My childhood friend is in her mature, sophisticated form again today. - Chapter 3

As darkness fell completely, Lin Jiqiu came down from upstairs.

He changed into a dark-colored outfit, something lightweight, close-fitting, and unlikely to make a sound. A-Zuo was closing the door, and A-You was washing dishes in the kitchen, the water gurgling.

“I’m going out for a bit,” Lin Jiqiu said.

A-Zuo turned around and glanced at him: “Alone?”

“one person.”

“Does Brother Cheng know?”

“I told him.”

A-Zuo nodded and didn’t ask any further questions. He closed the last window and drew the curtains. A-You poked his head out from the kitchen, his hands still dripping wet: “Boss, want some food?”

“Need not.”

“Then… bring a clone?”

Lin Jiqiu glanced at him.

Ah You chuckled twice: “I just think it’s always good to bring a few more helpers.”

Lin Jiqiu did not answer, but pushed open the door and walked out.

The night breeze was a bit chilly. There were few pedestrians on the street, and only a few shops had their lights on. He walked along the street for a while, then turned into a small alley and stopped under an old locust tree.

Close your eyes.

He first surveyed his surroundings—no one was there, no surveillance cameras, and it was perfectly quiet.

Then he released his clone.

Three shadows emerged from the darkness.

The first one, small and light, landed on his shoulder—a bluebird. Its bluish-gray feathers gleamed faintly under the streetlights, its head tilted, its black bean-like eyes sparkling.

The second one, long and silent, slid out from the corner—Amo. Its pure black fur almost blended into the night, only its golden eyes flashed briefly in the darkness.

The third one, larger in size, silently descended from the treetop—a golden eagle. A raptor with a wingspan of one and a half meters, dark brown feathers, and sharp eyes, it perched motionless on a horizontal branch of the old locust tree.

Lin Jiqiu opened his eyes and looked at the three clones.

“Qingque, go scout ahead first,” he said softly. “Amo, follow Qingque and keep your distance. Cangjiu, scout from the air, don’t get too close.”

The bluebird chirped, flapped its wings, and flew away, disappearing into the night.

Amo followed silently, like a black ghost.

The eagle spread its wings and glided into the night sky almost without making a sound.

Lin Jiqiu took out his phone and sent a message to Cheng Ran.

[The clones have already set off. Azure Sparrow, Amo, and Azure Vulture.]

The reply was quick: “Received. I’m checking the security footage. I’ll notify you if anything happens.”

Lin Jiqiu put away her phone, leaned against the tree trunk, and closed her eyes.

He wasn’t looking with his eyes.

He was seeing with the eyes of a clone.

——

The bluebird flew at the very front.

Through its vision, Lin Jiqiu saw the suburbs at night. Streetlights were sparse, the road was full of potholes, and large tracts of dark farmland stretched out on both sides.

It’s very fast. The bluebird’s flight speed far exceeds that of ordinary birds, which is what makes it special as a “clone”—it doesn’t need to conform to biological laws, it only needs to meet Lin Jiqiu’s needs.

Fifteen minutes later, Qingque arrived at the nameless country road.

The daytime tire tracks were still there, but they were no longer visible in the darkness. The bluebird lowered its altitude, flew close to the ground for a while, and then landed on the roof of the house.

Amo had arrived first, crouching in the shadow of the courtyard wall, his golden eyes fixed on the van.

Through Amo’s vision, Lin Jiqiu saw that the car hadn’t moved. It was in the same position and in the same state as during the day.

The person is still alive.

A golden eagle circled high in the sky, taking in the entire area within a kilometer radius. Farmland, houses, paths, the national highway in the distance… nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

Lin Jiqiu thought for a moment and gave Qingque a new instruction: Go into the courtyard and take a look.

A bluebird flew down from the roof and landed on the rearview mirror of the van. The yard was quiet, without lights or sound. It hopped to the ground and darted through the crack in the door.

The door gap was narrow, but the bluebird was small enough to squeeze in.

The room was dark. Lin Jiqiu adjusted Qingque’s vision—it was enough to see clearly in the dark, though not perfectly.

The living room was the same as it had been during the day: a table, cups, an ashtray, and cigarette butts.

There was also a closed door.

The bluebird flew to the doorknob and tried to turn it—it was locked.

Lin Jiqiu frowned.

He told Qingque to peek through the crack in the door—it was dark inside, and they couldn’t see anything, but they could smell a strange odor. It was hard to describe; it smelled a bit like disinfectant, and a bit like some kind of herb.

He wrote down this information.

The bluebird returned the way it came, slipped through the crack in the door, and flew into the courtyard.

Just then, the lights upstairs suddenly came on.

Through Qingque’s vision, Lin Jiqiu saw a dim yellow light shining from the second-floor window. The curtains were drawn tightly, so he couldn’t see inside, but he could hear people talking.

The sound was muffled and the content was unclear.

