I Thought You Could Make More Trouble Than That

Murong Xue's threat was like a pebble thrown into a lake; it didn't even cause a ripple in Luo Li's heart for long.

Back in the city, he took Lu Jingheng back to his temporary lodgings and then put the little incident behind him.

The harsh words of a spoiled little girl are not worth his time.

What he was more concerned about was which heroes to use during his live stream that night to further solidify his "hero pool" persona, and... the new dish that Castorice had promised to try making tonight—supposedly a modified version of "Amphoreus -style stew" based on an online recipe.

However, the tree may wish to remain still, but the wind will not cease.

The next morning, as usual, Luo Li logged into the guild's internal system to check the available quests and discovered something strange.

With his B+ level privileges, he should theoretically be able to see a large number of B level tasks and some A level tasks.

However, the task list that refreshed at this moment was very small, and most of them were extremely marginal tasks with pitifully low contribution points, or obviously thankless and tedious tasks.

For example, [Clean up the D-level mutated cockroaches in the East District sewers (reward: 10 contribution points)], [Assist in harvesting mutated corn at the North City Farm (bring your own tools, reward: meals provided)]...

This is clearly abnormal.

Luo Li frowned and tried searching for several B-level missions he had previously followed that were suitable for his abilities, but the system prompted "This mission has already been accepted" or "Permissions do not match".

Permissions incompatible? He's already at level B+!

He immediately contacted the guild's mission dispatch office.

The call connected, and the staff member on the other end sounded somewhat hesitant, "Mr. Luo Li... we understand your situation. However... mission resources are quite tight recently, and high-level missions have been prioritized for... um, some experienced teams with long-term cooperative records."

Please wait patiently, or... you can take on some basic tasks to get used to it first...

Before he could finish speaking, the call was abruptly disconnected.

Luo Li put down her phone, her eyes turning cold.

Task resources are scarce? Prioritize allocation.

You're kidding me!

He was just promoted to B+ level yesterday and gained A-level privileges, and today he's already experiencing "resource shortages"?

This targeting is far too obvious.

Who else could it be but Miss Murong, whom he had just slapped?

"Heh... you're pretty quick."

Luo Li scoffed.

He wasn't surprised.

This kind of trope of using one's family background to resort to underhanded tactics has been overused in novels and TV dramas set before the apocalypse.

He was just a little... disappointed.

I thought that Murong Xue would cause quite a stir.

That's all?

Using family influence to make things difficult for him in the guild quest system?

That's... ridiculously childish.

"Li Zi! Li Zi!"

Just then, Yang Shan stormed into Luo Li's house, his face filled with indignation.

"Have you heard? That little princess from the Murong Family is spreading rumors everywhere that she wants to blacklist you! She's even using her connections to get the guild to stop your quests!"

Clearly, the news has spread.

"Yeah, I just noticed."

Luo Li pointed to the empty task list on the computer screen, her tone indifferent.

"Damn it! This is so unfair!"

Yang Shan slammed his fist on the table in anger.

"So what if I slapped her? She deserved it! Why should she be treated like this? I'm going to talk to my captain!"

Don't be impulsive.

Luo Li stopped him.

"What's the use of finding your captain? The Murong Family is a council member. They have plenty of ways to manipulate a 'newcomer' like me over such a trivial matter."

"Your captain would actually go against the board members for my sake?"

Yang Shan opened his mouth, knowing that Luo Li was telling the truth, but he was still incredibly frustrated. "Then what are we going to do? Just put up with it? Stop taking on missions from now on?"

"Endure it?"

Luo Li seemed to have heard something amusing, and a nonchalant smile curled at the corner of her lips.

Do I look like the kind of person who would swallow their anger?

He stood up and stretched his wrists.

"She wants to play, right? Fine, I'll play with her."

"So what if it's a quest? I refuse to believe that the Murong Family can control everything and block all avenues for earning contribution points in Jiangcheng!"

Guild quests are just one way to obtain resources and contribution points, not the only way.

Luo Li opened another interface, which was the guild's internal information exchange board and bounty area.

The information here is even more complex, including private requests for help, invitations to cooperate with other forces, and even some... gray-area transaction information.

"Can the Murong Family influence official task allocation and also control how others issue bounties privately?"

Luo Li's gaze swept quickly across the screen, and she soon locked onto a message.

[Private Bounty: Clear the 'Corrosive Rats' infesting the 'Abandoned Underground Railway Section B13' (assessed as a C+ level swarm, possibly with B-level individuals). Reward: 1500 Contribution Points, or equivalent Energy Crystals. Posted by: Anonymous.]

Abandoned subway? The environment there is complex, the signal is extremely poor, and the rat population is huge. Cleaning it up is time-consuming and laborious. Official missions rarely involve such places, and the rewards are relatively low.

However, for Luo Li, who possesses Portable Space for efficient material transport and processing and urgently needs to break through the blockade, this is a good option.

"That's it." Luo Li accepted the bounty immediately.

"Li Zi, this..." Yang Shan with some worry.

"The underground environment is too complex, and the bounty is anonymous. What if..."

"There's no 'what if'."

Luo Li interrupted him, her eyes filled with confidence.

