Gao Yang put out two fingers. “Option A, seek the Twelve Zodiac Signs for protection. Option B, wait and see.”
“B.” Officer Huang and Qing Ling said almost at the same time.
Gao Yang was a little surprised. “Do you distrust the organization so much?”
“At least we can’t trust them fully,” Officer Huang said without sugarcoating it. “Besides, it’s just impractical. We can’t possibly stay hidden in the Millennium Tower without showing our faces, can we? And why would the Twelve Zodiac Signs mobilize all members to protect us? For the greater good, it makes more sense for them to kick us out.”
Qing Ling nodded in agreement.
Gao Yang smiled wryly. “I prefer Option B as well.”
He took a sip of water and pressed the rim of the disposable cup together. “I believe that Fresh Snow won’t make a move against us until her true purpose is revealed. Otherwise, we would already be dead. If we make our resistance too clear, however, we risk angering her and even the group behind her, the Spectres. It’s better to wait and see.”
Qing Ling nodded and made a simple calculation. “Each member of the Spectres rivals War Tiger. Since we can’t defeat War Tiger, we can’t defeat one of them.”
“‘Wait and see’ is a nice way to put it.” Officer Huang clicked his tongue in resignation. “But put simply, we’re just waiting for things to happen to us like sitting ducks.”
“You’ve got a better idea?” asked Qing Ling.
“Idea my ass.” Officer Huang’s smile looked more like a grimace. “Nowadays, I pray before bed every night that I’ll get to open my eyes tomorrow morning, that I’ll live to see my child born.”
“Get stronger,” said Gao Yang.
Officer Huang and Qing Ling turned to him, surprised.
“Get stronger,” Gao Yang repeated.
He had made up his mind. Actually, he had made up his mind the moment he buried the candy wrapper holding his childhood dream—to be a hero—back into the ground under the ginkgo tree.
“No matter what the Spectres are up to, we must get stronger as quickly as possible. Only then can we climb up in ranks in the organization and improve our chance of survival.”
“Agreed,” said Qing Ling.
“That is the only way.” Officer Huang finished his rice noodles and pulled two tissues to wipe his mouth. “I’m going to War Tiger for training tonight. I can’t afford to sit on my butt any longer.”
“You should’ve done that long ago.” Qing Ling was most spirited when it came to getting stronger.
The three of them parted ways after leaving the rice noodle shops. Officer Huang returned to the station, while Gao Yang and Qing Ling went to school.
During the morning self-study, their homeroom teacher addressed the class seriously, reminding them to not grow complacent during the last stretch of their preparation for the college entrance exam. Then he called Gao Yang and Qing Ling to his office.
The two of them had been missing more classes recently, and it was said among the class that they were sneaking around for coupley time. That worried the homeroom teacher, but he couldn’t really reprimand them when he didn’t have any proof.
Qing Ling was a student athlete for sprinting, and she had won quite a lot of games. That would be enough to get her into a college. Moreover, she had always been prideful and did things her own way. Never once had she taken his words to heart.
Gao Yang, on the other hand, had been a model student. However, his father got into a car accident recently. And two of his friends passed away. Li Weiwei was even his childhood friend. Worried that Gao Yang would break down mentally, the homeroom teacher didn’t dare go too hard on him.
In the end, they were allowed to leave after what amounted to a slap on the wrist.
Qing Ling and Gao Yang made their way back to the classroom together.
Walking at the front, Qing Ling said while keeping her poker face, “Let’s meet at the lab instead of the rooftop at noon.”
Gao Yang tensed. “Have we been found out?”
“No, it’s too hot, and Little Qing Ling is worried that she’ll get tanned.” Qing Ling then quickened her steps and returned to the classroom first.
That made sense to Gao Yang. It was May, and it had been getting hotter while the sun was getting more and more scorching. Although Qing Ling couldn’t care less about it, her sister was a regular girl, and it made sense that she would worry about her skin.
Nothing unusual happened in the morning.
At noon, Gao Yang got lunch in the cafeteria before sneaking to the back of the lab building. He looked up and noticed that a window had been opened to the firstmost lab on the second floor.
Gao Yang looked around to make sure there were no unwanted eyes, and avoiding the surveillance cameras, he easily grabbed onto the window on the second floor with a dash and two jumps, diving into the lab.
