◎Max Out Calculus◎
The Ji De app was somewhat like ordinary accounting software. Next to “Total Income” was a column labeled “Expenditure.”
Zhong Yao tapped on it and saw countless categories appear on the screen, IQ, culture, beauty, and so on. Virtually every category that could quantify a person was included.
She marveled silently and focused on her goal. “Where’s Calculus?”
Dou Dou immediately helped her navigate to it. Seeing her intense expression, it asked: 【Do you want to allocate all 70 points to Calculus?】
Zhong Yao rolled her eyes. “Do you even need to ask? This is my true purpose!”
With bold determination, she maxed out the Calculus progress bar, feeling fully accomplished. “Does this mean I’ll become a big shot like Wei Shen someday?”
【No way. This doesn’t increase your IQ, it just gives you extreme sensitivity to Calculus. For example, if someone else takes 30 minutes to solve a problem, you’ll do it in 5. It won’t actually turn you into another person, you’ll still be yourself.】
Dou Dou didn’t understand why she was so obsessed with Calculus. In its view, putting merit points into something like beauty, luck, or combat ability to improve self-defense would be far more worthwhile than maxing out Calculus.
Tears welled up in Zhong Yao’s eyes. “You don’t understand the despair of a hopeless student who has to study and test Calculus every semester.”
Being able to solve a problem in 5 minutes, this was pure bliss compared to before, when the first five minutes were always spent scratching her head.
She hurriedly woke from her dream, eager to experience the joy of becoming a Calculus genius.
But when she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was Si Ning Qing’s slightly pale face. Her breathing was light, her chest rising and falling gently.
Zhong Yao frowned. Ever since meeting Si Ning Qing on the street, she had felt that something was off about her.
She had always known that Si Ning Qing hid many things from her, but after living together for over ten years, they had developed an unspoken understanding.
Si Ning Qing wouldn’t speak unless she asked, and Zhong Yao wouldn’t pry. If she had asked sincerely, Si Ning Qing would have told her everything, but Zhong Yao didn’t want to force it, she’d wait until Si Ning Qing was willing.
Zhong Yao reached out and touched Si Ning Qing’s forehead, it was cool.
At that moment, she forgot all about Calculus. Sitting halfway up, she pulled the blanket back over Si Ning Qing, who had been kicked aside, then lay back down and closed her eyes.
In the dimly lit room, the two girls slept next to each other. Looking only at their faces, it seemed serene and peaceful, but anyone noticing the way they were tangled together beneath the sheets might be jolted back to reality in an instant.
When Si Ning Qing woke up, their lower bodies were intertwined: she hooked a leg around Zhong Yao, while Zhong Yao draped an arm over her waist, as if they could twist themselves into a single knot.
Si Ning Qing carefully removed Zhong Yao’s right leg from her waist, then gently released Zhong Yao’s left leg from between her own, moving slowly off the bed.
She tucked the blanket back over Zhong Yao, then went out to the living room.
Behind her, a tiny figure no bigger than a thumb trailed along, step for step.
Si Ning Qing sat down on the sofa, leaning back casually, her right leg draped over her left. She glanced at the little figure and spoke coldly: “Tell me, what’s going on?”
Dou Dou struggled up along the edge of the table and climbed onto the coffee table. Its eyes still showed a hint of fear as it explained: 【That police officer has accumulated a lot of merit points. After saving him, Zhong Yao could gain a lot, so I let her take action.】
【But don’t worry, Zhong Yao wasn’t hurt at all. She’s completely fine.】
Si Ning Qing gave it a sharp look, as if to say: Good thing Zhong Yao wasn’t harmed, or I’d have taken you apart.
“I don’t care what you predict, but the most important thing is to ensure Zhong Yao’s safety. From now on, gauge your limits. Wait until her abilities improve before letting her handle dangerous matters.” She rubbed her brow. “By the way, what did she allocate the merit points to this time?”
Dou Dou pointed at its finger: 【Calculus.】
Si Ning Qing’s mouth twitched, this was exactly the kind of thing Zhong Yao would do. “Let her be.”
Dou Dou nodded, turning to leave, then suddenly remembered something else: 【After the oil tanker explosion on Jian Zhuang Avenue a few days ago, the Investigation Bureau noticed Zhong Yao. Although I quickly tampered with the surveillance and all the written records, I still couldn’t stop them from continuing the investigation.】
【All the records tonight have been cleaned up as well. For the time being, they won’t be able to trace anything back to Zhong Yao.】
“The Investigation Bureau…” Si Ning Qing muttered, tugging at the corner of her lips. “Don’t take them lightly. They’re not easy to deal with. You should know that better than anyone.”
