Hey! The Criminal Assistance System Can Even Be Used Like This? 98

Every villain’s perversion is different. If you don’t carefully consider this and simply replicate previous acting styles, the characters will appear as one and the same to the audience.

Xu Zhizhi wouldn’t allow this. Silently, she began again.

Xu Yunlai, Fu Nian, and the supporting actor playing the police officer sat around Xu Zhizhi, discussing the altered performance methods. They were making changes on both sides, everyone busy as bees.

Thankfully, there were still some scenes left to shoot, so they continued working normally the next day. This is actually quite normal in the entertainment industry; it’s just that the scale of changes wasn’t this large. But the frequency is far higher in many productions. It’s extremely common in urban dramas, historical dramas, idol dramas, and films. There are A-list stars demanding more screen time, those who feel their roles are negatively impacting their real-life persona and want changes, and those who want to steal the spotlight from other characters’ scenes. All these factors combined often lead to a completely different finished product.

Their efforts to improve the film were solely for the sake of the movie itself; they weren’t being unreasonable. Therefore, the entire crew remained calm, without any complaints.

Three days later, a revised, streamlined version of the script was completed—a complete transformation. After receiving and reading it, Xu Zhizhi felt a unique sense of coherence, something she hadn’t perceived before.

The story no longer began with the murder of the daughter; instead, it focused on the mother-daughter and husband-wife relationships. A tense relationship, outwardly gentle, but inwardly vicious mother. She possessed high-stress levels and terrifying control issues; she viewed her child as her masterpiece. This masterpiece wanted to escape and go to the person she despised most—something the mother could not tolerate. Therefore, the mother killed her daughter to keep her “perfect” daughter. Then there was the daughter, who endured everything, showing clear signs of depression. Excited that she would finally be saved, she tried to go to her father. But she found that everything was an illusion, her mother’s control was even more shocking than she had imagined. Finally, there was the father, who saw his daughter as a burden, someone hindering his divorce and remarriage, someone he neglected.

Their brief narrative concluded, giving way to the first climax. The mother called the police to confess to killing her daughter, and was taken away. The neglectful father wailed, feigning grief. Only the woman’s cold laughter answered him.

Someone posted everything online, and the media ran with the story. Netizens raised the banner of “justice” and criticized Xu Xu (the mother). The ensuing public outcry continued to ferment, with the man crying online, claiming the woman was a pervert controlling his and his daughter’s lives. He had endured it all, he claimed, and now everything was irrevocably broken. Online, he became a good man who loved his children and family, enduring his wife’s perversity for their sake. Three days later, he even started livestreaming to sell goods, ostensibly to fund his daughter’s grand funeral. Netizens condemned Xu Xu while simultaneously supporting him.

The male lead, Wei Qunqing, entered the scene. As before, during his investigation, he discovered inconsistencies in the case. He began his own search for the truth, gradually uncovering the hidden side of the self-pitying man. The man’s true face was quickly exposed by people in the know, leading to his persona collapsing. Wei Qunqing also realized that someone was mysteriously obstructing his investigation, solidifying his suspicions. Online, doubts began to surface about Xu Xu’s guilt, as her husband seemed even more suspicious.

Wei Qunqing found a notebook, but the evidence was insufficient. Combined with the fact that Xu Xu was the one who called the police before her daughter’s death, she was sentenced to death. The plot reversed, as in the previous case, with the daughter’s diary appearing online, prompting netizens to conduct their own investigation, concluding that Xu Xu’s husband was possibly the murderer. It was then revealed that Xu Xu’s husband had a mistress, who was pregnant. To gain attention, reporters started goading influential netizens to stage a real-life siege and create news. This was also accompanied by many opportunistic internet celebrities and even more radical individuals, directly defacing the man’s property with wreaths and paint, some even leaving ashes. These people weren’t idle online either, sending abusive messages and making harassing phone calls, and even going to the man’s workplace to cause trouble once they realized they’d been deceived. The man and his mistress attempted to escape, but under the scrutiny of the internet, no one could escape. Especially since those people, in cahoots with the reporters, were solely focused on the traffic, determined to hound them relentlessly.

The people controlling these individuals realized this and intensified their efforts. During the second trial, Xu Xu spoke of her hardships, the pressure of life, and her husband’s coercion to get a divorce. But in the end, she admitted to killing her daughter, with a fatalistic determination.