With the thick curtains and the light turned off, the lab was dim and cool.
“Here.”
Qing Ling’s voice came from the far side of the room.
Past the lab benches, Gao Yang walked behind a metal cabinet filled with lab equipment and found a small hidden space that was a few square meters big. With her legs tucked to her body, Qing Ling sat on the floor eating butter bread. Placed beside her was a bottle of milk.
“That’s your lunch?” Gao Yang asked.
Qing Ling didn’t bother to answer the obvious.
Gao Yang remembered then that Qing Ling had lost both her parents, and that she was living with her aunt at the moment. A stingy woman, her aunt gave her very little for living expenses. It was clear from the way Qing Ling savored food like the greatest treasure that she hadn’t been eating well.
Her good build despite the lack of nutrients could only be attributed to her early awakening.
Gao Yang sat down across from Qing Ling and briefed her on what had happened lately, both at school and in his life in general.
They met up at school to update each other every two to three days and gave each other opinions to avoid exposure.
When Gao Yang was done with his briefing, Qing Ling had finished her bread.
Like a teacher checking a student’s homework, she pondered while sucking milk through a straw and eventually nodded. “You’re good.”
“Aren’t you gonna tell me about yourself as well?” Gao Yang asked.
Qing Ling was confident. “There’s no need. I’m more careful than you are. I’m not going to be exposed.”
Gao Yang nodded. He trusted her. She had been living on her own for years. She wouldn’t have survived to this day if she wasn’t careful enough.
With that done, Gao Yang didn’t immediately leave. He had something to do.
He closed his eyes.
[Access granted.]
—A question for you: is it true that level 4 is the limit for Talents below serial number 100?
[You do not have access to the information for the moment.]
—What is the limit of Lucky?
[You do not have access to the information for the moment.]
—Stingy scrooge!
—Another question, why hasn’t Lucky reached level 3 yet? Isn’t it said that Rune Circuits are only needed to reach level 4?
[Lucky is a special Talent with a different way of leveling up.]
—How do I level it up then?
[You do not have access to the information for the moment. Please find the answer yourself.]
—Garbage system! Fine, I want to check my stats.
[Constitution: 60 Endurance: 62]
[Strength: 217 Agility: 259 ]
[Willpower: 309 Charisma: 97 ]
[Luck: 132 ]
[You have a total of 121 Luck points.]
It had been two days since he left the Rune Cave at Cattle Farm Station, during which he would have accumulated 48 Luck points.
Yesterday at midnight, he was on the ferris wheel with Fresh Snow and got a 5000 times bonus for less than a minute, yielding him about additional 70 Luck points.
Although he was terrified, he had essentially earned three normal days worth of Luck points in one minute. That was a ridiculous return on investment!
He should’ve stayed in the ferris wheel with Fresh Snow a little longer.
Wait, what am I thinking?!
The bonus came from actual killing intent. If he had kept Fresh Snow there, he would’ve ended up killed by the source of that killing intent. He must remember to never get greedy, never think that he would get away with something.
He was looking for more interest, while his principal was what could be taken!
—Split my Luck points between my Constitution and Endurance, System.
[Understood.]
In an instant, Gao Yang felt warmth spread through his body and seep in, making his heartbeat stronger and the energy circulating throughout more stable, even, and harmonious.
He parted his lips slightly and let out a breath.
[Access ends.]
Gao Yang opened his eyes to see Qing Ling’s face.
She had crawled toward him, her face almost covering his.
Her warm breaths scattered on Gao Yang’s nose, while her long strands of hair brushed past his shoulders like feather-light kisses, and he smelled a faint fragrance from her.
“What, what are you doing?”
Gao Yang was suddenly nervous.
“What were you doing?” Qing Ling leveled him with a demanding stare.
“Resting.”
“Lie.” Qing Ling frowned and pulled back, her expression distrustful.
After a moment of silence, she suddenly looked up with a piercing gaze. “I know what you’re doing, Gao Yang.”
Shit, did she really find out? Or maybe Qing Ling has a system of her own. That isn’t impossible.
Gao Yang couldn’t tell if she was testing him, or if she had actually found out.
Let’s check with Lie Detection.
“Do you really know what I was doing, Qing Ling?”
“I do.”
—The target did not lie.
Gao Yang suppressed a gasp. Did Qing Ling have a system too?!
