Chapter 31: Affirmation, Lv10 Camper, Businessman

Lin Feng didn't expect that just sitting there eating watermelon could get him involved.

Seeing Liu Yueqi wiping her tears as she walked towards him, Lin Feng quickly waved her off:

"Go, go..."

But the girl continued over, asking:

"Mr. Lin, let me join you! I can do anything!"

Lin Feng frowned slightly, looking past her at the stunned Liu Ruojiao and dropping his spectator stance:

"Ms. Liu is right; you're too young, not yet an adult, and shouldn't take such risks. Killing bugs isn't child's play—didn't you see the devastation among the teachers and professors? Next time, it might be you."

"When we were trapped in the city, facing the bugs was unavoidable, but who wants to go back now that we've escaped?"

Liu Yueqi wiped her tears and snot with her sleeve, stopping her sobs as she retorted:

"But you've joined, and it doesn't seem as dangerous as in the city..."

Lin Feng coughed, placing the replica handgun on the table:

"I can shoot bugs from hundreds of meters away. Can you take this knife and fight them up close?"

"Are these risks the same?"

Liu Yueqi gripped her Thousand Slash Blade tighter, Lin Feng's words not deterring her resolve, as her expression grew firmer:

"But constantly running and hiding won't solve anything."

"Mr. Lin, you must know better than I do—if we don't get stronger now, it'll only get harder later."

Lin Feng nodded, a flash of insight crossing his mind as he looked at the stubborn, idealistic girl:

"That's true."

"But most of the tasks ahead are outdoors; your close-range knife attacks are suited for urban settings, with complex terrain for one-on-one battles."

"Try to become an awakener first, see if your superpower changes."

"If you can overcome the current combat difficulties, no one will stop you from fighting."

Receiving this tentative affirmation, Liu Yueqi wiped her tears, her mood shifting to joy, the slap mark on her face fading.

Youthful dreams often face real-world obstacles, leading to hesitation and compromise, which people call growth.

Lin Feng shrugged, inviting the girl to sit down.

Seeing Liu Yueqi's determination, Lin Feng was willing to give her a chance.

He noticed the Thousand Slash Blade's data showed over 200 stored slashes, indicating her dedication to honing her skills even after escaping Haicheng.

Lin Feng was curious about what ability someone like Liu Yueqi, focused on swordsmanship, might awaken.

Superpowers often relate to personal habits and professions, and someone choosing a challenging path like hers might achieve something extraordinary.

A non-traditional path often leads to unique results.

After agreeing with Liu Yueqi, Lin Feng turned to the stunned Liu Ruojiao.

She realized her actions had hurt Liu Yueqi deeply, but struggled to accept the current reality...

Her lifelong achievements had become worthless overnight.

Having lost everything, she couldn't bear to lose one of her few remaining family members.

Seeing this, Zhang Xuan stepped forward to support her, and Liu Ruojiao broke down in tears.

Liu Yueqi didn't look back, as if resolute in her decision.

Seeing Liu Ruojiao crying on Zhang Xuan's shoulder, Lin Feng's gaze shifted to him.

Their eyes met, and Lin Feng gave a slight, insincere smile, while Zhang Xuan nodded politely, holding the weeping woman as they returned to their car.

As Liu Ruojiao's fiancé, Liu Yueqi's prospective uncle, Zhang Xuan should support her in discouraging the girl from making such a dangerous choice.

But he knew that if Liu Yueqi joined the bureau, as her family, he wouldn't have to face hunger or cold and could safely reach Gold City.

Caught between two choices, his silence meant approval.

Liu Yueqi ended up aligning with Lin Feng, which displeased him, generating a subtle disdain and resentment towards the woman he held.

Zhang Xuan had pursued the older Liu Ruojiao, leveraging her father's influence in academia to boost his career.

If given a choice, he'd prefer someone young and attractive, like Chen Yanyan.

Now, Liu Ruojiao's value seemed less than her troublesome high school niece.

Zhang Xuan needed to find an alternative quickly.

...

Chen Yanyan prepared a meal swiftly, given the simple ingredients: a large pot of noodles, stir-fried green peppers with meat as a topping, and cold cucumber salad.

