Chapter 109: Li Jiahang

 

Li Jiahang’s numerous misdeeds were all recorded in the files.

Although he hadn’t yet committed major crimes like murder or arson, offenses that would earn double-digit prison sentences, he had clearly skirted the edge of the law.

Xu Zhizhi wondered if Li Feng was completely unaware of this. Or did he know and simply choose to turn a blind eye to protect his child?

Most of those incidents had been dealt with, resolved or covered up, leaving no room to dig deeper.

Xu Zhizhi sighed regretfully and skipped over Li Jiahang’s details to review the files on others.

After finishing, she sighed again, disappointed at not finding new clues.

“I think the next step is for them to try to get me to steal the porcelain vase,” she said. That vase was worth 50 million Yuan. If Xu Zhizhi so much as reached for it, everything would take a drastic turn.

Qin Su frowned and, after some thought, said, “What if I enter the scene tomorrow as a family member?”

Xu Zhizhi agreed as it was a viable approach. Qin Su’s keen observational skills could help preemptively identify threats, leaving their adversaries with no moves to make.

Once filming wrapped, the ordeal would be over.

However, Qin Su’s leave wouldn’t last long enough to see it through. They would either need to find someone else or hope Qin Su could capture the culprits quickly.

The latter wasn’t easy, as they couldn’t intentionally tempt others into committing crimes.

Xu Zhizhi sighed, finding the situation tricky.

She had no intention of being honest with Li Feng, not only because of the system but also because people’s prejudices were like mountains. Unless the individual willingly lets go, no one can help them overcome those barriers.

Besides, the prejudice might not even be genuine.

Humans are masters of self-deception. Even if Li Feng knew she was a good person, would he abandon the system’s promises for her sake?

Be it due to his stance or human nature, Li Feng would never trust Xu Zhizhi.

The system and she were natural adversaries from the start.

The system would never cooperate with her because, compared to her, the system was the true born criminal.

Ordinary people and criminals were naturally at odds.

Arriving at this juncture was something predetermined from the beginning.

Xu Zhizhi reflected briefly before giving up on any thoughts of avoidance.

Qin Su, sensing her mood, pulled her into his arms. “Don’t think too much. Just treat him like the others you’ve sent to prison and don’t waste your energy trying to redeem them.”

Good-hearted people tended to overthink, Qin Su understood that all too well.

“I know,” Xu Zhizhi replied.

The next afternoon, Qin Su arrived on set under the guise of a visiting family member.

As they expected, Li Feng was visibly unwelcoming, subtly implying that Qin Su shouldn’t return after one visit.

Xu Zhizhi stared at Li Feng and nodded, agreeing not to take Qin Su there again.

Filming began in the afternoon and lasted into the evening, with the scenes being shot out of order.

For example, the daytime scenes focused on handing over the porcelain vase—specifically, exchanging the genuine vase for a counterfeit one. The nighttime scenes involved switching the vases and hiding the real ones for later retrieval.

The daytime scenes required subtle facial expressions to create a tense atmosphere.

As an example, the antique expert brought by the opposing side conducted a third inspection.

The inspection proceeded smoothly since, from the boss’s perspective, the porcelain vase still appeared genuine.

Wen Yang was tense because the vase had already been swapped for a fake one.

Fortunately, the expert completed the verification, and despite some minor hiccups, the vase passed.

Next came the moment to switch the two vases again. The swap was executed swiftly during a brief handshake when the boss turned away.

However, Wen Yang deliberately slowed down slightly, prompting the opposing side to request another inspection.

Wen Yang quickly produced another vase, and they demanded a fourth inspection.

The expert carefully scrutinized the vase again.

Everyone’s nerves were on edge. If they were caught, the opposing side wouldn’t spare anyone present.

When hesitation appeared on the expert’s face, the tension in the room reached its peak.

But unexpectedly, the situation was resolved without issue because Wen Yang had handed over the ‘genuine’ vase.

In the end, Wen Yang outsmarted the boss, whose face twisted in rage.