Dou Dou’s face instantly turned the color of raw liver, recalling its past dealings with the Bureau. It felt like it could spit blood.
It hesitated: 【So… should we keep hiding her from them?】
“Keep her hidden. Now is not the time for them to know.”
Reassured by this command, Dou Dou slid down the table leg and scuttled into Zhong Yao’s phone in the bedroom.
Si Ning Qing made a fist, covering her mouth to cough lightly, feeling a dull ache through her lungs.
She turned her gaze to the deep night outside the window, her expression unreadable.
The next morning, Lao Chen rode his bicycle into the Investigation Bureau and immediately saw Qiu Zhan Bin and Xing Chu, their faces as dark as coal, with terrifyingly large dark circles under their eyes.
He furrowed his brows. “What happened? Didn’t sleep all night?”
He thought about it, there hadn’t been any major cases recently. Why did these two look like they hadn’t slept for three days straight?
Xing Chu’s face darkened, his chest tightening with anger, though Qiu Zhan Bin, having endured more storms and hardships, had a stronger mental resilience.
He sighed and said, “Director, let’s go inside and talk as we walk.”
The three of them entered Lao Chen’s office. Qiu Zhan Bin carefully recounted the events of the previous night, from the strange girl showing up in front of the Investigation Bureau looking for Xing Chu, to the two of them repeatedly reviewing the Jin Yin Hua Garden surveillance footage, yet finding no trace of a third person.
Lao Chen paused mid-pour, tea in hand: “No third person?”
Qiu Zhan Bin’s breath caught. “According to the surveillance, only Xiao Chu and I entered Jin Yin Hua Garden and went into Xiao Meng’s home. If we hadn’t later called Xiao Meng to confirm, we might have started doubting our own sanity.”
Lao Chen gave him a disapproving look. The Investigation Bureau specialized in handling unnatural events, and as a senior officer, Qiu Zhan Bin joking about being “haunted” was somewhat inappropriate.
He asked, “The Jin Yin Hua Garden surveillance was tampered with, but what about the cameras in front of the Bureau? That girl took your car to Xiao Meng’s home. Did you check the car’s onboard surveillance?”
Qiu Zhan Bin nodded heavily. “We checked everything. No one else. Even at every intersection we passed, we obtained the footage, no sign of anyone else.”
Lao Chen furrowed his brows. “Meticulous, indeed.”
He paused, then poured a cup of tea for each of them. “Don’t rush. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Things will naturally fall into place.”
Qiu Zhan Bin looked surprised. “You have a solution?”
Lao Chen replied, “I heard that a few days ago the city police brought in a sketch artist. His work is stunning, and he’s played a crucial role in solving several major cases.”
Qiu Zhan Bin’s eyes brightened, understanding. “You mean… hire him to help?”
Lao Chen neither confirmed nor denied. He simply asked, “You remember what that girl looks like, right?”
Qiu Zhan Bin and Xing Chu exchanged glances. “Even if she turned to ash, we’d recognize her.”
Lao Chen nodded, satisfied. “I’ll handle contacting the sketch artist. He’s the city bureau’s prized asset. Getting him to act isn’t hard, the challenge is getting the bureau to agree.”
Xing Chu added, “Wouldn’t it be simpler to ask Meng Yu for help? He’s met that girl before, and his professional ability to piece together details from clues might make the task much easier.”
Lao Chen said, “Then let’s handle things separately.”
Meanwhile, Zhong Yao had no idea that some people had stayed up tirelessly searching for her. She slept until noon, waking naturally.
The curtains were drawn, blocking the harsh, blazing sunlight outside, leaving only a warm orange bedside lamp on to prevent the room from being too dark.
Si Ning Qing had long since left the room. Zhong Yao half-sat up and noticed a sticky note on her phone: Si Ning Qing had gone back to campus for her elective course final, and lunch had already been ordered for her, which would be delivered at noon.
Just as Zhong Yao set the note down, the doorbell rang crisply: “Hello, your lunch has arrived.”
She hadn’t even changed clothes yet, barefoot on the carpet, her messy, fluffy hair sticking out, but she went to the door and received the generously packed lunch from the delivery person.
Dou Dou, somehow having appeared, sniffed at the delicate pastries, then turned away, uninterested: 【Wash up and eat quickly, something’s come up.】