Chapter 1 Qiong Cang

“Beep… beep-“

“Hello.”

“Hello, Dr. Fang Qi.”

Fang Qi: “Speaking.”

He Jueyun: “Hello. This is Sanyao headquarters. I’m the person in charge of 【Case Analysis】.”

“You’re late.” Fang Qi’s voice was flat, as if he had been waiting for this call for a long time. “The scheduled livestream was set for 9:30 a.m. It’s now 9:45. Qiong Cang’s psychological evaluation has been going on for nearly half an hour. I don’t think this is reasonable.”

“We received some last-minute feedback and are currently rushing to verify it. As you know, 【Case Analysis】 is a rather unique full-dive simulation game. It has a wide reach and consistently high standards. We don’t want any uncontrollable developments in the scenario.” He Jueyun pulled up Qiong Cang’s file and adjusted the window size. “Since you are her psychological evaluator, we need to confirm a few things about her situation with you one more time.”

Fang Qi let out a barely audible sigh, took a breath, and said, “Go ahead.”

He Jueyun’s gaze lingered on the profile photo in the top right corner. He tapped his index finger, enlarging the image.

The person in the photo was actually very beautiful. However, her facial features were not the first thing one noticed. Rather, her cold, unapproachable aura made it easy to overlook her looks.

Her skin had a slightly sickly paleness. Under the high-definition resolution, the faint blue veins around her eyes were visible. Her half-closed eyelids made her look listless, yet she carried a dangerous aura that was impossible to ignore.

Of course, it might just be his imagination.

She was someone without a surname, possessing a rather peculiar name.

The “former name” column read “Qi Wu¹,” which didn’t sound much better.

“Qiong Cang², female, twenty-six years old,” He Jueyun read from the file. “Unemployed.”

Fang Qi added, “She was teaching at A University until a month ago. She just resigned.”

He Jueyun continued, “No criminal record, but the police note says she requires further observation.”

“An unreasonable and baseless assessment. As far as we can tell, she is just very smart, with no antisocial tendencies,” Fang Qi said. “Statistically speaking, there is no correlation between IQ and psychopathy. Nor should they judge her personal character based on the people around her. They don’t know her at all.”

“She has been evaluated by three psychologists. Two of them stated that while she passed the tests, they couldn’t guarantee the validity of the results. Only you,” He Jueyun raised his eyes to look into the air, a movement that made his already upturned brows look even sharper, “gave the evaluation: passed, healthy and normal, cleared to participate in the game.”

Fang Qi: “Is there a problem with that? She took the tests exactly as Sanyao required. They designed the questions, yet they’re the ones claiming the results are useless. Isn’t that a bit unfair? They set the rules, she followed them, and now they want to add a special note. That’s just pointless. I’m not that kind of person.”

He Jueyun: “Did she show any unusual behavior during the testing process?”

Fang Qi paused, then said honestly, “She was very calm.”

“Hmm?”

“Too calm. No matter what topic I brought up, she showed very little emotional fluctuation. She discusses things from the perspective of maximizing benefits from every angle, rarely showing personal subjective emotions.” Fang Qi added, “Even when talking about herself.”

He Jueyun: “So, can you guarantee the accuracy of your evaluation?”

Fang Qi: “What I can guarantee is that Qiong Cang has a sound personality, extraordinary intelligence, clear self-awareness, and excellent emotional control. The only point anyone could criticize is probably her lack of interest in socializing, but that’s nothing. Many highly intelligent people share that trait. Her test results show she is extremely well-suited for the 【Case Analysis】 project.”

He Jueyun glanced at the photo in the file again. Feeling a strange, penetrating quality in her gaze, he spaced out for a moment and suddenly asked a question he himself didn’t quite understand: “What if she’s faking it?”

Fang Qi’s voice rose. “Sir, you can’t say that. If you want to discuss the selfish and dark aspects of human nature with me, then under extreme conditions, most people might do things that don’t align with mainstream values. But if those situations really arise, believe me, she will definitely be calmer and more reliable than most. You cannot assume the worst of her and judge her as a bad person based on that. In the absence of evidence, she is a law-abiding ‘good citizen’!”

“I know,” He Jueyun cleared his throat. Lowering his head, he said, “I didn’t mean anything by it. I’m just relaying someone else’s question.”

Fang Qi’s tone softened slightly as he continued, “Actually, you don’t need to be so nervous. She can just see things that ordinary people can’t.”