After the vase was taken away, the furious boss attempted to slap Wen Yang, but Wen Yang humbly admitted fault and proposed a ‘special punishment,’ which the boss agreed to.

In a later scene, Wen Yang exacted revenge on the boss by locking him in a room with two men of questionable character for an entire night.

Meanwhile, Wen Yang took the porcelain vase, valued at 50 million Yuan, and sold it to a wealthy buyer she had already contacted.

To avoid retaliation from the boss, Wen Yang fled abroad.

Filming the scene did not go smoothly for Xu Zhizhi. Li Feng criticized her for not being seductive enough. According to him, the boss only agreed to the punishment because of Wen Yang’s personal charm.

By the afternoon, the scene had been repeatedly reshot. Most of the crew felt Xu Zhizhi’s performance was more than captivating enough.

Her lowered gaze, combined with her provocative expression, caused everyone on set, men and women alike, to be momentarily entranced.

It became clear to the crew that the director was deliberately making things difficult for Xu Zhizhi.

Xu Zhizhi, however, noticed that the director’s intention wasn’t to target her specifically but to purposefully increase the number of takes.

Was it related to the system?

Unfortunately, since Xu Zhizhi was immersed in the role, she couldn’t fully grasp what was happening.

Qin Su was wearing a special camera, and during a break, Xu Zhizhi finally had some mental space to consider the situation while resting off stage.

“I think they’re collecting Malice Points,” Xu Zhizhi concluded after some thought.

Only by deceiving Li Feng into believing Malice Points were being accumulated could the system manipulate him into repeatedly requesting retakes of scenes tied to skill-based tasks.

It was the only way for the system to achieve its goal.

Qin Su picked up a pen and retrieved the notes he had taken the previous night, which recorded Li Feng’s behavior and goals.

Written there was, ‘His son’s recovery.’

“The system’s bait to Li Feng is the promise of his son’s recovery,” Qin Su said in a calm voice. “The repeated takes aim to harvest Malice Points. The system likely disguises itself as some high-tech, super-powered entity, deceiving Li Feng into collecting Malice Points while coercing you into committing crimes.”

“Exactly,” Xu Zhizhi sighed. “I just don’t understand what kind of benefits the system offered Li Feng to make him, someone so entrenched in the entertainment industry, believe it.”

She scoffed that with the system’s apparent stinginess, it must rely entirely on words to convince people.

Suddenly, Xu Zhizhi froze as realization struck. Could it really just be all talk?

Meanwhile, Li Feng, who was adjusting some equipment, sneezed unexpectedly. He paused and wondered if his son was thinking about him.

The thought of his son brought a smile to his face.

Ever since his son learned about the system and how doing good deeds could absorb Malice Points and exchange them for medicine to treat his condition, he had been more active.

His son could now eat properly and even allow his mother to take him outside to bask in the sun.

Their once-happy and healthy family was finally on the verge of being restored.

Li Feng’s eyes grew moist at the thought. His son, once an excellent student and perfect child, had become withdrawn and depressed after the accident that sent him tumbling down the stairs.

But once he was cured, his son would return to being that bright and wonderful boy, the flawless son he once was.

Li Feng’s gaze turned toward Xu Zhizhi’s resting area, a mix of complex emotions swirling in his eyes.

After a moment, his expression shifted, and a deep hatred emerged.

“System, that police officer beside Xu Zhizhi is her boyfriend, isn’t it? Hasn’t he noticed anything wrong with her?” The director awkwardly communicated with the system in his mind.

The system remained silent for a moment before responding.

[He has noticed, but he chose to collude with Xu Zhizhi. In the future, this police officer will also be sentenced to death for repeatedly helping Xu Zhizhi cover up her crimes.]

The system’s response was immediate, accompanied by detailed textual records of how the cover-ups occurred. The dates were conspicuously set in the future.

Li Feng’s expression twisted with disgust and disdain as he said coldly, “Someone like him is a police officer?”

[Please don’t have an idealized view of the police profession.]

Li Feng nodded in agreement. “With him protecting her, we’ll need to be extra careful in our actions.”

