A massive explosion that had gripped countless people's nerves ended in calmness. Only the passengers waiting for the next train missed this subway ride, leading them to wait a few extra minutes for an emergency empty train that was rerouted. Many complained about being late.
Qin Xuezhong was at a loss on how to explain things to the counter-intrusion team, so she simply said a mysterious hacker had contacted her, asking her to use the brain chip implanted in her neck to access the subway system; she claimed she had no knowledge of what happened afterward. She also provided the locations of three bombs and the coordinates of the controller to the counter-intrusion team and special operations personnel, stating that these were left by the hacker.
At the same time, she instructed Zhang Yuan to create a smokescreen on the forum, claiming that a hacker had truly contacted him. Given this information from multiple sources, the security department believed it. They even created a new top-secret file internally, codenamed "Subway Ghost." This ghost had left no data traces, suggesting that they were possibly a top-tier hacker who had never been seen before. From the explosion case, this hacker appeared to be on the side of peace and was currently harmless. If the counter-intrusion team could connect with them, it would be ideal.
Being on the front lines, Qin Xuezhong was once again awarded for her calmness and bravery at the scene, even earning herself a commendation. She felt a bit helpless about it. She didn't want to attract so much attention—she just wanted to stay in the background, but the spotlight kept finding her. Fortunately, aside from Zhang Yuan, no one knew that the attack was aimed at her, or she might have been exposed.
After leaving, she compared the original data of the attack commission in her virtual consciousness, worried about any omissions. In the end, she indeed discovered a new beacon within the network. She handed this beacon over to Zhang Yuan, telling him to "handle it."
---
In the past few days, the most powerful underground intermediary in Xigu Valley had been having a rough time. He had received two big contracts in a row, seemingly from a wealthy family wanting to kill a woman named Qin Xuezhong.
For the first contract, all the assassins he sent out vanished overnight. Had it not been for one acquaintance among them, he would have thought he had fallen into a trap. This morning, for the second contract, he enlisted a top assassin he had collaborated with multiple times. This person was meticulous and ruthlessly determined to achieve their goals, never having failed before. However, just when the explosion was supposed to occur, the assassin also vanished.
There were no police at the subway station, no explosions, and the assassin lost contact instantly. It was at this moment he finally realized he had provoked someone he shouldn't have. A ghost so terrifying that they could silently eliminate a top assassin… could they have discovered him?
As he hesitated over whether to leave and hide in the slums, a gunshot rang out in front of his house, followed by a flash of wood splinters and smoke as a stun grenade was thrown inside. The person who threw the grenade was skilled; it exploded the moment it flew in. This indicated they had calculated the explosion time perfectly, holding it in their hand until just before it detonated.
Such precision left the people inside no time to react. The intermediary was rendered blind and deaf in an instant, collapsing to the ground from the overwhelming dizziness. He didn't even have a chance to negotiate or plead for mercy before three armed figures wearing masks approached him, aimed at his head, and fired without hesitation.
These three were members of Qin Xuezhong's undercover team. After years of doing dirty work, their methods and experience were even more brutal than mercenaries. Qin Xuezhong's "handle it" actually meant she was unsure of what to do herself, preferring to leave it to her experienced undercover agents, relishing her newfound leisure.
But for this group, "handle it" meant "take him out." Given how they had long regarded little Qin as a rebirth parent, their methods were merciless.
No one was aware that this intermediary was actually a seasoned figure in Xigu Valley's underground world. With vast connections and significant power, he was assassinated in his home for taking a commission, which was supposed to be highly confidential—no one knew the address!
Moreover, neither the fifth family, the security department, nor his competitors had any reason to do this. It was as if a new, powerful force was rising.
Not long after, word spread throughout the underground world. The intermediary's death was linked to his contract, which aimed to escalate the conflict between the fifth family and the security department. A new force had intervened in Xigu Valley's situation and warned everyone not to get involved.
Everyone became obedient. The gruesome sight of the former big shot's head exploding served as a warning for all to keep a low profile.
Suddenly, the security situation in Xigu Valley improved.
Bang!
There were no more vases left in the mansion; this time, the man smashed an even more expensive statue.
"What did you say?!" he ground out through clenched teeth.
"Young master, please calm down," the person beside him quickly soothed. "A mysterious force has intervened, and there are no assassins or mercenaries willing to take on jobs right now; everyone is just waiting for this situation to pass."
"Are we just going to let that bitch go?!" The man's face flushed with rage. "What about our bodyguards? Send them in!"
"Youth, the master has already arranged for Yue Zhao, who was caught, to be eliminated to destroy all evidence," the subordinate lowered his head. "As for Qin Xuezhong, she has been very compliant; she shouldn't affect the master's plans. Everything is under the master's control."
"So, the master says you should take a break and not worry about family matters."
"You... you... I..." The man seemed to lose his temper, gasping for breath, and fainted.