"In the face of absolute power, these little tricks are nothing."

He patted Yang Shan on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Shan Zai. If she wants to play dirty tricks, I'll use open tactics to break the deadlock. I want to see whether she can get stuck on the task faster or I can earn contribution points faster."

After saying that, he didn't linger any longer, quickly packed his gear, and prepared to set off.

"Do you need any help?" Yang Shan asked quickly.

"No need, it's a small matter."

Luo Li waved her hand and left home alone.

Over the next few days, Luo Li completely transformed into a "bounty hunter."

He no longer relied on the guild's official quest system, but instead focused on the information board and bounty area.

[Private Request for Assistance: Escort a research team to Silent Hill to collect samples (Danger Level B-), payment negotiable.] -- Accepted!

[Team Recruitment: Explore 'Old Era Military Base S7 Area' (suspected presence of B+ level mechanical guards), requires strong DPS.] -- Accept! With his demonstrated "B+ level" strength and Enma's sharpness, he quickly became the core of the team.

[Resource Collection: Buy large quantities of 'Blood Wolf Fangs' (Grade C), at 20% above market price.] -- Follow! Utilize [Space Folding] and [Time Retardation] to hunt efficiently and return with a full load.

He specifically chooses commissions that are challenging and well-paid, but which are not favored by the official mission system for various reasons (remote location, long time consumption, uncertain risks).

With the superior mobility and survivability granted by his [Spacetime] Path, and the formidable combat power of Enma, he completed these tasks, which would be quite challenging for ordinary B-level ability users, with great efficiency.

Moreover, since it is a private commission, the settlement is more flexible, and the contribution points and resources are directly credited to the account, completely bypassing the official channels through which the Murong Family might exert influence.

In just a few days, Luo Li not only avoided being stuck on missions, but also earned contribution points and resources much faster than before because the bounty rewards he accepted were generally higher than those of official missions of the same level!

The news quickly spread within the small circle of superhumans in Jiangcheng.

"Have you heard? That newly promoted B+ level Luo Li doesn't fall for the Murong Family's tricks at all!"

"Yeah, right! Since they can't get any official missions, they just go and take on private missions, and they complete them incredibly efficiently!"

"I saw him come out of the old military base alone yesterday, carrying a huge bag of mechanical cores. He must have made a fortune!"

"The Murong Family has really bitten off more than they can chew this time. They tried to use a mission to hold someone hostage? Turns out, the other side is much more cunning than they thought!"

These discussions naturally reached Murong Xue's ears.

She originally thought that as long as she used her influence, she could make it impossible for Luo Li to move an inch in the guild, and in the end, she would only be able to come to her in a sorry state and admit her mistake.

But to her utter surprise, Luo Li didn't play by the rules at all, completely ignoring the official mission system and making a name for himself in the private bounty field!

This made her feel like she had punched cotton with all her might, leaving her so frustrated she almost vomited blood.

"Useless! All of you are useless!"

In the ornately decorated room, Murong Xue violently swept the valuable porcelain pieces off the table, causing them to shatter with a piercing sound.

Her delicate face was contorted with anger, and the spot where Luo Li had slapped her yesterday seemed to be throbbing again.

"You can't even handle this simple matter! What use are you to me?!"

She roared at her subordinates, who stood silently with their hands at their sides.

"Please calm down, Miss..." the subordinate explained tremblingly, "We can exert influence within the guild, but private bounties... involve too many aspects, we really... have no way to completely control them..."

I don't care!

Murong Xue wouldn't listen at all.

"I only care about the result! I want Luo Li to be unable to make a living in Jiangcheng! I want him to kneel before me!"

Her chest heaved violently, her eyes flashing with resentment and unwillingness.

This feeling of being out of control made her extremely uncomfortable.

In particular, the man who dared to hit her, far from falling into trouble as she had hoped, seemed to be... living an even more comfortable life?

This realization was like a poisonous thorn, deeply embedded in her Pride heart.

What Murong Xue wanted, she never failed to get.

Those she wanted to teach a lesson never escaped unscathed.

Luo Li... you wait!

I will never let you get away with this!

Murong Xue clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging deep into her palms.

At this moment, Luo Li had just completed a private commission to clean up a mutated beehive and was leisurely walking home with a generous reward in hand.

He was in a pretty good mood as he heard the system notification in his mind that his contribution points had been credited to his account.

He even felt a little grateful to Murong Xue.

If it weren't for her doing this, he wouldn't have discovered this "treasure trove" of private bounties.

High efficiency, good pay, and not too many restrictions.

"Tsk, I thought they were going to cause a big commotion..."

Luo Li looked at the unchanging Blood-Erosion Clouds on the horizon and lazily yawned.

"Is that all the result is?"

"This is really... uninspiring."

He shook his head and walked briskly toward the window that was lit with a warm light.

Rather than scheming against a spoiled little girl, he was more looking forward to what delicious food Castorice would cook for him tonight.

As for Murong Xue and the Murong Family behind her?

Whatever.

Just leave him alone.

If someone really doesn't know what's good for them and runs right into it...

A barely perceptible glint of cold light flashed in Luo Li's eyes.

He wouldn't mind helping the other person "repair" their distorted personality.