Lin Qing felt a numbness in his hand, as if he had touched a live wire. His entire arm began to twitch uncontrollably, causing half of his body to shake along with it.
Chen Yanan gripped his hand tightly to keep him from pulling away. "Try it now," she urged.
Lin Qing forced his eyes shut and began to visualize that brilliant, dazzling bolt of lightning once more.
The spirit cannot influence the external world directly, but it can influence the internal self. Much like how a surge of extreme rage or an overpowering survival instinct can trigger an extraordinary outburst of strength, it works by influencing hormonal secretion. In theory, the mental state induced by visualization can also influence the Mysterious Energy within the body.
Over the past few days, Lin Qing’s experiments had shown that the Mysterious Energy in his body was already trending toward simulating bioelectricity; it had just been missing that final, crucial spark. As long as the visualization remained vivid before it began to blur, he still had a chance at making a breakthrough.
Now, with Chen Yanan actively expending her own Mysterious Energy to transform it into bioelectricity and guide him, he was closer than ever to that state.
Suddenly—
Chen Yanan felt a current jump from Lin Qing’s skin. Her hand went numb, and she was instantly jolted away.
"You really did it?" Chen Yanan asked, both startled and delighted.
Lin Qing slowly opened his eyes and looked at his palm. It appeared no different than usual, but he could now clearly sense the Mysterious Energy inside his body, ready to simulate bioelectricity at any moment.
He had finally made his breakthrough.
"Thank you, Sister," Lin Qing said with a smile.
"Why are you thanking me?" Chen Yanan chuckled. "It looks like you were already on the verge of it. No wonder you succeeded after just a little help from me; it was mostly your own doing."
"I was so close, yet who knew if I would have succeeded before my memory of the technique started to fade?" Lin Qing shook his head.
"Regardless, the important thing is that you've started," Chen Yanan said with a smile. "Just take your time to adapt and get comfortable. I estimate that within six months to a year, you’ll master the Combat Technique: Agility."
Six months to a year? Lin Qing summoned the Anti-Entropist Panel in his mind. Sure enough, the Combat Technique: Agility had appeared in his pre-advanceable items list.
It had been successfully recorded.
Now, he only needed to wait ten days to complete the 46th Edition Practice Method, and he would be able to pre-advance this combat technique.
Six months to a year was just too long. It was said that after learning a combat technique, the faster one made their initial breakthrough, the higher their aptitude and compatibility. He had achieved it on the fifth day—and only after Chen Yanan had given him a push—which meant his compatibility and aptitude were only average.
However, that didn't matter. As long as he could learn it, that was enough.
"During the exam tomorrow, you can make a note in the supplementary section stating that you’ve made a breakthrough in a combat technique," Chen Yanan reminded him. "It’s a bonus point for you. This way, you can afford to score lower on the written portion, and if anyone with an eye for talent notices, you might even get some advantages."
"Advantages?" Lin Qing asked, puzzled.
"Just add it. You’ll see," Chen Yanan said.
Lin Qing nodded.
...
December 25, early morning.
Every Branch Inspector Bureau in Lin'an City began its monthly professional examination. Generally, one must pass these exams to be confirmed in a position or promoted to a Level 3 Inspector.
First came the three written exams: Political Literacy, Basic Theory, and Professional Competence. These were largely tests of rote memorization. Lin Qing had already flipped through all the relevant materials, and he found the questions easy, if a bit scattered. If he wanted to, he could easily score at least 280 out of 300 points, but he intentionally made mistakes, estimating he’d only get about 150.
The afternoon consisted of the five practical tests: Combat, Shooting, Physical Fitness, Equipment, and Professional Skills. The total score for the Inspector promotion exam, including the written portion, was 800; one needed 560 to pass.
Given Lin Qing’s level of combat and shooting proficiency, those two were naturally perfect scores. The physical fitness test was based on the 46th Edition Chaoyang Practice Method, which he had fully mastered, so that was a perfect score as well. The equipment and professional skills tests were easy enough once you were familiar with them; even if he didn't get perfect marks, he could easily manage an 80.
"Total score should be around 610."
Lin Qing silently estimated his grade. If his cousin hadn't told him to keep his written scores low, he could have easily hit 700. But the ranking didn't mean much; passing was all that mattered.
