Chapter 147: System Upgrade

“Can I say no to going?”

Chen Yu leaned against the headboard, forcing out a smile far more pitiful than tears.

“You know, Captain Yan, I damn well don’t have a choice.”

Of course he had to go. For Li Qing, for that foolish woman who was willing to risk her life just so he could live, he’d face any hellfire, any inferno, any of the eighteen layers of damnation. He had to push through.

Besides, there was a blood debt he still needed to settle.

“How many days have I been unconscious?” Chen Yu changed the subject.

“Two days,” Yan Zheng replied.

“Alright, let me be alone for a while. I need to gather my thoughts,” Chen Yu waved him off, signaling that he could leave.

Yan Zheng didn’t say much, only casting a long, meaningful glance at him before turning and leaving the ward.

As the door closed, the mask on Chen Yu’s face shattered instantly.

He closed his eyes, his mind flooded with the image of Li Qing collapsing in his arms, her face pale as death.

That overwhelming despair and pain, powerful enough to burn everything away, crashed over him once more.

But now, he knew she was still alive.

Alive meant hope.

He snapped open his eyes, the anguish replaced by an icy, boiling murderous intent.

He focused on the system panel in his mind.

Seeing the “7180” under available skill points, the heavy weight on his heart lifted considerably.

Over six thousand points—Shen Feng, that monster, had at least died a fitting death.

Chen Yu’s whole body ached; several ribs were broken, his internal organs probably displaced, as if he’d been torn apart.

Recovering on his own would mean being bedridden for at least half a year.

With a try-it-out attitude, he searched the system’s store.

“Body repair… healing… full health revival…”

In the next moment, an item popped up.

[Perfect Restoration (Single Use)]: Instantly repairs all physical injuries of the host, restoring to peak condition. Price: 100 skill points.

Chen Yu stared at the option, speechless for a long moment.

“System, you’re really my blood uncle!” he couldn’t help but curse inwardly. “Ask you for the antidote for Li Qing, you say there’s none! Ask for something to withstand a bomb, you play dead! But when it comes to repairing my body with this nonsensical, unscientific crap, you’ve got it in spades!”

This damn system seemed to serve only the host. If only it could have fixed Li Qing’s body back then...

Despite his anger, Chen Yu didn’t hesitate to redeem it.

A hundred points was a small price; time was life, and he didn’t have months to lie in bed.

“Redeem!”

With a thought, the skill points instantly dropped from 7180 to 7080.

A warm current appeared out of nowhere, flowing swiftly from his heart to every limb and bone.

It was an indescribable sensation of relief.

Cracked bones clicked and rapidly mended.

Damaged organs were gently enveloped and restored.

The gruesome wounds on his skin scabbed, peeled, and healed at a visible rate.

All of this took barely ten seconds.

Chen Yu felt reborn.

He sprang from the hospital bed, stretching his limbs, causing a series of crisp cracking sounds.

Strength and speed returned.

Even stronger than before.

“Hell yeah!”

Feeling the surging power within, his spirits soared.

Now, it was time for the real business.

He needed to level up.

This trip to the isolated island had deeply shown him how weak he still was.

Whether facing a freak like Shen Feng or surviving that apocalyptic explosion, he had felt utterly powerless.

He never wanted to experience that feeling of having his fate controlled by others again.

He opened his personal panel, eyes landing on the Detective System’s skills.

At present, his Rewind skill was still at Level One.

[Level One, Rewind: Allows brief “rewinding” to perceive fleeting images or key information from the past when touching specific objects or being at crucial crime scenes.]

This skill had helped him greatly early on, but now it was insufficient.

The information was too vague, the limitations too restrictive.

He looked at the upgrade option.

[Upgrade to Level Two: Causality Resonance. Requires 2000 skill points.]

Two thousand points!

Chen Yu’s heart twitched.

This was far more expensive than buying a car or a house.

But for Li Qing’s sake, and to drag those bastards one by one into the light, he had no choice.

“Upgrade!”

He grit his teeth and confirmed.

[Beep! Skill points -2000! Detective System upgrading…]

[Upgrade successful! Current level: Two!]

A massive flood of complex information surged into his mind.

[Level Two, Causality Resonance: Building on Level One, now able to perceive more clearly the “emotional fluctuations” or “residual intentions” related to key persons or objects in a case. Rewind duration extended to five seconds, perception range expanded to ten meters.]

Not bad!

Both perception range and duration had increased, but most importantly, he could now sense “emotional fluctuations” and “intention residues.”

This meant that future rewinds wouldn’t be mere black-and-white silent films, but “high-definition remasters” colored with emotional nuance.

This would be a tremendous aid in analyzing cases and reading minds.

Chen Yu suppressed his excitement and continued reading.

[Upgrade to Level Three: Causality Pursuit. Requires 5000 skill points.]

Five thousand points!

Chen Yu’s eye twitched.

He glanced at his balance.

Available skill points: 5080.

Just enough.

To upgrade or not?

If he upgraded, he’d be back to square one overnight, broke again.

If he didn’t, he’d feel uneasy.

The place he was heading next was a “hell” a hundred times more terrifying than Shen Feng’s island.

The enemy was a massive criminal organization even the state apparatus found hard to handle.

Was Level Two really enough?

“Damn it, let’s do it!”

Chen Yu clenched his teeth and stomped his foot.

Money could be earned again, but if he lost his life, he’d have nothing left!

Besides, Li Qing was still waiting for him!

“Upgrade! Take me all the way to the top!”

With a death-defying spirit, he pressed confirm again.

[Beep! Skill points -5000! Detective System upgrading…]

[Upgrade successful! Current level: Three!]

Boom!

Ten times the amount of information than before flooded his brain like a bursting dam.

Chen Yu grunted, feeling his head about to explode.

He supported himself against the wall, taking a long moment to recover.

Looking back at the system panel, the available skill points section showed a lonely “80.”

His heart bled.

From seven thousand to eighty points—it was more thrilling than a roller coaster ride.

What a spendthrift! Absolutely reckless!

But he forced himself to turn his gaze away from the pitiful balance and read the brand-new skill description.

[Level Three, Causality Pursuit: Allows active selection of a “causality node” for deep rewind. Rewind duration can reach several years, with greatly enhanced clarity. Able to see key individuals’ faces and specific actions. Perception range expanded to one hundred meters.]

Chen Yu read each word carefully, his breath growing rapid.

Active selection?

Deep rewind?

Rewind for years?

See the faces and actions of key players?

This… this damn…

His pupils constricted sharply.

He finally understood the true potential of this skill.

Before, he could only passively trigger rewinds by touching objects or arriving at crime scenes, like a headless fly hoping to catch a faint glimpse.

But now, it was different.

He could actively choose a “causality node.”

That node could be a person, an object, or even a thought.

Then conduct a deep rewind spanning years.

What did this mean?

It meant that as long as he could find someone connected to the case, he could…

A slow smile crept onto Chen Yu’s lips.

With this skill, it meant he could now…

Go and probe people!