[He investigated you yesterday. Be cautious, and beware of retaliation if he finds out you’re targeting Xu Zhizhi.]

Li Feng froze in shock, his pupils constricting. “…Got it. Thank you for the warning.”

[It’s the duty of the Wish System. No need to thank me.]

Hearing the system’s voice, Li Feng couldn’t help but marvel at how thoughtful the system was.

The creators of the system must have genuinely wanted to bring more truth, goodness, and beauty to the world!

With infinite admiration in his heart, Li Feng felt even more resolute in his role on the righteous side.

***

As Xu Zhizhi finished her break, the sky darkened.

The current scene involves a theft, with only a few characters present; the security guards, company employees, and Wen Yang.

As a computer expert, Wen Yang’s first move was naturally to replace all surveillance footage to avoid detection after infiltrating the company.

Li Feng watched Xu Zhizhi skillfully simulate computer operations, a flash of contempt crossing his eyes. As the system had said, her skills were indeed formidable.

He had initially thought the rumors about her hacking abilities were exaggerated, used to embellish her character for the script. He now realized she truly had extraordinary talent.

Feng Jie noticed Li Feng’s expression and nearly rolled her eyes. If the situation allowed, she would’ve gladly slapped him across the face.

What was wrong with Zhizhi knowing computer skills?

There was nothing inherently wrong with her abilities! On the contrary, Zhizhi has used her skills to help many scam victims recover fraud amounts totaling billions of Yuan, saving hundreds of families.

The police had even called to thank her for her contributions!

If not for concerns about scam syndicates retaliating against her, her good deeds would’ve been known nationwide!

The problem never lies with the skills. It was always about how those skills were used!

Feng Jie glared furiously at the director, then turned to Xu Zhizhi, who was focused and fully immersed in her role.

Once again in character, Xu Zhizhi tried not to let herself fully immerse, but she noticed that lower levels of immersion reduced Malice Points gained. Maintaining Malice Points above 10 was truly challenging.

When fully immersed, Wen Yang, the darker side of Xu Zhizhi, reappeared.

Skillfully, she avoided security guards, unlocked the safety doors, and reached the twelfth floor of the boss’s office.

After pulling out a set of keys, she quickly unlocked the door. But the moment she entered, the office door suddenly reopened. Wen Yang’s heart leaped into her throat.

Quickly, she darted to the side and hid.

Just as she found a hiding spot, the lights switched on, and an assistant walked in.

The assistant was answering a call from the boss, who asked for a specific document.

Hiding behind the couch, Wen Yang crawled stealthily, adjusting her position to avoid detection as the assistant moved about.

Fortunately, the assistant didn’t notice her presence, picked up the document, and headed toward the door, preparing to leave.

However, as he reached the doorway, he stopped abruptly. “Wait, when I came in, was the door already open?”

Wen Yang, who had just begun to relax, tensed up again. She realized she hadn’t fully closed the door earlier and the assistant hadn’t unlocked the door when he came in. He had just pushed it open.

The assistant stood at the doorway while Wen Yang crouched behind a single sofa. If the assistant shifted his gaze slightly, he would spot her.

Her breathing quickened as she silently prayed that the assistant wouldn’t notice anything amiss.

Meanwhile, the assistant stood in place, scratching his head after a few moments of thought. “Maybe I forgot to lock the door when I left after work? Good thing the boss didn’t notice. I’d be in big trouble if he did…”

After mumbling to himself, the assistant turned off the light, exited the room, and locked the door.

Wen Yang let out a long sigh of relief. He was finally gone.

She slumped to the ground, shaken, but after a moment, she got back up and resumed her mission.

Pulling tools from her backpack, she approached the boss’s massive safe.

Inside the safe were the boss’s most valuable possessions, an exquisite porcelain vase and other gold and jade artifacts. Wen Yang didn’t know the lock combination but she did know how to pick a lock.

Recalling the lock-picking techniques she had seen before, she methodically used the tools she had prepared, carefully focusing on each step.

The filming aimed for realism, so the sequence was long and detailed, with the final footage to be edited later to emphasize key moments.