He Jueyun was taken aback by this sudden remark. “What did you say?”

“Don’t misunderstand. I mean the human brain is a wondrous thing, and it affects how you perceive the world.” Realizing his words were ambiguous, Fang Qi explained, “For example, some people have incredible dynamic vision. They can track the trajectory of high-speed moving objects, allowing an untrained person to easily hit a pitch traveling over two hundred kilometers per hour. It’s as if their world has a slow-motion function. Others have an innate sensitivity to geometric shapes, like they’re using an auto-drawing cheat. Even without any tools, they can analyze shapes with absolute precision.”

He Jueyun asked, “So what is Qiong Cang’s world like?”

“Who knows?” Fang Qi chuckled. “She is extremely sensitive to any minute change. Position, shape, distance, facial expressions, and even color. She has never told me what the world looks like through her eyes. Maybe it’s like what people online say: in the world of a genius, the answers are already written out.”

He Jueyun smiled as well. “In that case, she really is a perfect fit for the setup of 【Case Analysis】.”

“To be honest, it’s rare for her to show interest in this game. She is an irreplaceable talent, and you’re free to employ her. There’s no need to worry about her doing anything extreme either,” Dr. Fang said, “unless…”

He Jueyun raised an eyebrow. “Unless?”

“Someone hits her head?” Dr. Fang said. “She really hates it when people hit her head in a fight.”

He Jueyun: “Huh?”

Dr. Fang smiled and tapped his own forehead. “Her brain was injured once, so she probably thinks she’ll get dumber if she gets hit. Just like how some people hate cilantro, she absolutely detests anyone hitting her head. If someone is asking for trouble, I can’t guarantee their safety.”

He Jueyun smiled. “What a childish habit.”

“Don’t dismiss it as childish; many habits are indeed formed during childhood,” Dr. Fang said. “So, are there any other questions?”

He Jueyun: “None.”

Dr. Fang said, “I’m looking forward to this livestream.”

“Apologies for making you wait. Thank you for your time. Goodbye.”

“Goodbye.”

He Jueyun closed all the interfaces, picked up his things, and walked out of the room.

The crisp sound of leather boots tapped rhythmically in the quiet corridor, neither hurried nor slow, neither light nor heavy. He paused briefly in front of the room labeled “Livestream 603,” opened the door, and walked in.

“Boss!” A worker inside looked up and, seeing it was him, immediately asked, “Is the livestream still starting? She’s been waiting inside for a long time.”

A young man jogged over and handed him a document, which showed the Player evaluation calculated by the system.

“She chose this Instance herself. Her Character Compatibility is under 40%, but her Player score is 92,” the young man said excitedly. “Incredible! This is the first time I’ve ever seen such a talent!”

It was worth noting that the entry threshold for 【Case Analysis】 was already insanely high; those who could pass its test were one in ten thousand. Most official Players’ scores hovered around 60, and very few could reach 90, with almost all of them being industry professionals.

“Start it,” He Jueyun said, glancing at the document before handing it back. He walked deeper into the office and added, “Add another account. I’m going in too.”

·

Qiong Cang maintained her usual posture, waiting patiently for the system to finish loading. Even though Sanyao, which was said to never be late, had left her hanging for nearly half an hour, her expression showed no sign of impatience.

The pre-game test questions had already refreshed three times in a row, and when the fourth set appeared, she finally ignored them. She shifted her focus upward, landing on a point of red light above.

There was clearly no expression on her face, and her eyes were calm, yet a spine-chilling coldness seemed to emanate from her. It materialized, piercing through the completely opaque simulation cabin to strike the technician behind the screen.

Just as she raised her finger, about to press the exit button, the spinning loading icon at the end of the progress bar finally finished, and a green icon appeared.

The system announced that it was loading the Instance scene. Immediately, a wave of dizziness washed over Qiong Cang.

Qiong Cang disliked that groggy feeling. After the brief discomfort passed, she forced her eyes open, only to find her vision shrouded in a hazy gray mist.

She could see blurry figures walking around and hear what sounded like distant chatter and laughter. Her surroundings indicated that she was currently in a classroom.

At the same time, a row of black text floated in midair, demanding her attention.

—

Welcome Player to the fully immersive simulation livestream game 【Case Scene Analysis】 (Newbie Qualification Test). The identity you applied for is 【Victim】. Memories related to the case have been locked. Please follow the character prompts, strive to escape the death ending, or assist the 【Murderer】 and 【Investigator】 to reconstruct the scene.

