The System is Abstract, Luckily, So Am I

Who invented "good morning"?

Who the hell is having a good morning anyway?

"Lin Li, keep it up! If you can get up this early on a weekend at seventeen, you'll succeed at anything you do in the future!"

"Lao Da, grant me strength!" Lin Li waved his hands like helicopter rotors and finally got out of bed.

Student, helicopter parking isn't allowed here.

Finding no suitable landing pad at home—after confirming it was only 4:40—Lin Li lay back down. Same old routine, sleep five more minutes.

Once again cutting it extremely close before leaving.

They say it takes twenty-one days to form a habit, but could he really persist for seven days?

Perhaps thanks to Xiao Jing's massage yesterday, today's lactic acid buildup was much better than Lin Li had expected.

Xiao Jing, thank you. It's been so long, I wonder how you're doing now.

Do you miss me too in the detention center?

Cherry blossoms fall at five centimeters per second, but the distance between our hearts can no longer draw a single centimeter closer.

R.I.P.

Whether it was a weekend morning was very important for Lin Li, but for old men and women, it made almost no difference.

So today he saw about the same number of people in the community park as yesterday.

Lin Li jogged toward his usual spot. Sure enough, the old man he'd met yesterday—who seemed robust but was actually frail and had tried to scam him—was also here today, wearing the same exercise clothes.

Lin Li wasn't a petty person. He had already forgotten about Bai Bufan stealing snacks on the 3rd of last month without sharing—so although the old man had tried to scam him, Lin Li still politely greeted him:

"Good morning, Grandpa Zhou."

Zhou Youwei heard the greeting and turned. Seeing it was Lin Li, he felt his steady breathing become labored again.

This kid came here today to scam someone else again? Absolutely outrageous!

Thinking that the junior he had once placed high hopes on was this kind of person, Zhou Youwei became furious and snorted coldly, "Grandpa? Who's your grandpa? From now on, you should be my grandpa!"

"Huh?" Lin Li scratched his head, somewhat hesitant. After a moment of silence, he finally nodded, "Why, if it isn't Little Zhou! Good morning! So early for exercise—not bad, not bad."

Lin Li was, after all, a well-educated young man of the new era who honestly watched every episode of Youth Study sessions without stealing others' screenshots. So he understood one thing very clearly: respect the elderly and care for the young.

Therefore, although he didn't know why Grandpa Zhou would make such a request, satisfying an old person's wish was no problem.

Just a matter of speaking.

Respect first, then understand.

Perhaps Grandpa Zhou discovered his own grandfather looked very much like him when young.

Wait, how had Grandpa Zhou seen what his grandfather looked like at seventeen? Photos? But in his great-grandfather's generation, being able to take photos as a child meant being either rich or noble, right? Grandpa Zhou had an unusual background.

While Lin Li was still brainstorming internally, Zhou Youwei stared blankly at Lin Li, even knocking his own ear, suspecting his hearing was failing due to old age.

Wait, this fucking kid—when I told you to be my grandpa, you actually became it?

How did you call me "Little Zhou" so naturally? Can't you tell sarcasm at all?

"You, you, you, you—" Pointing his finger, feeling his breathing become labored again, Zhou Youwei began another round of "Khan's great troop inspection, twelve scrolls of military records, your name on every scroll."

"Little Zhou, Little Zhou, what's wrong with your body? Sit down quickly—how did you get winded again!" Lin Li quickly stepped forward to support his newly acknowledged junior to a nearby stone bench, opening his water bottle and handing it over.

Once unfamiliar, twice familiar—Lin Li handled this very skillfully.

Then Lin Li spoke with disappointment, "Little Zhou, not to criticize you, but what's wrong with your family? With your physical condition, how do they feel comfortable letting you exercise alone every morning? I need to have a good talk with them, really."

"Call me grandpa!" Zhou Youwei struggled for a long time before getting out these four words.

"Okay, Grandpa Zhou. Actually, I was also feeling awkward calling you that. If others heard, they'd think we had some unspeakable relationship." Lin Li felt relieved.

You seemed awkward? Didn't you call me "Little Zhou" quite smoothly?

This child was truly life-shortening.

