Chapter 21: Negotiation

“Name?”

“Qin Qing.”

“Age?”

“24.”

…

“How did you learn about Lin Fanghui’s crimes?”

“Who is Lin Fanghui?”

“The woman you saw at the door, the one you said had a murder case on her.”

“Oh, her. So her name is Lin Fanghui.”

“Qin Qing, please answer my question directly. How did you know she had a murder case on her?”

Qin Qing was interrogated after Lin Fanghui and her driver accomplice were arrested.

At that time, she had been thrown to the ground by Lin Feng. Dressed lightly for summer, her palms, elbows, and forearms were bruised.

Lin Feng acted swiftly, rushing forward.

But Lin Fanghui’s driver was prepared, pulling her into the car. The car sped off before the door was even closed.

Other police officers, finally realizing something was wrong, started shouting, driving, and making calls.

Two minutes later, Lin Fanghui and her accomplice were intercepted and arrested two kilometers away.

When Lin Fanghui was brought back, Qin Qing was still in the police station lobby, where a female officer was applying medicine to her.

Lin Fanghui had completely shed the fragile appearance she had just minutes ago, as if she had been scourged by the bitter winds and rains of the world, barely able to walk steadily. Seeing Qin Qing, her gaze was like a poisoned arrow aimed at her, wishing she could personally finish her off and make Qin Qing die.

Lin Fanghui had plotted for a long time, found a willing husband to be her scapegoat, and amassed enough wealth to live comfortably for the rest of her life. She was on the verge of completely severing ties with everything here. If it hadn’t been for this troublesome woman who suddenly appeared…

Qin Qing calmly looked back. She didn’t regret reminding Lin Feng. If this woman were let go, her malicious nature would surely harm countless more innocents.

Since she had made this decision, she would calmly face all consequences. Including this woman’s hatred, and the police’s suspicion.

When Lin Fanghui and her accomplice were interrogated separately, Qin Qing was also assigned an Interrogation Room.

The experience in this place was truly not good.

The small room was narrow and enclosed. She sat on an uncomfortable metal chair, which had a foldable table attached to its armrest. Currently, the foldable end of the table was locked.

Two young police officers sat directly opposite her, one responsible for questioning, the other for taking notes.

This was only what the eyes could see. Beyond the wall to her right, out of sight, several people stood, including Lin Feng.

Qin Qing couldn’t see those people with her naked eyes, but she could see the System Panel above their heads. She guessed that there was a two-way mirror there. She was being observed.

Heh, she was only a pair of handcuffs away from being a criminal suspect.

“Ding ding dong…”

The interrogating officer tapped the table with his pen, urging in a serious and pressing voice: “Qin Qing, please answer my question. How did you know she had a murder case on her?”

“Oh, I guessed,” Qin Qing said lightly. “I just thought she looked suspicious, so I bluffed her a bit. I didn’t expect her accomplice to have such poor psychological resilience. He gave it away immediately.”

The young officer clearly didn’t believe her: “Qin Qing, please cooperate seriously with the interrogation. All your answers will be recorded and become evidence.”

Qin Qing calmly replied: “I am very serious and cooperative. If you think I’m not cooperating, please tell me where, and I will definitely correct it.” She thought her expression at that moment must have been very annoying.

The officer stopped pressing her on that issue and continued to ask: “Please describe in detail how you found Lin Fanghui suspicious.”

“Micro-expressions?” Qin Qing said, “You who study criminal investigation should be more professional than me. I just saw that even though she was crying, her eyes were very excited, and she seemed to be in a good mood. That’s clearly suspicious.”

Outside the two-way mirror, Lin Feng, with his hands clasped, asked his apprentice Xiao Song: “Could the lobby surveillance have captured Lin Fanghui’s face clearly?”

Xiao Song: “Yes, it could. I thought it was suspicious, so I went to the monitoring room to copy that video, hoping to figure out how Qin Qing discovered it, but there was nothing. I couldn’t see any problem with Lin Fanghui’s eyes either.”

Lin Feng: “Send it to my computer. I’ll look at it later… No, bring it directly for me to see.”

In the Interrogation Room.

The officer said: “At that time, so many professional police officers in the lobby didn’t find anything wrong with her eyes, only you did. Do you really think that explanation holds up? You’d better tell the truth. The consequences of what you say and what we find out are different!”

Qin Qing spread her hands: “Officer, you can’t blame the straight-A student for studying too hard just because you didn’t do well on your own exam. What kind of logic is that? Are you trying to make your colleagues compete with me to see who is more incompetent? No thanks, I don’t want to participate in such a meaningless competition.”

