Chapter 68: My Lord, the Times Have Changed

Ten minutes later.

Shen He found the third treasure chest in the park, perched on a scenic overlook. Inside was a peculiar telescope. It was a fully sealed, single-hole device without any lenses, meant to be pressed against one’s brow.

(Mind’s Eye Telescope: Affix it to your brow, and you’ll see distant places clearly, unhindered by light conditions.)

Shen He weighed the telescope in his hand, then pressed it to his brow to try it out.

Well now!

It felt as though a hole had opened in his forehead. No, more accurately, as if a new eye had appeared between his brows, allowing him to see kilometers away. As long as nothing blocked his line of sight, everything appeared perfectly clear.

No wonder the description claimed it worked regardless of lighting—the secret lay here.

It was surprisingly handy, as if the images were projected in real time within his mind.

Shen He put the telescope away and glanced at the time. Nearly eleven o’clock; one more treasure chest and it would be lunchtime. At this rate, he could find at most six treasure chests in a morning. No wonder the task’s deadline was so generous.

He spent ten points to get the location of the next chest. This time, the distance indicated it lay outside the park’s boundaries.

Shen He exited the park, drove towards the glowing point marking the chest’s location. Judging from the map, it was near a forest park in the city.

It seemed the treasure chests were scattered with some thought, mostly in natural environments—except for those two on the construction site.

Shen He drove straight towards the forest park. Around eleven, he arrived and the area map revealed the precise spot.

Before entering the forest park, Shen He followed the map’s guidance to a nearby alley, where he found a battered treasure chest beside a garbage bin.

Opening it, he discovered another Giant Jerry. Without hesitation, Shen He dispatched it cleanly, earning another free attribute point.

He immediately invested it in his mental stat, adhering to his philosophy of balance.

Shen He checked the time and decided to find a restaurant nearby, ordering a meal for two. His appetite now was such that a double portion only filled him seventy percent, but it sufficed.

While Shen He ate, two familiar faces entered, surprising him.

He waved, “Captain Chen, Officer Rabbit, are you here on duty?”

Chen Zhao and Wu Xiaoxiao, just stepping inside, turned to Shen He.

Wu Xiaoxiao wrinkled her nose and protested, “How many times have I told you? Don’t call me Officer Rabbit—it really annoys me.”

Shen He nodded, “Alright, Officer Rabbit.”

Chen Zhao, seeing this, smiled helplessly. “You two are quite the odd couple.”

Wu Xiaoxiao frowned, “Master, you and he are the odd couple.”

Chen Zhao sat across from Shen He, glanced at the dishes, and raised an eyebrow. “Wow, you’ve got an appetite! Beef offal hotpot, three servings of rice—can you finish it all?”

Shen He laughed, “Martial artists are supposed to eat well.”

He glanced at their casual attire—it was a workday, so they must be out on assignment.

Wu Xiaoxiao looked around. “Master, should I call the others over? I checked, and taking food out costs extra for disposable utensils, and we’re over the quota.”

Chen Zhao nodded, “Then call them in to eat here.”

Wu Xiaoxiao responded and sent a message on her phone.

Chen Zhao smiled, “I didn’t expect you to live so freely. First you went home to practice martial arts, now you’re back, roaming around parks and mountains. Aren’t you considering looking for a job?”

Shen He replied, “Times have changed, sir. What job pays more than what I’m earning now?”

Chen Zhao paused, thoughtful. “True.”

Suddenly, he looked at Shen He, eyes crinkling. “There’s a new job—want to take it?”

Shen He lowered his voice. “You’re here because you’ve found another mutant creature? How strong is it?”

Chen Zhao shook his head. “We don’t know. The victim’s skull was smashed with a blunt object, but we haven’t even seen the culprit’s face. The clues suggest it wasn’t done by a human. We’re here to search the mountain, but after a whole morning, we found nothing.”

“We have no idea what it is. This is the first time we’ve seen a mutant beast using tools. Maybe your words are true—the times really are changing.”

Before long, several people arrived outside—members of Chen Zhao’s team. Upon seeing Shen He, they greeted him warmly.

They’d worked with Shen He before and knew his prowess, especially after watching his combat footage—his strength, speed, and precision were beyond their imagination.

Originally, they’d felt uneasy about today’s search, but seeing Shen He now put them at ease.

Since the new regulations, their department’s funding had increased significantly. They tried to solve everything with money—combat, corpse recovery, all went through a professional evaluation process.

After ordering food, Chen Zhao’s team joined Shen He at his table and began eating.

Shen He enjoyed a free meal. When it came time to pay, Chen Zhao courteously covered Shen He’s share.

After leaving the restaurant, the group headed toward the forest park.

As they walked, Chen Zhao explained, “The body was found at dawn, on the lower slope of the mountain. The victim suffered a massive blow to the head; there were plant fragments in the wound, likely from a club or stick.”

“The forensic expert found claw marks on a nearby tree, and a partial claw print on the ground.”

“Though it’s not certain, we suspect a mutant monkey.”

“We spent the morning searching with thermal drones, but found no trace.”

“If you’re willing to take this job, just tracking it down earns you fifty thousand. If you act, plus our evaluation and corpse retrieval, all fees will be paid separately.”

“Guaranteed minimum of four hundred thousand—what do you think?”

Shen He looked at the forest park ahead. “Have you cleared everyone out?”

Chen Zhao nodded. “Yes, it’s empty.”

Shen He thought for a moment. “Alright, I’ll take the job. I have my own ways to find the creature. For safety, you should wait outside—no need for unnecessary casualties.”