城市猎人：系统升级之王

Chapter 30: The Enigma of a Woman's Heart

Chen Zongrui was a formidable adversary, a boss-level monster, whose absolute strength surpassed even that of Li Nianlong. However, Chen was bewildered by Li's relentless barrage of punches, mistakenly believing that Li's inner energy was inexhaustible, which led him to take a reckless gamble.
In reality, by the time Chen counterattacked, Li Nianlong had only enough qi left for one last flurry. Had Chen been just a tad more patient, the outcome could have been vastly different.
But there are no what-ifs in life, and so Chen Zongrui met his end, while Li Nianlong rose two levels in rank.
"Although you were a notorious criminal, deserving death, I'll show some mercy for the ample experience you've granted me. I'll grant you a resting place," Li Nianlong sighed with a tinge of regret. He summoned his machete anew, dug a hole over a meter deep at the scene, buried the body along with the blood-stained earth, and retrieved Chen Zongrui's discarded clothes, which contained a few hundred yuan in cash and a set of keys. There was nothing else, likely intended for hailing a taxi post-crime.
He pocketed the keys, ignited the cash with a lighter, and cast it, along with the clothes, into the pit. Once they burned out, Li filled the hole with soil, replaced the corn stalks, trod the earth flat, and, upon seeing no obvious traces left, nodded in satisfaction and swiftly departed.
Reaching a small river, he tossed the keys into the water, eradicating the final trace of Chen Zongrui. Even if his disappearance were noticed the next day, no suspicion would fall on the remote village where the girls were staying. It was too isolated for the police to consider it a target of investigation.
With Chen's body buried beneath a meter of earth in the cornfield, even after harvests when the stalks are removed and the land replanted, nobody would ever dig deep enough to uncover it unless the village was someday designated for government demolition. Even if the corpse were eventually discovered, years hence, an anonymous remains would elicit little interest. This operation marked a meticulously executed cleanup by Li Nianlong.
As the sky gradually brightened and the roosters crowed, villagers rose from their beds, chimneys puffing smoke signals of a new day's start. In the villa, Nalan Ruyue, who had barely slept all night, still got up early to prepare breakfast, her mind troubled by the events of the previous day. She wondered if Li Nianlong would be better after a night's rest.
Just past 6:30 a.m., Li Nianlong descended the stairs and saw Nalan Ruyue bustling in the kitchen. A warm feeling washed over him; this was what a home felt like. Hearing the slapping of her flip-flops, Nalan Ruyue turned, their eyes met, and Li Nianlong greeted her with a gentle smile, "Morning."
Recognizing his familiar smile, Nalan Ruyue's eyes sparkled with warmth, and she beamed back, signing, "Brother, good morning."
Noticing her pale complexion and slightly reddened eyes, Li Nianlong inquired, "What's wrong with you?"
Nalan Ruyue quickly turned away, shaking her head vigorously.
After a momentary silence, Li Nianlong approached from behind, placing his hands on her shoulders, his voice tinged with guilt and tenderness, "Did I make you worry?"
Nalan Ruyue shook her head vigorously again, turned to face him, looked into his eyes, and signed, "I just have something on my mind, unrelated to you, really."
Li Nianlong, sensing her denial, felt a pang of guilt but didn't press the issue. He forced a smile, thinking to himself, "Sorry, Ruyue, and thank you."
Minutes later, as they sat facing each other at the dining table, about to eat, Yuexi's room door opened. Rubbing her eyes and yawning, she stepped out and, noticing the duo, queried, "Eating already?"
Both Li Nianlong and Nalan Ruyue looked at her in surprise.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Yuexi shuffled over, flip-flops slapping, "It's steamed buns and dumplings today! Sister Ruyue, can we have some variety next time? I'm getting tired of fillings."
Nalan Ruyue's eyes flashed with apology as she nodded gently.
Li Nianlong snorted, "Is the sun rising from the west today? The one who doesn't wake up till the sun shines on her butt is up early."
"Pfft! Don't underestimate me," Yuexi retorted, "I just slept in because of summer break. Normally, I'm up early."
Li Nianlong understood the underlying message; the sisters had been preparing for their mission, expending considerable energy, which explained their lethargy. Yesterday, after completing their task, Yuexi was back to her normal routine, while Yuechang rested for three days due to special circumstances.
Now, with an IQ of 70, Li Nianlong pondered whether the sisters had genuinely lost their wallet or staged the incident to avoid hotel surveillance, ensuring the safety of their mission, and conveniently moving into the villa.
If all this was premeditated, the sisters' cunning was indeed terrifying.
As Yuexi persisted in her request to accompany Li Nianlong to the construction site, he reluctantly agreed, warning her about the mess and dirt. Yuexi playfully teased him about his morning grumpiness and then wondered aloud about her outfit for the day.
Nalan Ruyue, upon learning Yuexi was going with Li Nianlong, didn't ask to join, instead, she silently adjusted Li Nalanlong's collar and sent them off with a smile.