Gao Yang put out two fingers. “Option A, seek the Twelve Zodiac Signs for protection. Option B, wait and see.”
“B.” Officer Huang and Qing Ling said almost at the same time.
Gao Yang was a little surprised. “Do you distrust the organization so much?”
“At least we can’t trust them fully,” Officer Huang said without sugarcoating it. “Besides, it’s just impractical. We can’t possibly stay hidden in the Millennium Tower without showing our faces, can we? And why would the Twelve Zodiac Signs mobilize all members to protect us? For the greater good, it makes more sense for them to kick us out.”
Qing Ling nodded in agreement.
Gao Yang smiled wryly. “I prefer Option B as well.”
He took a sip of water and pressed the rim of the disposable cup together. “I believe that Fresh Snow won’t make a move against us until her true purpose is revealed. Otherwise, we would already be dead. If we make our resistance too clear, however, we risk angering her and even the group behind her, the Spectres. It’s better to wait and see.”
Qing Ling nodded and made a simple calculation. “Each member of the Spectres rivals War Tiger. Since we can’t defeat War Tiger, we can’t defeat one of them.”
“‘Wait and see’ is a nice way to put it.” Officer Huang clicked his tongue in resignation. “But put simply, we’re just waiting for things to happen to us like sitting ducks.”
“You’ve got a better idea?” asked Qing Ling.
“Idea my ass.” Officer Huang’s smile looked more like a grimace. “Nowadays, I pray before bed every night that I’ll get to open my eyes tomorrow morning, that I’ll live to see my child born.”
“Get stronger,” said Gao Yang.
Officer Huang and Qing Ling turned to him, surprised.
“Get stronger,” Gao Yang repeated.
He had made up his mind. Actually, he had made up his mind the moment he buried the candy wrapper holding his childhood dream—to be a hero—back into the ground under the ginkgo tree.
“No matter what the Spectres are up to, we must get stronger as quickly as possible. Only then can we climb up in ranks in the organization and improve our chance of survival.”
“Agreed,” said Qing Ling.
“That is the only way.” Officer Huang finished his rice noodles and pulled two tissues to wipe his mouth. “I’m going to War Tiger for training tonight. I can’t afford to sit on my butt any longer.”
“You should’ve done that long ago.” Qing Ling was most spirited when it came to getting stronger.
The three of them parted ways after leaving the rice noodle shops. Officer Huang returned to the station, while Gao Yang and Qing Ling went to school.
During the morning self-study, their homeroom teacher addressed the class seriously, reminding them to not grow complacent during the last stretch of their preparation for the college entrance exam. Then he called Gao Yang and Qing Ling to his office.
The two of them had been missing more classes recently, and it was said among the class that they were sneaking around for coupley time. That worried the homeroom teacher, but he couldn’t really reprimand them when he didn’t have any proof.
Qing Ling was a student athlete for sprinting, and she had won quite a lot of games. That would be enough to get her into a college. Moreover, she had always been prideful and did things her own way. Never once had she taken his words to heart.
Gao Yang, on the other hand, had been a model student. However, his father got into a car accident recently. And two of his friends passed away. Li Weiwei was even his childhood friend. Worried that Gao Yang would break down mentally, the homeroom teacher didn’t dare go too hard on him.
In the end, they were allowed to leave after what amounted to a slap on the wrist.
Qing Ling and Gao Yang made their way back to the classroom together.
Walking at the front, Qing Ling said while keeping her poker face, “Let’s meet at the lab instead of the rooftop at noon.”
Gao Yang tensed. “Have we been found out?”
“No, it’s too hot, and Little Qing Ling is worried that she’ll get tanned.” Qing Ling then quickened her steps and returned to the classroom first.
That made sense to Gao Yang. It was May, and it had been getting hotter while the sun was getting more and more scorching. Although Qing Ling couldn’t care less about it, her sister was a regular girl, and it made sense that she would worry about her skin.
Nothing unusual happened in the morning.
At noon, Gao Yang got lunch in the cafeteria before sneaking to the back of the lab building. He looked up and noticed that a window had been opened to the firstmost lab on the second floor.
Gao Yang looked around to make sure there were no unwanted eyes, and avoiding the surveillance cameras, he easily grabbed onto the window on the second floor with a dash and two jumps, diving into the lab.
