Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The first thing Tang Qiu did when she got home was to review the entire operation from that day.

That morning, she had tailed Ji Shulan. Although she had been exposed to surveillance cameras, she acted like an ordinary office worker and didn't linger in the alley for too long. Unless the police focused their investigation on Ji Shulan, they would never trace it back to her.

As for the night operation, she was far more cautious. She avoided all pedestrians and surveillance cameras, leaving no evidence or witnesses to prove she had left home that night.

She wore a wig, a mask, and gloves the entire time, leaving no biological traces at the scene. As for the now-crippled prey, he had never seen her face, so even if he reported it to the police, he couldn't describe her physical features to them.

The most important weapon—the bloodstained brick—had been disposed of during her detour to avoid surveillance on her way home. She sank it in an artificial lake about 2 kilometers from the scene.

The young prey was only crippled, not dead. Even if the police opened an investigation, they wouldn't go all out to solve the case as they would for a murder case. In other words, she was safe.

After repeatedly scrutinizing every detail and reaching this conclusion, Tang Qiu smiled with satisfaction. Then she took off the wig, mask, gloves, and the brass knuckles, carefully storing them in her secret hiding place.

She washed her face to stay alert and finally mustered the energy to study the night's gains.

The two basic attribute points, one from Ji Shulan and one from the prey, were added to her constitution as usual. Besides the basic attribute points, there were also items from the special prize pool.

Ji Shulan's draw had yielded two items: one was the Fate's Prophetic Eye (one-time use), which she had previously obtained, and a permanent fine-quality item: the Confusion Mask.

The prey's draw yielded only one item, a common item she hadn't seen before: the Malice Attraction Sticker.

Three items. Tang Qiu already knew how to use the Fate's Prophetic Eye, but one thing puzzled her. She had initially thought that the fact that the Fate's Prophetic Eye had failed on the prey was because her actions hadn't substantially changed his fate. But after she crippled him, completely preventing him from ever committing crimes again, the item still failed to work.

Why was that? Could it be due to the original fates of the two individuals?

One was a victim, originally fated to die that night; the other was the perpetrator, who might have only ended up in prison, not dead.

Could the biggest factor affecting the Fate's Prophetic Eye be death? Or the role they played in their fates?

Tang Qiu hesitated, unsure. After a few minutes of fruitless analysis, she decisively set it aside.

Instead of aimlessly pondering, she might as well figure it out through countless practical experiments.

In her mind, Tang Qiu prioritized figuring out how to use the Fate's Prophetic Eye. Then she mentally summoned the Confusion Mask.

The system interface didn't appear, but Tang Qiu felt a slight weight in her coat pocket, and the previously flat shape bulged slightly from the item that had materialized.

Tang Qiu was satisfied with the system's method of item delivery. It meant that in future operations, if she received an urgently needed item, she could use it instantly without drawing anyone's attention, greatly enhancing her safety.

She took out the item from her pocket. To her surprise, it looked more like a face mask than a mask. It was very thin, as thin as a cicada's wing, transparent, and looked utterly unremarkable.

Tang Qiu was even more pleased. It was easy to hide and easy to carry.

She strode over to the mirror, holding the sheet-like mask and carefully examining it by touch, then hesitantly and slowly applied it to her face.

Something amazing happened. The moment it touched her skin, the mask seemed to activate a program, or suddenly come to life. It quickly and gently conformed to the contours of her face, seamlessly attaching itself.

But what puzzled Tang Qiu was that, even with the mask on, she looked the same in the mirror.

If it couldn't conceal or change her appearance, what was the use of this mask?

Tang Qiu was first confused, but then she dismissed that idea. Since it was a system item, and a fine-quality one at that, it must have its own use. Perhaps, like the Fate's Prophetic Eye, it required figuring out how to use it.

She thought for a few seconds, then found her phone, which she had silenced and placed in a drawer before going out. She opened the camera app and pointed it at herself.

In the camera preview, she still saw herself. But when she pressed the shutter, the captured photo showed a stranger's face.

The clothes were the same, the hairstyle was the same, but the features had changed. The face in the photo was ordinary but had a sharp, aggressive look—a high, sharp brow; small, elongated eyes; a slightly hooked nose that gave the face a harsh look; lips of medium thickness—utterly unmemorable, completely different from Tang Qiu's own face.

She deleted the photo and stared for a long time at her own face, which was also the original owner's face.

Completely different from the photo, Tang Qiu's face was slightly round. Her brows, nose, and lips were all ordinary, but her eyes were large and bright. Paired with the round face, she looked innocent and harmless. Even when Tang Qiu was expressionless or cold, she didn't inspire fear.

Tang Qiu pursed her lips and smiled slightly. She always liked this face. People tend to judge by appearances and believe that the face reflects the heart, and enemies were no different. This had given her many advantages, helping her escape danger time and again and helped her survive.

No wonder it was a fine-quality item; it worked very well. Having quickly figured out how to use the mask, Tang Qiu took it off and planned to store it securely.

At first, she had wanted to store it in the system, but the system didn't respond. She had to settle for placing the mask in the same secure spot as the dagger she always carried when going out.

As for the last item, Tang Qiu thought for a moment but didn't take it out, because she couldn't think of a target to use it on right now.

Just from the name, Malice Attraction Sticker, one could deduce its usage without analysis. Given that the system could only dispense items but not accept them back after retrieval, Tang Qiu thought it was fine to treat the system as a mobile warehouse when not needed.

After doing what needed to be done, Tang Qiu washed up and went to bed as usual.

Even though she had stayed up late, Tang Qiu didn't change her plan. She still got up at 6 AM as usual, went for a morning run and did physical training, then ate at 8 AM and left at 8:30 AM. Ostensibly, she was going grocery shopping and buying daily necessities, but in reality, she was continuously observing and assessing the residents in her neighborhood.

