[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-lawful-tyrant":3,"chapter-lawful-tyrant-lawful-tyrant-chapter-2":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Lawful Tyrant",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2284886,4469,"Chapter 2: Memory Master","lawful-tyrant-chapter-2",2,"\u003Cp>After getting off the empty vehicle, Lin Qing hurried into Junyuan Community, heading home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Throughout the journey, he remained constantly alert, subtly observing his surroundings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t just a habit left over from the end times; the key reason was that the [Current Order Level] was only 0.3.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He also couldn’t understand it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this life, his social circle clearly existed within a society still governed by laws and order—so why was the [Order Level] only 0.3?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The [Order Level] was entirely determined by how stable and peaceful his life was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the end times in his previous life, it had remained around 0.2 for years, since danger lurked everywhere, visible or hidden, making peace and stability impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet now, it was no better than the end times?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a low Order Level left a heavy stone hanging in his chest, making him dare not relax his vigilance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he had no way to move to a safer place—he could only try to be as careful as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After returning home, Lin Qing instinctively entered the house in darkness; once inside the bedroom, his phone screen lit up automatically and began charging.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bedroom was half-lit, the light coming entirely from outside the window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He unconsciously looked up—and froze slightly, his gaze drawn to the scene beyond the window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a city that never slept.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The distant skyline was formed by towering skyscrapers and sleek, massive structures; dazzling, colorful billboards and light shows flashed high above the city, visible even from the outskirts where he stood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if night had swallowed half the planet, it could not drown the wall of light built by that city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the most dazzling “urban circle” of Haibin in 2120.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Qing had been in this era for a month—he wasn’t seeing this sight for the first time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What drew his attention was the highest point at the center of the urban circle, where a massive 3D projection was playing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It showed a noble-dressed white-haired man, his appearance nearly human, but with a half-open vertical eye on his forehead; within its pupil, faint electric sparks flickered, giving him an indescribable aura of mystery, seated like a colossal deity above the city, bathed in countless lights and admired by throngs below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Merely sitting there and speaking was enough to leave viewers breathless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he was outside the urban circle and couldn’t hear what the white-haired, three-eyed man was saying, a stream of brilliant 3D subtitles continuously appeared beneath the projection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...My Zhi Star Group has always had great confidence in Earth’s future, which is why we developed the urban circle. This additional investment aims to cultivate more elite talents like the founder of Chaoyang Martial Arts...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Qing opened his phone’s camera, zoomed the subtitles to three times their size, and slowly read them aloud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, he set the phone down, lost in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Earth has truly integrated with extraterrestrial civilizations...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After the end times, this new civilization has developed so rapidly?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He murmured, then lowered his gaze to the dim, dilapidated neighborhood below the window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was still 2120.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most buildings here retained their late-20th-century appearance—walls cracked, paint peeling, worn down by time and the end times, now abandoned and adrift in the tide of progress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faint neon lights flickered weakly, now glowing, now darkening, as if recounting their former glory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This neighborhood was like a child abandoned by time, forgotten by the city’s rapid growth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Qing knew well: the dazzling urban circle was merely an unreachable mirage; the crumbling neighborhood before him was his reality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for interstellar integration, the Starlight Mutual Aid Society, gene optimization tech, high-tech smart living...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What did any of that have to do with him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the urban circle, every area was just as impoverished as a slum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only was law enforcement weak, but the population was highly transient, making nighttime robberies and home invasions commonplace; gangs controlled every corner, and the situation was chaotic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And with an Order Level of only 0.3, the surface chaos was certainly not the whole story.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There had to be deeper, more serious hidden dangers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This era has problems...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Qing felt a sense of walking on thin ice, “I can’t wait for danger to find me before acting—I must gain self-defense capabilities as soon as possible...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was accustomed to anticipating danger before it struck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To others, this might seem like paranoia—but without this mindset, he could never have survived for years in the end times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ding.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, his phone emitted a soft chime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a WeMessage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Cousin: Tonight there’s a sudden operation—high risk. Don’t come. I’ve already taken leave for you.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Qing thought for a moment, then replied with a single “OK.