“You!”

Qin Qing interrupted him: “Also, Officer, you mentioned consequences? What consequences? Allow me to remind you, I am not your prisoner. I am merely fulfilling my civic duty by cooperating with the investigation. If I choose not to cooperate, that is also my right.”

The officer’s self-control wasn’t that good; he was clearly angered by Qin Qing. He said in a low voice, “You are highly suspected…”

“You also said it’s just suspicion. If you want to treat me as a criminal, please show me the evidence first. For now, I am an excellent citizen who assisted in the capture of a major criminal. When you write your case report, my contribution will be greater than yours. If it weren’t for me, Lin Fanghui would have long since escaped, and you would only be waiting for criticism.”

What Qin Qing said was true. The officer’s face flushed with anger, but he didn’t retort.

The door to the Interrogation Room was pushed open, and Lin Feng walked in. He placed a bottle of herbal tea on the table attached to Qin Qing’s chair and said with a smile, “Why so much anger? You’ve been talking for so long, your throat must be dry. Drink some, cool down. I specifically picked out an iced one.” He then asked with concern, “Does your arm still hurt? The team doctor told me it’s just a superficial injury, no bone damage. If you’re worried, go to the hospital for a CT scan after this, I’ll reimburse you.”

Lin Feng’s attitude towards her was no different than before, as if this wasn’t an Interrogation Room, but his home, and she was a guest.

Qin Qing didn’t answer, but she didn’t refuse the herbal tea.

Lin Feng waved to the interrogating officer: “Move, move.”

The officer yielded the chair, but Lin Feng didn’t sit in it. He picked up the interrogation folder on the table with one hand, glanced at it, and then, with half his butt on the table, sat down in a very informal manner.

He then instructed the officer: “Unlock that table. She’s not a criminal. Look at your awareness. We’re counting on Miss Qin for the case. She’s a great benefactor!”

Turning back to Qin Qing, he said: “These kids nowadays don’t know how to handle things. I’ve scolded them, don’t be angry, okay, it’s not worth it. They’re far away, but I know, in that urgent moment, if it weren’t for your reminder, Lin Fanghui would have really gotten away. Now, we’re not really interrogating you, just going through the motions so we can write our report.

Otherwise, if the higher-ups ask why she was let out of the police station and then suddenly arrested again, I wouldn’t be able to explain it, right? Let’s try to understand each other. Have some pity on me, a working man.”

Qin Qing watched him perform silently.

Lin Feng wasn’t as good an actor as the Liang father and son. Those two foxes also harbored suspicion but showed trust on the surface, and they actually gave money, millions of it. They even provided a driver to pick her up and drop her off (for her stall).

Lin Feng just came out with empty words.

Tsk… well, what can you expect from a people’s police officer?

“You really have said everything, both good and bad,” Qin Qing said.

Lin Feng: “It’s the truth, you cooperate and chat a bit, and I can do my job.”

Qin Qing still said: “I’ve told you everything I know, there’s nothing else to talk about.”

Lin Feng nodded, turned back to sit on the chair, and crossed his legs.

He no longer smiled: “This is getting boring. You deliberately provoked my colleague just now, wasn’t it to switch people? Now that I, the captain, am personally here, let’s be frank, so we can all get off work early.”

Qin Qing tilted her head. There was no one else on the two-way mirror to her right.

Seeing that Lin Feng finally stopped pretending, she spoke: “I just don’t like being watched in the dark.”

Lin Feng put his legs down, leaned back in his chair, twirling his pen, and watched her.

Qin Qing: “Captain Lin, why aren’t you following up on Lin Fanghui’s interrogation? Why are you wasting time with me here? Am I more important than a murder suspect?”

“They can handle it, I’m just taking a break. Otherwise, why would the police station keep a bunch of people who only get paid but don’t work? Public servants should save money for the people.”

Lin Feng, this guy, seemed unreliable, and nothing he said was substantial. It was tiring to beat around the bush with him.

Qin Qing suddenly said: “I want to go back and walk my dog.” So she wanted to leave here early.

“What?”

“Nothing, I mean, Captain Lin, you have too much confidence in your subordinates,” Qin Qing said. “They can’t handle it, at least, not yet.”

Lin Feng threw his pen, smiling ambiguously: “How do you know?”

Because the System Panel hadn’t prompted a reward, meaning Lin Fanghui hadn’t confessed, and based on the current evidence, she couldn’t be convicted.

