Hey! The Criminal Assistance System Can Even Be Used Like This? 160

Xu Zhizhi’s movements were swift, as everything behind her happened too quickly. Until the GG card was slapped onto the ground, Zhang Yan and Zhao Qing were still in a daze.

Zhang Yan opened his hands, his index and middle fingers slightly curled as he pointed at the GG card, then glanced at Xu Zhizhi, instinctively pointing at his mouth, momentarily at a loss for words. Zhao Qing widened her eyes, staring blankly at everything in front of her, not coming back to her senses for a long time. She was well aware of what had transpired in the crew, as Zhang Yan had never hidden this from her. But he hadn’t mentioned that the GG card could be manipulated manually.

If she hadn’t seen Xu Zhizhi control it with her own eyes, she would have thought she was dreaming. “Is… is all this manually controlled?” She stammered, asking her first question, which was a rhetorical one, yet more about confirming that what was happening in front of her was not a dream.

At that moment, Zhang Yan found his lost voice, clenching his fist and angrily shouting, “Someone’s behind this!” In such a scenario, even a fool should realize they had been played. The anger accumulating on Zhang Yan’s face carried the calmness before an explosion of rage.

Xu Zhizhi raised her hand, revealing the remote control in her palm. “I got this from the head of the production team. I originally planned to let Director Zhang see them operate it on the city wall. I didn’t expect an accident would happen, and Sister Qing came in. Thankfully, it was more shocking than dangerous; I had a backup plan and snuck this remote control.”

She didn’t hide the fact that she had stolen it, knowing there were even surveillance cameras that could implicate her. But prior to this, she had already received permission from Li Feng, acquiring evidence proving there was an issue with the GG card. Li Feng would come later to collect the evidence and initiate an investigation by collecting surveillance data. Xu Zhizhi felt that things had progressed significantly, and the real truth wouldn’t be far off.

She just didn’t know what was happening on Qin Su’s end; she wondered if that theft gang had been caught. His case was much more challenging than hers.

Sometimes, Xu Zhizhi even suspected that these people were acting at the behest of the System, which is why they could execute such difficult crimes. But upon further thought, she felt that couldn’t be the case. The System’s influence was actually quite minimal, and it was unknown if the other party could send information outside at all. The key point was, if they could, the other party wouldn’t allow her to get this far.

If the System could freely access the internet and manipulate it, Xu Zhizhi wouldn’t have made it this far. Because technology was enough to change everything, the System’s existence was a dimensional压制.

It wasn’t that Xu Zhizhi doubted the System; it was that its existence was bug-level. If it truly could, it wouldn’t have broken through her mental defenses or had to devise a theft plan.

When Xu Zhizhi came back to her senses, Zhang Yan and Zhao Qing had already walked under the GG card. The remote control in Xu Zhizhi’s hand had also been taken by Zhao Qing; looking up at the hooks above, the two pressed the remote control in their hands.

“Zhizhi, you’re really amazing! I can’t believe you discovered this! The crew isn’t haunted by ghosts; it’s human-made; that’s just great!” Zhao Qing turned her head, her excitement radiating towards Xu Zhizhi. Previously, Zhang Yan had always praised Xu Zhizhi at home, calling her the best and most beautiful actress among the younger generation, particularly suited for the role of Wen Shui. She had felt a twinge of jealousy then, but now, she announced that she and her husband both liked Xu Zhizhi!

And she could hug Xu Zhizhi too! She grabbed her bag and ran towards Xu Zhizhi, suddenly giving her a tight hug. Xu Zhizhi was enveloped in Wen Xiang Ru Yu’s embrace, sporting a radiant smile.

Zhang Yan watched with a resentful expression; it had been a long time since his wife hugged him so joyfully!

While the three were still chatting and analyzing, Li Feng drove a black SUV, accompanied by two plainclothes officers, hurrying over.

First, they needed to collect evidence from the GG card, followed by obtaining surveillance from the crew. Zhang Yan had already escorted Xu Zhizhi to the designated rest area arranged by the crew. The couple understood that the GG card was not the only unexpected event. Xu Zhizhi candidly stated, “My car accident, and you being hit, Director Zhang, were both intentionally set up by the other side. As for the crew’s situation, that goes without saying.”

“You can basically give up your superstitious beliefs; all of this is man-made.”

Zhao Qing shoved Zhang Yan hard, frustrated with his superstition. “Look at you, always believing in that stuff; haven’t you been used instead? We must find out who’s behind this and make them pay!”

“Okay, okay!” Zhang Yan smiled, leaning closer to his wife to appease her. His wife had always criticized his belief in superstition, thinking that humans could conquer fate. Now that it was confirmed that this time wasn’t due to supernatural forces, she naturally had to scold him.

