Character: Yang Chen (Grandmaster!) Physique: Mortal Grade Title: None! Level: A-Class! Authority: Check-in! (On cooldown, cooldown period: 14 days!) Shop: Not unlocked! Ability: Devour!
Yang Chen looked at the screen before him. Its attributes had gradually increased, and with them, his strength had steadily improved.
At that moment, not only was his physical body comparable to a Grandmaster's, but his spiritual energy cultivation had also reached the terrifying A-Class.
An ordinary ability user would need several years, or even more than a decade, to make the huge leap from E-Class to A-Class.
Yet Yang Chen had reached such terrifying strength in just one day!
There was no denying it: the system's capabilities were incredible!
With a slight movement of his finger, a tiny flame flickered and burned at his fingertip.
Feeling the heat of the flame, Yang Chen was overjoyed.
He couldn't reveal his Devour Ability lightly. If people found out he possessed such an absurdly powerful ability, they would likely target him immediately.
Even though his physique had now reached the Grandmaster level, Yang Chen knew full well that he still wasn't strong enough to look down on everyone in Huaxia.
After all, only his physical body had reached the Grandmaster level. His spiritual energy cultivation was merely A-Class.
He could deal with S-Class ability users, but if he came up against a Grandmaster—especially one who had spent a long time honing his strength—he was bound to lose.
Yang Chen reckoned that, among Grandmasters, he could only be considered a newly advanced one.
And how many newly advanced Grandmasters were there on Earth?
Definitely fewer than ten!
Most were powerful experts who had spent a long time honing their strength at the Grandmaster level!
Yang Chen still held a trace of wariness toward this world, even toward Number 98.
Even if Number 98 was Huaxia's guardian, there could still be a few rotten apples among its ranks. It would be bad if someone coveted his ability!
After dispelling the flame, Yang Chen glanced out the window and realized that it was already daylight!
He hurriedly took out his phone to check the time. It was already seven o'clock the next morning!
Yang Chen was a little surprised.
In that scene, he had felt as if only a short while had passed—no more than half an hour—but an entire night had gone by in the outside world!
"Time really flies!"
Yang Chen couldn't help sighing.
He drew back the curtains. Sunlight slowly streamed through the window and fell across his face, making him squint slightly.
Grrr~
A rumble of hunger came from Yang Chen's stomach.
"I'm hungry again!"
Yang Chen smiled wryly. He had noticed that ever since becoming an ability user, his appetite had grown. Sometimes, he got hungry after only two or three hours.
That would have been completely impossible before!
Back then, Yang Chen could even go three days without eating.
Now, though, going three hours without food left him feeling a little hungry!
Yang Chen shook his head helplessly, opened the door, and headed toward Liu's Noodle Shop.
Today was the day he had arranged with Wild Wolf to meet Jiangnan's chief officer, but Yang Chen still wanted to eat a bowl of Grandpa Liu's noodles before leaving.
After all, he was the one who decided, wasn't he?
The stronger party was the one who got to set the rules!
And clearly, he was the stronger party!
By now, the streets were already getting somewhat busy.
Yang Chen lived in the old part of Hancheng. The houses were cheaper there, but the streets were still quite crowded.
Liu's Noodle Shop was even busier!
The sight didn't surprise Yang Chen at all. Liu's Noodle Shop served some of the best food within a hundred-meter radius!
Yang Chen walked in with familiar ease, found an empty seat, and smiled as he waved to the old man. "Grandpa Liu, a three-tael beef noodle soup, with less chili!"
The old man looked at Yang Chen. His cloudy eyes narrowed slightly, then immediately returned to their usual kindly expression as he smiled and nodded.
But when he lowered his head, his expression gradually turned puzzled. He kept murmuring under his breath.
"An A-Class ability user? That doesn't make sense!"
The moment he'd seen Yang Chen today, he had sensed the level of his spiritual energy cultivation. Yesterday, his cultivation had been indistinct and hard to make out.
If Yang Chen really was an A-Class ability user, the old man's discerning eye shouldn't have been wrong. But what he'd sensed yesterday and today was different!
"What's going on?"
The old man shook his head in confusion and went back to preparing the noodles, though his movements had grown somewhat stiff.
A moment later, he carried a large bowl of beef noodles over to Yang Chen's table.