...
Just three days later, on the morning of December 28, the exam results were released. Lin Qing’s final score was 614.
"Congratulations, Inspector!" "Lin Qing, you’ll be forming your own team soon, right?" "We'll be calling you Team Leader Lin from now on!" "Team Leader Lin has to treat us to dinner tonight!"
The members of the Second Team congratulated him. Although they knew he was bound to become an Inspector, they hadn't expected it to happen so quickly.
"Congratulations," Team Leader Han said, a rare smile appearing on his face.
"Forming the team will have to wait until the middle of next month," Lin Qing said, shaking his head. "For the next half-month, I’ll still be troubling you in the Second Team."
He wasn't in a hurry. He continued his routine of practicing three times a day, patrolling, and studying the combat technique.
In a blink, the year 2120 passed.
...
This era didn't seem to have the custom of celebrating New Year's Eve. After his patrol shift, Lin Qing simply grabbed a late-night snack with a few colleagues from the Patrol Bureau to mark the occasion.
On January 1, 2121, a leader from the City Patrol Bureau arrived. The Xiaoshan District Sub-bureau chief, Captain Xiao, and the head of the Political Division were also present. After the Sub-bureau chief presented him with his rank and formally appointed him as the leader of the Seventh Team, and after completing the required procedures, Lin Qing was officially a Level 3 Inspector.
At just eighteen years old, he was an Inspector—a rare feat indeed.
When the other team leaders spoke with him, their attitudes were now entirely equal and friendly. The frequency of his chance encounters with single women from other departments and teams within the bureau increased significantly, and the "smile index" he received skyrocketed.
It proved the old adage: as long as you are strong enough, you will find that the world is full of kindness toward you.
His new Inspector uniform and shoulder badges were soon ready, his salary rose to 7,000 yuan, and his benefits were improved in every aspect.
Of course, none of that was the most important thing to Lin Qing.
The most important thing was... the right to carry a firearm! The standard-issue weapon for the Patrol Bureau was the M500 revolver. It was considered a high-powered handgun even in the old days, and it remained excellent today. His cousin was also equipped with this weapon; it had much more stopping power than standard issue.
While it wouldn't be of much use against monsters like the escapees from Qinghu Island Prison, it was more than enough to handle someone at the level of a team captain, even if they had mastered a defensive combat technique like "Rigidity" or "Earth-type."
Unfortunately, he hadn't caught any wanted criminals lately, nor had he found an opportunity to earn a Third-Class Merit.
Team Leader Han, however, was very composed. "Don't worry. As long as your patrol performance is excellent and you don't make mistakes, you can earn a Third-Class Merit after one year on the job."
Lin Qing could only hope that once his new team was established, some of the new members would be wealthy "second-generation" types looking for a place to pad their resumes.
...
In the captain's office on the second floor, Xiao Peidong sat at his desk, staring at the plan for the Seventh Team on his screen. He glanced at the file for the newly appointed team leader, Lin Qing, and his eyes narrowed slightly.
"An Inspector already... so fast."
He drummed his fingers on the desk. "But the bounty money this kid made didn't go to Chen Yanan, and he hasn't been skimming any money while working under Han Linsong either. It seems Chen Yanan doesn't need his help anymore..."
He was still just an Acting Captain. If Chen Yanan returned to the team without any loss in strength, and he hadn't yet been confirmed in his position, he would be forced to settle for being a deputy or transferring to another district as a captain.
"The things the Yuanhong Society tasked me with... I must stay in Xiaoshan District to get them done."
After a long moment of contemplation, Xiao Peidong made his decision. "Forget it. I'll make sure to have this kid's Seventh Team operate alongside Han Linsong’s Second Team as much as possible, just to keep him from making too much money on his own..."
...
January 5.
Lin Qing was at home practicing the 46th Edition Chaoyang Practice Method for the final time. The High-Energy Sustained-Release Fluid had run out a few days prior. Since he was only a few sessions away from completion, he didn't bother buying another batch, deciding to just wait until today.
[46th Edition Chaoyang Practice Method completed.]
As he finished that final session, the prompt finally appeared before his eyes. The number of pre-advanceable items returned to 1/1.
Lin Qing did not hesitate. With a thought, he commanded: "Pre-advance Combat Technique: Agility!"