Earlier, she had doubted the System Panel’s intelligence, but now she realized how intelligent it was.

Qin Qing leaned back, relaxing a bit.

Since neither bluffing nor feigning weakness would work, all that was left was to rely on her own strength.

Qin Qing looked directly into Lin Feng’s eyes, not flinching.

The moment his gaze met Qin Qing’s, he realized that this recent graduate had changed, becoming… more unfathomable to him, and possessing a kind of power.

A power that was fearless and had something to rely on.

Qin Qing smiled faintly: “Officer Lin, you investigated me.” She said this with absolute certainty.

Lin Feng’s expression didn’t change, but the pen he was twirling stopped.

Very good, this strategy was correct.

Qin Qing slowly sipped some herbal tea. Only when Lin Feng’s fingers continuously rubbed the corner of the folder, showing a hidden impatience, did she speak.

“You investigated me, so you should know my recent movements. I haven’t hidden anything, nor is there anything to hide. I am a ‘Ming Shi’ (Renowned master)”

When she said the term Ming Shi, Qin Qing felt a little awkward. It was so chuunibyou, her toes were curling.

She didn’t know if such a term existed in the world, but for now, it was a name she had just come up with. She was trying to act cool while confronting someone, so she couldn’t just blurt out, “Hey, I’m just a fortune teller.” Her aura would immediately drop by two meters, which would be too lame.

“You asked me how I knew, didn’t you? I am a Ming Shi, I can calculate anything. I calculated it.”

The two accompanying officers looked at Qin Qing as if she were a mentally challenged person who needed social care.

Lin Feng also seemed to have heard something funny, and he kept laughing, his shoulders shaking.

The officer who first interrogated Qin Qing couldn’t help but complain: “You should at least make up something more reliable. This is even worse than the micro-expression explanation earlier.” He said sarcastically, “Why don’t you put some effort into making something up? I don’t know what you’re thinking, spouting superstitious nonsense in front of a police officer. I’m telling you, pretending to be crazy won’t get you off the hook. If you have a mental illness, you need an authoritative institution to issue a firm certificate.”

Qin Qing gritted her teeth. How dare he call her mentally ill?

Then he’d be the first one she’d pick on.

Lin Feng, who had been laughing as if he had eaten laughing beans, finally recovered and indulged her like a child: “Alright, alright, you’re a Ming Shi, you can calculate. Why don’t you tell my fortune too? Tell me when I can become the chief.”

Qin Qing propped her chin on her hand and looked at him for a while: “Captain Lin has good fortune, no need to calculate. You have saved many people and accumulated a lot of Merit. You will surely have smooth sailing and rise through the ranks.”

“You’re not good at this,” Lin Feng even taught her. “Your business isn’t proficient. You should say something like there’s a great calamity here and a bloody disaster there. You need to make people anxious. You can only make money by selling anxiety.”

Qin Qing smiled innocently: “But I don’t like disasters. I hope the world is peaceful and the people are happy. I like to tell people good news.”

She turned to the officer who had called her mentally ill and sincerely congratulated him: “Congratulations!”

The officer was bewildered: “Me? Congratulations on what?”

“Congratulations on your wish coming true. Half an hour ago, oh, to be precise, at 17:26:51, your wife gave birth to your daughter. Don’t worry, she’s very healthy.”

The officer instinctively retorted: “What a joke. I don’t know where you heard about my wife being pregnant and me wanting a daughter, but unfortunately, you didn’t get enough information. The due date is still two weeks away.”

“Why don’t you turn on your phone first and then talk?” Qin Qing wasn’t flustered at all; she was just reading out the text on the System Panel.

“Your wife went into premature labor and was sent to the hospital early this morning. Your phone was off, and your family couldn’t reach you. They thought you were on a mission and didn’t dare to come to the police station to find you.”

The officer looked at Lin Feng, who nodded.

The officer pulled out his phone and found that it had indeed been turned off at some point.

He nervously pressed the power button to turn it on.

Qin Qing raised her hand to signal a reminder: “Friendly reminder, when you answer the phone later, it’s best to hold the receiver far away. Your father-in-law’s roaring might be a bit loud.”

No sooner had she finished speaking than the officer’s phone rang. It was his father-in-law. Swallowing hard, he glanced at Qin Qing and pressed the answer button.

Even without speakerphone, the quiet Interrogation Room could hear the full-throated, booming anger of an elderly male voice. The father-in-law scolded for several minutes, with Qin Qing and Lin Feng watching the entire time, spectators to this family drama.