A bluebird flew to the windowsill and listened intently.

“…Are there new students tomorrow?”

“Hmm. Three.”

“Is the information ready?”

“Ready.”

“Same as always, collect the phone first, then sign the agreement.”

“clear.”

Lin Jiqiu’s brows furrowed even more.

Three new students.

Collect the phone. Sign the agreement.

This doesn’t seem like the typical process of a growth camp.

Qingque wanted to hear more, but the door downstairs suddenly opened.

A man came out, stood in the courtyard, and lit a cigarette.

The firelight flickered in the darkness, illuminating the face of a middle-aged man. Ordinary, unremarkable, he would have been completely overlooked in a crowd.

The bluebird huddled in the shadows of the windowsill, motionless.

The man took a few puffs of his cigarette and looked up at the night sky. A hawk flew just overhead, its wingspan a meter and a half, like a silent ghost in the darkness.

The man didn’t notice.

After he finished smoking, he threw the cigarette butt on the ground, stomped it out, and turned to go back inside.

The lights went out again.

Everything returned to quiet.

Through Amo’s vision, Lin Jiqiu saw the man’s footprints—he remembered them. Maybe they’d be useful, maybe not, but he’d remember them anyway.

He told Qingque and Amo to stay nearby for a while longer to see if there was any other movement.

The vulture continued to circle high in the sky.

——

In the office, Ah You had finished washing the dishes and was sitting on the sofa, lost in thought. Ah Zuo was still organizing documents, his fingers slowing down as he typed on the keyboard, as if he was pondering something.

“Ah Zuo,” Ah You suddenly spoke up, “Do you think the boss will have a smooth time this time?”

A-Zuo didn’t look up: “I don’t know.”

Can’t you give me a more positive prediction?

“The positive prediction is that the boss is very capable. Brother Cheng’s support is also very strong.” A Zuo finally looked up at him. “But we don’t know the situation of our opponents yet. So all we can say is, we don’t know.”

Ah You sighed and leaned back on the sofa.

Ahua suddenly appeared out of nowhere, jumped onto his lap, and curled up into a ball. Ayou looked down at her and reached out to scratch her chin.

“You’re the most worry-free,” he muttered. “No need to look up information, no need to wash dishes, no need to think about anything.”

Ahua yawned, indicating her agreement.

——

Cheng Ran sat in front of the computer, staring at the data stream on the screen.

He hacked into the surveillance system at that intersection on the outskirts of the city and retrieved footage from the past week. Then, using his own recognition program, he filtered through all the vehicles that passed through that alley.

The program ran very fast, producing results in less than ten minutes.

In the past week, seven cars have passed that intersection and turned onto that unnamed alley.

Seven vehicles.

Three of them were buses.

Cheng Ran organized the data and sent it to Lin Jiqiu.

Then he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

Perception unfolds in the darkness, like an invisible net.

He could sense everyone in the building—the elderly couple downstairs were watching TV, the young people next door were playing games, and the girl upstairs was on the phone.

Sound, temperature, vibration, smell… all kinds of information flooded into his consciousness like a tide.

He needs to learn to filter, to ignore, and to shrink himself down to a single point, otherwise he will go crazy.

This is something he has been learning since he was a child.

His senses only calmed down when he thought of Lin Jiqiu.

It’s not completely shut down, but rather—it’s reached a perfect state.

Not too many, not too few.

Just in time, I was able to sense Lin Jiqiu’s presence.

Cheng Ran opened his eyes and looked at the last message Lin Jiqiu had sent him on his phone.

The clone has already set off.

He thought for a moment and replied with:

Be careful. Don’t let Amo run too far; his reaction will chill you to the bone.

——

On the outskirts of the city, under an old locust tree.

Lin Jiqiu’s lips twitched slightly when he saw Cheng Ran’s reply.

Amo’s fur is pure black, almost invisible in the dark. However, Amo’s body temperature is lower than that of a normal feline, which makes Lin Jiqiu feel a little cold when it returns to its body.

Cheng Ran even remembered this.

He put away his phone and continued to sense everything around him through his clone.

The bluebird had emerged from the courtyard and landed on the roof, surveying the entire area. Amo crouched motionless in the corner, like a black sculpture. A vulture circled high above, its view expansive.

Lin Jiqiu mentally reviewed the data Cheng Ran had sent him.

Seven cars, three of which were buses.

If each bus carries fifteen people, that’s forty-five people.

Forty-five girls.

One of them is Cheng Yu.

He took a deep breath to calm himself down.

We can’t rush things now.

He needs more information.

He made the bluebird fly further away.

The night wind was a bit strong, and the small bluebird struggled to fly. Lin Jiqiu felt the resistance—the wind hitting its wings; the 40% feedback also put some pressure on his shoulders.

The bluebird flew over the farmland, over a dry riverbed, and over a grove of trees.

Then, it saw it.

light.

