Chapter 74 The Brilliance of a Top Genius

After packing everything away, Zheng Tian returned to the driver’s seat with excitement, turned her head, took a deep breath, and looked at Ren Zhong, who sat in the middle of the back row. His left hand brushed against Chen Hanyu, while his right was close to Ou Youning. She was filled with a multitude of emotions.

She now understood the gap between them.

Today had barely begun, and so much had happened already—just twenty more points to reach their goal and call it a day.

They’d only been out for ten minutes, and what had once seemed like an impossible mission now felt almost within reach.

Everything had gone so smoothly, it was beyond belief.

Ren Zhong’s joining had brought an extraordinary leap, a transformation no one could have anticipated!

She took a deep breath and said, “Mr. Ren, I’m convinced. Truly convinced. You were right. I know I was wrong. I shouldn’t have underestimated you yesterday. Clearly, a professional’s skill isn’t the deciding factor in hunting. Your wisdom leaves me in awe. Truly!”

Chen Hanyu, slightly embarrassed, echoed her, “Yes, Mr. Ren, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have underestimated you either.”

Ou Youning chimed in, “Brother! Please carry us! I’m begging you!”

The others more or less expressed the same sentiment—looking at him as though he were a deity.

Ren Zhong glanced around, swiftly taking in everyone’s expressions.

It was a familiar feeling—everything seemed like déjà vu. The aura of a master still worked wonders.

Sigh, how did it come to this again?

Perhaps it was because they had grown so familiar with each other. Now, when they glimpsed even the tip of his capabilities, they no longer concealed their admiration, but showed it openly.

Ren Zhong only found it tedious and dull.

I’m just getting started, and you’re already singing my praises? How short-sighted.

Zheng Tian clenched her fists. “Mr. Ren, where should we go next?”

Ren Zhong pulled out a tablet and drew a winding line on the simple map. “Go this way.”

…

By 7:40 in the evening, the sun had already set. As another level-one Ruin Beast fell beneath Ren Zhong’s blade, Zheng Tian was a little bewildered.

Seven level-one Ruin Beast corpses now filled the truck’s compartment.

Including the most recent one, their team’s after-tax earnings for the day had reached eighty-four points.

The mission was more than complete.

It was clearly a miracle, yet she felt vaguely unsettled—the process had been too easy.

For a full twelve hours, Ren Zhong had led them along a predetermined patrol route, moving and stopping as needed.

Sometimes they found nothing; sometimes the sensors would give a signal, and they’d disembark to prepare for battle, either launching a direct assault or setting an ambush.

Wen Lei hadn’t been in great form today, but Ren Zhong had shown what it meant to be a prodigious mecha warrior.

Only seven days ago, he’d bought a level-one exoskeleton.

He’d added a power amplifier, which exposed him as a complete rookie.

But now, just six days later, he wielded the alloy battle blade with flair—his attacks and defenses balanced, his movements solid and powerful.

Though his neural reaction index was lower than Wen Lei’s, he seemed to have mastered advanced sword techniques.

He could achieve the same defensive effect with his alloy blade as Wen Lei did with a massive shield, using less energy and lower output.

His attacks weren’t wild or aggressive, rarely accompanied by roars, but his timing and angles were viciously precise—always finding the Ruin Beast’s hardest-to-defend weaknesses.

Though Ren Zhong was a novice, he seemed nothing like one. Instead, he resembled a battle-worn veteran who had survived a thousand life-and-death encounters.

In short, with the addition of Ren Zhong, this true new blood, today’s battles had been lively and intense, yet completely safe, and the earnings were steady.

Everything was better than the days when she led the team herself, though not dramatically better than their luckiest days in the past.

Zheng Tian knew she had nothing to complain about—she should have been satisfied, yet she couldn’t control her restless thoughts.

The sharp rise and fall from this morning to now had left her with a deep sense of anticlimax.

Such a mundane progression did not fit with your opening act, Mr. Ren, or with your character at all!

What are you really thinking?

Zheng Tian was no fool; she was certain Ren Zhong had more up his sleeve—she even suspected he was deliberately holding back their earnings.

He was too familiar with the route.

He’d mapped out a path that precisely avoided all the level-two Ruin Beasts along the way.

He had talked about the powers of a professional’s wristwatch and the internet; he had spoken of the importance of knowledge.

He was intimately familiar with the habits of various Ruin Beasts, and had been studying their physiology with Chen Hanyu. It was impossible that he only knew the weak points of the Electric Eel, a level-two Ruin Beast.

He could do more, but chose not to.

Why?

Did he not want more money?

…

“Mr. Ren, it’s getting late. Should we head back?” Zheng Tian forced a smile as she climbed into the truck. “We’ve definitely made enough for Belihui’s cut. Thank you so much for today.”

Ren Zhong shook his head. “There’s one more.”

“Huh?”

“Head east for now, along the stream at the foot of the mountain. Keep your speed around a hundred kilometers per hour.”

“Uh, okay.”

After driving for a while, Ren Zhong asked, almost casually, “You all must have realized the value of knowledge that my professional wristwatch brings. Since your team has nearly six hundred points in savings, why not buy one? Even just one. A professional wristwatch brings in a whole point of passive income each day, and the internet opens up vast amounts of knowledge—a huge return on investment. For example, my trick for dealing with the Electric Eel—I found that online. Chen Hanyu, you have the basics, just a little more study and you could provide tactical support.”