The officer’s feelings were contradictory and complex. He was happy about his daughter’s safe birth, felt for his wife’s hard work, regretted his own absence, felt guilty about his father-in-law’s scolding, and most of all, didn’t want Qin Qing to be smug because she had guessed correctly. He wanted to hang up, but he didn’t dare.

After his father-in-law finally finished scolding, he cautiously asked, “Dad, when was my daughter born?”

The other side seemed to have vented enough anger, and though still grumpy, answered him directly: “17:26:51.”

The officer, still holding his phone, looked at Qin Qing as if she were a monster.

Qin Qing raised her hand and waved at him, smiling very happily.

Silence, a long silence.

Holding their breath, a pin drop could be heard.

Qin Qing was still smiling.

She asked the officer: “Why are you looking at me like that? You didn’t know you had a daughter, and I told you this good news. Aren’t you happy?”

The officer: “Your personal communication device was collected with your bag two hours ago.”

“That’s right.”

“Then how do you know outside information?” And in such detail, the officer wanted to say, “Unless you’re carrying other micro-devices…”

He seemed to have finally found a reason to continue adhering to materialism, grasping it like a lifeline, firmly believing in it.

“But even so, how would you know that I would be the one to question you, and make arrangements in advance?”

“I told you, I am a Ming Shi. An excellent Ming Shi.” Qin Qing provoked: “Officer, you’re not thinking of searching me, are you? If so, please remember to apply for a search warrant first. But… you probably won’t get one. There’s no evidence pointing to me as a criminal suspect. Searching me without cause doesn’t comply with legal procedures.”

The officer’s rhythm, logic, and emotions had been completely disrupted by Qin Qing; he could only be passively led.

Lin Feng tapped the table, prompting the officer: “You go out first, put in an application, and take your paternity leave.”

“Captain…”

“That’s an order!”

“Yes!” The officer walked out with unsteady steps.

Lin Feng, however, remained composed, at least on the surface. He no longer looked like he had eaten laughing beans; his expression towards Qin Qing was very serious.

Even though Qin Qing had the System Panel and could view logs, she still didn’t have an advantage in the ongoing negotiation. Logs could only record factual results, not psychological activities. Until the negotiation was complete, it wouldn’t record anything.

The System Panel was not omnipotent.

Lin Feng did not dwell on the matter of the officer’s wife giving birth. He began to discuss another topic, trying to gain the upper hand.

“Since you calculated it, tell me, how did you calculate that Lin Fanghui had a murder case on her, and what kind of murder cases?”

Qin Qing no longer joked; she was on high alert: “To be honest, I don’t currently know what specific cases she has on her…” Stopping Lin Feng, who was about to speak, she said, “I know it sounds contradictory, but please let me finish. First, let me explain the working principle of a Ming Shi.”

She repeated the popular science explanation she had given to the Liang father and son to Lin Feng.

Then she slightly adjusted her wording to explain Lin Fanghui’s situation.

“Even if I can calculate past events, a Ming Shi is not a search engine; I can’t just retrieve information on demand…” (Actually, she could, but that would be too terrifying for others, so Qin Qing artificially added a layer of restriction and limitation to her ability.)

“A Ming Shi’s calculations consume energy, just like starting a car…”

Lin Feng: “You don’t need so many analogies, I understand. Continue, what do you mean by energy?”

She stated with uncertainty, “Life force, I guess…” So don’t even think about enslaving me. No matter how powerful the ability, if you calculate too much, you’ll die prematurely. But whether or not I’ll actually die is something that needs to be made up later, hahaha.

Qin Qing’s uncertainty wasn’t genuine; she was certain that using the System Panel wouldn’t overdraw her own energy. In fact, recently, due to going to bed early and waking up early every day, hiking and breathing fresh air, and eating organic vegetables grown on Baiyun Temple’s own land, her health value had actually increased.

The uncertainty she displayed was for Lin Feng and for anyone who would review the recording later. If these police officers were to bring in a psychologist to analyze the interrogation footage, her fabricated story would be exposed in minutes.

Therefore, at this moment, everything she said had to be true. Only then, under the premise of “She actually didn’t lie?”, could they, after verifying the facts she supposedly deduced with her “fate master” ability, in turn help her prove that she was indeed a fate master.

At this point, Qin Qing used her physical condition at the police station entrance to twist the facts.

In reality, she truly didn’t know what was happening at that time.