Unaware of the dark currents swirling behind the scenes, the mysterious force leader, Qin Xuezhong, was idling in her office.
Due to the morning's events, Jin Anan rushed over as soon as she arrived, exclaiming greetings, while Xue Zhi Shi expressed concern with a few words. Xie Kedu, who had sent her a message, remained silent, merely smiling at her.
This atmosphere made her feel very reassured.
—With information from the undercover team and the rapid response of the counter-intrusion team, she suddenly realized that many people were already protecting her in this world.
Zhang Yuan had just sent a message saying everything had been taken care of. This was a one-time operation, and there shouldn't be any follow-ups.
Qin Xuezhong finally felt a bit relieved.
Holding the freshly earned bonus of 2000 points, she decided to treat her colleagues in the office to a meal, especially wanting to express her gratitude to the quiet Xie Kedu.
She was browsing nearby restaurants.
Although the world was different, the overall environment of Dongzhou was very similar to the place she lived in before her time travel, with many familiar dishes but also unique variations.
This novelty kept her occupied for quite some time.
At that moment, a red alert popped up in the counter-intrusion team's system.
After the morning's events, she had developed a bit of PTSD regarding red messages and quickly clicked to view it.
It turned out to be an update on the case of Wu Ningyi, which had progressed.
She breathed a sigh of relief and continued reading.
She was curious why Yue Zhao, who had been at the concert venue, would appear at the crime scene at such an impossible time.
To her shock, it was a death notice.
Yue Zhao was dead, having died directly in the holding room.
Moreover, it wasn't an accidental death; someone had infiltrated and handed Yue Zhao a micro tactical thermite grenade, saying something to him.
Then, Yue Zhao obediently swallowed the grenade capable of melting through an aircraft carrier's deck.
In less than half a minute, his entire body turned to red char, then turned to ash.
Even the floor of the holding room was left with a large hole burned through it.
The scene was extremely horrific.
The intruder was fully clad in black armor, leaving no traces except for surveillance footage. Before leaving, they even gave a thumbs-up to the camera.
So arrogant, with no disguise of the threat and pride.
At this point, even Qin Xuezhong, who wasn't very familiar with Xigu Valley, realized that things had escalated.
The news in the past few days had already been dissatisfied with the security department's direct capture of Yue Zhao from the concert venue, and now Yue Zhao had died in such a terrifying manner while still in custody.
This could blow up.
If this was a countermeasure from the fifth family, it was vicious to an appalling degree, but it certainly shifted the pressure back onto the security department.
At the end of the message, it read: [Top Secret]
Followed by a note: [Yue Zhao is suspected of being a twin or a body double with replaced homologous DNA organ tissues, not the real person.]
This was possible?
Could it be that the fifth family intentionally arranged this substitute to enter the security department and then get killed, turning the tables on the security department?
Such a brutal twist only strengthened Qin Xuezhong's resolve—to stay far away from such matters.
At that moment, Jin Anan looked up and called over to Qin Xuezhong and Xue Zhi Shi, "Aren't you two following the Yue Zhao case? Come take a look; we found something off in our fan group."
Xue Zhi Shi instinctively frowned. "Anan, what are you doing? Don't actively work; don't get into trouble."
Jin Anan smiled nonchalantly. "Not me, others found it. I just thought it was interesting and wanted to show you."
The two then leaned closer to Jin Anan.
Jin Anan waved her hand and opened several high-definition holographic still images. They were very clear; when enlarged, you could see the pores.
In this era, celebrities were terrifyingly perfect, needing to be flawless from all angles; otherwise, a slight rotation in the holographic images could expose them.
No wonder Yue Zhao could overshadow so many virtual idols and become a top star.
"These are images shared in the group. You know, I've been following his concert lately. The new ones are from offline events a few days before the concert."
Jin Anan displayed more images for comparison.
"Pay attention to these details."
"Yue Zhao has been growing his hair long lately; during the concert, his hair fell just past halfway down his ears. But in the event photos from a few days ago, it's noticeably shorter."
"He has a small scar on his hand. Look at this hand; it's very thin, but in the previous photos, it seemed a bit fuller, almost stretching the scar."
"And here..."
The more Jin Anan spoke, the more the people present exchanged glances—these details added up so clearly that even a blind person could see something was off.
If it were just a matter of hair or body shape, it could be due to pre-performance adjustments, but with so many unnecessary details combined, it seemed like there were indeed two different people.
The trio, including Jin Anan, was still a bit surprised, but Qin Xuezhong already knew from the system, so she wasn't too shocked.
In a cyber world where even bones and organs could be replaced, it didn't seem like a big deal for a star to find a double.
Out of curiosity, Qin Xuezhong opened the previous death memory she had accessed.
This time, she found something else amiss.
The scar on Yue Zhao's hand that Jin Anan had just pointed out was absent on the "Yue Zhao" who killed Wu Ningyi!
This... could there be three Yue Zhaos???