Whether the surveillance would malfunction, Ren Yuanhao didn't know. However, that guy had already been identified as an ability user. Even if he didn't possess a perverted ability like invisibility, he could at least generate a specific frequency band, similar to an interference device, capable of disrupting specific equipment.
The problem was that Ren Yuanhao had offended the system girl before. With her as a know-it-all, everything would be much easier.
The sun was setting, casting a golden hue on the greenery in the residential area. The sky above appeared ablaze, and golden light spots refracted off the glass windows of the city buildings, creating varying degrees of dazzling golden glints.
Ren Yuanhao got up to leave. Since the person who stole the ring had been identified as an ability user, his whereabouts couldn't be surmised using conventional logic.
The streets were already bustling with traffic. Various street vendors were pushing their goods, wandering through alleys to find suitable spots to set up. Night was falling, and some elderly people strolling to escape the heat were slowly heading towards the park. As it was Saturday, the snack shops were already packed, with the aroma of cooking wafting into the twilight sky like dissipating smoke.
Perhaps it was the overwhelming sense of everyday life that better concealed the specific frequencies of an ability user. Ren Yuanhao held his breath and concentrated, still unable to detect any suspicious frequency bands. He looked around; the passersby seemed like ghouls walking in a ukiyo-e painting rendered in colorful dots.
The lines were infinitely simplified, contorted as if they were mere dust motes.
Ren Yuanhao had had this thought more than once: ability users mixed with ordinary people, concealing their identities through their jobs. As long as no accidents occurred, perhaps they would also prefer to live ordinary lives.
Accident?
Ren Yuanhao felt as if he had grasped a point to extend his thoughts, and this point quickly unfurled a winding path in his mind. He stepped onto it without hesitation, his mind churning like a tumultuous ocean.
As an ability user, anything that didn't threaten life itself probably couldn't be considered an accident. And the hoodie-clad man's attire was already bizarre enough. In such scorching weather, that kind of outfit was bound to attract attention from passersby. What kind of situation could make an ability user walk around dressed so strangely, risking being stared at?
Ren Yuanhao's mind was in turmoil. He thought of a possibility—the threat of illness or death.
The only thing that could drive an ability user to take such desperate and peculiar actions was this option. If it were due to a chronic illness, such as a sensitivity to cold, then where would he most likely be now?
Ren Yuanhao looked around. Just then, a truck filled with bread turned diagonally into the street in front of him at the intersection.
Bread? A bakery?
His gaze suddenly brightened, and his body trembled. His eyes followed the direction from which the truck had come.
That’s right, he recalled that to the east of the residential area, there was a large bakery. It not only sold puffed snacks but also various exquisite cakes. If that ability user was indeed sensitive to cold, the bakery would be a good place to hide!
Having made up his mind, Ren Yuanhao wasted no time. He walked against the flow of people, winding through streets and alleys, and soon arrived at a cake shop with the playful words 'Nanguo Xiaowu' written on its signboard. Below the sign, lush green foliage resembling candy adorned the area, and brightly colored cake models were scattered like snowmen in the spaces between the large characters.
At this moment, the shop was crowded, not due to booming business, but because some kindergarten children, led by their teachers, were touring the cake-making process.
"Too bad there are so many people, it's hard to make a move."
Ren Yuanhao squeezed into the shop, his heart pounding. The staff were all busy interacting with the children and had no time for casual customers like Ren Yuanhao. Of course, he wasn't here to buy anything, which made it convenient for him to find the bakery.
The shop had a facade spanning four units. The leftmost unit was essentially a children's play area. A place as potentially dangerous as a bakery would definitely not be located in that direction.
Ren Yuanhao looked to the other side. The far left was a cake-making workshop with transparent glass, and inside, there was a door painted golden yellow. Some children were watching the cake chefs create delicious and exquisite cakes.
Unfortunately, the door to the cake workshop was not open. Forcing his way in would inevitably cause unnecessary trouble.
Just as Ren Yuanhao was feeling a headache, the golden door suddenly opened!
A man, dressed in a long-sleeved single garment and wearing cotton and linen gloves, his entire body seemingly wrapped in fabric, emerged from within, bending over and carrying some raw materials. With just that glimpse, Ren Yuanhao could almost be certain that this man was the hoodie-clad man who had stolen the old lady's ring!
He found it difficult to explain why, much like how in love, you don't know why you suddenly fall for a particular girl at a certain moment. It was an inexplicable feeling, a special frequency that existed only among ability users!
Similarly, the man looked towards Ren Yuanhao following his gaze. Their eyes met, unavoidable, like two fierce beasts encountering each other in the wilderness, where only the brave would emerge victorious.
"Beep beep, hey, kid, you know you're in danger!"
The system's voice echoed through his skull, unexpected, filled with reproach, but Ren Yuanhao could clearly feel the system girl's concern.
"It seems you're not unwilling to talk to me, miss. I misunderstood you."
"This isn't the time to talk about that, hurry up and leave!"
"But I promised that old lady..."
"What nonsense are you spouting? Do you want to get these young children killed because of your promise?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"You've come here so brazenly, what do you think he will think?"
Cold sweat trickled down Ren Yuanhao's back. He immediately recalled the fate of ability users: plunder and being plundered, with no third option. Under such a survival rule, he could imagine how the other party would react!
He immediately came to his senses from the conversation in his mind, withdrew his gaze, and hurried out of the cake shop. But just then, several children, about four or five years old, playing in the play area, suddenly burst into tears. Everyone turned to look. The children's mothers rushed over without a moment's hesitation. However, in an instant, the lights in the entire cake room flickered twice and then went out.
The situation escalated rapidly. Flashing blue arcs of electricity snaked towards the crying children like vipers. Ren Yuanhao didn't think much further. As he rushed, he applied the Flying Dragon Plucking Cloud Hand to its extreme, moving like a butterfly weaving through flowers, using his exceptional eyesight to navigate through the crowd. Just as he was about to reach the play area, a white lightning bolt, moving even faster than him, lifted two boys out.
However, the crying did not stop. Ren Yuanhao looked up and saw a little girl trapped at the top of the slide. Perhaps out of fear, she crouched down. Just as the arcs of electricity were about to engulf her!