Chapter 169: The “Ghost Hunt” Task
Chapter 169: The “Ghost Hunt” Task
Lu Xin suddenly understood what Gecko had felt when his emotions were interrupted back then…
He had truly built up a lot of courage to make this request, and yet it was coldly rejected…
“Um…”
Seeing Han Bing be so harsh, he couldn’t help feeling nervous: “Then when will I meet the application criteria?”
“Let me see…”
On the other end of the line, Han Bing flipped through some documents and said, “Actually, you’re not far off…”
“Mr. Lone Soldier is currently a Tier-Two Special Talent. You need to accumulate more Contribution Points to reach Tier-Three Special Talent.”
“As for the exact number…”
There was another pause filled with the sound of calculation, then she continued: “Although the Special Talent classification aligns with citizen privileges, it can only be upgraded through accumulating Contribution Points. Mr. Lone Soldier receives a certain number of Contribution Points for every incident he handles related to contamination or Ability Users, including those from before your formal employment. I’ve already compiled a list outlining the Contribution Points standards. Would you like it faxed over, or…”
Lu Xin cared deeply about this and said: “Just tell me directly!”
“Understood!”
Han Bing responded: “As of now, Mr. Lone Soldier has handled five Special Contamination Incidents, one exploration mission, and one arrest operation targeting an Ability User.”
“Regarding the five Special Contamination Incidents: the Corner Café event during your initial recruitment doesn’t count towards Contribution Points. Handling Special Pollution Incident No. 041 earned you three Contribution Points. During the handling of Special Pollution Incident No. 039, as you were accompanying Mr. Gecko with the focus on learning, you only received one Contribution Point. Then came the Incident No. 072 and Siege Event…”
“The contamination incident at Kuanggong Residential Area earned one Contribution Point. Reporting the painting hidden by the Xu Family Father and Daughter was rewarded with ten Contribution Points. Preventing contamination spread at Wanzhong Plaza earned ten, and disarming the Mental Contamination Bomb under the Southern Wall earned thirty.”
“Following that, Mr. Lone Soldier’s exploration of Happy Town earned thirty Contribution Points. Discovering Qin Ran’s ability and unraveling the Logic Chain of Special Pollution Incident No. 041, thereby enriching the information database, earned another ten Contribution Points. Finally, the Knights Order arrest operation – originally applied for at three hundred points – ultimately yielded one hundred and fifty Contribution Points.”
Han Bing paused briefly, then said: “So, summing it all up, your total is two hundred and forty-five Contribution Points.”
“…”
Han Bing gave a light laugh before continuing: “Mr. Lone Soldier, you only need fifty-five more Contribution Points to qualify for Tier-Three Special Talent privileges… Would you like me to apply for you to receive a smaller monetary reward in exchange for more Contribution Points this time?”
“…Is that possible?”
Lu Xin felt both a flicker of relief and surprise.
“Normally, it’s not permitted,” Han Bing replied honestly. “Contribution Points can, with higher-level approval, be converted into currency, but money absolutely cannot buy Contribution Points. This was a principle established when Qinggang was founded. However, since the reward for the Knights Order arrest hasn’t been disbursed yet, I believe if I submit the application immediately, higher-ups might possibly agree…”
“…Better not.”
Lu Xin considered it for a moment and decisively declined.
His heart was already bleeding from seeing three million turn into one point five million.
Letting him take even less would be akin to taking his life!
“Since it’s only fifty-five points short though…”
Lu Xin thought seriously for a moment and then asked: “Are there any incidents nearby that I could handle?”
“Preferably… ones offering higher Contribution Points…”
“…”
From Han Bing’s earlier breakdown, he had grasped a pattern:
It seemed incidents with higher Contribution Points usually also carried higher monetary rewards.
Thinking about it this way, it sounded like a win-win situation…
“Higher Contribution Points…”
Han Bing, hearing his request, lowered her voice as if flipping through more materials.
After a while, her voice came back: “There is one…”
Lu Xin felt a slight twinge of nervousness and quickly asked: “How many?”
Han Bing answered: “A few points…”
Lu Xin’s heart sank just a little further: “Isn’t that too few…”
His response made Han Bing pause for a second: “Mr. Lone Soldier, you might hold a slight misunderstanding about the value of a single Contribution Point…”
“Even one point… is significant…”
……
“He’s so close, why doesn’t he just go straight for the Tier-Three upgrade?”
Meanwhile, in the Qing Harbor Main City, quite a few had received the update on Lu Xin’s personal information. Since Mr. Su had elevated the confidentiality level of Lu Xin’s personal data to Level A, it garnered more attention. Every minor change in his status triggered alerts for relevant personnel. Among those who received this alert was Chen Jing, who immediately felt a wave of surprise.
“Because he can’t bear to part with that monetary reward,”
Professor Bai replied with a smile, looking away from the frameless display on his desk. “But honestly speaking, his rate of advancement is exceptionally rare. If the value of that item is confirmed, he might even leap directly to Tier-Four…”
Chen Jing was momentarily stunned, then understood: “The painting?”
