As long as more people came to break my shields, my Shield Breaking progress would increase dramatically.
And I could get plenty of rewards from the Blind Boxes they opened!
If I was lucky, perhaps my strength would improve to some degree as well.
Just as he was lying in bed, thinking to himself, someone knocked on his door.
"Excuse me, is Mr. Zhou Cheng in there?"
A man's somewhat shrill voice came from outside.
Zhou Cheng frowned slightly. Who could it be at this hour?
He was wearing a bathrobe when he opened the door.
A middle-aged man stood outside, dressed in the Uchiha Clan's uniform.
"Who are you?"
Zhou Cheng raised an eyebrow. Someone from the Uchiha Clan.
"Mr. Zhou Cheng, I'm sorry to bother you so late!"
"My name is Uchiha Kiyoshi, and I'm the captain of the Uchiha Police Force!"
"What do you want?"
The captain of the police force?
That was a pretty high-ranking position, with a lot of power!
In a country, it would be like being the minister of defense!
"I'm here to apologize on behalf of my son!"
"Your son?"
"Uchiha Tadashi?"
Uchiha Kiyoshi nodded, a hint of ingratiation on his face.
Everything that had happened in the plaza that day had already been reported to the higher-ups of the Great Elder's faction.
They couldn't yet determine just how strong Zhou Cheng was, but they were green with envy over the rewards he was giving out.
The variety of dazzling treasures included things they had never heard of or seen before.
If they could get Zhou Cheng's support, then the clan leader's position would fall to their faction.
"This is the first time I've heard of someone apologizing on another person's behalf. Please leave!"
Zhou Cheng's expression turned cold. He and Uchiha Tadashi didn't have any deep-seated grudge, so it would have been easy to settle things.
But first Uchiha Kiyoshi was apologizing on Uchiha Tadashi's behalf. That showed no sincerity at all!
"Wait, Mr. Zhou Cheng!"
Uchiha Kiyoshi hurriedly called out to Zhou Cheng, who was about to close the door, then shouted toward the corner of the hallway:
"Get over here, now!"
Zhou Cheng frowned and turned around at the sound. Was this ever going to end?
He'd only just managed to get some peace and quiet!
A young man came out from around the corner, still injured. It was Uchiha Tadashi, whom Zhou Cheng had defeated with a single ninjutsu.
He jogged over to Zhou Cheng and bowed deeply.
"Sir, I'm sorry!"
"I was in the wrong earlier. Please accept my apology!"
He remained bowed, not straightening up, as if he would stay that way until Zhou Cheng accepted his apology.
Zhou Cheng shook his head slightly. It wasn't some deep-seated grudge, after all. He just needed one small favor!
I still need plenty of people to help break my shields.
"Fine! It's not some deep-seated grudge. I have only one condition!"
"Get up first!"
Only then did Uchiha Tadashi straighten up, a fawning smile on his face.
"Please, Mr. Zhou Cheng!"
Uchiha Kiyoshi looked solemn. He still cared a great deal about Zhou Cheng.
His mysterious strength and mysterious Blind Boxes were both the kind of support they needed to contend for the clan leader's position.
"When I step into the Arena, send more experts."
"Everyone is equal before me. You get rewards based on your own ability!"
"But all I want is to die. I only care about how to die as quickly as possible!"
"A thousand ordinary people attacking me wouldn't compare to one Jonin."
Uchiha Kiyoshi's eyes lit up. He was helping us indirectly!
If everyone attacking him in the Arena belonged to the Great Elder's faction, then everyone who got rewards would belong to their faction too.
If they drew any rare treasures, the overall strength of their faction would increase dramatically!
Uchiha Kiyoshi pulled a piece of paper from his clothes and held it out to Zhou Cheng.
Zhou Cheng looked at them in confusion but didn't take it. It didn't look like money. Who knew what it was?
"We heard that Mr. Zhou Cheng's house was no longer fit to live in, leaving him with no choice but to stay at a hotel. The Great Elder was deeply distressed!"
"He instructed me to make sure this was taken care of!"
"This is the deed to a house with its own courtyard."
"It's the perfect residence for a great man like you!"
Zhou Cheng raised an eyebrow. They were giving him a whole house?
Was this a bribe?
Zhou Cheng still didn't take the deed. He didn't want to get too involved with them!
With the system, was he really going to be short on money?
If he spread the word that he wanted to buy items from the Blind Boxes, he was sure the hotel would be packed in no time!
"I'm not short on money!"
"Houses and wealth are just worldly possessions. You can't take them with you when you're born or when you die!"
"In the end, they're nothing but dust!"
"Enough. Go back."
Zhou Cheng shut the door and went back to lie down on the bed.
All he wanted now was to shut out the world and get some proper rest.
Outside, Uchiha Kiyoshi and Uchiha Tadashi turned around, their expressions changing at once.
Without saying a word, the two of them left the hotel.
Only then did Uchiha Tadashi complain to his father:
"Father, was that really necessary?"
"He's just one person!"
"Does our faction really need to get on his good side?"
Uchiha Kiyoshi's expression darkened. What an unworthy son—his grandfather had spoiled him rotten!
"Do you still not understand the situation?"
"Look at all the good things he gave away today!"
"Some of those items are rare treasures even by the standards of the entire Ninja World."
"And Itachi, Shisui, Kakashi, and Tsunade—none of these powerful people could harm him at all!"
"You want to make an enemy of someone like that?"
"He wants to die, lets anyone attack him, and then gives them rewards. The favors he's handing out are enormous!"
"If he holds the Arena for another ten days, the favors he'll have given out will be beyond anything we can imagine!"
"If he wanted to, all he'd have to do is call, and plenty of people would come to his aid!"
"Some of them would be powerful ninjas. Wherever you put that kind of force, it can't be underestimated."
"You still look down on him?"
Uchiha Kiyoshi looked at Uchiha Tadashi and saw that sweat had already covered his forehead. Even the back of his shirt was soaked through.
Uchiha Kiyoshi sighed inwardly. How could someone like this stand up to Itachi Uchiha and Shisui?
He'd be better off quietly living a wealthy man's life!
"Remember this: if you want to hold on to everything you have now, don't listen to your grandfather and try to become a candidate for clan leader."
"You're worlds apart from Itachi and the others!"
Uchiha Tadashi stood there, stunned, as if struck by lightning.
He wasn't a fool. He could naturally understand what his father's words meant!
Uchiha Kiyoshi didn't stop there.
You foolish son, I'm trying to save you!
If you want to survive in this world, strength is essential!
But with your talent and personality, you'll never become strong.
So keep your head down and stay alive!
Unless you can get a huge opportunity from Zhou Cheng and make your strength improve by leaps and bounds!
The Uchiha Clan's compound.
At Itachi Uchiha and Sasuke's home.
The living room was brightly lit. Fugaku listened quietly as Itachi and Sasuke told him what had happened at the Arena that day.
The more he heard, the more shocked he became. It all seemed more and more unbelievable.
Even Susanoo couldn't harm Zhou Cheng in the slightest.
Before you continue