城市猎人：系统升级之王

Chapter 17: First Life Profession - Architect

Construction workers, while performing laborious manual tasks, were compensated fairly in Tianfu, a city renowned for never delaying payments to its workers. Wages were even settled daily, making it the dream destination for migrant workers across the nation, surpassing even prosperous cities like Longcheng and Tianhai.
Tianfu was the paradise for all laborers.
Now, with seven times the strength of an average person and seemingly limitless stamina since the activation of the Dream System, which had shown no signs of depletion even after his nocturnal activities, Li Nianlong knew he'd be wasting his abilities if he didn't take on the role of a construction worker.
He decided: his first life profession would be that of a builder!
But what kind of life profession could a construction worker unlock? Manual laborer?
The thought left Li Nianlong sweating bullets.
Finding work at a construction site was easy; a quick chat with the foreman sufficed. Provided one was willing to work hard and honestly, the foreman would welcome them with open arms.
"Three-day trial period, 100 a day, lunch included. After that, 150 a day with lunch. Deal or no deal?" The burly, tanned foreman seemed pleased with Li Nianlong's build.
"What if I do more work than others?" While this pay might be acceptable for an ordinary worker, Li Nianlong couldn't accept it. Moreover, 150 a day amounted to only 4500 a month, far from sufficient for his needs.
"Oh?" The foreman studied Li Nianlong, took a drag of his cigarette, exhaled a cloud of smoke, and tapped his thick fingers on the desk. "If you do twice the work, you get double the pay. Twice as much work, twice the pay, and so forth."
That's if you can handle it.
"Deal!" Li Nianlong rolled up his sleeves. "Start now?"
"Huh? No rush, fill out this form first." Surprised by Li Nianlong's eagerness, the foreman flicked ash and handed him a form. "Fill in your details. Today, I'll oversee your work progress. We start at 8 am, finish at noon, have lunch and rest till 2:30 pm, then work until 6:30 pm. Eight hours a day."
Checking his watch, he continued, "It's not even nine. Today counts as a full day, but how much you earn tonight depends on your performance."
Li Nianlong nodded and quickly filled out the form, including his address in the posh villa district where the elites resided. The foreman's eyes widened. "Kid, you're not pulling my leg, are you?"
"I'm here to experience life." Li Nianlong anticipated this reaction, effectively silencing the foreman.
Surveying Li Nianlong's attire, the foreman, who had a keen eye, noticed that despite the simplicity, everything Li Nianlong wore was branded. He estimated that Li Nianlong's outfit easily cost thousands.
Another rich kid seeking a taste of the working-class life.
The foreman had encountered many such cases before. Wealthy families often sent their idle sons to construction sites to work hard, hoping they'd learn the value of life and avoid becoming wastrels.
The foreman's attitude towards Li Nianlong softened. After all, he was dealing with a 'rich kid'. If anything happened to him, a mere taste of life could turn into a lawsuit. He couldn't afford to offend someone of this stature. Initially, he was quite accommodating, keeping Li Nianlong close and explaining the workings of the site, highlighting the dangers. His intention was twofold: to ingratiate himself with Li Nianlong and to hopefully discourage him from continuing this 'life experience'.
However, Li Nianlong quickly grew impatient. You're wasting my time, mate!
Cutting the foreman's chatter short, Li Nianlong donned a safety helmet and grabbed a shovel, heading straight for the sand pile. Sand at the site needed to be sifted before mixing with lime to avoid causing problems for the skilled workers.
As Li Nianlong grabbed the shovel, Dragonfly's voice echoed in his mind: "Triggered life profession - Architect. Life profession activated. Host is now a Junior Architect. Strength +5. As it's the host's first life profession, a bonus of 1000 experience and 1000 yuan is awarded. Profession level increased by 1. Host is now a Mid-Level Architect. Strength +5. Experience is full. Level up!"
Excitement lit up Li Nianlong's eyes. He hadn't expected such benefits from unlocking a life profession – 1000 experience points, a level-up, a profession level boost, and 1000 yuan, not to mention an effortless gain of 10 strength points. What a game-changer!
Without hesitation, he allocated the 10 upgrade points and examined his new status with satisfaction.
Li Nianlong: Level 5 (435/3000)
Strength: 45
Speed: 35
True Qi: 60
Intelligence: 35
Unused Points: 0
Gift: Fortuitous Escape: Innately possesses the ability to sense and avoid misfortune.
Skill: Wild Punch (Novice 13%): Unpredictable strikes that leave enemies bewildered. Enhances strength by 10% and speed by 10% for 30 seconds. No cooldown. Costs 5 true qi per use.
Money: 4855
Equipment: Brick (Durability 1/1): Garbage, unassuming, weak, but painful when used. 1% chance to stun for 3 seconds when hitting the head.
Fine Watermelon Knife (Quantity 3): Damage +10. Sharp, causes bleeding for 15 seconds, with damage varying based on wound size.
Steel Fist Gloves (Durability 17/20): Made of steel, very durable. Damage +15. 10% chance to cause a 2-second stun.
Golden Snake Whip (Durability 320/500): Damage +30. Reach 5m. Steel-made, unbreakable. Coated with chili water, inflicts 500% pain. Ideal for torture.
Machete (Durability 334/510): Damage +100, Armor Penetration +10. Heavy, sharp, causes severe lacerations resulting in continuous bleeding until death.
Life Profession: Architect (Mid-Level 0%): Building houses and sheds is a breeze, but limited to ordinary single-story buildings.
...
With the life profession unlocked, Li Nianlong's mind was filled with knowledge about building structures. Although it was only at the level of ordinary houses, it was valuable, and this was just what a mid-level architect could handle. Higher levels like Senior, Master, and Perfection awaited, promising the capability to construct skyscrapers at the peak. It was incredibly empowering.
Thrilled by this immense gain, Li Nianlong's blood boiled with excitement. Standing before the sand pile, he lifted a shovel filled with 20 pounds of sand and slammed it against the sieve. Fine sand trickled through while larger particles remained.
His deft technique caught the attention of a nearby worker: Such a skilled move.
"Hey, listen..." Seeing Li Nianlong's temper, the foreman chuckled inwardly, convinced of his wealthy background. An ordinary worker wouldn't dare speak so boldly without facing consequences.
But as time passed, the foreman's eyes widened further.
Shoveling sand, Li Nianlong moved at four times the speed of an average worker, tirelessly sieving ten cubic meters of sand. A cubic meter weighed approximately 1.35 to 1.45 tons. It would normally take an ordinary worker over three hours, without breaks and rotating shifts, to sieve this amount, but Li Nianlong finished in less than an hour.
The foreman gaped, but that wasn't the end. After sieving the sand, Li Nianlong immediately moved on to bricklaying and mixing mortar, working non-stop for three hours, completing the workload of an ordinary worker for two days. He not only stunned the foreman but also terrified the other builders.