Chapter 46: Patrol Officer

Life seemed to have settled down completely.

Lin Qing took one EPS series high-energy sustained-release liquid daily, exactly enough to repay the debt of the Qiqi version training method four times a day.

Calculating it, if all goes smoothly, the debt will be cleared by February 25.

Besides that, it was time to repay the debt of the combat technique "Speed".

Moreover, the patrol work gradually returned to its usual routine; not even a single opportunity for a third-class merit arose, and almost no major criminals could be found.

If it weren't for the Order Level still being only 1.2, Lin Qing would have truly thought that society's security had improved completely.

Furthermore, the Public Security Bureau was urging the patrol side daily to increase their efforts, complaining that missing person cases kept appearing and that the patrols were just eating dry rice.

This also made Lin Qing realize—

In places beyond sight, evil and chaos must still lurk in the darkness.

Beneath the seemingly peaceful life, undercurrents still surged, ready to swallow him at any moment.

Even if Xiao Peidong didn't know about the Patrol Headquarters' cultivation of him, he would surely fear his potential and worry about his promotion to Patrol Officer.

There would inevitably be a response later.

If Xiao Peidong really was an informant for the Crimson Kite Society, once he confirmed the threat, then Lin Qing would truly be in danger.

So, the current peace was merely an illusion.

One day, this peaceful life would be torn apart by the lurking storm.

And Lin Qing also understood that all he could do was strive to improve himself, make himself stronger, and keep more trump cards.

In the blink of an eye, seven days passed.

【Combat Technique "Speed" fully repaid】

At noon on February 6, Lin Qing finally finished cultivating the last round of the combat technique "Speed", repaying the advanced combat technique "Speed".

"Finally repaid..."

Lin Qing sighed slightly in relief, unwilling to wait any longer, and immediately summoned the Entropy Reverser panel, shifting his will—

"Order."

"Advance, combat technique "Subtlety"!"

As early as the second night after he learned the combat technique "Subtlety", he had successfully entered the door.

After cultivating the combat techniques "Agility" and "Speed" of the Free Body series to the instinct level, cultivating another combat technique of the Free Body series made the bonus even more obvious.

It took only a day and a half to successfully enter the door.

This speed was already very fast; even without advancing, Lin Qing was confident he could master the combat technique "Subtlety" within three months.

But not using an advance would be foolish.

This was the most efficient self-effort.

No way, this person of his loved relying on his own effort the most.

"Boom!"

At this moment, countless inexplicable pieces of information constantly poured into Lin Qing's mind.

According to the Entropy Reverser's deduction—with his talent and his compatibility with the Free Body series combat techniques, to cultivate the combat technique "Subtlety" to the extreme, he must thoroughly channel the invisible force formed by mysterious energy into every tendon, bone, skin, and muscle of his entire body, omnipresent, and condensed to the absolute limit.

Only by completing it 46 consecutive times could the variations of the combat technique be perfectly integrated into instinct.

Then, a massive amount of memories suddenly surfaced in Lin Qing's mind.

These were memories of him attempting to cultivate the combat technique "Subtlety", from clumsiness to approaching perfection, experiencing countless hours of bitter practice.

By the time he perfectly integrated the combat technique "Subtlety" into his instinct, an extremely long time had passed.

At the same time, Lin Qing's body began to tremble at an astonishing frequency; wisp after wisp of strange invisible force rapidly penetrated his entire body, sometimes spreading like clouds and mist, sometimes condensing like hair threads, following his will, exquisitely detailed.

After a while, he slowly opened his eyes.

"Success."

Lin Qing looked at his own hands, feeling an indescribable strange sensation.

He suddenly picked up a retro-style porcelain cup from the table, then flicked the teacup lightly with his fingertip.

With a flick that seemed devoid of any fire or smoke, after the teacup trembled slightly, it silently turned into a large amount of fragments, falling rustling from his hand.

"Huff..."

