Gathering Glimmers, Undercurrents Stirring

In the detention center, days lost their names, leaving only numbers and an endlessly repeating cycle of gloom.

The next day, at midnight.

When the cold mechanical notification sounded on time in the depths of Lin Feng's mind, he broke free of his light sleep in an instant, like a trapped beast at its most vigilant, and focused all his attention on the floating interface in his consciousness.

[Ding! Daily Deathsworn Summoning has refreshed.]

[Summon now?]

"Summon!" His thought held unwavering resolve.

Streams of light whirled, and the wheel of fate spun once more before finally coming to a stop.

[Ding! Summoning successful!]

[Deathsworn obtained: Liu Cuihua]

[Identity: sanitation worker (responsible for cleaning streets around XX University)]

[Activity range: assigned cleaning route]

[Abilities: street cleaning, area familiarity (surface level), inconspicuous observation]

[Loyalty: 100%]

The image of a female worker in her fifties, her face etched with the marks of wind and weather, wearing an orange reflective vest, appeared clearly in Lin Feng's awareness, along with her location-a deserted street near the university district in the early morning. She was mechanically sweeping with a large broom, keeping company with fallen leaves and trash, but the instant the summoning was complete, her gaze froze almost imperceptibly for a moment, then blended perfectly back into that shell of numb labor.

A sanitation worker...

The flame burning hot with anticipation in Lin Feng's chest seemed to have a small cup of ice water poured over it. It flickered slightly, but did not go out. There was no time for disappointment, and he had even less right to complain. He quickly calmed down and analyzed the new unit's usefulness as though examining the spoils of battle.

He immediately issued an order: "Liu Cuihua, keep an eye on your assigned route, especially that white Volkswagen Polo, whose license plate may end in 37. Record roughly when it appears each morning. Watch for a female student named Sun Tingting. If you see her, remember her movements and condition. Stay hidden and report regularly."

The order reached her precisely through the invisible link. The sanitation worker shifted the direction of her sweeping almost imperceptibly, her gaze beginning to drift, seemingly casually, over passing vehicles and the occasional early-rising pedestrian.

During the day, the "routine" in cell 107 continued as before.

Cold tap water, filthy brushes, a pungent stench. The humiliating chore of scrubbing the toilet was never skipped. The food was always thin and watery, and those few pitiful pieces of pickled vegetables or scraps of meat were always divided up by Scar and his lackeys at the first opportunity. By the time it was Lin Feng's turn, there was usually nothing left but gruel so thin it reflected a person's face and steamed buns as hard as rocks.

Insults and shoves were even more commonplace.

"Hey, ass groper, did you get the toilet shiny enough today? Can you use it as a mirror?" Skinny Monkey was always the first to provoke him.

Iron Head preferred to express his "concern" through action. During one exercise period, he deliberately slammed into Lin Feng from behind, hard. Watching him stagger a few steps and nearly fall, he squeezed a nasty smile out of the flesh on his face. "Watch your footing, softballs! Or do you just like lying on the ground?"

Lin Feng remained silent throughout. Like a stone thrown into an abyss, he bore all the pressure and malice, crushing all his churning anger, humiliation, and hatred into the deepest recesses of his heart. Only in moments when no one noticed would a bone-freezing chill flash through his eyes. He spent most of his time curled up in his corner, seemingly suffering and shutting himself away, while in truth all his attention was deep within his mind, fully occupied with receiving and analyzing the intermittent, vague yet critically important fragments of information from Wang Wu and Liu Cuihua.

Wang Wu roamed from corner to corner like a shadow in the city. The information he sent was chaotic, but there were occasional glimmers:

* "White car... plate ends in 37... went in..." (Meaning the faculty residential compound; corroborating the information about Li Jing's car.)

* "Lots of students... saying... list for postgraduate recommendations... coming out soon..." (Providing a point of reference for the timing.)

* "Policewoman (Zhang Qian)... came out at night... driving... honked... very loud..." (Confirming her volatile temperament once again.)

Liu Cuihua's information was more regular, but limited by her activity range:

* "White car... around seven forty... went past here..." (Providing a more precise time.)

