Chapter 218

"Students these days are really working hard." At 5:40 p. m., Xiao Zhang leaned against his car, quietly waiting for the school bell to ring. Although it was called the end of school, for the second and third year high school students, it was really just a time to go out for dinner. They would have to come back for evening self-study in half an hour later—even though the final exams were just a few days away.

Of course, there are always exceptions. If it can be proven that self-study is more effective than evening self-study, then the privilege of going home is not impossible. And it is not surprising that Comrade Xiao Chen, who has unlocked the Proficiency Panel and can increase his achievement by reading, has this honor.

As a member of the Investigation Group, Xiao Zhang's eyesight was undoubtedly quite good, and he quickly spotted Chen Xiyao. However, for some reason, Xiao Chen Xiyao had a sullen face today and stood in the crowd with an imposing aura, as if she wanted to kidnap someone's mother.

"Xiao Chen, what's wrong today? You don't seem very happy?" After Chen Xiyao got into the car, Xiao Zhang started the engine and asked.

Hearing his question, Chen Xiyao's expression darkened further. She stared at his retreating figure with an expression that sent chills down Xiao Zhang's spine, and coldly said:

"Brother Zhang, could Sister Lin pick me up instead from now on? Or could you give me a monthly allowance so I can take the bus there myself?"

"Uh..." Xiao Zhang was a little confused by Chen Xiyao's sudden remark, but then he heard a reply that sent a chill down his spine—

"Today, Feng Xue sent a WeChat message saying that he has gained a new understanding of [the Uncle Driving a Mercedes]..."

"Cough cough cough..."

Choking on his slack, Xiao Zhang slammed on the brakes and stopped the car. He then coughed violently for a long time before finally catching his breath. He turned around, pointed to his face—which looked quite young because he was only thirty and didn't have a beard—and said blankly:

"The guy driving the Mercedes... middle-aged man?"

"Otherwise, it's all that Initial D's fault. It's an anime from so many years ago, and it's suddenly become popular again for no reason. Don't you think it's another kind of Weird Tale?"

Chen Xiyao muttered angrily, but Xiao Zhang's expression turned serious, and he said earnestly:

"It's trending?"

"Yeah, it seems pretty popular. I often hear classmates talking about things like 'Battle of Akina Mountain' or 'The loser leaves their car emblem,' and I often see related posts on Tieba. I think it's something like..."

Seeing that Xiao Zhang had suddenly become serious, Chen Xiyao pinched her brow, realizing she couldn't quite recall the exact words. She simply opened a webpage and searched, and sure enough, found the original quote.

"Last night I lost to an AE86. He used inertial drifting through the corners; his car was so fast, I only saw a tofu shop sign on it. If you know, please tell him I'll be waiting for him on Mount Akina Saturday night."

(Note: The upgrade to Wuling Hongguang occurred after 2016. I found two sources: one is a speeding monitor showing a Wuling Hongguang traveling from Guangzhou to Yulin at an average speed of 518 km/h, exceeding the speed limit by 331%; the other is a GIF of a Wuling Hongguang skidding and drifting to overtake in snowy weather. The monitoring was around July, but I don't know if the snowy GIF was from early or late 2016, so I can't determine the order.)

"Ah, this..."

Looking at the reply, which seemed to be a line from the original movie, Xiao Zhang, though thinking it was most likely just a coincidence, still nodded as a professional:

"Understood. I'll start investigating when I get back. This kind of situation should be easy to investigate. Just scan all the illegal video footage on the mountain roads, and then scan the areas where malfunctions are frequent. If there really is such Weird Tale, it will definitely come to light."

At this point, Xiao Zhang restarted the car and added:

"As for taking you to headquarters, well, I'll switch shifts with Kobayashi."

Chen Xiyao felt a little awkward after Xiao Zhang readily agreed. Following the technique she'd learned from Feng Xue, she quickly changed the subject:

"By the way, Feng... um, has the location of the codename [Instructor] been confirmed?"

"We've got a lead," Xiao Zhang replied while driving. "We found several voices from passersby in the background of your calls yesterday, all in Chinese. Our previous assumption that he was in Yan country is basically confirmed. By comparing the accents of those sentences, it's highly likely he's in Sichuan. Considering that, the sound of rushing water we heard earlier should be from the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, most likely the Minjiang or Jinsha River. Of course, we can't rule out Chinatown or something similar overseas, but there aren't many Chinatown with large rivers nearby, so searching there would be relatively easy."

