Chapter 3: My Older Sister's Career Stands in the Way of My Progress
Having no other choice, Lu Xingzhou decided to climb the cliff on his own.
Jiujia Mountain is part of the Taihang Mountain range, riddled with ravines and dense forests, lacking paved roads. Large vehicles and equipment simply cannot be brought up the mountain.
Moreover, the criminal investigation team did not have any professional climbers. Sending someone down to rescue Lu Xingzhou would be less safe than simply tying a safety rope to him and letting him climb up by himself.
Lu Xingzhou was probably the only person at the scene with professional rock climbing qualifications and formal training.
They placed the backpack containing the body into a sealed basket and hoisted it up the cliff, then dropped down a rope equipped with a safety harness.
Protected by the rope, Lu Xingzhou climbed the last hundred meters of the cliff.
The moment several officers helped pull him up the cliff with all hands on deck, the system’s voice rang in his mind again.
[Task One: Climb 100 meters (1/1)]
[Task Reward: Ten times today’s live-stream tips (directly transferred to bank card, no fees deducted)]
(Current tips in the stream: 15,696.8 yuan; total transferred to bank card: 156,968 yuan)
(Note: Task reward time frame is from 00:00 to 23:59 on the same day. As live tips increase, the amount transferred will increase accordingly. Keep up the good work, streamer!)
[Task Two: Reach the summit (1/1)]
[Task Reward: Body restored to optimal condition (already implemented)]
[Task Three: Summit with 10kg load (1/1)]
[Task Reward: World-class muscle control (already implemented)]
As the system’s voice echoed, Lu Xingzhou immediately felt the old ache that had been nagging him vanish completely.
Not only that, but clenching his fists tightly, he could visibly see that his muscle control had improved by several levels compared to before.
Lu Xingzhou couldn’t help but marvel: “So this is what world-class muscle control feels like? No wonder those national team athletes are so unbelievably strong!”
One cannot imagine what one has never seen.
Lu Xingzhou had once wondered why national team athletes were so extraordinarily strong. Now he understood: just the precise control of muscle strength alone makes a world of difference, not to mention other aspects.
---
Lu Xingzhou looked at the waves of muscle lines rolling across his arms.
“No wonder people say that precise muscle control means precise power control—a single punch could kill a bull without trouble.”
“Smack!”
Lu Jiangying circled Lu Xingzhou with a worried expression, checking to make sure he wasn’t injured. His hands bore thick calluses that resisted the abrasions from the climb perfectly—only dirt, no skin broken. Only then did he give Lu Xingzhou a slap on the back.
“What are you showing off for? Free climbing Jiujia Mountain? Don’t you know how dangerous that is?”
Lu Jiangying furrowed his brows, staring at Lu Xingzhou with red-rimmed eyes.
It was the scorching heat of July, and Lu Xingzhou wore only a thin T-shirt.
To enhance the live stream’s visual effect, he had intentionally chosen a tight, form-fitting sports T-shirt that accentuated his physique.
“Are you the officer who found the victim’s body on the cliff?”
Zhou Shuwu, captain of the criminal investigation squad and commander on the scene, approached and extended his hand to shake Lu Xingzhou’s.
“Very impressive, young and promising. I heard from your sister that you retired from the provincial sports team and now work part-time at a gym. Interested in joining the police force?”
Glancing at his system, Lu Xingzhou instinctively wanted to decline Zhou Shuwu’s offer.
Through this challenge, whether it was the full restoration of his body or achieving world-class precise muscle control, Lu Xingzhou clearly sensed that the system was granting him rewards far beyond his current understanding.
For an athlete, fixed talent means no further progress; after injury, even superstars and legends can never fully recover.
But Lu Xingzhou not only had fully recovered from his injuries, his talent had been further advanced, allowing him to perform moves he had never been able to before.
Lu Xingzhou shot a glance at Lu Jiangying and immediately began to blurt out nonsense.
“Boss, look at this body, this handsome face. If it weren’t for my sister’s career blocking my path, I could easily be a nightclub model and make seventeen or eighteen thousand in a single night.”
The idea that Lu Jiangying’s career as a criminal investigator was blocking Lu Xingzhou’s path to becoming a male model was so absurd that anyone hearing it would burst out laughing.
Zhou Shuwu also couldn’t help but smile.
“Alright, we respect your decision. If you ever run into trouble, just call me. Of course, if we encounter another tricky search operation, we might need to trouble you for help.”
---
Zhou Shuwu patted Lu Xingzhou on the shoulder and turned away, ordering the officers to wrap up.
Lu Jiangying jiggled a car key in his hand: “Let’s go! I’ll take you back to the station to record your statement.”
Lu Xingzhou pointed down the cliff: “My electric scooter for deliveries is still down there. If I’m going back, I want to ride it back.”
Lu Jiangying glanced at the cliff: “I’ll find a vehicle to tow your scooter, your drone, and your streaming equipment back. Jiujia Mountain is 90 kilometers from the city. If you ride your little scooter back from here, it will be dark by the time you arrive!”
Back at the station, after a brief statement recording, Lu Xingzhou received a ceremonial banner and a 30,000 yuan bonus.
At this moment, Lu Xingzhou stood dazed at a blazing hot bus stop, waiting for Bus No. 2.
“This can’t be right. I should have been the one honored for this. At least I should get a ride back, but instead, I have to squeeze onto a bus by myself? And I’ve been waiting forever with no bus in sight!”
Lu Xingzhou doubted his life choices as he unfolded the banner in his hands. At the top was a police badge, and below were two lines of text, clearly mass-produced.
“Bus No. 2 has arrived. Passengers heading to the train station, please board. Next stop: Yuhua Middle School…”
Hearing the familiar automated voice, Lu Xingzhou rolled up the banner and hurried onto the bus.
It was 11 a.m., and most elderly passengers were returning home after their morning walks, so the bus was nearly full. Scanning the seats, only one seat next to a woman holding a child was free. Lu Xingzhou sat down heavily and leaned back, exhaling deeply.
“Hmm?”
Lu Xingzhou was about to close his eyes and rest when he suddenly felt small hands pressing on his leg.
Looking down, he saw the child the woman was holding.
The child was about three or four years old, looking confused, tightly clutching Lu Xingzhou’s banner, struggling desperately to escape the woman’s embrace.
“Uncle, you’re a police officer, right? Please help me—she’s not my mom!”