This time, Wei Qunqing noticed that the defendant seemed suicidal, and he began to believe his suspicions might be true. He then accidentally discovered his daughter’s school bag and found the smartwatch. He obtained crucial evidence, and announced on his Weibo that he had found proof of Xu Xu’s innocence. He said he would fight to have her acquitted.

Netizens were astonished by this development and even more suspicious of Xu Xu’s husband. During a final chase, Xu Xu’s husband was hit by a car and died instantly.

The male lead, Wei Qunqing, applied for a re-examination of the evidence, submitting a video his daughter recorded shortly before her death. He tried to persuade the heartbroken Xu Xu to live again. Xu Xu did not immediately agree, but in court, she firmly chose the male lead, and was acquitted.

The theme was heavy yet tinged with warmth. The final twist was that Xu Xu indeed killed her daughter and her husband’s death was also part of her plan, shattering the warmth. Wei Qunqing was heartbroken; the weight of the lives lost burdened him, as he reflected on his actions. He realized he had been manipulated by Xu Xu the entire time. Finally, he went to see Xu Xu, but received no answers, only a meaningful smile from her.

The script was significantly shortened, the plot straightforward and brutal, especially the depiction of cyberbullying, making it feel like it was happening in real life. Only after the truth was revealed did those who were swept up in the movie’s emotions realize the cruel reality.

After the revisions, filming resumed. In a constructed bathtub, Xu Zhizhi began filming the different scenarios of the murder. Drowning her daughter in the tub, being dragged by her daughter forcing her to kill her, various scenarios in the house, all had to be filmed. Xu Zhizhi’s acting had significantly improved. Her eyes became even more inscrutable, terror apparent in a split second. One moment a gentle mother, the next a murderous butcher.

The only obstacle was her young co-star, only fourteen years old. Since Xu Zhizhi’s portrayal of the murder was so impactful, it sometimes made her co-star cry, requiring reshoots. While crying could be part of the acting, the issue was that the child would genuinely resist Xu Zhizhi, who wasn’t even using that much force. This left Xu Zhizhi unprepared, getting splashed with water or pushed. Xu Zhizhi was helpless, having to tidy herself up before each retake. They filmed these scenes repeatedly for four days.

Then there were the family scenes, mostly showcasing the oppressive atmosphere and establishing each character’s persona. It seemed simple, but it was often difficult to film. Chu Lu was a hardliner; she would direct and criticize harshly, just as meticulous as other directors. Therefore, there were many NGs (outtakes), a lot of directing, and attention to detail.

Xu Zhizhi worked intensely on set for a week straight before finally getting two days off. She needed the rest, as the day of Chen Xu’s trial had arrived.

Qin Su drove her and Bai Sheng to the courthouse. Attending the trial was simple; all they needed was their IDs. After settling in and following the court’s rules, they watched Chen Xu being led to the defendant’s seat. A year had passed, a year he spent in the detention center. His body was thin, his cheeks sunken, and his eyes lacked the arrogant glint they once held. Life in detention is infinitely worse than prison; inmates even hope to be quickly tried and sent to prison.

He glanced at the gallery, filled with victims’ families, and the man who put him there. Xu Zhizhi watched coldly, even smiling faintly. Chen Xu stared coldly at her before turning away, being pressed into his seat by the bailiffs and the cover lowered and locked.

The judge announced the start of the proceedings, and everyone stood. The lengthy trial proceeded, with Chen Xu appearing indifferent. Xu Zhizhi could even hear the sobs and anger of the victims’ families. The evidence was presented, lawyers made their final statements, and the judge brought the proceedings to a halt before the recess, preparing for the verdict. This was the second trial, the first verdict having been given six months ago.

While uncommon, the verdict was delivered on the same day due to the clear facts of the case, Chen Xu’s confession, and the fact it was a retrial. The three left for lunch and tea before returning to await the result, along with all other attendees of the trial.

After the procedures, the judge announced the verdict. Everyone stood again, and the judge began to pronounce the sentence. Like last time, Chen Xu was sentenced to death due to the severe nature of the crime and its widespread negative social impact. Chen Xu’s apathetic expression cracked for a moment before composing himself. Xu Zhizhi knew he valued his life. Perverts value their lives, after all. It was a pity she wouldn’t see his reaction to the lethal injection. That’s when he would truly lose his composure, as his life truly slipped away.

Bai Sheng’s expression remained unchanged. Afterwards, the three left. Bai Sheng said, “Thank goodness he’s dead. If he were still alive, I wouldn’t be able to rest easy.” This man possessed immense patience and thoroughly understood them. Had he not received the death penalty, after twenty years in prison, he would certainly seek revenge.