Feeling guilty, Zhang Yan obediently listened to her lecture. Xu Zhizhi felt embarrassed and pressed her forehead, saying, “Why not consider who you’ve offended? Or if someone around you wants to harm you for no gain.”

There were no benefits; they only aimed to stop Zhang Yan from filming this movie. Such people were quite rare, especially to the extent they had gone to.

Actually, Xu Zhizhi had some idea of who it might be, but she hadn’t dug deep enough yet. The reality was, without evidence, one couldn’t speak recklessly.

“Right, think about it; have you offended anyone recently, or been harboring long-standing grudges?” Li Feng said, having finished his inspection, walking towards the two with a suitcase in hand. His gaze was sharp, quickly scanning them.

Zhang Yan gritted his teeth, an affirmative look in his eyes as he shook his head. “In this industry, it’s impossible not to offend people. Whether changing actors, having better box office sales, more aggressive promotions, or just plain old misunderstandings—anything can upset someone. But I can’t think of anyone I hold a serious grudge against.”

“Yes, those people can only envy and hate from the sidelines; they definitely wouldn’t use such extreme measures to stop our filming.” After a moment of contemplation, Zhao Qing confirmed.

Li Feng looked at Xu Zhizhi, “Do you have any clues?”

“I don’t have any leads; from my instinct, I can only think of the initial safe incident with the hidden corpse.” Xu Zhizhi instinctively glanced at Li Feng.

The hidden corpse incident had, before all this, marked the beginning of the crew’s misfortunes. Qin Su wanted Xu Zhizhi to trust her first instinct. After pondering for a moment, Xu Zhizhi felt that the hidden corpse case was the true focus for investigation.

The production staff—she felt they were little more than pawns. As for the drunk driver who had hit her, such a person knew very well the difference in punishment between intentional injury and drunk driving before being instructed to cause chaos.

The latter might not have to serve too much jail time after compensation, while the former could land someone in prison for several years. They might not even recover their under-the-table earnings, which would eventually be confiscated.

Based on these circumstances, Xu Zhizhi felt that the hidden corpse case might just be a breakthrough point.

Listening to Xu Zhizhi’s spontaneous words, Li Feng bowed his head, contemplating. “You mean the other party likely knows the truth about the hidden corpse case and could even be the perpetrator, which is why they’ve attempted to halt the filming?”

He thought for a moment before adding, “Is it that after the film is completed and released, this matter gets out, leading someone to share the victim’s information with the police, thus catching the perpetrator?”

“That’s terrifying…” Zhao Qing’s face turned pale as she reached out to grasp her husband’s hand, seeking warmth. “So, the killer might be close to us, right?”

Previously, she had thought all this was coincidental and was annoyed at her husband’s superstition. But now that they had a basic hypothesis, she felt fear creeping in, questioning her commitment to the film. Money could be lost, but losing a life meant losing everything.

Zhang Yan held onto his wife’s hand. “Then… what should we do? Check everyone one by one? Or wait until we find the real murderer in the hidden corpse case before resuming filming?”

“We’ll expedite the investigation; as for filming, I advise you to pause for now.” Li Feng suggested.

Zhang Yan looked around, “Okay, we’ll be careful.”

He now had hope; as long as they caught whoever was behind this, they could film without worry.

“Xu Zhizhi, come with me for a moment,” Li Feng said, looking at Xu Zhizhi.

Xu Zhizhi was momentarily stunned but nodded and followed Li Feng out. The other two plainclothes officers also grabbed their boxes and exited.

Feng Jie was outside stretching her wrists, insisting on keeping watch to prevent anyone from barging into the set. Seeing Xu Zhizhi and the others coming out, she approached them.

Li Feng raised the camera he was holding, looking at Xu Zhizhi. “If you have any clues, feel free to tell me. Regarding the boy’s sketch you mentioned, we’ll put it on the agenda as soon as possible.”

“Okay, I’ll keep an eye out for clues, and once I have any, I’ll inform you immediately.” Xu Zhizhi’s eyes flickered as she thought for a moment before responding.

Li Feng hesitated, finally sighing, turning around to get in the car and leave. Xu Zhizhi and Feng Jie watched them go until the vehicle disappeared from sight.

Feng Jie looked at Xu Zhizhi, “Why does Li Feng look like he knows something? If you really know, why let it develop like this?”

“I do know,” Xu Zhizhi turned her head to look at Feng Jie seriously, saying firmly.

Feng Jie gasped in surprise, “Ah! You know who’s behind all this? Why not say anything? Is it because there’s no evidence? Or because the people behind this are too powerful for us to deal with? Is it some dark force? Should we prepare self-defense tools?”

Feng Jie was like an outwardly tough woman, but inside she was a curious and naive girl with a hint of an adventurous spirit, longing for an extraordinary life.

