Jin Fang’s words plunged He Li into thought.
Was he really not suited to use a gun?
*Bang, bang, bang…*
Unconvinced, He Li switched to a new magazine and emptied it into the target. As expected, one shot hit the mark.
He Li frowned, looking at the handgun in his hand, then shifted his gaze to the assault rifle beside him. This type of firearm not only possessed strong firepower but, more importantly, could fire grenades.
Sigh. As expected, I’m better suited for overwhelming firepower.
…
“In…”
“Out…”
“In…”
“Out…”
He Li sat on the sofa, taking deep breaths and exhaling slowly, feeling the spiritual energy within his body dance joyfully with his respiration. He knew he was close to a breakthrough.
Cultivating spiritual energy through breathing was not difficult for He Li. As he’d said, who couldn’t breathe?
The difficult part was unlocking the “gene lock,” repeatedly tempering his mental strength until it reached the threshold, and then, naturally, unlocking the gene lock within his body.
This was an elusive concept, unlike spiritual cultivation, which had a clear path and methods. No one knew how to temper mental strength.
According to Bai Fei, unlocking the gene lock depended on talent, not effort.
Simply put, it involved repeatedly stimulating and overwhelming one’s mental strength, secreting large amounts of dopamine, continuously raising the dopamine threshold, and driving oneself mad.
Dopamine brought pleasure and stimulation. Ordinary people would indulge in pleasure and then… become mentally ill.
But esper users would enhance their abilities, reconnecting the potential and gene fragments within their bodies, thereby unlocking the next stage of the gene lock.
The height he could reach in the future was determined by his talent from the moment of his birth.
Though cruel, that was the reality.
In the evening,
He Li went to the Dadong vegetable market to buy groceries as usual. He bought half a free-range chicken, planning to make soup at home. As he was picking mushrooms,
“He Li?”
A clear, surprised voice called out from behind him.
He Li turned around. He recognized the girl. Her name was Zhang Qining, a high school classmate who had also been admitted to Binjiang University, though in a different major.
“Zhang Qining? What are you doing here?”
Zhang Qining came from a wealthy family. He Li still remembered that after evening self-study sessions in their final year of high school, Zhang Qining’s father would pick her up in a luxury car. Therefore, he found it strange to see Zhang Qining at the Dadong vegetable market.
Zhang Qining wore a pure white short-sleeved top and straight-leg wide-leg pants, with sandals on her feet. This style of dress was very common on university campuses, a fashion sense somewhere between childish and mature, aiming for maturity without being overly so, with a touch of pure cuteness.
“Why shouldn’t I be here? The entire Dadong vegetable market belongs to my family. Their stalls have to pay me rent. Tell me, should I be here or not?”
Zhang Qining was clearly displeased with He Li’s attitude. He had always been like this during school, always appearing calm and detached, his face conveying a sense of aloofness, yet he actively participated in class activities. His grades weren’t the absolute best, but he consistently hovered at the lower end of the excellent students. While the top nine positions in the grade would change hands, the tenth position was always his.
In the end, he became the student teachers worried about the least because his grades were always stable.
He Li was also somewhat surprised. He knew Zhang Qining’s family was well-off, but he hadn’t expected them to be this wealthy. The entire Dadong vegetable market belonged to her family; she was undoubtedly a genuine rich beauty.
He just wondered who was wealthier, her or Tao Xue.
He Li felt a bit awkward and said with a smile, “Oh, I see. Then you certainly should be here. You go ahead, I’m leaving.”
He Li didn’t want to chat with Zhang Qining for long, as they were not from the same world.
But Zhang Qining didn’t intend to let him go. She took a step back, blocking his path, raised an eyebrow, and asked, “You’ve been on leave for over a year. Are you not planning to go back to school?”
“I’ll see when I’m better,” He Li replied calmly.
“And when will you get better?” Zhang Qining pressed.
He Li pondered for a moment and replied, “It depends on what the doctor says.”
“And what does the doctor say?”
“The doctor says my condition is very stable.”
“So, you’re better?”
“No, I’m beyond saving.”
Zhang Qining: “…”
Zhang Qining was stunned by He Li’s retort. She then frowned, her expression displeased, and said irritably, “Hey, I’m concerned about you. Why are you acting like this?”
He Li shook his head and said, “No, I’m just stating facts. That’s why I’m not going back to school. Besides, I’m already working.”
Working?
Zhang Qining’s expression became somewhat subtle. He hadn’t even finished university, and he was still mentally ill. What kind of good job could he find?
Factory work? Construction sites? Or perhaps a cleaner?
“Are you really giving up?” After all, they were old classmates, and he was an orphan with a difficult life. Now he had lost his only chance to change his fate. Zhang Qining felt a pang of sympathy.
“Uh…”
He Li didn’t know how to answer. The reward for killing a level five demon was at least 150,000, and more in special circumstances. For example, the level four Life-Binding Flower, plus killing the Flower Demon and Luokun, brought in over 900,000. A few days ago, for the operation in Yanzi Hutong, Sister Jiang reported 330,000 for him, which should be quite good.
Seeing He Li’s lack of response and his somewhat unfocused gaze, as if he found it difficult to speak, httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
Zhang Qining sighed inwardly, then gently comforted him, “It’s not your fault to have gotten such an illness. How about this, I’ll go talk to my dad and have him arrange a job for you. I don’t mean anything else, and I’m not looking down on you. Helping an old classmate is the right thing to do.”
“No, no, I’m doing quite well now, really. I don’t need it. I’m working at the Spiritual Management Association.”
He Li quickly refused. Introduce me to a job? What job pays over a million a month? Moreover, he had directly stated he worked at the Spiritual Management Association. He didn’t want to create a misunderstanding with Zhang Qining about “playing the pig to eat the tiger,” which was not only cliché but also a waste of time.
“The Spiritual Management Association?” Zhang Qining blinked in surprise. She certainly knew about the Spiritual Management Association, but she never considered He Li for the action teams. Instead, she thought of him as part of the logistics department, the ones who cleaned up after the action teams finished dealing with demons.
“Yes, the Spiritual Management Association. The salary is quite high, and there’s not much to do usually. It’s pretty good,” He Li said, sighing with relief and grinning.
The more Zhang Qining looked at He Li, the more she thought he was a simpleton. Everyone else was a spirit warrior or esper user; he was just an ordinary person. Wasn’t he risking his life for money?
“Is that a place for someone like you? It’s too dangerous. Hurry up and resign, and I’ll introduce you to a job.”
After speaking, Zhang Qining turned and walked to the side of the road, got into a white sports car, and sped away in a roar, disappearing from sight.
He Li smacked his lips, thinking to himself: Was what I said not clear enough?
Also, why was she suddenly so concerned about me?
If she had been this concerned all along, then after I spent half a year in the mental hospital, was discharged, and worked in a bookstore for a year, I came to the Dadong vegetable market almost every day to buy groceries, and I never saw Zhang Qining.
Coincidence?
Just happened to be concerned? Or perhaps, she pitied me?
Damn it, more and more strange things are happening.
…