Professor Bai nodded, picking up the white lab coat hanging on the nearby rack and draping it over his shoulders. “The appraisal work for that painting will commence tonight at eight o’clock. Only experts in related fields at Tier-Four or above are permitted to participate. I’ve specifically approved your inclusion – handle the security preparations. If all goes as expected, the significance of this painting might far surpass our initial estimates.”
Chen Jing nodded. She wasn’t surprised by the professor’s conjecture.
Although the painting appeared to be merely a highly contaminated parasitic entity, it had to be more than just that—considering it was something the Knights Order, led by someone like Zhang Sihuo, was willing to cause major chaos to seize. It must serve another purpose.
“We’ve all been focusing too much on Lone Soldier and somewhat neglected this painting.”
Professor Bai tidied his documents, glanced at his pocket watch, and said, “After all, according to the Knights Order’s files, Lone Soldier was only ranked third. This painting is the most crucial. Now, what we need to do is evaluate its significance.”
Chen Jing understood the urgency and responded immediately, “Then I will postpone the apprehension task at hand.”
“No need.”
Professor Bai smiled. “Hand it over to Lone Soldier. Isn’t he eager to earn more Contribution Points now?”
“Him?”
Chen Jing’s expression became one of surprise. “He’s not suited for this task, is he?”
“You’ll only know by trying.”
Professor Bai replied, “After all, he won’t receive these Contribution Points until the appraisal of the painting is complete. So, if he’s anxious about his Stage Two application, it’s only reasonable for him to undertake additional tasks to earn those points now… Not just your apprehension task; we could also assign him those lingering objectives elsewhere—the ones awaiting a suitable time for cleanup.”
“This is…”
Hearing this, Chen Jing looked at Professor Bai with a flicker of astonishment.
Noticing her doubt, Professor Bai laughed frankly. “If his completion rate for these tasks reaches even half of your usual standard, I’m confident I can persuade Old Shen to let him gain truly deep access to Stage Two!”
“Alright.”
Faced with a difficult decision, Chen Jing took only one second to make up her mind. She promptly picked up the phone.
……
“Han Bing is really a good person…”
After finishing a lunch with chicken legs at the Guard Bureau, Lu Xin descended the stairs with light steps.
Initially, he thought he’d have to accumulate Contribution Points one or two at a time. Unexpectedly, Han Bing had pleasantly surprised him. Just before his final decision, she found a task substantial enough for him to earn ten Contribution Points in one go.
The task format was unfamiliar to him, but it was worth a try.
He changed into the black tactical uniform of the Special Clean-up Department, put on an ordinary jacket over it, and inserted a discreet earpiece into his left ear.
As Lu Xin descended the stairs, he saw several Police Officers gathered around a Motorcycle at the entrance of the Guard Bureau.
“This is the vehicle you helped me arrange?”
Lu Xin asked, slightly taken aback.
He had indeed reminded Han Bing earlier to reserve one of the five confiscated Motorcycles for his use. But this Motorcycle seemed different from what he’d imagined. It had a low-slung, silver-painted chassis, thick, sturdy tires, and a menacingly exposed engine that resembled monster bones…
Was this really one of the ones he’d brought back?
“Correct. This Motorcycle has undergone minor modifications by the R&D department: the chassis was reinforced, agility increased, a wire rope winch was installed at the front, a voice-activated alert-and-rescue positioning system is near the dashboard, and in the metal box on the right rear, there’s a voice-controlled, highly intelligent Mechanical Dog capable of various auxiliary tasks.”
“It’s a vehicle specifically designed for Spider-Type Ability Users. Mr. Gecko has always wanted one…”
“…”
Listening to Han Bing, a flicker of pleasant surprise stirred within Lu Xin. He instinctively asked, “Then why didn’t he get it?”
“Because he offended the girlfriend of the Head of New Weapons R&D…”
Han Bing’s reply held a hint of awkwardness. “Why don’t you try it out first, Mr. Lone Soldier? If it doesn’t suit you, we can send it back for adjustments.”
“Alright.”
Lu Xin took a deep breath. Under the gaze of the nearby Police Officers—who looked both slightly in awe yet unwilling to look away—he swung his leg over the bike. The frame sank slightly under his weight, radiating solidity. Following Han Bing’s instructions, he started the engine via fingerprint scan. The engine roared like a beast, its vibrations pleasantly thrumming through the frame.
“It feels good, but… it’s a bit different from what I imagined…”
Lu Xin murmured, unable to hide his delight.
Han Bing asked curiously, “What kind were you envisioning, Mr. Lone Soldier?”
“Umm… the sort…”
Lu Xin answered honestly, “…you start with the press of a button, has footrests on both sides, and an e-battery pack in the middle…”
Han Bing fell silent for a moment before kindly reminding him, “Mr. Lone Soldier… what you described is an electric scooter…”
“…Alright then!”
Lu Xin decided not to argue. Though different from his expectations, it was still a functional vehicle…
……
“I’m heading out now…”
Lu Xin declared softly, then… began moving forward at a snail’s pace.
He absolutely was not worried that, without Little Sister’s assistance, he might scratch the pristine new vehicle and leave marks. Definitely not.
He was simply contemplating the task at hand:
“…Ghost hunting!”