Chapter Thirteen: Astonishment

Lin Lei estimated that if he were to throw a punch with his normal full strength, not to mention doubling it, increasing it by another twenty thousand kilograms would be entirely achievable.

And if he activated [Blood Boiling], his strength could likely increase by another twenty to thirty percent. [Body Activation] offered a power enhancement roughly comparable to [Blood Boiling], while [Demonization], needless to say, would boost his strength by an even greater margin.

Converted properly, breaking through one hundred thousand kilograms of punching force at his absolute peak would be a breeze.

If it were nighttime, with the buff from the Nightwalker, his strength should see yet another significant enhancement.

"If the Peregrine Falcon comes after me again, I won't be as helpless as I was before..." Lin Lei's eyes gleamed.

After all, even before breaking through to the Third Realm, his strength already rivaled many in the Fourth Realm. Now, while he might not be invincible across the entire Fourth Realm, he could effortlessly sweep through the vast majority of them.

***

Tianmei Karaoke.

"Brother Tian, this is what you asked me to handle."

Ling Mo stood respectfully before Lin Lei, handing a file bag over to him.

Lin Lei took the file bag.

Inside were various documents and identification papers.

These were precisely the identity documents for Little Thirteen that Lin Lei had asked Ling Mo to arrange.

Little Thirteen lacked an official identity, and it would be inconvenient for Lin Lei to use his status as an investigator to process such matters for her. However, utilizing the channels of the Purple Dragon Gang made it exceptionally appropriate.

These documents were not forgeries; they were genuine items processed through connections.

"Well done." Lin Lei nodded at him and put the documents away.

Before Ling Mo offered his help, Lin Lei had already planted a [Muzzle Seal] on him, ensuring he could not leak a single word.

"By the way, Brother Tian, there's a meeting at the East District headquarters next Wednesday..." Ling Mo mentioned.

Lin Lei raised an eyebrow. "Go in my place. I have other matters to attend to."

Next Wednesday happened to coincide with the investigator examinations. Lin Lei needed to make a trip to the provincial capital, Ningcheng, and expected to be gone for two or three days, leaving him no time to participate in any meetings of the Purple Dragon Gang.

Not to mention, he didn't recognize anyone there, and attending would only make it easier to slip up and reveal flaws.

Ling Mo's face carried a hint of hesitation. "But... the Gang Leader is already harboring some resentment toward you, Brother Tian. You haven't shown your face at all lately..."

Throughout the Purple Dragon Gang's various operations during this period, Lin Lei had declined every assignment he could or sent his subordinates in his stead. He hadn't shown up even once, which had already drawn the dissatisfaction of the Purple Dragon Gang Leader.

Lin Lei, however, narrowed his eyes and let out a cold laugh. "Are you my man or his?"

The persona of Long Wenton was merely a disguise he had adopted for convenience.

Everything served his own purposes.

Naturally, Lin Lei would not violate this original intention.

Besides, as a faction under the Death Crow, the Purple Dragon Gang headquarters also observed certain red lines. Although Chen Fan no longer feared the Death Crow as much after his breakthrough, he still didn't believe he could single-handedly take on the entire Death Crow organization, so it was best to avoid unnecessary trouble where possible.

Nor did he believe the Purple Dragon Gang Leader would strip him of his position over such a minor matter.

Ling Mo immediately fell silent.

Lin Lei let out a soft "hum" and waved a hand. "You may step down first."

Ling Mo sensibly turned and left the room.

***

Investigation Bureau.

Hodge held a document with a subtle expression as he walked into the Deputy Director's office.

"Deputy Director Gongyu, take a look at this..."

Deputy Director Gongyu raised an eyebrow as he took the file from Hodge's hand. The trace of impatience he originally felt vanished in an instant. Raising his brows slightly, a look of surprise surfaced on his face. "Are you certain... this is real?"

Hodge smiled bitterly and nodded.

"You're the one who kept telling me to keep an eye on Lin Lei, Director... There are surveillance cameras all over the Bureau. I've already pulled the footage, and the person using that dynamometer at that exact moment was Lin Lei himself."

"He just reached the Third Realm... yet he's able to punch with nearly forty thousand kilograms of force. That's simply absurd. Normally, a Third Realm martial artist with a Grade B Blessing would consider five or six thousand kilograms of punching force already remarkable, but Lin Lei has exceeded that by such a massive margin... Even disregarding everything else, based solely on this level of strength, he easily qualifies for a Grade A Blessing!"

Deputy Director Gongyu wore a strange expression before raising his head to ask, "What is the peak recorded strength for the Third Realm nationwide within the Investigation Bureau?"

Hodge was momentarily stunned, then pulled out his PDA, tapped on it for a moment, and replied with a nuanced expression, "The highest recorded strength for the Third Realm in the Bureau comes from the capital, standing at over eighty-three thousand kilograms. However... that holder possessed a Grade S Blessing..."

Deputy Director Gongyu licked his lips, his eyes shining brightly. "To actually reach nearly half the strength standard of a Grade S Blessing—I'm afraid the possibility of this kid's Blessing being Grade A+ is quite high..."

Hodge nodded, his expression complex as well.

"His initial Blessing ability was definitely not this strong. It seems that as his source energy rank increased, his Blessing has continued to grow stronger. I suspect this might not even be his limit."

Deputy Director Gongyu's eyes lit up once more. "You mean..."

Hodge continued, "Given that Lin Lei can display such terrifying growth rates and such an exaggerated level of strength, I suspect it is closely tied to his Blessing. He might very well be an undiscovered, hidden holder of a Grade S Blessing!"

"The probability is quite high!"

Deputy Director Gongyu licked his lips. "No wonder Li Xuexu gave him such special treatment. She must have foreseen something in advance..."

He looked at Hodge.

"Our Biyang City cannot protect a Grade S Blessing... This matter must be kept strictly confidential and under no circumstances leaked to the outside world. Furthermore, unless he brings it up on his own initiative, do not mention the matter of re-testing his source energy rank to him again! We will simply act as though we know nothing of his power tier!"

If Lin Lei truly possessed a Grade S Blessing, it was both the bureau's greatest fortune and its greatest misfortune.

Although the Investigation Bureau was unquestionably the premier faction in Xiaya, that did not mean it lacked enemies.

Countless evil organizations existed locally in various regions, alongside formidable groups like the Free League, which spanned multiple prefectures and even maintained operational networks overseas.

If news were to spread that a holder of a Grade S Blessing had emerged in a place like Biyang City, hostile and powerful organizations would undoubtedly refuse to let such a potential threat grow!

Hodge nodded solemnly. "Rest assured, Director, I understand the gravity of the situation."

He then hesitated, adding, "However... Lin Lei has already registered for the Level 3 Investigator examination. If he performs too exceptionally, I worry something might be given away."

Deputy Director Gongyu, however, shook his head. "Do you take Lin Lei for a fool?"

"A towering tree catches the wind, and the wind will break it. Since he deliberately avoided having others test his strength, it is obvious he is well aware of his own uniqueness; there's no need for us to worry on his behalf. Besides... no matter how powerful a Blessing is, it can only truly grow and mature through the tempering of life and death."

"To step back ten thousand steps, even if he performs brilliantly and takes first place in this year's examination, so what? Does Qinghe Prefecture lack source energy geniuses? How many could possibly guess that he might possess a Grade S Blessing?"