Pinky

Three days later, thanks to Teacher Baoquan's criminal investigation skills, they found the suspect's trail and were able to pinpoint the activity range of this mysterious member of the Hand of Omnipotence.

The three teachers are still debating whether they qualify as victims, while the police have already sent them relevant information.

There are two suspects, one male and one female.

Teacher Baoquan got up early to do her hair; her curly hair was difficult to manage. She picked up her materials and chatted fluently with her students.

"The entry documents and passport are fake and of unknown origin."

"The man identified himself as Paul Brooke. Judging from his appearance, he was probably European. He was seventeen years old and worked as a waiter at the Golden Butterfly Restaurant in the Changsha Bay Baoyou Grand Market."

The woman identified herself as Feng Jiali, said she was Asian, seventeen years old, and volunteered at the Chansha Bay Xinwen Orphanage, living with her brother Paul.

"The two lived in a residential building behind the Baoyou Market, which was originally a staff housing building for HSBC employees. The exact address was Unit 4, Building 16."

Teacher Baoquan removed all the hair curlers, trying to make his hair fluffy and smooth. He casually took a bottle of purified water from the table and kept patting it on his face.

"It was this Feng Jiali three days ago."

She pointed to the photo in the document--

"--It was her. She drugged the three of us in the internet cafe salon in the mall. She turned us into women."

Xiao Qi whispered in Xue Ming's ear, "The two people in the file are very likely the same person. This guy should have the ability to switch genders."

Bu Liuxing frowned. "So young."

Xiao Qi continued, "It's a miracle that the Hand of Omnipotence has survived to this day. It's hard to recruit new followers with just enthusiasm, so they can only fool desperate children."

Jiang Xueming memorized the address and decided to make thorough preparations before embarking on the investigation.

"I understand, thank you for your hard work, teacher."

At that very moment--

--Li Zongzhu ran out of the bathroom holding an eyeshadow palette, saw Wenlan's face, and immediately screamed, "Your eyeliner is crooked!"

Coach Wenlan asked, puzzled, "Is there a problem?"

Zong Zhu: "Of course there's a problem! Come on, let me teach you. I just learned it online! I'm very dexterous!"

Bu Liuxing whispered to Jiang Xueming, "Isn't something wrong?"

Jiang Xueming: "That's definitely not right."

Teacher Baoquan immediately stood up. She had already dressed up and was preparing to go back to the police station to write her year-end summary, otherwise she wouldn't get her year-end bonus.

"I'll take my leave now. I'm leaving this matter in your hands. Whether it can be changed back depends on fate."

Jiang Xueming: "Teacher! What if it really can't be changed back?"

"What can I do?" Coach Bao Quan pursed his lips, took out a small mirror to double-check his makeup. "Do I think I can get my little brother back by crying, making a scene, and threatening suicide? I can't divorce Wenwen either. I love her, I love her so much—even though I've changed, she still likes me. I can't let her down. Thinking about all this, it seems like no problem can stump me anymore."

With the help of the blonde girl, Teacher Wenlan fixed her eyeliner.

Her eyes originally gave off a fierce impression, but after the makeup, they became softer.

"That's what I was thinking too. Around the end of the year, I need to deliver New Year's goods to several major clients. My phone doesn't recognize me anymore, so I just squat next to it waiting for a call. Life has to go on. This can't be delayed. It's impossible for me to give up my previous career. People always have to find a way to survive."

Teacher Zongzhu ran to Xiao Qi's side and asked Brother Qi to help hold his hair.

She straightened her braids as she Xue Ming.

"I need to go back to the martial arts school. The students paid their tuition for both the winter break and the Spring Festival in September. I can't just take the money and do nothing. Looking forward to your good news!"

Bu Liuxing quickly pressed, "What about that senior brother who has a crush on you! Teacher Li? He's going to make a move on you!"

Li Zongzhu grinned and said, "First of all! I'm a woman now; secondly, I have a cell phone; and finally, I'll call the police. I don't know what this is all about—it feels so weird!"

The three teachers ran out of the villa, Bu Mei asked Aunt Wang to drive them to their respective workplaces.

At this moment, only Xue Ming, Liu Xing, Xiao Qi, and Bailu Lu remained, looking at each other in bewilderment.

