Chapter 3

At around eight in the evening, Chen Wei called, and his first words were, "Kid, you’ve got some guts!"

"Too much praise, too much praise." Nanming was lying on the bed reading a novel at the time. Daily activities consumed a lot of energy, so he could only adhere to the seven-character mantra of "eating well, being lazy, and enjoying life," lying in bed to be lazy.

Unfortunately, his energy was not abundant now, so he didn’t bother with pleasantries: "Is there something? If not, I’ll hang up."

"You kid, you’re really calm!" Chen Wei was both amused and exasperated, "I called to tell you that Old Lu is fine now. The doctors said this situation was very dangerous, with a very high mortality rate. Fortunately, it was handled in time, or the consequences would have been unimaginable. You kid, you’re really something."

Though his words were harsh, Chen Wei knew that he had made a good impression this time. No matter how much of a figure he was in Wengji County, in front of such a big shot, he was just a human background, not even worthy of a conversation. Today, however, he was pulled by the hand and thanked profusely, all because of Nanming’s face.

"Really fine?" Nanming was overjoyed. In fact, he was still a bit worried. If his enhancement ability had side effects, what would he do? Only now did he truly feel relieved.

In an instant, a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment surged in his heart, and the energy bar at the corner of his eye rose significantly.

Nanming was dumbfounded. It turned out that satisfaction and accomplishment were even more effective than the so-called "eating well, being lazy, and enjoying life"!

In that moment, Nanming suddenly understood what he could do.

"Eating well, being lazy, and enjoying life" could only maintain daily life, but "being a helpful and happy young man" was the real trick to recharge!

"Don’t tell me, how did you become so capable?" Chen Wei marveled, thinking about Nanming’s performance today.

Even the "lazy cancer" Nanming from before wasn’t this excellent.

"I told you, I have superpowers," Nanming said.

"You kid, you’re always talking nonsense." Chen Wei was exasperated and didn’t believe Nanming at all, "By the way, Old Lu asked me to ask you when you’re free tomorrow. He wants to treat you to a meal."

"Really?" Nanming was immediately interested, "Then I’ll have a big meal!"

"Being a helpful and happy young man" couldn’t always stand on the street helping old ladies cross the road; it was something that happened by chance.

In the seven-character mantra for maintaining life, "eating well" was the top priority. Eating not only provided energy but also satisfaction. With the opportunity for a big meal, he couldn’t miss it.

"Can’t you be a bit more polite? Don’t worry, he’s a big shot and won’t take you to a small restaurant," Chen Wei laughed, "I won’t say more. If you’re free, wait for my call tomorrow, and I’ll pick you up."

Although Old Lu said he would adjust to Nanming’s schedule, the kid was on summer break, so when wouldn’t he be free?

It was better to adjust to Old Lu’s schedule.

Chen Wei wasn’t as informal as Nanming.

"I want to sit in the front!" Nanming quickly said.

"Alright, alright!" Chen Wei laughed and hung up the phone.

"Big meal!" Nanming threw his phone aside and cheered. This kid had always been a foodie.

Nanming’s family was an ordinary working-class household. Although they weren’t short of meat and fish, the opportunity for a big meal wasn’t frequent.

The next day, as the sky was just getting dark, Nanming finally waited for Chen Wei. Sitting in the front, Nanming clutched his stomach and said, "You finally came, I’m almost starving."

To eat this big meal, Nanming didn’t dare to eat much at noon. The energy he had accumulated yesterday was almost depleted after daily consumption.

Maintaining the lazy god and Nanming’s daily consumption wasn’t easy, which gave Nanming a sense of urgency.

"Look at your lack of ambition!" Chen Wei hurriedly advised, "Be careful when we eat, don’t embarrass yourself."

"Got it." Nanming sat comfortably in the front, sighed contentedly, and responded casually, but he didn’t really listen.

This was a big meal hosted by a big shot, what would it be?

Just thinking about it made him excited!

