Heavens above.
This place is massive.
Lin Zhiyan gaped at the opulent scene before her—light streamed through the intricate lattice of the vaulted ceiling, illuminating a crowd dressed in luxurious attire. Every three minutes or so, a group of people would erupt into the kind of laughter that only the wealthy and elderly could produce, making her feel like they were all guests at some sinister cult gathering or a slave island resort.
Good lord, and this was just the airport!
With a worn-out backpack slung over one shoulder and dragging a battered suitcase behind her, Lin Zhiyan stumbled through the space. Despite the vastness of the area, she moved like a robotic vacuum cleaner dodging furniture, terrified of accidentally knocking over someone’s coffee and being forced to kneel in apology.
…Well, logically speaking, the latter scenario was unlikely to happen in real life, but you could never predict the whims of the rich!
Half observing, half wary, she didn’t relax until she finally stepped outside the airport.
Good. No embarrassment, no disasters, no accidents.
Everything had gone smoothly.
Of course it had—what could possibly go wrong?
She suddenly chuckled at herself, amused by her own shabby appearance.
Outside the airport, vehicles lined the intersecting tracks, each taxi gleaming as if freshly polished. In the distance, hovering cars disappeared into the clouds, while neon signs flickered hazily in front of the towering tech spires.
The technology here was far more advanced than in the Sixteenth District, yet it somehow maintained a harmony untouched by the coldness of progress.
Lin Zhiyan didn’t have time to admire the view—she was in a hurry. After transferring three times on the underground buses, twice on the mid-air trains, and once on a shared low-altitude bike, she finally reached her destination: the suburbs.
The opening ceremony was still three days away, and she needed a place to stay.
The area was a tangled mess of train tracks—high-altitude, mid-air, and low-altitude—all knotted together like a ball of yarn. The facilities were outdated, but under the still-clear sky, the streets were lined with neon signs cranked to maximum brightness. Shops stood side by side in the alleys, yet the lack of people made the place feel eerily desolate. In the distance, factories loomed, but no workers were in sight.
Lin Zhiyan was surprised. Even though this was the most remote suburb of the central district, it was still better maintained than the Sixteenth District—no randomly spawning NPCs with buffs like drunkenness, drug highs, or contagious diseases, nor any bosses engaging in flashing, robbery, or theft.
"Your standards are still too high, huh?"
She shook her head.
Lin Zhiyan pulled up the holographic map on her terminal and followed the directions to find a hotel.
She hadn’t gone far when a voice called out, "Are you lost?"
She looked up.
A burly, unassuming man stood at the entrance of a small restaurant, hands on his hips as he studied her. "I’ve seen you walking in circles. Where are you trying to go?"
Lin Zhiyan smiled faintly but didn’t answer, continuing forward. The man, however, followed her. "Don’t worry, I’m not a bad guy. I work at a factory nearby—I know this area like the back of my hand. And… are you from Sixteenth City?"
She paused, startled. "How did you know?"
"I could tell by your outfit. That jacket is a Sixteenth City school uniform—my daughter has one too." The man gave a bitter smile before adding, "Are you here to find your parents?"
Lin Zhiyan suddenly understood.
He thought she was here to join her migrant-worker parents.
She shook her head.
"…You’re alone?" The man frowned, concern etched on his face. "Have you booked a hotel yet?"
Lin Zhiyan thought for a moment before shaking her head again. "No. The prices here are the cheapest, but I was hoping to haggle in person."
"Then you’re in luck—I know just the place." The man waved a hand. "There’s a cheap spot not far from here. I’ll take you."
Lin Zhiyan hesitated before replying earnestly, "Really? That would be amazing."
The man grinned. "We’re fellow townsfolk, after all."
"You’re too kind. Thank you so much."
Her gratitude was genuine.
The man stepped forward and took her suitcase. "Just follow me."
The streets grew narrower, the shops sparser.
"Don’t worry, we’re almost there. Just take a right up ahead." The man raised his voice slightly. "Look, it’s right there! Come on!"
Lin Zhiyan followed his gaze but only saw a few scattered storefronts. "Where exactly—"
In the split second she spoke, the man suddenly whirled around, grabbing her arm and shoving her into a nearby alley.
The long, narrow passage reeked of dampness, darkness swallowing them both instantly. The man lunged to pin her other arm, but before he could, blinding pain exploded in his skull. He howled, staggering backward as hot, sticky blood gushed from his head.
His vision blurred, his mind blank. The last thing he saw was Lin Zhiyan standing over him, a collapsible baton in hand.
She grinned. "My turn to play the villain. Hand over your money."
The man writhed, wailing incoherently, his face a mess of blood, snot, and tears.
Lin Zhiyan grew impatient with his noise. Flipping the baton to stun mode, she zapped him for a few minutes before fishing his terminal out of his pocket. She pressed it to his face to unlock it, then skimmed the contents.
…Only a few hundred credits in his account. Pathetic.
She transferred the funds to her own account, then aimed the terminal back at him.
"Alright, nod, shake your head, blink."
"Say: one, two, three."
A few minutes later, the terminal chimed. "Loan application denied. Reason: Credit score too low. Assessed as high-risk for repayment."
