The mute function was temporarily disabled, but the police only said one sentence: "Stay inside and don’t go out." Then silence fell again.
The assailant switched from attacking to fleeing. Guan Xia’s horror-numbed mind hadn’t yet recovered, but Pang Le let out a genuine sigh of relief. "Lucky this bastard had the sense to run. If he’d come in, I’d have kicked his balls into oblivion."
Guan Xia always found Pang Le’s remarks amusing.
After lying on the bed for a few minutes, Guan Xia—whose mind had been wound so tight it nearly short-circuited—finally regained her senses. She suddenly thought of something and bolted upright. "The face I saw last time was fake. This one might be too. I need to sketch it now."
Pang Le, who had been leaning against the bedside table in a daze, reacted instantly. She swiftly moved the barricades away from the door and, just to be safe, grabbed a 20,000 mAh power bank before cautiously stepping out of the bedroom.
Guan Xia followed at a distance, relieved to confirm the assailant was indeed gone.
Pang Le turned on the lights, illuminating the entire living room. She even checked the kitchen, balcony, and bathroom before rummaging through drawers to find a few blank A4 sheets and a half-dried-out ballpoint pen.
Guan Xia shook the pen a few times, tested it to make sure it worked, then began sketching rapidly.
Once again, the system came through, freezing and zooming in on the face Guan Xia had seen the night before, ensuring she could capture every detail.
Perhaps due to the urgency, Guan Xia’s strokes flowed effortlessly this time. In just over ten minutes, she finished.
The moment she set the pen down, the door was hammered with loud knocks, and a voice came through the still-connected phone: "Open up."
Pang Le rushed to the door. To Guan Xia’s surprise, only two officers entered—one man and one woman.
The male officer was the same one who had questioned Guan Xia before. The female officer had a round face and round eyes but was strikingly tall, even half a head taller than Pang Le.
The moment he stepped into the living room, the male officer’s eyes lit up at the sketch in Guan Xia’s hands. He darted over, staring intently. "The suspect’s face?"
Guan Xia had barely nodded before he snatched the sketch, snapped a photo of it, and rapidly typed something on his phone. Without another word, he turned and left, only pausing at the door to say, "Xiao Zhuang, stay here. Contact us if anything comes up."
The female officer, referred to as Xiao Zhuang, closed the door before extending her hand to Guan Xia. "Hello, Ms. Guan. My name is Zhuang Yu. You can call me Xiao Zhuang."
Guan Xia quickly shook her hand. "Officer Zhuang."
Pang Le did the same. "Officer Zhuang, I’m Pang Le, Guan Xia’s friend."
After introductions, Guan Xia sat on the sofa while Pang Le went to fetch water. Zhuang Yu, however, walked to the window, peering down intently.
After a brief hesitation, Guan Xia joined her. Under the glow of the streetlights that never went out in the complex, she could easily see numerous officers—some in uniform, others in plainclothes—all bustling about.
Within minutes, most of them piled into cars and sped off. Watching the convoy head toward the exit, Guan Xia couldn’t help but ask, "Will you catch him tonight?"
Zhuang Yu turned to her with a reassuring smile. "By dawn at the latest, we’ll have good news."
...
When Guan Xia’s call came through, Qi Bai had just returned to the station. After a fruitless night of chasing leads, he was both dejected and seething.
"This bastard is slippery as hell," Qi Bai muttered, stomping up the stairs. "Captain Xu already had him cornered, and he still got away."
His fellow detective, too exhausted to speak, just patted his shoulder in sympathy.
Qi Bai was about to vent further when his phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, his surprise quickly gave way to realization, and his expression shifted to excitement—though his tone remained perfectly controlled.
After a brief exchange, Qi Bai sprinted upstairs, hitting mute before remembering to explain to his colleague, who was now running alongside him. "We’ve got a lead on that bastard. Four Seasons Heights—right now."
Finally back on the suspect’s trail, the two of them ran as if in a sprint race.
Bursting into the office, Qi Bai shouted, "Captain Xu! Four Seasons Heights. The suspect’s at Four Seasons Heights!"
Xu Nian, who had been studying a city map, immediately strode out without looking back. "Jiang Yingyao, notify everyone—move to Four Seasons Heights."
Jiang Yingyao acknowledged and began making calls.
Xu Nian pulled out his own phone, dialing swiftly. "Director Ren, the suspect’s at Four Seasons Heights. I need backup."
Director Ren’s steady voice replied, "Confirmed?"
Xu Nian glanced at Qi Bai and answered without hesitation. "Confirmed."
Director Ren said, "I’ll contact traffic control," and hung up.
Only after getting into the car did Xu Nian turn to Qi Bai. "Where’d the intel come from?"
Qi Bai spoke rapidly. "Guan Xia—the one who provided the suspect’s sketch. She called saying she encountered him yesterday evening at Four Seasons Heights. Different face, but she recognized his voice."
