My childhood friend is in her mature, sophisticated form again today. - Chapter 4

The next morning, when Lin Jiqiu came downstairs, A Zuo was already behind the counter.

Several printed sheets of paper were laid out in front of him, and a brand-new ID card was placed next to him. Ah You came out of the kitchen carrying two cups of tea, placing one cup next to Ah Zuo and the other next to Lin Jiqiu’s usual seat.

“Good morning, boss,” Ah You greeted. “Noodles or porridge today?”

“noodle.”

“Okay!”

Ah You turned and went into the kitchen, her steps light and quick, as if nothing had happened last night.

Lin Jiqiu walked to the sofa and sat down, picking up the cup of tea and taking a sip. The water temperature was just right, neither too hot nor too cold. He glanced at A Zuo, who then brought the things from the table over and placed them in front of him.

“The fake identity is ready,” A-Zuo said. “Name: Lin Qiu, age: nineteen, university student. ID card, student ID, social media accounts… everything is prepared.”

Lin Jiqiu picked up the ID card and looked at it. The face in the photo wasn’t his current appearance, but that of a strange young woman—black hair, pretty, and seemingly harmless.

“Did you generate this face yourself?” Lin Jiqiu asked.

“Hmm.” A-Zuo nodded, “We used your previous appearance as a base and adjusted some features. It’s different from your current appearance, but the style is similar.”

“Similar styles?”

“Black hair, slim, and about the same height,” A-Zuo said. “That way, you won’t have to exert too much effort when you transform; minor adjustments will suffice.”

Lin Jiqiu put down his ID card and then flipped through the other documents. Student ID, library card, and even a gym membership card—the details were very well done.

“Not bad,” he said.

A-Zuo’s expression didn’t change much, but there was an almost invisible curve at the corner of his mouth.

Ah You brought the noodles out of the kitchen and placed them on the coffee table. The scallions were sprinkled evenly, the noodles were the perfect thickness, and the broth was crystal clear.

“Boss, eat it while it’s hot.”

Lin Jiqiu picked up his chopsticks and took a bite.

“tasty.”

Ah You’s eyes lit up: “Really?”

“Um.”

Ah You chuckled twice, turned around and went back to the kitchen, his steps lighter than before.

A-Zuo glanced at Lin Jiqiu and lowered his voice: “Actually, it’s just so-so.”

Lin Jiqiu’s lips twitched slightly, but he did not answer.

——

After finishing her noodles, Lin Jiqiu went upstairs to change her clothes.

He stood in front of the mirror, looking at the young man’s face reflected in it.

Today I will become a different person.

No, not “another person”—it’s “another possibility”.

He closed his eyes and let his abilities flow naturally.

His bones were cracking slightly, his muscles were rearranging, and his skin was changing texture. He had gone through this process countless times; it was as natural as breathing.

But this time it’s different.

This time, he made himself into a “non-existent person”.

She has black hair that reaches her shoulders, not her waist. Her features are delicate, but not strikingly beautiful. Her height has decreased from 1.78 meters to 1.68 meters. She is on the thin side and looks like the kind of well-behaved girl who is “academically good, gentle, and easily persuaded.”

He opened his eyes and looked at the person in the mirror.

Not that face that looks like “if she were a girl”.

It’s a face born for a mission.

“Lin Qiu.” He—she—whispered the name once.

The sound was a bit higher than usual, but still relatively low, with a unique quality.

She checked herself in the mirror—the photo on her ID card matched her face perfectly. A-Zuo was well-prepared.

She changed into the clothes she had prepared: a white T-shirt, light blue jeans, and white canvas shoes. Her hair was tied in a low ponytail, and she wore no makeup—a nineteen-year-old college student shouldn’t be too polished.

When she came downstairs, Ah You was wiping the table.

Hearing footsteps, he looked up and dropped the rag in his hand to the ground.

“Boss…?”

“Um.”

Ah You stared at her for three seconds, then suddenly bent down to pick up the rag, turned around and continued wiping the table, but his ears turned red.

“What’s wrong?” Lin Jiqiu asked.

“N-nothing,” Ayou’s voice was a little tense, “It’s just…it’s the first time I’ve seen you like this.”

Didn’t we talk about that yesterday?

“Saying something and seeing something are two different things…”

A-Zuo didn’t react much, but he looked up at her and nodded: “Okay. It matches the ID photo.”

Lin Jiqiu walked to the counter, picked up her phone, and sent a message to Cheng Ran:

[Ready. Lin Qiu, nineteen years old, university student.]

The reply came a few seconds slower than usual.

I saw it.

Lin Jiqiu’s lips twitched slightly as he looked at those three words.

Is there a problem?

【No.】

Why did you reply so slowly?

The response was even slower this time.

【look in.】

Lin Jiqiu didn’t ask any further questions. She put her phone in her pocket and picked up the backpack that A Zuo had prepared—it contained a change of clothes, toiletries, and the fake ID card.

“I’m leaving,” she said.

“Be careful, boss,” A-Zuo said.

