Chapter 121: Intruder

“The good thing is we now know the motive behind the ‘Zodiac’,” Qi Xia remarked. “Could this be considered getting a hold of their weakness?”

“This…” Officer Li shook his head with a troubled expression. “If this contract is genuine, then it’s indeed possible.”

“What do you mean?”

Officer Li pointed to clauses five through ten in the contract and said, “The contract states that it only has four categories, meaning these clauses shouldn’t exist in it. Could it be that the contract has been altered?”

“Exactly,” Qi Xia nodded. “But that’s not too strange, is it? You can conjure cigarettes out of thin air, so I can also understand words appearing on the contract out of nowhere.”

“Your understanding is a bit too accommodating,” Officer Li sighed helplessly. “Why can’t I grasp it like you do?”

“According to the contract, if the ‘Human Sheep’ sees more than four clauses, it proves he’s mentally unstable,” Qi Xia mused for a moment before adding, “But judging by the situation, we can also see more than four clauses, so it’s unrelated to mental clarity. It’s possible that ‘Heavenly Dragon’ is using this tactic to eliminate the Human Sheep.”

“But the Human Sheep was suspicious… so instead of tearing up the contract, he kept it on him?” Officer Li asked.

Qi Xia turned around, a faint smirk on his lips. “Officer Li, your understanding is pretty accommodating too.”

“Don’t tease me,” Officer Li shook his head. “I studied proper criminal investigation—interrogation, forensic examination, searches, seizures—none of those skills are of much use here.”

“Let’s keep this contract a secret for now… until we find another ‘Echoer’ we can trust,” Qi Xia folded the contract and slipped it into his pocket.

Officer Li nodded, burying the matter in his heart for the time being.

“By the way,” Officer Li took out four “Dao” from his pocket. “Qi Xia, take these.”

“Give them to me?” Qi Xia didn’t reach for them and instead shook his head. “Officer Li, we’re part of ‘Paradise’ now. They want us to risk our lives, so they should be the ones providing ‘Dao.’ Keep these four for emergencies.”

“Then you keep them for emergencies,” Officer Li insisted. “You’re better at using ‘Dao’—they multiply in your hands, while they’d just go to waste with me.”

“Hmm…” Qi Xia pondered for a moment before taking one “Dao.” “How about this: If I took them all, it’d definitely stir discontent among the ‘moral experts’ in the group. Last time, I gave you one—this time, I’ll take one back. Consider it even.”

Officer Li could only sigh in resignation and agree to the arrangement. The two then turned and headed back to the school building.

Inside the brightly lit school, Qi Xia felt an inexplicable sense of security.

It was the feeling of living among “people.”

Faint rustling sounds still came from the distant road—it seemed the “bugs” were already on the move.

But they instinctively avoided this place. The larger the group, the safer they were. If those bugs intended to do anything reckless, “Paradise” wouldn’t have been able to maintain its presence so openly for so long.

By the time they returned to the room, most had already fallen asleep.

Officer Li and Qi Xia exchanged a glance before finding spots to lie down. Soon, snores filled the air.

Qi Xia casually checked on Han Yimo’s condition, then closed the classroom door and placed a plastic lighter on the doorknob.

After finishing these precautions, he went to a corner, ate a few bites of the heated canned food, and sat down on a chair.

Since arriving in this godforsaken place, this was the first time he could sleep soundly without worry.

Half-asleep, Qi Xia closed his eyes.

An indeterminate amount of time later, a barely audible sound reached his ears, and his eyes snapped open.

The sound of the lighter hitting the concrete floor was even quieter than the chirping of insects outside, but Qi Xia rarely allowed himself deep sleep, so even the slightest disturbance would wake him.

The bonfire had completely died out, plunging the room into darkness. It took Qi Xia a few seconds to make out his surroundings.

In the dark, someone had opened the door and entered.

At first, Qi Xia thought it was a teammate going to the bathroom late at night. But if that were the case, the lighter would’ve fallen long ago—meaning this was the first time the door had been opened tonight.

With that realization, Qi Xia counted the eight shadowy figures lying in the darkness, confirming his suspicion.

Apart from himself, there were eight people lying down and one standing.

Who was the one standing?

Qi Xia sensed something was wrong. He remained silent and checked his pockets, only to find he had no weapon to defend himself.

The shadow slowly approached one of the sleepers and bent down to examine them.

If Qi Xia remembered correctly, that was Lin Qin lying there.

“Does someone have ill intentions?”

Qi Xia rose slowly, moving silently.

The intruder had been careless—he hadn’t expected someone to be sitting awake the entire night.

The figure reached out, stroked Lin Qin’s hair, then leaned in to inhale her scent before moving to another person.

Qi Xia paused, observing quietly.

The shadow stopped next to Han Yimo. This time, he didn’t touch him—he simply stood there in silence for a while.

Just as Qi Xia frowned in confusion, the figure moved again, this time toward Officer Li. Officer Li’s loud snores continued uninterrupted, oblivious to the presence beside him.

After a few seconds of hesitation, the shadow muttered something almost inaudible: “Strange.”

Then he took a few steps, as if searching the room for something.

Meanwhile, Qi Xia remained just a few paces behind him, mirroring his movements while staying out of sight.

The shadow began inspecting the room, and Qi Xia kept a steady distance, always three to five steps away.

For now, the intruder hadn’t done anything outright wrong. If Qi Xia subdued him now, he’d have no justification.

What if the person was from “Paradise,” just checking if everyone was comfortable?

Or what if he claimed he’d entered the wrong room?

As the saying goes, “To catch a thief, you need evidence.” Qi Xia could only watch cautiously, ready to act at any moment.

After scanning the room, the shadow rubbed his chin in confusion, then counted the eight sleeping figures again.

A moment later, he froze in place.

Qi Xia’s brow furrowed slightly—something was wrong.

If this person knew the group well, he’d realize one was missing.

With that thought, Qi Xia immediately turned to close the door.

At the same time, the shadow spun and bolted.

Both lunged for the door at once. Qi Xia knew it was too late to shut it, so he reached out to grab the intruder—but the man twisted away effortlessly.

“Smart enough to flee immediately… not an idiot.”

Qi Xia hesitated only a second before shouting, “Stop!”

The yell echoed through the entire school building.

If others woke up, the shadow would have nowhere to hide.

Without hesitation, the figure sprinted down the hallway. Qi Xia was only a few steps behind.

Just as he reached out to grab him, Qi Xia saw the shadow leap mid-stride.

Before he could process it, his foot caught on something, and he was sent flying forward.

The intruder had laid a tripwire in advance!

Watching the figure vanish around the corner, Qi Xia knew the situation was dire. Ignoring the pain, he quickly considered his options before rushing back to the classroom. The others were beginning to stir.

“Qi Xia, what happened?” Lin Qin asked worriedly.

“Someone broke in!” Qi Xia yanked open the window and vaulted into the courtyard.

Qiao Jiajin’s expression darkened, and he immediately followed.