'…Wait a minute, didn't WiSearch mention Jug's Glock is commonly used by law enforcement agencies? Could Boss Falcone's loan company be in rapport with official authorities? That–That'll explain Boss Falcone's confidence in attempting to shoot me in a city like Neapolis and his goons' possession of firearms. It seems he's not just any loan shark!
'He wasn't planning on scaring me at all. His hesitation didn't stem from fear of the police; he was weighing the cost and hassle of covering up my death. What a hell of a man! But did I just… stumble upon corruption within Neapolis…?
'This might be why he let me go and agreed to postpone the debt payment. If the internet gets involved because of my death, the government agencies that also want to hide their tracks and corrupt practices won't spare him. Boss Falcone will likely be their scapegoat. Impressive. He didn't let his anger at my humiliation cloud his judgment. Perhaps the fear of losing everything outweighed his anger. Regardless, I must not underestimate him one bit, and neither should I back him into a corner like I did today. This time, I was just lucky that I didn't push too hard and Mike arrived on time. Otherwise, I would've already been on my way to the bottom of the sea in a barrel or chopped up to pieces and buried in multiple places or something…'
A chill ran down Lenny's spine as he pondered the possible outcomes he could've faced if things didn't play out as they did.
Seeing that he had unraveled Boss Falcone's motives through proper analysis of the latter's actions, grinning, he murmured, "I see your position now, Boss. Turns out you're a small player in the grand scheme of things. With Top Idol and its functionalities, I can be the tiny pebble that temporarily halts a mere cog but sends the entire machine crumbling down."
With this understanding, Lenny could plan more effectively. He knew he couldn't push Boss too far, lest he backed him into a corner. As the saying went, a cornered rat was often the most ferocious, similar to Lenny's current state. He understood the need to comply to some extent and ensure no one found out he was onto this society-crumbling discovery.
Lenny was well aware that if Boss Falcone ever suspected that he knew something or had even the slightest inkling that he was a loose end, the ruthless boss wouldn't hesitate to eliminate him. Despite not being entirely sure of said fact, Lenny threw thoroughness out the window at the moment and based his assumptions on the worst possible outcomes.
'…I always knew this city was just a decorated mess. So much for the world's capital. A glamorous city, indeed…' Lenny scoffed and mocked. As it turned out, everything Neapolis stood for in his eyes seemed to be truly superficial.
Getting back on topic, Lenny noted with a slight grin, "These attributes are quite potent. I'm now what some might call a 'genius'..."
He placed a hand over his mouth, stifling his laughter for a moment before spreading his arms wide and bursting into a confident, almost villainous laugh.
After a minute, he composed himself and reined in his thoughts, shifting his focus to the recently concluded fight and reflecting.
"I need to acquire combat skills. Despite the successful outcome, I was still pummeled by Boss and his goons. My fully-maxed attributes don't seem to effectively integrate with my current physical abilities. The app's explanation indicates that the Agility attribute is responsible for body coordination, balance, flexibility, and speed, which facilitate precise movements and reflexes. My shortfall is that my body lacks the necessary training in advanced combat techniques, experience, and the required muscle memory."
Essentially, Lenny grasped the notion that, for instance, in an urgent situation where he might need to perform a cartwheel, he wouldn't be able to. His muscles weren't acclimated to execute such maneuvers, and his mind wouldn't even register it as an option, despite the readily physical flexibility from the maxed-out agility attribute.
As he paced around, he added, "I'm far too weak to fully utilize the attribute. And it's not only for agility. When I'm not focused, my perception takes a nosedive, much like it did back at the abandoned building when Tommy caught me unaware. Hmm, would things be different if I gradually increased the attribute instead of maxing it out? I wonder if my Intelligence also has a similar performance flaw, however, with this investment, my focusing issue with perception should be gone…"
Lenny contemplated this for a while but ultimately decided to set the matter of attribute performance flaw aside for the time being, making a mental note to research it further later.
…
[Rule #9: All purchases and investments made utilizing v-points are permanent and non-returnable.]
…
Returning to his seat on the bed, he retrieved his phone and accessed the Shop tab, intending to purchase an [Insta-Health Recovery Capsule].
However, he hesitated.
'…Wouldn't it be very weird, particularly to Mike, if I happened to be unscathed after the beating I took? And what about Boss Falcone? Who's to say he won't have his goons keep an eye on me? Would they be able to notice the anomaly? But what about last time? Hmm, only the eye swell and cut lip were visible on my face, but shouldn't they have noticed it today? Or were they not paying attention…?'
Lenny fell deep in thought once more. From his analysis and conjectures, this raised a more substantial concern: how do his improvements and enhancements appear to those around him? Do they escape notice, or do they attract attention? Could they be apparent to other pointers in his vicinity whom he doesn't know?
'…I'll go with the notion that they notice my improvements, just to be safe. And if that's the case, then I might give away my pointership with reckless improvements. I've gotta be extremely careful…' Lenny thought. For him, such heightened intelligence also came with an intense sense of cautiousness.
Proceeding, Lenny used one of his remaining 8 v-points to purchase the [Insta-Health Recovery Capsule] consumable, and almost instantly, it materialized behind him and landed with a faint thud.
He carefully unboxed the cuboid packaging and extracted the part-metallic, part-transparent canister containing reddish-pink liquid.
With a sound similar to that of a deflating balloon, he slowly discharged the contents of the canister into his bloodstream. However, he abruptly stopped halfway through.
Lenny had only intended to partially alleviate the facial bruises, not expecting a complete recovery.
"...I still need to look presentable for my night shift," he muttered and walked to the bathroom.
In front of the mirror, Lenny observed that the bruises partially healed. Cuts partly closed and the redness of the affected areas remained somewhat tender and pinkish.
With an audible crack, his slightly misshapen nose straightened.
"Urgh," he groaned.
After cleaning the blood on his face with a wet towel, he soaked a piece of cotton wool in methylated spirit and gently applied it to the lingering injuries. Then, he secured a bandage over his nose.
Upon finishing this regimen, he freshened up and remained in the same loose blue trousers he had worn throughout the day but changed his top into a standard black short-sleeved t-shirt.
Just then, a knock echoed on the door, and Mike entered. He told Lenny that he had cut the clip out from the live stream, uploaded it to his Tweeter account, and also forwarded the link to him via WiChat.
Observing time was already past 3:30 PM, Lenny quickly assured Mike they were definitely going to be safe and left for his upcoming shift.