"Lifespan Mall? What does that mean?"
Lu Ruo communicated tentatively with the System.
The System’s tone was cheerful: [The Lifespan Mall preview has been enabled for the host.]
A blue virtual screen appeared before Lu Ruo, with a countdown timer at the very top.
[Host’s remaining days of life: 99 days.]
Currently, the only thing Lu Ruo could redeem was the Lifespan-Extending Pill on the first line, which cost ten points.
She tapped it with her finger, and the description read: [Can extend life by three days. This portion of lifespan is perfectly healthy and carries no side effects.]
In other words, the 10 points she had just earned could buy her three days of healthy life?
Lu Ruo’s fingers trembled, and her voice wavered as well: "I choose the Lifespan Mall."
[Lifespan Mall enabled. The host may redeem corresponding items.]
Upon hearing the System’s response, Lu Ruo redeemed the Lifespan-Extending Pill and swallowed it. Sure enough, the countdown changed to 102 days.
Thank goodness.
Lu Ruo’s eyes turned red.
It seemed she didn’t have to die after all; as long as she slowly completed tasks, she could extend her life.
"Human, don't cry. The cat has brought you the treasure someone else hid."
Lu Ruo, who had been crying tears of joy, quickly had her attention drawn by Huahua’s words.
The skinny calico cat held a small black leather bag in its mouth, looking at Lu Ruo with anticipation. It truly hoped that what it had found would make her happy.
Unable to bear disappointing the kitten, Lu Ruo reached out and took the dirty leather bag.
The moment she touched it, something felt off. The shapes of the items inside felt very much like a bracelet and a thumb ring.
She opened it and took a look; it was exactly as she had suspected.
If these two items were genuine, had she found the items stolen from the Gu Family with Huahua’s help?
Regardless of whether they were or not, she had to call the police!
Lu Ruo dialed 110.
The officers at the Beicheng Police Station were feeling anxious because of the theft case.
The case had been ongoing for a month. Although they had caught the accomplice who acted as an inside man, the stolen treasures had not been recovered, and the other thieves remained at large.
The owner of the heirlooms was an elderly woman with white hair. To urge the police to expedite the investigation, she sat at the police station every day, leaning on her cane and watching them with earnest eyes.
Today was no exception.
The criminal investigation captain in charge of the case wore a troubled expression and tried to persuade her gently: "Grandma, the case is already being processed with priority. Coming back and forth like this every day isn't good for your health..."
He was in the middle of trying to convince her to go home when news came through: "Captain Gu, a concerned citizen says they found the stolen bracelet and thumb ring in a pile of trash!"
The captain’s eyes lit up instantly. He gave a wave of his hand: "Let's go! To the scene!"
Lu Ruo hadn't expected the police to arrive so quickly. She had only just enough time to ask Huahua if there was anything else besides hearing people mention the treasures.
Huahua thought for a long time, but before it could answer, two police motorcycles appeared at the mouth of the alley.
The first to dismount was a man wearing a black T-shirt. As he approached Lu Ruo, he reached up to take off his helmet.
Despite the effort being minimal, the muscles in his arms still rippled with vibrant power.
Frightened, Lu Ruo took two steps back, looking up anxiously to meet the man's face.
She was afraid that this person might be a thief posing as a police officer, and she was desperate to glean something from his expression.
With the helmet removed, the man’s appearance was fully revealed. He had short hair and a dashing, heroic look. Underneath sharp, sword-like brows, his ink-black eyes were bright, like a blade being unsheathed.
Seeing that Lu Ruo was somewhat afraid of him, he produced his credentials: "Hello, I am Criminal Investigator Gu Qi. I received your report that you found the items stolen from the Gu Family a month ago here."
Upon seeing the credentials, the guard in Lu Ruo’s heart finally lowered.
"Yes, I was the one who called. The items are here." Lu Ruo handed the small black bag to Gu Qi. "I'm sorry, my cat brought it out to give to me, and I was curious, so I opened it. But I haven't touched the items inside; I shouldn't have disturbed any fingerprints."
Gu Qi listened to Lu Ruo’s explanation and, wearing gloves, took the small leather bag. He pulled it open to take a look and froze.
He had come here with a skeptical mind; after all, they hadn't found anything after a month of deploying so many officers, and the report he received could easily have been from someone trying to claim a reward under false pretenses.
He hadn't expected to see genuine items!
"Thank you for the tip," Gu Qi thanked Lu Ruo sincerely. "However, the theft suspects have not been caught yet. Could you please describe the incident in detail?"
Lu Ruo knew there would be a statement-taking process. Fearing that if she mentioned she could understand cat language, the police would think she was crazy, she simply said the cat likely thought it was fun and brought the bag out to give to her.
While Lu Ruo was speaking, Gu Qi’s gaze remained fixed on her.
The petite girl lacked color in her face and lips. Her voice was thin and weak, as if she didn't have a shred of strength. Her large, red-rimmed eyes, however, were locked onto him; the light in her pupils was the only evidence that the girl still possessed the vitality of the living.
According to the information provided by the dispatcher, the girl was the daughter of the Lu Family in Beicheng. She had been abducted at the age of three and only found three years ago.
The Lu Family was quite wealthy; how had they raised their daughter to be like this?
Gu Qi’s brow furrowed even more deeply because he could clearly perceive that Lu Ruo was withholding something in her story.
She was quite bold for such a small thing, lying to the police.
Various theories flashed through Gu Qi’s mind. Just as he was about to tell the girl to tell the truth, an elderly voice sounded from the mouth of the alley: "A-Qi, have you found Grandma’s treasures?"
This voice also drew Lu Ruo’s attention.
She turned to look and saw a kind-faced old lady. Despite her white hair, the woman moved with agility, reaching Gu Qi’s side in a few steps. Her trembling hands reached out to touch the small black leather bag in his hands.
Gu Qi didn't let her.
"Grandma, the items are real. We found them, but they need to be taken back to the station to complete the paperwork before you can take them home."
As he spoke, Gu Qi opened the bag to show the old lady what was inside.
Since they were treasures she had kept by her side her entire life, the old woman could tell at a glance that they were genuine. Tears welled up in her cloudy eyes, and she grabbed Lu Ruo’s hand: "Young lady, did you help me find these? Thank you so much, I will give you..."
Before she could finish her sentence, Lu Ruo felt her vision blur.
She hadn't eaten all morning to undergo hospital checkups, and she was at her limit.
As her head became unbearably heavy, Lu Ruo forced herself to speak: "It, it was Hua, Huahua who found them. Tha, thank Hua..."
She didn't have the strength to finish the rest of her words.
Expecting to collapse onto the ground, she felt her face touch something soft instead.
Before she could analyze what was happening, Lu Ruo’s brain completely lost the capacity to think.
...
Waking from her coma, Lu Ruo discovered she was lying in a hospital.
It was noisy outside the door.
"Old Madam Gu, thank you for being willing to call us. Ruoruo grew up in the mountains and got used to the wild when she was young. She probably ran off and fainted on the side of the road because she didn't eat after a fight with the family. I am so sorry for the trouble she has caused you."
Recognizing the voice as that of her mother, Zhao Li, Lu Ruo frowned.
How did she get here?