Chapter 75 - 75: System Upgrade Successful! Regarding points and factions...
“What did you say? You’re saying he’s a criminal?” Captain Liao looked at the child Su Xuan had brought over, unable to believe it, and immediately countered, “That can’t be right. Have you ever seen such a young criminal?”
“This kid can’t be more than ten years old.”
“Su Xuan…”
Captain Liao fell silent for a moment. “1 know you’re highly competent in handling cases and catching thieves, but this child…”
No matter how he looked at it, the child in front of him was just a child. How could he possibly be a criminal? Could Su Xuan have made a mistake?
“Captain,” Su Xuan quickly responded, pushing the child in front of him. “1 know you think he’s too young to be a criminal.”
“When I first met him, I thought the same.”
“But it’s obvious…”
“This guy isn’t a real child; he’s a dwarfism patient.”
“Given his age, he should be in his twenties.”
Su Xuan could roughly guess the age of this dwarfism patient. He estimated the person to be around 20 to 25 years old. Even though they had dwarfism and their growth was restricted for certain reasons, their faces remained youthful until around 25. That was because their bodies hadn’t aged past that point, and the collagen on their faces hadn’t disappeared. Once they exceeded 25, these individuals, due to the loss of collagen and the accumulation of life experiences, would no longer resemble children.
This was also why Su Xuan believed the individual to be in their early twenties. Having spent many years in the anti-pickpocketing unit, Captain Liao had encountered all sorts of people. He had even arrested criminal dwarfism patients before, but it was the first time he had seen one who appeared so young. At first, he was quite skeptical.
However, out of trust in Su Xuan, Captain Liao lowered his head and looked into the eyes of the criminal. Indeed, he saw an expression that no child could possibly have in the criminal’s eyes. Only then did he believe what Su Xuan had said.
“Impressive, Su Xuan!”
“This guy hid so well. Even I, with my extensive experience, was fooled, but you managed to discover him.”
“I heard a while back that we had a child thief here at the high-speed rail station, but 1 never managed to catch him.”
“If I’m not mistaken, it must be him.”
“Before, I even suspected that it might be a pickpocket in special circumstances, but I couldn’t find any leads all this time.”
Captain Liao was overjoyed, feeling that bringing Su Xuan over had been the best decision he made for this mission.
“Nonsense, Captain Liao, you’re the one with the keen insight.”
Su Xuan felt a bit embarrassed by the praise but quickly continued, “Captain Liao, since you happen to be here, I’ll leave this criminal in your hands. I’ll go check downstairs.”
“When I came up just now, I saw several trains arriving, so it’s likely that pickpockets are active again.”
“I’ll go take a look.”
“Go ahead!”
Captain Liao immediately nodded, feeling very pleased with his subordinates’ diligence. “Leave this to me.”
Upon hearing this, Su Xuan didn’t insist any further. He turned and left the duty room.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully apprehending the criminal and gaining 92 points!]
As Su Xuan stepped out of the room, he suddenly heard the system’s voice. Although it was the same mechanical sound, Su Xuan detected a difference. “System, have you upgraded?”
Su Xuan’s heart leaped with joy. Aside from the other benefits, an upgraded system meant more advantages for him. More importantly, in this unfamiliar dimension, only the system’s presence could help him remember that he was a time traveler from another dimension.
[Ding, host, the system has indeed been upgraded. Congratulations to the host for apprehending numerous criminals during this period.]
[Your points have also increased!]
The system’s voice carried a hint of excitement, and Su Xuan keenly sensed this excitement. He squinted his eyes and suddenly spoke.
“System, why do I feel like…”
“You’ve become a bit different after the upgrade?”
“It seems…”
“More human.”
Su Xuan didn’t finish the last few words, but the system could guess his meaning. In response, the system didn’t hide anything and promptly clarified his doubts.
[Ding, host, in a certain sense, this system is what you often refer to as Al, only originating from a more advanced civilization.]
[After the system upgrade, becoming slightly more human is normal, isn’t it?]
As Su Xuan heard the system’s words, he became even more puzzled. Is that so? Is it normal? Su Xuan didn’t believe the system’s nonsense. The same tone was used when this guy tried to cheat him out of points earlier. Speaking of which, Su Xuan seriously suspected that the system had deducted points for its own upgrade without his knowledge. It wasn’t impossible, but Su Xuan didn’t care anymore. If the system tried to steal his points again, he’d rather wear it down to death!
[…]
Sensing Su Xuan’s thoughts, the system was instantly rendered speechless.
“By the way.”
“Now that you’ve completed the upgrade, let me ask you something…”
Su Xuan suddenly remembered the incident at Platform Three of the subway station, where he discovered five individuals who were subsequently apprehended, but no points were awarded.
“Those five criminals were the ones I found, and 1 was the one who sent people over. Why weren’t they counted in my points?”
As Su Xuan spoke to this point, he couldn’t help but shiver. If he had to personally capture every criminal, then one day he might perish at the hands of the system. For him, the system was an opportunity, a chance, but it could very well be poison as well!
“Do 1 only get points for the criminals I personally apprehend?”
Su Xuan thought that if the system dared to say yes, he would immediately stop doing missions and wear the system down. He knew that the system’s operation required energy, and this energy could only be obtained from his missions. If he didn’t act, the system would eventually consume all the energy it had gathered from his participation… It would be a battle of endurance between them!
System: […]
[Can’t you trust me a little, host? After all, I brought you here.]
[Those five criminals, although discovered by the host, were apprehended by police officers who came from a different place than you, so they aren’t considered part of your team.]
The system’s words echoed in Su Xuan’s ears, and his mind raced. Team? The police officers who came to apprehend those criminals were from nearby police stations, not from the Anti-Pickpocketing Unit. And now he had been temporarily reassigned to the Anti-Pickpocketing Unit. If…
“So, if it’s the Anti-Pickpocketing Unit that comes to apprehend them this time, will it count for me?”
Su Xuan seemed to understand something.
“Yes, host!”
“So, strive towards the goal of becoming a detective!”
Hearing this, Su Xuan’s eyes deepened, and he seemed to grasp something. He immediately took a step forward, full of determination.. “Alright, let’s go then!”