Identity: Wang Dongyan (Alias)

Cause of Death: Suicide (Archived)

Player Score: 92 (A genius like you will surely break out of the cocoon and be reborn)

Character Compatibility: 36% (You and the deceased are two completely different types of people)

Suicide Progress: 87% (Your character is already on the verge of a mental breakdown)

【Note】 This game is automatically generated based on big data and criminal archives. Please actively explore various storylines!

【Click here to view Instance details】

—

Qiong Cang’s memory was slightly hazy. She clicked on the details, her eyes scanning the brief lines of text.

【Case Scene Analysis】 did not give too much information at the start; it merely provided the background. It would not even explicitly state the character’s personality, requiring the player to discover it themselves. However, the surrounding characters would react to it, prompting the Player to make adjustments.

The anomaly likely started in autumn, but no one paid attention to it at the time.

During the first semester of senior year, a student from Class 1, Senior Three³, jumped to their death.

Students jumping off buildings was not a rare occurrence, especially for seniors. After communication between the police, the school, and the parents, it was confirmed that the student had long-term mental instability, a tight family financial situation, and a recent sharp drop in academic performance. It was judged that the student had chosen suicide due to mental pressure.

No suspicious signs were found at the scene, and the parents had no intention of pursuing the matter. After discussing the compensation and follow-up arrangements, the matter was settled quietly.

More than a month later, another female student from the same class jumped to her death.

Then, in late spring and early summer, a third student chose to jump from the same location.

According to communication records, the third person had called the police twice, but in the end, said nothing.

By the time they graduated, in less than a year, a total of five students had died. This number was certainly not normal.

Qiong Cang’s current identity was the third deceased, Wang Dongyan.

The primary goal to clear the game was to find out the reason for Wang Dongyan’s suicide.

Qiong Cang quickly finished reading the information and clicked close.

【Instance loading complete. The livestream has officially begun. Welcome, Player ID: QC1361.】

【Please actively explore the Instance storyline before the death conditions are officially triggered.】

After the final prompt, the mist receded entirely, and the audio and visuals instantly became clear. Qiong Cang could feel the warm breeze blowing in from the window, and the gentle heat on her bare arms.

Above the blackboard at the front of the classroom, the hands of the clock pointed to 9:50.

She stood behind a desk in the very back row of the classroom.

Qiong Cang turned her head, scanning every corner of the room to memorize the details of the classroom and the facial features of each student.

It was the long recess⁴, and the school was filled with noise. Bright sunlight streamed through the window panes on the side, painting the room with a sense of nostalgia.

Qiong Cang was only halfway through her observations when something flew through the air and struck her on the head, the force of the impact making her stumble. With a dull thud, an orange basketball bounced across her field of vision.

Qiong Cang’s lips parted slightly, a stunned expression appearing on her face for the first time. Her half-closed eyelids lifted, and she slowly turned her head toward the door.

The culprit stood near the door, grinning at her. A few other boys stood next to him with their arms slung over one another’s shoulders, clearly showing no remorse.

·

Outside the screen, Fang Qi spat out his water when he saw this.

Was it… was it really going to be this wild?

·

Qiong Cang raised her hand to touch the back of her head.

Although Sanyao’s simulation system did not inflict much actual pain, the pain level and dizziness warnings displayed by the system proved that she had just been provoked and harmed by a classmate.

Qiong Cang pushed her stool back with her leg. Ignoring the harsh screech of metal scraping against the stone floor, she turned around expressionlessly and walked toward the door.

Everyone expected her to shrink back into a corner in silence as usual. Instead, she stopped right in front of the boy who had thrown the ball, staring straight at him.

Her gaze was dark, even unsettling. Stared down by her, the boy slowly realized something was wrong. The grin on his face began to freeze, stiffening into an awkward grimace.

Just as he was about to say a few words to brush it off, Qiong Cang caught him off guard. She grabbed his hair and slammed his head sideways against the iron door.

A loud bang echoed like a sudden clap of thunder, plunging the classroom into a vacuum of dead silence.

Dozens of horrified gazes snapped in their direction.

“Huh? Who. Allowed. You.” Qiong Cang spoke in a flat, measured tone, letting each word drop individually. “To hit my head?”

Author’s Note:

The female lead is a cold, untouchable beauty to the outside world, but a playful little devil in private. In short, she’s a closet rebel⁵.

Male Lead: He Jueyun

Translator’s Notes