Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Having obtained a weapon that was perfect for her, and because the previous operation had ended on a rocky note, in order to carefully conceal her true identity, Tang Qiu kept a very low profile over the next few days.

She got up on time for morning runs, ate, worked out, went for evening runs, and slept, only appearing where she was supposed to be, flawlessly playing the role of her original identity without any slip-ups.

After several calm days, Tang Qiu finished her workout that day, said goodbye to Coach Zhong, and while casually chatting with the system, she was considering whether she could launch her next operation.

The system suggested: "Host should avoid the areas frequently visited during previous operations, whether in human form or cat form."

Tang Qiu agreed with this. Although the police would find it hard to believe that a cat could turn into a human, over time, they would gradually narrow down the areas where Tang Qiu frequently moved in her cat form.

Even if it didn't lead to Tang Qiu, the police presence itself was an invisible constraint, and Tang Qiu would inevitably be restricted as a result.

Tang Qiu recalled the location where her previous target lived—an area with almost no surveillance and more complex than the urban village—and gradually formed a plan.

Carrying her sports backpack out of the shopping mall, Tang Qiu wasn't in a hurry and strolled towards the bus stop, savoring the evening sunlight.

Her original self had a car, but unless necessary, Tang Qiu generally didn't drive. She liked to observe and stay aware of everything around her, so she preferred taking the bus. That way, she might get lucky and activate the Prophetic Eye artifact, and she also had the focus and time to make more detailed observations of the environment.

Arriving at the bus stop, she stood at the edge as usual waiting for the bus. She pretended to look at her phone while scanning every person passing by with her peripheral vision.

The artifact didn't activate, but she heard a somewhat familiar voice calling her.

"Lawyer Tang." The caller was a very enthusiastic woman. Tang Qiu looked up and was surprised to see Si Zhao.

Through the open car window, she could also see the driver, another familiar face. Tang Qiu remembered Si Zhao calling him Brother Xiao.

Putting away her phone, she walked over and asked in surprise, "Si Zhao, Brother Xiao, what are you doing here?"

"We were working nearby and happened to see you," Si Zhao said with a bright smile. "I remember your home isn't far. Since we ran into you, hop in, we'll take you home."

Tang Qiu hesitated. Compared to Ji Shulan, Si Zhao was more outgoing and enthusiastic, which always made Tang Qiu instinctively suspect she had some ulterior motive.

Thinking of her police identity and her role as the female lead in a criminal investigation novel, Tang Qiu relaxed, put on a slightly embarrassed expression, and asked Si Zhao, "Is this... appropriate? Won't it interfere with your work?"

Mentioning work, Si Zhao sighed. "Ah, it's a bit of a gamble anyway, doesn't matter for a few minutes."

Seeing that she couldn't refuse, and with a bus about to arrive, Tang Qiu had no choice but to open the car door and get into the back seat.

As soon as she sat down, Si Zhao quickly turned around from the front seat, handed a photo to Tang Qiu, and asked, "Lawyer Tang, by the way, can you take a look? Have you seen this cat when you're out and about?"

Hearing the word "cat," Tang Qiu's eyelids twitched. She had a bad feeling.

Sure enough, she took the photo and saw a very familiar cat, black and white, with shiny fur and bright round eyes. Its most distinctive feature was its four pure white paws, without a single stray hair, sharply contrasting with the black fur on its limbs. Whether from its healthy body or the glossiness of its fur, it was clear that this cat was well-cared for and definitely not a stray.

Every time Tang Qiu transformed into a cat and left home, she looked in the mirror, so she naturally recognized the cat in the photo as her own cat form.

Tang Qiu was a bit surprised that the police had tracked down this clue so quickly, and that it happened to be the criminal investigation team led by Lei Yue. Was it a coincidence or the effect of the plot's automatic correction?

Tang Qiu pondered, pretending to study the photo and think hard, then looked up and said sincerely, "It looks a bit familiar. I often go for morning and evening runs around the neighborhood, and I have seen cats with this color pattern, but I can't be sure if it's exactly the one in the photo."

Tang Qiu's answer was vague. Si Zhao wasn't surprised at all. Her expression flickered with disappointment for a moment, then she became lively and cheerful again. "Then we might as well do some work on the way. Let's check your morning and evening running routes. If we find it, great. If not, we can grab a late-night snack together. Want to join, Lawyer Tang?"

Tang Qiu carefully observed Si Zhao's expression and confirmed that she wasn't just being polite but genuinely wanted to eat together, so she readily agreed. "Sure, I happen to know a good night market stall near my home."

While talking with Si Zhao, Tang Qiu didn't miss the chance to catch Officer Xiao's eyes in the rearview mirror. She could see understanding, a wry smile, and a bit of helplessness, but no objection.