“What on earth are you thinking? It’s not that I don’t want to say anything, but I just can’t.” No matter whether in public or private, a person known for being good and helpful, it’s easy to backfire if you accuse someone of wrongdoing. Moreover, as Feng Jie said, she didn’t have a shred of evidence.

Her speculation stemmed from her skills and some snippets of information; saying them out loud would make others think she was crazy.

Feng Jie looked at Xu Zhizhi’s serious expression, her demeanor growing grave as well, her beautiful features slightly twisted. She patted Xu Zhizhi’s shoulder, “It’s fine; if you don’t want to say it, then don’t. You’ll find a way to bring everything to light. The bad guys in front of you are just paper tigers!”

That’s how much Feng Jie believed in Xu Zhizhi; in her heart, even though Xu Zhizhi wasn’t as strong as her, her inner resilience and strength far outshined her.

“Alright, let’s head back for now,” Xu Zhizhi thought about what she wanted to say to Feng Jie, but her body was already moving towards the set.

Meanwhile, Zhao Qing was looking at the GG card, needing to find someone to hang it back up to avoid startling the snake. It had to be someone trustworthy, so she was considering whom to ask.

Zhang Yan said, “Don’t ask anyone from the crew.”

He was now overly cautious, unable to trust anyone from the crew.

“Mm, mm,” Zhao Qing looked at the ladder by the side and thought, “How about finding someone from the GG company? I have a small GG company under me; they should be able to contact workers who can set up these GG cards.”

Zhang Yan nodded, holding his head and plopping down onto the smallest apple box, absentmindedly saying, “Sounds good. You make the call; my head is a bit muddled. I need to think about who wants to mess with me.”

Zhao Qing took out her phone from her bag, starting to contact someone reliable, asking them to wear casual clothes. After everyone was compensated, they could also give them a red envelope to keep it quiet.

As she thought through these matters, she glanced at her husband, who was deeply contemplating with a pained expression.

Once they were done, she needed to hurry and take him back to change his bandages. When she reached Zhang Yan’s side, Zhang Yan suddenly looked up at her, “Brother Qiu should have experience. He’s been in the entertainment industry for so many years and might help me figure out who’s behind all this!”

“Really?” Their friendship spanned seven to eight years, with mutual acquaintances included. Qiu Xu surely must be aware of the malign intentions behind this. “He may be able to analyze who’s really behind this harm.”

Zhang Yan’s expression became a bit relaxed as he took out his phone, searching for Qiu Xu’s number and preparing to dial.

Just when Zhang Yan’s finger was about to touch the contact for “Brother Qiu,” a fair hand shot out and grabbed his arm.

Zhang Yan and Zhao Qing instinctively turned to see Xu Zhizhi holding onto Zhang Yan’s little arm.

Xu Zhizhi released her grip and looked at the two, “Who is Director Zhang preparing to tell?”

“Brother Qiu! He should definitely be able to give us some advice.” Zhang Yan widened his eyes, confused as to why Xu Zhizhi was stopping him.

Xu Zhizhi’s gaze fell on the other’s phone screen, her expression unchanging as she said, “Director Zhang, I suggest you keep this matter to ourselves. You must know there’s a murderer behind this; Elder Brother Qiu is getting older, and it’s better not to involve him. It could be best to keep this from him entirely, as he might not handle the shock well.”

Zhang Yan’s previously puzzled expression turned to regret after hearing Xu Zhizhi’s words.

“Right! Zhizhi thinks ahead; Brother Qiu is older; what if this scares him! He had a high fever after the GG card incident and is still in the hospital. How could I possibly scare him further!” Zhang Yan slapped his forehead, feeling utterly inconsiderate.

Xu Zhizhi continued, “Not just Elder Brother Qiu, regarding this matter, don’t tell anyone else. It’s not about doubting them; it’s that spreading it could cause panic, which would be counterproductive for the police in finding the truth.”

Zhang Yan nodded repeatedly, taking a deep breath, “Yes, yes! We were just saying we need to keep it all confidential!”

“Right, right! This matter truly can’t be leaked!” Zhao Qing also felt enlightened by Xu Zhizhi; they had clearly overlooked this detail.

They trusted Brother Qiu but neglected the potential danger this situation posed to him. Xu Zhizhi looked at the two, smiling as she inquired about how to deal with the GG card.

If they couldn’t find someone they trusted, they could help figure out a way to put it back up together.

Zhao Qing reported that she had already found someone; they would arrive shortly. Xu Zhizhi mentioned that she would return the next morning to return the remote control.

They discussed this briefly and decided to inform the production staff to come tomorrow. The film still needed to be shot; the couple decided not to dismantle things further and let the crew handle the clean-up.