Yang Chen smiled and thanked him, then dug in enthusiastically.
Just then, a black sedan slowly pulled up beside Yang Chen's house and stopped. A burly middle-aged man in military uniform climbed out.
His face was stern, his features as hard as steel. Wang Teng followed behind him.
Wang Teng, however, looked a little awkward.
The burly middle-aged man was none other than Wild Wolf!
Today was the day he'd arranged to meet Yang Chen, so he'd come early in the morning to take him to the provincial capital and meet Jiangnan's chief officer.
That was also what the chief officer wanted!
As soon as Wild Wolf got out of the car, he noticed Liu's Noodle Shop. He spotted Yang Chen at one of the tables, and his expression softened slightly.
He led Wang Teng over to Yang Chen's table.
Yang Chen noticed Wild Wolf's arrival as well.
Ever since his physique had reached the Grandmaster level, his senses had improved by leaps and bounds!
That was how he sensed Wild Wolf coming!
Without even looking up, Yang Chen continued eating his noodles. Wild Wolf and Wang Teng didn't mind in the slightest. They ordered two bowls from the old man, then sat down and ate with Yang Chen.
After a while, Yang Chen finished the noodles in his bowl and wiped his mouth. Looking at Wild Wolf, he smiled and said, "Sorry to keep you waiting!"
Wild Wolf set down his chopsticks too. "Now that you've finished, Mr. Yang, come with me to Jiangnan City to meet our chief officer. He's already waiting for you!"
Yang Chen nodded, then looked at Wang Teng beside Wild Wolf with a knowing smile. Wang Teng immediately stiffened and gave Yang Chen an awkward grin.
Wild Wolf furrowed his brow. He knew what had happened the day before, but fortunately Wang Teng had handled it reasonably well. Otherwise, he wouldn't have brought him along today.
"Yesterday, my disciple's subordinate was blind and offended you. I hope you won't hold it against him, Mr. Yang!"
Yang Chen waved a hand and said magnanimously, "Of course not. I was only doing a job for money, and I just happened to do it for him. Why would I hold a grudge against a junior?"
Wang Teng's expression turned awkward. He couldn't help grumbling to himself.
You're about the same age as me. How am I a junior? All right, you're stronger, so you get to decide!
Wild Wolf didn't take offense. After all, when you were strong enough, whatever you said went. Nitpicking about things like this would only seem forced.
Instead, he changed the subject and said, "By the way, I've noticed something. Are you short on money, Mr. Yang?"
Yang Chen was clearly interested in the subject too. His eyes lit up, and he nodded vigorously.
"Uh-huh!!"
Wild Wolf thought for a moment, then took a black card from his pocket and handed it to Yang Chen. "This is a bank card exclusive to Number 98. It works with all the banks, and there's a limit of one million in it. Feel free to use it, Mr. Yang. Consider it a small gift from me. I hope you won't hold my disciple's mistake against him."
Yang Chen took the card and smiled. "Of course not. We just had a little misunderstanding, that's all. Hehe!"
Wild Wolf visibly relaxed.
A million wasn't much to him. If it could resolve some of the friction between Yang Chen and his disciple, it was well worth it!
Wang Teng, standing beside Wild Wolf, also seemed to relax. He had come along with his master for two reasons. One was to meet Jiangnan's chief officer, a legendary figure in the region. The other was to smooth things over with Yang Chen.
As things stood, it seemed to have worked pretty well!
"Then, Mr. Yang, do you need to get anything ready? If not, we can discuss some things on the way. How does that sound?"
Wild Wolf asked softly.
Yang Chen nodded, followed Wild Wolf, and got into the black sedan!
The old man at Liu's Noodle Shop watched as Yang Chen and Wild Wolf left. A faint light glimmered in his cloudy eyes before he slowly headed inside.
He picked up an old-fashioned telephone, took a deep breath, and set his jaw with determination.
Beep, beep!
The old man pressed the buttons on the phone and made a call.
"Tell Xiao Chen to keep a close eye on the kid he's about to meet. This person is far too..."
The old man thought for a long time, unable to find the right word. Finally, he slowly uttered two words.
"Absurdly powerful!"
The person on the other end of the line stayed silent for a long time.
A moment later, a deep, resonant voice came through the phone.
"All right."
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