The car sped off, and soon they arrived at the Wengji Hotel. As soon as they reached the entrance, Chen Wei felt something was wrong. The entire Wengji Hotel was on high alert, as if facing a major threat.

Nanming, though not as perceptive as Chen Wei, also subconsciously felt something was amiss.

"Stay in the car, don’t get out!" Chen Wei made a sharp stop, pulled the handbrake, and ran out.

On the fifth floor of the Wengji Hotel, in the men’s restroom, a ruthless man was holding an elderly man hostage, facing off against the police.

Chen Wei ran to the front in two steps, saw all the important figures there, and was shocked, "What happened?"

"Chen Wei, you’re here." The middle-aged man, who was in a high position, was also at a loss in this situation. The events of yesterday had made him and Chen Wei closer, and Chen Wei had been responsible for his close protection these past two days. Seeing Chen Wei, he felt a bit more at ease.

A miracle happened yesterday, would a miracle happen today?

"It’s Li Tubin, holding Old Lu hostage, demanding the release of Liang Sanfa," the county police chief Liang Jianqiang said.

Chen Wei was shocked. Whether it was Li Tubin or Liang Sanfa, both were once notorious figures on the wanted list.

These two were once anti-drug special police, but later fell into crime, becoming fierce drug dealers. Li Tubin, in particular, was a combat expert and a sharpshooter, a so-called "king of soldiers" in the military. He had at least a dozen lives on his hands. Despite a nationwide manhunt, he managed to kill three police officers and escape, a true king of bandits.

The Wengji Hotel was open to the public, and somehow he managed to sneak in and take Old Lu hostage.

What to do next was a headache.

Some suggested a sniper, some suggested negotiations, some suggested a forced attack, but no one dared to make a decision.

The more important issue was that Old Lu had heart problems. If it took too long, what would happen?

If it were an ordinary person, it wouldn’t matter, but this was Old Lu...

The county party secretary Zhao Youfa started to blame Chen Wei, "Didn’t I tell you to protect Old Lu? Where did you go?"

Chen Wei wanted to say something but didn’t. After all, he had only been gone for half an hour when this happened.

Though he had been off duty and was ordered to pick up Nanming, he still had some responsibility.

These words were like a stab in the heart, and even Old Lu’s son looked at Chen Wei with a hint of displeasure.

And Zhao Youfa’s words were like a switch, and everyone’s eyes turned to Chen Wei.

Finally, someone to take the blame.

Time ticked by, and in the restroom, Li Tubin started shouting, "If you don’t let Liang Sanfa call me in three minutes, I’ll cut off his finger!"

He didn’t plan to leave alive today. As long as Liang Sanfa was released, he would hide in the mountains, and no one could catch Liang Sanfa. Then he would have repaid his leader’s kindness.

Though a bandit, Li Tubin was at least a man of honor, but the more capable a villain, the greater the harm to society.

"Brother Li, come here." Nanming was in the car, not knowing what had happened. He was worried about Chen Wei and saw Xiao Li rushing by, so he called him over.

"What happened?" Nanming asked Xiao Li.

Xiao Li hesitated, unsure whether to say anything, but after seeing what Nanming did yesterday, he felt a bit more trust in him and whispered, "Old Lu is being held hostage, it’s very dangerous, stay away!"

Nanming sat in the police car, silent for a moment.

Then he took a deep breath, reached under the seat, and pulled out a wooden hoe handle.

If asked what the favorite weapon of a grassroots police officer was, there would be many answers. But in reality, a baton could easily hurt oneself, an electric baton only caused pain, a rubber baton could break easily, and an American baton was awkward to use. How to slay a dragon? Only with a hoe handle.

Made of hardwood, one end large and one end small, it could be held in one hand. Since knife control became stricter, street thugs started using hoe handles as weapons, and the police station confiscated many. The police tried them and found them more powerful and easier to use than batons. So now, the hoe handle was like a baseball bat to Americans, a civilian weapon.

Now, the police were a disadvantaged group, and the equipment of grassroots police was uneven, with severe wear and tear and infrequent replacements. Sometimes, to protect themselves on missions, they had to bring a hoe handle, and to avoid drawing attention, they would paint it black to look like a baton.

