Free Web NovelChapter 209: Chapter 136: A Gift of Superpower Knowledge (2)
"Supervisor Wei..."
"This is an instruction from Miss Su."
Seeing that he wanted to politely refuse, Wei Cangming said gravely, "Besides, in a little while, Miss Su will be leaving this place and returning to Red Maple Shelter City."
"So, please, Captain Lu, you must not turn this down."
When he finished speaking, Lu Chao read between the lines.
’Once people part ways, the favors between them also gradually fade.’
’As for the future...’
He didn’t refuse again, finally nodding and accepting it.
After watching Wei Cangming leave, Chen Xiao and the other two curiously eyed the small briefcase in his hand.
’Miss Su’s status is far from ordinary. A congratulatory gift from her would definitely be something special.’
Lu Chao thought the same. He returned to the car and sat down.
He opened the case. There was only one item inside.
A small reading device, similar to a chip, that could be inserted into his wristband.
After a moment of contemplation, Lu Chao took it out, inserted it into his wristband, and began reading the data.
Soon, as streams of information flashed across his wristband’s light screen, his eyes narrowed. He understood just how valuable this gift was.
It contained a full four volumes of elementary and intermediate-level Superpower Potion knowledge.
"Conduction and Absorption of Medicinal Properties," "Theory of Biological Flesh and Cellular Research," "Methods of Mineral Element Refinement," and "Elementary to Intermediate Methods of Herbal Property Extraction."
The first two corresponded to the "Activity" branch, while the latter two corresponded to "Materials" and "Synthesis." All were essential pieces of Superpower Knowledge required to become an intermediate-level Alchemist.
"This..."
With a complex look in his eyes, Lu Chao knew that the door to becoming an intermediate-level Alchemist had just been thrown wide open for him.
As of now, including the three elementary-level Superpower Potion knowledge sets he had previously studied, he had collected all the theoretical knowledge needed to formulate intermediate-level potions.
If he were to redeem these on the Patrol Department’s internal network, it would cost at least ten thousand contribution points to acquire them all.
’I owe another favor.’
Sighing softly, Lu Chao subconsciously glanced toward Ring Academy.
For a congratulatory gift to be this valuable... ’As expected of Miss Su,’ he could only think.
With this, the favor he was owed for saving her was more or less completely used up.
...
"Miss Su, I’ve delivered the item to Captain Lu."
Inside Ring Academy, Wei Cangming walked all the way into the inner courtyard.
The antique-style, single-family courtyard house featured a rockery and a waterside pavilion. The flowers and plants around the lawn swayed gently in the wind, painting a vibrant scene.
Su Muqing, who was sitting in the pavilion reading an ancient book, nodded lightly at his words. Today, she wore a light, khaki-colored trench coat and a pair of brown ankle boots.
"Thank you for your trouble, Uncle Wei."
Her golden hair was tied into a ponytail with a hair tie. She looked up, revealing a gentle, oval-shaped face, and smiled. "With this, I can finally prepare to leave without any worries."
"You’re too kind, Miss Su."
Shaking his head, Wei Cangming mulled it over for a moment before trying to persuade her. "But, Miss Su, since you treat Captain Lu so generously, why not try to recruit him?"
"Given his talent, if he were to return to the shelter city with you, he could certainly help you resolve many problems."
He knew very well what "returning" truly meant.
Especially during this sensitive period, with the shelter city having passed Yao Capital’s trial verdict and about to undergo inspection by commissioners from the Alliance Country.
"Some things can’t be forced."
"Besides."
A smile graced her face, and a glint appeared in her clear, bright eyes.
Su Muqing explained, "Uncle Wei, Captain Lu doesn’t owe me anything."
She had always felt that their relationship was one of reasonable, mutual support.
This applied to both the original favor and this late-blooming talent of his.
Hearing this, Wei Cangming gave a helpless smile and nodded lightly.
’That’s just how Miss Su is.’
’She repays everyone, no matter who they are.’
’But...’
He watched as she lowered her head again, her gentle movements serene as she resumed reading the ancient book.
Sighing to himself, Wei Cangming turned to leave, a thought left unspoken in his heart.
’Miss Su.’
’Haven’t you noticed that your repayment to Captain Lu is a little... too generous?’
...
