Chapter 20: Palace-style Steamed Buns

Exiting the Heart Consoling Hall, Long Zongheng dialed a number on his phone. It rang four or five times before connecting.

"Young Master Long, I'm amidst a dragon and three phoenixes, living like a celestial being. If it's nothing important, I'll hang up," said the voice on the phone with a hint of frivolity. If Li Nianlong had heard it, his eyes would have reddened with rage, for this voice belonged to the murderer who killed Uncle Guan!

Chuckling at the lascivious tone on the phone, Long Zongheng said, "So capable, huh? Do your family members know? Be careful not to die between a woman's thighs."

"Hehe, that's my only hobby now. What's up? Spit it out!"

"Gangzi…" Long Zongheng retracted his smile. "Help me investigate something."

...

At eight minutes to nine in the evening, the Yue sisters returned.

"I'm exhausted, girl." Yuexi sat by the fountain in the front yard of the villa, kicked off her sandals, and soaked her aching feet in the water. The cool fountain water elicited a contented groan from Yuexi. "Ah, this is the life."

"Mm-hmm, life indeed." Changxi, without notice, also dipped her feet in, her expression akin to a pampered lamb.

"..." Li Nianlong, sitting by the fountain table, put down his teacup. "Where did you two go today?"

Nalan Ruyue was beside Li Nianlong, refilling his cup with a smile as she watched the Yue sisters.

"We went to see the Giant Buddha. It was a whole day of exhaustion." Yuexi stretched her shoulders and back. "There were so many tourists today. My legs, feet, waist, and shoulders ache. I'm hungry too."

"Me too." Changxi held her belly, which conveniently grumbled in agreement.

"Didn't you eat dinner?" Li Nianlong asked.

"Bread and mineral water, bought from a convenience store, total thirty-nine yuan and fifty cents." Yuexi gave him a pitiful look, as if to say: I'm so hungry, and you're not even preparing a feast to fill me up and make me think... you know what.

"..."

Li Nianlong shook his head. "There's leftover hotpot chicken." He turned to Nalan Ruyue. "Ruyue,thanks."

Nalan Ruyue smiled and shook her head before heading inside.

"Sisiter Ruyue, thanks." Changxi felt guilty.

"Thanks, Sisiter Ruyue." Yuexi accepted it without qualms.

Nalan Ruyue nodded with a smile. As soon as she left, Changxi looked at Li Nianlong and softly smiled. "Sisiter Ruyue is such a wonderful woman, beautiful, gentle, proficient in housework, and a great cook. If I were a man, I wouldn't let her go."

"Indeed." Before Li Nianlong could respond, Yuexi chimed in. "Just afraid some men are blind to treasure and don't cherish it. If they don't seize the opportunity, they'll regret it so much they'd bang their heads against the wall."

Watching the duo harmonize, Li Nianlong picked up his teacup and calmly said, "Dinner is three hundred yuan. Thank you."

"Darn!"

...

It was midnight again, and after the system refreshed, Li Nianlong was back to his peak state. He changed into black clothes, descended the rope, and disappeared into the night at lightning speed.

Compared to last night, Li Nianlong's Speed stat had more than doubled. An ordinary person's Speed was 3 points, while Li Nianlong's was now 35 points, nearly twelve times that of an average person. However, Li Nianlong's actual speed wasn't really twelve times faster than an ordinary person's; it was only marginally faster. This puzzled Li Nianlong—how much did one point of Speed add to real-life speed?

"Based on the host's initial values, one point of Speed increases the host's real-life speed by 1%," Dragonfly explained, fluttering its wings in response to his question. "If an ordinary person sprints 100 meters in about 14 seconds, then 100 points of Speed would reduce that to 7 seconds. When the host reaches level 100 with the current allocation of points, the final Speed will be 600 points, or six times that of an ordinary person."

"I see." Li Nianlong nodded, finding it more reasonable. An ordinary person ran 10 meters in 1.4 seconds, and Li Nianlong, at level 100, would manage 60 meters in the same time, equivalent to over 150 km/h. Such speed wasn't excessively fast, comparable to a regular car's top speed.

"However," Dragonfly added, "according to the system's scan, some humans in this world cultivate a peculiar energy called inner strength. A small number of individuals with profound inner strength can reach speeds equivalent to a host's Speed at level 80...90. A considerable portion can match the host's Speed at level 50...70. Additionally, there are bio-engineered soldiers in the West who are extremely swift, and with technological aids, they can exceed the host's Speed at level 100."

Running, Li Nianlong paused, startled. "So, even if I reach level 100, I won't be invincible?"

"Not exactly." Dragonfly shook its head and smiled. "Due to the host's insufficient permissions, I cannot disclose specific details. But I can tell you that as the host's permissions increase, upon reaching level 50, you will become the strongest in the world!" Pausing, it continued, "If the host utilizes the system wisely, you might even become the strongest at level 30."

Level 30?

Li Nianlong's eyes gleamed. At level 30, can I take revenge?

...

Perhaps he had used up all his luck yesterday, for Li Nianlong didn't encounter any gang clashes tonight. He only caught a few small fries, gaining a few dozen experience points and a similar amount in cash, causing him to inwardly curse his bad luck.

Passing by the abandoned factory from yesterday, he found it cordoned off by the police. Understandably, with over a hundred deaths overnight, the pressure on the police was immense. Fortunately, the incident was eventually classified as a gang conflict, simplifying the case closure.

Arriving home around four, he rested briefly before the new day began.

Perhaps worn out from yesterday's activities, the Yue sisters slept like logs, unresponsive to calls. Li Nianlong decided not to bother them further; he had already paid the 'deposit' after all.

Today's breakfast was steamed buns, not store-bought but homemade by Nalan Ruyue.

Hailing from Longcheng, Nalan Ruyue loved wheat-based foods, especially breakfast items like pancakes and buns. However, both required leavened dough, which Li Nianlong didn't have at home.

A great figure once said, "If conditions permit, act; if not, create conditions and act anyway."

Thus, Nalan Ruyue had used yeast to ferment some dough last night, which was ready to be used for steaming buns in the morning. The leftover dough could serve as a starter for future leavened food preparations.

"Did you make these?" Li Nianlong marveled at the pork and scallion buns, their rich flavor surpassing even those sold outside.

Nalan Ruyue nodded with a smile and signed: I learned from a chef during my free time. His buns were exceptional, especially the filling. I'm笨拙 and only mastered about 70-80%.

So delicious with just 70-80% mastery?

Li Nianlong praised, "I think you could open a bun shop, selling to the wealthy nearby at five yuan per bun. You'd surely strike it rich."

What was intended as a jest was taken seriously by Nalan Ruyue. After Li Nianlong left, she headed to the market to buy plenty of vegetables and meat, as well as a multi-layered steamer. Upon returning, she rushed into the kitchen without rest, the sounds of clattering pots and pans echoing.

Close to noon, the Yue sisters rubbed their eyes and pushed open the door. A whiff of steamed bun aroma greeted them. Yuexi sniffed deeply. "Where are these buns from? They smell amazing!"

Changxi spotted Nalan Ruyue packing freshly steamed buns into a foam box and sealing it.

Puzzled, Changxi asked, "Sisiter Ruyue what are you doing?"

Nalan Ruyue looked up, smiled at the sisters, and held up a wooden sign that read: Secret Palace-style Steamed Buns, 5 yuan each.

"..."