They each had their own ideas.

Xue Ming learned from Xiao Qi and the BOSS that the Hand of Omnipotence had almost no combat capabilities, and given Hong Kong's gun control regulations, they would have no chance of obtaining guns.

There are only a few people left in this organization. Relying solely on ideals and living a Puritanical ascetic life, it's difficult to find like-minded people in modern society.

It's like the [Anonymous] member of the Madness Butterfly Sect, with little conflict of interest and no sense of cohesion.

The Five Fingers under the banner of the Hand of Omnipotence each represent a twisted and terrifying yet universal and non-aggressive belief.

Based on the suspect information obtained by Teacher Baoquan, this intersex person should be the youngest member of the Hand of Omnipotence [Little Finger].

The pinky is responsible for spreading the doctrine to young children. Because of its young age, it is easier for the pinky to develop affinity with abandoned children, poor teenagers, or children with congenital disabilities that cannot be cured. The pinky will try to spread the Vita Imprint, allowing the White Lady to accompany these children as they grow up, using Universal Elixir to heal their physical deficiencies, and using Madness Butterfly to strengthen their spirits.

The little finger itself was also selected in this way.

After this ritual is completed, a new little finger is born, and the old little finger is promoted to the ring finger, to seek out those who are lost in love, to save those who cannot extricate themselves from romantic love, and to send off another destiny with the Vita Imprint.

After this ritual is completed, the ring finger will be promoted to the middle finger, seeking out tragic families and extending an olive branch to the victims. Once a suitable candidate is found, the middle finger will be promoted to the index finger, just like in the previous promotion ritual.

And so on--

--From early childhood education, romantic love, family affection, career ideals, and survival instinct.

The index finger's missionary reach was very wide, and he came into contact with all sorts of people, from homeless people who had failed in business to beggars taking shelter from the rain under bridges, and he frequently appeared in various garbage dumps.

The target that the Thumb seeks is even more dangerous: people who are determined to die and want to end their lives.

Pulling these people out of the Gate of Death is the morality of the Hand of Omnipotence.

It's very simple, yet very complex.

Xiao Qi and Xue Ming had discussed this group in detail. In the fourteenth century, the Hand of Omnipotence was still promoted among the fingers in batches and by church.

At its peak, the Black Death killed more than 50 million people across Europe. To escape the disaster, many nobles fled to the London Tower and sought a new life at Sky Station.

In just one year, seventy-seven new little fingers were created.

However, their good fortune didn't last long. This small fundamentalist group was driven out of its place by various emerging schools of thought or blood-preaching cults at the train station.

Today, the Hand of Omnipotence has only five fingers left.

Their relationship is more like a succession of master and apprentice. One person works hard, starting from the little finger and advancing to the Thumb, eventually saving someone who is about to commit suicide, and then hastily leaves. The ritual of buying the box and returning the pearl is completed, and he can finally quit and repay the kindness of the Hand of Omnipotence.

Jiang Xueming was very interested in these people.

--It's not because I agree with their doctrines.

This distorted and painful ritual should have been swept into the dustbin of history long ago.

A one-sided pursuit of suffering and self-pity resembles the saintly mentality of a messianic sufferer.

Selfless giving without expecting anything in return is meaningless. It not only fosters all sorts of terrifying cults that seek personal gain through blood donation, but also unknowingly places oneself above all others.

Like the things the little finger does for Bailu--

--Perhaps Bailu has become a tool for advancement in Little Finger's eyes. If Bailu becomes the new Little Finger, this chain of advancement rituals will continue.

Or perhaps, these guys' target was Jiang Xueming all along.

That unfortunate fellow, afflicted with the Vita Imprint and tormented by White Lady—

--It should have been me.

The little finger took a liking to my three elements, just like human traffickers who give a sweet treat and then hit me with a stick. The only difference is that I look rather fierce, and there's a possibility of things going wrong, so they tried to start with Bailu Dew) to find a relatively weak entry point.

If Bailu truly joined the Hand of Omnipotence willingly, I would probably worry about her safety and help her continue down this path.

Xue Ming neither liked nor disliked the Hand of Omnipotence.

