Chapter 45: A God of Concepts?

In the village, Shen He rode his little electric scooter around the outskirts. Along the way, he encountered many acquaintances, stopping now and then to exchange greetings before continuing his circuit. It took about an hour. He traversed every nook and cranny of the village, all the main roads and narrow paths. He even figured out exactly where each road led. It was as if a complete three-dimensional map of the village had formed in his mind. No matter which corner or path, he knew them all with perfect clarity.

Shen He smacked his lips. Ah, this is the benefit of having a high ‘Spirit’ attribute. Perhaps calling it photographic memory is an exaggeration, but it’s not far off; with this ability alone, it’s worth investing free attribute points. He wondered what sort of extraordinary powers would emerge after reaching the first tier.

When Shen He rode his scooter back to Shen Dali’s house, the familiar panel appeared before him.

[Daily Task One Completed.]
[Reward Pending Collection.]
[…]

The task really was completed. Shen He looked at the few lines of text, the smile on his face growing even brighter. Completing a task so easily—apart from reinforcing the safety point in Xiangxiang City, this was a first. Seeing the words ‘Pending Collection,’ he knew that claiming the reward would likely cause some minor effect, which is why it wasn’t distributed immediately. Instead, it waited for him to be ready and then allowed him to collect it himself. He had to admit, the system was quite humane in this regard. At least it wouldn’t let him fail at a critical moment, nor would it embarrass him in public.

The villagers wouldn’t say he’d revealed his supernatural side. Most likely, they’d think he’d had an epileptic fit.

Shen He parked the scooter and, with practiced ease, walked into the kitchen to help Shen Dali serve the dishes.

After lunch, Shen He returned to his own house, closed the door, and sat down on the sofa.

‘Claim reward.’

With a thought, he seemed to see a flash of light before a stream of information surged into his mind. His muscles quivered subtly, as though forming a new kind of muscle memory.

Moments later, the strange sensation gradually faded. Shen He slowly opened his eyes, his expression slightly odd, as if he wanted to complain but didn’t know where to begin. After a while, he muttered, “This ‘Vehicle Mastery’—what a conceptual trick.”

After fully absorbing the information and the newly acquired muscle memory, he understood what ‘Vehicle Mastery’ truly meant. As long as it was a common vehicle on the market—cars, electric cars, buses, helicopters, airplanes, even fighter jets—no matter if it ran on land, sailed on sea, or flew in the sky, if it was a vehicle, he now possessed expert-level driving experience and skills. Moreover, this ability would update with technological development. Of course, he needed to thoroughly read the user manual of any new vehicle to gain expert-level proficiency.

No all-round driver could compare to him.

Shen He stroked his chin. He felt there was something off about receiving such a reward, but couldn’t quite pinpoint what. Still, overall, it was a good thing for him. At least, if he ever needed to escape, he wouldn’t be hindered by being unable to operate a vehicle.

He glanced at Daily Task Two. The description mentioned an unidentified mutated beast. He’d gone all over the village today, and his area radar hadn’t reacted. That meant the so-called mutated beast either hadn’t reached third-tier strength or simply wasn’t in the village. This was troublesome—would he have to search the surroundings for the next three days?

Shen He thought it over and decided against that idea.

At two-thirty in the afternoon, he woke from the level-eight stake, took a brief rest, and headed toward the film crew. Although he had no leads on Daily Task Two, he still needed to learn. You live and learn.

The only nuisance was the enthusiastic actresses in the crew.

Shen He took his alloy longsword with him. From now on, Lin Helu probably wouldn’t spar with him anymore. The afternoon would likely be spent correcting his posture and discussing techniques and variations.

As expected, Lin Helu spent the entire afternoon correcting Shen He’s posture and demonstrating various sword techniques. Shen He learned quickly, usually mastering each move after just one demonstration, and could even extrapolate new techniques. This left Lin Helu feeling overwhelmed, exclaiming that he’d met a monster.

By four o’clock, Lin Helu said, his expression somewhat complicated, “I’ve taught you everything I can. From here on, it’s just a matter of refining your skills and gaining experience. As for combat experience, I can’t provide that.”

“Starting tomorrow, you’ll practice saber techniques with Zhao Qian. The equipment has already been shipped.”

“And let me make it clear—even if you learn fast, the one hundred thousand yuan is non-refundable!”

He’d thought his friend’s recommendation was just a lucrative job, and indeed it was. But this man was downright abnormal. In just two or three days, he’d drained Lin Helu of everything he had to teach.

Shen He laughed, “Don’t worry, there’s no reason to take back money once it’s spent. I originally only planned to learn swordsmanship, but now I’ve got three more skills—looks like I’ve profited.”

Lin Helu nodded and called over Zhao Qian to give instructions. After setting a time, Shen He headed home.

Just as he entered the village, he ran into Shen Dali coming to meet him.

From afar, Shen Dali called out, “Shen, are you going to the county tonight? Shen San struck it rich and wants to treat us to dinner and a massage in the county town.”

By the roadside, several women in their fifties all turned their gaze to Shen Dali, their eyes holding a peculiar expression.

Shen He replied righteously, “I’m not going. I’m an upright person.”

Shen Dali let out an “Ah,” scratching his head.

At that moment, one of the women said, “It’s got to be the child from the second family—good education, good character. What decent person would go to that massage place?”

“Exactly! I could tell from a young age that the second family’s boy would make something of himself.”

“Look at Shen Dali—always loafing around the village, just tending his little plot. No wonder no one’s arranged a marriage for him.”

“I heard that Shen San isn’t exactly on the straight path. If you mix with him, how could you be a good person?”

“I heard he’s a gangster outside—sooner or later he’ll end up in jail.”

“…”

Shen Dali listened to the women’s comments, feeling aggrieved. “Ladies, I’m still standing right here. You gossip about me without even waiting for me to leave?”

The women, hearing this, turned their backs to him, muttering away.