The GPS wristband I purchased online was originally intended to prevent children from getting lost. Its exterior is red, giving it a somewhat toy-like appearance, though one could argue it also resembles a delicate accessory that suits a middle school student’s aesthetic.
For those familiar with such devices, their true purpose would probably be apparent at a glance. However, based on my observations over this period, Ma Zao seems to have only a basic understanding of modern electronics. For example, while she knows what a refrigerator and a television are, she’s quite unfamiliar with smartphones. When she saw the fitness tracker I had idly purchased in the past, she even curiously asked what it was. It was then that the idea of giving her a GPS wristband came to me.
Admittedly, thermal markers are more covert than a GPS wristband. However, since I’ve started to suspect that Ma Zao might notice the “firefly” markers I’ve been using based on superpowers, I can’t fully trust thermal markers either, which are also based on superpowers.
Using superpowers is necessary, but so is modern technology.
Keeping Ma Zao by my side is the most important matter of my life. How could I possibly feel secure with only one layer of precaution?
Hearing my voice, Ma Zao froze for a moment, then looked puzzled as she got up from the sofa and walked over.
"A gift for me?"
"Yes, this is for you." I handed over the red GPS wristband, which looked like an ordinary accessory.
She hesitated instead of immediately taking it and softly reminded me, "I’m leaving tomorrow."
"I know. There’s no need to feel awkward about it. Consider this a farewell gift," I said, speaking with as much sincerity as I could muster. "Even though it’s only been three days, we’ve at least shared meals and slept under the same roof.
"You’re a fugitive being hunted by official forces, and I’m the accomplice harboring you. From that perspective, we share a secret that no one else can know. You could even say we’re partners in crime, wouldn’t you agree?"
Hearing this, she thought for a moment and then nodded. "That’s... reasonable."
"Even if you leave, I won’t forget you; likewise, I don’t want you to forget me after you’ve left," I continued. "This wristband is my keepsake for you."
She seemed on the verge of being persuaded. "…But I don’t have anything to give in return."
"It’s fine. As long as you remember me and are willing to come back and visit me someday, I’ll be content."
As I spoke, I simply reached out slowly and took hold of her left arm.
When I touched her, I could feel her reflexively tense up. However, she soon consciously relaxed, letting me take her arm. She was still wearing my gray long-sleeve T-shirt, so I rolled up the overly long sleeve to reveal her slender, fair wrist. Then, I carefully placed the red GPS wristband on it.
She withdrew her wrist and examined the GPS wristband with a curious gaze.
Seeing her scrutinize it so closely made me a bit nervous. Unable to help myself, I spoke a few more words, hoping to divert her attention. "I’m just a student, and my finances are limited. If I could, I would’ve bought you a more expensive accessory. But for now, this toy-like wristband is all I can afford."
"No, it’s fine. I like it a lot."
I couldn’t tell if she genuinely liked it or was just being polite. But having received a gift, she certainly wouldn’t say outright that she didn’t like it.
As she responded, she showed a joyful smile and gently touched the GPS wristband—one that held a rather ulterior motive.
"It's been how many years since I last received a gift..." she murmured, her tone tinged with a trace of nostalgia.
It seemed she hadn’t recognized the true function of the wristband.
To be honest, giving a GPS wristband disguised as a simple accessory to a 13 or 14-year-old girl was, without a doubt, the most perverse thing I’d ever done in my life. Even I couldn’t help but marvel at my own depravity. The younger version of myself, who appeared in my dreams last night, would never have imagined that I’d one day become such a despicable and shameless man.
Seeing that the mood was improving, I decided to press my advantage and make my next move.
"Ma Zao, even though you said you’re leaving tomorrow, I hope you can wait just a little longer before you go."
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Hearing this, she snapped out of her thoughts and asked suspiciously, "Why?"