Lin Zhiyan: "…"
What a waste.
Well, time for damage control.
She pressed a button on the baton, and it collapsed into a palm-sized cylinder. Then she studied the unconscious man at her feet, thinking.
Logically, he wouldn’t have brought her here unless it was a blind spot for surveillance. And logically, someone like him wouldn’t dare report being out-scammed. But just because there were no floating cameras in the alley didn’t mean there weren’t any outside. And if he stayed unconscious until the factory workers finished their shifts, someone would definitely call the authorities.
…For the first time, she cursed how instinctive her actions had been, forgetting she wasn’t in the Sixteenth District anymore.
The golden hues of the sky faded, dusk settling into gloom.
The next afternoon.
Inside the police station, lights blazed as phones rang and voices overlapped in a cacophony.
A group of officers hurried out from the back offices, brushing past saluting colleagues without a second glance. They made a beeline for the parking lot.
Soon, they returned, a young man at their center. He carried his jacket over one arm, his posture straight, his features sharp and handsome. His expression was cold as he listened to their reports, drawing stares—not just for his looks, but for his pedigree.
The young man was Jiang Yi. His father had once served as a wartime commander and now held a high-ranking position in the Imperial Military Department. His mother was a member of the Military and Political Committee. As for Jiang Yi himself, he had been awarded the Knight’s Medal at a young age and held a distinguished rank in the military.
"So far, there’s no new intel across all sixteen districts."
"We’ve reconfirmed the signal source—the last trace was definitely in the Seventh District."
"We’re planning to procure another batch of specialized sub-chain tracking equipment."
……
"So, no progress at all?" Jiang Yi looked at them.
"...You could say that," replied a senior police official.
Jiang Yi raised an eyebrow. "You pulled me out of military drills just to tell me this?"
His tone sounded almost teasing, yet carried an unmistakable weight of authority.
The atmosphere grew tense.
"No, no! It’s just—there’s a research project..." Another official hesitated before cautiously continuing, "Our tech division is planning new developments on the tracker and intends to adopt a foreign technology. We wanted to brief you in detail."
Jiang Yi nodded. "Proceed."
The police staff collectively exhaled in relief and quickly ushered him into the conference room.
On the holographic screen, the tracker was disassembled layer by layer, its principles and costs displayed line by line. Soon, the image froze on a dazzling gemstone necklace. The projection faded, and the presenter turned to Jiang Yi. "This is the technology we intend to invest in."
Jiang Yi gave another nod. "I’ll relay it."
A nearby official whispered, "And the funding...?"
Jiang Yi stood and walked toward the exit. "They’ll approve it. I’m leaving."
Several higher-ups scrambled to escort him out, but just as Jiang Yi reached the door, an officer burst in, shouting, "Report! Emergency—her records indicate she’s from the United Military and—"
The officer cut himself short upon seeing Jiang Yi, his expression shifting between alarm and confusion as he glanced at the officials behind him. They immediately snapped, "Stop making a scene! Report later."
Jiang Yi ignored them, frowning. "What do her records say?"
Without waiting for an answer, he pulled out his terminal. "Case number."
The officer froze, unsure how to react. Fortunately, one official sensed the tension and interjected, "Mr. Jiang, rest assured, we won’t give her any trouble. There’ll be no unfair investigation."
"Your assurances mean nothing to me." Jiang Yi’s voice was languid, but his sharp gaze was unyielding. "But you should know that any issues involving students of the United Military and Political Academy must first be reported to the school for internal review. Transfer the authority to me now."
The officer hesitated before blurting, "But she’s already been cleared of suspicion—"
"Transfer it."
Jiang Yi’s tone was icy.
……Silence fell. After several authorization codes were processed, everyone watched Jiang Yi leave. Only when his figure vanished down the hallway did the officials finally speak.
"God, what a tyrant. Throwing his weight around over nothing."
"Typical of the Academy—always flaunting their power."
"She was about to be released, and now she’s back under scrutiny. Such a pain."
The officer kept his head down, praying the higher-ups wouldn’t notice he’d overheard their complaints.
Truthfully, the police’s resentment wasn’t unfounded. The United Military and Political Academy, as the Imperial Military Department’s direct affiliate, wielded excessive authority. Though the two institutions were technically equal in rank, the military’s dominance—cemented after quelling the AI rebellion—had never waned, even after the nation transitioned from an imperial system to a constitutional monarchy. The police were perpetually outmuscled.
But right now, it wasn’t just the police feeling the pressure—Lin Zhiyan was too.
Lin Zhiyan felt like she’d hit a wall. The officer questioning her had just said she could leave, yet now someone else insisted the interrogation wasn’t over. All recording devices were switched off, and the doors and windows sealed shut.
Are they going to torture me?
Surely not…
But what if they do?
Then…I’ll confess everything.
Lin Zhiyan had no backbone when it came to suffering. She could endure life’s hardships, but physical pain? Not a chance. She couldn’t even handle skipping a meal—though she’d never stolen takeout, she’d once sat down with a stranger by cheerfully asking, "Don’t you remember me?"
