At this moment, Chen Huijie was walking down a familiar street, his expression perfectly calm.
He had failed to win the trust of those "old acquaintances," true—but for what he intended to do next, that could only have counted as icing on the cake anyway.
Besides, the main purpose behind voluntarily submitting himself for interrogation had already been achieved the moment he made that confession. The statement would be archived by the Guard Department. Later, once he started making real waves, someone with a mind for such things would naturally pull it back out and place it in that person's hands.
No—that was not quite accurate.
There was a good chance that very tonight, that record would already be delivered to that man's desk. After all, impersonating a Guard Department Superintendent was no small matter.
And when that happened…
At the thought, Chen Huijie's steps came to an abrupt halt.
He looked up at the sky after the storm, saying nothing as he watched the clouds drift by. His chest tightened in waves.
He knew this was not his "old friend" coming to visit again. It was simply…
Even in a different world, even knowing full well that this was not the uncle who had raised him, he still instinctively recoiled from the thought of using him.
Forget it. Better to think about something else.
Rubbing absently at his chest, Chen Huijie took out his phone.
Back when he had rescued A Shui, he had already noticed the strange movement on it. He just had not had the time to check it properly. Now that he finally had a free moment, it was as good a time as any to see what exactly this thing was trying to pull.
The memo app, of course, looked exactly the same as before.
That pink app, however, kept wobbling nonstop, as though trying its very best to seduce him into opening it.
The moment Chen Huijie tapped it, the pink icon lunged savagely at the memo icon and plastered itself against it in a snug little embrace. When they separated, there even seemed to be a little mwah sound, followed by some nonsensical "Ack, shorty!"-style effect before a pale pink loading screen floated onto the display.
This thing… is kind of interesting.
Quite entertained now, Chen Huijie waited for the startup screen to finish.
The screen flashed.
A series of profile pictures popped up. At present, only the icons for Swire, Hoshiguma, and Chen Huijie were lit, each radiating a rosy pink glow. And above each portrait, there were numbers.
Chen Huijie: 0 → 2
Hoshiguma: 0 → 5
Swire: 0 → 8
…Single digits across the board?
Does that mean affection is only counted from the moment the app activates?
Frowning slightly, Chen Huijie considered it for a moment, then let it go. It was not especially important.
What he did notice was that all three portraits kept shaking, clearly urging him to tap them. So he did—starting from the top.
First came Chen Huijie's icon.
The instant he selected it, the whole screen was flooded with bouncing heart symbols, thumping as if determined to drag his own mood upward with them. Then, right in the middle of those hearts, two lines of text appeared:
[Skill: Swordsmanship — Chi Xiao · Quickdraw EXP +2]
[Move already, Chi Xiao! Move!]
At once, Chen Huijie felt something like an electric current travel from the phone into his body. At the same time, his understanding of that Chi Xiao technique deepened—just a little.
So the app can do this too.
His feelings as he looked at the phone turned somewhat complicated.
If it had activated back in that other world…
No. Enough. There were no end to useless what-ifs. Better to focus on what was in front of him.
Now that the reward had been claimed, the screen returned to the portraits.
Chen Huijie lowered his gaze.
Let's see what Hoshiguma's reward looks like.
He tapped her icon.
[Stat: Endurance +2]
[I can fight you all day.]
[Stat: Strength +2]
[This sandbag's too light. Bring me another one.]
[Stat: Alcohol Tolerance +1]
[What are you doing over there, raising fish?]
Hm?
These rewards…
A warm current passed through his body. It vanished in the blink of an eye, but his physique really had become a little sturdier.
Compared to that, though, a more important realization struck him—
This affection-reward system was not as simple as he had first imagined.
Without hesitation, he tapped Swire's portrait.
[Item: Lungmen Dollars +100,000]
[Item: Lungmen Dollars +100,000]
[Item: Lungmen Dollars +100,000]
[Item: Lungmen Dollars +100,000]
[Here. A tip.]
[Skill: Cosmetics Selection Taste +1]
[I'll take one of every shade of lipstick.]
[Skill: Negotiation Techniques +1]
[Madam, you wouldn't want to go bankrupt, would you?]
[Skill: Meteor Hammer Proficiency +1]
[Here comes the little flying hammer!]