Xu Nian pieced it together instantly, his expression tightening. "Is she safe?"
Qi Bai nodded. "For now, but we don’t know the suspect’s exact location—just that he’s nearby."
As Qi Bai finished, his earpiece crackled with another message. After listening intently, his excitement mixed with tension. "Captain Xu, Guan Xia says she heard the elevator. The suspect’s trying to escape."
Xu Nian immediately called Director Ren again. "Director, the suspect’s on the move."
Director Ren’s reply was just as clipped. "I’ve alerted traffic control and all nearby precincts. He won’t get far."
From his tone alone, Xu Nian knew the suspect would soon face an even tighter dragnet.
They arrived at Four Seasons Heights quickly. After exiting the car, Xu Nian only sent Qi Bai and Zhuang Yu upstairs.
With no confirmation yet that the suspect had left the complex, Xu Nian swiftly directed the arriving officers to fan out from Building 21—Guan Xia’s residence—in a search pattern.
Just as the teams dispersed, Qi Bai called.
"Captain Xu," he said, "I’ve got the suspect’s sketch. Sent it to the group."
Xu Nian checked the message. "Forwarding it to Director Ren now."
After sharing the image, it took only minutes for the radio in the car to crackle with an update: "Suspect spotted on Yanping Avenue. Five minutes ago, he hijacked a taxi—license plate 8P662—fleeing west to east. Repeat: License plate 8P662. All nearby units, respond immediately."
"Finally going to catch this bastard," Qi Bai exclaimed excitedly, almost rubbing his hands together as he jumped into the driver's seat ahead of his colleagues.
Xu Nian gave the order to regroup before taking the passenger seat.
Since the scattered team members hadn't gone far, they quickly began returning one after another. Qi Bai couldn't wait another minute—he slammed the accelerator and sped out of the neighborhood first.
As they drove toward Yanping Avenue, updates kept pouring in.
"Suspect spotted, moving west to east on Huanghe West Road, currently fleeing."
"Suspect has entered the elevated highway from the Huanghe East Road intersection."
"Suspect has exited the elevated highway—now on Heping West Road, still heading west to east."
Qi Bai roared down Yanping Avenue, initially planning to take a shortcut to Huanghe East Road based on the radio updates. But upon hearing the suspect had entered the elevated highway, he immediately swerved onto the nearest on-ramp without hesitation.
When news came that the suspect had reappeared on Heping West Road, Qi Bai mentally mapped the terrain, strategizing how to cut the suspect off. Suddenly, he heard Xu Nian mutter to himself, "Huanghe West Road west to east, Heping West Road west to east… Is the suspect trying to leave the city?"
Qi Bai listened intently while keeping his focus on the road. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Xu Nian pull out his phone, zooming in and out of the screen. A few seconds later, Xu Nian decisively said, "No, he’s not leaving the city—he’s heading for the mountains. Cuiping Mountain."
"The mountains?" Qi Bai was startled for a second before it clicked. Cuiping Mountain, Yongquan City’s largest mountain range, lay to the east. Compared to the main exit routes, which were easy to block, escaping through the mountains was riskier but also harder to intercept.
It seemed they had truly backed the suspect into a corner.
The thought of apprehending him soon made Qi Bai grin fiercely.
Xu Nian spoke decisively, "Don’t exit the highway—head straight for Cuiping Mountain. I’ll call Director Ren now."
The call connected, and after Xu Nian uttered just a few words, Director Ren chuckled dismissively. "I want to force him into the mountains. The net’s already set—just waiting for him to walk into it."
After hanging up, Xu Nian leaned back in his seat, visibly relaxed.
Qi Bai knew him well—the way Xu Nian stretched out told him everything. His grin widened, and he accelerated further. "Looks like I won’t get to cuff him myself. Hope I at least make it in time to see the arrest."
In the end, even that small wish went unfulfilled. Qi Bai had barely exited the highway, still seven or eight kilometers from Cuiping Mountain, when the radio crackled with the news: the suspect had been successfully apprehended.
A mix of excitement and frustration surged through Qi Bai as he pulled over and smacked the steering wheel. "Great. Spent the whole night running around for nothing."
Dawn was just breaking—the sun hadn’t risen yet, but the darkness had faded enough to see without headlights.
Xu Nian checked the time and smiled. "Almost 6. Let’s head back—time to meet our suspect."
Qi Bai drove ahead to find a U-turn, muttering, "6 a.m… The bun shop near the precinct should be open. Let’s grab a few bags on the way."
Xu Nian shot him a look but didn’t respond.
——
Guan Xia and Pang Le had spent the night on the sofa, tense but hopeful, until daybreak finally brought good news.
Zhuang Yu answered a call, then stood up excitedly. "They got him—suspect’s already been brought back to the station."
Guan Xia froze for a second before leaping up in joy. "They caught him? That’s amazing!"