* "Didn't see that female student..."

* "A new notice was posted at the street corner..." (Useless information, but proof that the link was working.)

Viewed individually, these pieces of information were insignificant, some even laughable. But Lin Feng, like the most patient puzzle maker, pieced them together bit by bit. Li Jing's travel routine gradually became clear, Zhang Qian's character traits were confirmed again, and he now had a vague idea of when to expect developments concerning Sun Tingting.

The third day.

Summoning time.

[Ding! Summoning successful!]

[Deathsworn obtained: Zhang Zhiqiang]

[Identity: food delivery rider (active in the university district and surrounding commercial areas)]

[Activity range: electric scooter delivery range]

[Abilities: rapid movement, familiarity with buildings, brief contact with all kinds of people]

[Loyalty: 100%]

The image of a young man in a blue delivery uniform appeared, his helmet covering half his face as he rode an electric scooter through the early-morning traffic.

Lin Feng ordered, "Zhang Zhiqiang, watch for orders delivered to Li Jing's home in the XX University faculty residential compound. Try to confirm them by the address or the last four digits of her phone number, and record their frequency and type. If there are orders for Zhang Qian at the municipal bureau's criminal investigation unit, record those too. Stay safe and act naturally."

The delivery rider deathsworn nodded slightly, maintaining his speed as he merged into the crowds rushing about to make a living.

The oppression inside the cell was escalating. Scar seemed to feel that the everyday humiliation lacked "creativity." After dinner one evening, he strolled over to Lin Feng while picking his teeth and kicked at his curled-up legs.

"Kid," he said, his voice low but full of malice, "just scrubbing the toilet is letting you off too easy. Starting today, before bed every night, you'll wipe each of our slippers clean. Use your prison uniform to do it, got that?"

A few stifled snickers sounded around them. It was contempt taken to the extreme, meant to grind his dignity completely into the mud.

Lin Feng's body tensed instantly, blood rushing to his head with a roar. In the shadows, his fists clenched until his knuckles turned white, making a faint creaking sound. But in the end, he did not move or raise his head. He merely buried his face deeper in his knees and endured it all in silence. He knew Scar was testing his limits, looking for new amusement. Any resistance would only bring harsher treatment. He had to endure.

The fourth day.

Summoning.

[Ding! Summoning successful!]

[Deathsworn obtained: Zhao Xin]

[Identity: internet café attendant (a small internet café on the edge of the university district)]

[Activity range: inside and outside the internet café]

[Abilities: basic computer operation, night duty, contact with internet users from all walks of life]

[Loyalty: 100%]

The image of a young internet café attendant appeared, with dark circles under his eyes, greasy hair, and a wrinkled T-shirt. He was sitting listlessly at the front desk.

Lin Feng thought for a moment, then ordered, "Zhao Xin, watch for Sun Tingting or her close female friends, Li Jing or her family, and Zhang Qian or her colleagues appearing at the internet café or using nearby network services. You can check identity registrations or listen to casual conversation. Pay attention to any related electronic information or snippets of conversation, however useless they may seem."

The attendant deathsworn blinked his dry eyes and tapped lazily at the keyboard, but his gaze began sweeping over the screens and the people coming and going like radar.

The days passed slowly in this pattern of extreme oppression, intertwined hope and disappointment, and a humiliating routine repeated over and over.

Like a greedy sponge, Lin Feng absorbed the faint trickle of information from the outside world while enduring the increasingly heavy grind of life in the cell. He grew quieter, his gaze emptier, as though he truly had been completely assimilated into this hell. Only late at night, when no one could see, would a light of frantic calculation and icy waiting burst from those open eyes.

Hope remained faint, like a candle flame flickering in a fierce wind, liable to go out at any moment.

But hatred had settled into the hardest of foundations, keeping him from collapsing completely.

He curled up in the stinking corner, enduring hunger and the aches in his body, all his thoughts fixed on the next summoning, the next turn of the wheel of fate.

Each summoning was a tiny hope.

Every act of endurance was for the final, earth-shattering eruption.

The darkness remained deep, but glimmers from different corners were silently gathering, waiting for the moment they would light the road to revenge.