I see.
Now this is interesting.
After those three tests, Chen Huijie thoughtfully spun the phone in his hand.
If he had guessed correctly, then taking Hoshiguma as an example, each character in this affection app was essentially a prize pool, filled with abilities related to that person.
The more proficient that person was in a certain field, the higher the likelihood of drawing that particular ability.
And every single point of affection let him make one draw from that prize pool, the resulting attribute feeding back into his own body.
Of course, that was only a rough way of putting it.
After all, Swire's side had also produced item rewards.
Wait.
How exactly are you planning to give me this money?
Only then did Chen Huijie realize a critical problem.
In this world, he was an undocumented black account. Even if he still had his wallet and bank cards on him, there was no way the money could be deposited into his account.
Hold on.
Don't tell me it got sent to that other Chen Huijie's bank card?
At the thought, his expression turned rather entertaining.
Fortunately, the affection system did not leave him guessing for long. The very next second, a system message popped up:
[Host bank account not found. Lungmen dollar rewards temporarily suspended.]
That's fine.
Otherwise I'd have to go ask Chen Huijie to return my money.
Seeing that, Chen Huijie let out a quiet sigh of relief.
The sum was not huge, but it was still supposed to be his starting capital.
Once he had figured out the reward mechanism, he continued digging through the affection app to see what other hidden options it contained.
As he tapped a portrait again, the page switched into that character's personal profile.
And inside that personal profile were rows of prompts, arranged very much like game quests.
Those prompts were none other than the contents he had once recorded in the memo app.
So after that weird little icon-snuggling sequence just now, all the information from Memo had been extracted, sorted by category, and redistributed into the corresponding affection-character pages.
At present, on Swire's personal page, one entry was flashing—signifying that it had been completed.
It was the memo connected to A Shui, the one whose scheduled event had already been canceled.
Makes sense. Swire's fiercely protective of her own. I remember one time in the other world her squad walked straight into an ambush. Two of her subordinates died, and she blamed herself so hard she cried until she soaked through the undershirt under her uniform. So it's only natural that this entry ended up in her affection quest list. If I'd saved her entire squad in one go, she'd probably have grabbed me on the spot and sworn brotherhood.
All right, then.
Let me see what this affection quest gives.
[Special Skill: Mystic Sight (3/3)]
[A sharp sword, a sharp eye.]
…What, no detailed description at all?
Chen Huijie thought about it for a moment, then decisively activated the skill anyway.
Since there was no explanation, the only option was to test it himself. It might waste one use, but it had to be done. Better now than to have to test it in the middle of a battlefield.
The instant Mystic Sight activated, his eyes began to sting and ache with a strange soreness, almost like an allergic reaction. He reflexively shut them.
At the exact same time—
"Yuanyan!"
Swire?
Chen Huijie instinctively turned around.
And then his vision was slammed full of pale, milk-smooth skin.
Black lingerie cradled impossibly generous curves and covered the secret ground beneath them. From the supple, narrow line of her waist to the soft rise and full roundness of her pert backside, the whole exquisite curve of her figure was displayed in merciless clarity.
Heh. Mystic Sight, is this really it?
So this is the great special skill?
If it can only show me this much, then it's not all that interesting.
Women…
Painted skeletons, that's all.
Chen Huijie inwardly dismissed the whole thing as boring.
At that very moment, however, a white handkerchief, carrying a faint fragrance, was extended toward him.
Swire had walked over and was looking at him with concern.
"Are you all right? You were fine one second ago, then suddenly you started bleeding from the nose."
"…I'm fine. Probably haven't been drinking enough water."
With perfect composure, Chen Huijie wiped away the nosebleed with his hand and said quietly:
"Officer Swire. Is there something you needed?"
[Swire Affection +1]
…???
Chen Huijie glanced at the phone screen and raised a puzzled brow.
He had not done anything, had he?
Don't tell me it's because I called her "Officer Swire" instead of mangling it into "Officer Shi"?
Mm…
Actually, that did seem possible.
He distinctly remembered that Swire had once complained to him about this in the other world. During her first two years in the department, people kept assuming her surname was just "Shi," and she'd gotten so sick of correcting them that afterward, being addressed as "Officer Shi" or "Officer She" was enough to make her furious on the spot.