As Wen Yang worked on the safe, the set fell silent. Not a single sound could be heard.

Under the dim office light, her figure was partially illuminated, her chest rising and falling slightly, giving life to the tense scene.

After a while, a faint ‘click-click’ sound broke the silence. Using a copied fingerprint, Wen Yang successfully unlocked the final layer of the safe.

In the white light, a corner of a redwood box came into view. Inside laid a porcelain vase worth enough to purchase two properties in prime locations of a major city.

To Wen Yang, who wasn’t highly educated, the vase represented vast amounts of money.

Once converted into cash, it would secure her life forever.

Kneeling on the ground, she gently placed her hands on the sides of the box, carefully lifting it and setting it on the floor.

Opening the box, she revealed the exquisite porcelain vase.

Under the faint light, the vase’s intricate greenish-blue hue gleamed, its patterns lifelike and vivid.

Even without any appreciation for art, Wen Yang couldn’t help but acknowledge the antique’s elegance.

It was breathtaking, evoking a sense of timeless beauty.

Carefully, she removed a replica vase from her backpack and, with delicate precision, swapped it for the genuine one.

“Now, you’re mine,” she whispered greedily, gazing at the vase before placing it into her bag.

Satisfied, she smiled as she packed away the authentic vase.

Wearing gloves, she placed the fake vase back into the safe, closed it, and stood up to leave.

Despite a minor hiccup, everything went smoothly overall.

By the time filming wrapped, it was already 9 p.m.

The scene involved multiple takes, along with some interruptions, leaving everyone exhausted.

As Wen Yang’s backpack was removed, a look of reluctance crossed her face.

After the scene ended, Feng Jie immediately escorted Xu Zhizhi back to the rest area.

The director wanted to review the footage to see if anything needed reshooting that night.

Qin Su stood to Xu Zhizhi’s left, observing her state.

At that moment, Xu Zhizhi and her character Wen Yang were nearly indistinguishable.

Qin Su realized that Wen Yang’s acquisition of the porcelain vase had deepened her hold over Xu Zhizhi, further blending the two personalities.

He stayed close, not daring to let Wen Yang stray far from him.

The set was bustling but Li Feng caught sight of their interaction out of the corner of his eye. His brow furrowed slightly before his expression shifted into a confident smirk.

The crew turned on the large stage lights as bodyguards carefully handled the backpack containing the vase. They intended to place it back into the redwood box.

The backpack had been removed from Xu Zhizhi and the bodyguards gingerly carried it toward the area where the box was stored.

The redwood box wasn’t moved to the set due to the limited number of staff available on that side.

Xu Zhizhi had crafted the fake porcelain vase with distinctive internal markings to distinguish it from the real one.

Midway through the shoot earlier, a man and a woman arrived at the set to wait for Li Feng to finish work.

After the filming wrapped up, the woman pushed her son in a wheelchair toward Li Feng. The faint sound of the wheelchair wheels rolling over the floor caught the attention of many in the crew, who turned to look at the pair.

Those familiar with Li Feng knew about the incident that had left Li Jiahang in despair. It was said that he rarely appeared in public anymore. Seeing him now surprised many crew members, who greeted the mother and son warmly.

As the director’s son, Li Jiahang had unrestricted access to the set.

Perhaps without noticing, the two walked down a narrow passageway, directly facing four bodyguards. The confined space made it challenging for both parties to pass.

Both groups tried to give way by moving to the right but it resulted in an awkward standoff as they repeatedly stepped in the same direction.

The teenager, with his soft hair falling just above his brows and partially obscuring his pale, delicate face, looked apologetic. “Sorry about that. How about you move to the side first? It’s not convenient for us to give way with the wheelchair.”

The middle-aged woman pushing Li Jiahang wore light makeup, her face lined with wrinkles. She was dressed in simple, elegant clothing in soft, muted tones. Upon hearing her son speak, her hands tightened on the wheelchair handles, her expression filled with tension.

One of the bodyguards, carrying the backpack, nodded and moved to the side.

But after taking just two steps to the left, his foot caught on a small protrusion, causing him to stumble. He nearly fell to the ground.

