Chapter 90: The Refined and Transcendent Ding Ruoshui

Outside the detective agency, the door of a stylish little car swung open.

A beautiful woman stepped out. How could one describe her? Perhaps the glow of the sunset is the only fitting comparison. She possessed a poetic elegance, an air of transcendence beyond the reach of ordinary people. Even her car, though from an unfamiliar brand, reflected her unique charm; every detail bespoke refinement and grace. Lin Xiaosu felt, for the first time in his life, that a car’s prestige did not depend on the fame of its brand. This little car, whose name he had never heard and certainly wasn’t a renowned international make, parked beside a “Flying Drive” luxury model and instantly rendered the famous brand and local county’s high-end cars dull and ordinary by comparison.

But the car was not his focus. The person was.

The woman approaching was someone he’d seen a few times at the library, hardly even an acquaintance, yet upon her departure, she had gifted him a painting. Her final glance had been unusual, something Ruolan had noticed. He had used his ability to trace back through time and witnessed something extraordinary about her—a strand of her hair had floated up and struck a mosquito, bursting it into a cloud of blood. In Miao Ruolan’s dictionary, this was nothing short of a supernatural feat.

For his own safety, Lin Xiaosu had Long Night investigate her background with the “Dragon Eye.” He learned her name: Ding Ruoshui.

“The painter is here!” Miao Ruolan smiled softly. “I knew she’d come back.”

Lin Xiaosu nodded gently...

Ding Ruoshui pushed open the door to the detective agency and, with elegance, walked up to Lin Xiaosu. “Do you remember me?”

“I do! I received the painting you gave me,” Lin Xiaosu replied with a smile.

“I’m here today to entrust you with a case,” Ding Ruoshui said.

“Please, take a seat,” Miao Ruolan said, carrying a cup of tea.

“Thank you!” Ding Ruoshui took the cup, placed it on the table before her, and began outlining the case.

Her name was Ding Ruoshui, from River City. Her father, Ding Lizhong, was a shareholder and the technical director of Longevity Group.

Miao Ruolan sat behind the computer, having just completed a “Thousand-degree search,” and waves of shock surged through her heart...

Ding Lizhong, one of the three founders of Longevity Group—my heavens, can the Phoenix City Detective Agency really handle such a significant case?

River City was the provincial capital, and it too had detective agencies. Someone of her stature must have connections everywhere—why go so far out of her way?

Lin Xiaosu’s mind was also stirred. He knew her background; he just couldn’t reveal it yet. But Ding Ruoshui spoke openly, without the slightest reservation...

She continued.

This trip to Phoenix City was specifically to ask Lin Xiaosu to handle a case. It was very special, involving her father.

Her father, the technical director of Longevity Group, was not just a title-holder but a genuine researcher. His field was biochips, and after years of study, he had successfully bred three mutant spiders which he could remotely control to perform any task.

However, two months ago, something major happened.

A bizarre murder took place in River City.

A renowned business tycoon was killed in a villa by South Lake, the circumstances of his death highly unusual.

The tycoon’s family hired River City’s top detective, He Jiang, to solve the case.

He Jiang quickly focused on the mutant spiders. With police cooperation, he found the culprit: one of the three mutant spiders that only her father could control. The victim’s genetic material was discovered beneath the spider’s claws.

Mutant spiders committing murder—the evidence was irrefutable.

Her father became a prime suspect.

There were two reasons: first, the murdered tycoon was a competitor of Longevity Group, giving the group motive; second, the mutant spiders were still experimental, and only her father could remotely control them.

Yet her father was innocent. She, her mother, and her brother all questioned him repeatedly, and he insisted he had nothing to do with the murder.

From her knowledge of him, her father was not that kind of person!

When he first began researching this control technology, he told her that even if he didn’t pursue it, someone else would. Rather than letting such a dangerous tool fall into others’ hands, it was better for him to master it himself. Only by holding the pinnacle of this technology could he minimize the risks.

He would never become the man he despised most.

Lin Xiaosu had already sorted the chain of events in his mind. “Has your father been detained?”

“No. My father is a prominent and influential figure, and the police lack hard evidence to prove he remotely controlled the spiders to kill. So, he hasn’t been detained, just questioned multiple times. However, his research team was disbanded, and he’s been confined to his home. Worse, all external communications have been cut off, turning our house into an isolated island in River City.”

“Was the information blackout arranged by the police?”

“Unknown,” Ding Ruoshui replied. “It could be the police, or it could be Longevity Group.”

Lin Xiaosu and Miao Ruolan exchanged a look, both understanding the situation.

A murder suspect who was also a person of high social standing couldn’t be detained without solid evidence, but some form of control was necessary.