As she agonized over how to beg for mercy if beaten, the door behind her finally clicked open.
Lin Zhiyan turned, but the first thing she saw wasn’t his legs or face—it was his hand. One was tucked in his pocket, the other gripping a file. Blue-green veins traced beneath his skin, stretching from his forearm to his knuckles. Her gaze traveled up, taking in his broad shoulders, the hint of muscle beneath his uniform, his lean waist, and finally, his face.
To put it simply: devastatingly handsome. Jet-black hair and eyes, a sharp nose, thin lips, and a chin perpetually tilted just slightly upward—the epitome of a cold, untouchable yet infuriatingly attractive character straight out of a novel.
Lin Zhiyan wondered if he’d live up to the trope, perhaps by calling her "peasant" or something equally demeaning. After all…this was the guy who’d shut down an entire airport yesterday, stranding passengers for an hour.
Reality, however, disappointed her.
He simply walked to the table, set down the file, draped his jacket over the chair, and finally sat. "Jiang Yi."
Lin Zhiyan began, "I’m—"
"I know who you are. I’ll review the details myself." Jiang Yi had zero interest in her introduction. "This interrogation will not be recorded, and all signals are being blocked. You will recount the incident truthfully. Additionally, this case has been transferred to the Ringstar United Military and Political Academy for independent investigation. As chair of the Military and Political Committee, I’ll oversee the proceedings. If found guilty, you’ll face internal disciplinary action under the Academy’s autonomous laws, but no formal records will be kept."
His words were deliberate, each syllable crisp, yet the sheer length of his speech exuded an unspoken dominance. Lin Zhiyan needed a moment to process—stunned by the Academy’s autonomy, the fact that this man was a fellow student, or the realization that she might be penalized before even starting university…
Jiang Yi didn’t wait for her to gather her thoughts. "Do you follow any religion?"
Lin Zhiyan shook her head.
"Good." His tone was flat. "Saves me the trouble of finding a holy book for you to swear on."
He radiated the air of someone who had far more important things to do and already knew everything worth knowing.
Lin Zhiyan took a deep breath and recounted the events from start to finish. "...And that’s it. He offered to guide me, but after a few steps, I sensed something was off and ran. Later, I checked into a hotel. The owner told me the man was a notorious loiterer and that I’d been lucky to escape. Then this afternoon, your department called, asking me to cooperate with the investigation."
Jiang Yi tapped the table once. "What felt off?"
Lin Zhiyan didn’t answer immediately, biting her lip as her eyes drifted to his neck. His collar was unbuttoned, revealing pale skin and the faint outline of his collarbone. Her gaze dipped lower, lingering on the contours of his chest beneath the uniform.
Jiang Yi frowned. "What are you doing?"
Lin Zhiyan finally looked at him, her pitch-black eyes clear and calm. "Why does it feel wrong to you?"
Jiang Yi's brow twitched slightly, his icy face showing a trace of impatience. "Don't play pointless word games with me. This is an interrogation."
"So you don’t like jokes."
Lin Zhiyan seemed genuinely innocent.
"And you don’t like telling the truth either."
Jiang Yi shot back. He pressed a button on the table, and a holographic video materialized between them.
It was surveillance footage from before and after the incident. The first clip showed Lin Zhiyan walking ahead, with a man following behind her. The second showed the man leading her into a turn toward an alley. The third showed her at the other end of the alley, half her body visible as she struggled with someone inside over a bag, eventually snatching it before running off, shouting curses over her shoulder as if shooing someone away.
The video ended.
Lin Zhiyan turned to Jiang Yi. "Is there a problem?"
Jiang Yi smirked, pausing on the frame of the bag struggle. "This is the scene that gave you an alibi—proof you weren’t present when he was attacked."
Lin Zhiyan said nothing.
"Clever tactic, but there’s a flaw." Jiang Yi pulled up another photo, pointing at a particular mark. "I examined the tear marks on the bag. Theoretically, when two forces pull in opposite directions, the woven fibers should spread outward from both points of tension. But here, there’s only one force applied. That means one of two things..."
"Either the person you were 'fighting' over the bag didn’t pull at all," he lifted his gaze to hers, "or that person never existed."
Lin Zhiyan slowly met his eyes. "Are you suggesting I staged the whole thing by myself?"
Jiang Yi displayed another photo—a close-up of a wall—and zoomed in further.
He pointed at a decorative element on the surface. "I had forensics revisit the scene. They found traces of fibers here. I haven’t ordered the tests yet, but I doubt the results will surprise me."
He glanced at his watch, then back at her.
She sat composed in her chair, but the tight press of her lips betrayed her. Her dark hair draped quietly over her shoulders, her eyes downcast like spilled ink flowing downward, pooling into a damp, oppressive exhaustion around her.
"Will you confess, or should I lay out your entire process for you?" Jiang Yi leaned back in his chair, tilting his chin up as his eyes dropped to the file. The blue light cast a cold, harsh glow across his face. "The consequences won’t be the same. Are you sure you want to keep pretending?"
Take back what I said earlier. You really are the kind of character people love to hate.
Lin Zhiyan stared at his face and thought.