“Let’s put it this way: everything we do generates karma. Those who do good accumulate Merit, while those who do evil bear sin. The magnetic field around highly sinful people is different. As someone who can discern karma, a fate master can sense the pain brought by that sin.

“At the police station entrance, as you saw, I wasn’t suffering from low blood sugar at all; I was sensing sin. This sensing is passive and cannot be ignored. As a price for sensing, I need to expend a certain amount of life force.” See? I’ve sacrificed so much to help you catch bad guys, and you still have the nerve to interrogate me here?

The weakness she displayed at the Police Station entrance couldn’t be faked; it wasn’t something that could be acted out.

Lin Feng didn’t know whether to believe her or not, looking at her with a complex and unreadable expression. Finally, he returned to the case.

“According to you, you sensed Lin Fanghui before she even got close to you? Since you knew she was guilty, why didn’t you say something earlier?”

“Because I was hesitating.” Qin Qing said very frankly, “Hesitating that you would suspect me of being connected to the criminal, just like now.” She spread her hands helplessly.

“Allow me to remind you, Lin Fanghui is not far from you now either,” Lin Feng said.

He was referring to Qin Qing’s current good physical condition.

“That’s different.” Qin Qing extended a finger: “Two reasons. First, Lin Fanghui, or other criminals nearby, have already been arrested and brought to justice. The principle behind it is very complex (actually, she didn’t know either), but you can simply understand it as their magnetic field being suppressed by justice, greatly reducing the harm to a fate master. Second, I was prepared, so I could cope. Encountering Lin Fanghui at the police station entrance was a surprise attack.”

“Gui Cheng…”

Qin Qing admitted, “Yes, I hadn’t browsed the list of wanted criminals beforehand. It was only after I saw him that I went to look him up.”

“Last time I saw you, your complexion was rosy, and you looked quite well,” Lin Feng asked the crucial question.

“Perhaps I wasn’t close enough last time? I remember the closest I was was over ten meters away. This time was close contact.” Qin Qing wasn’t entirely sure, just guessing by comparing the two results.

Lin Feng: “Was Chen Daguang also calculated?”

“His was simpler. I saw he was facing trouble from villains and was in danger of losing his life, so I gave a reminder,” Qin Qing said.

“Your reminder was not simple; it directly busted a criminal gang.”

Qin Qing spread her hands: “I wouldn’t dare take credit for that. It’s all thanks to the police’s swift action; the credit is yours.”

Lin Feng was about to say something else when another police officer came in. He was a Crew Cut, and Qin Qing remembered his surname was Song, Lin Feng’s apprentice. She had seen him during the arrest of Gui Cheng.

He came in and whispered to Lin Feng, “Master, Lin Fanghui refuses to say anything. She thinks Qin Qing is our female colleague and keeps insisting on seeing the female officer who exposed her identity.”

Lin Feng: “Got it. No rush on this. You go prepare first…”

Qin Qing couldn’t hear what they were saying, but from their expressions combined with the snippets on the System Panel, she could roughly guess.

It was nothing more than the changes concerning Lin Fanghui and Lin Feng’s intention to verify her claims.

Sure enough, Lin Feng capped his pen and closed his notebook. He clasped his hands on the table, looked at Qin Qing, and said in a dangerous tone, “You should know, no matter how eloquently you speak now, it’s actually very simple to verify the truth.”

“Yes.” Qin Qing met the challenge, “So, Captain Lin, would you like to play a round?”

Lin Feng spread his hands, his posture relaxed, but his eyes didn’t lie; they showed a fighting spirit.

He took out a cigarette pack, shook out a cigarette, and put it in his mouth without lighting it.

“Alright then, let’s play a round… In a moment, ten people will come in here. One of them has committed a crime. Find him. For you, that shouldn’t be difficult, right?”

“Not difficult.” Qin Qing smiled, “I can even add some difficulty.”

“Oh?”

She pointed to the two-way mirror on the right: “They don’t need to come in; they can just stand in front of this mirror.”

“Are you sure?” Lin Feng narrowed his eyes.

“I’m sure. To avoid Captain Lin suspecting that I analyzed them through their expressions and body language after I figure it out.”

“Okay, whatever you say.” Lin Feng stood up and explained the rules of the game to Qin Qing.

Ten people would stop in front of the two-way mirror one by one, staying for one minute each. Qin Qing was given a pen and a blank piece of paper. What she needed to do was write down the number of the criminal in the order the ten people appeared.