But today, when Tang Qiu opened the door, an unexpected person forced her to change her plans.

Standing outside the door, about to knock, was a middle-aged woman. She was dressed in a well-fitted suit, with professional makeup, and had a box of milk and a box of nutritious bird's nest at her feet. Obviously, she had come to visit the "patient."

Tang Qiu quickly scanned the woman, judging that she was unarmed. Then she scoured her memory for information about the original owner about this person.

Tang Qiu had a good memory. In a very short time, she recalled who this middle-aged woman was: a colleague from the law firm where the original owner worked, and her supervising lawyer, Shu Yiyun.

Tang Qiu controlled her facial expression to show a smile and composed herself before speaking first. "Lawyer Shu."

Shu Yiyun lowered her hand, ready to knock, and raised an eyebrow at Tang Qiu, said amiably, "At work, use professional titles. In private, there's no need to be so formal. I've told you before, you can call me Sister Yun. If that's not comfortable, you can also call me Senior."

From the information about Shu Yiyun she had read, Tang Qiu knew that although they had attended the same university and had the same doctoral supervisor, due to the age gap, they weren't familiar with each other. Even after working together for six months, they weren't close. In chat records, the original owner mostly called her Lawyer Shu, not Senior.

Tang Qiu didn't intend to have much contact with Shu Yiyun, so she didn't want to argue with her. She readily called her "Senior" and then stepped aside to let Shu Yiyun, who had picked up the gifts, walk into the living room.

Clearly, Shu Yiyun was visiting for the first time. She instinctively glanced around the apartment. While placing the gifts in a corner where they wouldn't get in the way, she asked, "I've been busy with cases and haven't had a chance to visit you. How have you been lately? Fully recovered?"

Tang Qiu took out a disposable cup and filled it with water, answering cautiously, "Physically, I've recovered pretty well, but I still have some memory loss. The main thing is that the person who assaulted me hasn't been caught, so I can't go back to work anytime soon. I plan to handle my resignation at the firm soon."

Shu Yiyun had just sat down on the sofa but stood up abruptly at Tang Qiu's words, frowning. "Memory loss? Was that caused by the head injury? What did the doctor say? How long will it take to recover?"

Tang Qiu placed the cup of water on the coffee table in front of Shu Yiyun and shook her head. "The doctor said it might recover, or it might not. It depends on the individual's specific situation. They couldn't make a definite judgment."

Shu Yiyun's frown deepened, genuinely worried for Tang Qiu. "Which parts of your memory are missing? Just the memory of the injury, or have you lost some memories from other periods as well?"

Tang Qiu gave another vague answer, "Besides completely forgetting the memory of the injury, I've also forgotten some random memories from my school days."

Shu Yiyun's gaze drifted to a pile of law books stacked in a corner of the sofa, and she said gravely, "No wonder you've been reviewing these law books repeatedly. It seems you really can't work for a while. But you have some savings, so not working for a while won't affect your life. I'll talk to Lawyer Hou about the firm matters. You can focus on recovering. You can handle the resignation online. The only thing to worry about now is your safety."

Shu Yiyun then looked around Tang Qiu's apartment again and asked, "How is the security in this neighborhood? Can it ensure your safety? Was your injury an accident or a premeditated attack? Could the attacker strike again?"

Shu Yiyun pondered for a moment and gave Tang Qiu a suggestion. "If your financial situation allows, I suggest you move to a different place. The attacker hasn't been caught, and no one is sure if that person has some of your information. For safety, it's best to change your residence. If possible, find a place near a police station or other government authorities that can act as a deterrent."

Tang Qiu remained impassive on the surface, but after observing and judging that Shu Yiyun's words were all sincere, she couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion and a sense of novelty. Indeed, away from the cruel environment of the apocalyptic world, the vast majority of people were good. Like Ji Shulan, whom she had met two days ago, and Shu Yiyun today, even if they weren't familiar with Tang Qiu, they genuinely showed her kindness. She liked this world.

Tang Qiu's smile became a little more genuine, and she looked at Shu Yiyun as she replied, "Senior, I will seriously consider your suggestion."

Perhaps Shu Yiyun thought Tang Qiu's current situation was quite pitiful, so her behavior was quite inconsistent with the personality recorded in the files she had read. She was very caring and enthusiastically gave Tang Qiu many words of advice.

Finally, when she spotted the small fitness gear Tang Qiu had left scattered in the corner and the horizontal bar fixed on the wall for arm strength training, she tactfully suggested, "It's good to want to exercise after such an experience, but you should be careful about how you do it. It's best to do it under the guidance of a professional. Also, besides strength training, you can also learn some skills. I know some trainers who specialize in that. If you need, I can recommend them to you."

Tang Qiu took the hint. Although she herself had some combat skills and a lot of combat experience, the previous Tang Qiu didn't. In order to make it seem reasonable if she used the original's identity to fight with others in the future, Tang Qiu decided to shell out a lot of cash to find a coach to learn properly.

However, she didn't want Shu Yiyun's recommendation. She appreciated Shu Yiyun's kindness, but to keep a low profile, she didn't want to contact too many people, especially those in the original's social circle.

As for investigating the murderer of the original Tang Qiu, Tang Qiu had many ways to investigate without contacting people.

She politely declined Shu Yiyun's kindness and saw her out.

Tang Qiu waited until Shu Yiyun'd almost left the residential area, then she also went out.

However, this time apart from her original plan, Tang Qiu added one more thing to her to-do list: just as Shu Yiyun suggested, finding a coach to learn some skills.