"In Sichuan?" Chen Xiyao's eyes lit up slightly, but she also became a little nervous. After all, these things were revealed through her phone conversation with him. If the other party suffered any losses as a result, wouldn't she be the one to blame? But she was already under official surveillance and didn't have many other options.

Seeing Chen Xiyao's conflicted expression, Xiao Zhang remembered Old Wang's instructions and shook his head, saying:

"Don't be afraid. Actually, we haven't decided yet how to contact the [instructor]. The specifics still need to be discussed and decided. The reason we need to determine his location is mainly for stability. It's the same target, but being in the open or in the shadows are two completely different concepts. You should understand this, right? If you're still worried, you can just tell him that we're confirming his location by phone."

"Huh? Really?" Chen Xiyao's eyes widened in disbelief, even suspecting that the authorities were testing her. Xiao Zhang, speechless at the girl's naiveté, sighed:

"Both sides are obviously aware of this unspoken agreement. We didn't kidnap you. If you secretly call us, can we really stop you? Ultimately, the fact that he dared to give you his phone number means he's willing to communicate with us. The fact that we haven't imposed any restrictions on you is also a sign of goodwill. It's just that neither side is ready to meet directly, which is why we need you to convey our thoughts. Of course, if you and he really do become a couple, the organization would be very supportive."

"I'm immune to your attempts to change the subject!" Chen Xiyao blushed slightly, but still resolutely withstood the barrage of questions about romance, and said directly:

"So, when I call him later, I can just ask him if his location is okay?"

Chen Xiyao's words were quite skillful. She didn't tell Feng Xue that "the authorities have roughly pinpointed your location," but rather said "directly inquire about the location." This left some room for maneuver for both her and the authorities. If the authorities could simply say something like "your actions might offend them," Chen Xiyao could easily let go of the idea.

"No problem, it's your freedom to ask what you want." Xiao Zhang seemed indifferent to Chen Xiyao's probing, but at the same time, the Supernatural Tale Countermeasures Bureau, having received the news, still started a "pre-battle meeting".

It's not that Xiao Zhang is playing the empty city ploy; as I said before, although both sides probably think that way, we still have to consider the possibility that "the other side is actually a naive young man who hasn't thought of these things at all."

I wrote a special guide on climbing the tower to help everyone understand, but some people still argue about it. I'm really frustrated.

The strength of Weird Tale can be roughly divided into two parts: the base stats and the extra multiplier.

The former refers to the basic attributes inherent in the character, such as strength, speed, and stamina, which determine the character's typical Combat Power in a Weird Tale.

The extra multiplier is its special attack attribute, such as special attack against humans or being special attacked by humans, which determines the calculation of advantages and disadvantages against specific enemies.

Someone keeps talking about horizontal expansion, but how exactly do you plan to expand horizontally? They even say things like, "Just create an omniscient, omnipotent, and flawless Weird Tale," and you make it sound so easy! It's like seeing someone struggling to start a business and immediately saying, "Why don't you just do business worth hundreds of millions a day?" How can you even bring yourself to say that?

Furthermore, I think anyone with a brain wouldn't suggest stacking resistances first. Ultimately, are you more likely to encounter someone who counters you, or someone with whom you have no counters? Stacking stats is clearly more beneficial than stacking resistances, right?

It's true that WarGreymon is super effective against Dragon types, but first and foremost, it's an Ultimate-level monster. If you were a Baby monster, you'd die no matter if your opponent was a Dragon or not, understand?

I explained it so clearly in the tower-climbing section: Weird Tale compensate for the weaknesses of individual Weird Tale by incorporating other Weird Tale. Vampires also double as Demon Hunter and paladins to reduce their own shortcomings, and cowboys also incorporate illusion-based Weird Tale to avoid situations where ranged attacks are ineffective. How did some people come up with the idea that encountering a martial arts nemesis means certain death?

Finally, the main theme of this book isn't getting stronger, but survival. The protagonist is currently practicing martial arts to unlock the resurrection skill, understand?