Chapter 80: Chapter 76: Increased Benefits and Brother Hao’s Strength

In the office on the bar’s second floor.

A crystal chandelier cast a soft, warm yellow light. Beside the marble coffee table sat a deep brown sofa.

"This is..."

Lu Chao looked at the coffee table in front of the sofa, slightly puzzled.

On it were several exquisite gift boxes, which looked like they held expensive clothing.

Chen Junhao, who had walked over to the mahogany desk, gave a slight wave of his hand but said nothing. Instead, Zhou Qiang stepped forward, leaned in close to Lu Chao, and explained in a low voice, "The Young Master brought these."

His tone was odd, and he didn’t sound very pleased.

Lu Chao raised an eyebrow slightly.

’Is the Young Master trying to win over Brother Hao? Or is it...?’

"With some people, you can’t just judge them by appearances."

His tone was casual as he set down his pipe and took a pack of Osmanthus cigarettes from a drawer.

He tossed one to Zhou Qiang, then took out a metal lighter and slowly lit it.

"It’s the same with some situations. They may seem kind and full of sincerity, but in reality, they might have blades hidden beneath the surface."

His words were clearly pointed, and Lu Chao froze for a moment.

Thinking back to being downstairs in the bar, he recalled feeling that the group’s atmosphere was off. That Peng Zhao Hui didn’t seem so simple, either.

While he was lost in thought, he saw Brother Hao walk over to the sofa, sit down, snatch a golden-yellow orange from the fruit bowl, and toss it to him.

"Have a seat, kid."

A faint, unreadable smile played on his lips as he crossed his legs.

He had Zhou Qiang take the gift boxes away, his eyes fixed on Lu Chao as he sized him up. "I knew you had a shot at breaking through, but I didn’t expect you to pull it off so fast."

"If I’m not mistaken, it must have been in the last day or two, right?"

He spoke slowly, taking a drag from his cigarette. His eyes seemed to deepen, a flicker of complex emotion passing through them.

To the side, Zhou Qiang froze, a look of utter shock on his face.

He instinctively glanced at Lu Chao, who had just taken a seat across from him. Lu Chao was holding the golden-yellow orange, also looking momentarily stunned and surprised.

"Brother Hao, you could tell already?"

Lu Chao was astonished. He had only just sat down and hadn’t yet had a chance to announce his breakthrough.

"Heh, what’s so hard about that?"

The emotion in his eyes gradually faded. Chen Junhao, calm once more, flicked the ash from his cigarette. "You must have broken through recently. You haven’t fully adapted to your power yet, and the aura you’re giving off is very obvious to me."

"And it’s not just me. Anyone at the peak of the Professional Level could tell. After all, before the barrier to the Elite Level, the Professional Level itself spans a thirty-point difference in Life Energy. Every ten points is a threshold, so the gaps between each stage are significant."

’So that’s why.’

Lu Chao grew thoughtful. Back at the gym, Senior Brother Zheng had briefly mentioned something about this.

For those on the Fighter’s path, Martial Arts Power is the most critical factor in determining the strength of their Life Energy.

Because of this, after undergoing a qualitative shift in their life force, the growth in their Martial Arts Power causes a fighter to briefly exhibit certain intangible traits that are easily noticed by those at a higher level.

It’s like when a wild beast suddenly bristles its fur, subconsciously making others feel uneasy and intimidated.

Similarly, other paths of Life Energy development, such as cybernetic augmentation or being a superhuman, have analogous phenomena.

"Don’t worry too much. Give it a day or two to adapt, and those traces will disappear."

"Speaking of which..."

Chen Junhao smiled and exhaled a cloud of smoke. "Since you’ve reached the Professional Level, it looks like we’ll have to upgrade your sponsorship package."

Meeting his gaze, Lu Chao grinned sheepishly.

He felt a little embarrassed, but this was, in fact, one of the reasons he had come today, aside from simply expressing his thanks.

"We’ll switch your Exotic Beast Meat to the likes of Red-striped Ox or Blood Horn Python, and I’ll add another twenty kilograms to your monthly supply."

"As for potions, you’ll get three primary Life Potions a month. The intermediate ones are harder to come by... but you can opt for something else. For example, Celestial Brocade Ointment’s Bone-Strengthening and Qi-Replenishing Ointment or Cyan Jade Pharmaceutical’s Cyan Jade Crystal. You can choose one, one dose per month..."

Chen Junhao waved his hand, casually laying out the new terms.

Lu Chao’s eyes sharpened, his heart burning with excitement. He hadn’t expected Brother Hao to be as generous as always.

The nutritional quality of Red-striped Ox and Blood Horn Python was a full two grades higher than Black-Horned Beef, costing several hundred yuan for half a kilogram.

As for the potions, based on what he’d learned this afternoon, he already knew the prices of the Bone-Strengthening and Qi-Replenishing Ointment and the Cyan Jade Crystal. Both were nutritional supplements for the Professional Level, and a single dose cost at least twenty to thirty thousand yuan.

"Brother Hao..."

Lu Chao opened his mouth to speak, knowing that this level of resource expenditure was by no means small.

All told, it would cost at least forty to fifty thousand a month, minimum.

"What, your wings have hardened? Think I can’t afford it?"

Chen Junhao said with a laugh, gesturing with the hand holding his cigarette. He could easily see what was on Lu Chao’s mind.

"Never mind just one of you. I could support two more, and it would still be no big deal."

"Resources, money... if you can’t turn them into the power of your own two fists, someone will take them from you sooner or later."

His voice was steady, as if containing a subtle warning.

Lu Chao instinctively thought of Liu Hong, whom he had met at the bar, and of the second squad at the Patrol Department.

When it came to resources and credit, no one would be polite.

After a moment of silence, he finally nodded.

