Chapter 3

"This is the 'peeping tom' you mentioned."

Yingying briefly analyzed the data: "Ronan, 16 years old, enrolled at Zhixing Academy on September 1st this year. His admission scores were average, and his elementary and middle school teachers gave him no standout evaluations, making him seem quite ordinary."

Xie Junping was only concerned about one thing: "So, he's unlikely to be a 'paparazzo' or something like that?"

Yingying didn't respond directly, continuing her analysis: "What's more noteworthy is that his guardian is listed as his aunt. As for his parents, I checked, and his mother died from complications during childbirth, while his father went missing a long time ago. Strange, do people still die from childbirth complications these days?"

"You mean..."

"His upbringing was rather special, which might have made his personality a bit peculiar. We need to observe him further. Now, open your vehicle's permissions and turn on all the surveillance systems. I want to observe in sync."

Xie Junping immediately complied. Not long after the data synchronization, Ronan's figure, jogging at a steady pace, appeared at the top of the overpass.

It was just dawn, and the distant figures were very blurry. Fortunately, the "Phantom" flying car's surveillance system, professionally modified, had strong detection and anti-detection capabilities. Xie Junping's discovery of being "peeped" was also due to the car's AI brain's automatic alert.

Xie Junping observed the "peeper's" every move through the surveillance system but couldn't discern much at first.

However, Yingying had already reached a preliminary conclusion: "Congratulations, sheep, we can basically rule out that he's specifically targeting you."

"Huh?"

"Did you hear his breathing?"

Through the surveillance system's powerful sound wave collection and filtering functions, it could clearly reproduce the low whispers from fifty meters away, including the clear breathing of the jogger.

"Uh, that 'buzzing,' is he panting?"

"Does it sound like a bee? It's probably a special breathing technique, along with a unique way of speaking. The specific effects are unclear, maybe it doesn't work at all. His lung capacity is just slightly better than average. But he's very focused. Look at his eyes, that gleam, tsk tsk... A sneaky peeper wouldn't be so dedicated to exercise after committing a crime, right?"

Xie Junping's tension finally eased, and he couldn't help but smile.

But in the next moment, as Ronan descended from the high point of the overpass, he suddenly turned his gaze, seemingly making eye contact with Xie Junping through the surveillance system.

With the one-way film shielding, it was impossible to see inside the car from the outside, but Xie Junping was still startled.

"Did he spot us?"

"Your Phantom is too conspicuous, and he's more sensitive than we thought."

Yingying seemed intrigued: "He definitely noticed, but his expression barely changed. He's not the type to show emotions on his face. Such people usually have many thoughts and are quite calculating. But he can maintain focus, indicating strong willpower. By the way, speaking of willpower, I just made an interesting discovery. Do you want to hear it?"

Xie Junping, watching Ronan approach, was too preoccupied with how to handle the situation to have the leisure to listen.

But Yingying didn't care, continuing on her own:

"According to the school records, Ronan's home address is in the Lanwan Community of He Wu District, nearly forty kilometers in a straight line from Zhixing Academy. If he takes the low-altitude bus or subway, it's not far, but running here is a daily marathon! Based on his lung capacity, breathing method, and muscle structure, running once is like peeling a layer of skin. If he does it every day... wow, that's quite self-torturous."

"Damn!" Xie Junping felt his scalp tingle just thinking about the energy expenditure.

Yingying continued her analysis: "From the above, he's generally not impulsive. He won't rush to make decisions without clear information. But if you give him a bad impression or make him feel threatened, the consequences are unpredictable... Get out of the car now."

"Huh?"

"Did you come here just to watch him run? Please, that's like saying you have 'interests' in him. Get out of the car and talk to him. Aren't you always boasting about being a 'socialite'? Or are you just a 'sheep'?"

Knowing it was a provocation, no man would willingly lose face in front of a woman. Xie Junping took a deep breath, patted his face to wake up a bit from his hangover, and then opened the "Phantom's" butterfly doors, stepping out.

