Chapter 77

There's a thief? And from the back view, the age shouldn't be too old. I actually got robbed by such a petty thief? He Ping was stunned, even failing to chase after the thief immediately. With his level 5 reaction, he could detect any slight movement around him, but despite this, a petty thief managed to get close and steal his money. This unexpected turn of events made him find it quite interesting.

"What's wrong? Bro?" Dong Dapeng, standing beside him, hadn't even realized what had happened. The petty thief's movements had been so light that even He Ping only noticed someone approaching at the moment of being stolen from. If it had been someone with ill intentions, that moment would have been enough to injure He Ping.

"Dapeng, go back on your own. Do you know the way? If not, take the bus." He Ping looked in the direction the petty thief had disappeared, a strange smile appearing on his face. "Don't wait for me. I have something to take care of, but I'll be back soon."

Dong Dapeng nodded, understanding. Although he didn't know what He Ping was going to do, it didn't seem like something he could get involved in. Besides, they had come out quite far and for a long time, and he needed to go back. If he stayed out any longer, he would get beaten when he got home. So, Dong Dapeng said goodbye to He Ping and continued walking south toward Nanguan, while He Ping's figure flashed, entering the small alley.

The moment he entered the alley, He Ping felt as if he had stepped into another world. On the street, although the pedestrian flow wasn't large, it still had the vitality of a street. But when he entered the alley, the surrounding sounds seemed to fade away, and everything became silent. Rows of bungalows and narrow paths formed a maze-like residential area.

In Qingshan, Dongguan's development was the slowest. Beiguan was the location of government offices, which, although not developing rapidly, was well-planned and gave a neat impression. Nanguan, needless to say, was a bustling commercial area that changed every month and was different every year. Although Xiguan wasn't prosperous, it was an important area of Qingshan City and thus received more attention.

Only Dongguan, which was originally the outskirts of Qingshan, had gradually developed into a suburban area and then integrated into the city. Its development was the slowest, but its population was the largest. When other areas were already filled with high-rise buildings, this place still had many bungalows, where families with poor economic conditions lived.

In his previous life, He Ping had seen such areas in his mother's hometown in the northwest, but this was his first time coming to such a place in Qingshan. The surroundings were very quiet, which was normal. People living here had poor economic conditions, so many went out to earn money, and even the elderly had to set up stalls. Therefore, during the day, most of this area was empty. Thieves? Thieves might hide here after stealing, but they wouldn't come here to steal because there was nothing worth stealing.

He Ping lightly leaped onto a household's wall, standing high to see far. He had never been here before, and the petty thief clearly knew the area well. Finding the petty thief wouldn't be easy. As he walked on the wall, he carefully observed the surroundings. Although the petty thief was good at hiding his presence, even fooling He Ping, that was only when He Ping wasn't paying attention.

Before long, he sensed movement on a nearby path. He then directly ran along the rooftops and walls of the bungalows. After a few leaps, he finally saw the small figure he had only glimpsed earlier. But before He Ping could catch up, a sharp whistle came from another direction. The small figure, upon hearing the whistle, immediately turned around and saw He Ping.

At this moment, He Ping saw the true face of the petty thief for the first time. It was a little girl, a year or two younger than himself, wearing dirty clothes, with short hair, and a somewhat delicate appearance. However, her face was also dirty, so she didn't stand out. Upon seeing He Ping, her face showed surprise and panic, and she immediately sped up, running in the direction away from He Ping.

He Ping noticed not only the true face of the petty thief but also that the whistle was a warning to the little girl that someone was chasing her. This meant she had an accomplice, and He Ping hadn't detected this accomplice. Clearly, the accomplice was on a rooftop, otherwise, they wouldn't have seen He Ping so quickly. If he didn't deal with the lookout, it would be hard to catch the little girl below.

He Ping no longer hesitated, activating his perception ability, which greatly enhanced his senses. This time, it was simple. As his perception improved, his attention focused on searching, and he quickly locked onto a location not far from him. There, he sensed someone hiding behind a chimney on a rooftop. He Ping quickly changed direction and rushed over.

Perhaps sensing He Ping's approach, the person behind the chimney also quickly left and started to run. But the distance wasn't far, and He Ping's perception had already locked onto the target, so the distance between them continuously shortened. He Ping soon saw the fleeing figure, which was about the same size as the previous petty thief, but with longer hair tied into a ponytail. It was another little girl.

Seeing He Ping not far behind, the little girl was clearly very surprised, not understanding how He Ping could run so fast on the rooftops. This surprise made her panic, and the path on the rooftop was not flat, with gaps here and there. Normally, one would have to be very careful walking on it, let alone running. Running without looking down was clearly a death wish. As a result, the little girl, like anyone else, stepped into thin air.

"Ah!"

The little girl had just stepped into the air, and her cry had just begun when she found herself not falling. At the critical moment, He Ping activated his sprint, his speed instantly increasing, and he quickly reached the little girl, scooping her up and holding her under his arm, landing steadily on the ground.

Before the little girl could speak, He Ping carried her and jumped onto the wall. The little girl was surprised; the wall was about two meters high, and she usually couldn't climb it without something to step on. But He Ping jumped up directly. However, He Ping didn't pay attention to her because he had already re-locked onto the position of the other petty thief.

[PS: Second update of the day!]