Lin Feng even asked, seemingly thoughtfully, “One minute to judge a person, is that enough?”

“More than enough, thank you, Captain Lin.”

Lin Feng stayed in the Interrogation Room and did not go out.

Perhaps to supervise and prevent cheating?

The game began, and Qin Qing only had ten minutes. Fortunately, to check if someone was a criminal, she only needed to read the basic data from the System Panel, without having to go through detailed logs.

Find one high-crime-value individual among ten people…

She knew it! Lin Feng, that slick fellow, wasn’t that honest.

Among these ten people, she found three high-crime-value individuals.

Ten minutes later, Qin Qing stopped writing, and Lin Feng came to collect the answer sheet.

Looking at the paper, which was fuller than he expected, his pupils constricted sharply.

Qin Qing was only supposed to write one number.

But she wrote:

No. 1: Male, 48 years old, cleaner.

No. 2: Male, 19 years old, theft and murder.

No. 3: Female, 53 years old, police family member.

No. 4: Female, 26 years old, police officer.

No. 5: Male, 55 years old, police officer.

…

No. 8: Male, 28 years old, robbery and murder.

…

No. 10: Male, 39 years old, shoddy engineering… resulting in death.

Numbers 2, 8, and 10 were specifically circled, indicating they were the ones found.

Qin Qing had already anticipated Lin Feng’s reaction, and she didn’t mind adding more fuel to the fire: “Actually, No. 5’s Sin Value is also much higher than average, but I believe this old police officer only killed those who were deeply sinful, because his Merit Value is the highest, even higher than yours. Please convey my respect to him.”

“Oh, right, and that young female officer, No. 4…” Qin Qing looked at the female officer who had brought the correct answers to Lin Feng, “Yes, that’s you, isn’t it? Miss, if you really like that man, I suggest you confess soon. If you wait for him to confess, it’ll be a long time coming. Why waste your youth?”

The female officer didn’t expect Qin Qing to suddenly bring up her private matters. Shocked, she subconsciously replied, “I wouldn’t want a coward who doesn’t even dare to confess. If I have to confess, he can go chill somewhere else. Wouldn’t it be better to catch a few more criminals with that time?”

Qin Qing applauded her.

The female officer was given a look by Lin Feng, felt she had spoken out of turn, and said no more.

Lin Feng folded the two pieces of paper.

The female officer spoke at the opportune moment: “Captain, what about Lin Fanghui?”

Qin Qing: “She wants to see me, right? I can go…” With the information she possessed, breaking a criminal’s psychological defense wouldn’t be difficult.

Lin Feng tucked the two papers into his pants pocket, interrupting her: “You don’t need to go.”

Qin Qing frowned: “You still don’t believe me?”

Lin Feng turned back to face her: “Doesn’t every calculation consume life force?”

“Ah?” Why bring that up suddenly?

Lin Feng: “If what you say is false, then your presence will be of no help to the interrogation. If what you say is true… there are so many people’s police officers here, there’s no need for a civilian to charge into battle. It’s just a murderer who’s already in the Interrogation Room, a sure thing. I don’t believe she can walk out of the police station again.”

Qin Qing truly hadn’t expected him to say that. The idea that fortune-telling consumed life force was something she had made up.

Looking at Lin Feng’s constantly swaying oily bangs, they no longer seemed so annoying.

Lin Feng: “You can go now. Didn’t you say you still had to go home and walk the dog?”

Ah… so he heard.

Qin Qing cherished her life, so she revealed herself to Lin Feng, hoping to minimize suspicion.

No matter how much the police believed her, she didn’t want them to be constrained by it.

As she was leaving, she added a few more words: “Officer Lin, whether you believe me or not, I want to say that I hold the utmost respect and regard for the police’s work. I’ve told you everything I can; this is my sincerity. Don’t worry, I won’t hold a grudge against you because of this incident. I understand your work and responsibilities.

“In fact, if there’s anything I can help with, I’d be happy to support. If… you trust me, that is.”

Lin Feng nodded, but it was unclear what he meant.

“The most important point,” Qin Qing said, “all the so-called practitioners of metaphysics I’ve met so far are…” She used a euphemism, “limited in their abilities. They can neither assist in solving cases nor interfere with law enforcement, of course.”

She was reminding Lin Feng that in future cases, he should still trust science.

“Do I need you to tell me that?” Lin Feng scoffed.

He escorted Qin Qing out. Before she left, he spoke, “Can I ask you something?”

“Go ahead.”