Afterwards, Lin Qing's single hand became a blurred afterimage, his palm completely shrouded in a layer of invisible airflow; almost no sound of wind breaking the air was heard, and the large amount of falling fragments was caught in his hand. Not a single fragment fell.

"Subtlety..."

Lin Qing clenched lightly, and the teacup fragments completely turned into fine powder.

Immediately, his figure flickered, instantly appearing before the trash can two meters away; with a single shake of his hand, the powder in his hand was completely shaken down, precisely falling into the trash can.

And his palm remained as clean as before, spotless.

"Indeed, completely different..."

"It is time."

A smile appeared on the corner of Lin Qing's lips.

In the private training room next to the captain's office at the Xiaoshan District Patrol Branch.

"Huff..."

Xiao Peidong slowly exhaled, pulled out a tissue to wipe the sweat from his forehead, and only then sat down to rest.

At the same time, he pulled a seemingly ordinary metal tube from the cabinet nearby, poured the pale golden liquid inside into his mouth, and began silently waiting for the medicine to take effect.

"No wonder it's the EPS series high-energy sustained-release liquid; it's truly powerful..."

Xiao Peidong showed a smile, "If this continues, I will soon reach the limit of the Qiqi version training method, just..."

He slowly let his smile fade, glanced at his right arm, where a peculiar tattoo resembling a sun gradually emerged, making his expression grow increasingly complex.

This was his greatest secret, the most painful memory of his past, and the very drive that had spurred him forward to this day.

Xiao Peidong slowly took a deep breath, causing the tattoo on his right arm to vanish.

"Cannot slacken; must climb to the top with all my might..."

"The gene modification the organization experimented on me in the past, though excruciating, brought me closer to the mysterious energy of the Second Level. As long as I can perceive the outside world, I will soon master the original version of the Morning Sun Cultivation Method..."

"I'm just short of the Super-Sense Primordial Liquid in that woman Zhou Yang's hands."

Xiao Peidong's eyes suddenly grew colder. "That flirtatious vixen. She already has the Super-Sense Primordial Liquid yet refuses to give it to me, wanting to bargain with me. Hmph, once I take my place..."

A sense of urgency always lingered in his heart, as if an invisible ferocious beast chased him relentlessly from behind.

Because...

He had witnessed the true darkness of this world.

Even if that was merely the tip of the iceberg, it left him like a wild dog thrashing desperately in a whirlpool, capable only of impotent barking, forever unable to break free.

So he could only be a house dog, swimming desperately; if he fell into the water, he wouldn't drown, but staying in the water would inevitably lead to drowning.

"I wonder when Lin Qing will master a second combat technique..."

Xiao Peidong always felt a worry in his heart, but could only try to comfort himself.

"The Qiqi Version Cultivation Method isn't easy to master either; he shouldn't have succeeded yet... Even if he has, as long as I master the original Morning Sun Cultivation Method soonest, he can't snatch the team leader position from me..."

Suddenly—

"Beep. Beep."

A sound suddenly came from the office over there.

Only the work computer in the team leader's office would make this noise when receiving important information.

"What is it?"

Xiao Peidong frowned slightly, then his hands manifested a metallic sheen. After crushing the metal tube in his hand completely into a small ball and tossing it into the trash can, he walked into the office.

He sat before the work computer and opened the important information just received.

In the next moment, he suddenly froze, his eyes filled with incredulity, brimming with shocking disbelief.

"How is this possible..."

【Level 1 Inspector Lin Qing's application for the Vice-Team Leader assessment results are as follows: Confirmed to have mastered two combat techniques, mastered the Qiqi Version Morning Sun Cultivation Method, and accumulated six Third-Class Merits. Current application approved.】

【The Inspection System has confirmed; Lin Qing's rank has changed to 'Level 3 Inspector'.】

【Please, Acting Team Leader Xiao Peidong, verify the data as soon as possible and adjust the relevant duties for the Vice-Team Leader position for the new Inspector Lin Qing.】

【Finally, let us congratulate Comrade Lin Qing on his promotion to Inspector!】

(End of Chapter)