"I called your name that many times and you seriously didn't hear me?"
Seeing that he truly seemed fine, Swire moved on to the actual business at hand and complained unhappily.
Chen Huijie drew his thoughts back, closed the phone, and said mildly,
"My apologies. I was thinking about something just now. Officer Swire, did you remember something else and come to ask for my cooperation again?"
"No. Don't overthink it. I just came to find you, that's all."
With one hand on her hip, Swire tossed a wallet at him.
"You said you're a homeless, unemployed drifter, right? There's some cash in there, and a key to an apartment. I already wrote the address down too. You saved one of my people, so take it and use it. No need to pay it back."
"Understood. Thank you."
Chen Huijie nodded and slipped the wallet straight into his coat.
He did need a place to stay, after all. Since someone had delivered one to his hands, he was more than happy to save himself the trouble.
His straightforwardness made Swire blink.
Then she found herself smiling in amusement.
"Then how about working under me? Room and board included. Plus a monthly bonus personally subsidized by yours truly."
This woman really does love poaching talent as much as ever…
"Thank you for the offer, Officer Swire, but I won't be joining the Guard Department. I already have plans of my own."
Complaining inwardly, Chen Huijie waved a hand with a smile.
Given what he intended to do next, it would be best not to get tangled up in any official Lungmen identity at all. Otherwise he would probably be hired today as a temporary employee and fired tomorrow for being too dangerous to keep.
"So what are you planning to do next? Go get treated?"
Swire went right on tempting him.
"If you come work under me, and work hard, I can get your medical bills reimbursed too. I even happen to know quite a few excellent psychiatrists. Still not tempted?"
"Has anyone ever told you, Officer Swire, that you seem much more like a businessman than a police officer?"
Glancing at the time, Chen Huijie decided it was still too early to pay that next visit. Standing here chatting with Swire and letting his mind breathe a bit was not so bad.
"You… don't be so formal."
At that, however, Swire rubbed her arms with a complicated look and could not help saying,
"Adjust a little, would you? Back in the abandoned district, the way you talked sounded a lot more natural to me."
Trying to cozy up already…
The change in her tone did not escape Chen Huijie. He knew Swire too well. He also knew her entire repertoire of "let's build rapport and paint a bright future" tactics too well.
So instead of letting her steer the conversation down that path, he casually threw the topic aside and asked something else—something the other Chen Huijie had also once been curious about:
"Officer Swire, there's something I'd like to ask. As the daughter of one of Lungmen's great financial conglomerates, why did you decide to join the Guard Department?"
The abrupt sidestep in topic made Swire feel like she had thrown a punch straight into cotton.
At the same time, though, it also stirred a mischievous impulse in her. Smiling sweetly, she shot back:
"Aren't you from the future? You don't know that?"
"My mental state isn't very good, thank you."
Chen Huijie answered with a smile.
Which made Swire feel as though her next punch had also landed on cotton.
Still, this was not exactly some great secret inside the Guard Department, so she answered readily enough.
"Nothing much. I got kidnapped when I was little, and the Guard Department rescued me. That's all."
"I see."
Chen Huijie nodded in understanding.
So the past in this world did indeed differ subtly from the one he knew. From here on, he would have to keep at least some margin for those deviations in mind.
"Oh, right. There's one thing I should tell you, Officer Swire."
Seeing Swire about to say something again, Chen Huijie interrupted her a second time, speaking in an unhurried tone.
"Yuanyan was my former name. Chen Huijie truly is the name I go by now—Chen as in Chen, Hui as in radiance, Jie as in outstanding. How you address me in the future is up to you. But please remember what my real name is."
"You're leaving already? Do you dislike talking to me that much?"
Compared with the matter of names, Swire cared much more about his attitude.
Yes, the man was clearly half insane—but he was strong. Ridiculously strong. Use him properly, and her squad would be taking top honors every single month and crushing that stuffed-lung dragon's side into the ground. With his help, she might even become a Superintendent—or maybe even Chief—a step earlier.
"It's not that I dislike talking to you," Chen Huijie said. "It's that work is about to come to you, Officer Swire. Listen carefully. Does that engine sound familiar?"
Hm?