He only holds strong subjective opinions about specific people and specific things, and does not consider abstract and vague concepts.

The information that can be confirmed now is --

There was a person who placed the Vita Imprint on Bailu more than half a year ago.

The person who [pinky finger] met with the three teachers may be the same person.

It's also possible that the pinky finger has become the index finger, or some other finger.

Xue Ming determined to find this person and make him pay the price.

Xue Ming had already verbally explained the price to be paid.

Xue Ming rarely speaks, spending most of his time focused on his work—but he always keeps his word.

"I'm going to make clothes. We'll set off tomorrow morning to find this suspect." Jiang Xueming patted Liuxing on the shoulder and ran deeper into the greenhouse's back garden to ask Seventh Brother to buy some materials and send them to the shooting range's tool shed.

Bu Liuxing, of course, couldn't understand Ming Ge's phrase.

Ming Ge usually does whatever comes to mind immediately, and rarely explains why he does it.

"Making clothes?"

Xiao Qi's eyes lit up when she saw the list on the slip of paper that Xue Ming handed her.

Jiang Bailu and Liuxing were very curious and asked Xiao Qi to explain.

Bai Ziqing knows Jiang Xueming very well; she has bought many things for Xue Ming and purchased a lot of raw materials.

You can tell what Xue Ming is planning just by looking at the list.

"He wants a specially designed bulletproof vest, like a bulletproof suit, that can pass through security and be worn in big cities. He doesn't need a spirit suit anymore, so we need to make you something else, at least armor to protect your vitals. And also..."

Xiao Qi's expression suddenly became incredibly interesting; she was laughing to the very core of her being.

"There's even a women's version, hahaha! He drew an extra design for himself—a women's version that's convenient for movement and allows him to hide weapons in the skirt."

Seventh Brother pointed to the note on the paper and read it aloud in Xue Ming's tone.

"Just in case, I've considered most possible scenarios. The experiences of the three teachers have made me realize that being female might be a unique advantage in combat. I must include this dress in my procurement list to turn adversity into advantage."

Jiang Xueming is serious.

That's exactly what he thought.

He didn't care about the doctrine of the Hand of Omnipotence, but he cared a lot about [Little Finger] as a person.

After being affected by the soul's power, none of the teachers developed any illnesses or suffered any other attacks.

This means that the pinky finger itself has no offensive means and little combat power.

However, judging from Teacher Baoquan's physique, this [little finger] cured all of Teacher Baoquan's hidden male ailments.

Brother Wenlan's skin was torn.

The callus and fat nodules on Teacher Zongzhu's arm, which originally had many abrasions and scratches during equipment training, have all turned into clean, white skin on the three sisters.

This healing ability, comparable to Universal Elixir, requires only twelve hours of sleep to shed dead skin and hair, leaving behind only fatty fluid and tissue fluid, completing a transformation to obtain a perfectly healthy body.

This special kind of spiritual power should be used for more meaningful things.

This person with the pinky finger should become a doctor, save lives, and receive appropriate compensation.

Instead of pretending to use witchcraft to harm people, bestow favors, or seek rewards through superstitious religion.

Xue Ming thought to herself that if she were to be attacked by this kind of soul power, she should keep a dress suitable for combat and concealing weapons, just in case.

Let's take it one step at a time.

--Make thorough preparations.

After these three teachers transformed into women, almost no one could recognize their true identities.

After being attacked by Soul Power, there is still a twelve-hour window to hide. After changing his appearance, even [Little Finger] probably wouldn't recognize him. This is an advantage that Jiang Xueming can take advantage of.

At this very moment--

--At the Chansha Bay Xinwen Orphanage.

The morning sun had just set, casting its rays onto the corridor of the nursing home.

Little Finger sat on the bench, wearing a floral dress, enjoying the vibrant life of spring.

Several children crawled out of the dog hole in the corridor, and Little Finger immediately stood up and caught them.

"I told you! You can't go this way!"

"I'll wash the clothes if they get dirty, and if they get ruined, I'll have to spend money to buy you new ones! I don't have much money left!"

"Go back, go back, wait a little longer! Just a minute!"

"I'm going to the kitchen to see if your breakfast is ready. Listen to your teacher!"

