From Igniting Talent to Becoming a Demon God Section 29

Lu Chao raised an eyebrow slightly. The female patrol officer interrogating the yellow-haired young man looked familiar—she was the one he had seen at the scene by the residential building today.

Back then, she had asked Old Cheng a few questions too. Her shoulder insignia marked her as a second-rank patrol officer, a genuine fighter.

As if she had sensed his gaze, or had learned about his situation during the interrogation, she soon turned her head and looked over, meeting his eyes briefly.

"What are you looking at, kid?"

Zhou Qiang had come over at some point and asked with a smile.

Lu Chao snapped back to himself, only then realizing the other man had already finished dealing with things, and that the patrol car looked as if it was about to leave again.

"That fast?"

He was a little surprised. At first, he had thought he would be questioned too, that they would take his statement.

In the end, from beginning to end, no one had come looking to give him trouble.

"Just a small matter."

"Don't worry. This ends here."

Zhou Qiang waved a hand and did not explain further.

Lu Chao was thoughtful.

Perhaps the Hongyi Society's influence was greater than he had imagined?

"As for you..."

Mistaking Lu Chao for thinking about something else, Zhou Qiang patted him on the shoulder and said, "Tonight counts as a 'work injury' too."

"Don't worry. Brother Hao definitely won't short you on compensation."

He said it with a broad smile, as if hinting at something.

Lu Chao froze for a moment, and then saw the patrol car with its flashing red and blue lights slowly start up and gradually drive away.

The ashen-faced yellow-haired young man, along with the Colt Pistol, was escorted away and vanished down the street.

"All right, I'm off too."

Seeing that the matter was settled, Zhou Qiang turned around briskly as well and drove off in the black Ruiguang sedan.

For a moment, the night wind blew past, bringing a hint of chill.

The roar of the engine grew farther and farther away. The neighbors who had been watching the excitement withdrew their gazes one after another, leaving only Lu Chao and Zhao Yuanqing standing at the street corner.

"The Hongyi Society, the Patrol Bureau..."

His gaze wavered as he watched the taillights of the cars disappear one after another. For some reason, a trace of emotion rose in Lu Chao's heart.

Things that ordinary people needed to spend great effort and many favors to accomplish might only take a few words in the eyes of these powers.

Besides that...

Lu Chao clenched his fist slightly.

This yellow-haired young man had only been a small fry, but even so, with a Colt Pistol, he had still nearly threatened his life.

Next time, what if he encountered an even stronger enemy?

The night passed without incident.

At seven in the morning, Lu Chao woke up in bed.

Thanks to the support of Primary Resilience, the fatigue from days of martial arts training and corpse collection had completely recovered. Even the mental shock from last night's danger had gradually settled.

Then he pulled open the old curtains and watched sunlight spill down from the dome, casting mottled light and shadow.

He stood where he was, quietly savoring this brief peace.

"I even had a dream."

Perhaps because of last night's dangerous experience, he dreamed that he had become a powerful fighter, making Gold-Stone Martial Arts Hall proud, and had even become a "big shot" in the eyes of the Patrol Bureau and the Hongyi Society.

But.

Shaking his head inwardly, Lu Chao silently walked out of the room and came to the outer balcony beside the living room.

Splash! Splash!

The rusty yellow faucet was turned on, and he cupped cold water in his hands and splashed it onto his face.

Under the stimulus of the icy water, Lu Chao felt as if all his negative emotions and complicated thoughts had been washed away.

"A dream is ultimately only illusion. Strength is the foundation for standing in reality."

"As long as I'm strong enough... no matter who my enemy is in the future, I won't need to fear them."

His gaze firm and sharp, Lu Chao wiped the water from his face, his thoughts completely calm.

Then he looked outward, and the view opened up before him.

Beneath the gray sky, low concrete buildings could be seen one after another, stretching outward like concentric rings, layered upon layered.

Clothes hung out to dry fluttered in the wind on every household's balcony. The sound of a vehicle horn rose from downstairs, tearing through the quiet of the early morning.

His gaze drew back, passing over the barrenness of the Embroidery Belt as Lu Chao looked toward the innermost end of the Iron Ring District.

A broad river wide enough for cargo ships to sail encircled the city ring like a natural moat, cutting this old concrete city off from the inner-ring urban area.

Several cross-river bridges stretched out like giant arms of steel, piercing the river mist all the way to the bustling central district.

"What are you looking at?"

Zhao Yuanqing walked over drowsy-eyed, carrying a washbasin and wearing a black tank top.

Lu Chao raised his head, indicating the distant inner-ring urban area surrounded by the river.

River mist drifted everywhere, yet streaks of flickering light floated through the air. At the center of that neon glow, the faint outline of a towering spire reaching into the sky could still be seen.

"Prism Ring Tower, huh..."

Rubbing his eyes, Zhao Yuanqing looked over as well, his tone somewhat wistful.

That was the most prosperous and also the safest inner-ring urban area in Prism Ring City, with extremely advanced infrastructure, orderly governance, and land worth its weight in gold.

By comparison, the Iron Ring District could only be called a rust belt, backward and dilapidated.

"Say, do you think we'll ever get the chance to buy ourselves a little nest there?"

Zhao Yuanqing's voice carried longing, along with a trace of uncertainty.

There was no one who did not want to settle there.

But the expensive housing prices, as well as the inner-ring urban area's entry restrictions and qualification reviews, were enough to make most people stop in their tracks.

Thinking of that, he felt a little deflated again, finding this hope unrealistic.

"Who can say?"

Yet Lu Chao only smiled faintly and patted him on the shoulder.

There was no mockery. He simply said, "Maybe tomorrow. Maybe next year."

"At least, there'll always be a chance in the future."

For over ten days straight.

The Cleaning Squad, the bar, the martial arts hall...

Lu Chao was like a precisely calibrated humanoid machine, tireless as he balanced martial arts training and work, completely setting aside the little incident of the blond young man's attack.

During that period, the loan company called again to ask whether he needed a loan, and he refused.

Gradually, when he reached his second month at Gold-Stone Martial Arts Hall.

[Vitality: 14→15!]

[Potential Progress: 64%]

"Whew!!"

Letting out a breath of scorching white vapor, Lu Chao walked to the corner of the training room and glanced at the panel during his rest break.

His Vitality had risen by two points again, bringing him closer and closer to Combat Grade.

Surging power flowed through his limbs and bones. His punching force had already exceeded one hundred and fifty kilograms.

Then he turned slightly to the side.

Lu Chao looked at his reflection in the window.

Sweat slid down his masculine face, then slowly traced the lines of muscle across his chest and abdomen.

His shoulders and back were thicker, and his legs and arms had grown a bit sturdier as well.

Compared to himself two months ago, he could now fully be described as burly.

But.