Chapter 3: Handgun Upgrade and Bullet Recovery

Entering apartment 302, Lin Feng found Zhang Yuruo dressed in a sheer nightgown, her graceful figure partly visible even in the dim light.

After closing the door, before Lin Feng could speak, Yuruo rushed over, grabbing his hand with tears in her eyes:

"Lin Feng, what on earth is happening outside?"

"Why is Youzhi's car parked downstairs? Where is he? I can't reach him by phone..."

Lin Feng took a deep breath, gripping her trembling arms firmly, and said in a calm voice:

"Sister-in-law, calm down first!"

After his parents passed away, Zhang Yuruo was like half a family to Lin Feng; otherwise, he wouldn't have risked saving her.

Under Lin Feng's steady gaze, Zhang Yuruo felt a strange sense of reassurance, gradually calming down and waiting for his explanation with tears in her eyes.

Lin Feng took a deep breath:

"Sister-in-law, I'm sorry, but brother is gone... those bugs got him..."

"But now is not the time to grieve. We need to find weapons and escape quickly, or we'll be doomed too!"

"Before he died, brother told me to make sure you get out safely... Hey... sister-in-law? Sister-in-law!?"

Before he could finish, Zhang Yuruo suddenly fainted, her face flushed. Fortunately, Lin Feng was quick to catch her soft body.

Wearing the sheer nightgown, Lin Feng could feel her body temperature through his arms—it was unusually high.

After laying her on the sofa, he touched her forehead and found that she had a fever!

Lin Feng frowned; this was really bad timing.

Zhang Yuruo, who exercised regularly and ran several kilometers daily, had such a good constitution—why did she fall ill today of all days?

Using appraisal, he checked her status:

"Human, lv0/9"

"Health: 9, Constitution: 8, Spirit: 8"

"Robust human female, currently in an upgrade state, with great potential."

After reading the evaluation, Lin Feng sighed in relief, secretly glad that her upgrade could increase their chances of survival.

After covering her with a blanket, Lin Feng turned to Chen Yanyan and said sternly:

"What are you waiting for? Go get some water and apply a cold towel on her!"

Chen Yanyan snapped out of her daze and followed Lin Feng's orders. 

With Lin Feng holding a gun and being her only means of escape, Chen Yanyan, a practical person, knew what she needed to do. 

Especially since Lin Feng seemed to care a lot about this woman, who might be President Lin's spouse.

While Chen Yanyan tended to his sister-in-law, Lin Feng went to the study in apartment 302, searching for his real target.

He was familiar with the layout of his sister-in-law's home, having visited often for meals.

Quickly, he found a box hidden in a secret compartment of the tea table.

Opening it, he found a handgun magazine, a leather gun holster, and a box of loose bullets.

Counting them, there were 20 rounds left.

After loading the magazine, Lin Feng had one full magazine of twelve rounds and another with nine rounds.

Securing the holster at his waist, he put away the handgun. When Lin Feng returned, Zhang Yuruo was slowly waking up.

Lin Feng hurried over, concerned:

"Sister-in-law, are you okay?"

Chen Yanyan brought over some medicine and a bottle of mineral water, looking worried:

"I found some fever medicine, but the power's out, and the kitchen's running out of water..."

Zhang Yuruo murmured:

"Water, water..."

Lin Feng took the water bottle, helped her sit up, and fed her the whole bottle. Her consciousness gradually returned, and she sat up slowly.

Covered in sweat, her sheer nightgown clung to her body, accentuating her curves with a damp allure.

Lin Feng coughed lightly, looking down:

"Sister-in-law, you should change into something else. Then we can discuss our plan in detail."

Zhang Yuruo looked down, her face turning crimson, and hurried into the bedroom.

Chen Yanyan sat uneasily, unsure how to introduce herself.

Just then, a phone on the coffee table beeped.

Lin Feng picked it up—it was a message notification for Zhang Yuruo. After unlocking it, he saw a message from a man named Zhang Erhe, informing her that in 24 hours, two rescue helicopters would arrive at Haicheng University, three kilometers away, to evacuate some professors...

This was her only safe evacuation option.

And it was Lin Feng's chance to escape too!

Lin Feng exited the message, seeing several missed calls from Lin Youzhi before his death. His sister-in-law must have been unconscious then.

After learning the escape route, Lin Feng retrieved the red beetle limb he'd shot down. It was half a meter long, as thick as an arm, resembling an enlarged king crab, with sharp serrated spikes at the end, capable of tearing flesh easily.

The red beetle had three pairs of limbs, with the front pair being pincers that could retract and extend like a mantis shrimp, posing a danger if not careful.

Its red carapace was highly defensive; to kill it safely, one needed to either get a headshot or disable its three pairs of limbs under the carapace.

Just then, Zhang Yuruo returned to the living room, having changed her clothes.

She was now in sportswear, with leggings and a sun-protection jacket, looking full of energy.

Lin Feng handed her the phone, explaining the message content, and asked who Zhang Erhe was.

Zhang Yuruo brightened after reading the message, but upon hearing Lin Feng's question, her expression darkened as she explained:

"Oh, my father, a former Haigang Group director, later transferred inland."

Lin Feng vaguely recalled that his sister-in-law had been wooed by Lin Youzhi with sweet talk, and her father had opposed the marriage. Though the marriage eventually happened, it strained the father-daughter relationship.

Looking at the spirited Zhang Yuruo, her status showed an upgrade:

"Human, lv1/9"

"Health: 11, Constitution: 9, Spirit: 8"

After upgrading, her constitution was even higher than his, proving that regular exercise indeed kept one youthful.

At this moment, the handgun finished upgrading:

"Ordinary Handgun lv2/9, White Quality"

"Upgrade Points: 2/10, Damage: 4, Effective Range: 30 meters, Remaining Bullets: 12/12, Extra Attribute Activated: Bullet Recovery 1/1h"

"Evaluation: This is an ordinary handgun, but in your hands, it will no longer be ordinary. Hit targets to gain corresponding upgrade points."

With the upgrade, its power increased, but the previously accumulated three upgrade points converted to two after factoring in damage, dashing Lin Feng's plan to farm upgrade points at low levels.

He decided to upgrade steadily, as higher equipment damage meant greater safety for himself.

The new bullet recovery attribute relieved Lin Feng of immediate ammo concerns.

Though the recovery rate was only one round per hour, future upgrades would certainly speed it up.

"Lin Feng, we need to set off before tomorrow morning, or we won't make it... Lin Feng?"

Zhang Yuruo put down the phone and asked.

Lin Feng snapped back to reality, a flash of inspiration hitting him as he looked at the beetle limb and gripped his gun:

"Understood!"

"Sister-in-law, see if you can find any handy weapons at home, and dress warmly. We'll prepare ourselves, take out that injured bug outside, and then plan our escape route."

Zhang Yuruo nodded, finding the clear-headed young man reliable. With a leader in place, she turned to the young woman in the corner:

"And who might you be?"

Hearing their conversation, Chen Yanyan pondered for a moment, then lightly coughed and introduced herself:

"Hello, sister-in-law, I'm Chen Yanyan, from the company's finance department. I escaped with President Lin's car."

"President Lin loved you very much; even when injured, he kept calling you... my condolences, sister-in-law."

Zhang Yuruo looked her over, then smiled and took her hand:

"Thank you. Come with me and change your clothes; you can't run far dressed like that."

Chen Yanyan nodded, surprised by Zhang Yuruo's kindness. Before being led into the bedroom, she glanced back at Lin Feng, her eyes carrying a trace of beseeching vulnerability.

Lin Feng met her gaze, a smile slowly forming.

Should he reveal her true identity?