Shop Refresh, Merchandise Upgraded

The dust settled, and the sun slanted westward.

The evening glow dyed the streets and alleys of the west district red. It was time for the patrolmen to check in and get off duty.

Shen Yan brushed the dust from his uniform and settled on a time to drink with Old Chen that evening. They parted at the street corner. Old Chen had to return to the police station to hand over the case files, while Shen Yan headed deeper into the neighborhood.

Ever since he had transmigrated here, his police uniform had been faded from years of washing, and its lining had worn stiff. After the chaotic fight just now, the hem was stained with dust and blood.

Shen Yan changed course and went straight into the old clothing shop at the mouth of the alley. He picked out two dark short jackets and a pair of hard-wearing trousers, all in styles that hid dirt and allowed easy movement. They cost only a few copper coins, but would rid him of his disheveled appearance.

After he left the clothing shop, the old bathhouse stood next door, facing the street.

The padded cotton door curtain bulged with steam. When he pushed it aside, a cloud of vapor carrying the scents of soapberries and sulfur rushed at him. The attendant's raspy calls mingled with the chatter and laughter from the pool.

Shen Yan found a spot near the back, undressed and stepped into the pool.

He leaned against the side, closed his eyes and concentrated, silently summoning the system panel in his mind.

As soon as he activated it, a crisp notification rang out. Unlike its usual monotonous tone, it sounded a little livelier:

[Host detected to have completed a tough street fight, met the requirement for punishing evil forces, and accumulated over 100 good and evil points. The system shop has refreshed automatically]

[Merchandise database upgraded. Basic models optimized into advanced models. Skill compatibility greatly improved]

Shen Yan's eyes flickered, and he lightly swiped a finger across the virtual panel.

The shop interface had changed completely. The old skills and items had all been replaced, and even the consumables he had seen before had been optimized.

His gaze swept over it and immediately landed on two key changes that happened to fit his earlier plans:

[Original skill "Precision Aiming" refreshed and upgraded to: Handgun Proficiency and Mastery]

Cost: 85 good and evil points

Effect: Combines the four abilities of firearm handling, rapid fire, steady aim, and weak-point targeting. Grants complete mastery of police handgun techniques with no prior experience, counteracts recoil, guarantees a hit every time within 50 meters, and gives an 80% hit rate at 50-100 meters. Beyond 100 meters, it's up to fate.

[Original "Simple Suppressor Sleeve" (22 good and evil points) refreshed and upgraded to: Portable Metal Suppressor]

Cost: 50 good and evil points

Effect: All-metal standard design, compatible with all types of handguns. Reduces noise by 90%, can be attached and removed at high speed, and is durable and corrosion-resistant. Defeat enemies in dark alleys without ever revealing your whereabouts.

The corners of Shen Yan's mouth lifted slightly.

The system's automatic refresh and upgrade had replaced the low-end options with advanced versions of exactly what he needed. The higher prices matched the improved quality perfectly, which was only reasonable.

It even saved him the trouble of agonizing over the decision.

He had 179 good and evil points, and redeeming these two core items would cost 135 in total. It was a good use of what he had.

He clicked to redeem them.

The suppressor appeared in his storage space. It was made entirely of matte-finished refined steel, a slender cylinder no longer than his palm. Fine anti-slip grooves were etched into its walls, and both ends tapered inward. The connector fit a handgun barrel precisely, while the attachment clasp was small and discreet, with no unnecessary protrusions.

At the same time, a warm current flooded into his mind, then spread through his arms, wrists and fingertips. There was no severe pain, only a quiet, gentle reshaping.

The void where his knowledge of firearms had been was instantly filled with a vast amount of detail: disassembling and assembling a handgun, controlling the pressure on the trigger, holding the gun steady, breathing while aiming at close range, even changing magazines and using his waist and abdomen to counter recoil. It all became muscle memory etched into his very bones.

He curled his fingers unconsciously, as though he were holding the gun in his storage space.

His gaze settled involuntarily on a fly on the bathhouse doorframe, and in a daze, he could clearly predict where a shot would land.

Even though he had never actually fired a shot, he was certain he could hit the target the moment he raised his hand.

Shen Yan knew he now had another source of confidence in surviving these turbulent times.

After he had soaked for a while, a Yangzhou bath attendant in a coarse short jacket came over with a scrubbing towel draped over his hand and asked quietly in a soft local accent:

"Sir, would you like a back scrub? It'll loosen you right up and feel wonderful."

Shen Yan nodded slightly and paid two copper coins for a back scrub.

