Death Progress Bar

Death Progress Bar

Chapter 11 - Promotion

Shi Jin was feeling very uncomfortable and wanted to disappear in the car.

But Xiao Si didn't understand his shame and sorrow at all. With a proud tone, he said, "Jin Jin, don't be shy. Your performance last night was outstanding. Everyone was amazed by you!"

Shi Jin's tone was melancholic. "Xiao Si, do you know that before I entered the police academy, I was a nerd who often failed in physical education?"

Xiao Si was puzzled. "So what?"

"So, all the combat and wall-climbing skills I displayed last night were learned in the police academy, with a strong influence from the standard teaching materials of the academy," Shi Jin explained. 

He looked at Number One, who had already assumed a lecturing posture, feeling hopeless. "And in this life, Shi Jin, the young master of the Shi family, was a lazy and overweight person with no diligence. I only successfully lost weight recently."

Xiao Si: "..." 

Shi Jin let out a heavy sigh, "Do you think these people here will praise me or set me on fire after watching yesterday's surveillance footage?"

Xiao Si trembled in fear, "Jin Jin, let's run away. I'll help you activate your buff."

Shi Jin poured cold water on the idea, "Why run? Our luggage was dug out of the ruins by Number Three and is now in Number Two's suitcase. What am I supposed to run with?"

"Waaah, Jin Jin, don't die. I don't want you to die," Xiao Si cried like a child about to lose their mother.

Shi Jin spoke in a gentle tone, "Stop crying. If you make me lose my mind, we'll be even worse off."

Xiao Si sniffled, "...Wuuu."

Shi Jin comforted him, "Be good."

While the two argued in his minds, Number One had already analyzed the first segment of Shi Jin's surveillance footage. 

He deliberately zoomed in on the screen, enlarging Shi Jin's figure and said, "Everyone, pay attention to the time on the surveillance footage. At this moment, Number Four is approaching Young Master Jun's residence from the small road. After realizing something was wrong, Shi Jin immediately took the main road and rushed towards Young Master Jun's residence. This decision was decisive and correct, but look here-" 

He pointed to the screen where Shi Jin was holding a bike with one hand and reaching into his pocket with the other. 

He emphasized the movement of Shi Jin's hand and continued, "Here, pay attention to this action. Shi Jin made a very basic mistake last night - he didn't bring any communication tools." 

"Pfft." Number Two couldn't help but laugh. 

Shi Jin looked over with a seemingly calm but actually murderous smile. 

"Cough, well, you know, Shi Jin is still young and lacks experience in handling things. It's understandable, it's understandable," Number Two said with a forgiving tone, as if he was a kind senior.

But how could Number One not know his true nature? He gave him a warning glare and then turned to Shi Jin, emphasizing, "Remember, no matter when, losing contact with your teammates is the most unacceptable mistake. Do you understand?"

Shi Jin still remembered Number One's fierce appearance when they first met, so he quickly nodded and dared not say anything more.

Number One nodded in satisfaction and played the second segment of the surveillance footage - the part where Shi Jin climbed over the wall to enter the small building. 

He first showed everyone the surveillance footage and then paused the video at the moment when Shi Jin climbed over the wall. He played the slow-motion footage of Shi Jin's actions three times before finally freezing the frame and asking, "Did everyone see it clearly?"

The previously relaxed atmosphere in the car gradually dissipated as they watched the repeated slow-motion footage. Shi Jin's heart began to race as he knew that this was the most crucial part of the review.

"If you've seen it clearly, let's take a look at the remaining surveillance footage," Number One said, giving Shi Jin a deep look. He then played several edited slow-motion versions of the surveillance footage.

These videos were no longer continuous segments but were carefully cut into small pieces, all showing Shi Jin in combat with someone. The excerpt is complete, showing scenes of him controlling and disarming the guard, snatching his phone and gun. 

He carefully opens the gate, precisely injuring Number Four and quickly rushing out at him. There's also a scene of him flying towards the doctor at the study's door.

Every move he makes is decisive and efficient, taking down his enemies with a single blow and leaving no room for unnecessary actions. It's a sight to behold - and strangely familiar, as if you've seen it before in a group of formally trained individuals.

The second group's expressions are all hidden, their brows furrowed as they all turn to look at Shi Jin with a curious gaze. 

"I can explain," Shi Jin said, facing the intense scrutiny of the crowd. He forced himself to calm down and began to spout nonsense with a serious expression. 

"As you all know, my dad is super rich and super hated. As his son, I don't know how many people want to get my attention. My dad is afraid that something might happen to me, so he hired a few bodyguards for me. These bodyguards include retired soldiers, and I learned some fighting skills from them in my free time...

"...but after I gained weight, I slowly stopped practicing those skills. Now, I'm very rusty and it's embarrassing to show you. I apologize for my lack of skill."

He finished with a slightly awkward smile, playing the role of a clueless rich kid who didn't know his own strength. Xiao Si was trembling with fear as it added a bunch of buffs to Shi Jin's argument, such as "sincerity," "reduced sense of threat," and "softer, more pleasant voice," secretly praying that everyone would be convinced by Shi Jin's reasoning.

Silence.

Still silence.

Just as Xiao Si was about to cry in panic, Lian Jun suddenly spoke up and said, "I see."

Shi Jin breathed a sigh of relief and even had a momentary illusion that Lian Jun was adorable.

