Until she went to bed in the early hours of the morning, Guan Xia still hadn’t heard from Xu Nian and the others. Left with no choice, she sent a message outlining her thoughts and plans for the next steps.
Fortunately, despite being busy, Xu Nian managed to reply with a brief message—just a few words—confirming they would regroup after their meeting. Reassured, Guan Xia focused solely on anticipating what lay ahead.
The next morning, unusually overcast, everyone was up before dawn. Over breakfast, they quickly assigned tasks for the day: Pang Le and Lu Tingfeng would observe and provide support from outside, while Guan Xia, Ji An, and Zhong Xiaoyu would queue for medical check-ups. Of course, only Ji An and Zhong Xiaoyu were actually getting examined; Guan Xia was merely accompanying them.
After more than a decade of development, Kangjian Health Examination Center had built a solid reputation. Even on a weekday, the place was bustling with people. Guan Xia stayed with Ji An and Zhong Xiaoyu until evening, when all the tests were finally completed.
Though Zhong Xiaoyu was usually full of energy, even she was worn out after a long day. The moment they got back to the car, she groaned, "I'm starving. Let's get some meat—hot pot, beef hot pot! It's still early anyway."
At the mention of food, her spirits lifted, her eyes sparkling as she looked around at the group.
Faced with her hopeful gaze, Guan Xia was the first to cave. With a resigned smile, she said, "Alright, alright, hot pot it is. But let’s wait a bit before heading out."
As she spoke, Guan Xia pulled snacks from her bag and handed them to Zhong Xiaoyu, her eyes fixed intently on the scene outside the window.
Pang Le snatched a small packet from Zhong Xiaoyu’s hands, tearing it open as he remarked, "At this hour, the center’s staff are probably about to clock out. Doubt we’ll find anything now. If the core members of the criminal organization are here, they’d likely show up late at night—that’s how it always goes in the movies. Maybe we should come back after dinner. Who knows, we might stumble onto something then."
Guan Xia was about to agree when a sudden clap of thunder boomed overhead. The rain, gathering all day, finally poured down—starting as a drizzle but quickly turning into a torrential downpour, blurring the view outside the car windows.
Seeing this, Guan Xia knew the chances of making any discoveries now were slim. "Let’s go," she said. "We’ll find somewhere nearby to eat, then swing by afterward. If there’s still nothing, we’ll head back to the hotel."
Lu Tingfeng responded with a lazy hum and started the car.
Just as they were pulling out of the parking lot, Guan Xia—almost as if struck by intuition—glanced out the window and spotted several cars driving in, passing them by in the opposite direction.
Amid the flashes of lightning, a face caught Guan Xia’s attention like a magnet.
The man was strikingly handsome, though in a different way from Lu Tingfeng’s refined features—his was a more rugged, masculine beauty. His bright golden hair stood out, and his expression carried an air of casual arrogance. Sensing Guan Xia’s gaze, he suddenly turned, his sharp eyes scanning their car. But thanks to the tinted windows, he saw nothing. Still, he stared for a few seconds before finally looking away.
Guan Xia, too, followed his car with her eyes until it disappeared from view.
In those fleeting moments, her ears seemed to ring, her heartbeat loud and clear in her chest. She knew it was the system’s intuition screaming at her—this man was dangerous, far more so than any criminal they’d encountered before.
Her reaction was so obvious that even Lu Tingfeng noticed through the rearview mirror, calling her name several times in concern.
As her racing heart gradually steadied, Guan Xia snapped out of it, meeting the worried and tense gazes of the others.
"What’s wrong? Did you see something?" Pang Le rubbed her arm, where goosebumps had risen.
Zhong Xiaoyu glanced around before asking, "Was it those cars that just passed? Someone inside looked suspicious? Or was it all of them?"
Guan Xia took a deep breath, rummaging through her bag for her sketchbook as she tried to steady her voice. "A man—the one with golden hair. My gut says he’s trouble. Big trouble. He felt... dangerous."
Finally finding the sketchbook, she flipped to a fresh page and began drawing intently.
Lu Tingfeng didn’t stop the car but slowed down. With the heavy rain and evening traffic, their vehicle blended in seamlessly.
The others kept their voices low, discussing while waiting for Guan Xia to finish.
About fifteen minutes later, she set down her pencil and handed the sketchbook to Ji An. "Ji-jie, this guy feels nothing like Liu Xiang. I can’t quite describe it, but he’s definitely more dangerous. Be extra careful when investigating him."
Pang Le and Zhong Xiaoyu leaned in to look, both frowning instinctively.
"Something’s off," Pang Le muttered. "I caught a glimpse of that blond guy too. He looks young—late twenties, maybe early thirties. How does someone that age become a core member of a criminal organization? Is he ruthless enough? Or is it family connections?"
"Unexpected, for sure," Zhong Xiaoyu mused, rubbing her chin. "But however he got there, if Guan Xia says he’s trouble, he’s trouble. We’ll just have to tread carefully."
While the three debated, Ji An remained unusually silent.
Guan Xia glanced over and noticed Ji An gripping the sketchbook with one hand while scrolling through her phone with the other.
Curious, Guan Xia asked, "Ji-jie, are you looking up that blond guy?"