A wave of panic washed over him. His scalp prickled, and every hair on his body stood on end.

At that moment, a strong hand reached out and grabbed his arm firmly, preventing him from falling.

“Ah… thank you,” the man stammered, shaken by the near miss. Realizing someone had caught him, he quickly steadied himself and stood upright.

His colleagues rushed over to support him, fearing another accident.

The teenager smiled at him. “No problem. Good thing I’ve been working on my upper body strength. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to catch you.”

The bodyguard breathed a sigh of relief, terrified of what could have happened. He quickly headed toward the redwood box, determined to finish his task.

The rest of the bodyguards followed closely, treating the situation as though they were on high alert.

Internally, they were relieved nothing had gone wrong. Although the backpack had anti-shock padding, an accidental drop could still have been disastrous.

They couldn’t help but grumble silently. They had wanted to swap out the backpack as soon as Xu Zhizhi was done with the scene but the director insisted she keep it on for the final take.

Thankfully, no real mishaps occurred. Otherwise, the director would’ve had a lot to answer for.

When they returned to the redwood box, the area was empty. The bodyguards carefully put down the backpack, donned gloves, and placed the porcelain vase back into the box.

The real vase had already been cleaned and removed earlier. Their task now was to secure the box and place it in the safe.

The safe was authentic and a transport vehicle would arrive at 10:30 p.m. to return the items. Once delivered, the security company’s job would be complete.

After locking the safe, the bodyguards collectively exhaled in relief.

Meanwhile, Xu Zhizhi waited for further shooting instructions.

Feng Jie noticed that Xu Zhizhi was still deeply immersed in her character and hadn’t snapped out of it yet, which made her more vigilant.

Qin Su, too, kept his gaze fixed on Xu Zhizhi, unwilling to look away for even a moment.

The tense atmosphere lingered until 10:10 p.m. Over an hour had passed and Xu Zhizhi remained in character.

She had almost managed to break free from her role but the director called for a reshoot of the lock-picking sequence, citing a continuity error in the previous footage.

Lock-picking was one of Xu Zhizhi’s character’s skills and filming the scene required her to generate malicious intent.

Once again, Xu Zhizhi slipped into her role and completed the scene.

When filming finally concluded, she returned to her normal state.

Li Feng, satisfied with the footage, waved her off, instructing her to wrap up, remove her makeup, and change out of her costume.

Xu Zhizhi had her own private dressing room. After the makeup artist helped her remove her makeup, she grabbed her clothes and entered the changing area.

In her mind, Wen Yang’s greedy and manipulative voice echoed, bombarding her with malicious thoughts.

Xu Zhizhi felt like she was being pushed to her limits.

Each time she fought back against the invasive thoughts, it seemed futile when compared to how easily she slipped into character again during the next scene.

Xu Zhizhi had a greedy smile on her lips, one that only Wen Yang could inspire, her eyes filled with a crazed desire. With such an expression, Xu Zhizhi stepped into the dressing room.

Qin Su couldn’t enter, and after some hesitation, Feng Jie gritted her teeth, opened the door, and went inside.

The dressing room was not small, about five or six square meters.

As soon as Wen Yang entered, she immediately noticed a backpack in the corner of the room.

Just as she was about to walk over, Feng Jie entered as well. Wen Yang quickly used her body to block her view, pretending to be casual while discreetly shielding the black backpack behind the dressing room sofa.

Her eyes shone with excitement because she was certain the porcelain vase was inside!

Greed consumed her rationality and Wen Yang was impatient to claim it as her own.

She glanced at Feng Jie several times, realizing halfway through changing clothes that her assistant was still there. Frowning, she said, “It’s hard for me to change with you watching. Go wait for me outside.”

Feng Jie was slightly taller than Xu Zhizhi and the room was small. She scrutinized Xu Zhizhi carefully.

She hadn’t initially noticed anything odd, but when Xu Zhizhi asked her to leave, her suspicion was aroused.

After scanning the room, Feng Jie’s eyes landed on the black backpack in the corner that Xu Zhizhi had intentionally tried to block.