Xiao Si, on the other hand, was overjoyed and cried out, "I knew my Baby loves you the most, Jin Jin, you're so good, wuwuwu."

Shi Jin was both helpless and powerless, sincerely suggesting, "You can just say the last part, really." 

The atmosphere instantly thawed as Number Two's expression returned to its usual look. He reached out and patted Shi Jin's shoulder, saying, "To be able to do this despite being inexperienced... You're not secretly a genius, are you, kid?"

Shi Jin quickly waved his hands, indicating that he was just an ordinary dropout.

Number Two chuckled and rubbed his head, scolding him for being falsely modest.

Shi Jin retaliated with a backhanded move, using his sharp claws to attack Number Two's heart, and scolded him for being a pervert.

The two of them started to play around, but Lian Jun knocked on the armrest of his wheelchair to quiet them down, and gestured for Number One to continue.

So everyone fell silent and obediently focused their attention back on the game analysis. After gaining a clear understanding of Shi Jin's skills, everyone turned off the edited clips on TV and watched the complete surveillance footage. They analyzed Shi Jin's tactical choices after entering the small courtyard.

Firstly, they highly praised Shi Jin for knocking down Number Four from the door slit and reminding Number Two to isolate the vehicles. 

Secondly, they criticized Shi Jin for not properly handling the aftermath after subduing the enemy, stating that such carelessness could lead to serious consequences in solo combat. 

Finally, they concluded that Shi Jin, as a new recruit, showed great potential and only lacked experience, but was definitely worth cultivating. 

After saying all this, he gave Number Two and the rest of the members a blank sheet of paper and asked them to grade Shi Jin's performance from last night, with a maximum score of one hundred and a passing grade of sixty.

Shi Jin dazedly watched as they finished grading him and handed the paper back to Number One. He felt like a pig being picked and chosen for its fat and thin parts.

Number One didn't even look at the paper after taking it back, and handed it directly to Lian Jun.

Lian Jun took the paper, glanced at the scores, and looked at Shi Jin. He asked, "One last question, how did you discover that there was something wrong with Number Four?" 

Shi Jin didn't expect that the situation would continue to unfold. His heart tightened, but his mind raced as he calmly replied, "Because... I am very familiar with false concern and love. When I saw Number Four yesterday, I immediately recognized that his worry for Number One and his self-blame were fake. He also avoided looking at the stretcher, which is a sign of guilt. If I'm not mistaken, the injuries on Number One were caused by Number Four, right?"

Upon hearing this, Number One's eyes became dim, as if recalling an unpleasant memory. Obviously, Shi Jin had guessed correctly.

"Furthermore, it's very suspicious that Number Four requested to meet with Young Master Jun alone. A normal person in his situation wouldn't have reacted that way." Shi Jin added more evidence to support his words. 

Lian Jun nodded and folded the white paper in his hand, saying, "That's it for today's review. From now on, Shi Jin will follow me closely. Number Three, you will temporarily take over the duties of Number Four until a new Number Four is selected."

Number Three respectfully nodded and replied, "Yes."

As Lian Jun's command landed, the atmosphere in the car quickly became relaxed and cheerful. Number Two and Number Five smiled and congratulated Shi Jin, while Number One showed a friendly smile and sat back in his seat.

Shi Jin looked confused and bewildered, asking, "What are you congratulating me for? Wait, Young Master Jun, are you really letting me follow you closely--"

"You don't want to?" Lian Jun interrupted him, coldly asking with an unfriendly gaze that suggested he would end him if he kept talking rubbish. 

As soon as Shi Jin felt a chill on the back of his neck, he quickly shook his head to indicate that he wouldn't say anything more. He glanced around at the Number Three and noticed that their attitudes had become much friendlier. 

It suddenly dawned on him that he had been promoted. He had gone from being a new recruit following Number Two to becoming a trusted confidant of Lian Jun. So the review just now was actually a promotion assessment?

Xiao Si was thrilled and exclaimed, "Shi Jin, your progress bar has gone down again, it's now at 650!"

Shi Jin didn't know what expression to make for a moment. After a while, he raised his hand to cover his face and let out a sigh. These past few days have been really exciting.

Not long after the review ended, they arrived at the airport. When they got off the car, Number Three voluntarily stepped aside and let Shi Jin help Lian Jun push his wheelchair. 

Shi Jin looked at Lian Jun's expressionless but beautiful face and resignedly went forward to hold onto the wheelchair handle. 

Due to his special status, Lian Jun couldn't possibly take a regular commercial flight. To ensure his safety, Number One contacted the authorities and chartered a plane. Shi Jin followed closely behind Number One, gently helping Lian Jun onto the plane and carefully settling him into his seat. His movements were so cautious that they seemed a bit stiff.

Lian Jun glanced at Shi Jin and suddenly asked, "Am I heavy?"

"You're not heavy at all," Shi Jin frowned, feeling anxious about Lian Jun's physical condition. He advised, "You're too thin. You should eat more in the future."

"I have no appetite," Lian Jun covered his legs with a blanket and flipped through a magazine without looking at Shi Jin. He spoke in a calm tone, "I like dishes with heavy oil and salt, but I can't eat them due to my health."

Shi Jin: "..." 

Boss, are you holding a grudge against me or something?


Ribbit
Ribbit

A little frog who likes reading. Hope you liked this chapter, and thank you for your support! Coffee fuels my midnight translation binges.

Give me feedback at moc.ebircssutol@tibbir.

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com


Loading...