“Boss, come back soon!” Ah You poked his head out from the kitchen, his hands still dripping wet.

Lin Jiqiu pushed open the door, and the wind chimes tinkled.

——

She didn’t go directly to the meeting point, but went to Cheng Ran’s place first.

The apartment door was, as usual, ajar.

She pushed open the door and went in. Cheng Ran was sitting in front of the computer. On the screen was a satellite map of the suburban area, densely marked with various information.

He didn’t turn around.

But Lin Jiqiu noticed that his fingers paused on the keyboard for a moment.

“Here I am,” he said.

“Um.”

Lin Jiqiu walked over to him and looked at the map on the screen.

“This area,” Cheng Ran pointed to the location of the three buildings, “is nominally a farm, but the registration information is fake. The actual ownership has changed hands three times, and the final owner cannot be found.”

“Where’s the surveillance footage?”

“There’s a camera at the intersection, but it can only capture license plates, not faces.” Cheng Ran switched to another screen. “However, I’ve placed a few miniature microphones nearby that can pick up sound.”

When was it put up?

“Last night. I had the vulture bring it.”

Lin Jiqiu glanced at him.

The vulture did go out for a while last night, but she thought it was just patrolling at high altitude. She didn’t expect Cheng Ran to have it carry something with it.

“How did you get it to carry that?”

“Your clone obeys my commands,” Cheng Ran said calmly. “I told it to fly over with the microphone in its mouth, put it down, and come back. It did as I said.”

Lin Jiqiu imagined a goshawk carrying a miniature microphone flying through the night sky and found it somewhat amusing.

“Will it listen to you?”

“Maybe it’s because it thinks I’m one of its own.”

Lin Jiqiu did not respond to this.

She looked at the satellite map on the screen and mentally went over the route.

“Where is the meeting point?” she asked.

“A gas station on the outskirts of the city.” Cheng Ran pulled up another coordinate. “A bus will come to pick you up at 10 a.m. After you arrive, someone will check your identity and then collect your phone.”

“Collecting your phone?”

“Yes. They say it’s for ‘focusing on the experience,’ but actually it’s to cut off contact.”

Lin Jiqiu nodded.

She took out the spare phone that A-Zuo had prepared—a very old model with no location tracking, no social media apps, and only basic call and text messaging capabilities.

“I put this in a hidden compartment in my backpack,” she said. “Can it be tracked?”

“Yes,” Cheng Ran said. “I wrote a small program that sends a location signal every hour. The signal is very weak and won’t be detected by regular devices.”

“good.”

The two were silent for a few seconds.

Cheng Ran suddenly spoke up.

Are you nervous?

Lin Jiqiu thought for a moment.

“I’m not nervous,” she said, “just a little…”

“What’s up?”

“I can’t explain it.”

Cheng Ran did not ask any further questions.

He turned around, took a small item from the drawer, and handed it to her.

Lin Jiqiu took it; it was a metal piece the size of a button, very thin and light.

“What’s this?”

“A locator,” Cheng Ran said. “It’s attached to the inside of your clothes, and it provides a real-time signal. It’s more stable than the one on a cell phone.”

Lin Jiqiu looked at the little thing, then at Cheng Ran.

When did you do it?

“last night.”

“All night?”

“Um.”

Lin Jiqiu attached the locator to the inside of her collar and pressed it down to make sure it wouldn’t fall off.

“Is there anything else you need to tell me?” she asked.

Cheng Ran remained silent for a few seconds.

“If you’re discovered,” he said, “don’t try to tough it out. I’ll know immediately.”

How did you know?

“Your heart rate, body temperature, and respiratory rate,” Cheng Ran said. “The communicator will transmit this data back. If any one of these indicators is abnormal, I will know.”

Lin Jiqiu looked at him.

“Have you been monitoring this all along?”

“During missions,” Cheng Ran looked away, “not normally.”

Lin Jiqiu did not expose him.

“Then I’m leaving.”

“Um.”

She walked to the door and glanced back.

Cheng Ran had already turned back to stare at the screen, as if the conversation had never happened.

But Lin Jiqiu noticed that his fingers stopped on the keyboard again.

She smiled, pushed open the door, and went out.

——

10:00 AM, a gas station in the suburbs.

A white bus was parked on the side of the road, with the words “Rejuvenating Growth Camp” and its logo printed on the side. The door was open, and a young woman in business attire stood at the door, holding a tablet computer.

Lin Jiqiu got out of the taxi carrying an ordinary backpack.

She walked to the bus, and the young woman looked up and sized her up.

“Lin Qiu?”

“Um.”

“Let me see your ID card.”

Lin Jiqiu handed over his ID card. The young woman scanned it on her tablet, verified the information, and then nodded.

Did you bring your phone?

“I brought it.”

“Hand it over. You can’t use your phone during the camp, and it will be returned to you afterward.”

Lin Jiqiu took out the spare phone from his pocket—not the one in the inner pocket, but another, older one, specifically used for “handing over”.

The young woman put the phone into a sealed bag, labeled it with the words “Lin Qiu”.

