5:00 p.m.
Night had already fallen.
Just as Li Ran had anticipated, daylight was being devoured by the darkness.
He had no choice but to head home for now, arranging to meet Zhao Yingzhi at the rendezvous point the next day to discuss the 2,000-point team mission.
Since he got back early, Li Ran cooked dinner himself.
A hearty meal, a warm and cozy atmosphere.
Ever since the emotional knots between Su Bingyao and Li Ziyang had been unraveled, the household had become much warmer.
Even more astonishing, Su Bingyao and Li Ziyang’s Eerie Power had both increased significantly again.
Su Bingyao’s Eerie Power had reached 300, while Li Ziyang’s rose to 160.
Yet Uncle Ge from the neighborhood—after all these days—his Eerie Power hadn’t changed one bit. The same went for the other original residents in the back alley; their Eerie Power showed no growth either.
So what exactly was going on? Even Li Ran couldn’t explain it.
Ever since the parent-child event at the kindergarten, Su Bingyao and Li Ziyang’s attitudes toward him had taken a complete 180-degree turn, and somehow their Eerie Power had also increased in tandem.
However, there had been no further signs of class promotion. Whether it would happen again was anyone’s guess.
If he could figure out the cause of class advancement, he might be able to boost his wife and son’s ranks too.
That way, they wouldn’t be so easily bullied anymore.
After dinner, around 9 p.m.,
An unexpected visitor came to the door.
“Is Mr. Li Ran home?”
Two police officers stood at the entrance.
The moment Su Bingyao and Li Ziyang saw the police asking for Li Ran, their gazes immediately shifted—as if convinced Li Ran was always out doing shady, illegal business.
“Please don’t be nervous. We’re just here to ask Mr. Li Ran a few questions,” said a middle-aged officer with a warm smile.
“Oh, then please come in,” Su Bingyao replied.
Just then, Li Ran walked out from the kitchen, having just finished washing the dishes.
“What’s this about?” Li Ran asked, puzzled.
(Prompt: They think your skills are impressive and need your help with a case.)
Seeing the prompt, Li Ran quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
They probably noticed his skills earlier in the afternoon while he was delivering takeout.
“Mr. Li Ran, may we have a word in private?” the middle-aged officer gestured.
“Sure, no problem.”
Li Ran grabbed a few napkins to wipe his hands and then motioned for the officers to follow him into the study.
(Detective Captain: Captain Wang)
(Mental Infection Level: A-class)
(Eerie Power: 1300)
(A highly experienced officer. Due to his daughter's severe illness and the need for costly treatment, he often engages in underground trades with merchants from the Dark Palace)
(Note: Best not to refuse him. Otherwise, the recent string of strange deaths will all fall under his suspicion—on you.)
---
(Police Officer: Officer Feng)
(Mental Infection Level: B-class)
(Eerie Power: 600)
(A diligent officer with a strong sense of justice, eager to prove himself.)
---
Li Ran pulled out two stools for the officers to sit.
Su Bingyao, with good sense, poured water for the three of them and then quietly exited the room, closing the door behind her.
“We’ve already spoken with Ms. Yang Ping about the takeout delivery this afternoon. She insisted we come and thank you in person,” Captain Wang said.
Li Ran scratched his nose awkwardly and replied, “You officers are too kind, coming all the way here for such a minor thing.”
The two exchanged a glance—clearly done with the small talk.
“Mr. Li Ran, I’d like your assistance in helping the police investigate a case,” Captain Wang said, getting straight to the point.
Li Ran took a sip of water, raised his brow slightly, and said, “Oh? If a regular citizen like me can be of help, I’d be more than happy to assist.”
His golden finger had already warned not to refuse. So naturally, Li Ran played along.
Besides, assisting the police with a case would likely trigger a mission.
And missions? Li Ran couldn’t get enough of them—the more, the better.
Apparently, the officers hadn’t expected him to agree so readily.
In recent days, several suspicious corpses had been discovered in the back alley. Coupled with Li Ran’s impressive performance earlier today, they had good reason to keep an eye on him. But his cooperative attitude now subtly dissolved that idea.
Captain Wang chuckled, a flash of cunning glinting briefly in his eyes: “If Mr. Li is willing to help, that would be excellent. After all, today you demonstrated extraordinary acting and mimicry skills.”
“What do you need me to do?” Li Ran asked, eager.
“We need you to impersonate a veteran swindler,” Captain Wang said.
[Mission Triggered: Veteran Swindler]
[Mission Description: Recently, the Happiness Community police station apprehended a veteran con artist. The con was supposed to meet with a contact at a secret underground gambling den within Happiness Community. The contact is a long-wanted fugitive with exceptional anti-surveillance skills and operates with extreme caution. Your task is to impersonate the swindler, dominate the secret gambling den with your skills, and draw out the contact. Once they approach you, the police—waiting in ambush—will move in for the arrest.]
[Mission Reward: Eerie Power +150, Points +1500, Special Item ×1]
[Mission Failure: Death]
“A 1,500-point mission…”
Li Ran realized the longer he survived, the harder the missions and the stronger the original residents he encountered.
Now failure often meant death.
Gone were the simple errands and chit-chat missions around the neighborhood. The difficulty curve had spiked.
And with increased difficulty came increased danger.
Worse yet, he couldn’t turn this one down. Refuse, and he’d end up on Captain Wang’s watchlist—which was absolutely not a good thing.
Another mission with no choice in the matter.
Officer Feng chimed in to supplement the briefing.
“The contact’s window is between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. tomorrow. Your job is to disguise yourself as the veteran swindler and display superb gambling skills to earn their trust. Once the contact approaches, the police waiting outside will storm in and take them down.” Captain Wang reiterated the plan carefully, just to make sure Li Ran understood.
Li Ran furrowed his brows, feigning hesitation: “Captain Wang, to be honest, I’ve got no issue pretending to be someone, but showcasing advanced gambling skills? That’s a stretch. I’m just a law-abiding citizen—I wouldn’t know the first thing about professional-level gambling. I’d blow my cover the moment I sat down.”
“We’ve already taken that into consideration.”
As he spoke, Captain Wang motioned for Officer Feng to hand Li Ran a card.
“As long as Mr. Li knows the basics of gambling, and with this Wishful Card in hand, I believe you’ll have no trouble helping us pull this off. And once the task is complete, we’ll have a little extra reward for you,” said Captain Wang.
“Interesting. Extra reward?” Li Ran’s eyes lit up, inwardly thrilled. “If I can snatch that card in the end too, it’d be perfect.”
(End of Chapter)