“Yes, for this kind of person, death is the best outcome,” Xu Zhizhi agreed.

Qin Su remained silent; he had witnessed many such scenes, having personally sent more than a dozen people to their deaths, so he was unmoved.

Standing at the entrance, Bai Sheng left first to care for his in-laws. Xu Zhizhi called Feng Jie to pick her up, but before she could finish, she heard Qin Su say, “Xu Zhizhi, I need your help.”

His voice was hesitant, his expression troubled. He wouldn’t have contacted Xu Zhizhi unless he was truly desperate.

“Feng Jie, you should rest. I have something to do,” Xu Zhizhi said into the phone, then the other side acknowledged and hung up. Xu Zhizhi put her phone away and turned to Qin Su, asking, “What is it?”

Unconsciously, Xu Zhizhi sensed that Qin Su was in serious trouble. She was grateful for his previous help, so she didn’t mention money this time but directly asked about the matter.

“Let’s talk in the car. It’s not convenient here,” Qin Su pointed towards his car.

Xu Zhizhi nodded, “Okay.”

On the way to the police station, Xu Zhizhi learned why Qin Su had sought her out. Recently, there had been a series of cyber-security incidents in Jiang City, prompting the police to intervene. Many important figures and executives of various companies had been targeted by ransomware. The perpetrators used a computer virus spread through emails, malicious programs, and websites to infect victims’ phones and computers, locking screens and encrypting files, demanding ransom for access.

This posed a serious financial threat to many individuals, and the crime was particularly egregious due to its widespread impact. They had engaged both domestic and foreign hackers and computer experts to unlock the systems, but to no avail; the virus remained impregnable. Their investigation had also hit a dead end; it seemed only the virus creator themselves could unlock it. Even Qin Su’s hacker friend had nearly lost his computer and phone to it.

Desperation led Qin Su to Xu Zhizhi. He wasn’t sure if she could help, but he wanted her to try. He’d been hesitant since picking her up from the trial. After all, just over a week ago, he’d told her to stop using her computer skills. Yet, a week later, he was eating his words, asking for her assistance.

Xu Zhizhi burst out laughing in the passenger seat, pointing at Qin Su, “Captain Qin, you’re killing me!”

“Please help me,” Qin Su said sternly.

Xu Zhizhi let out a goose-like laugh, only calming down to say, “Admit you were wrong!” She didn’t care about right or wrong between friends.

“I was wrong!” Qin Su couldn’t help but smile, unable to suppress his laughter.

Xu Zhizhi sat up straight, raising an eyebrow. “First, let’s clarify. Do you want to unlock the system, or find the culprit?”

Based on Xu Zhizhi’s understanding of criminals, she felt the virus creator was likely in Jiang City. She let Qin Su choose because different choices required different compensation. Unlocking it would be a gift from her, considering she owed him a favor. Tracking down the culprit would require more payment.

“I want both,” Qin Su chose both options – to solve the problem and catch the perpetrator. However, even if Xu Zhizhi said she could, there was no guarantee. This virus had stumped even many leading computer experts in Beijing City, Shenzhen City, and Hangzhou City. The probability of a newcomer like Xu Zhizhi succeeding was low. So, he chose both, figuring that even if she failed, she’d have to apologize.

Xu Zhizhi smiled without speaking. The Criminal Assistance System-created hacking skills were undoubtedly top-tier, even surpassing current technology. Otherwise, how could the system guarantee the host’s safety? If the host was caught due to digital traces, it wouldn’t be any different from readily available hacking methods. Therefore, Xu Zhizhi had confidence in her abilities.

She looked at Qin Su and said softly, “Prepare yourself. When this is done, I’ll be making demands!”

Qin Su nodded naturally, “Anything, as long as you can do it.”

The primary investigators weren’t from the criminal investigation unit, but from the police’s cyber security department. They were leading the investigation, so Qin Su didn’t take Xu Zhizhi to the criminal investigation team, but to the cyber security department. The computers and equipment there were top-notch and should meet Xu Zhizhi’s requirements.

Disabling the virus wouldn’t be a quick task. After examining the computers, Xu Zhizhi began the lengthy process. She didn’t focus on directly unlocking the affected systems; instead, she targeted the infected web pages. She didn’t write a tracking program but started creating a counter-virus. Sometimes, the best way to fight fire with fire is with fire.

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