Chapter 5: I

Before he could finish speaking, Lin Yu suddenly turned and, with both hands, delivered two loud slaps. Chen Xun hadn't reacted when a fierce side kick struck his abdomen. The teacup in his hand shattered, and scalding hot water drenched him.

"Ah! It burns me to death!" Chen Xun rolled on the ground, letting out a pig‑slaughter‑like scream, "Lin Yu, you madman! You're finished! This time you're dead!"

【Ding! Dealt a blow to a person who kicks someone when they're down, gaining 30 Hardness points!】

【Current Hardness: 340 points】

The other patrol officers who were watching for fun suddenly fell silent like cold cicadas and retreated in droves. This Lin Yu really went all out today; anyone who dares to provoke him now will probably not make it out alive.

"Lin Yu!" Wang Zhong stamped his foot anxiously, "Are you trying to defy the heavens…?"

"Bang!"

Lin Yu kicked the struggling Chen Xun to the ground and sneered, "What? Want to fight back? With that soft‑boned stuff?"

"You…" Chen Xun tried to speak, but another heavy fist smashed into his face.

"I'm sickened watching you bow and scrape before Director Liao, kowtowing to those Foreigners!" Lin Yu grabbed Chen Xun's collar, his fists raining down, "Now you mock me for beating an Eastern dwarf, acting all weird here?"

"Ah! Help…" Chen Xun let out a pig‑slaughter‑like scream.

"Help?" Lin Yu sneered, delivering another kick to his ribs, "When you were spouting cold words just now, why didn't you shout for help?"

Chen Xun's face turned pale with anger as he struggled to rise, only to be kicked back to the ground by Lin Yu.

"Someone like you, who skulks and flatters just to get by, are you even worthy of fighting me?" Lin Yu looked down from his height, "You bow to Foreigners and superiors, yet strike your own comrades with heavy fists; I've long found people like you intolerable!"

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Fists and kicks kept coming down, each accompanied by Lin Yu's angry shouts: "You swagger in the precinct, bullying newcomers with your connections. Today I'll show you what a hard bone is!"

【Ding! Dealt a blow to a bow‑down, kneeling scum, gaining 40 Hardness points!】

【Current Hardness: 380 points】

The surrounding patrol officers stared in stunned silence. No one expected the usually mild‑mannered Lin Yu to be so ferocious today.

But recalling Chen Xun's usual behavior, everyone felt an indescribable satisfaction.

"You're finished…" Chen Xun, bruised and battered, still tried to be defiant, "You offended Director Liao, beat someone from the Health Union Association, and now you're hitting me…"

"Slap!" Another loud slap.

"Shut up!" Lin Yu said coldly, "Someone like you has any right to talk to me? Acting like a grandson before Foreigners, playing big boss among your own, are you even fit to be a patrol officer?"

The slap made Chen Xun see stars and he dared not speak again. He curled up on the ground, a wreck, his usual swagger completely gone.

"Remember," Lin Yu straightened his clothes, "A person needs some backbone. Better go home and farm than spend the whole day wagging your tail like a lapdog begging for pity!"

Several patrol officers hurried forward to grab Lin Yu: "Brother Lin, stop! Stop! If you keep hitting, someone will die!"

Seizing the chance, Chen Xun scrambled to his feet, covering his swollen face, shouting, "Lin Yu, just you wait! Director Liao won't let you off! Your days in the precinct are over!"

"Let go of me!" Lin Yu flung off his captors and lunged forward.

"Bang!"

A massive, heavy flying kick sent Chen Xun crashing to the ground again.

"You keep muttering 'Director Liao, Director Liao' all day—does Director Liao count as your father?" Lin Yu grabbed Chen Xun's collar and, with both hands, rained slaps, "Want to set up a shrine for him? Light incense three times a day?"

"Slap! Slap! Slap!"

The crisp sound of slaps kept echoing, causing Chen Xun's mouth and nose to bleed, his face twisted to one side.

【Ding! Dealt a blow to a sycophantic opportunist, gaining 30 Hardness points!】

【Current Hardness: 410 points】

This time Chen Xun was truly terrified. He staggered to his feet, covering his swollen face, and dared not speak another word. The swagger he usually wore was gone, and he fled in a mess behind the crowd.

Silence fell over the surroundings. Everyone was stunned by Lin Yu's performance today. The young patrol officer seemed to have become a different person overnight.

The office door went "Bang!" as it was pushed open, and Chief Inspector Hua Yuan emerged with a grim face.

"What's going on? Why is everyone making a fuss here?"

Several patrol officers exchanged words, recounting the whole incident. Hua Yuan's expression grew increasingly grim, and finally he pointed the blame at Lin Yu.

"Lin Yu! What audacity!" Hua Yuan shouted angrily, "First you insulted Director Liao, then you beat someone from the Health Union Association, and now you even hit your own comrades? Do you think you can run rampant in the precinct?"

Lin Yu stared at him coldly, a hint of contempt in his eyes.

"What kind of look is that?" Hua Yuan, provoked by his gaze, retorted, "What, you even want to hit a superior?"

"Heh," Lin Yu sneered, "Chief Hua, with words like that, how could I dare strike a superior? I could never learn your skill of bowing and scraping before Foreigners."

"You!" Hua Yuan's face turned blue with anger, "Lin Yu, you're courting death!"

"Courting death?" Lin Yu scoffed, "If I offend you, you can simply suspend me. No need to put on a show. Aren't you also a soft‑boned one?"

【Ding! Insulted a soft‑boned superior face‑to‑face, gaining 40 Hardness points!】

【Current Hardness: 450 points】

"Fine! Very fine!" Hua Yuan gritted his teeth, "You think I wouldn't dare suspend you?"

"Do as you wish," Lin Yu shrugged, a nonchalant expression, "Staying here will eventually turn you into a soft‑boned one like you. Better leave early and keep whatever backbone you have."

Those words made Hua Yuan's face flash pale and blue, and the other patrol officers fell silent like cold cicadas. No one expected Lin Yu to truly cut off every path today.

"Lin Yu, you'll pay for today's arrogance!" Hua Yuan said through clenched teeth.

"Then we'll see," Lin Yu said calmly, "It's better than being like some people, forever bowing and nodding, almost forgetting they're Da Qian People."

Hua Yuan, furious, slammed the door and left; Chen Xun immediately followed like a lapdog. Through the office glass, one could see him gesturing wildly, evidently embellishing his complaint.

Lin Yu sneered, swaggering onto his seat with a grand flourish, crossing his legs. The other patrol officers deliberately kept their distance, fearing his influence.

"Heh, a bunch of soft‑boned ones."

Lin Yu thought, even though Hua Yuan is chief, suspending me still requires higher approval. Yet, having offended Director Liao, the deputy chief inspector, suspension is only a matter of time.

"Whatever."

He glanced at his badge and suddenly felt indifferent. Serving here, watching these people constantly kowtow to Foreigners, he'd had enough.

【Current Hardness: 450 points】

【Can conduct 4 beginner draws】

Lin Yu stroked his chin, the corner of his mouth curling into a smile. With this system, where wouldn't be better than here? These spineless ones, let them continue being their lapdogs.

"; Wait and see."; Lin Yu muttered to himself, "; This Shen City, sooner or later will change.";

In the office, Chen Xun was still adding fuel to the fire, and Hua Yuan's face grew uglier by the moment. But all of this, Lin Yu could no longer be bothered to care. He now just wanted to find a quiet place to properly study the system's lottery.