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He put down his phone and shook his head slightly: “Every time there’s a dangerous operation, she just takes leave for me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His cousin, Chen Yanan, was the squad leader of the Xiaoshan District Patrol Division.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since his parents died in the line of duty, her family had always taken care of him—she was like a real sister.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After he turned eighteen and stopped receiving the monthly 1,000-yuan relief payment, she used her authority to get him hired as an unofficial temporary patrol officer. In this era, the government had specifically carved out a separate “Patrol” system from the public security apparatus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its main function, besides assisting police in maintaining order, was to search for “suspicious anomalies.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But most of the time, patrol duties were easy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Qing could just coast through, earning 2,600 yuan a month.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though there was no five-insurance-one-fund coverage, it was still a decent job—easy and well-paid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And whenever a dangerous operation arose, his cousin firmly barred him from participating, always taking leave for him before he even showed up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The original owner often felt embarrassed by this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Qing thought it was perfect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was a senior high school student, sneaked into the patrol force with no official status or benefits—why risk his life for 2,600 yuan a month?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But once I’m regularized, I won’t be able to keep avoiding danger.” Lin Qing sighed softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The best path he could currently envision was becoming a patrol officer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only did it offer the backing of the World Government, but also many benefits—like free access to Chaoyang Martial Arts training, even the chance to learn “combat techniques.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For ordinary people lacking the talent to be accepted by Chaoyang Martial Arts, this was the fastest way to boost their strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most importantly—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The patrol officer role matched his talent, “Anti-Entropy,” quite well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could currently only pre-advance one skill, which was extremely limiting—this was because his Order Level was too low; even one more pre-advanced skill would make a huge difference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, his cousin Chen Yanan was the squad leader of the Xiaoshan District Patrol Division—he had at least a tiny bit of influence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“First get regularized, then promoted to Patrol Bureau, then get my gun permit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Qing had already planned this—it was a goal he could realistically achieve soon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as he mastered the “4-6 Version of Chaoyang Training Method,” getting regularized and promoted wouldn’t be hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Read.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Qing opened the patrol professional textbook he’d already prepared on his phone and flipped through it rapidly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The promotion exam to Patrol Bureau included a written test—and it was quite tricky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His cousin had studied for over a year and still failed; she barely passed only after earning bonus points for meritorious service.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this kind of exam wasn’t difficult for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the end times, in his previous life, he’d only been a high school student; after his Anti-Entropy talent awakened, he’d carefully considered his options and pre-advanced “Master of Memory,” the fully developed version of systematic memory training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t at the level of perfect recall, but for humanities subjects, he could easily become a top student.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, it would take over a decade of training to reach Master of Memory—he’d spent two years just completing the process afterward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, Lin Qing never got to shine in the college entrance exam—he was met with the end times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Skills pre-advanced by Anti-Entropy didn’t vanish—even in this life, he still retained his Master of Memory ability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this learning capacity, he was confident he could pass the patrol professional exam within one or two months.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time passed second by second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Vibrating—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, his phone buzzed—the caller ID read “Cousin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this hour, why was his cousin calling?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Qing frowned slightly and answered immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hello, cousin?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What? How could my cousin...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xiaoshan District People’s Hospital? Got it—I’m on my way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After ending the call, Lin Qing frowned slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tonight’s sudden operation... my cousin was seriously injured and rushed into emergency?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though it was already 1 a.m., he couldn’t stay home after such news.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walking to the coat rack, he paused, then didn’t take the black temporary patrol uniform—he picked up the old jacket beside it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This neighborhood was far from safe at night—the time when darkness reigned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the patrol force was backed by the government, as a temporary officer with no official status or enforcement authority—not even a single star on his shoulder—criminals and thugs wouldn’t fear him in that uniform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alone, he’d be an easier target; better not wear it at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He put on the jacket, pulled the collar up to cover his face, slipped on a hat, then took a cleaver from the kitchen and tucked a fruit knife into his pocket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Habitually armed, Lin Qing stepped out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1589,"2026-06-20T02:41:34.488Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","059572dedbd5d07d2c9650206aca5fed195cc743665a673f3fc8d921c9695579","lawful-tyrant-chapter-3","lawful-tyrant-chapter-1",442,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Flawful-tyrant-cover.jpg"]