It wasn’t the dim, yellowish light of a residential building, but rather—the lights from several buildings.

As the bluebird descended, Lin Jiqiu was able to see the entire area through its vision.

Three buildings surround a courtyard. The courtyard wall is high, topped with barbed wire. There’s a security booth at the entrance, with lights on. Several cars are parked in the courtyard, including two buses.

The building was lit up, and the curtains were drawn tightly, but you could still hear sounds—the voices of many people talking, and music playing.

Lin Jiqiu had Qingque memorize this location.

Then he made the bluebird fly back.

He opened his eyes, took out his phone, and marked the location on the map.

It’s about three kilometers from that nameless country road. In a more remote area, hidden by trees, it’s completely invisible from the road.

This is the real “Rejuvenating Growth Camp”.

The address on the flyer is fake, the house is fake, only this place is real.

Lin Jiqiu sent Cheng Ran a message:

[Found it. The real campsite is here.] Coordinates attached.

The reply came almost instantly: “Received. I’ll check the real estate information for that area.”

Also, three new students are expected to arrive tomorrow.

Cheng Ran did not reply immediately.

After about ten seconds, a message came back: 【You want to go in?】

Lin Jiqiu looked at the message and remained silent for a few seconds.

Go in? Of course we should go in.

But in what capacity should one enter?

He thought for a moment and replied:

We’ll talk about it tomorrow.

Then he withdrew his clone.

The bluebird landed back on his shoulder, and the vulture swooped down from the sky, landing silently on a branch. Amo slid out from the corner of the wall and squatted at his feet.

Lin Jiqiu reached out and patted Amo’s head. Amo’s ears twitched, and it narrowed its golden eyes.

“You’ve worked hard,” he said softly.

Amo wouldn’t answer, but Lin Jiqiu knew it understood.

He stood up and walked back to the office along the alley.

——

It was almost midnight when I got back to the office.

A-Zuo was still sitting behind the counter, A-You was asleep on the sofa, A-Hua was curled up on his lap, and A-Ju had come down from upstairs at some point and was lying down next to A-You’s feet.

Lin Jiqiu pushed open the door and came in; the sound of the wind chimes startled Ayou awake.

“Boss! You’re back?”

“Um.”

A-Zuo looked up at Lin Jiqiu: “Found it?”

“Found it.” Lin Jiqiu walked to the sofa and sat down. “The real campsite is further inside, hidden by the woods.”

Ah You sat up straight, and Ah Hua meowed in dissatisfaction before jumping down.

“What about tomorrow?” A-You asked.

Lin Jiqiu thought for a moment.

“Tomorrow,” he said, “I will go in as a new trainee.”

Ah Zuo and Ah You exchanged a glance.

“You?” Ayou looked him up and down. “You don’t look right now, do you? They’re recruiting female students.”

Lin Jiqiu remained silent.

Ah You paused for a moment, then understood.

“Boss, you mean… you want to become a woman?”

“Um.”

The room was silent for two seconds.

Ah You opened his mouth as if to say something, but then closed it again.

A-Zuo’s expression didn’t change; he simply nodded and asked, “What do we need to prepare?”

“Identity documents,” Lin Jiqiu said. “I need a fake identity, female, between eighteen and twenty years old.”

“I’ll take care of it,” A-Zuo said. “Get it done before tomorrow morning.”

“good.”

Lin Jiqiu stood up and went upstairs.

When they reached the top of the stairs, Ah You suddenly spoke.

“boss.”

“Um?”

“…What would you look like if you became a woman?”

Lin Jiqiu did not turn around.

You’ll find out tomorrow.

He walked up the stairs, his footsteps fading into the distance.

Ah You watched his retreating figure and scratched his head.

“Ah Zuo, do you think the boss would look good as a woman?”

A-Zuo had already started working, without even looking up: “I don’t know.”

“Can’t you have a little curiosity?”

“Not curious.”

“…You’re really boring.”

A-Zuo did not answer, but there was an almost invisible curve at the corner of his mouth.

Ah You sighed, picked up Ah Hua, and went upstairs to sleep.

The lights in the office went out one by one.

Only the light from A-Zuo’s computer screen remained lit in the darkness.

——

Meanwhile, in the suburbs.

In one of the rooms of those three buildings, a young girl sat on the edge of the bed, looking out at the dark night sky.

She didn’t know where she was.

During the day, she can still see the sun and know her general direction. But at night, everything is unfamiliar.

My phone has been taken away. I can’t make calls, send messages, or contact anyone.

She only knew one thing—tomorrow, new people would be coming.

She didn’t know what those people would go through.

But she hoped they would be luckier than her.

Outside the window, the shadow of a bird flashed by.

She paused for a moment, then rubbed her eyes.

When I looked again, there was nothing there.

“I must have seen wrong,” she muttered to herself.

She lay back down on the bed and closed her eyes.

Tomorrow will be another new day.