“Get on the bus and find a seat.”

Lin Jiqiu got into the car.

There were already seven or eight people on the bus, all young women who looked to be between sixteen and twenty-two years old. Some were looking out the window, some were lost in thought, and some were talking in hushed tones.

Lin Jiqiu found a seat by the window and put her backpack on her lap.

She turned her head and looked out the window.

Cheng Ran’s voice came through the earphones, very softly, only she could hear it.

“They’re inside?”

“Mmm,” Lin Jiqiu replied in a voice only she could hear.

How many people are on the bus?

“Currently, there are eight.”

“It is estimated that there will be a total of twelve to fifteen.”

“Um.”

The bus waited another ten minutes before a few more people boarded.

The last person to board the bus was a girl with pigtails, who looked about sixteen or seventeen years old. As soon as she got on, she looked around with curiosity and excitement in her eyes.

She sat down next to Lin Jiqiu, turned around, and greeted her with a smile: “Hello! Is this your first time participating too?”

“Mm.” Lin Jiqiu nodded.

“Me too!” The girl’s eyes sparkled. “My name is Xiaoyi, what’s yours?”

“Lin Qiu.”

“Hello Lin Qiu!” Xiao Yi put her backpack down at her feet, leaned closer and whispered, “Don’t you think this growth camp is mysterious? They didn’t even tell us the address, saying we’d only find out when we got there.”

“Yeah, a little.”

“I think it’s so exciting!” Xiao Yi said with a smile, “It’s like an adventure.”

Lin Jiqiu looked at her, and the corners of her mouth curved slightly.

“Yes, it’s like an adventure.”

The car door closed.

The bus started up, drove out of the gas station, and headed towards the outskirts of the city.

Cheng Ran’s voice came through the earpiece: “The car has moved. I’m tracking it.”

Lin Jiqiu leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

She could feel the spare phone vibrating in the backpack’s inner compartment—every hour, it would emit a faint beep, which was the location signal being transmitted.

She could also feel the metal piece inside her collar—it was very light, almost imperceptible, but its signal kept sending out, telling Cheng Ran where she was.

“Take a nap,” Cheng Ran said. “I’ll wake you when we get there.”

Lin Jiqiu did not answer.

But she really closed her eyes.

The bus traveled along the highway, and the scenery outside the window changed from the city to the suburbs, and from the suburbs to farmland.

Some of the girls on the bus were chatting, while others were playing on their phones—those whose phones hadn’t been confiscated yet would have them taken away once they reached their destination.

Xiao Yi was flipping through a magazine next to her. After flipping through a few pages, she put it down, leaned back in her chair, and started to doze off.

Lin Jiqiu observed everyone in the car out of the corner of his eye.

The women were mostly between seventeen and twenty years old. They were dressed simply, looking like children from ordinary families. Some looked expectant, some looked nervous, and some looked calm—like her.

One of the girls sat in the last row by the window and didn’t say a word the whole time.

She appeared calm, but Lin Jiqiu noticed that her hands were trembling.

It wasn’t the kind of trembling that comes from nervousness.

It’s fear.

Lin Jiqiu remembered the girl’s face.

The bus drove for forty minutes before turning onto an unnamed country road.

Lin Jiqiu looked out the car window—she recognized this road; the bluebird had flown by it last night.

The tire tracks are still there.

The bus bumped along, passing the house, the farmland, and a dry riverbed, before finally entering an area surrounded by trees.

Three buildings came into view.

It’s the same as what Qingque saw last night.

The compound wall was very high, topped with barbed wire. There was a guard booth at the entrance, with a person sitting inside. The main gate was iron and closed. After the bus arrived, the guard pressed a button, and the gate slowly opened.

The bus drove in.

The car door opened, and the young woman got out first and stood at the doorway.

“We’ve arrived. Everyone, please get off the bus. Take your luggage and follow me.”

The girls got off the bus one after another.

Lin Jiqiu was the last one to come down.

She stood in the courtyard, looking around.

Three buildings arranged in a U-shape. In the middle is a small plaza, paved with tiles and decorated with several potted plants. It looks very neat, clean, and even a little cozy.

If she hadn’t overheard that conversation last night, she might have thought—this is just an ordinary growth camp.

“Lin Qiu!”

Xiao Yi waved to her from a distance.

Lin Jiqiu walked over.

Standing next to Xiaoyi was the girl sitting in the last row—the girl whose hands were shaking the whole time.

“This is Xiaoyu,” Xiaoyi introduced. “She came alone too, let’s come together!”

Xiaoyu glanced at Lin Jiqiu and forced a smile.

“Hello.”

“Hello.” Lin Jiqiu looked at her. “Is this your first time here?”

“Mmm.” Xiaoyu nodded, her voice very soft.

“Me too. Let’s go together.”

Xiaoyu glanced at her and nodded.

The three girls followed the group inside.

Cheng Ran’s voice came through the headphones again.

“They’re inside?”

“Um.”

“careful.”

Lin Jiqiu did not answer.

She followed the group into the building and into the place where the curtains were drawn tightly shut.