Even now, the events of last night felt surreal. Whether before or after her transmigration, this was the first time Guan Xia had been so close to a killer—almost becoming the next victim.
She still didn’t understand why the killer had targeted her, but that didn’t dampen her relief. The mother and son upstairs, He Jiahui and her child, along with the couple and the two brothers, could finally rest in peace.
After seeing Zhuang Yu off, Pang Le started making breakfast while Guan Xia hovered nearby, chattering nonstop.
"I wonder if the sketch I drew last night helped them at all."
"It must have, right? In such a short time, the killer probably didn’t have a chance to change his face again."
"Honestly, his disguise skills were insane. If I hadn’t recognized his voice, I’d never have guessed the two faces were the same person."
"Do you think this was his real face?"
"Doubt it. Probably another fake."
"If it is fake, I’m kinda curious what he really looks like. Think the news will release his photo?"
Guan Xia shadowed Pang Le like a puppy—from the fridge to the sink, then to the stove—never stopping her stream of questions.
Even after the porridge was ready, the eggs fried, and a dish prepared, Guan Xia kept talking as they sat down to eat.
"Now that the case is solved, they don’t need to keep things confidential, right? That cop who questioned me seemed nice. Wonder if he’d tell me anything if I asked."
"He might? I did give them a crucial lead."
Pang Le listened patiently until Guan Xia’s food sat untouched. With a sigh, she finally cut in, "If you’re that curious, ask him in a few days. Judging by my experience with men, that cop will tell you whatever he’s allowed to."
Guan Xia’s eyes widened. "Really?"
Pang Le handed her chopsticks, smiling. "When have I ever lied to you?"
Guan Xia thought for a moment, then shook her head—Pang Le never had.
Pang Le patted her head affectionately. "Eat up. We pulled an all-nighter—finish this and get some sleep."
Only then did Guan Xia realize how exhausted she was. She finally fell silent and focused on her meal.
She’d expected nightmares after last night’s ordeal, but the moment her head hit the pillow, she was out cold—not waking until dusk.
Blinking groggily, Guan Xia slowly came to her senses. The initial thrill of the killer’s capture had faded, replaced by a creeping dread.
Instinctively, she wrapped the blanket tighter around herself, cocooning in its false security as she replayed the night’s events.
Though running into the killer, identifying him, and calling the police had all happened too fast to process, what stunned Guan Xia most was the sudden reappearance of her system.
Not only had it confirmed her suspicions, strengthening her resolve to act, but it also revealed another trigger condition.
Recalling the system’s first appearance—the text about the blood-like stains on the repairman’s sleeve—and comparing it to the second trigger (recognizing the killer’s voice), Guan Xia pieced it together: aside from being questioned by police, the killer himself had to have a flaw.
Once she grasped this, Guan Xia thought back to the department store’s anniversary events—and a new theory formed.
After a brief hesitation, she pulled out her phone and carefully drafted a message to that policeman.
Guan Xia: Officer, hello. Sorry to bother you, but could you tell me the name of the murderer?
Perhaps because the culprit had already been apprehended, the police weren’t as pressed for time despite their busyness. After just a few minutes, Guan Xia received a reply.
Seeing the two words that popped up, Guan Xia had a sudden moment of clarity—but it also left her with new questions.
"He Wei," Guan Xia murmured softly under her breath.
No wonder the system hadn’t triggered last time when she guided the police to question her, even though she had seen the killer. It must have been because the murderer was wearing a heavy mascot costume, hiding both their face and voice, leaving no trace of a flaw for the system to detect.
The moment she figured it out, Guan Xia couldn’t help but laugh to herself. What kind of golden finger was this? Not only was it late to the party, but its activation conditions were ridiculously strict. Worst of all, it wasn’t the least bit intelligent—she had to figure everything out on her own. She wondered if there’d ever be a chance for it to level up in the future.
Recalling all the novels she’d read before transmigrating, Guan Xia couldn’t suppress a pang of envy. Out of all the transmigrators out there, hers was probably the most useless system ever.
Just as she was silently grumbling to herself and about to continue analyzing, the system that had vanished the night before suddenly reappeared.
You have successfully provided clues to help the police solve a serial murder case. Reward obtained: One recharge for the Low-Profile Halo.
Recharging…
Recharge complete.
Current Low-Profile Halo intensity: 100%
As Guan Xia stared in stunned silence, the system didn’t disappear as quickly as it usually did. Instead, the words Low-Profile Halo gradually enlarged, boldened, and even began to shimmer faintly, as if demanding her attention.
Watching the increasingly insistent display—as though it would escalate further if she didn’t acknowledge it—Guan Xia hesitantly focused her attention on the words.
Almost instantly, the interface changed, revealing several new lines of text.
Low-Profile Halo: Due to the host’s soul wavelength being drastically different from that of the native inhabitants of this new world, this function has been designated as an essential item and the sole reward for survival in a fusion world of detective fiction. It cannot be altered.
Guan Xia: ?
