「Meanwhile.」
Across the street, in a restaurant, a group of three men were drinking and talking boisterously.
All of them were flushed from the alcohol.
"So? You guys stick with me, and as long as I have meat to eat, you'll definitely have soup to drink."
The leader, a tall young man in a black tank top, let out a smug laugh.
As he spoke, he reached out and rubbed a menacing black wolf's head tattoo on the back of his hand.
"You're the man, Brother Shan!"
"Seriously amazing!"
At that moment, one of them remarked with some feeling.
"But then again, Young Master Lu is a real spendthrift. Just to have a guy beaten up, and he was willing to spend a hundred thousand yuan."
"Heh heh, if it weren't for people like him, how would we make any money? It's a pity, though. That kid's got some real bad luck. Not only did his goddess get stolen and he got cuckolded, he even got a beating. He's probably still laid up in a hospital bed right now…"
The other man chimed in, his tone full of schadenfreude.
The young man in the black tank top with the tattoo was Wu Shan.
He smiled and was about to say something when a figure getting into a car outside the window caught his eye.
"Brother Shan, what's wrong?"
The two men beside him were in the middle of their lively conversation.
Noticing something was off with Wu Shan, they followed his gaze out the window but saw nothing, so one of them asked, confused.
"I think I just saw that kid!"
Wu Shan pulled his gaze back, his brows furrowed tightly.
"That kid?"
The two underlings exchanged a look, clearly not understanding.
Wu Shan shot them a sidelong glance and said irritably, "The kid Young Master Lu paid us to put in the hospital! And from the looks of it, his leg injury seems to have healed."
"What?"
"How is that possible? Brother Shan, you must have seen wrong, right? I made some discreet inquiries—that guy's injuries would keep him in bed for at least two or three months. Even if he recovered, he'd be left with a disability. How could he have healed so quickly?"
The two men's faces changed slightly.
Hearing this, a flicker of doubt also crossed Wu Shan's face.
After all, he had only caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye. Given the distance, it was entirely possible it was just someone who looked similar.
...
"Young man, you've got a good eye! Don't mind that the bowl's a bit broken. This here is a product from the Yun Dynasty, eight hundred years ago! Look at this texture, the feel, the pattern, this glaze…"
The stubble-faced shop owner explained excitedly, spittle flying from his mouth, wearing an expression that said 'you'll be losing out if you don't buy this.'
Squatting on the ground, Hu Qi's face twitched. He looked down at the chipped blue-and-white porcelain bowl in his hands and couldn't help but roast it in his mind.
'The workmanship on this thing is so shoddy I can even see a production stamp on the bottom that's been scraped off.'
'An antique from eight hundred years ago? More like eight days ago!'
He gently put the bowl down. The price tag on it right now might be fake.
But if he accidentally broke it, its "value" would multiply several times over, and he definitely couldn't afford to pay for it.
'It's a shame. None of these things have that cool stream of air that can increase Modification Points.'
Hu Qi was getting frustrated. He had spent the last few hours touching items at nearly every stall.
But there wasn't the slightest reaction.
Having a cheat system but being unable to use it put him in a terrible mood.
'This thing didn't even come with an instruction manual. It should at least tell me how to get these Modification Points!'
'It would be great if this panel had some kind of Elf I could communicate with.'
The thought flashed through his mind.
But it was just a passing thought. After days of fiddling with it, he'd already proven the panel was just an inanimate object.
Besides, if there really was some kind of intelligent elf with a cutesy 'loli' voice, it would just make Hu Qi feel uncomfortable.
His gaze swept around. The street was lined with antique stalls and shops.
As evening approached, the flow of people began to increase.
Young couples could be seen everywhere, squatting in front of stalls and haggling with the owners.
The neon signs and streetlights on both sides lit up, their lights mingling together.
The sky seemed to be covered by a huge black curtain, deep and oppressive.
RUMBLE!
Just then, a flash of lightning, like the branches of a tree, streaked across the black canopy.
It was immediately followed by the rolling sound of thunder that shook the heavens. A girl passing by screamed at the sudden clap of thunder.
Suddenly, a cold wind swept through, like an overture before a performance.
PAT!
A cold drop of rain hit his skin, sending a slight chill through him.
Hu Qi looked up to see huge raindrops, as big as beans, pouring down without warning from the inky sky, instantly shattering the street's original atmosphere and tranquility.
The previously dry, hot ground was quickly soaked, and a faint, earthy smell filled the air.
The people who had been leisurely strolling around cried out in alarm and scattered for cover, while the street vendors frantically packed up their "antiques."
The owner of the stall Hu Qi had just been at was so clumsy in his haste that he accidentally smashed that "antique porcelain bowl" from the eight-hundred-year-old Yun Dynasty into pieces.
But from the look on his face, he didn't care at all.
Seeing this, Hu Qi was a little speechless.
Then, he pulled a black folding umbrella from his backpack, opened it, and started walking along the side of the road.
The raindrops grew heavier, splashing on the ground like countless leaping pearls.
The street was soon submerged in water, forming swift currents that rushed toward the drains.
The dim yellow streetlights refracted through the rain, casting a hazy glow.
The entire world seemed to have transformed into a world of water.
The previously clamorous and stuffy atmosphere vanished, replaced by a sense of peace and solitude.
Watching this scene, Hu Qi's frustrated heart, troubled by his inability to find a source of Modification Points, gradually calmed down.
'I've been too impatient.
Since the Crimson Modification Panel exists, there must be a way to find a source for Modification Points.'
...
「An hour later.」
Qirong City, East District, by the bus stop at the entrance to Hanlin Garden District.
Hu Qi got off the bus from the rear door.
But instead of heading home, he walked toward the intersection to his right, planning to go to the nearby market to buy some groceries for dinner.
"It really is that kid!"
Just then, under the awning of a corner bubble tea shop, Wu Shan and his two men, who were taking shelter from the rain, exchanged a look, seeing the surprise in each other's eyes.
After spotting Hu Qi earlier, the three of them had nothing better to do and had been wandering around the area.
They hadn't expected to actually run into him.
"Brother Shan, this kid is seriously weird!"
The underling's expression was strange. He was the one who had personally done the deed, and he hadn't held back at all.
"Xiaofeng, Ah Zai, you two follow him and see where he's going.
I'll call Young Master Lu first for instructions. I'll text you in a bit!"
Wu Shan said after a moment of thought.
"Got it, Brother Shan!"
The two underlings acknowledged the order, pulled up their hoods, and headed off in the direction Hu Qi had gone.
Seeing them go, he took out his phone and dialed a number.
It was unclear what the person on the other end said.
Wu Shan first apologized in a low, humble voice.
Then, as if he had heard some good news, his face flushed, and he said ecstatically:
"Thank you for your trust, Young Master Lu. Last time was our mistake."
At this point, Wu Shan paused.
His eyes grew fierce.
"Don't you worry. This time, I guarantee he won't be able to get out of bed!"