Zheng Tian sighed, “If we had more money, of course I’d want one. But what I want even more is to save up eight or nine hundred points to buy a Thunderbolt multi-purpose vehicle. That would let us break through the quarantine zone and enter the Rat Cliff Mountain hunting grounds. Once there, our daily net earnings would exceed thirty points, maybe even forty if we work hard.”

“At that point, a few days’ savings would be enough to buy a professional wristwatch. We could upgrade our gear and try teaming up to take on level-two Ruin Beasts. As you’ve seen, Mr. Ren, a level-two Ruin Beast is worth ten times as much as a level-one.”

“If we can get a new vehicle, we’ll finally be on the fast track. Besides, this is your first hunt, Mr. Ren, so you might not know: when I was still weak, I learned something important. Having a professional wristwatch is not necessarily a blessing for a scavenger who lacks strength.”

“Even if it’s bound to you, others can still use its internet functions with a guest account. Not everyone has your foundation, Mr. Ren—able to buy whatever you want with confidence.”

Ren Zhong narrowed his eyes and asked bluntly, “Have you considered that when you show your potential, your current protector, Lin Wang, might become the knife that cuts short your future?”

Zheng Tian nodded. “Yes. We’re all aware.”

At this, Ren Zhong understood her thoughts completely.

To be born in Xinghuo Town is to die if you stagnate.

To strive forward bravely is also to court death.

When she was weak, she had no choice but to join Lin Wang’s crew in order to survive, and now she couldn’t break free.

At this point, lying low was meaningless, since everything was linked to their accounts and nothing could be hidden.

The only way to break free was to accumulate enough capital and strength, then unleash their full potential—hoping to gain enough power to deter the professionals before their blade descended.

For survival, Zheng Tian was willing to compromise and lie low to a degree, but in her bones she had chosen the second path: to risk everything, seek a sliver of hope by fighting against fate.

In the previous timeline, she believed the “Census Officer” was her chance.

She had been wrong.

After a moment’s silence, as they neared their destination, Ren Zhong asked, “In a few days, do you plan to attempt the level-two professional certification?”

“Yes. Passing it would increase our income and change our status. The training system would offer us more protection. Lin Wang would have to think twice before killing certified level-twos. Except for Wen Lei, all four of us already surpass the level-two baseline in every metric. Our strength has peaked; we’re just short on equipment. Saving up further is pointless—it’s time to take a risk.”

Ren Zhong shook his head. “No, it’s not enough. Don’t take the exam this month. Wait until next month or the one after. You still haven’t accumulated enough. Even if you pass now, it’s suicide. Lin Wang… there’s probably nothing in Xinghuo Town that can make him hesitate. There’s an old saying: accumulate grain, build high walls, and only then declare yourself king. If you’re going to hold back, do it thoroughly. If you want to shatter your cage, store up more explosives first.”

“Ah? O-okay.”

At 7:53, as the familiar landscape appeared ahead, Zheng Tian slammed on the brakes, then looked dazed for a moment and asked in surprise, “How did we end up here again?”

This was near the hill where they had encountered the Enhanced Screech Wolf the night before.

The truck’s dashboard blared an alarm, indicating that a Ruin Beast with an energy index of 271 was roaming nearby.

Ren Zhong glanced at the number and understood instantly.

This Screech Wolf was nearly at the upper limit of a level-two Ruin Beast—just a step from level three.

Though the Enhanced Screech Wolf originated from the most common Night Wolf, mediocrity was sometimes an advantage rather than a weakness.

It boasted hair as tough as steel needles, hide as resilient as synthetic materials, formidable physical power, and astonishing endurance.

It could also raise its head and unleash an ear-piercing, high-frequency screech that struck terror into the minds of its enemies.

Because it was so balanced, it had no real weaknesses.

At least, nothing in Xinghuo Town’s armory could make fighting it any easier.

No wonder they’d lost last night.

The rest of the team looked alarmed.

“Bro Ren, uh… what’s this? Maybe we should just leave. We’ve done enough for today—no need to take risks,” Ou Youning suggested, swallowing nervously.

Ren Zhong ignored him and turned to Chen Hanyu by the window. “Would you please open the door? We’re getting out.”

A minute later.

Ren Zhong stood before them, arms crossed, his gaze cold, his eyes wild and unyielding.

“Now you know why I held back during the day and let you coast instead of going all out to make you rich? I did most of the fighting earlier, so Ou Youning and Zheng Tian, your ammo is still well-stocked. Bai Feng’s stamina is intact. Except for Wen Lei, everyone is in peak condition.”

“If you want to break free from fate’s cage, you must first forge unbreakable courage! Where you fell, that’s where you must rise!”

“There’s no trick to handling the Screech Wolf—you can only fight it head-on. But that suits me just fine. Now, spread out and cover for me.”

“Watch closely as I show you how a level-one professional defeats a high-level level-two Ruin Beast! Pay attention!”

A bodyguard for cover.

A powerful, balanced opponent.

The perfect whetstone for honing one’s strength.

Ren Zhong was determined to claim this prize for himself.

In the next instant, he charged toward the Ruin Beast’s location as indicated by his advanced scanner, armor systems at full power.

The others were left stunned.

They could only marvel at Ren Zhong’s indomitable spirit.

Was this the brilliance of a true genius?

None of them realized they had become Ren Zhong’s supporting cast in this battle.