Now, he was face-to-face with Ronan.

They were about forty meters apart. Xie Junping, adopting the demeanor from his student council campaign, waved to Ronan from a distance as a greeting.

Through the built-in earpiece, Yingying's voice echoed in his mind: "Very good, looking the part. Pay attention, don't put on airs. Your current image should be that of a shameless, somewhat degenerate, but straightforward playboy. Also, be more honest; he's smarter than you think."

Xie Junping felt like he was back during his campaign, similarly guided by his staff to manage his image in front of voters. Fortunately, Yingying's requirements weren't difficult, almost like his natural performance.

He saw that Ronan had slowed down, looking straight at him, his expression still unreadable, and showing no intention of responding, making him hard to fathom.

Xie Junping decided to take the initiative, stepping forward a few paces: "Excuse me, I'd like to talk to you."

As they closed the distance to within ten meters, Ronan nodded in acknowledgment: "Senior Xie."

Xie Junping's heart skipped a beat, reflexively asking: "You know me!"

Yingying's dissatisfied voice sounded: "Don't panic!"

At the same moment, Ronan replied: "On the 24th, I attended the club introduction seminar you hosted."

"Oh, right, I remember that."

Xie Junping cursed himself for being weak, reorganizing his thoughts and asking, knowing the answer: "What's your name, junior?"

"Ronan."

"Alright, Ronan, I'm sorry to interrupt your morning run. But I need your help. Yes, about that embarrassing incident just now, I can't really be seen... Shall we talk in the car?"

Yingying praised softly: "Good use of self-deprecating tone."

Ronan thought for a moment and didn't refuse.

Ronan got into the car, sitting in the passenger seat, placing his notebook on his lap, and sitting upright, looking like a well-behaved, rule-abiding student.

Seeing Ronan's cooperation, Xie Junping sighed in relief and also got back into the car.

Following Yingying's instructions, he didn't close the car door to avoid the psychological implications of a closed space. He then took a bottle of functional drink from the mini-fridge in the back seat and handed it to Ronan: "Have some water."

"Thank you, Senior Xie." Ronan remained polite but distant, taking the drink but not opening it.

Yingying's guidance came again: "Idiot, don't beat around the bush. This person is quick-witted and has many thoughts. A misjudgment could be troublesome. You need to be clear, what embarrassing incident, specify the time and place!"

Xie Junping quickly got to the point: "Junior, I apologize for being forward, but I need to ask, about ten minutes ago, around five o'clock, were you at the self-walking conveyor belt of the East Twin Building?"

Ronan, holding the cold drink bottle, simply replied: "Yes, Senior Xie."

"Uh, did you see me coming out of the nightclub?"

"Yes."

Xie Junping slapped his forehead, feigning extreme distress. This was partly an act, partly a release, and partly waiting for Yingying's instructions.

Yingying didn't disappoint, her instructions coming quickly: "He's not seeking the upper hand, answering your questions directly. He likely has poor social skills but doesn't appear naive, probably values his image. Most of the time, such people respond better to soft approaches, but don't talk about money directly."

Xie Junping understood immediately, immediately saying with a bitter smile: "Junior, as your senior, I'm really embarrassed today. There's no excuse for what happened, but it's a critical time... I need to get the 'Elder Medal' from the Honor Association..."

He mentioned the importance of the medal, then clasped his hands together, bowing to Ronan, half-exaggeratedly, half-sincerely:

"I know it's not right to ask, but can you turn a blind eye this time? My reputation isn't the issue, but that medal is really, really important to me!"

Xie Junping's performance was top-notch, not only lowering his stance but also showing a bit of a playboy's cheeky grin, highlighting his thick skin and indirectly reducing the severity of the situation to avoid stimulating Ronan's potential greed, which could cause more trouble.