Lin Feng: “If you’re really as powerful as you say, why haven’t I seen you use it before?”

Qin Qing paused for a moment, then replied, “I cherish my life, you see. It’s not worth wasting life force on trivial matters. Recently… sigh, it’s just that finding a job hasn’t been smooth, trying to make a living.”

“Ha~” Lin Feng chuckled, stood at the police station entrance, lit the cigarette he had been holding in his mouth, took a deep drag, and held it in his hand: “Alright, go back. If Lin Fanghui’s case is solved smoothly, I’ll treat you to noodles, Luxury Beef Noodles. Their business has been booming lately, and they’ve introduced many new dishes. You can try them.”

“Then thank you in advance, Captain Lin.”

Leaving the police station, Qin Qing had originally planned to stop by for a bowl of the beef noodles she had last time. Waiting for busy Lin Feng to treat her, she didn’t know when that would be.

Although it was getting late, the sun was good today, and there were colorful clouds in the sky.

Under the glow of the sunset, Qin Qing followed her memory to the Luxury Beef Noodle Restaurant.

But she couldn’t find it!

She walked back and forth on that street several times before realizing that the noodle shop’s facade had been redecorated. It was no longer the small, dilapidated storefront it had been when she first visited.

There were two signs, one large and one small. The large one still bore the old name, but the smaller one read: “Security Beef Noodles.”

A wooden sign hung on the pillar to the right of the entrance, stating the business hours: 06:00-14:00.

Qin Qing thought to herself: Tsk… the boss is quite good at marketing.

The instigator, completely unaware, naturally didn’t get to eat those noodles.

Back home, Old Comrade Qin was walking Mumu downstairs. Mumu saw her and ran over excitedly, circling around her.

She picked up the little guy directly; he was a handful, quite heavy. The little guy kept looking up, trying to lick her.

Old Comrade Qin: “He kept pulling on the leash towards the community gate while we were out for a walk. It was clear he was looking for you.”

“Oh? Mumu missed me that much?” She had originally planned to go to the mall today to buy a gift for Old Qin, and bringing the dog would be inconvenient. Good thing she didn’t; otherwise, if she went to the police station, she’d have to ask the police to watch her dog.

The little guy whined and licked her nose. Her face was covered in dog slobber, disgusting…

Qin Qing used the excuse of playing with the dog and didn’t take the elevator home. She climbed 8 floors with the dog leash in hand, a bit out of breath, but able to run and jump, with normal heart activity. She didn’t seem to have any problems; the various discomforts at the police station entrance felt like phantom pain.

The System Panel still showed her as healthy, but it had also shown her as healthy at the police station entrance.

She was still uneasy and planned to schedule a physical examination first thing tomorrow morning, a full body check-up. She desperately needed a tangible, familiar way to verify the accuracy of the health display on the System Panel.

She could also schedule one for the old couple. Their unit had annual routine physicals, but those were quite superficial. For older people, there’s no harm in more check-ups. She could see from the System Panel that they were healthy, but the old couple didn’t know that. A check-up would put everyone at ease.

She informed Liang Jian that he didn’t need to pick her up tomorrow; she wouldn’t be setting up her stall. After learning that she was going for a physical, he even mentioned that Jinsheng International had a partnership with the top 1 hospital in the city and could directly help her make an appointment.

Qin Qing felt a bit awkward. After all, she wasn’t a real employee, and they didn’t need to pay for that part of her expenses. She worked for commission, and once the money and goods were exchanged, she felt more at ease.

Liang Jian: “How about this, I’ll send you a link. You can book through the link and directly enjoy the internal price.”

This works!

She compared the prices, and the internal price was basically half of the market price. This was even with some items she chose not being eligible for discounts. If she chose a pure package, it could be as low as 30% of the original price…

Is this the benefit of a large corporation?

It’s truly… infuriating, as an unemployed person.

After grumbling for a while, she asked the old couple if they had time tomorrow to go for a physical together.

“No, your dad and I had a physical half a year ago. Why spend that money?”

“Oh, it’s for my pre-employment physical, and I can bring two family members for free. I thought if you had time, we could go together.” Qin Qing lied through her teeth, “If you don’t want to go, that’s fine. I saw that the items are quite comprehensive and worth a lot of money. What a pity.”

Old Comrade Qin put on his glasses: “Let me see.”

