A Sino-American Co-production

A Sino-American Co-production. "Dad, put lunch on my card. I'm always taking from you without ever thanking you~~ A child may wish to care for his parents, but they may no longer be there. I need to start being filial sooner. Time, time, slow down a little. Don't let you grow old anymore~~" Bai Bufan began singing the praises of fatherly love.

"Sure." Lin Li was completely unceremonious, then suddenly realized what he had said. "Wait. 'A child may wish to care for his parents, but they may no longer be there'—are you fucking saying I'm about to die?"

Not caring whether holding his deskmate's hand while talking looked gay, Bai Bufan continued eagerly, "Whether you die or not isn't important right now. What matters is when we're going exploring. I can't wait to let other people taste my signature dishes, and give them a Creek Master charge while I'm at it! I've had enough of life at the Taoist temple."

The signature dishes were naturally chicken wraps and mung bean juice—authentic through and through, authentic through and through, authentic through and through~~ Lin Li shook off Bai Bufan's hand and waved dismissively. "Like I said, it's only a possibility. I don't know where else Xiling is raising chickens yet. I'm just going to look. We'll have to wait until I find something before we act."

"But Bufan, I need to make this clear first. I'm basically an informant now, and finding this place is one of the tasks they assigned me."

Lin Li first gave his actions a veneer of legitimacy.

"After I bring you there, what we'll ultimately do is report it. So taking you along is just to let you experience that amazing getting-caught experience I mentioned earlier. It really is fun, but as for the taboo thing you actually want to seek out... If you're not afraid of your family finding out, then with your age and my relationship with them, I can probably make it so they just call your parents to lecture you instead of detaining you."

Lin Li analyzed the situation seriously.

"Heh heh, Father—no, no, no, no—Your considerations are still a little too narrow," Bai Bufan said, swaying his raised index finger solemnly from side to side. "You just told your child that your superior said that as long as it was an emergency, even if Xiao Jing's mom really did disarm you last time, they'd take the circumstances into consideration and might even let you off, right? So whether it's an emergency or not, isn't that up to us father and son? Your regret from last time will be made up for this time by me, your son! Even if the cops come, I'll stop them at your door. If they want to get past, they'll have to step over my corpse!"

Lin Li: "..."

You could actually say something like Xiao Jing's mom?

His son was pretty smart. It was just that he never put his intelligence to proper use.

It actually seemed feasible.

But then he shook his head seriously. "Bufan, seriously, if you really plan to do that, I'm not taking you."

Jokes were jokes, but Lin Li would not deliberately lead his brother astray for the sake of a task.

This wasn't like taking a buddy to an internet café or helping him get into a fight. This was a little more serious than that.

If Bai Bufan caught something or got addicted, Lin Li would bear the blame.

Besides, if the junior brother he brought along got thoroughly devoured by the Joyful Union Demon, would that stupid system count the task as complete?—To emphasize, this was the least important reason.

"Don't worry, I was joking. I'm afraid of catching something too, and I don't want to give my first time away in that kind of setting," Bai Bufan said with a smile.

"Bai Bufan, swear on your chicken wraps or something," Lin Li said. He was someone very good at learning from others.

Bai Bufan: "..."

"You don't trust your bro?" Bai Bufan got angry.

"Mm-hmm. Swear it."

"You know what kind of person I am. Usually, I can... what was it again? Forgot the beginning, forgot the middle, forgot the end. Anyway, I'm a Child-faced Wolf too."

"Mm-hmm. Swear it."

"Fine, fine. I really swear, I, Bai Bufan..." This time, Bai Bufan did not stop short like Lin Li had just done. He finished the oath.

Though vows were made to be broken, and Luo Shui was still a joke because of Sima, that would not happen between Bai Bufan and Lin Li.

In truth, there was no need for him to swear. Bai Bufan had just been talking big the entire time.

Forget fifteen-year-old Bai Bufan—most people in this world were curious about such things. But even if they truly knew the channels, very few people with strict family discipline or obedient personalities would dare try it alone.

People needed companions.

One of the greatest sources of courage was companionship.

Like at the beginning of a school term, when the teacher told everyone who hadn't done their homework to stand up. If you were the only one standing—your heart would drop. You'd be done for.

But if a whole group stood up—hehe.

This was still illegal. If Lin Li dared to go all the way, Bai Bufan might struggle and hesitate before following him. But if he had to do it alone, then fuck that.

The moment he imagined that if anything went wrong, he alone would be screwed, Bai Bufan got scared.

"I'll just consider it a free foot wash and massage from you." Bai Bufan nodded.

"That works. Then wait for my notice. If I find a lead quickly, I can take you exploring this weekend." After settling it, Lin Li nodded as well. Then he stood up. There was only one minute left before class officially began. "Since it's settled, I need to go to the station now."

"Father, are you going to register me on the whitelist in advance so they won't really arrest me? You're so well-connected." Bai Bufan sounded somewhat admiring.

Being a police informant really was badass.

He was too capable.

"The station I'm going to is the restroom." With no time left, Lin Li did not look back.

"Fuck you—" After a second of silence, Bai Bufan burst into curses, then abruptly stopped.

No, Lin Li was his father now.

Li XP was unacceptable.

"Until you decide what day you're taking me exploring, I'm going back to being Bai Bufan, you bastard," Bai Bufan said expressionlessly.

The father-son bond between them had vanished without a trace after Lin Li replicated Bai Bufan's feat from last time at lunch—ordering five meat dishes without any rice.

Lin Li gave a disdainful smile.

The two parted ways beneath the teaching building, becoming strangers.

—Bai Bufan went back to the dormitory, while Lin Li, as a day student, could naturally only return to the classroom.

Around the time of the Monthly Exam, quite a few students would stay in the classroom to study at noon. But when Lin Li returned to the classroom today, there was barely anyone there. Only two people remained, a boy and a girl, both seated near the front. He was not familiar with either of them.

"My memory really does seem to have improved." Lin Li looked again at the passage his English teacher would make him recite next class. After giving it a try, he remarked in pleasant surprise.

At this moment, Lin Li's memory had already increased by 100%. Halfway through the fourth class that morning, Lin Li had seen the notification:

Task Three completed.

You have received:
Physique Improvement: Memory +100%;
System Currency ×50.

However, what followed was another extended task, much like the Body Tempering Eight Section Exercise.

If you wish for water to wear through stone, accumulation is indispensable. Cultivation has no end. Having taken the first step, you have glimpsed the value of your predecessors' experience.

Six hours pass in the blink of an eye. Why not persist once more and seek the Great Dao?

Task Three: When sect elders, stewards, protectors, and others impart teachings, instruct disciples, and answer questions, listen and study attentively for a cumulative total of twenty-four hours.

Reward:
Physique Improvement: Comprehension +10%;
Memory +100%;
Random cultivation technique ×1.

The task requirements had quadrupled, but the rewards were quite generous too. Though the increase in comprehension was only 10%, Lin Li understood it as directly making him 10% smarter, so the effect should be pretty strong.

Besides, studying was just studying. If he did not study during school anyway, Lin Li had nothing else to do.

As long as he maintained his efficiency over the next few days, he could finish this task within two weeks.

This system was urging him to study hard on one hand while encouraging him to linger around chicken farms on the other.

It was a balanced development of academics and physical education.