In the car, Yuexi observed Nalan Ruyue waving from the doorstep with a motherly affection, which stirred complex emotions within her. Turning to Li Nianlong, she commented on how well-suited Nalan Ruyue was for him, despite her inability to speak, given his understanding of sign language. Li Nianlong chuckled, dismissing her matchmaking attempts.
He revealed his focus on an unresolved matter before considering personal relationships, acknowledging Nalan Ruyue's virtues but insisting he only saw her as a sister. Yuexi's surprised reaction indicated her amusement at his perception of Nalan Ruyue's qualities.
When Yuexi asked about his plans, Li Nianlong remained tight-lipped, promising to involve her if necessary. Their conversation veered to her powers when Li Nianlong mentioned the incomplete conversation from the previous night. Yuexi proudly declared her element was fire, while her sister Yuechang controlled water, both being unmatched since they were ten.
Li Nianlong then cheekily asked for some of Yuexi's powers, leading to her shocked response at his audacity. The term 'useless among the useless,' which she accidentally blurted out, referred to Li Nianlong's dual elemental abilities that awakened later in life. He took it in stride, asking for clarification on her derogatory comment.
Yuexi swiftly changed the topic, offering to give Li Nianlong five days' worth of her power once they returned home, surpassing Yuechang's offer. Li Nianlong's interest piqued when he inquired about their recent kill, but Yuexi refused to divulge any information.
Arriving at the construction site, Li Nianlong's casual mention of his mysterious mission triggered Yuexi's curiosity. Despite her persistent inquiries, Li Nianlong maintained secrecy, leading to a brief argument where she accused him of keeping secrets. Sensing her frustration, Li Nianlong sighed internally, realizing he wouldn't get anything more out of her and shifted the conversation to lighter topics as they arrived at the worksite.
Li Nianlong pushed the car door open and stepped out, Yuexi following suit. Standing before the construction site, she observed the skeletal framework of a high-rise amidst scattered sand, lime, and various tools, commenting with interest, "So this is where Big Brother works!"
"Stay put and don't talk nonsense," Li Nianlong warned before reporting to the foreman. Yuexi stuck out her tongue playfully, about to follow, when she remembered something and angrily exclaimed, "Big Brother, you haven't told me what you're up to yet! Ugh, you sidestepped me!"
Yuexi, though powerful in her abilities, wasn't as sharp-minded. Li Nianlong, hearing her frustrated remark, thought to himself,Ignorance is truly terrifying.
...
Today was quite a spectacle, as Li Nianlong unexpectedly brought his young girlfriend to the construction site, causing the entire site to buzz with excitement.
Over the course of a few days, everyone had formed a vivid impression of Li Nianlong – he was like an ox reincarnate, capable of doing the work of a dozen men. Remarkably, despite his grueling daily routines, he never seemed exhausted the next day, instead growing even more energetic. The builders, having never seen anyone like him before, couldn't help but marvel at his beastly stamina.
And now, this very workhorse brought his girlfriend, a sixteen-year-old beauty, to the worksite. Her petite figure was flawless, drawing envy, jealousy, and admiration from all around. The workers couldn't help but feel a mix of these emotions, except for the foreman who sighed, "So, Xiao Liu has a girlfriend! What a shame, I was thinking of introducing my cousin's daughter to him."
"Yuck, Uncle, don't try to steal my man! I worked hard to win Big Brother's heart," Yuexi blushed slightly, shooting a flirtatious glance at Li Nianlong. "Darling, right?"
Li Nianlong paid no heed to her or the gossip of others. Once at the site, his focus shifted entirely to advancing his secondary profession.
Yesterday, his Architect skill had progressed to Advanced 10%, with Grandmaster and Perfection levels yet to attain. To reach the Perfection stage, he couldn't afford to slack off, especially after accidentally acquiring the Acupuncturist profession early that morning.
This new profession held significant potential for him, even at the初级0% level.
Acupuncturist (Beginner 0%): By stimulating acupoints, achieves relaxation, relieves ailments, akin to a top-tier masseur.
Relaxation, ailment relief, top-tier masseur.
This was undoubtedly a lucrative profession. People often sought massage therapy to alleviate work-induced fatigue or other physical discomforts rather than visiting a doctor.
In Tianfu, numerous massage parlors existed, mostly offering services by the opposite sex, with only a few focusing on professional skills. Ignoring those of the former type, even a regular masseur charged 50 yuan for a half-hour session, with prices soaring for renowned ones.
Li Nianlong lacked the time and energy to start his own massage parlor, and a new business required substantial dedication. Thus, finding a busy establishment needing an extra masseur became his priority.
Massage parlors typically operated during the day and closed at night, whereas bathhouses offered more specialized services after hours.
Li Nianlong would never consider working at a bathhouse, despite his fitting appearance for a 'masseur'. It wasn't that he refused outright; his daytime construction job and nighttime monster hunting left no room in his schedule for such a venture.
His current plan was to expedite the advancement of his Architect profession to the Perfection level, then promptly seek employment at a massage parlor.