Lin Feng enjoyed a large bowl, his having extra eggs, and after a day's exertion, the hot meal was comforting and satisfying.

The brief meal ended quickly, with some people approaching for food, but Lin Feng placed his handgun on the table, making his stance clear:

Don't push him to draw his gun.

Even women were not exempt.

The importance of food was evident. The security bureau provided only basic relief, with rations ensuring survival.

In reality, many went hungry; for every three meals someone had, two others starved.

Joining the bureau offered benefits beyond status, like a week's rations for three people, translating to sixty-three meals, enough to trade for wealth and women.

After a week, salaries would be disbursed regularly.

Amidst envious gazes, Lin Feng finished his soup, leaving nothing to waste.

Having gone hungry for two days, Liu Yueqi finally had a full meal, eagerly cleaning her plate.

After eating, she cleaned the dishes and stove with Chen Yanyan.

When they exited the camper, Lin Feng handed the Lv9 upgraded handgun replica to Chen Yanyan, teaching her how to use it.

Her long-awaited wish was granted.

Guns offered a sense of security knives and sticks couldn't match, allowing threats to be neutralized at a distance.

The saying goes, "Beyond seven steps, the gun is faster; within seven steps, the gun is both fast and accurate!"

Lin Feng relied on this small handgun to safely navigate the initial stages of development.

"Your arm strength isn't enough for a straight-arm grip. Bend your elbow, grip with both hands, turn off the safety, and aim through the sights..."

"The step stance is the most stable. Aim for 100% accuracy within fifty meters, and hit with several shots within a hundred meters."

Having upgraded to Lv5 during the scavenging, Chen Yanyan now had 24 constitution and 25 spirit, doubling from before.

Her slightly nearsighted eyes had improved, and her reflexes while aiming matched those with years of training.

As long as she didn't use Metal Storm, she could handle ten rounds per second.

And that was sufficient.

Nearby, Liu Yueqi continued practicing her sword skills with the Thousand Slash Blade, something Lin Feng couldn't help with, leaving it to her.

Training continued for over an hour, with the afternoon sun setting, bringing the time to four o'clock.

Lin Feng's second bound item finally completed:

"Modified Camper Lv10/19, Red Quality"

"Upgrade Points: 2/10, Damage: 30, Defense: 50, Average Speed: 100 km/h, Remaining Range: 350 km"

"Evaluation: A camper with engine replacement and improved control system, offering excellent driving experience with comprehensive facilities, but lacking defense and effective offense. Gains upgrade points per kilometer traveled in the combat zone."

Lin Feng squinted at the camper, now having a special connection with him, like his initial handgun.

However, its upgrade point acquisition method made Lin Feng frown, requiring travel in battle zones to earn points.

The current two points likely came from Chen Yanyan's desperate 20-kilometer drive back.

Future missions seemed inevitable, necessitating its presence.

But Lin Feng quickly regained confidence, noting the evaluation mentioned both defense and offense, though negatively. Future upgrades could address these.

The handgun had evolved to a rifle, machine gun, and now a grenade hand cannon; could the camper become an armored vehicle, infantry fighting vehicle, even stronger?

As Lin Feng pondered, a man in a suit emerged from the convoy ahead, walking towards the camper.

Chen Yanyan and Liu Yueqi approached, armed, halting the man.

He raised his hands placatingly:

"Don't worry, ladies."

"I'm here to discuss business with Mr. Lin."

Lin Feng turned to see a man in a clean gray-blue suit, devoid of the usual refugee dishevelment.

"Let him come."

At Lin Feng's invitation, the man approached, sitting across from him and handing over a business card:

"Hello, Mr. Lin. I'm a businessman here, Hu Fei, but you can call me Fei."

Lin Feng clasped his hands, watching silently.

Hu Fei pushed the card forward, producing a box of expensive Federation cigarettes from his pocket:

"Unopened, please enjoy."

Lin Feng nodded, studying the slim, monkey-faced man before speaking slowly:

"You want to buy Black Spinal Bug mandible materials?"

Hu Fei's eyes narrowed, his playful demeanor shifting to seriousness.