Zhou Youwei felt that while he originally could have lived 100 years, now he could only live 101—even after entering the coffin, he wouldn't rest in peace, bouncing around for another year.

"Unspeakable relationship? Our relationship is scammer and victim!" Zhou Youwei tapped the water cup in his hand. This child was still young and salvageable. With proper guidance, he could still return to the right path.

He couldn't watch this child continue like this.

Lin Li was stunned, looking at the serious Zhou Youwei. Why did the old man bring this up directly?

But thinking about it, Lin Li felt relieved and waved with a bright smile: "It's fine, Grandpa Zhou. I don't mind. I forgive you."

Admitting mistakes and correcting them—still a good grandpa.

To emphasize again, Lin Li was broad-minded. The incident where beast Bai Bufan flashed to steal his first blood while playing support in their third game on Saturday afternoon of the 12th last month—he hadn't taken it to heart at all.

"Let's consider this matter past." So Lin Li saying such words was understandable.

Looking at Lin Li speaking these words with such a bright and radiant smile, Zhou Youwei once again felt the disparity of the world and the fragility of elderly bodies.

You forgave me?

You fucking forgave me?

Who said this child was salvageable? Who said this child could return to the right path? Shut up—this child is completely ruined!

This child was a naturally evil Uchiha brat!

After intense emotional fluctuation came empty calm. Feeling utterly disappointed, Zhou Youwei shook his head and gave up on teaching, asking, "So little devil... young man, what are you here for this morning?"

"To exercise, of course." Lin Li answered.

"Exercise, heh, exercise! Kid, I'll be watching you closely!" Zhou Youwei sneered, then said seriously.

Still trying to scam people—I absolutely won't allow it!

If he hadn't reacted quickly yesterday, he would have been tricked. But the surrounding elderly were kind-hearted and not as agile as him—he absolutely couldn't let these neighbor friends fall into such predicaments!

The moment Lin Li made any suspicious move, Zhou Youwei would take out his phone!

He would strike as Dragonfly Captain, recording and judging all evil!

"Don't worry, I'll be very serious even without your supervision." Lin Li waved his hand. He could understand Zhou Youwei's good intentions as a fellow martial artist, but it wasn't necessary—the system was watching him comprehensively.

But seeing Zhou Youwei seemed quite insistent, he didn't mind.

As for whether his martial arts would be stolen through observation, honestly, Lin Li felt there was no need to be so paranoid. First, living like that was exhausting.

Second, some details were hard to notice with the naked eye without technique annotations. Plus, entering the second chapter required spiritual energy assistance—who else had these conditions besides himself?

Damn, thinking about this made him angry. He didn't even have these conditions right now.

Could the Demon Suppression Bureau move more efficiently?

Standing at his usual position, putting down his water bottle, taking a deep breath, Lin Li immersed himself in practicing Eight-Stage Body Forging Technique.

An absorbed hour passed like this.

[Practice Eight-Stage Body Forging Technique earnestly before the Hour of the Rabbit for one consecutive week, accumulating at least half a time period before the Hour of the Dragon. (1/7)]

Lin Li once again achieved species regression—exhausted like a dog.

But last night's feeling was now more clearly reflected in his body. Although more tired than yesterday, every part of him was rejoicing, giving him a very complex sensation.

He fucking achieved physical pain but spiritual pleasure.

This was completely different from seriously practicing eight-brocade exercises yesterday.

Continuing like this, he would definitely become stronger.

But hopefully not bald.

"Grandpa Zhou, I'm going home to sleep in. Goodbye." Dragging his tired body, Lin Li picked up his water bottle and smiled at Zhou Youwei who was still watching him from nearby.

Without waiting for a response, he left directly—too tired, just wanted to shower and lie back in bed.

Watching Lin Li's departing figure, Zhou Youwei smiled with relief.

With him watching, this kid indeed had no opportunity to scam anyone.

Sacrifice the individual, achieve the collective.

Today was a successful morning of protecting the residential area from the Uchiha scamming brat's invasion.

—Captain of the Residential Area Elderly Guard, Silent Guardian, Zhou Youwei respectfully submits.

(End of Chapter)