Chapter 47: Earth-Shattering Changes

Time flew by like a fleeting white steed, and it was already the end of August.

In Tianfu City, inside the Municipal Public Security Bureau, the Director's office.

Slam!

The 45-year-old Director Liu Bucuo slammed his hand on the table so hard that a nearly inch-deep palm print was left on the solid wood surface, causing everyone present to shudder.

"This is outrageous! Utterly outrageous!" Liu Bucuo berated his subordinates, "That Kung Fu Panda has escalated his actions – over sixty people have been crippled, and more than thirty have lost their lives. If we continue to tolerate this, how will the public view us? What will the government think of us? How can we face our police uniforms with honor?"

"But... Kung Fu Panda's targets are all criminals!" A twenty-something female officer muttered softly, but Liu Bucuo's ears were sharp. His face turned as dark as a pot, "Zhao Min! What did you say!"

Officer Zhao Min immediately stood up, her back straight, and declared loudly, "Reporting, Director Liu, I said that Kung Fu Panda is too audacious! We should immediately establish a special task force and spare no effort to capture Kung Fu Panda and bring him to justice!"

"Hmph!" Liu Bucuo snorted coldly, "Sit down!"

"Yes!" After Zhao Min sat down, the other male officers winked at her. Zhao Min stuck out her tongue, lowered her head, and decided not to stand out again.

Just in the early hours of today, Kung Fu Panda, who had been committing acts for days, attacked a certain gang with underworld ties. The attack resulted in sixty-three people severely injured and disabled, and thirty-seven others decapitated. It was horrifying news, yet, surprisingly, many citizens, upon hearing this, not only refrained from condemning but instead praised Kung Fu Panda as a hero of the people, deserving of accolades, leaving the investigating officers speechless.

It was also because this gang had committed countless heinous crimes, sparking widespread public resentment. However, the gang had connections in high places, making the police too afraid to intervene or unable to do so. Ordinary people were like ants; who would care about the resentment of ants?

But during this dawn, the gang suffered a devastating blow. Thirty-seven of its mid-to-high-level members were beheaded, and the remaining sixty-three elite members sustained compound fractures, ensuring that even if they recovered, they would spend the rest of their lives in wheelchairs.

The long-oppressed citizens were naturally overjoyed by the news, with some households even setting off firecrackers in celebration.

The people were adorable; when faced with police investigation and evidence collection, they not only spoke well of Kung Fu Panda but also uttered a phrase that made every police officer blush with shame: "When it comes to eliminating violence and upholding justice, you police officers should learn more from Kung Fu Panda."

Damn it! Is there any justice left? I am a policeman! And I'm supposed to learn from a murderer? Either the world has gone mad or I have.

After reviewing the evidence collected, Liu Bucuo was enraged. If this continued, the people would only recognize Kung Fu Panda, rendering their role as police officers pointless.

In a fit of anger, Liu Bucuo urgently convened this meeting of the entire police force. Since nothing had happened at the Liu residence lately, and the intensity of the investigation into the murder case there had weakened, some idle police officers had returned to their posts. Taking advantage of the current ample police force, Liu Bucuo resolved to eliminate the thorn in his side, Kung Fu Panda, as soon as possible.

Throwing a bag onto the conference table, Liu Bucuo said, "These are photos of the scenes after Kung Fu Panda's recent operations, along with hospital records and reports from the forensics department. Everyone, please take a look."

The officers passed around the documents, and their expressions changed.

The photos showed samples from several of Kung Fu Panda's crime scenes this month. However, strangely, the reports indicated that there were no footprints left by the perpetrator at the scene, nor were there any fingerprints or valuable clues.

It was plausible that fingerprints could be erased by wearing gloves, but the fact that there wasn't a single footprint at the scene was highly unusual.

Even the most skilled martial arts master, capable of walking on snow without leaving a trace or possessing incredible lightness skills, couldn't possibly leave behind no footprints at all. For Kung Fu Panda to achieve this meant his lightness skill was astonishingly advanced.

Observing their shocked faces, Liu Bucuo, who had already reviewed the materials earlier, said gravely, "What are your thoughts?"