For the next few hours, Tang Qiu left her bag in the car that Xiao Wenbo was driving, and accompanied the two of them as they slowly searched along her usual evening running route.

While chatting, Si Zhao seemed carefree and easygoing, but when she was working, she was very serious and meticulous. Her stern expression reminded Tang Qiu of Lei Yue for a moment.

Tang Qiu couldn't help thinking, no wonder the system told her that in the original story, Si Zhao's personality changed dramatically after Lei Yue's sacrifice. She was indeed greatly influenced by Lei Yue.

During the search, because Tang Qiu hadn't lied, they did find several black-and-white cats. But when they picked up the cats and compared them repeatedly with the photo, they ultimately found that they were only similar, not the same one.

After a couple of hours of searching, Si Zhao wasn't discouraged, just a bit numb. Letting the last cat go, she stretched and checked the time. "Well, it's already past 9 p.m. Sorry for making you miss dinner, Lawyer Tang. Luckily it's not too late. Let's go for a late-night snack now?"

Tang Qiu watched the little cat disappear into the bushes, then turned to Si Zhao and said calmly, "Sure. After we eat and let it settle, it won't affect my evening run."

Xiao Wenbo was reporting work progress to Lei Yue by text. He looked at Tang Qiu in surprise.

Si Zhao was more direct. She patted Tang Qiu on the shoulder with an impressed and admiring look, giving a thumbs up. "Your perseverance is amazing. No wonder you studied law and got a PhD."

As soon as she said that, she realized she might have touched a sore spot and immediately regretted it. Before Tang Qiu could speak, she grabbed Tang Qiu's shoulder and started walking forward, saying, "Let's go, let's go. I've been busy all day, and my stomach has been growling for ages. I can't wait to eat at that delicious night market stall you mentioned."

Tang Qiu led the way for about a kilometer until they reached the food alley near her neighborhood.

This alley wasn't long, but there were many restaurants and stalls. As soon as Tang Qiu led Si Zhao in, Si Zhao's eyes lit up. The fatigue and boredom from work vanished instantly. Her eyes were bright and darting around, looking at this stall and that one. She grabbed Tang Qiu's arm firmly and said, "I've decided: I'm going to eat my way from one end to the other. I've been so busy lately, I haven't had this much fun in a long time."

Having said that, Si Zhao rushed towards the nearest snack stall that caught her interest.

Tang Qiu noticed that Xiao Wenbo seemed used to it, looking helpless and resigned. He invited Tang Qiu, "Let's go together. We need to keep up, or she'll disappear in a flash."

Soon, Tang Qiu realized Xiao Wenbo wasn't exaggerating at all. Si Zhao moved nimbly like a bee, squeezing through the crowd, ordering six skewers of squid at one barbecue stall, then three skewers of grilled sweet potato starch noodles with ham and crab sticks at another.

While paying, Si Zhao enthusiastically recommended to Tang Qiu, "Let me tell you, Lawyer Tang, you don't have to add ham to grilled sweet potato starch noodles, but you must add crab sticks. It's so flavorful. Every time I eat it, I can't help stomping my feet because it's so good."

Tang Qiu found it very difficult to deal with such high-energy, outgoing people. At first, she responded a little, but later she could only maintain a polite smile.

Fortunately, Si Zhao's full attention was on the food. She didn't even have time for Tang Qiu, let alone Xiao Wenbo.

After getting a large pile of snack boxes and finally sitting down at an empty table, Tang Qiu didn't show it outwardly, but she felt relieved. Once they started eating, Si Zhao surely wouldn't talk that much.

However, Tang Qiu underestimated Si Zhao.

Even with her mouth full, Si Zhao spoke clearly. "By the way, Tang Qiu, how are things with your old classmate? Have you been in touch since?"

Tang Qiu looked at Si Zhao, puzzled, not understanding why she suddenly brought up Qiao Yang. But she still answered politely, "We only met once, haven't been in touch since."

Si Zhao grinned. "Oh, you can contact him, you know. I heard he just got back from a case. As usual, he'll have a couple of days off. You two could go out and have some fun. I think you both seem to like camping. How about planning a trip this weekend?"

Tang Qiu tilted her head, looking at Si Zhao in confusion. She found both the question and Si Zhao's expression strange.

Xiao Wenbo, however, gave Si Zhao a knowing, amused look and shook his head.

Tang Qiu thought about it. She did plan to draw Qiao Yang into her operations, but of course not using her original identity. However, before that, it was necessary to contact Qiao Yang a couple more times to know his favorite haunts and exact residence.

Therefore, after a few seconds of consideration, Tang Qiu nodded lightly. "If I get the chance, I'll get in touch with him again."

