Night deepened.
Jade Manor was a well-known high-end residential area in East City.
Building 3, Room 2202.
Su Wan looked up and counted the floors, confirming the window where the lights were on.
Her perception spread out silently, like an invisible net covering the entire area.
The locations of surveillance cameras, the security patrol routes, the number of night shift staff...
In the past, Su Wan wouldn't have paid attention to these things at all. With her current strength as a Level 3 Ability User, she could do whatever she wanted and ensure she wouldn't be discovered.
But ever since she realized that Blue Star was not as simple as she had thought, she had become increasingly cautious. She had to ensure she left no traces behind.
Having scouted everything, Su Wan didn't enter through the main gate, nor did she even approach the residential area’s perimeter wall.
She circled to the side of the complex, where there was a dense ornamental grove separated from the residential area by a three-meter-high iron fence.
Three meters.
For a Level 3 Ability User, it was no different from stepping over a threshold.
Su Wan took two steps back, ran, and jumped—
Her body was as light as a swallow. With a light push of one hand on the top of the fence, she vaulted over and landed steadily on the lawn inside the complex, silent upon impact.
She didn't linger. Using the green belt for cover, she quickly approached Building 3.
The unit door had an electronic lock that required a card swipe to enter.
Su Wan stood by the door, her perception passing through the access control system and probing the internal circuitry.
Then, her mental power, like an invisible needle, accurately pierced the access control module.
“Click.”
The door opened.
Su Wan pushed the door open and entered, gently closing it behind her.
There were cameras in the elevator, so she naturally wouldn't take it.
The fire exit door was ajar; she slipped inside and walked up the stairs floor by floor.
Room 2202.
Su Wan stood before the door. Her perception spread out once more, passing through the thick security door and into the interior.
It was a two-bedroom, one-living-room layout.
The decor was exquisite, with warm tones and furniture arrangements that showed signs of being meticulously maintained.
The television was on in the living room, playing some variety show.
On the sofa, a woman was curled up in a corner, clutching a throw pillow. Her gaze was on the TV screen, but her eyes were clearly vacant; her mind was obviously not on the program.
Zhao Mengting.
Thirty-two years old, well-maintained with delicate features. She wore soft loungewear and had long hair draped over her shoulders, looking several years younger than her actual age.
Her state was somewhat preoccupied.
Su Wan’s perception lingered on her for two seconds, confirming there were no anomalies, then continued to probe further.
Master bedroom, second bedroom, kitchen, bathroom...
No one else.
Only her.
Good.
Su Wan’s mental power spread through the security door, like a wisp of light smoke, slowly approaching Zhao Mengting’s head.
Then—
A light touch.
Zhao Mengting’s gaze instantly became vacant, and her body slumped softly against the side of the sofa, falling into a deep sleep.
Su Wan withdrew her perception and took a pair of gloves as thin as cicada wings from her storage space.
The material was special; wearing them would leave no fingerprints.
She had exchanged for these in the System Mall previously for just such an occasion.
Gloves on, Su Wan refocused her attention on the door lock.
A six-digit electronic code lock.
The corners of Su Wan’s mouth curved slightly.
Her perception probed inside the lock, following the signal paths on the circuit board to find the chip storing the password.
The data stream appeared in her consciousness as strings of jumping numbers.
After a few seconds, she locked onto the correct code.
Su Wan’s finger tapped the touchscreen a few times.
“Beep—”
An extremely faint prompt sounded, and the indicator light on the lock turned from red to green.
She pressed the handle and pushed open a gap soundlessly.
In the living room, the sound of the variety show became a bit clearer.
Su Wan slipped inside and gently pulled the door shut behind her.
She was in no hurry to reveal herself.
Instead, she stood where she was, her gaze crossing the living room to rest on the figure curled on the sofa.
Su Wan stepped out from the shadows of the foyer and approached the sofa.
Zhao Mengting was lying on her side, breathing evenly with a peaceful expression, completely oblivious to her surroundings.
Su Wan looked down at her, her eyes devoid of much emotion.
She reached out and lightly pressed her hand against Zhao Mengting’s forehead.
Her mental power, like invisible tentacles, slowly probed into the depths of Zhao Mengting’s consciousness.
Memory images unfolded in her mind one by one like a movie.
Starting from the moment Zhao Mengting and Bai Chengye met—
At a company annual meeting, Zhao Mengting was a clerk at a certain firm and attended the gathering due to work.
Bai Chengye attended as a representative of a partner company. The two had a brief conversation in a corner of the banquet hall.
At that time, Zhao Mengting was young and beautiful, while Bai Chengye was successful, mature, and steady.
A few pleasantries, a look, a business card handed over—
The story followed naturally after that.
Bai Chengye’s calls, asking her to dinner, giving her gifts, taking her to high-end venues.
Zhao Mengting soon quit her job and moved into an apartment Bai Chengye rented for her, later moving to this place in Jade Manor.
Over four years, she had transformed from an ordinary clerk into a canary kept in a cage by her benefactor.
The memory images continued to flow.
The frequency of Bai Chengye’s visits, the things he said, the gifts he gave, every little detail of their time together—
There was plenty of scandalous dirt that couldn't see the light of day, but none of it was related to the Su family.
Although Bai Chengye relaxed in front of her, he never said a single word about anything truly core.
Su Wan withdrew her mental power and looked at the sleeping Zhao Mengting, her brow furrowing slightly.
What this woman knew was all peripheral information.
Regarding the Bai family, that piece of land, or the truth about the mastermind—
She knew nothing.
But that didn't matter.
She hadn't expected to learn the truth from Zhao Mengting anyway; this woman was merely a springboard.
A springboard to reach Bai Chengye.
Su Wan withdrew her hand, stepped back, and faded into the shadows of the foyer again.
Then, with a slight thought—
Zhao Mengting’s eyelids fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes.
She blinked in confusion, sat up, and rubbed her temples.
“How did I fall asleep...” she muttered softly, picking up her phone to check the time.
9:47 PM.
She had slept for less than five minutes.
Zhao Mengting yawned and, without thinking much of it, picked up the throw pillow and turned her attention back to the TV screen.
The laughter from the variety show echoed in the living room.
She didn't notice that less than three meters behind her, a figure stood silently, like a ghost blended into the darkness.
Su Wan’s mental power spread out once more.
This time, it wasn't for probing.
It was for control!
“Pick up your phone and call Bai Chengye.”
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