"Dad, let me pay for lunch with my card. I've always been taking from you but never thanked you~ A child who wants to care for their parents shouldn't wait until they're gone. I need to show my filial piety early. Time, please slow down, don't let you grow old anymore~~" Bai Bufan began singing praises of fatherly love.
"Fine." Lin Li accepted without any courtesy, then realized: "Wait, 'a child who wants to care for their parents shouldn't wait until they're gone'—are you fucking saying I'm going to die?"
Not caring whether holding his deskmate's hand while talking was gay or not, Bai Bufan continued with full anticipation, "Whether you die or not isn't important right now. What's important is when we're going on our adventure. I can't wait to let others taste my signature dishes and serve up some Xi Ye impact! I've had enough of this monastery life."
His signature dishes were naturally chicken rolls and soy milk—authentically local through and through.
Lin Li shook off Bai Bufan's hand and waved dismissively, "I just said it's only a possibility. I don't know where else in Xiling raises chickens either. I need to investigate first. We can only act after I find something."
"But Bufan, I need to make something clear first. I'm basically an informant now, and looking into this is one of the tasks they gave me."
Lin Li first legitimized his actions.
"So when I actually take you there, what we'll ultimately do is report it. Therefore, bringing you along is just to let you experience that magical arrest experience I mentioned. It's genuinely fun, but as for the forbidden taboo you're really seeking… If you're not afraid of your family finding out, given your age and my relationship with them, they'd probably just call your parents for criticism without detaining you. That shouldn't be a problem."
Lin Li analyzed seriously.
"Hehe, father, no no no no—your thinking is still somewhat narrow," Bai Bufan profoundly waggled his index finger left and right. "You just told your child that your superior said as long as it's an emergency, even if Sister Jing had gotten your weapon, they'd consider it and even let you off the hook, right? So whether it's an emergency or not, isn't that up to us father and son to decide? Your regret from last time—this time, let me, your son, help you make up for it! Even if the police come, I'll block them at your door. If they want to get past, they'll have to step over my dead body!"
Lin Li: "..."
His son was quite clever, just that his cleverness wasn't used for the right purposes.
However, It actually seemed feasible.
But then he seriously shook his head, "Bufan, seriously, if you really plan to do that, I won't take you."
Joking aside, Lin Li wouldn't deliberately lead his brother astray for the sake of a mission.
This wasn't like taking a brother to an internet cafe or helping him in a fight—this matter was somewhat more serious.
If Bai Bufan got sick or addicted, Lin Li would be greatly at fault.
Moreover, if the fellow disciple he brought along got completely drained by the pleasure demons, would the stupid system consider his mission complete?
—To emphasize, this reason was the least important.
"Don't worry, I'm just joking. I'm actually afraid of getting sick too, and I don't want to lose my first time in that kind of environment." Bai Bufan said with a laugh.
"Bai Bufan, why don't you swear on your chicken roll?" Lin Li was someone who was very good at learning.
Bai Bufan: "..."
"Don't you trust your buddy?" Bai Bufan got angry.
"Mhm, just swear on it."
"You know what kind of person I am. Usually I can... what was it? I forgot the beginning, forgot the middle, forgot the end. Anyway, I'm also a baby-faced wolf."
"Mhm, just swear on it."
"Fine, fine. I really swear, I, Bai Bufan..." This time Bai Bufan didn't stop short like Lin Li had just done, but completed his oath.
Although oaths were made to be broken, and the Luoshi remained a joke to this day because of Sima, between Bai Bufan and Lin Li, it wouldn't be like that.
Actually, there was no need to swear—Bai Bufan had been all talk from the beginning until now.
Never mind fifteen-year-old Bai Bufan, in reality most people in this world were curious about this sort of thing, but even if they actually knew the channels, those with strict upbringing or who were relatively well-behaved rarely dared to try it alone.
People really needed companions.
One of the greatest sources of courage was having comrades.
It was like when school just started and the teacher asked students who didn't do homework to stand up—if you were the only one standing, your heart would sink with a 'thud,' and you'd be done for.
But if a group of people stood up—hehe.
This was ultimately illegal behavior. If Lin Li dared to go through with it to the end, Bai Bufan might follow after some internal struggle, but if he were alone, forget about it.
Just thinking about how if something went wrong, he'd be the only one screwed, while Bai Bufan would be just get scared or, nothing would happen to him.
"Just consider it a free foot massage you're treating me to." Bai Bufan nodded.
"That works. Then wait for my notice. If I can find clues quickly, we can go on our adventure this weekend." After reaching an agreement, Lin Li also nodded, then stood up. There was only one minute left before class officially started, "Since it's settled, I need to go to the station now."
"Father, are you going to register me on a whitelist in advance so they won't actually arrest me? That's some serious connections." Bai Bufan said with some admiration.
Being able to become a police informant was really impressive.
So much power.
"The station I'm going to is the bathroom." With no time left, Lin Li didn't look back.
"F*ck you—" Bai Bufan fell silent for a second before cursing, then abruptly stopped.
Wait, Lin Li was his father now.
Inappropriate thoughts about Li weren't acceptable.
...
"Until you confirm which day you're taking me on the adventure, I'm going back to being Bai Bufan, you damn bastard." Bai Bufan said expressionlessly.
The father-son bond between them vanished into smoke after Lin Li replicated his previous feat of ordering five meat dishes without rice at lunch.
Lin Li sneered contemptuously.
The two parted ways at the bottom of the teaching building, like strangers.
—Bai Bufan went back to the dorm, while Lin Li, being a day student, naturally could only return to the classroom.
If it were close to monthly exams, there would be quite a few students staying in the classroom for lunch break study, but when Lin Li returned to the classroom today, there were basically no people—just two, a boy and a girl, sitting in the front rows, neither of whom he knew well.
"My memory really does seem to have improved." Lin Li looked again at the passage the English teacher wanted him to memorize for next class, and after trying it out, remarked with some pleasant surprise.
At this moment, Lin Li's memory had already improved by 100%.
Halfway through the fourth class that morning, Lin Li had seen the notification: [Task Three completed]
[You have received rewards: Physical Enhancement: Memory increased by 100%; System Currency *50.]
However, what followed was, like the Eight-Stage Body Forging Technique, a derivative task with a longer time requirement.
[If one desires to wear away stone with water drops, accumulation is indispensable. Cultivation has no end. Having taken one step, one has glimpsed the precious nature of predecessors' experience.
Six hours pass in but an instant. Why not persist once more and seek the Great Way?]
[Task Three: While sect elders, administrators, guardians and others preach, teach, and resolve doubts, listen carefully and study for a cumulative twenty-four hours.]
[Rewards: Physical Enhancement: Comprehension increased by 10%; Memory increased by 100%; Random Cultivation Method *1.]
The task requirements had quadrupled, but the rewards were quite rich. Although the comprehension increase was only 10%, Lin Li understood this could directly make him 10% smarter, which should be quite powerful.
Besides, studying was studying—when Lin Li was normally at school, he didn't have anything else to do anyway.
As long as he maintained his efficiency from these past few days, he could complete this task within two weeks.
This system was both encouraging him to study hard and encouraging him to frequent pleasure houses.
It could be considered flourishing in both culture and physical pursuits.
(End of Chapter)