It’s easy to monitor ordinary people—just keep an eye on them. But Ding Lizhong was different; he had the unique ability to remotely control mutant creatures. No one knew if he’d bred more than three spiders. To cut off his ability to kill, all signals at his location had to be blocked, preventing any remote control.

No matter who was responsible—the group or the police—it was the right thing to do.

But would those confined accept it willingly?

“So you want me to investigate and clear your father’s name?” Lin Xiaosu asked.

“Yes,” Ding Ruoshui said.

Lin Xiaosu lifted his cup, his gaze slowly rising...

A scene unfolded in his mind...

It was in the ant nest on Mount Yuntai.

When they eradicated the nest, the first wave of attack came from chip-controlled creatures.

As previously mentioned, controlling creatures with chips is a completely different realm from controlling people. Controlling people is easy: you can threaten them with the chip’s explosive potential. Creatures don’t understand human speech or death threats; only direct brainwave connections work.

That was the terrifying aspect of biochip technology.

On their victorious return, Long Night told him this technology was still immature; among those who had advanced furthest, Longevity Group’s technical director Ding Lizhong was notable.

She even suggested, “You should investigate this case; Qianlong will pay you. The reward? One hundred thousand yuan, plus a beautiful woman.”

The hundred thousand was Qianlong’s commission; the beauty was Ding Ruoshui herself. Long Night wasn’t wrong—getting close to Ding Lizhong would likely require a connection with his daughter.

He hadn’t yet made plans to investigate.

But the young woman had come to him, inviting him in herself...

Ding Ruoshui’s clever eyes sparkled. “I know roughly what your agency charges. River City’s top detective, He Jiang, starts at two hundred thousand. I’ll pay you double! I’ll give you one hundred thousand as a deposit and settle the balance when the case is done.”

Miao Ruolan’s heart skipped a beat.

Zhou Xi, who had just returned from outside, blushed.

A single case—four hundred thousand!

Lin Xiaosu asked, “What counts as ‘done’?”

“If my father is innocent, his name is cleared. If he’s guilty, he’s brought to justice. Either outcome is ‘done.’ I accept any truth—I don’t want uncertainty or ambiguity,” Ding Ruoshui replied.

She sought only the truth—not necessarily her father’s acquittal.

This matched Lin Xiaosu’s own principles for accepting cases.

“Deal,” Lin Xiaosu said. “Ruolan, draft the agreement.”

“No need for an agreement or even a receipt!” Ding Ruoshui said. “Here’s one hundred thousand as a travel expense for your trip to River City, even if you find nothing. As for the balance, you can trust my character!”

She raised her ring, scanned the payment code before her, and with a chime, one hundred thousand yuan landed in the agency’s account.

Lin Xiaosu smiled. “Your character aside, your financial resources are clearly trustworthy! Let’s go…”

Ding Lizhong owned 12.5% of Longevity Group’s shares, with a net worth in the billions.

Four hundred thousand might seem astronomical to most, but to the Ding family, it was a mere drizzle.

Character had nothing to do with it.

They headed out, boarding the brandless car.

The engine started, and they left Phoenix City.

Zhou Xi’s gaze flickered. “Ruolan, who is she? Such presence.”

“Take a look!” Miao Ruolan turned her computer screen toward Zhou Xi.

Zhou Xi’s eyes widened. “My god, one of Longevity Group’s founders… Longevity Group… Has our agency become so famous? Even national executives are seeking us out.”

“It’s not the agency’s fame—it’s him. This beauty noticed him long ago, at the library.”

Zhou Xi’s eyes grew dreamy. “Ruolan, aren’t you worried?”

“About what?”

“If this beauty steals away your Lin brother?”

Miao Ruolan shot her a look. “What do you mean, ‘my Lin brother’?”

“Come on, stop pretending. I saw you yesterday…”

What?

Miao Ruolan’s cheeks flushed. “Don’t be ridiculous. Yesterday… yesterday was just training.”

“I know! Of course it was training! It had to be training!” Zhou Xi giggled. “Ruolan, do martial artists get so… excited during training that the bed breaks?”

Oh my god…

Training gets exciting—what kind of training was that?

It was hard to explain...

Miao Ruolan wanted to protest, and she had a reason to, but Zhou Xi hadn’t actually said anything specific—how could she argue? Wouldn’t that only make things worse?

Ding Ruoshui’s car was already on the highway.

The speed reached one hundred and twenty.

Yet inside, there was hardly a sound or any sense of vibration. Lin Xiaosu sat in the passenger seat, taking in all the details.

He increasingly felt this car was extraordinary.

He had ridden even the world’s top luxury car, the “Lawrence Phantom”—the wedding company rented it when he played a rich man. By his standards, this car’s comfort far surpassed the Lawrence Phantom, and certainly exceeded any car he’d ever experienced.