"Thanks, Brother Hao."

He thanked him sincerely, saying nothing more. He silently committed this debt of gratitude to memory.

’I’ve already leaned on Brother Hao so much, I’ll just add this to the tab and find a way to repay him in the future.’

Having settled on this thought, Lu Chao felt a bit better.

"You kid."

Chen Junhao chuckled, seeming to appreciate his attitude.

Soon, after their casual conversation wound down.

Seeing that it was getting late, Lu Chao finally took his leave.

CLICK!

The door closed, leaving the room exceptionally quiet.

He watched Lu Chao follow the line of streetlights, walk onto the platform, and depart on a tram.

Chen Junhao walked to the window, his expression shifting subtly. He seemed lost in thought, so much so that he didn’t even notice the cigarette in his hand had burned down to the filter.

Despite having suppressed much of his reaction earlier, he still felt a thread of surprise in his heart.

At his side, Zhou Qiang wore an expression of wonder. He never imagined that the kid who once needed his protection had already come this far.

"Professional Level..."

Envy, regret, admiration... a myriad of emotions flickered in his eyes.

’If only I could break through, too. How wonderful would that be?’

A long silence fell between the two men.

Finally, a loud bang echoed from the sky outside, and a multi-colored firework blossomed in the dark.

BANG! BANG!!

The sound of firecrackers erupted all around, continuous and unending.

Chen Junhao snapped out of his reverie. He looked up at the blossoming fireworks and smiled faintly. "The little tag-along has finally grown up."

...

VMMMM!!

The moving tram passed one low-rise building after another, the hum of the rushing air lingering outside the car. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

BANG! BANG!!

The sounds of fireworks and firecrackers erupted from time to time. Although Ring City normally prohibited them, a rare exception was made for this special day.

Looking through the window, he could see colorful fireworks blossoming over the streets, and laughing children covering their ears as they threw firecrackers from the sidewalks.

Warlord wars, waves of layoffs...

Wilderness aid, wanted posters, rising prices...

All of these anxieties seemed to be washed away in this moment, and the atmosphere inside the tram car was exceptionally peaceful.

Silently taking it all in, Lu Chao felt his mood grow tranquil.

He completely cleared his mind and gazed at the streetscape outside the window, enjoying several full minutes of tranquility.

It wasn’t until the passenger beside him got off, leaving the seat empty, that he was disturbed.

Only then did he look at his panel again. His expression shifted as the strange feeling he’d had when leaving the bar began to surface once more.

[Carbon-based Human]

[Life Energy: 79 (Healthy)]

[Consumption Effect: This human possesses a special gene, a suspected high-temperature Flame Factor. Consuming the entirety of their flesh and blood essence provides a slight chance to awaken a Flame Superpower.]

The data that appeared before Lu Chao’s eyes was perfectly clear. It wasn’t until this meeting, after he had broken through to the Professional Level, that he truly understood the extent of Brother Hao’s power.

Elite Level!

The final stage before the hundred-point threshold!

A will of iron and fists that could shatter steel.

This completely shattered his expectations. According to the rumors, the Hall Masters of the Iron Blood Gang and the Hongyi Society, and even a few of the old guard, were mostly just at the peak of the Professional Level.

An Elite Level expert was considered top-tier in the Iron Ring District. Even in Ring City as a whole, they would be considered a true powerhouse.

For instance, according to Senior Brother Zheng, some of the masters of the martial arts halls at the tournament had only reached this stage.

This included the leaders of major gangs, the heads of security for mid-sized firms like Hengjia Security, and the top elites of the Patrol Department’s Mechanical Violence Team or the Superpower Bureau—most of them stopped at this level.

And most importantly...

’Flame Factor?’

A strange glint flashed in Lu Chao’s eyes as a secret astonishment grew within him.

’Is Brother Hao a superhuman?’

’But why have I never heard anything about him having this kind of ability?’

’Even according to the original owner of this body’s memories, Brother Hao had never shown any such peculiarities, not even back when they were kids at the orphanage.’

’Maybe he hasn’t awakened it yet?’

’Or... is Brother Hao hiding his true strength?’

His thoughts raced, and numerous theories surfaced in Lu Chao’s mind.

He thought especially of the recent turmoil within the Hongyi Society. Internally, a leader was stepping down and the Young Master wanted to prop up a newcomer. Externally, the Iron Blood Gang was watching like a hungry tiger, leading to frequent conflicts.

His thoughts yielded no answers.

Lu Chao decided to push aside these distracting thoughts and began to plan for his own future.

He was at the Professional Level now, with a firm foothold in Ring City.

But sometimes, the advantages that came with a special status were far greater than anything he could achieve on his own.

’I should still go to the Patrol Department. I can talk to Captain Yang first, sound him out, and see if I can get better terms and a promotion to a Level 2 Patrol Officer.’

’If that doesn’t work, then I’ll consider a position as a security consultant at another company...’

With his thoughts clear, Lu Chao gradually came to a decision.

Finally, the tram arrived at his station.

Block Two was bustling with activity as laughing children ran past.

The sound of firecrackers erupted again as an even more stunning fireworks display rose over the inner city.

WHOOSH!!

Like a thousand pear trees bursting into bloom at once.

Endless sparks burned high in the air, becoming shooting stars that streaked across the firmament.

The cloud-piercing Ring Tower lit up with a New Year’s neon projection, and between the skyscrapers with their massive curtain-wall windows, holographic fireworks also appeared, floating in the air in celebration.

For a moment, everyone stopped in their tracks.

Countless people looked up, their gasps of amazement unending.

As he silently watched it all, Lu Chao’s eyes shone brightly.

The burning fireworks reflected as pinpoints of light in his pupils, and a new ambition quietly began to stir, transforming into an even higher peak for him to climb.