Zhendong and his people fell into Li Zhi¡¯s eyes.


    Previously, Li Zhi might have treated Lin Zhendong as a tool he could borrow and use at any time.


    After all, Lin Zhendong¡¯s treasure-hunting ability was only so-so. If he did not care about treasures, his ability was not worth mentioning.


    Especially for Li Zhi¡¯s desire and pursuit, this treasure-hunting ability was nothing.


    However, Li Zhi discovered Lin Zhendong and his close friends had formed an agricultural company to develop the lair site.


    Li Zhi knew Lin Zhendong had obtained a second-class lair site from the Bauhinia Legion. He would be able to find out the truth after this investigation.


    He didn¡¯t even need to investigate. When he had recaptured White Jade Lotus and issued a wanted order, the higher-ups ignored it. He had already investigated and found out the identity and background of the wanted person.


    Therefore, Li Zhi directly threw aside the follow-up matter regarding the arrest warrant.


    His identity made him more aware of the complicated relationship between the Bauhinia Legion and the Zhongyun than many others.


    Therefore, he had been beaten up by the Bauhinia Legion¡¯s higher-ups, the guy nicknamed Xiao Ye.


    As for whether or not he suspected that Lin Zhendong was colluding with the Bauhinia Legion to set him up?


    That was not the case. After all, Lin Zhendong¡¯s previous life experience was clear, and he had personally experienced Lin Zhendong¡¯s ability to search for treasures.


    Therefore, the boss of the Bauhinia Legion, Su Yan, looked for Lin Zhendong to search for treasures and gave him a lair site as compensation. Such a generous suited Su Yan¡¯s personality.


    Li Zhi quickly put away these thoughts. To him, a second-class lair site was nothing. Only those mediocre people with no way out would yearn for it.


    But what interested Li Zhi was Lin Zhendong¡¯s close neighbors could use a second-class lair as a foundation to directly rope in the top ten figures in the city government, district department, county department, and county government.


    This ability to establish connections was amazing!


    One should have enough connections and a reputation to sell their products regardless of the qualities.


    In such a short period, they had pulled 40 important people from the four divisions onto the ship.


    He would be how wide the connections of the people behind Lin Zhendong were, how capable they were, and how much everyone trusted them.


    Li Zhi knew he would be training in Riverside City for a long time.


    Although Lin Zhendong¡¯s lair site had just taken shape, it already had a certain amount of energy. In the future, there would be more power, a symbol of the local interest alliance, Lin Zhendong.


    Why didn¡¯t Li Zhi snatch it?


    It was why Li Zhi took this opportunity to show off his abilities to Lin Zhendong.


    Otherwise, he could have just brought Lin Zhendong on a mission. Why would he bring him here? He did not have the right to greet many of the top leaders of the districts and counties.


    When they arrived at the top floor, a man with a gentle face and a decent expression, but he looked like a secretary, was already waiting at the elevator door to welcome them.


    Lin Zhendong immediately had the chip scan it. [Target is kind, strength B-rank]


    It made him suck in a breath of cold air. As expected of the provincial department, he could easily see people with B-rank strength.


    ¡°Secretary Zhang, long time no see. How are you?¡± Li Zhi shook his hand enthusiastically.


    ¡°Captain Li, you¡¯re young and promising. I might have to call you deputy platoon captain the next time we meet.¡± Secretary Zhang smiled and greeted him warmly.


    They politely headed to the living room.


    Secretary Zhang did not lead them to the inner door. Instead, he made tea and sat down.


    He was busy with work and could not meet her.


    Even Lin Zhendong understood this point. Therefore, after thanking them and receiving the tea, he straightened his back and smiled as he listened to the two big shots¡¯ greetings.


    After sipping his tea, Secretary Zhang asked Lin Zhendong and Xiao Bin.


    Li Zhi also began to introduce them to each other. ¡°This is Secretary Zhang Wenfeng, a Grade 1 Official. He¡¯s capable. If he¡¯s demoted, he¡¯ll be the head of the county department. Unfortunately, he can¡¯t leave. I¡¯m not willing to let him in.¡±


    ¡°You flatter me.¡± Secretary Zhang waved his hand gently and modestly.


    Lin Zhendong and Xiao Bin, who had already stood up, were shocked.


    A secretary at the level of a district chief? The ranking in this provincial department was too high!


    ¡°This is Xiao Bin, a Grade 6 Official who has been with me for two years. He¡¯s familiar with the business and has good abilities. He¡¯s an indispensable right-hand man.¡±


    ¡°Greetings, Secretary Zhang!¡± Xiao Bin immediately saluted.


    ¡°No wonder Captain Li has been doing so well these past two years,¡± said Secretary Zhang with a smile. ¡°It seems that he has the full support of Mr. Xiao.¡±


    ¡°You flatter me. It was Boss¡­ It was Captain Li who helped me greatly.¡± Xiao Bin quickly waved his hand.


    Li Zhi continued to introduce, ¡°This is Lin Zhendong. He¡¯s 18 years old. He was promoted to a Grade 8 Official right after he joined us. He completed the mission with me to retrieve the White Jade Lotus treasure. He¡¯s capable.¡±


    ¡°Greetings, Secretary Zhang!¡± Although Lin Zhendong had never undergone professional training, he stood at attention and saluted like Xiao Bin.


    Secretary Zhang¡¯s eyes lit up. He leaned forward and patted Lin Zhendong¡¯s shoulder. He said excitedly, ¡°You¡¯re a talented disciple from our Special Protection Department! You¡¯re young and promising!¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your compliment, Secretary Zhang.¡± Lin Zhendong replied in such a manner, but he was thinking in his heart that Secretary Zhang was so excited. He knew that he was the main force in completing this mission!


    But wasn¡¯t Secretary Zhang too excited? Was he really that humble? Had it reached the point where the superior was worried about his subordinate¡¯s performance?


    Lin Zhendong was still thinking about these things, but Xiao Bin was only excited because Secretary Zhang remembered him!


    It could be an incredible convenience.


    Secretary Zhang probably realized that he had just shown off and smiled apologetically. ¡°Sorry, I was too excited. The captain of the guards is my brother.¡±


    Lin Zhendong suddenly understood. No wonder he was so excited. It was because he was a strong candidate to prove his brother¡¯s innocence!


    His brother was involved in this mess, and it concerned his brother¡¯s innocence and future.


    It might even affect his status as a secretary.


    Therefore, it would be strange if he wasn¡¯t excited when he saw his savior.


    Lin Zhendong was very pleased with himself as he thought about these things. He did not notice that Secretary Zhang had already changed into a gentle expression and started to chat with a smile.


    After a while, Secretary Zhang probably received the news through a hidden communication method. He suddenly stopped talking, and his expression became solemn. He stood up and opened the inner door. ¡°Captain Li, Boss wants you to go in.¡±


    Lin Zhendong and Xiao Bin could only stand and watch Li Zhi enter the room.


    They weren¡¯t qualified to meet him yet.