At his reminder, Swire's ears pricked straight up as she caught the anomaly hidden in the wind.
It did sound familiar.
Almost like a car that had nearly run her over once before…
Penguin Logistics.
Swire's face darkened instantly.
And in the next moment, a jeep already far above the speed limit shot past them in a blur and tore toward the far end of the street. On the wind, fragments of voices drifted from inside—
"Brake!"
"The brakes are gone!"
"Then floor it!"
"This is ridiculous," Chen Huijie murmured with a frown as he watched the jeep. "Even if there aren't many pedestrians out at this hour, that doesn't justify speeding like this. It's too dangerous."
Swire nodded in vigorous agreement.
Then, just as she was about to call for people, she saw the man beside her draw his sword.
At once, cyan talismanic patterns flared to life across the crimson blade.
The next instant—
A gale exploded outward.
Swire watched as Chen Huijie merely swung the sword once. A tornado manifested out of nowhere, lifting the nearly out-of-control jeep straight into the air. Everyone and everything inside was flung out and dragged by the fierce winds directly in front of her.
As for the jeep itself, it was sliced apart into several neat sections by sword qi, its danger entirely neutralized.
"Exusiai! Texas! Why is it you two again?!"
Seeing the pair in front of her, Swire's tail lashed furiously behind her as she snarled through her teeth,
"Speeding right in front of the Guard Department. Wonderful. Just wonderful. Come with me."
"We didn't mean to…" Exusiai muttered weakly, halo wobbling.
But when she happened to catch the gaze Chen Huijie cast her way, she immediately swallowed the rest.
For some reason, that look frightened her terribly.
Like he could see right through her clothes.
"Deadline's almost up. We can't go with you."
Beside her, Texas flicked one wolf ear after checking the time, then calmly picked up the sealed crate at her side.
"We'll come back and pay the fine later. Exusiai. Move."
"You two—!"
Swire flared up at once and reached for her meteor hammer.
At that moment, however, Chen Huijie suddenly laid a hand on her shoulder and said softly,
"Officer Swire. Do me a favor and let them off this once. Let them finish the delivery first."
…?
Not one person present had expected Chen Huijie to speak on behalf of Exusiai and Texas. Everyone turned to stare.
Chen Huijie simply looked at Exusiai with a smiling gaze and said,
"Lemuel."
"Huh? Ah—yes?"
Exusiai froze. The moment her real name was called, she answered on instinct.
"One more time, and I'll go tattle to your sister."
"Eh?!"
Her eyes flew wide.
"You know my sister? No way!"
"…No, actually, I don't."
Chen Huijie turned back to Swire at once.
"Officer Swire. Take them away."
"No, no, no—don't!"
Exusiai flailed desperately, then sneaked a glance at Swire. Seeing that the officer actually looked ready to do it, she immediately grabbed Texas and bolted, shouting as she ran,
"Friend of my sister's, I'll treat you to apple pie later! Come find me!"
"Don't forget to come pay the fine!" Swire roared after them like a lion.
Then, lowering her voice, she asked Chen Huijie,
"What was that about?"
"Send someone to track them immediately."
Chen Huijie smiled mysteriously.
"Their delivery destination has a surprise waiting. Quickly."
