Mu Sheng introduced a few more nifty gadgets to Xu Zhengyang, but these were merely auxiliary tools. The real key was the people who operated them—without the Feiying Reconnaissance Team, these gadgets were just decorations.
Finally, Xu Zhengyang took the itemized list from Lin Yourong's hands and glanced at it. The total was 21 yuan, 3 jiao, and 8 fen. Not bad; this was probably as much as they could spend.
After all, the most expensive item was just over a yuan. How expensive could the others be? The entire room full of high-tech equipment had only cost 21 yuan. Xu Zhengyang thought back to how 21 yuan would have been just enough to order a takeaway meal in the past!
After expressing his approval of their work, the system popped up:
[Congratulations on spending money, you've earned 2,138 points...]
Xu Zhengyang was quite pleased—this time, his points hadn't been docked.
As Xu Zhengyang became intrigued by the computer, he could faintly hear Lin Yourong pulling Mu Sheng aside, whispering to him:
"This department is extremely important to Master Xu. Don't worry about money; this amount is just a drop in the ocean for him... But your role is crucial! Understand? Take that nano-listener, for example—can you grasp Master Xu's intention? Even if you're monitoring a single family, like the Zhao family, every additional device gives you another angle to gather information. You never know which one might bring you the key information! Am I right?"
"I know you and your brothers' skills. You said each of you could fully monitor six to ten people. Even I, a layperson, understand that key figures in a family like the Zhao family number more than six. Why couldn't you see that? And you only bought six—who do you plan to use them on? Are you trying to be lazy..."
Lin Yourong scolded him, annoyed.
Xu Zhengyang couldn't help but feel a deep admiration. Good! This girl really understood his thinking. Setting aside the fact that she knew how much money he had, she was considering things from his perspective entirely. Smart as ice—he hadn't misjudged her!
No, it was actually Chen Haohai who had a good eye for talent.
"I thought the Zhao and Lin families had weak anti-surveillance awareness, so it would be easy to infiltrate them, and I didn't want to waste resources..."
Mu Sheng awkwardly scratched his head in explanation.
"You think it's just about these two families? You should be sharpening your skills now. If Master Xu gives you a major task tomorrow to fully understand a business group, would you, despite your training, be rusty after so long? Would you struggle with the sudden increase in workload?"
"You should be quietly building up your strength from now on, sharpening your swords, so when Master Xu needs you for a big mission, you can astonish him with your performance! Am I right?"
Lin Yourong clenched her fists as she whispered, her enthusiasm evident.
Xu Zhengyang was almost stirred to action by her words. Wow, was this girl into pyramid schemes before? Or did she study motivational speaking? Here she was, brainwashing Mu Sheng!
"I understand!" Mu Sheng nodded heavily. He had to admit, he had been a bit complacent, thinking Xu Zhengyang's tasks weren't particularly challenging, so they had been somewhat lax.
Being scolded by a girl who was an outsider to their profession made Mu Sheng feel deeply ashamed. First, this was Xu Zhengyang's personal assistant, and second, she was right.
"Good, now that you understand, make another list and buy more commonly used items, just in case!" Lin Yourong instructed.
The two were speaking far from Xu Zhengyang. An ordinary person wouldn't have been able to hear them, but with Xu Zhengyang's hearing, he could have listened in even through a wall if he focused.
After they finished talking, Lin Yourong happily ran over to Xu Zhengyang like a little cat returning to its owner after playing.
Xu Zhengyang couldn't resist pinching her cheek. Mainly because what she had said earlier made him view her in a new light. She might not be a confidante, but she was certainly someone who understood him deeply.
Lin Yourong, of course, didn't know that Xu Zhengyang had overheard her conversation. She thought he was teasing her because he remembered how she had helped him out at the hotel in the county town that night. Her face flushed red with embarrassment.
Xu Zhengyang chuckled. Earlier, he had purchased a potion from the system's clearance section. With over 2,000 points now, a mastery in theft for just 300 points seemed a bit pricey, but it was worth it since he needed it.
"Zhaoyang," Xu Zhengyang called out to Zhen Zhaoyang, who was adjusting some equipment nearby.
Zhen Zhaoyang jogged over.
"Do you know how to steal?" Xu Zhengyang asked seriously.
"Steal... Oh, you mean the art of modern object transfer! No, I don't..." Zhen Zhaoyang corrected Xu Zhengyang's terminology before shaking his head.
Xu Zhengyang was surprised. They seemed to have a strong sense of justice.
"Here, drink this potion," Xu Zhengyang said, handing him a small bottle filled with a liquid as clear as water.
Zhen Zhaoyang didn't ask a single question and tilted his head back, drinking it in one gulp. After all, they had agreed that since Xu Zhengyang had saved Xiao Meng, their lives now belonged to him. This wasn't just talk.
Xu Zhengyang was startled—he hadn't expected him to drink it without even asking.
The others gathered around, curious.
Since each person could only take two types of potions, Xu Zhengyang couldn't give everyone the same ones. Each person specialized in two areas, and they all worked together.
After drinking the potion, Zhen Zhaoyang immediately closed his eyes, feeling a bit dizzy. Lin Yourong quickly pulled over a chair for him to sit on. Xu Zhengyang motioned for the others not to worry.
Zhen Zhaoyang sat there, shaking his head as if trying to clear it. After a while, he knocked on his head and fully regained his clarity, letting out a long breath.
He looked at Xu Zhengyang in shock.
"What's this..."
"What does it feel like?" Xu Zhengyang asked, curious about the effects of the potion since he hadn't tried it himself.
"I... It's like I suddenly have some strange... instincts," Zhen Zhaoyang thought for a while before finding the words.
His mind had suddenly been filled with new knowledge, as if a door had been opened. It was indescribable, but he suddenly understood many things.
He stood up slowly, explaining the sensation as he moved among the group.
"At first, I felt dizzy, unable to think, and then suddenly, all these things about... this just appeared in my mind..."
He spoke slowly, and after making a round, he stopped and opened his hands.
In his hands were two wallets and two mobile phones.