Chapter 92: Intermediate Acupuncturist

"Grandpa, it's still early!" Li Zao protested. "It's not even 5 o'clock yet, and the restaurant hasn't opened!"

"Then let's buy some groceries and eat at home." The old technician couldn't wait. "Let's make hot and sour soup tonight. You're the best at it! Let Xiao Liu taste your cooking."

"No thanks." Li Nianlong interjected quickly. "I have to go home for dinner. Let's do it another day."

"Oh, someone's waiting for you at home!" The old technician cooled down, a tinge of regret evident in his voice. "Let's go then! Don't keep your family waiting." He paused for a moment. "Xiao Zao, pay Xiao Liu his wages."

It seemed the old technician was a family-oriented person too.

Muttering to herself, Li Zao took out sixteen hundred yuan and handed it to Li Nianlong. "Here's your wages. I won't give you the remaining twenty-five."

Li Nianlong chuckled and pocketed the money. "That's fine! I already had lunch anyway. Consider it my meal expenses."

Rolling her eyes, Li Zao hesitated for a moment before asking, "Big Brother Liu, who's in your family?"

"Why do you ask?" Li Nianlong glanced at her, teasing, "Are you already in love with me, thinking of meeting my family?"

Li Zao blushed furiously. "You're disgusting! Big Brother Liu, you're such a rogue!"

The old technician laughed heartily. "Well, that's not a bad idea! Xiao Liu, our Xiao Zao is pure and beautiful, albeit a bit young. But in a few years, she'll be eligible for marriage. If you two hit it off, I'll be the first to approve."

"Disgusting, Grandpa, why are you siding with an outsider?" Li Zao's face turned even redder.

"How is this siding with an outsider? I'm helping you, Xiao Zao. Xiao Liu is a rare young man, with such excellent skills. He won't have to worry about the family's livelihood in the future. Besides, the customers say he's good-looking. I'm afraid you won't match up to him!" 

"I won't match up to him? I..." Li Zao glanced at Li Nianlong, feeling overwhelmed: I really can't match up to him...

"Really can't match up?" Sensing his granddaughter's distress, the old technician was taken aback.

Li Zao was speechless.

Li Nianlong coughed awkwardly. "It's not like that. There's a saying, 'A hero is only as good as his wife...' Uh, well, something like that. Anyway, I have things to do, so I'll take off."

Li Nianlong made a hasty retreat, leaving Li Zao wailing and the old technician bemused.

---

At the Liu residence.

"Did Menglong really go to work as a masseur?" Upon hearing the news, Shao Meiyun was incredulous.

"Yes." One of the Liu family's intelligence officers confirmed.

Although Menglong had initially declined the invitation in front of the old master, when the old master fell ill a few days ago and was hospitalized due to a sudden bout of hemoptysis, Shao Meiyun, in a panic, thought of Menglong again. She began dispatching people to monitor Menglong's movements starting from today, but she didn't expect to receive such news.

"Menglong, what are you thinking? Although the position of the family head is risky, it's still more prestigious than being a laborer! Moreover, it's been so long, I don't believe the other party would still send someone to assassinate the family head. You have the opportunity to stand above the masses."

Furrowing her brows in contemplation, Shao Meiyun waved her hand to the intelligence officer. "Continue to monitor Menglong's movements. The situation in Tianfu has been getting increasingly unstable recently. Ensure his safety."

"Yes."

Shortly after, having completed her work for the day, Shao Meiyun drove to the hospital to visit the old master.

A few days ago, despite the doctor's advice, the old master continued to overwork, leading to a rapid deterioration in his condition. Now lying in the hospital's intensive care unit, he appeared pale and weak, a far cry from the robust old man he once was.

"Grandfather." Sitting by the bedside, Shao Meiyun gently called out to the sleeping old master. He slowly opened his eyes upon hearing her voice. "Meiyun, you're here..."

His voice was weak, nothing like the booming voice of the old master from before.

"Grandfather, how are you feeling now? Do you want to eat something?" Shao Meiyun's face was filled with sorrow. In fact, her complexion wasn't good either. With the old master falling ill again, she had to shoulder the responsibilities of the Liu family once more. Over the past few days, her already poor health had deteriorated further.

