Chapter 36: Learning the Art of Lockpicking

“My master is a hermit who wishes to remain anonymous, so I can’t reveal his identity. I’m sorry.” Chen Yun broke out in a cold sweat. The master I made up on the fly, why would you want to visit him?

“I understand, I was being presumptuous.” Jiang Shan did not suspect anything. Since he’s a hermit, of course he wouldn’t want outsiders to know about him. To think that Grandmaster Chen even has a reclusive master behind him—this made Jiang Shan all the more impressed.

“Chairman Jiang, I grew up with my master deep in the mountains and never left, so I don’t have any identification. I’d like to ask for your help in getting me an ID card. Would that be possible?” After all this small talk, Chen Yun finally got to the point. He desperately wanted to drag this damned system out and tear it to shreds, then grind the pieces and toss them into the sea.

“Of course, that’s a small matter. Don’t worry, Grandmaster Chen. By noon tomorrow at the latest, I’ll have someone deliver all your identification documents.” Jiang Shan thought it was going to be something significant, but since it was such a trivial matter, he agreed at once.

“Thank you so much, Chairman Jiang.” Chen Yun relaxed. At last, the problem of his identity was solved.

Leaving Jiang Shan’s office, Chen Yun noticed the door to his guest room was closed. He reached for the doorknob, but it wouldn’t budge.

“It won’t turn? I must have slammed the door too hard when I left and locked it.” Chen Yun patted his pockets, then remembered he’d left the key inside.

“What do I do without the key? I can’t get in.” He mumbled to himself as he examined the keyhole.

“Player Chen Yun does not possess the Lockpicking skill. Action invalid.”

What? Chen Yun was dumbfounded by the sudden prompt. Lockpicking skill? Seriously? There’s a skill for that? Who am I supposed to learn it from? Isn’t lockpicking usually a thief’s expertise?

“Grandmaster Chen, are you trying to get back into your room?” a hotel attendant asked, approaching.

“Ah? Yes, but I left my key inside,” Chen Yun replied.

“Please wait a moment, I’ll fetch a spare key for you.” The attendant smiled and went off.

“Of course! How did I forget? Every hotel room has a spare key. How could I be so dense?” Chen Yun smacked his forehead, chiding himself.

Soon, the attendant returned with a large ring of keys and handed one to Chen Yun. “Grandmaster Chen, here’s your key.”

“Thanks.” Chen Yun was about to open the door when he suddenly remembered he didn’t have the “Lockpicking” skill. Knowing the system’s quirks, he figured he still might not be able to open the door even with a key. With this in mind, he turned to the attendant.

“Miss, could you open the door for me?”

Though puzzled as to why Grandmaster Chen wanted her to do it, the attendant obediently took the key and inserted it into the lock.

“Wait a second…” Chen Yun suddenly realized that while the attendant could help him this time, who would help him next time? He couldn’t rely on others to open doors for him forever. He might as well use this opportunity to coax the attendant into teaching him the “Lockpicking” skill.

“Grandmaster Chen, is something the matter?” the attendant asked, confused.

“Let me quiz you. How exactly do you use a key to open this door?” Chen Yun assumed a serious tone.

“Huh?” The attendant was dumbfounded. Isn’t it just a matter of inserting the key and turning it? But she quickly reconsidered—Grandmaster Chen wouldn’t ask such a simple question without a reason; there must be some hidden meaning.

With her mind racing, she pondered from ancient myths to the stars, but after a long while, she still couldn’t figure out the secret behind his question.

Chen Yun watched her stand there, brows furrowed, face shifting from worry to surprise to frustration, her expressions changing faster than a stage mask.

“I’m asking you a question,” Chen Yun said impatiently after waiting a while.

“Grandmaster Chen, your question is just too profound for me. I really can’t guess your intention,” she said awkwardly. “I don’t know how else to open the door with a key.”

Chen Yun was sweating. Damn it, you don’t know how to open a door with a key? How am I supposed to get you to teach me?

“Ahem…” He cleared his throat and changed his approach. “Alright, let me put it another way. Tell me, step by step, exactly how you use a key to open a door. Don’t leave out a single detail.”

The attendant was speechless. What was going on with Grandmaster Chen today? Why was he so fixated on how to open a door with a key?

“Grandmaster Chen, isn’t it just inserting the corresponding key into the lock, turning it to the right, and the door opens?” she said, demonstrating as she spoke.

“NPC Hotel Attendant Miao Cuihua is attempting to teach you ‘Lockpicking.’ Do you wish to learn? Yes/No?”

“Yes!” Chen Yun was overjoyed—his ploy had worked.

“System prompt: Please pay NPC Hotel Attendant Miao Cuihua a ten-copper skill tuition fee…”

Chen Yun pulled out a gold coin and handed it to the attendant as he opened the door. “Very good, excellent answer. Here’s a little tip for you.”

The attendant stared blankly at the gold coin in her hand, utterly lost. There were tips for this? What on earth was Grandmaster Chen playing at?

Back in his room, Chen Yun took out the Lightning Talisman dropped by the boss and two identical skill books from his backpack.

“Lightning Talisman: green, single-use consumable. Summons a bolt of lightning to strike a target. Damage equals player’s magic attack power times two.”

“Gathering Skill Book, purple-grade. Use to learn Basic Gathering.”

“Basic Gathering: active skill. Allows the collection of materials from monsters or plants up to ten levels above the player. Increases gathering speed by 5%, with a 1% chance to obtain rare items. Each use consumes 1 mana point. Proficiency: 0/500. Unlocks Intermediate Gathering upon reaching max proficiency. Required level: 1.”

Chen Yun slapped the Gathering Skill Book, and it dissolved into a purple light that merged into his body.

“Player Chen Yun has learned Basic Gathering.”

“Now that I’ve learned the skill, what about the second book?” Chen Yun wondered, “It’s a waste to recycle it. What if I try learning it again and see what happens?”

With that, he slapped the skill book once more.

“Player Chen Yun’s Basic Gathering proficiency +300. Current proficiency 300/500.”

So that’s how it works. Chen Yun nodded in understanding as he saw his proficiency increase. The first time you use a skill book, you gain the skill; subsequent uses only add to proficiency.

“This means I’ve found a new way to increase proficiency, but identical skill books won’t be easy to find.” Chen Yun mused, stroking his chin. “I wonder if the bookstore sells skill books. Never mind, let’s get on with the real work.”

He had made up his mind. Today was his first day cooking here, and he had to make a name for himself. All twenty dishes for today would use meat from the catfish demon!

He left his room, went downstairs, and headed to cold storage number four.

“Grandmaster Chen, you’re here.” The attendant assigned by Zhang Lang to guard cold storage number four quickly greeted him with a bow.

“Yes, I’m here to process the catfish demon,” Chen Yun replied.

“Of course, I’ll leave you to it,” the attendant said, withdrawing.

Chen Yun opened the cold storage door, placed one hand on the catfish’s body, and silently chanted, “Gathering.”