With the thick curtains and the light turned off, the lab was dim and cool.
“Here.”
Qing Ling’s voice came from the far side of the room.
Past the lab benches, Gao Yang walked behind a metal cabinet filled with lab equipment and found a small hidden space that was a few square meters big. With her legs tucked to her body, Qing Ling sat on the floor eating butter bread. Placed beside her was a bottle of milk.
“That’s your lunch?” Gao Yang asked.
Qing Ling didn’t bother to answer the obvious.
Gao Yang remembered then that Qing Ling had lost both her parents, and that she was living with her aunt at the moment. A stingy woman, her aunt gave her very little for living expenses. It was clear from the way Qing Ling savored food like the greatest treasure that she hadn’t been eating well.
Her good build despite the lack of nutrients could only be attributed to her early awakening.
Gao Yang sat down across from Qing Ling and briefed her on what had happened lately, both at school and in his life in general.
They met up at school to update each other every two to three days and gave each other opinions to avoid exposure.
When Gao Yang was done with his briefing, Qing Ling had finished her bread.
Like a teacher checking a student’s homework, she pondered while sucking milk through a straw and eventually nodded. “You’re good.”
“Aren’t you gonna tell me about yourself as well?” Gao Yang asked.
Qing Ling was confident. “There’s no need. I’m more careful than you are. I’m not going to be exposed.”
Gao Yang nodded. He trusted her. She had been living on her own for years. She wouldn’t have survived to this day if she wasn’t careful enough.
With that done, Gao Yang didn’t immediately leave. He had something to do.
He closed his eyes.
[Access granted.]
—A question for you: is it true that level 4 is the limit for Talents below serial number 100?
[You do not have access to the information for the moment.]
—What is the limit of Lucky?
[You do not have access to the information for the moment.]
—Stingy scrooge!
—Another question, why hasn’t Lucky reached level 3 yet? Isn’t it said that Rune Circuits are only needed to reach level 4?
[Lucky is a special Talent with a different way of leveling up.]
—How do I level it up then?
[You do not have access to the information for the moment. Please find the answer yourself.]
—Garbage system! Fine, I want to check my stats.
[Constitution: 60 Endurance: 62]
[Strength: 217 Agility: 259 ]
[Willpower: 309 Charisma: 97 ]
[Luck: 132 ]
[You have a total of 121 Luck points.]
It had been two days since he left the Rune Cave at Cattle Farm Station, during which he would have accumulated 48 Luck points.
Yesterday at midnight, he was on the ferris wheel with Fresh Snow and got a 5000 times bonus for less than a minute, yielding him about additional 70 Luck points.
Although he was terrified, he had essentially earned three normal days worth of Luck points in one minute. That was a ridiculous return on investment!
He should’ve stayed in the ferris wheel with Fresh Snow a little longer.
Wait, what am I thinking?!
The bonus came from actual killing intent. If he had kept Fresh Snow there, he would’ve ended up killed by the source of that killing intent. He must remember to never get greedy, never think that he would get away with something.
He was looking for more interest, while his principal was what could be taken!
—Split my Luck points between my Constitution and Endurance, System.
[Understood.]
In an instant, Gao Yang felt warmth spread through his body and seep in, making his heartbeat stronger and the energy circulating throughout more stable, even, and harmonious.
He parted his lips slightly and let out a breath.
[Access ends.]
Gao Yang opened his eyes to see Qing Ling’s face.
She had crawled toward him, her face almost covering his.
Her warm breaths scattered on Gao Yang’s nose, while her long strands of hair brushed past his shoulders like feather-light kisses, and he smelled a faint fragrance from her.
“What, what are you doing?”
Gao Yang was suddenly nervous.
“What were you doing?” Qing Ling leveled him with a demanding stare.
“Resting.”
“Lie.” Qing Ling frowned and pulled back, her expression distrustful.
After a moment of silence, she suddenly looked up with a piercing gaze. “I know what you’re doing, Gao Yang.”
Shit, did she really find out? Or maybe Qing Ling has a system of her own. That isn’t impossible.
Gao Yang couldn’t tell if she was testing him, or if she had actually found out.
Let’s check with Lie Detection.
“Do you really know what I was doing, Qing Ling?”
“I do.”
—The target did not lie.
Gao Yang suppressed a gasp. Did Qing Ling have a system too?!