Growing up in the police station, Nanming knew Chen Wei had some self-defense weapons in the car and quickly found them.

Holding the hoe handle, Nanming walked confidently towards the main entrance of the Wengji Hotel.

At the entrance, two guards stopped him. Nanming took a deep breath, activated his enhancement ability, and unleashed all his energy!

A silver ripple appeared, like a silver firework blooming around Nanming. The space around him fluctuated, as if something was trying to break free, but everything eventually calmed down, and the silver light poured into the wooden hoe handle in Nanming’s hand.

The ordinary hoe handle was now completely different.

Nanming’s energy bar instantly drained, and a faint sense of weakness spread throughout his body. The lazy god, who constantly absorbed Nanming’s energy, began to absorb his existence.

In the eyes of many, Nanming disappeared.

The two guards were stunned, confused.

Nanming was clearly there just a moment ago, but suddenly he was gone.

They rubbed their eyes, feeling a chill down their backs. In broad daylight, had they encountered a ghost?

Nanming passed through the guards, walked straight ahead, and pulled a chocolate from his pocket, swallowing it to temporarily delay the loss of his existence. The elevator stopped on the first floor, and he walked in.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5... The elevator opened on the fifth floor.

Fully armed and on high alert, the special police turned around, aiming their guns at the elevator, but they were puzzled.

The elevator was empty, and only a chocolate wrapper slowly fell to the ground.

Passing through the special police’s line, Nanming saw the county party secretary Zhao Youfa slap Chen Wei across the face.

"Looks like you don’t need to wear that police uniform anymore, go home and take care of your kids!"

Chen Wei clenched his fists, his face red, his teeth grinding, but he could only remain silent, letting others pin the blame on him.

The past five minutes were the most difficult of Chen Wei’s life. Faced with the blame and humiliation from his superiors, he couldn’t say anything.

No one spoke up for Chen Wei, and everyone remained silent.

In the silence, a sudden change occurred.

"Bang!" Zhao Youfa, who had just been aggressive, suddenly bent his knees and fell to the ground, wanting to cry out but not daring to, covering his mouth and making a muffled sound like a fart.

Everyone was shocked and stepped back.

Nanming stood in front of Chen Wei, in the center of the circle formed by the crowd. Everyone’s eyes were on Zhao Youfa, but Chen Wei’s mouth was wide open, looking at Nanming as if he had seen something unbelievable.

In Chen Wei’s eyes, Nanming was like a faint shadow, almost invisible if not looked at carefully.

"Bro, can you see me?" Nanming was surprised. None of the special police or the officials could see him.

Chen Wei wanted to speak but realized something was wrong and nodded lightly.

Perhaps because of the blood relation and deep bond between Nanming and Chen Wei, Nanming’s existence was much stronger to Chen Wei.

"Seeing me makes things easier." Nanming put the wooden hoe handle on his shoulder and said to Chen Wei, "In five seconds, you charge in."

He pushed the door and entered the men’s restroom.

In the restroom, Li Tubin was on high alert, and Old Lu was tied up, his mouth stuffed with a rag, looking weak.

Seeing the door suddenly open, Li Tubin quickly pulled Old Lu in front of him, but no one came in, and he was confused.

"What are you doing? I told you not to play tricks..."

Halfway through his sentence, Li Tubin was puzzled. No one?

Nanming’s eyes were cold, and he walked steadily and methodically, approaching Li Tubin, who was confused and tense.

This bastard, making his brother get slapped, ruining his big meal, wasting his energy on the hoe handle, and making him experience the pain of losing his existence again, possibly even killing him.

This bastard!

Nanming swung the wooden hoe handle and struck Li Tubin on the head!

Despite not seeing or feeling anything, Li Tubin, a former "king of soldiers" and "king of bandits," instinctively felt a sense of danger and raised his hand to block.