"I'm afraid it's not looking good." The old master sighed. "In the future, the Liu family... sigh! I've let down our ancestors."

"Grandfather, don't say that." A sense of helpless sadness welled up from deep within Shao Meiyun. She tried to suppress her tears and comforted softly, "The Liu family still needs you. Take care of yourself, get better, and when you're healthy again, everything will be fine for the Liu family."

But it seemed the old master's recent bout of hemoptysis had shaken him to his core. Shao Meiyun's words of encouragement had little effect. He continued to sigh and murmur, "I've let down our ancestors..."

Unable to bear it any longer, tears streamed down Shao Meiyun's face.

Four days passed in the blink of an eye. During these four days, Li Nianlong's life had been quite routine. During the day, he honed his skills as an acupuncturist at the massage parlor, and at night, he accompanied Nalan Ruyue for dinner and TV. When it was time to sleep, he immersed himself in the system's training ground, advancing through the levels and refining elixirs. Over these four days, he spent 90 million coins and produced 180 attribute pills. Coupled with the points he had accumulated previously, he now had 243 remaining points, a sight that excited him deeply.

For the sake of refining elixirs, Li Nianlong hadn't gone out to fight monsters these past few days. However, he still gained 60,200 experience points from the training ground trials. He was now less than 7,000 experience points away from reaching level 39.

On the fifth day, in the morning, after Li Nianlong finished massaging a client, he received congratulations from the Dragonfly.

"Congratulations to the host for diligent efforts. The Acupuncturist profession has been upgraded to Intermediate level. Special rewards: +5 Intelligence, +1000 Experience Points, +1000 Coins."

With several previous upgrades, Li Nianlong could now calmly assess the situation. Upon examining the abilities of an Intermediate Acupuncturist, a faint smile appeared on his lips.

Acupuncturist (Intermediate 0%): Achieve immobilization, anesthesia, incapacitation, or even lethality by targeting specific acupoints. The duration of effects can be controlled by the user, and only the host can remove them.

"Why are you smiling?" Seeing Li Nianlong smile for no reason, Li Zao felt displeased. "Your smile looks so cunning. Are you thinking about someone's girl?"

Li Nianlong looked at her with a playful smile. Ever since the day he casually mentioned "A hero is only as good as his wife," Li Zao had been quite hostile towards him, seizing every opportunity to taunt him.

"Yeah! I'm just thinking about how to mess with you, little girl!" Li Nianlong grinned mischievously. "Should I use a rope? Or anesthesia? Or just grab a knife and force myself on you?"

"Pffft!" Li Zao's face flushed, and she spat out, "Pervert."

The surrounding customers chuckled.

With Li Nianlong's arrival, news of a highly skilled young masseur at the blind massage parlor spread far and wide. Especially among those flirtatious married women and mature ladies, ever since they met Li Nianlong, they queued up every day for his massages. One wealthy woman even proposed a tempting offer of one million a year for Li Nianlong to be her exclusive masseur, but Li Nianlong politely declined.

Li Nianlong was already experienced in dealing with such situations. He knew these women were lonely and seeking excitement. Therefore, when massaging them, Li Nianlong specifically stimulated their 'spring water points', causing them to flow freely within half an hour. Some bold ones even made advances towards Li Nianlong, and he didn't stop them. As for those with undesirable characteristics, Li Nianlong was very cold-blooded, applying pressure to their 'vital points', turning them into frigid individuals for the next month.

Gradually, the number of lustful dinosaurs decreased, while the number of attractive, yet similarly minded women increased. However, this was relative. After all, it was a legitimate massage parlor, and there were only five or six such customers. Moreover, they only sought excitement, and their lives outside were not necessarily promiscuous. Through observations over the past few days, Li Nianlong discovered that they were all secluded, resentful women who hadn't been moisturized by a man for a long time and couldn't bear it any longer, hence their outing for relaxation.

With money, leisure, and loneliness, how could these women resist a handsome man like Li Nianlong? They sought excitement and relaxation at the same time, and Li Nianlong's prices were reasonable. How could they not flock to him?

However, with only half an hour of fixed time each day, it was impossible to satisfy their vast desires. These secluded resentful women wished they could take Li Nianlong home and keep him by their side every day.