-------
I, Herta's Fiancé, the Universe's Number One Male Fist (114 Chapter (Simulpub-Full) )
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Succubus in Sixth Street (400 Chapter)
Reborn in Type-Moon, My Sister is Aoko Aozaki (254 Chapter)
MyGO!! A Story Voiced by Me (140 Chapter)
BLEACH: Blade of Purification (158 Chapter)
Konoha: Starting the Game as Yoriichi (400 Chapter)
My Real Job is Spying on Konoha, but I'm Also its Hokage (140 Chapter)
The Pinnacle of the Navy! Starting from Being Captured by Garp (172 Chapter)
Watching Yu-Gi-Oh! short videos is making the veteran players lose...(80 Chapter)
Uma Musume : The Trainer Who Just Wants to Live (261 Chapter) (Ending)
Zenless Zone Zero The Random Kamen Rider (200 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: It All Began With Me Being Stepped On by Arlecchino (120 Chapter)
Naruto: I Can Synthesize Summoning Beasts (96 Chapter)
Demon Slayer: The Great Swordsman's System, Disciple of Yoriichi (140 Chapter)
My Wife is a General, but I'm an Emanator of Abundance! (160 Chapter)
Type-Moon: My Nine-Fold Path (140 Chapter)
Uma Musume: They're Peeking at My Diary, and All of Tracen is Panickin (Ending)
The Wild History of Type-Moon world (70 Chapter)
Reborn in Conan, But I Refuse to Be the Bad Guy (80 Chapter)
Ruan Mei is begging me to go back? But there's no going back anymore (140 Chapter)
Just a Slacker at Tracen Academy (165 Chapter)
Survival in Blue Archive (70 Chapter)
Kimetsu no Yaiba: Doma Wasn't Hated Today, Either (100 Chapter)
The Vibe of This Chat Group is a Little Off (100 Chapter)
Heartbreak Simulator: I Broke Them and Made Them Cry (80 Chapter)
The Talentless Trainer Doesn't Want to Restart (80 Chapter)
A Journey Starting as a Quincy (80 Chapter)
Uma Musume: The Master of Romance Obstruction (80 Chapter)
Uma Musume: You Can't Be a Hero Without a Little Chemical Enhancement (40 Chapter)
Honkai Impact 3rd Your Boyfriend is Really Amazing (40 Chapter)
Warhammer 40K: My Fiancée, Fulgrim (180 Chapter)
Classroom of the Elite: Trying to Capture Me! (120 Chapter)
Genshin Impact My Named Senji Muramas (150 Chapter)
A Chef, the Vice-Captain of the Rocks Pirates? (160 Chapter)
Naruto : My Uchiha Girlfriend is Too Tsundere (130 Chapter)
Type-Moon: Reincarnated in a Lostbelt, I Became the Alien God (90 Chapter)
The Way These Horse Girls Look at Me Is Terrifying! (160 Chapter)
Naruto: Tsunade's Deskmate (130 Chapter)
I Just Want to Live a Normal (50 Chapter).
Genshin Impact: A Hundred Confessions? It's Just a System Task (70 Chapter)
OnePiece : Starting as a Veteran of the Roger Pirates (60 Chapter)
Uma Musume : I Have Special Horse Taming Techniques (190 Chapter)
Uma Musume : My other self is a Horse Girl (130 Chapter)
Jujutsu Kaisen : All Affection Stats Maxed Out (200 Chapter)
Satou Kazuma's Decision to Live by Swindling, Starting from Re:Zero (60 Chapter)
Bleach : Ichigo! Take Over the Soul Society (89 Chapter)
Crossover Anime: The Master of Plagiarism with a 'Love Obstacle (140 Chapter)
Arknights Succubus Nurturing System, But I'm a Quiet Office Worker (90 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: Using My Personas to Break the Hearts of Players (50 Chapter)
One Punch Man : i am King? (150 Chapter)
Genshin: My Stats Are Irresistible (70 Chapter)
Naruto: Master of Dream Fulfillment! (70 Chapter)
Why Are All My Chat Group Friends Spin-Off Characters? (130 Chapter)
Arknights : Batman System (30 Chapter)
Chat Group: Swapping Bodies with the Bad-Ending Herta from the Start (80 Chapter)
DanMachi: Why Did My Dungeon Turn Into a Soulslike Game? (130 Chapter)
Losing Money on Uma Musume...What Do You Mean You Actually Won? (120 Chapter)
I'm Gotou Hitori—Who Are You? (40 Chapter)
Were You Ever Even a Uma Musume? Stop Making Things Up! (78 Chapter)
