Twenty minutes earlier.
After successfully persuading the last petty thief to cooperate, Su Mo made his way toward Yongkang Supermarket.
By now, the sky was already bright.
In the narrow alleys of the old residential district, a number of elderly residents were out for their morning stroll.
A new day had begun.
As Su Mo walked, a series of system notifications started popping up in his mind.
[Host has assisted in capturing a thief. Points awarded: 20]
[Host has assisted in capturing a robber. Points awarded: 50]
[Host has assisted in capturing a fugitive. Points awarded: 100]
Clearly, quite a few criminals had been caught early this morning as they tried to sell off stolen goods.
Judging from the system's messages, this operation had turned up some big fish—
Not just petty thieves, but even fugitives!
What surprised Su Mo was that even the arrests made at those fence locations—the ones he'd uncovered through interrogation—also earned him points.
"Assisted?"
"Is it because those fence locations were revealed thanks to my interrogations?"
"Must be like collective merit or something..."
He walked on, lost in thought.
Apparently, he didn't need to personally catch a criminal to earn points.
Even if the reward for assisting was smaller, it would add up over time.
"Looks like after today, I'll have enough for another lottery pull."
A small smile crept onto Su Mo's face as the system's mechanics became clearer to him.
However, as he thought about the skills he'd drawn so far, his smile faded slightly.
"Well... the skills are kinda weird, sure."
"But still, they've been pretty useful in certain ways."
He thought about Cloud-Piercing Hand and Speech Master.
Bizarre as they were, both had proven to be incredibly effective in specific scenarios.
Better to have too many skills than too few. Learning them never hurt.
Unconsciously, Su Mo found himself accepting his quirky system—just a little.
And just as he pondered all this, he turned a corner into a narrow alley.
The alley was still mostly empty, with dawn only recently breaking.
Suddenly, the sound of rapid, panicked footsteps echoed from the far end.
A middle-aged man in a baseball cap was running in a hurry, glancing back frequently as if someone were chasing him.
Su Mo snapped out of his thoughts and instinctively looked up.
His pupils shrank.
Wang Meng!
There was no mistaking him.
Before the mission began, Su Mo had studied Wang Meng's photo thoroughly.
He hadn't expected to run into him so easily.
Almost reflexively, Su Mo's hand moved to his lower back—
Where his extendable police baton was tucked away.
In this narrow alley, he had a real shot at taking Wang Meng down!
But Wang Meng spotted him at the same moment.
His eyes narrowed coldly.
He wasn't sure if this young man was a cop,
But being cautious by nature, he didn't hesitate—
He drew a gun!
"Step aside if you don't wanna die!"
He didn't fire—he just growled coldly.
Compared to his elder brother Wang Hu, Wang Meng was much less deranged.
He only wanted to escape. Killing wasn't his goal.
If Wang Hu had been here, he would've shot first without a second thought.
Su Mo's scalp went numb as soon as he saw the black muzzle.
"Whoa, easy bro! Don't shoot—I'm just on my way to work!"
He immediately stepped back against the wall, raising both hands with a look of terror.
Just like any scared twenty-something.
Wang Meng relaxed slightly at the sight—
But still kept his gun trained as he passed Su Mo and kept running.
"Almost there… Once I reach the hidden safe house and change clothes, no one will find me."
Wang Meng quickened his pace, already thinking ahead.
But what he didn't notice was—
Behind him, that seemingly terrified youth now had a chilling gleam in his eyes.
As soon as Wang Meng turned around,
Su Mo drew his police baton and followed, silent and fast.
However, the sound of Su Mo's footsteps did alert Wang Meng.
He spun around, gun raised.
If it was that same kid—he'd shoot, no hesitation.
But when Wang Meng turned around—
Nothing.
Confused, he blinked.
Where'd the guy go?
What happened to the footsteps?
This alley wasn't that big—where could someone disappear to?
Just as his mind flooded with confusion—
A calm, almost amused voice whispered in his ear.
"Looking for me?"
Startled!
Goosebumps exploded down Wang Meng's spine.
He hadn't sensed a thing. Someone had gotten behind him, and he never noticed.
And judging from the voice, it was that same kid!
How had he circled around?
How had he gone completely unnoticed?
Wang Meng had turned the moment he heard footsteps—he should've seen him!
Terrified, he wanted to turn and check, but—
It was too late.
The instant that voice came, a wave of searing pain tore through his body.
It felt like a sledgehammer had crushed his skull.
As darkness took him, Wang Meng's final thought was—
"How can a baton hit hurt this much?!"
[Host successfully captured armed fugitive. Points awarded: 500]
Su Mo didn't even glance at the system message.
His gaze was focused on the panel, on a particular skill.
[Blunt Strike: While holding a melee weapon, you are subconsciously ignored by others.
Attacks from behind deal 200% additional damage.
This is a very powerful skill. So… care for a hit, kid?]
At first, Su Mo hadn't thought much of Blunt Strike.
He'd even felt Cloud-Piercing Hand was more practical.
But now, having used it—he realized just how insane it was!
When Su Mo started running earlier, Wang Meng should have noticed.
But Blunt Strike had an effect—
Anyone with a weapon in hand is subconsciously ignored.
That's why Wang Meng didn't react instantly.
By the time he heard footsteps, Su Mo was already behind him—
And had mirrored his movement perfectly.
So when Wang Meng turned around, there was no one there—just empty air.
"As expected… the system wasn't lying when it labeled this a 'powerful skill.'"
Su Mo praised it silently.
He had underestimated it.
It didn't even require a baton—
Any weapon worked. Even a gun.
200% bonus damage and subconscious stealth?
That was a sniper's dream skill!
"Maybe I've got what it takes to be a sniper after all."
He stroked his chin, smugly pleased.
Of course, that was just wishful thinking.
It wasn't like he'd ever lay hands on a real sniper rifle.
"Eh?"
"Right—I need to report this!"
He glanced at the unconscious Wang Meng and snapped out of his thoughts.
No time to waste.
He grabbed his radio and began to transmit the message.
Little did he know—
This report would leave Chen Yumin and the others utterly shocked!
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