"What are you going to do?" Colonel Silver stared at Li Shu in terror as one horrifying image after another flashed through his mind.
"Open your mouth." Li Shu decided to make one last attempt. If it really didn't work, he'd keep Colonel Silver by his side and torment him every waking moment, just in case it triggered some other achievement.
As the saying went, you didn't leave empty-handed. Li Shu wasn't about to do all that work for nothing. Back when he went fishing in his previous life, if he hadn't caught a single fish, he'd still dig up a handful of dirt to take with him before leaving.
Colonel Silver opened his mouth without thinking. Li Shu flicked a finger, and a Senzu Bean shot toward him.
"Swallow it within two seconds, or I'll kill your whole family," Li Shu threatened.
Colonel Silver didn't dare resist now. He didn't even need two seconds—he swallowed it instantly.
He'd assumed it was some kind of poison, or an evil substance that could control his mind. He'd already steeled himself for a miserable fate.
But as soon as the Senzu Bean went down, his injuries healed in an instant. He stared at Li Shu in astonishment.
Could something so miraculous really exist?
He knew exactly how badly he'd been hurt. Yet in an instant, he was back to full health, his body restored to its peak condition.
But he'd completely lost his will to fight. He had no intention of resisting again. The chasm between them had made him realize his place.
All his arrogance and confidence from when he'd arrived had vanished, leaving only deep fear and awe.
He couldn't imagine anyone in the army who could defeat an enemy with such abilities.
Just as Li Shu had said, if he wanted to, he alone could wipe out the Red Ribbon Army—the army Colonel Silver had been so proud of.
After seeing what Li Shu could do, he had no doubt about it!
"Ding! Congratulations! You have completed the limited-time achievement quest 'There's Always Someone Stronger' and received the reward [Holographic Dragon Radar]. Achievement points +10!"
Li Shu's furrowed brow relaxed, and a bright smile spread across his face. The achievement points from limited-time quests were doubled. That felt great.
He now had a whopping 74 achievement points!
Son Goku had managed to capture a full-time housekeeper in Demon King Piccolo with just one Senzu Bean. What was so hard about capturing Colonel Silver?
The 10 achievement points lifted Li Shu's mood, and Colonel Silver even seemed more likable now.
"Why did you save me?" Watching Li Shu smile in the sunlight, Colonel Silver felt a little dazed. Without realizing it, his voice had softened as he asked.
Li Shu's smile faded. He looked at Colonel Silver coldly and said, "I just want you to go back and pass on a message. Keep the Dragon Balls you've collected safe. I'll come get them in seven days."
"I'll make sure they're ready." Colonel Silver nodded solemnly, summoned a jet with a Hoi-Poi Capsule, and flew away.
"Ding! Limited-time side-quest sign-in triggered: In seven days, go to the Red Ribbon Army headquarters to sign in. Quest reward: [Universal Upgrade Box]."
"[Universal Upgrade Box]: Has an extremely slim chance of upgrading an item inside it once. Can be used once per day."
"Notice: If the quest fails, this reward will be permanently lost."
"An extremely slim chance..." Li Shu was at a loss for words. The thing seemed useful, but with odds like that, it was practically worthless.
A 99% success rate was already frightening. What would it be like with an extremely slim chance? Still, it was free, so he might as well give it a try.
"Too bad it isn't an achievement quest, so there are no achievement points. Still, it's not bad. Maybe one day I'll get ridiculously lucky and succeed. Then I'll have saved myself some achievement points."
Li Shu was happily mulling it over when Wukong came over, holding a Dragon Ball that gave off a faint glow.
"Six-Star Ball?" Li Shu glanced at the still-unconscious shopkeeper and asked curiously, "Where did you find it?"
Wukong pointed at the window and grinned. "In the bird's nest right below it. I spotted it by accident when I turned into a Great Ape just now."
Li Shu put away the Dragon Ball, then woke the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper looked up at the blue sky, then at his house, now reduced to rubble, and asked with a trembling voice, "What happened to my house?"
"Those people just now destroyed it. Sorry for the trouble, but look at me and don't sweat the details, okay? The real issue is that you sold fake merchandise, so I'm demanding compensation." Li Shu patted the shopkeeper's chubby face and spoke with a perfectly straight face.
"Compensation?" The shopkeeper broke down, sat on the ground, and burst into tears. "I'm already in this state! How am I supposed to pay you?"
Li Shu shook his head. "I don't care. That's your problem. You sold fake merchandise, and I'm the victim. Either you give me a real Dragon Ball, or you pay me ten times the price—five million. If you won't pay, I'll beat you until you do. You choose."
Hearing that, the shopkeeper immediately stopped pretending. His sobs cut off. He looked around and asked, "Where did those people go?"
"They tore your house apart and still couldn't find the Dragon Ball, so they left," Li Shu said casually.
The shopkeeper stood up, dusted himself off, and put on his usual beaming smile. He said meaningfully, "So it's just you two now, huh?"
"That's right." Li Shu looked at the shopkeeper just as meaningfully.
"Come on, big brother. The shopkeeper's pretty pitiful too," Wukong, kindhearted as ever, said. "Just give us back the five hundred thousand. That was money I worked hard to earn."
"Sure, sure. I'll get the money right now." The shopkeeper reached for his waist, whipped out a pistol, and opened fire on Li Shu and Wukong.
Li Shu let the bullets hit him, then looked at Wukong and asked, "Do you still think he's pitiful?"
Wukong froze for a moment, then glared angrily at the shopkeeper. "You were trying to kill us?!"
The shopkeeper stared at them in terror. His pistol was empty, but he kept pulling the trigger, sweating profusely in his panic.
"You're just too awful!" The furious Wukong charged forward and beat the shopkeeper until his face was swollen and bruised.
Li Shu slowly walked up to the shopkeeper, who was slumped on the ground, and asked coldly, "Everyone has to pay for what they do. Are you willing to compensate me now?"
"I'll pay! Please stop hitting me!" Tears of regret welled in the shopkeeper's swollen eyes.
"Good." Li Shu nodded in satisfaction. "On top of the five million for selling fake merchandise, there's also compensation for the shock of you shooting at us, emotional distress, emotional turmoil, medical expenses, and so on. The total comes to ten million. Any objections?"
The shopkeeper stared at Li Shu in shock, terrified by the astronomical sum. He felt as though he couldn't catch his breath and passed out on the spot.
"What a hassle." Li Shu frowned, took out a Senzu Bean, and fed it to the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper had only been unconscious for a moment before he came to. He looked at Li Shu with sheer terror, as if he were staring at a walking demon.
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