"What is going on..."
Lin Qing stared at his own hands, unable to help but frown slightly.
He had only performed one full session of the 46th Edition Chaoyang Practice Method, and already his body had stopped absorbing the Mysterious Energy. His cells felt as if they were stuffed full, refusing to take in any more.
"Limited capacity, I see..."
Lin Qing searched the internet for a long while before he finally understood.
Logically speaking, even though his body had already undergone metamorphosis to the First Limit, his cells should still be able to consume the Mysterious Energy; it was just that they would no longer undergo further metamorphosis. The current situation simply meant he was full. A normal person's body could only handle one such practice session per day. By that calculation, it would take him sixty-five days to finish compensating for the 46th Edition Chaoyang Practice Method that he had effectively pre-drawn.
"A little over two months. That’s not exactly slow; you could even call it quite fast..."
"However, if I want to go faster, there seem to be ways to solve it."
Information was readily available in this day and age. Since the Chaoyang Practice Method was promoted nationwide, information about it was naturally unrestricted. Lin Qing quickly found a solution for his situation.
"The cheapest method... taking High-Energy Sustained-Release Fluid, which can make the body's cells hungrier. The K1 series is specifically for those who haven't broken through the First Limit. A set of High-Energy Sustained-Release Fluid costs... a discounted price of 89,999?"
"Ninety thousand for a set, and that's the cheapest? Only ten vials per set?"
Lin Qing was left speechless. People who practiced the Chaoyang Practice Method normally usually had to practice hundreds or even thousands of times to gradually approach a perfect practice. One vial of High-Energy Sustained-Release Fluid only allowed for two extra practice sessions a day, essentially tripling efficiency. A set of ten vials only provided twenty extra sessions, and that cost ninety thousand? If he needed hundreds or thousands of sessions, wouldn't he have to dump millions into it?
"As expected, only the wealthy can afford to play this game..."
Lin Qing felt a sense of helplessness. He only had a few thousand in savings; he couldn't even afford one set. In reality, he only needed two sets. Twenty vials, a twenty-day supply, would allow him to practice two extra times a day during that period, letting him finish the remaining sixty-four sessions in just over twenty days. But 180,000 was just too much.
"I'll worry about money when I have some."
Lin Qing pondered to himself, "After becoming a regular, a Level 2 Inspector’s monthly salary is four thousand, and a Level 1 Inspector’s is five thousand... That’s really not much. No wonder some people look for ways to skim off the top or earn extra cash..."
Even if he passed the professional assessment and was promoted to Level 3 Inspector, his salary would only rise to seven thousand. The main change upon being promoted to Inspector was the right to carry a firearm, but the pay increase wasn't significant. His cousin, a Level 2 Inspector, only made twelve thousand. It was certainly a high salary compared to the average person, but compared to the wealthy, it was nothing.
Actually, he could probably borrow money from his cousin, but she had already transferred her merit points to him and was currently in urgent need of money herself; there was no need for him to drag her down. Besides, what would breaking through early really achieve? Learning the 77th Edition Practice Method sooner? Even if he learned it, without mastering two Combat Techniques, he wouldn't be qualified to be a deputy team leader, let alone join the Chaoyang Martial Arts Hall.
"I'll find a way to get money when the opportunity arises."
Lin Qing wasn't in a particular rush. "I'm currently in a period of rapid progress. Once I master the 77th Edition Practice Method and the Combat Techniques, it shouldn't be hard to make money. I can afford to go a bit slower."
Although he couldn't squeeze any extra profit under Team Leader Han, once he passed the professional patrol assessment and earned a credit or two, he could transfer out of the Second Team. By then, Team Leader Han wouldn't be able to boss him around. Once his strength was greater, making money would be even simpler. If he could master the Original Edition Chaoyang Practice Method, even the City Patrol Bureau’s main team would invite him, and his status would be completely different.
...Since he could only pay off his debt once a day, Lin Qing spent most of his remaining time focused on professional books related to the inspector exams. The Patrol Bureau organized a professional exam on the 25th of every month. Today was December 11th, so he had fourteen days left. With his current memory, if he put in the effort, he might just pass the exam this month.
He was reading until nine o'clock in the evening when his phone gave a soft chime. Lin Qing clicked it open to find a WeChat message from Team Leader Han.
[Team Leader Han: Patrol duty tonight. Wait at the entrance of your residential complex at ten o'clock sharp.]
"Wait at the entrance of the complex?"
Lin Qing was slightly confused. Was he actually coming to pick him up?
The night was dark and biting cold. Lin Qing’s physical condition was much better than before; with thermal inner layers combined with his patrol uniform, he didn't feel the chill. Even the uniform for a temporary inspector was identical in fabric to a regular one, just missing a shoulder patch; it kept him just as warm. Tomorrow, when the logistics department delivered the shoulder patch and the official patrol uniform, he would be a true inspector.
Just past ten, he saw a black patrol vehicle, long as a limousine, speeding down the street before pulling to a smooth stop in front of him. The window rolled down, revealing Team Leader Han and the others inside.
"Get in."
The space inside the patrol vehicle was quite large. Aside from the driver and front passenger seats, the rear consisted of two facing rows, capable of seating six people if they squeezed. Besides Team Leader Han, there was the petite, short-haired girl, Xiao Qin, and three other male inspectors. One was driving, one sat in the passenger seat, and in the back, Xiao Qin and a lean, crew-cut youth sat across from Team Leader Han.
Lin Qing glanced at them and sat down next to Team Leader Han.
"Team Leader, why the special trip to pick me up at my doorstep?" Lin Qing asked. "I could have just gone to the branch office to meet up. It’s not far."
"It was on the way," Team Leader Han said calmly.
"On the way?" Lin Qing asked, puzzled.
"Haha..."
Xiao Qin said with a smile, "It’s not really a special trip just for you. It’s just that tonight's patrol mission is on Tieshi Street, so there's no need for you to run back and forth."
"Such a coincidence?" Lin Qing raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Not a coincidence at all. The mission was specifically set for the Tieshi Street area," Xiao Qin laughed.
Lin Qing was even more confused. "Specifically set?"
"It's nothing. All newly regularized inspectors get this treatment," Xiao Qin smiled. "Patrolling your own neighborhood first is meant to let the restless types in your area know clearly that you are now part of the Patrol Team. You could think of it as a show of force."
Lin Qing suddenly understood.
"There is an actual mission, too," Team Leader Han said flatly. "A new gang organization has appeared on Tieshi Street recently called the Blue Scarf Gang. They seem to have some outsiders among them. We’re just coordinating with the Public Security Bureau to scout out the situation."
Before long, the patrol vehicle stopped at a remote street corner on Tieshi Street, where the neon-lit entrance of a bar was visible in the distance.
"The main members of the Blue Scarf Gang are generally active at the Tieshi Bar at night."
"According to the undercover investigation by the temporary inspectors who arrived earlier, only the new recruits of the Blue Scarf Gang wear blue scarves on their lapels; the cadres don't have anything special about them. The gang leader goes by the name 'Camel'."
"Once the operation begins, Zhang Yufei and Liang Jun, you two are responsible for sealing the front and back doors of the bar."
"Lin Qing, Qin Qin, Wang Hengyi, you three gather your gear and come in with me to search."
"Everyone in the bar, whether they are customers or staff, must have their facial and fingerprint data recorded and identified. If they can't be identified, draw blood for records and perform on-site DNA identification to compare against the database. This is a requirement from the Public Security Bureau."
"Operation start."