Chapter 45: Clues to a New Profession

Smuggling has always been extremely profitable; Li Ang wasn't surprised that such a trade existed on the colony world, given that drug lords in his previous life had started smuggling eggs.

The Federation selected only valuable colony worlds, and the specialty of Colony World 9527 was a mineral called 'F-9527 Fire Crystal'—the very item smugglers trafficked.

"Alright, you've seen enough—let's go."

Seeing that her team members had absorbed the mission details, Danika spoke up.

After selecting an unremarkable minibus, the group set off toward their destination.

Sitting in the vehicle, Li Ang toyed with the newly acquired firearm and asked casually, "Why does the bureau still issue such outdated gear?"

This had puzzled him since clearing the Technical Talent Relocation Zone 2—after all, in the sci-fi films he'd watched before his transmigration, kinetic weapons powered by gunpowder were rarely used.

Hearing his question, Danika, seated in the passenger seat, replied listlessly, "Because we're broke, and the Federation won't allow non-citizens to use weapons that are too powerful."

"."

A painfully realistic answer—he hadn't expected it to be this simple.

At that moment, Cole, seated beside him, whispered softly, "It's sufficient already; last time it didn't work was because the new insect strain underwent specialization."

Indeed, that massive beetle-like creature had clearly been defense-specialized.

Recalling the dense scales on its carapace, Li Ang fell silent.

Not long after, the vehicle pulled to a stop near a collapsed building.

"This is it. Intelligence suggests this is one of the smugglers' hideouts; if not for the recent insect swarm causing chaos in the city, the bureau wouldn't have noticed the anomaly here."

As she spoke, Danika turned to look at Li Ang.

"I'll take a few people inside—you and Cole stay outside and make sure no one escapes."

Li Ang nodded in agreement, though he'd rather have gone inside to grind skill experience than stand guard.

Watching Danika and her team slip silently into the building, Li Ang pulled out a book he'd casually taken from the Public Security Bureau and began flipping through it.

He wanted to try unlocking a profession like 【Scholar】—after all, such a profession sounded like it would boost insight.

Even with the World-Shaking Wisdom from his profession panel, who could refuse double World-Shaking Wisdom?

Unfortunately, his profession panel showed no reaction.

Beside him, Cole opened his mouth as if to speak, then seemed to recall something and closed it again.

'Could this be why Mr. Li has grown stronger?'

'I get it!'

As the two—one reading, one lost in thought—suddenly, dense gunfire erupted from within the building.

At the sound, Li Ang immediately snapped shut the book in his hand.

As expected, a blood-soaked figure staggered out of the building moments later, clutching a firearm in his right hand.

Seeing Li Ang and Cole waiting outside, the man froze, then twisted his face into a vicious snarl, raising his right hand to shoot.

But the next instant, his expression shifted from fury to terror.

For in his vision, a pale-white figure had already appeared before him, gripping his gun-wielding wrist.

Li Ang still couldn't dodge bullets—but he could predict when an opponent would fire.

As searing pain surged through him, the bandit instinctively released his weapon.

"Ah—mmph."

The scream choked into a whimper; Li Ang stared at the bandit, whose throat he now gripped, writhing in desperation, and immediately decided to end him.

At that moment, Danika emerged from the building with three team members.

"Don't kill him—he's the last one left; I need to question him."

Hearing this, Li Ang dropped the bandit to the ground and drew his pistol, aiming to shatter his kneecap.

Bang—

As wisps of smoke rose, the bandit clutched his right leg and howled in agony.

"."

Missed.

Li Ang holstered his pistol without changing expression, as if he hadn't missed at all.

He decided: from now on, avoid using guns whenever possible.

Danika didn't notice Li Ang's action; she knelt before the bandit and held a crimson, crystal-like object before his face.

"Tell us—where did you get this?"

"Aaaah!"

In response to Danika's question, the bandit acted as if he hadn't heard, continuing to scream while clutching his leg.

"Ghk—"

The screams cut off abruptly; Danika withdrew her right hand, stood, and told a nearby officer, "Take him back for interrogation."

She pointed at the unconscious bandit on the ground.

After watching her agents load the bandit into the vehicle, Danika let out a long sigh, her face etched with utter exhaustion.

Seeing her odd demeanor, Li Ang asked, "Something wrong?"

Danika sighed again, then tossed the crimson crystal in her hand. "This is the specialty of Colony World 9527—but this piece has been refined."

"Refined?"

Li Ang involuntarily murmured a term he'd never heard before.

"Yes—there's a 【Craftsman】 among these smugglers."

As she spoke, Danika sighed again, her already weary face darkening further.

But Li Ang had already caught the key detail in her words.

【Craftsman】!

Just hearing that, it was clearly a new profession.

But before Li Ang could probe around the edges to ask, he heard Danika mutter with some confusion, "Even the 【Artisan】 class does smuggling? The Federation clearly gives the highest treatment among same-level professions to this category of professional."

She vaguely felt something was off, but after thinking it through she couldn't pin down the reason, so she could only suppress her doubts for now.

Li Ang, meanwhile, silently noted down the name 【Artisan】, planning to look up information on it after returning.

Getting into the car, Danika closed her eyes and leaned back against the passenger seat, saying tiredly, "Back to the bureau. I need to report what happened here to the chief."

"For a while after this, I'm afraid we won't be free."

Hearing her say that, the agents in the car other than Li Ang instantly had wonderfully expressive looks on their faces. Even the team captain, this sort of workaholic demon, said they wouldn't be free — they were already a bit afraid to imagine what kind of workload that would be.

Soon, the group returned to the Security Bureau.

Li Ang stood behind the one-way glass, watching Koel extremely roughly wake up that bandit inside the interrogation room, and for a moment felt a bit dazed.

After all, not long ago he had also been sitting inside an interrogation room. Who could have thought that now he would have transformed into a Security Bureau agent.

And all of this was the change brought about by becoming a professional.

Just as he was somewhat lost in thought, Koel had already begun his interrogation.

"If you talk on your own, you can suffer a little less."