"Smack!" The wooden hoe handle hit Li Tubin’s hand as if it were hit by a train, bending it 90 degrees. The handle didn’t stop and struck Li Tubin’s head.

Blood splattered, and Li Tubin, without a sound, was knocked back several meters, hitting the wall and falling to the ground.

At that moment, Chen Wei burst through the door, and Nanming helped Old Lu up, handed the stick to Chen Wei, and turned to leave.

Chen Wei looked back at him, rushed forward, and pinned the unconscious Li Tubin. At that moment, the special police outside rushed in, panicked.

"Chen Wei, are you crazy, you actually..." The leaders who rushed in were shocked.

But seeing the scene inside, they were speechless.

The tall Chen Wei, holding a bloodied hoe handle, stood in front of the bloodied Li Tubin, who now looked like he had been trampled by several wild animals, lying twisted on the ground.

Chen Wei’s face was splattered with blood, and he looked coldly at the people who rushed in, making the leaders shiver.

King of bandits? What nonsense. At that moment, Chen Wei was the most fearsome in everyone’s eyes.

In such a disadvantageous situation, how many people in the world could knock out the king of bandits in one second?

Zhao Youfa, who had just been on his feet, collapsed again. This fierce warrior was the same Chen Wei who had just been slapped by him?

Old Lu, who should have been the focus of everyone’s attention, was temporarily ignored. He was unharmed and stood steadily, his eyes thoughtfully looking towards the restroom door.

Everyone suddenly realized and rushed to Old Lu, fussing over him.

"Move!" Chen Wei, not bothering with the formalities, turned and ran out. He was worried about Nanming and wanted to know what had happened.

Outside, Nanming was nowhere to be seen. The elevator was going down, and Chen Wei rushed to the stairs, running down to his car. There, he saw Nanming, almost invisible, sitting in the front, eating chocolate.

Seeing Chen Wei, Nanming said weakly, "Bro, get me a bottle of cola."

At that moment, Nanming felt like a tractor’s fuel tank was dragging a giant ship’s engine. The energy from eating was quickly depleted, and he felt weak and powerless.

Chen Wei, hearing Nanming’s voice like a mosquito, turned and ran, quickly returning with two large bottles of cola.

"Ah, I came for a big meal, not for this junk food." Nanming gulped down a bottle, and with the help of the car seat, managed to regain his energy before completely losing his existence.

Though chocolate and cola were high in calories, they provided no sense of satisfaction.

Looking at the energy bar, which was almost empty again, Nanming felt like crying. He felt the lazy god had dug a hole for him, and it wasn’t easy to fill the ten bars.

Next time, he had to be more careful with his energy, Nanming thought.

"Are you okay?" Seeing Nanming’s figure gradually become more solid, Chen Wei finally relaxed and asked seriously, "What happened just now?"

"Didn’t I tell you? I have superpowers," Nanming said irritably, "You just didn’t believe me!"

Facts speak louder than words. No matter how materialistic, Chen Wei believed this time.

Nanming smiled, "Bro, wasn’t that kick to that bastard cool? I avenged you."

"Cool! So cool!" Chen Wei gave Nanming a thumbs up. He hadn’t actually seen Nanming kick Zhao Youfa, but it didn’t change anything.

When Chen Wei gave Nanming a thumbs up, Nanming felt a surge of accomplishment, and the sense of emptiness that almost made him disappear vanished, and his figure became more solid.

Everything was worth it!

Chen Wei felt warm and moved, his eyes shining.

Nanming, who had knocked out the king of bandits with one strike, didn’t feel particularly proud. The kick to Zhao Youfa was what made him the happiest.

He wasn’t concerned about Old Lu or any big shot; he just didn’t want his brother to be wronged.

What is a brother? This is it.

The little cousin who was always under their protection had become a reliable man.

"Can I not tell my mom about the jumping thing?" Nanming asked.

Chen Wei facepalmed, feeling his previous emotions were in vain.

Nanming didn’t care and opened his phone, adding "continuously monitor Li Tubin" to his to-do list.

For some reason, he felt Li Tubin wasn’t that simple.