A deal struck

Looking at Qin Siyang's face, Qian Wendao said ominously, "That face of yours might not be your real one. So your Sequence lets you change your appearance? [Illusionist]? Or [Shapeshifter]?"

Qin Siyang gave a disdainful smile and suddenly activated [Violence]. He pushed off the ground, flashed behind Qian Wendao, and snatched the hat off his head.

Qian Wendao was still rooted to the spot, unable to react at all.

Qin Siyang leaned close to Qian Wendao's ear and whispered, "Sorry, you guessed wrong. My Sequence is an offensive one, not any of that miscellaneous nonsense. And this face is my real face."

With that, Qin Siyang chuckled twice and put the wide-brimmed hat on his own head.

The light from a nearby streetlamp reflected in Qian Wendao's drooping eyes, which were filled with shock.

"You... really are a senior at [Ju'an School]?"

"Of course. That's the identity I need you to falsify a Sequence for."

"How is that possible?! If you're a high school senior, how could you... unless?!"

Qian Wendao looked at Qin Siyang in fresh astonishment. "Which faction is backing you?"

Qin Siyang inwardly sighed in relief. At last, with a little guidance, Qian Wendao had started filling in the blanks himself.

"That's none of your business. I only want to work more closely with you, Section Chief Qian."

Qian Wendao realized that Qin Siyang's background was far more complicated than he had imagined.

He had assumed Qin Siyang was merely a lone master thief who had drifted into the area. Only now did he realize that the boy might actually be the public face of a faction!

Things seemed to have taken a bad turn!

Damn it!

I never should have sent that stupid nephew of mine to collect the silver coins!

No, I never should have taken this shady job in the first place!

During their first conversation in the Aisiko Chatroom, Qin Siyang had been vague throughout. Even at the end, Qian Wendao still had no idea who had referred him for a falsified Sequence.

Although he had found it odd, he had decided not to pry into other people's business and had let it slide.

Now, looking back, everything about those earlier exchanges seemed suspicious.

What an idiot! An absolute idiot!

Qian Wendao repeatedly cursed his own greed.

Now it seemed he had gotten tangled up in something enormous.

He gritted his teeth, but dared not do anything to Qin Siyang. Instead, he asked, "When you say you want to keep working together, do you mean with you, or with the people behind you?"

"Me. Just me." Qin Siyang's gaze grew somewhat inscrutable. "I want to take back what's mine."

Hearing this, Qian Wendao instantly realized that Qin Siyang might not merely be the public face of a powerful faction, but someone of crucial importance within it.

"What sort of arrangement do you want?"

"We can discuss the future later. Help me deal with the matter at hand first."

Qin Siyang said little more.

Qian Wendao was no fool and would not be easy to deceive. The more Qin Siyang said, the more likely something would go wrong.

"Before next Monday, I want an identity as a Sequence Ability User. I'll send you the information using your nephew's phone."

"Once it's done, I'll let him go. From now on, I'll use his phone to contact you."

"...All right."

After another moment's thought, Qin Siyang asked, "Are phone numbers registered under real names?"

Qian Wendao frowned, a probing look suddenly entering his eyes. "You've never used a phone?"

How could a key figure in a powerful faction not know about phone numbers?

"I really haven't used phones. Those things are for poor people."

Qin Siyang answered coldly, as though he thought nothing of it.

Qian Wendao immediately understood. The boy before him had once been a pampered young master. Servants around him had made all his calls, so he had never used a phone himself!

Just how high was Qin Siyang's status?

Even Qian Wendao, who could do as he pleased on the outskirts of the Safe Zone, suddenly felt uncertain.

"None of the numbers are registered under real names. Anyone can use them."

"Good."

Qin Siyang opened the phone, took a selfie, and sent his information and photo to the number labeled "Uncle." Then he deleted the message.

"Let me know when it's done. I'll go to your Administration Bureau to collect my credentials."

With that, Qin Siyang left the department store without waiting for Qian Wendao's reply.

As Qian Wendao read Qin Siyang's information, his brow furrowed more and more deeply.

"This address... isn't it right on the outermost edge of the Safe Zone? And he's an orphan? Someone with that background awakening a Sequence Ability-even an idiot would know something was wrong!"

Had this been one of his previous clients, Qian Wendao might not have bothered with all this.

But Qin Siyang clearly had powerful backing. Qian Wendao could not afford to offend him.

He immediately dialed the number. "Hello? Nephew, it's me. You haven't gone far, have you? Come back so we can talk some more."

Qin Siyang hung up. Knowing that Qian Wendao dared not discuss the matter over the phone for fear of surveillance, he walked back.

"Qin Siyang, this address absolutely won't do. Someone from a place like that awakening a Sequence Ability is bound to attract attention! It's far too conspicuous!"

"I'm afraid quite a few people would take an interest in your real identity."

Hearing this, Qin Siyang grew a little worried too.

He genuinely had not noticed the issue Qian Wendao had raised.

"You certainly have an eye for detail, Section Chief Qian. What do you suggest? My current identity is a poor orphan. If my address is somewhere well-off, that'll arouse suspicion too."

"You're right. That's a problem as well."

Qian Wendao paced with a frown, his pupils shifting back and forth beneath his drooping eyelids. "If nothing else works, we can just list you as homeless."

"Homeless?"

"Yes, homeless. You're a homeless orphan, but that doesn't mean you have to wander in any particular place. You could be staying with a kind family in a developed part of the Safe Zone, with no worries about food or clothing."

"If I'm staying with a kind family, does that still count as being homeless?"

"Close enough. At least it's more plausible than your address. There have been homeless people who awakened Sequences in some of the better-off areas. Of course, most were bankrupt wealthy merchants or illegitimate children kicked out by rich families."

Qin Siyang thought it over again. "But the people around me all know I live on the outskirts of the Safe Zone. If they see that my information lists me as homeless, won't they think something's wrong?"

"The people around you? Those ants at [Ju'an School]? They can't awaken Sequences themselves. How could they possibly find out what's in your registration?"

"What if they do? We still need to make sure there's no room for error."

Qian Wendao considered it, then said, "If you're worried, sell your house or burn it down. Then you'll genuinely be homeless."

Qin Siyang folded his arms and thought for a while, deciding that Qian Wendao had a point.

The word "homeless" could cover up many problems and spare him a good deal of trouble.

"All right. Let's do that."