The police officers whispered among themselves, and finally, an older officer spoke up, "Kung Fu Panda is no ordinary person. He's most likely an expert in lightness skills. Furthermore, the lack of any useful evidence at the scene suggests that Kung Fu Panda is skilled in reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance, as well as criminal psychology. Such a clever criminal is troublesome to handle."

Liu Bucuo was well aware of the difficulty, which was why he had called this meeting. He wanted everyone to contribute ideas, not just to hear laments.

"Of course, I know it's difficult, but as people's police, it's our responsibility to apprehend criminals. Now, everyone, share your good ideas. Let's pool our wisdom and ensure that the culprit is brought to justice!" Liu Bucuo stated solemnly.

Upon the director's order, the group began discussing in whispers, but their suggestions boiled down to deploying plainclothes officers at locations Kung Fu Panda was likely to target during his usual operation times. This way, they could immediately initiate an arrest operation upon detecting any suspicious activity.

After hearing this proposal, Liu Bucuo's brows furrowed deeply. "Does anyone have any other suggestions?"

They all shook their heads; beyond this, they couldn't think of a better plan.

"Very well, then!" Although unsatisfied, Liu Bucuo had no better ideas himself. "This case does not belong to any specific department. All police officers must take action. If we fail to catch Kung Fu Panda, everyone's year-end bonus will be revoked!"

A chorus of groans filled the room.

...

Another day of work came to an end, and Li Nianlong looked at his Master Architect proficiency level at 75%, wiping the sweat from his forehead, he sighed lightly, "It's been incredibly challenging."

Since the night he made a promise to Nalan Ruyue, Li Nianlong had accelerated his monster hunting, leveling up, and honing his life profession skills. After a month of diligent effort, Li Nianlong's state had undergone a dramatic transformation.

Li Nianlong: Level 19: (36850/38000)

Strength: 125

Speed: 105

True Qi: 256

Intelligence: 130

Remaining Points: 0

Talent: Auspicious Avoidance: Innately possesses the power to sense fortune and misfortune, easily avoiding calamity and seeking prosperity.

Skills: 

- Random Strikes (Advanced 3%): Defeating masters with unstructured punches, confusing enemies with unpredictable attacks. Increases strength by 30% and speed by 30% for 30 seconds. No cooldown, consumes 20 True Qi points per use.

- Stealth (Advanced 15%): Upon activation, enters an invisible state. Speed decreases by 30%, with a 20% chance of not being detected when disturbed. Cooldown time is 8 minutes, lasts for 3 minutes, consumes 80 True Qi points per use.

Money: 5

Equipment: Omitted...

Special Items: 

- Golden Bell Cover (7th Layer)

- Iron Sand Palm (9th Layer)

- Traceless Tread (9th Layer)

Life Professions:

- Architect (Grandmaster 75%): Proficient in constructing any building under a hundred stories, you are the ultimate grandmaster of architecture.

- Pressure Point Specialist (Novice 0%): Relaxes the body and mind, alleviates ailments through acupressure, akin to a top-tier masseur.

Permissions: Level 1 - Access to Shop.

The fruits of a month's labor were abundant and pleasing. Firstly, all four primary attributes surpassed the triple digits, and significant strides were made in skills.

Both Random Strikes and Stealth had reached the Advanced level. Naturally, Advanced skills were much stronger than their Basic and Intermediate counterparts. Random Strikes could now enhance strength and speed by 30% each, with a modest cost of 20 True Qi points.

However, Advanced Stealth was incredibly potent. Not only did it reduce speed by a mere 30%, it also offered a 20% chance of remaining undetected even under disturbance. Its cooldown period didn't increase but was reduced to 8 minutes, and its duration extended from 1 minute at the Basic level to 3 minutes, allowing for a stunning 3-minute invisibility period.

The sole dissatisfaction for Li Nianlong was the substantial consumption of True Qi, requiring 80 points per use. With his current True Qi reserve, he could only employ it four times consecutively. Nonetheless, the proficiency of the Stealth skill had impressively climbed from Basic to Advanced 15% within a month, surpassing that of Random Strikes.