「A few days later.」
After once again handing off their duties to the next on-duty squad, Lu Chao left with Chen Xiao and the others.
Their black SUV pulled away from Ring Academy. On the wide asphalt road, most passersby hurried along, the cybernetic implants on their bodies constantly flashing with fluorescent patterns.
Paying no mind to the streetscape outside, Lu Chao silently scrolled through his wristband, reviewing the theoretical content of the four new sets of Superpower Potion knowledge.
By now, he had deeply experienced the difficulty of training at the Elite Level, as well as the immense consumption of nutritional resources it required.
The effects of intermediate-level Nutritional Potions had diminished significantly. He had recently used up his nutritional allowance as a Patrol Department squad captain, but it hadn’t led to any major increase in his Life Energy.
To maintain the same rate of improvement he’d had at the professional level, he would need a sufficient supply of Advanced Nutritional Resources.
And for that, all he could do now was wait for the results from the Patrol Department.
Whether it was a recommendation or an unconventional promotion, the resource benefits would be self-evident.
’It would be best if I can become an intermediate or senior-level Alchemist as soon as possible.’
’I can’t slow down the pace of my potion-making studies.’
With slight movements, Lu Chao’s thoughts were clear as he continuously swiped across his wristband’s screen.
"Theory of Biological Flesh and Cellular Research" mostly covered content related to biological structures and cellular energy.
It wasn’t just related to drug absorption and stimulation effects; it also included knowledge on diseases and pathogens, and even mentioned some information regarding Biological Transformation.
’No wonder they say an intermediate or senior-level Alchemist is also a medical expert.’
’And it’s even somewhat related to the biological research branch of cybernetic modification... I see.’
The more Superpower Knowledge he learned, the more Lu Chao felt the vastness of the Superpower Paths and their endless profundity.
The three paths seemed different, but in reality, they shared some common ground.
This even included the Mage path. In essence, they all served to elevate one’s own life level.
And within this, potions, biological research, and so on, were precisely the key areas that all these paths touched upon to varying degrees.
Gradually, Lu Chao became completely absorbed in studying Superpower Knowledge.
The rest of the drive was silent. The black SUV crossed the river bridge and left the inner city.
Xiong Cheng and the other two men in the car knew how busy and focused he was, so they kept their movements light and didn’t disturb him.
However, he tilted his head to look out the window.
The towering buildings under the glass canopy receded into the distance, and the holographic projections gradually vanished from sight.
Xiong Cheng and the others felt as though the river encircling the city was an invisible wall, perfectly separating prosperity from poverty.
And the river bridge their car had just crossed seemed exceptionally narrow at this moment.
"Every time we come back, it feels a little... jarring."
Xiong Cheng couldn’t help but mutter. During their security missions, this feeling of disconnect between the prosperous and the impoverished would always creep into his mind on their daily commute.
Fang Xu, sitting in the back seat, was lost in thought, his gaze fixed on the side of a street block outside.
A dozen or so unemployed, middle-aged men and women with haggard faces were holding up some sort of banner, seemingly in protest.
The commotion wasn’t large, but other patrol officers soon arrived and led them away.
Back when he was still in the outer courtyard of Ring Academy, if he had heard of such things, he would have only thought that those people had brought it on themselves.
But now, the longer he spent in the Patrol Department, the more he traveled between the inner and outer cities, and the more he witnessed all walks of life...
...he gradually began to feel that his past self had held too many prejudices against the Iron Ring District.
"Everyone is just trying to live."
Lu Chao suddenly spoke. At some point, he had stopped studying his Superpower Knowledge and turned his head to look outside.
The scene of the protest and the prosperous inner ring of the city were rapidly receding from view. Having come from an orphanage and the factory district, he deeply understood the plight of those people.
They were all just trying to survive.
Hearing this, Chen Xiao and the other two wore complex expressions. An inexplicable silence fell over the car.
Finally, just as the vehicle was about to arrive at the Patrol Department...
BUZZ BUZZ!
The wristbands of all four men vibrated almost simultaneously.
Except for Chen Xiao, who was driving, the others all instinctively looked down at their wristbands.
In an instant, their gazes sharpened. A message appeared before their eyes.
[Wilderness Daily: Punitive Expedition Defeated, Suffers Heavy Losses at the Hands of Lu Shan!]