Si Zhao was satisfied. She flashed another odd smile and continued devouring her food.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, they walked Tang Qiu to the entrance of her residential community. They said goodbye and went their separate ways.

Watching Tang Qiu walk into the community with her backpack, Xiao Wenbo started the car and said helplessly, "You really need to change this habit of yours. If Captain Lei finds out, he'll scold you again. Everyone else ships fictional couples, but you're different—you ship real people around you. Last time, you shipped Captain Lei and Captain Zhou. I still don't understand how you could ship those two. Their personalities are so different, and they have no interaction. You're just forcing it?"

"Shipping hard," Xiao Wenbo said, still uncertain. "Is that the right term?"

"Oh, Brother Xiao, you actually know the term 'shipping hard'? You've made great progress!" Si Zhao said with exaggerated surprise.

Xiao Wenbo rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"I'm not shipping them hard," Si Zhao pouted. "Don't you think Captain Lei and Captain Zhou are both similar and complementary?"

"One is a rational workaholic, emotionally stable, capable and smart. The other? An emotional workaholic. They're both captains, yet in every case they handle, Captain Zhou grits his teeth with hatred for the suspects, chasing them no matter how far to bring them back. Emotionally unstable but passionate and smooth. Both workaholics with complementary personalities. What a perfect CP!"

Si Zhao's eyes glazed over with longing, then she became dejected. "It's a pity, though. I've been observing for almost two years, and there's no romantic spark between them. Every time they meet, it's strictly business. Captain Zhou is quite warm, but Captain Lei has always been reserved. I can't ship them anymore. But that's okay."

Si Zhao suddenly perked up. "I've switched to a new CP now: a lawyer-and-police-officer pair. What a powerhouse combination! Both rational and professional. What I love most about shipping is seeing the moments when they unknowingly change habits or make compromises for each other. I'm really looking forward to this CP now."

Xiao Wenbo was speechless. "No wonder you're always so enthusiastic when you see Lawyer Tang. But whether you ship them or not, don't forget confidentiality. Lawyer Tang is still a victim in one of our cases."

"Don't worry about that," Si Zhao wrinkled her nose. "I'm not stupid. I won't say anything I shouldn't."

...

Unaware that Si Zhao's enthusiasm was driven by an ulterior motive, Tang Qiu quickly put both of them out of her mind after parting. At home, she spent over half an hour digesting her meal while lifting a dumbbell in one hand and reading a book in the other. Then she changed into running gear and left the house for her nightly run.

After her usual hour-long night run, Tang Qiu was panting while stretching in the fitness equipment area. Thanks to her new weapon, she felt much safer. Her phone, which she'd only been carrying for a few days, suddenly rang.

Tang Qiu took it out and saw a message from Qiao Yang.

Speak of the devil. The person Si Zhao had mentioned just tonight contacted her within hours.

Qiao Yang: "Tang Qiu, I just finished a case and came back. I saw a pinned notice in the group about a camping trip this weekend. Are you going?"

Tang Qiu raised an eyebrow. This was perfect timing. Before she could approach Qiao Yang, he came to her himself.

While stretching her legs, Tang Qiu calmly replied, "I was out running and didn't check the group. But sure, let's meet this weekend."

Qiao Yang: "Great, see you this weekend."

Putting her phone back into her fanny pack with no change in expression, Tang Qiu began to think about how to subtly fish for information from Qiao Yang when they met.

The system suddenly popped up, even more concerned about her actions than she was. It asked, "What's your plan?"

Tang Qiu switched legs and continued stretching, replying in her mind, "To test whether we can bring Qiao Yang into our plan, of course."

The system said, "Qiao Yang is a police officer. You must be careful about his instincts as a criminal investigator. Before obtaining a key item, it's best not to act rashly. However, observing within a safe range is acceptable."

Tang Qiu's heart stirred. She pressed further, "What key item?"

The system replied, "An item that can transmit key information silently without close contact."

Such a good thing—of course Tang Qiu wanted it. She continued asking, "How do I obtain it? Complete more tasks? Is there a pattern to drawing items?"

The system replied, "It is related to your thoughts and needs. Whatever you urgently lack, items with similar functions have a certain probability of appearing."

Tang Qiu raised an eyebrow again. This special prize pool was indeed unique—it even depends on your thoughts.

However, it did explain the appearance of the previous items: the concealment of the Confusion Mask, the convenience of the Pet Perspective Experience Card, the safety of Schrödinger's Knife, and the comprehensive nature of the Intelligence Module. Oh, and one more—the Malice Attraction Sticker. Although it hadn't shown any specific effect so far, it had indeed solved Tang Qiu's urgent problem.