Chapter 35: I’m a Traffic Cop, and You Want Me to Fix the Car?

"With the remaining fan points from last time, I have enough for three blind boxes!"

Tan Ping opened the system shop and checked his balance: 31,232 fan points. Familiar with the process, he navigated to the blind box purchase interface and issued the command: "Redeem immediately!"

"Redeeming a blind box costs 10,000 popularity points. Confirm purchase?"

"Confirm!"

"Please select the quantity!"

"Three!"

"Ding! Congratulations, Host! 30,000 popularity points deducted. Successfully purchased 3 blind boxes!"

Before him, three black boxes appeared, each inscribed with golden characters that read "Open."

As he focused his intent on the first box, it shattered into fragments, revealing a glowing blue orb.

"Looks like my good luck has run out! A blue item this time?" Tan Ping felt a hint of disappointment. The first time he had received a golden item, and last time, though slightly worse, he had at least pulled a red one. This time, it was merely blue.

Just then, information flooded his mind: "Congratulations, Host! You have successfully unboxed a blue-tier skill: Automotive Repair!"

"What? I’m a traffic cop, and you give me an automotive repair skill?" Tan Ping’s eyes widened at the words. Was he expected to moonlight at a repair shop?

"Would you like to master [Automotive Repair] immediately?" A mechanical prompt sounded, followed by a countdown: 5, 4, 3...

Tan Ping immediately commanded, "Master it!" It had cost 10,000 points; if he didn’t use it, it would be a total waste. Even if it didn't fit his profession, he decided to be decisive. Since he had already pulled it, who knew when it might come in handy?

As the blue orb faded, Tan Ping felt a surge of knowledge regarding vehicle mechanics fill his brain. Despite having just acquired it, he felt as experienced as someone who had spent over a decade under the hood.

Opening the system, he checked his skill list and saw [Automotive Repair] listed at Level 3!

He realized, "So, white skills start at Level 1, green at Level 2, and this blue skill jumps straight to the level of a master technician!"

"Keep opening them!" Tan Ping took a deep breath and stared at the remaining two boxes.

*Thud!*

He opened the second box. The black casing disintegrated, revealing a dazzling green light. The green was so intense it made him anxious. As expected, he had pulled a skill upgrade scroll—and one that could only boost a skill from Level 1 to Level 2.

"My luck really has run out," he muttered, losing hope for the final box. He opened it anyway.

Sure enough, as the black box exploded, it was empty. The words "Thank You for Participating" popped up.

"Ugh!" Tan Ping gasped. Although those twenty thousand points had been easy to come by, his heart ached.

Suddenly, a system notification chimed: "The host may choose to open ten at once for a 10% discount, with a guaranteed golden legendary item!"

"Sigh! Next time, I’ll wait until I have 90,000 points. The odds for single pulls are just too low!" Tan Ping took a deep breath and exited the system interface.

He proceeded with his usual routine: a few sets of push-ups, a quick shower, and bed.

The next morning, Tan Ping was up at five, folding his quilt and starting his morning jog.

"That kid Tan Ping is truly disciplined. Even I slacked off once I transitioned from the military to local duty," an older traffic cop remarked.

"Indeed! He never misses a day," his mentor, Wang Xingyun, agreed.

Seeing his mentor approach, Tan Ping finished his workout and trotted over.

"A-Ping, don't overdo it. You're still recovering from your injuries," Wang Xingyun reminded him with a smile.

"I'm fine, Master! These little scratches are nothing," Tan Ping replied with a grin. "Wait for me, I'll go get ready, and we'll head out."

Soon, the group arrived at the filming site.

"It’s the morning rush; traffic is heavy. Let’s start by directing traffic," Tan Ping suggested, looking at the gridlocked road.

"Right! Everyone, lend a hand!" Wang Xingyun signaled. The officers immediately dispersed to their posts.

The cameraman, Lin Shigong, began livestreaming the scene. Since it was early, the audience was sparse.

Suddenly, Tan Ping frowned. A red sedan had pulled over to the side of the road—a no-parking zone. He hurried over and knocked on the window. "Ma'am, you can't park here!"

The window rolled down to reveal a pleasant voice: "Officer, I don't want to, but my car broke down!"

"What? It broke down?" Tan Ping immediately turned to set up two traffic cones behind the vehicle to prevent a collision. Despite the early hour, traffic was still heavy.

Lin Shigong, seeing the situation, hurried over with his camera, set it up, and went to help.

In the livestream, viewers began to comment: "Broke down at a time like this?"

"Bad timing! Blocking the road like this causes major congestion."

"I once got stuck for over an hour because of a breakdown that caused a pileup!"

Tan Ping took off his white gloves and told the female driver, "Miss, please get out of the car and stand to the side. It's dangerous to stay inside."

"Oh! Okay!" She stepped out.

"Wow, that driver is a looker!" As she entered the frame, the chat lit up. "She's over 1.6 meters tall, curvy, and beautiful!"

"Right? Oval face, fair skin, big eyes—my type!"

Tan Ping, however, wasn't looking at the driver. He popped the hood and began his inspection.

"Huh? What is Officer Tan doing? Is he going to fix the car?" The viewers were stunned.

"If he can fix it, that’s great, or this road is going to be a nightmare!"

"But wait, he's a traffic cop—does he even know how to fix cars?"