Ji An nodded. "I thought he looked familiar. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen his case before. Hold on, let me ask a colleague."
Another fifteen minutes passed before Ji An exhaled in relief. "Found it. I was right—I have seen his case. But he was the victim, and it was years ago. Take a look—is this him?"
She handed her phone over, and Guan Xia, Pang Le, and Zhong Xiaoyu huddled together to examine the enlarged photo.
The first thing Guan Xia noticed was the messy green hair piled haphazardly atop the man’s head. Beneath it was a sharp, angular face—narrow eyes, a slightly upturned chin, a hooked nose, and thin lips. Individually, his features were unremarkable, but together, they formed a surprisingly handsome whole.
Guan Xia examined the photo carefully while Pang Le hesitated, "It looks a bit like him, but also not quite. Sister Ji, are you sure the man in this photo is the same blond guy?"
Ji An replied with certainty, "I’m sure. You’re not from Shangshuang City, so you wouldn’t recognize him. But as a local and a former police officer, I remember him. His case was infamous back then, and his father was also well-known. I just recalled that his father was in real estate, with ventures in supermarkets, hotels, amusement parks, and restaurants—but I’ve never heard of him owning a medical check-up center. I checked online just now and found no connection between Wu Yingze and Kangjian Medical Center."
As Ji An finished speaking, Guan Xia chimed in, equally certain, "My gut tells me it’s the same person. But upon closer inspection, there are slight differences in his facial features—look at his temples and cheeks. They appear fuller now, as if he’s had plastic surgery?"
Lu Tingfeng, who was driving, occasionally glanced back through the rearview mirror, curious.
Ji An explained, "This man’s name is Wu Yingze. His case back then was a kidnapping—he was the victim. When he was rescued, he was severely beaten, with a broken nose and cigarette burn scars on his face. That’s probably when he got the surgery. I hadn’t graduated yet when the kidnapping happened, but I heard about it during a holiday break."
Hearing the surname "Wu," Guan Xia’s interest was piqued. She pressed further, "Wu? As in the character with the single radical next to the number five?"
Ji An confirmed, "Yes, that Wu."
Pang Le exchanged a glance with Guan Xia, realization dawning. "What a coincidence—his surname is Wu. That means his father is also a Wu. It’s not a very common surname, right? Could this really just be a coincidence?"
Lu Tingfeng looked puzzled, but Ji An and Zhong Xiaoyu seemed to catch on. "Are you suspecting that Wu Yingze’s father might be connected to the ‘Wu Yang’ that Meng Lan mentioned earlier?"
Before Guan Xia could answer, Pang Le jumped in, "We’re a bit suspicious. Sister Ji, do you know much about Wu Yingze’s father?"
Ji An shook her head. "Even though I’m from Shangshuang, I’ve been away for years, and I studied at the police academy in another city. I don’t know much. But from what I’ve heard, his father wasn’t originally from Shangshuang—he came here to expand his business about ten or twenty years ago. Rumor has it he was extremely wealthy, throwing money around to establish himself. Within just a few years, he secured a strong foothold in the city. But his lavish displays of wealth might’ve been why his son was later kidnapped—though that’s just speculation."
Guan Xia’s mind raced as she processed the information.
Zhong Xiaoyu suddenly remarked, "Hotels and supermarkets can be built with money, but real estate? Maybe it’s just my bias, but I don’t think wealth alone is enough to succeed in that industry. And if Guan Xia’s intuition says the son is suspicious, then the father probably isn’t clean either. I doubt he established himself in Shangshuang just by throwing cash around."
Guan Xia listened, her thoughts swirling. The sheer volume of information left her mind in a haze.
Fragments of Meng Lan’s past words flashed through her mind, alongside clues about the criminal organization they’d been investigating for months. She even recalled the photos of Ning Xin and her mother she’d seen at Ning Xin’s home. It was hard to believe that the very organization they were chasing might be linked to Wu Yang—the same man Meng Lan had always spoken highly of.
No, wait. Guan Xia snapped out of her thoughts. There was no concrete evidence yet connecting the criminal organization to Wu Yang. At most, they could suspect a link to Wu Yingze’s father. Whether it was true or not required further investigation.
But then another thought struck her—Meng Lan had been under surveillance by the organization. They’d never understood why Meng Lan, of all people, was so significant to them. She hadn’t been recruited, yet they hadn’t given up on her. If the organization was indeed tied to Wu Yang, it suddenly made sense.
Guan Xia felt a flicker of clarity, only for more questions to flood in. Wu Yang’s unusual interest in Meng Lan had placed her in a precarious position. If, as Meng Lan claimed, Wu Yang had also taken notice of her, did that mean she, too, had value in his eyes? Was someone from the organization watching her as well?
And what about the kindergarten they’d attended? So many of its graduates had received Wu Yang’s sponsorship—were they also involved?
The more she thought, the more tangled her mind became. Anxiety, unease, and tension coiled inside her.
Only now did she realize how crucial the system had been to her. Without it—bound to her since her transmigration—she wouldn’t have lived this stable, comfortable life. She might not have even survived to adulthood.
A chilling thought crept in: Had Meng Lan’s seemingly effortless reunion with her birth parents, and her secretive discovery of Guan Xia’s own family, truly been just luck?