The little ones, not quite understanding, immediately broke free from the teacher's grasp and crawled back into the nursery through the dog hole.

He pursed his lips, looking utterly helpless.

She took out her phone and talked to the Hand of Omnipotence brothers and elders about these things.

[Pinky finger: I haven't received any messages these past few days, what should I do?]

[Ring Finger: What news?]

[Pinky finger: News about Jiang Bailu! Didn't you all tell me to get involved with her?]

[Ring finger: Oh! Oh! Oh!]

[Pinky finger: I took such a big risk to come down to earth, and I'm almost out of activity funds. Can you guys give me something substantial? You could even send me some money!]

[Ring Finger: I've been helping some sex workers lately, and I'm almost out of money. Sorry.]

[Little finger: If you really can't manage, you can find a job.]

[Thumb: Keep observing. Did you use Soul Power on Jiang Bailu?]

[Pinky finger: There was never a chance. There used to be a Lapis Lazuli Guards Guardian stationed at the Castor convenience store at the intersection. Every time I followed them here, I didn't dare to go in.]

[Index finger: coward]

[Pink finger: If you're so good, why don't you do it?]

[Thumb: Don't argue. We're outnumbered and the Hand of Omnipotence; it hasn't been easy for anyone to get this far.]

[Pinky finger: Later, Qingjin left, and then Jiang Bailu went on a trip. I found many unwanted children at the orphanage and planned to send them back to the underworld. One of them came to take over my job, and I felt he was a good match.]

[Pinky finger: A few days ago, I used my Soul Power on three men in a supermarket. These men mentioned Jiang Bailu. I've been squatting at newsstands every day, waiting to see strange news about men turning into women, hoping to follow these clues to find Jiang Bailu's address. But to my surprise, it all disappeared without a trace.]

[Pinky finger: If nothing unexpected happens, this is my last time contacting Jiang Bailu. Without a suitable opportunity, we'll have to say goodbye to Jiang Xueming. We can't win him over. Thumb, as you instructed, I planted the Vita Imprint on Jiang Bailu beforehand, and there's no sign of it acting up.]

[Thumb: That means the brother and sister have gone to the Nine Realms Station and healed the Vita Imprint.]

[Pinky finger: Do I still need to have contact with them?]

[Thumb: If possible, try to persuade Jiang Bailu. Her primordial essence is similar to Jiang Xueming's. If she could join the Hand of Omnipotence, it would be a good thing.]

[Pink finger: Fine, you really know how to boss people around.]

[Thumb: I once saw Jiang Xueming at the subway station—his focus, concentration, and the speed and steadyness with which he handled such tough meat as beef offal in a noisy environment were like those of a construction site artist. I was deeply attracted by his method of pouring beef offal like pouring red wine. It's a pity he didn't want to commit suicide; he wasn't someone I could connect with.]

[Ring Finger: What's the term "construction site artist"? It sounds weird!]

[Thumb: Construction site artist? This refers to someone who can still paint, write, and create art peacefully on a construction site, undisturbed by external influences—I've always used these oddly coined terms to comfort the guy who jumped off a building, the guy who did drugs, and the guy who gambled, because I really can't find suitable words to praise these scumbags. It's a high-EQ occupational hazard, you get the idea.]

[Pink finger: Boss, if you're really out of ideas, you can bite a lighter.]

[Index finger: Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!]

The conversation in the WeChat group has ended.

The little finger was talking to itself.

"--Brook, are you able to go to work these next few days? Have you rested enough? I'm so tired, I haven't slept for four days, just taking care of the kids has made me so exhausted I feel like throwing up."

"I need to find an opportunity to get close to Jiang Bailu and let her experience the beauty of her the Hand of Omnipotence-- "

"--Yes, you're good-looking, I'll leave this to you."

"Okay, sister, I'll risk my life to do this--"

"--It's up to you now, brother!"

After saying that, Little Finger ran to the men's restroom.

Just a few seconds later, Paul Brook emerged from the restroom; it was none other than the man who had pinned the pinky finger.

He was still wearing that dress, looking a little embarrassed.

" --Jiali, I think I told you before, could we choose some unisex clothes? If you can wear them, I can wear them too."

"This is not negotiable."

"--Whatever you say, I need to go change my clothes."