Moon Project: A Full-Time Love Adventure for the Lobotomy Corporation (75 Chapter)
The Leisurely Days of the Hyuga Main House (65 Chapter)
Arknights : A Draco Surviving in a Matriarchal Terra (189 Chapter)
Arknights: What if My Luck Is Too Good? (135 Chapter)
Honkai: The Romance System Only Shows Up After I Marry Mei (55 Chapter)
Arknights: Who Are You Calling Repressed, X?! (145 Chapter)
The Chat Group Only Arrived After I'd Cleared the Game (102 Chapter)
Gojo Satoru Flat-Out Refuses to Admit He's a Supporting Character (40 Chapter)
Chat Group Isn't Supposed to Be Like This! (30 Chapter)
If You're Moriarty...then Who Am I? (140 Chapter)
Uma Musume: Since I "Can't See," They Take Turns Stealing My Underwear (50 Chapter)
Arknights: Why Are All My "Brothers" Girls? (54 Chapter)
Danmachi: Start Training Haki (59 Chapter)
Emiya Shirou's Rebirth (30 Chapter)
I Can Get Stronger Just by AFK'ing—So I Joined a Chat Group (50 Chapter)
Endfield: I Can Always Pull Out One Yuan (65 Chapter)
Limbus Company : I Started a Company in Project Moon (50 Chapter)
Lobotomy: Do Cooks of Alley 23 Dream of Bloodfiend Knights? (50 Chapter)
DanMachi: Freya Familia's "One-Blade Shura" (60 Chapter)
DanMachi: Emiya, the Great Hero Becomes the Protagonist (90 Chapter)
TYPE-MOON: One Special Instance Every Week (40 Chapter)
From Danmachi: The Abundance Apothecary (70 Chapter)
Lord Shadow Descends on DanMachi (90 Chapter)
Fuse with Me, Exusiai! (41 Chapter)
Honkai: Star Rail — After I Die, I Forge Their Madness (60 Chapter)
DanMachi: The Last Zeus Familia (95 Chapter)
Endfield: Arknights Heroic Spirit Summoning (75 Chapter)
Toyokawa Family Finances (105 Chapter)
Starting From DanMachi to Become Stronger (90 Chapter)
DanMachi: My Familia Is Made Up Entirely of Heroines from Every World! (75 Chapter)
Arknights: My Intel Refreshes Daily (110 Chapter)
Digimon : I Never Meant to Do Evil, Even Though I Wasn't Chosen (40 Chapter)
Miss Holmes Could Never Be the Losing Heroine! (40 Chapter)
Takayama Gamu at Tracen Academy (40 Chapter)
Legendary Trainer Takes on MYGO (40 Chapter)
Arknights : Yandere Game: The Operators Have Come Knocking (100 Chapter)
Arknights: This Dating Sim Is Seriously Wrong! (120 Chapter)
Arknights : Ch'en Hui-chieh, I'm Done Being the Good Guy! (50 Chapter)
Type-Moon: Wasn't This Supposed to Be a Family Simulator? Why Am I the Family Heirloom? (40 Chapter)
Honkai: Star Rail : The Trailblazer Only Wants a Peaceful Life (45 Chapter)
Arknights: The Unlucky Dad? But I've Got the Chronicle of Time! (55 Chapter)
The Wheelchair War God Is Speedrunning Hogwarts (50 Chapter)
DanMachi: The Elemental Blaster of Orario (45 Chapter)
Playing Honkai in Star Rail (30 Chapter)
As an Alien, I'm Solo Leveling in Warhammer 40K (30 Chapter)
Arknights: A Symbiote's Survival Guide (70 Chapter)
My Yu-Gi-Oh! Deck Is Built Entirely from Stuff I Picked Up (30 Chapter)
I Can Hear the Thoughts of Uma Mutsume (30 Chapter)
Dead-Men Chat Group: Winning the Resurrection Bracket (40 Chapter)
Zenless Zone Zero: Saving the World While Falling in Love! (40 Chapter)
Demon Slayer: My Breathing Techniques Can Be Leveled Up (50 Chapter)
Type-Moon Age of Gods: Starting with a Simulation as Heracles (40 Chapter)
Terra Love Trap: They All Want Me to Themselves (40 Chapter)
Dimensional Ranking: Top Ten Saviors (40 Chapter)
Jujutsu Kaisen: Naoya Zen'in Wants to Stay Alive! (40 Chapter)
Bleach: This Everyday Multiverse Is Seriously Falling Apart! (60 Chapter)
Honkai: Star Rail, What Do You Mean My IF Routes Became Real? (30 Chapter)
Honkai impact 3: This Is Definitely Not the Simulation Outcome I Wanted (30 Chapter)
Succubus Chen Sir Reborn in Terra, with the Ability to See Affection Levels? (30 Chapter)
If there's a particular novel you're enjoying on Patron, please give it a 'like' so I know to focus on it