The remaining items would stay, and the area would be locked up. The assistant director would announce that various rental contracts and actor agreements were still in place, treating the current situation as a break.

As for the real reason, they all agreed not to share any details. If anyone inquired, they would simply make up some excuse.

Once Xu Zhizhi and Feng Jie returned, there wasn’t much more they could do. After returning, Li Feng quickly issued a call for the sketch of the boy on the official website and on Weibo.

Xu Zhizhi and the film’s official Weibo account, along with participating actors and Zhang Yan’s Weibo, all retweeted, creating quite a stir online.

Such widespread circulation significantly increased the chances of finding the boy. Xu Zhizhi felt her worries ease. Taking advantage of the rest over the next couple of days, she thought she should help Qin Su.

Captain Qin had come in the middle of the night to comfort her, even bringing along a small cake; Xu Zhizhi felt it necessary to assist him in cracking the case while having some downtime.

Previously, Xu Zhizhi had thought that the stolen target, “A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains,” might be a breakthrough point.

Combining her counterfeiting skill and the high-definition images and information about “A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains” that she had gotten from Qin Su, she sought to understand this painting in detail.

It was said that this painting was created about five hundred years ago when an emperor skilled in painting had a dialogue with the court’s painter, leading the latter to travel through the landscapes and create this piece.

The ancient painting was three meters long and one meter wide, making it quite massive. It depicted the cities of that time and the vast surrounding landscapes, employing vibrant and unusual colors, making the entire piece stunning, which the then-emperor stored in his treasury.

Later, with the fall of the nation, it drifted into the public, and in modern times, it made its way to the Jiang City Museum. As one of its treasures, it had suffered some damage due to war and tumultuous history. This could also be seen in the preservation photos provided by the other party.

If not for this reason, the Jiang City Museum wouldn’t have employed top-notch experts in ancient painting restoration specifically to restore this piece. The goal was simple: to restore the painting to its glory from hundreds of years ago.

Xu Zhizhi laid her hand on the tablet, feeling the painting and its unique essence. In a way, her counterfeiting skills allowed her to deeply understand antiques and those exquisite items.

Whether it was artworks, banknotes, or porcelain… to someone skilled in counterfeiting, these items were all treasures. Yes, treasures.

Only such treasures could provoke counterfeiting experts to recreate them rather than simply making cheap, reproducible industrial products. They carefully observed and studied, perfecting the replication of their shapes and artistry.

Xu Zhizhi didn’t dislike these skills; as she felt the delight and resonance conveyed by the skills, a smile naturally graced her lips.

She gazed at the flaws in the paper and the faded colors, envisioning in her mind the painting at its most breathtaking, stunning the world, and in its perfect state.

It was truly beautiful.

Xu Zhizhi thought that if one day she stopped acting, she could become a master in artifact restoration. That would be a suitable new job for her.

Xu Zhizhi scrolled through the entire painting, observing it inch by inch. Just as she became completely engrossed in her task, her sharp eyes caught a small point being amplified in the artwork.

She furrowed her brow and extended her hand to enlarge the painting. The photo of the painting was prepared by the museum for introduction screens; not only were professional photographers engaged, but the equipment used during the shoot was also of high quality.

From the full image to several separate photos, everything was taken excellently. However, when she enlarged one particular image, Xu Zhizhi noticed a black trace sketched in hard pen, about an inch long.

As an ancient painting primarily created with a brush, the appearance of a delicate hard pen outline was highly unusual.

Xu Zhizhi sensed something was off. She reduced the scale to view the entire painting, analyzing the overall picture before conducting paper analysis, painting style analysis, and pen and ink trace analysis.

Xu Zhizhi detected something unusual but still couldn’t pinpoint it. She picked up her phone nearby and sent a message to Qin Su.

Xu Zhizhi: Do you have any other works by the artist of “A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains”? Try to send them to me, ideally clearer ones.

After a moment, the other party showed they were typing…

Qin Su: I remember my grandfather has a collection. I’ll ask my dad to take photos for you. If you want to see the real deal, I can have someone deliver it to Beijing City.

Xu Zhizhi: That’s fine; Photos will do…

Xu Zhizhi saw that Qin Su’s message was indeed quite generous; this artist had other impressive works as well, worth millions even if not as valuable as this piece.

She felt a bit hesitant to see the real thing, for fear of ruining it.

Qin Su was quick with his actions. After about ten minutes, Xu Zhizhi received the photos he had taken.

She opened them and was momentarily taken aback because Qin Su had indeed been detail-oriented. He must have emphasized that these photos were taken with a very good camera, ensuring extreme clarity, rather than haphazardly snapped on a phone for her.

Xu Zhizhi picked up her phone to compare it with the pictures on the tablet.

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