"Exactly, losing personal belongings means you’re not careful with your possessions. Why blame us?"
The security guard looked helpless. However, what the old woman said next sent a chill down Ren Yuanhao’s spine.
"Your surveillance system has been faulty all along. I’m telling you, I just came back from the wet market. Since I had some leftover vegetables, I set up a small stall in the usual spot to sell them cheaper to neighbors. But it was a bit early, not many people around. Just as I was about to pack up, a man wearing a thick hoodie walked over, saying he wanted to buy vegetables. He bought two cabbages and left. I didn’t pay much attention; there are too many residents in this complex, and I can’t possibly know all of them.
But then, as I was putting the money into my wallet, I realized my ring was gone. I remember it very clearly; the ring was on my finger when I was at the stall. The only person who had contact with me in between was this man in the hoodie. He must have stolen my ring! That’s why I asked the security guard to pull up the surveillance footage. But who would have thought that this man in the hoodie simply didn’t appear in the video at all!"
Cold sweat broke out on Ren Yuanhao’s forehead. He felt as if something invisible had settled on his shoulders.
—Holy crap? Is this like the Invisible Woman from the Fantastic Four?
He shook his head, thinking, damn it, ever since the system pumped the concept of superpowers into me, the whole world seems to have gone crazy.
Despite the whirlwind of thoughts in his mind, since he had already gotten involved, he had to provide a resolution. That was Ren Yuanhao’s principle.
"Uncle Security, can I see the surveillance footage?"
"Sure, it’s not private information."
The security guard subtly gestured towards the old woman’s ample figure. Ren Yuanhao immediately understood. After a round of earnest persuasion, he managed to free the security guard from his cramped space.
"Phew, let me catch my breath. I’ve already pulled up the surveillance video. Buddy, take your time and study it yourself."
The security guard, panting heavily, pointed to the paused frame on the large screen. Ren Yuanhao glanced at the time and then asked, "Auntie, when did you lose your ring?"
"About half an hour ago."
As the old woman leaned closer, Ren Yuanhao felt like a furnace radiating heat. His hands moved faster, and he quickly scrolled the timeline below the video to half an hour prior.
"Yes, around this time, that man should have walked over from the pedestrian walkway on the left, but~"
The video played forward for a full minute, and Ren Yuanhao still hadn’t seen the man in the hoodie that the old woman had described. Moreover, the surveillance camera was a bit far from the scene of the incident, and zooming in would only make the image more blurry.
However, Ren Yuanhao’s eyesight was far beyond that of ordinary people. From the surveillance footage, he did see the old woman seemingly beckoning someone. Unfortunately, after just a few seconds, the screen began to show static and horizontal bars. Although it affected the viewing, the man in the hoodie never appeared in the video at all!
—Holy crap? Am I seeing ghosts?
Ren Yuanhao, of course, didn’t believe in ghosts. He rewound the footage and started playing it again at 16x slow motion.
The frame-by-frame playback gave an extremely eerie feeling. What was even more terrifying was that sometimes, within the fleeting static or distorted lines, there was an illusion of an evil force interfering, much like in Western horror movies where places infested with evil inevitably experience magnetic field disruptions, abnormal weather, and unusual animal migrations.
However, Ren Yuanhao preferred to believe it was some high-tech anti-surveillance measure. Just as he was lost in thought and breaking out in a cold sweat, a peculiar frequency resonated and eerily plucked at his heartstrings!
—It’s an esper!
He held his breath, his face turning pale. The old woman also noticed Ren Yuanhao’s change in expression and said sternly, "What is it? Did you find something?"
Ren Yuanhao didn’t dare to tell the truth, so he merely shook his head dismissively. Even more bizarrely, after his heartstrings were plucked, the static or lines on the screen slowly began to form a tearing human shape!
This was not his hallucination. He believed that neither the security guard nor the old woman could see such a torn figure in the video. This was a resonance between espers!
—He must not be far away!
"Auntie, what did this man in the hoodie look like? Did you get a clear look?"
The old woman shook her head and said, "No. In short, this man gave me a very uncomfortable feeling. I mean, wearing such thick clothes on a hot day, he’s either crazy or a pervert."
"Then, how tall was he, and was he fat or thin?"
Since he couldn’t see the facial features, Ren Yuanhao at least wanted to know the height and weight.
"He was always hunched over, so I’m not sure of his actual height. However, I’d guess he’s about your height, maybe a bit thinner than you."
After speaking, the old woman began to wail and lament, "This is my family heirloom ring! Lost just like that. How can I face my ancestors?"
"Auntie, please don’t worry. May I boldly ask if this ring has any special origin or story?"
Although Ren Yuanhao didn’t believe in ghosts, he knew that espers wouldn’t steal external objects without reason. Moreover, if his power was indeed something like 'invisibility,' and he had countless ways to accumulate wealth, why would he bother stealing from this vegetable vendor?
The old woman seemed to fall into deep recollection. The stories of the ring, almost forgotten, flooded her mind like a tide. Now, she had to retell these strange and mysterious tales.
"Stories? Of course, there are. But will this help me find my ring?"
"I can’t guarantee it. After all, I’m not Sherlock Holmes." Ren Yuanhao needed to create an exit strategy for himself, while also hoping that no espers were lingering nearby, as that would affect his future actions. Seeing the old woman’s extremely disappointed expression, he added, "However, I will do my best to investigate. I know some friends in criminal investigation, they might be able to help me."
The old woman had only one daughter, who was in college. She was alone and helpless. Finally, someone was willing to help, so she naturally wouldn’t let this chance pass. She brought over a stool and began to recount those cliché stories.
"I remember when I was seven or eight years old. Our old home was a siheyuan built with mud brick walls. That ring was in my grandfather’s hand at the time. However, he was already bedridden then, lying there for over half a year. That year was particularly hot, so hot that many cicadas on the trees died. The shallow riverbanks that usually had water turned into dry, cracked earth. Of course, many people also died from the heat."