The attendant used just the right amount of pressure with the coarse towel, scrubbing away all the grime accumulated over days of running around. When he finished, he gave Shen Yan's shoulders and back a quick pounding, and the sore, tight muscles relaxed completely.

When Shen Yan left the bathhouse, he felt refreshed from the inside out.

On his way, he stopped at Song's Cooked Side Dish Shop, which had been open on the street corner for many years.

A clear glass display case stood in the narrow shop, bathed in the soft glow of a warm yellow kerosene lamp. The case was full of glossy braised delicacies: sweet-smelling soy-braised duck, crisp and flavorful smoked fish, fresh, savory wine-marinated pork tripe, and tendon braised until soft and tender. Mingled with the rich aroma of braising sauce, they made his mouth water.

The owner was a middle-aged man from Shanghai. He was chopping ingredients with a thick-backed cleaver, his chopping block thudding as he chatted with a regular.

Shen Yan had earned more than a dozen silver dollars hunting in the wild the night before, and was feeling rather extravagant, like a poor man who had suddenly come into money.

"Boss, cut me half a soy-braised duck, a whole smoked fish while it's hot, a plate of wine-marinated pork tripe, and a packet of five-spice braised peanuts."

"Coming right up! Just a moment, sir."

The owner deftly prepared the food, wrapped it tightly in layers of dried lotus leaves, and tied the bundles securely with coarse hemp string. The steaming aroma of braised food seeped out through the gaps in the paper.

He looked up as he handed over the food, and his eyes lit up when he saw Shen Yan's face.

"It's Officer Shen! You were impressive today! Going to have a few drinks tonight? Oh, Officer Chen's treating you... Just a moment!"

As he spoke, he took a plump poached chicken from the counter, skillfully chopped and packed it, then took a bottle of Songjiang Sanbai from the shelf behind him and handed both over.

"Here's another dish for you. Old Chen likes this liquor, so take it to him. Please don't refuse. With you men on the streets, we shopkeepers can live and work in peace!"

Shen Yan didn't refuse again. He put down a silver dollar, turned and headed for Old Chen's home.

Behind him, Boss Song called out "No need, no need" several times, but he didn't look back.

Old Chen lived in a side room of the most typical sort of Shanghai shikumen house, tucked deep in a corner of a west district lane.

The entrance was narrow and cramped. The black-painted wooden door was mottled and peeling, and its copper ring had been polished bright by use. A bamboo chair, worn smooth with age, leaned against the wall beside the door. Shallow hollows had been worn into its seat; it was clearly an old piece he used to rest in during his usual stakeouts.

Shen Yan pushed the door open with a soft creak.

The lived-in scent of the place rushed out at him, a mixture of dry tobacco, aged liquor and a faint trace of soapberries. There was no pungent mustiness; instead, it had the warmth of a home that had been lived in for years.

The house was small, with an inner room and an outer room. The outer room served as both a sitting room and a dining room.

A faded square dining table stood against the wall, its corners chipped in several places. The coarse cloth covering it had been washed pale and patched along the edges. Two long benches stood beside it, their seats worn smooth and glowing softly with age.

An old wooden cabinet stood opposite the door, its surface wiped clean. On top were several porcelain bowls, a tin wine pot and a half-finished bag of peanuts. An old enamel mug was tucked into a corner, the faded words "police station" printed on it. It was clearly something Old Chen had used for years.

Several old New Year prints hung crookedly on the wall above the cabinet, along with a yellowed patrol police regulations sheet. Their curling edges showed their age.

A wooden bed could just be made out in the inner room, covered with a thin, patched quilt. Several old police uniforms lay beside it, worn but folded neatly.

A dim yellow electric lamp hung in the center of the room, its pull cord dangling beside the table. The light wasn't very bright, but it made the small space feel especially warm.

Old Chen had returned home early and already wiped the table clean. Seeing Shen Yan come in with his hands full of food and liquor, he rose to take them and said in a booming voice:

"You didn't have to bring so much just to come over! Sit down, sit down. My shabby place is plain, so I hope you don't mind."

Shen Yan smiled, waved a hand and sat down.

Looking around the little house, so full of signs of everyday life, he felt more at ease than he would have in a splendid Western-style mansion.

In troubled times, a cozy little home like this offered a rare measure of peace and stability.

The two men set out the food and liquor, unwrapped the soy-braised duck and smoked fish, and poured the warmed Songjiang Sanbai. The small room was at once filled with the aroma of liquor and a comforting warmth.