By then, Xu Zhizhi had finished changing. She looked at Feng Jie again and repeated, “Go. Wait for me outside. I’ll be out soon.”

Feng Jie pressed her lips together, saying nothing. She reached out, grabbed Xu Zhizhi’s arm firmly, and then wrapped her arms around Xu Zhizhi, restraining her.

Caught off guard, Xu Zhizhi was carried out forcefully.

Feng Jie ignored Xu Zhizhi’s protests and avoided her gaze, controlling her every movement.

She demonstrated her physical strength and decisiveness.

Outside, Qin Su stood at the door as he watched Feng Jie tightly restrain Xu Zhizhi. The two exchanged a glance before walking quickly toward the makeup room’s exit.

However, before they could leave, panicked voices erupted from outside.

“The porcelain vase has been stolen!”

“Everyone, stay where you are!”

The chaotic shouting was followed by several people entering the makeup room.

Leading them was a security guard who gave the three of them a strange look before calmly announcing, “The porcelain vase is missing. The entire set is now on lockdown for a search. No one is allowed to move until further notice. Our team will inspect all areas.”

At first, Feng Jie didn’t understand the security guard’s odd expression. Then, she realized her awkward position. Her hands were still gripping Xu Zhizhi’s waist and arms tightly.

“Zhizhi isn’t feeling well,” Qin Su interjected smoothly, stepping forward to take over. He held Xu Zhizhi in his arms and pressed her head to his chest.

After being manhandled, Xu Zhizhi finally calmed down. Her sharp instincts told her that the backpack in the dressing room was a setup.

The bag was a trap set in her private changing room, likely with her fingerprints on it.

If anyone saw her holding the bag, she would have no way to clear her name.

Li Feng was truly ruthless.

Supported by Qin Su and followed by Feng Jie, the three of them sat on a sofa in the makeup room, waiting for the production team and security guards to finish their search.

It was 10:30 p.m. Xu Zhizhi guessed that the theft had been discovered during a pre-transport inspection when someone noticed discrepancies with the porcelain vase’s markings.

As she expected, the next step was a thorough search of the set.

Qin Su seemed to realize it as well. He held Xu Zhizhi’s hand and whispered in her ear, “Don’t worry. It’ll be okay.”

Xu Zhizhi’s intuition proved correct. Li Feng suggested searching every room.

With the guards brought in for transport, a total of seven security personnel began sweeping the set. They quickly reached the makeup room, searching every corner inside and out.

As expected, the guards found the black backpack beside the sofa in Xu Zhizhi’s dressing room.

After confirming the authenticity of the porcelain vase using its unique markings, the guards collectively sighed in relief.

The director, producer, and assistant director of the production team gathered in the makeup room.

Since the backpack was found in Xu Zhizhi’s dressing room, many subtle and judgmental glances fell on her.

Adding to that, Xu Zhizhi was known to have learned lock-picking skills in the past. Both Li Feng and the security guards looked at her with increasingly suspicious expressions.

“Ahem… Now that it’s been found, let’s put this matter to rest,” Li Feng said, glancing at Xu Zhizhi before turning to the head of security in charge of the porcelain vase’s protection.

The security captain surveyed the room with a slight frown. “No, this isn’t over. To steal the porcelain vase without anyone noticing is no small feat. Xu Zhizhi, I don’t care if you’re a celebrity or anyone else. The item was found in your dressing room. What do you have to say for yourself?”

Everyone’s gaze turned to Xu Zhizhi. She was known for her ability to pick locks and the stolen item was found in her private space. The security captain’s suspicion seemed reasonable.

At that moment, someone in the crowd remarked, “I remember Xu Zhizhi is the only one who has the key to her dressing room. She usually keeps the door locked and doesn’t allow anyone else inside.”

It was a privilege granted to Xu Zhizhi by the director, one shared by high-profile actors on set. Personal dressing and resting spaces were exclusive perks reserved for leading roles.

While the privilege typically benefited Xu Zhizhi, it now served as evidence against her, casting doubt on her innocence.