The anti-counterfeiting watermark of Jinsheng International on the phone screen successfully fooled him: “Hey, it’s quite comprehensive, even includes cancer risk screening. A full set like this would normally cost tens of thousands. Our routine check-up only costs a few hundred. Wife, Qingqing’s work benefits are good.”

Ms. Wang Xiangyu was also drawn over: “Let me see… but it still requires payment.”

Qin Qing: “We submit the order here, but don’t pay. The company’s finance department handles the payment centrally. Otherwise, how would it be called employee welfare?”

Old Comrade Qin expressed understanding: “Our unit’s business trips are like this. Employees choose, and the unit pays.”

Ms. Wang didn’t even suspect anything. The three packages together cost over thirty thousand yuan. She knew exactly how much Qin Qing had in her piggy bank. In her eyes, her daughter couldn’t afford this money at all, and she never imagined that a certain charlatan had already earned her first pot of gold.

Old Comrade Qin even sighed: “This big group’s benefits are really good, and humane too, even considering family members. No wonder Second Aunt brags about it every day.”

Qin Qing was worried that her dad would spill the beans to Second Aunt. If that Xiao Yuan classmate checked the intranet and found no such person, she would be embarrassed.

Just as she was about to give a few instructions.

She heard Ms. Wang scolding Old Qin: “Don’t go telling your Second Aunt anything. Just quietly enjoy your daughter’s good fortune. Maybe your Second Aunt will think our Qingqing is competing with her cousin. First, her cousin found a boyfriend from a big group, and then her cousin found a job at the same company. Your Second Aunt will definitely think our family doesn’t want to see her do well.”

“Do I need you to tell me that?” Clearly, Old Qin also had a deep understanding of his Second Aunt’s character.

Clapping his hands, Old Qin said, “Oh dear, I haven’t asked for leave yet. I’ll go ask for leave. I’ll just tell them that my daughter’s filial piety after starting work is something I can’t refuse, what should I do?”

Well, seeing Old Qin happily walk away, Qin Qing had worried for nothing.

The hospital where they scheduled the physical was a public hospital, with no VIP services. They had many items, so the family of three had to get up early to queue. After all the hassle, it was almost 1 PM.

Qin Qing had no problems with the items whose results were immediately available, just as the System Panel showed.

Only then did she feel the pinch of the tens of thousands of yuan spent.

Truly spending money to find trouble.

The only comforting thing was that her parents were very happy. First, they genuinely enjoyed their daughter’s filial piety and good fortune, and second, it was truly a happy thing that such a thorough physical examination showed no major problems.

In their joy, Ms. Wang waved her hand and said she would treat the father and daughter to a big meal.

They left the physical examination center and had to pass through the outpatient and inpatient departments to reach the hospital gate.

Qin Qing suddenly stopped. The System Panel had a new notification.

[Directly assisting in the apprehension of criminals involved in major cases, gaining 46 Experience Points.]

[Accumulated Experience Points Level 4 (82/80), level promoted to Level 5. Current level 5 (2/160).]

[Upgrade Reward 1: System Panel function transplantation enabled. Each transplantation requires consumption of varying amounts of Experience Points.]

[Upgrade Reward 2: Batch notification function enabled. Please explore the function details and usage scenarios on your own.]

It seems the police have finally cracked the tough nut that was Lin Fanghui.

Qin Qing had been hoping the reward would be something like a protective shield, something to ensure her personal safety. It seems she was overthinking it.

Of the two rewards, the first, “function transplantation,” doesn’t reveal much from its literal meaning. But considering its use also consumes her limited Experience Points, she figured it must be something good.

As for the second, the batch notification function, Qin Qing had already perceived it with her own eyes.

Originally, everyone’s System Panel was a uniform misty white. Now, different colors had automatically appeared. She still didn’t know what the other colors meant, but she had already grasped the meaning of black and gray.

Gray was the lesion.

Black… was death.

For every person with a black System Panel, Qin Qing, upon checking their logs, found they would not live much longer.

This was a hospital. She looked up and saw a dense, oppressive mass of black and gray, making it hard to breathe.

This was unlike Chen Daguang’s investment or Liang Jinguo’s business, where she could casually change outcomes, calmly watch people struggle with choices, and, with a superior attitude, manipulate the game.

Here, all were dying people, beyond her help, beyond the reach of medicine. For the first time, she directly faced a group of people heading towards death…

She was powerless to feel pity, yet she couldn’t be numb either.

Her soul was being pulled.

Was it really just a coincidence that the System Panel announced rewards and an upgrade at this very moment, in this very place?

Why show her all this when there was nothing she could do?