城市猎人：系统升级之王

Chapter 31: Assassinating the Crown Prince

Bags of cement, each weighing a hundred kilograms, were lifted effortlessly in six consecutive lifts, and yet Li Nianlong still strode with agility. Sand piles were sifted continuously for two hours without pause. Bricks were loaded onto carts and then pushed around the construction site with wind-like speed. Cement mixed with sand was applied wherever needed, and when the lead workers fell behind, Li Nianlong would even pick up a trowel and lay bricks himself, his deft and rapid movements leaving even a veteran worker of twenty years ashamed and unable to match his pace.
Yuexi watched, utterly astounded. For over three hours, he worked at superhuman intensity without a single break, displaying seemingly boundless stamina and extraordinary strength that even the world's finest warriors could not rival. While it was not uncommon for someone to work tirelessly for hours or even days, what made Li Nianlong's feat remarkable was the continuous and strenuous nature of his labor.
Imagine a manual laborer at a construction site, working non-stop without a second's respite, executing high-intensity, physically demanding tasks at breakneck speed with impeccable quality. Such a sight was nothing short of astonishing.
Yuexi had never seen anyone like him, nor did she believe anyone else in the world had either. Could it be that Big Brother possesses not just dual abilities, but a third? Yet, there had never been a record of a triple ability user throughout history. Was Li Nianlong not a dud among duds, but a genius among geniuses?
"Are you impressed?" The foreman, appearing suddenly beside Yuexi, chuckled.
"Yes!" Yuexi turned to him, her astonishment unmasked. "I never expected Big Brother to be so capable."
The rotund foreman laughed heartily. "Young lady, your boyfriend is something else. He can do the work of a dozen men, earning two thousand a day easily. You won't lose out following him."
Yuexi giggled. "Of course! Otherwise, why would I chase after him? He has many more qualities you don't know about!"
Seeing Yuexi's contented smile, the foreman sighed inwardly. Little Liu was indeed fortunate; this girl was far better than those rambunctious nieces of his relatives.
Noon arrived with the foreman's call for lunch, and all workers halted, flocking towards the washbasin.
Yuexi approached Li Nianlong, noticing everyone heading in one direction. "Big Brother, where are they going?"
"To wash their hands and faces." Li Nianlong stopped, his morning's exertions having earned him an additional 3% proficiency in his skills, roughly 3.5 to 3.6% when precise. It was similar to the day before, and considering the upgrades and new life profession gained from Moon last night and Chen Zongrui this morning, Li Nianlong found the modest increase underwhelming.
Wiping sweat from his face, he said, "Let's go! After eating, I'll take you back."
"Back? Why?" Yuexi sounded hurt. "Do you dislike me now?"
"There's too much dust here. It's not suitable for you." With that, Li Nianlong headed for the washbasin.
Yuexi pouted. "Fine, I'll go back. You're so stingy."
Compared to the meals cooked by Nalan Ruyue, the canteen food was plain, but Yuexi savored every bite, much to Li Nianlong's surprise. "Is the boxed meal that delicious?"
"It's pretty good!" Yuexi giggled, licking rice grains from the corner of her mouth. "Eating isn't about taste, but the feeling and atmosphere. Look around, eating with Big Brother, this is the feeling. Eating with so many people, this is the atmosphere. With the right feeling and atmosphere, even steamed bread and wild vegetables taste amazing."
"Well said!" Several nearby workers cheered in agreement. One of them, looking fondly at Yuexi, said, "Little Liu, your girl is great. Girls like her are rare these days. Treat her well!"
"Yeah, yeah!" Another worker grinned, revealing yellowish teeth. "Beauty, if Brother Liu dumps you, consider me. I'll treat you like a queen."
"Did you hear that?" Yuexi beamed, shooting Li Nianlong a playful wink. "Darling, you better cherish me!"
Li Nianlong chewed his rice and potato shreds, muttering, "Get lost."
Yuexi huffed.
After lunch, Li Nianlong drove Yuexi home, bidding farewell to the workers who collectively saw them off.
"Come visit again, little girl!"
"Sis, tell me if Liu mistreats you. I might not beat him, but I can sneak a hit in!"
"Don't talk nonsense! Little Liu, treat Little Moon well. Girls like her are hard to find."
Their words grated on Li Nianlong, but Yuexi basked in the attention, waving goodbye. "Thank you all, I'll definitely come back!"
"Promise you will!"
"I'll bring you our family's traditional glutinous rice cake next time, it'll make your mouth water!"
Amidst the hubbub, Li Nianlong drove away from the site. Once they were a distance away, he asked indifferently, "Having fun?"
"Of course!" Yuexi basked in the glory of being the center of attention, an experience she'd never had before.
"Forget it today." Li Nianlong didn't argue further, instead asking, "Have you completed your mission?"
"What mission?" Yuexi was momentarily puzzled by the sudden change in topic.
"The thing you and Moon did a couple of days ago."
"Oh." Yuexi tilted her head in thought. "It's probably not done yet."
Not finished?
Li Nianlong frowned. "How much longer?"
"I'm not sure." Yuexi shook her head. "Moon planned everything. I just carry out the actions. We've done most of it, but there's still a little left."
Li Nianlong nodded, pondering. "Are you leaving after it's done?"
"Yes." Yuexi's mood wavered, stealing a glance at Li Nianlong before fixing her gaze ahead. Softly, she asked, "Big Brother, if I and Moon leave, will you miss us?"
"Yes."
"Really!?" Yuexi turned to him, eyes brimming with delight.
"Yeah." Li Nianlong looked ahead, his tone mild. "I'll miss you because I want more abilities from you. When you leave, of course I'll miss you."
"You're dead meat!" Yuexi regretted her moment of weakness, angry at herself for falling for such a cold-hearted remark. "You're too cruel, it's infuriating!"
"Just kidding." Seeing Yuexi's indignation, Li Nianlong smiled faintly. "I'll miss you because you're my friends, and these days... I've always treated you as family. How can I not miss you when you're gone?"
"Really?" Having been fooled once, Yuexi was hesitant to believe him.
"Sure!" He withdrew his large hand. "You, this mischievous little sister, who knows what trouble you'll get into after leaving. Tianfu and Longcheng are so far apart, I won't be able to come to your aid."
"How can I get into trouble!" Yuexi chuckled, grabbing Li Nianlong's hand that he had withdrawn and placing it back on her head. "When I bully people, I do it so thoroughly they can't retaliate. No chance for trouble."
"..." Li Nianlong glanced at her speechlessly, continuing to stroke her head gently as Yuexi's eyes narrowed in contentment.
"By the way." Enjoying Li Nianlong's touch, Yuexi suddenly recalled something. "Big Brother, you said you had something to do before you wouldn't consider romance. You dodged the question this morning, but you can't escape this time."
"You still remember?" Li Nianlong was surprised she hadn't forgotten.
"Of course." Yuexi huffed. "Big Brother, you can't dodge it this time. Tell me!"
Li Nianlong shook his head. "Even if you could help, I wouldn't say. It's not something you should get involved in."
"Who says I can't!" Yuexi was indignant. "I may not dare to claim anything big, but in this world, there's nothing this girl can't do. Just say it, Big Brother. If you can think it, I can do it."

Li Nianlong gazed at Yuexi, and Yuexi stared back, neither of them yielding in the silent standoff.After a long moment, Li Nianlong averted his eyes and said coolly, "I want you to kill the crown prince. Can you do it?"