Ronan remained calm: "Senior, you don't have to do this. I'm not a gossip, and I won't talk about others behind their backs."

"Uh, I trust you, but in the information age, photos and videos aren't very secure..."

"I didn't take any photos. I just thought the scene was unique and drew a quick sketch as a memento."

As he spoke, Ronan opened his notebook, the soft screen lighting up, showing Xie Junping his recent work.

Seeing the blurry lines and shadows, Xie Junping felt slightly relieved.

Just as he was about to speak, Yingying suddenly said: "Get the notebook."

Xie Junping almost mistook it for "steal" and broke out in a cold sweat.

Xie Junping hesitated for two seconds before finding his words: "Junior, carrying this notebook around seems inconvenient. Is there any special use for it?"

Xie Junping was speaking the truth. Ronan's notebook combined a soft screen with traditional paper. With the soft screen, the traditional pages seemed unnecessary, and using the traditional pages made the soft screen redundant.

As he spoke, he extended his hand, feigning curiosity. He was somewhat nervous, fearing Ronan might get angry and cause complications.

Ronan, however, was quite open, handing the notebook to him: "This type of notebook was popular during the Third War. In times of conflict or in remote areas, without ubiquitous charging facilities, electronic devices can easily become useless. Traditional paper and pen are more reliable, and when logistics are abundant, the soft screen can significantly improve efficiency, is easy to replace, and is not expensive."

"Wow, a product from the Third War... Is it still being produced after decades?"

Ronan smiled, softening his features: "My grandfather loved this type of notebook and once bought thousands of them. I'm using one of them. He made hundreds of similar notebooks, each filled to the brim, but most of them I can't see anymore."

"Wow, it's an antique." Xie Junping flipped through it casually, seeing that most pages were still blank, with only a few pages containing formulas, numbers, and simple diagrams, seemingly scribbled down, and not revealing much at a glance.

Xie Junping's main focus was on the soft screen. The drawing software was still open, and he swiped through the pages, asking casually:

"Is the soft screen also fifty years old? This drawing software looks unfamiliar."

"No, I... bought it later."

Without Yingying's reminder, Xie Junping noticed Ronan's hesitation.

But soon, he was captivated by the images.

In browsing mode, Xie Junping saw many drawings similar to his own image, both inside and outside the campus. In classrooms, on the streets, and even in bars, nightclubs, and party scenes, the images were lined up, presenting a rich tapestry of life.

Xie Junping was somewhat stunned. As a well-educated rich second generation, he had some basic appreciation skills.

These sketches, though each quite rough, with some lacking any background, were familiar to him. He could always discern the location, situation, and people from the lines and shadows in the sketches...

Well, the last part was a bit exaggerated. He meant he could see the strong body language expressed in the lines and shadows.

To put it more poetically, from the sketches, one could see focus, excitement, decadence, and madness... The rough lines depicted the atmosphere of the scenes and the emotions and attitudes of the people.

The lines Ronan drew with the electronic pen had a sharp, piercing quality, cutting through the surface to reveal a hidden truth.

Xie Junping broke out in a cold sweat: Damn, did I just discover a new Picasso?

Flipping to the last page, he saw the sketch with him as the model and was momentarily lost in thought until Yingying's voice snapped him back:

"He was clearly more excited when talking about the notebook and his grandfather. I just found some interesting information... Idiot, flip a few more pages, you've been 'staring' for too long, be careful not to cause a misunderstanding."

You're the one talking to me! Xie Junping cursed Yingying in his mind a hundred times but still followed her instructions like a puppet.

Yingying's voice continued: "His grandfather, Luo Yuandao, was a researcher with no notable achievements. However, in 83, 13 years ago, he was accused of traveling to the wilderness during and after the Third War, collaborating with nomadic forces, and conducting human experiments in secret..."

Damn!

Xie Junping's finger trembled as he swiped the screen, feeling as if Ronan was staring at him. But it wasn't the right time to speak, so he had to tough it out.