Starting to Gain Experience from Push-Ups-Chapter 233 - 188: Top Passive Skill

Early morning, around 7 o’clock.

Although the rain had stopped, the fog hung like cotton stuffed with ash, unevenly suspended between the jagged buildings.

The patrol car’s red and blue roof lights flickered quietly at the corner, dimming and brightening silently.

Several yellow and black police tapes cordoned off a nine-story residential building.

Early risers passing by frequently stopped, looked up, and discussed.

Cheng Leyi held a military telescope and also stood at the windowsill, observing the gray-white tubular building across the street.

She bit into a mint candy for alertness, which crackled in her mouth.

With the crosshair in the lens targeting a window whose curtains were drawn, the interior scenes of the residents were clearly visible.

A housewife was busy preparing breakfast; it almost seemed like the high-pitched whistle of the pressure cooker could be heard from afar.

The unemployed householder, still in his pajamas and yawning, walked out of the bedroom to wash his face and brush his teeth.

The lens paused briefly then continued moving upwards.

In the next apartment, there was only a lonely old man.

He sat alone in a rocking chair, staring at an overturned medicine bottle, seemingly lost in thought.

Seeing this, Cheng Leyi tapped her fingertips lightly and switched to thermal imaging mode.

Then she spoke to herself through the headset:

"January 30th, 7:20 AM, target on the 8th floor, apartment 4, likely ingested tranquilizers, body surface temperature approximately 1.5°C lower than the normal, currently within reasonable range..."

Just as she was recording the surveillance, the faint sound of a door opening came from behind.

Then, a series of footsteps emerged, gradually approaching her.

Without looking back, Cheng Leyi knew it was another team member returning.

"How’s it going, any abnormalities discovered on your side?"

A burly man with a full beard walked right up to her.

His voice was somewhat loud, buzzing in one’s ears even when he deliberately lowered it.

Cheng Leyi shook her head without speaking.

"Take a break for a while."

The bearded man continued to persuade: "Those monsters are nocturnal, they like to be active at night and usually hide in their dens during the day, they won’t show up."

Cheng Leyi just hummed in response, still focused on her surveillance task.

The mint candy in her mouth was now gone, and the cold air that she breathed in felt like countless tiny ice needles stimulating her taste buds.

Suddenly, she sniffed with her nostrils and smelled an incredibly rich scent of meat.

Immediately, her stomach growled; she put down her telescope, turned her head towards her companion:

"Lin Xuhao, you bought something delicious, why didn’t you tell me earlier?!"

The bearded man was holding two takeout bags and wore an innocent expression.

It seemed as if he was saying, "You’ve been ignoring me the whole time."

The room was empty and cold, with no furniture or decorations.

The two sat directly on the concrete floor, opened their food containers, and started enjoying their breakfast.

The place was originally an unfinished room, rented temporarily for their surveillance task, making it look very rudimentary.

"Ah, this damned mission looks simple but is actually the most taxing."

"We’re like peeping Toms, having monitored here for over a dozen hours and haven’t spotted any monster; earning some mission points is truly not easy."

Lin Xuhao, not looking the cultured part at all, complained while taking big bites of his chicken leg.

Cheng Leyi, despite being a girl, disregarded her image completely, grabbed a meat bun, and stuffed it into her mouth, replying vaguely:

"The public health department is coming for disinfection and checks soon; as long as no incident occurs within 48 hours, we can withdraw."

The previous night, both of them kept watch from observation points on each side of the tubular building, performing their monitoring tasks all night long.

Now, slightly relaxed, they chatted and ate while exchanging various pieces of intelligence they had gathered.

"Let’s hope for the best..."

Lin Xuhao quickly finished the chicken leg in his hand and grabbed another, continuing:

"I just got news from the Criminal Investigation Department, He Yao’s bones were found, and after a DNA match, it’s confirmed that whoever killed him is no ordinary character."

Cheng Leyi’s eyes lit up and she immediately said:

"Doesn’t that prove my guess was correct? The nature of this case isn’t cannibalism but rather a random encounter."

Lin Xuhao nodded; he thought the same.

Ghouls can accelerate their evolution by cannibalizing, and bones are the most nutritious part.

Since the masked man left the bones untouched, it clearly wasn’t their doing.

Whether it’s another monster hiding among the civilians or a hunter from a distinguished family remains unknown.

The former is a ticking time bomb, while the latter isn’t exactly great news for the Special Search Team.

"I don’t know why the higher-ups are so concerned about that masked guy; based on a few blurry images from the cameras, they concluded he’s a resident from around here." frёeweɓηovel.coɱ

Lin Xuhao frowned slightly and muttered:

"Based on eyewitness descriptions, He Yao should’ve evolved into a mid-level Ghoul. To tackle such a dangerous monster, one needs at least a C-level ability."

"With that kind of power, why would he hide in a rundown place like Old Factory Street? Men, once they have strength, they’ll surely pursue thrilling things—villas, luxury cars, beauties..."

Cheng Leyi glanced at him:

"Like you, right?"

Lin Xuhao grinned sheepishly and quickly explained:

"I’m just playing with those women, you know we aren’t ordinary people, living in the moment is the way..."

"You scoundrel!"