"Look, you’re still wearing my clothes, aren’t you?" I brought out the reasoning I’d prepared in advance. "A normal girl wouldn’t walk around wearing men’s clothes that are so oversized. Sure, you’re no longer wearing that bloodstained hospital gown like when we first met, but if you go out dressed like this, you’ll still attract suspicion. And don’t forget, there’s an active manhunt for a ‘teenage girl carrying firearms.’ That’ll only make it easier for you to run into trouble."
"But as long as I avoid drawing attention..."
"I don’t know what the population density of a post-apocalyptic world is like, but in our society, cities are incredibly crowded. If your only goal is to hide, maybe you could avoid being noticed. But the moment you try to do anything outside, it’s impossible to stay completely out of sight," I said seriously. "You might say you can steal clothes from others, but I don’t want you resorting to stealing. That’s not a good thing to do."
"Then what should I do, according to you?" she countered.
"It’s simple. I’ve already ordered a few outfits for you online, using the size of the hospital gown you took off as a reference," I answered directly. "The delivery just needs some more time—it didn’t arrive today, but it should be here by tomorrow at the latest. Once it arrives, you can head out wearing the new clothes."
I didn’t dare mention anything about the day after tomorrow or later, as she might decide to leave right away.
For now, I could only stall her for a bit longer and use the extra time to persuade her to stay.
She lowered her head and thought for a while before reluctantly nodding. "Alright, I’ll wait until tomorrow then... Oh, by the way, where is that hospital gown now?"
"Since it was too dirty and tattered, I threw it away."
In truth, I’d secretly kept it as a “memento of our fateful encounter.”
To avoid being mistaken as a creep, I decided to keep this particular matter hidden from her.
---
Ma Zao had said she’d "wait until tomorrow before leaving," but through my persistent efforts, I managed to extend her stay until the day after tomorrow.
While keeping her occupied, I also used the internet to investigate the information I needed.
Although there hadn’t been an official statement from the authorities yet, news of a "teenage girl carrying firearms and ammunition" wanted by law enforcement had already started circulating online. Fabricated stories about recent victims of this so-called criminal were even making their way onto trending lists, with all sorts of rumors running wild like a chaotic circus.
Just as Agent Kong had mentioned before, Mount Luo had expanded their search for Ma Zao to a nationwide level. What was visible online was merely the ripple on the surface; there were undoubtedly more covert operations happening in the shadows, and those were likely the true driving force behind the hunt.
I also subtly probed Zhu Shi for information, and her answers largely confirmed my suspicions. In addition, I asked her about the so-called "jinx constitution."
A jinx constitution does indeed attract strange phenomena, but supernatural are naturally drawn to each other. Even demon hunters with supernatural powers tend to attract supernatural. From a demon hunter's perspective, could Ma Zao’s jinx constitution be less unique than it seems?
However, Zhu Shi denied my speculation outright.
It’s true that demon hunters have the ability to attract supernatural, but this trait doesn’t extend to those around them, let alone the people around those people. Moreover, a demon hunter’s attraction to supernatural isn’t particularly frequent—over the course of a year, it might only happen a handful of times, at most enough to ensure that "a demon hunter can never truly live an ordinary life."
A situation like "picking up Ma Zao at night and immediately being targeted by an supernatural the very next morning" is so instant and conspicuous that it can only be attributed to some kind of curse. And if all demon hunters had such an absurd constitution, then according to the six degrees of separation theory (the idea that any person can connect to any other person in the world through a chain of no more than six acquaintances), human society probably wouldn’t have survived to this day.
Zhu Shi also shared another crucial piece of information with me: in the past two or three years, the frequency of supernatural-related incidents around the world has been significantly increasing.
This information is corroborated by what I’ve found online. Over the past two or three years, there’s been a noticeable surge in urban legends, ghost stories, and sightings of supernatural events. I’d already observed this anomaly myself and had conducted several on-site investigations at locations linked to these reports, but I always came up empty-handed.
If Zhu Shi hadn’t told me this in person, I might have continued to dismiss those reports as nonsense, assuming they were merely part of a growing new wave of urban legend culture on the internet in recent years.
Whenever I think deeply about this, I find it baffling. Despite this wave of frequent supernatural having lasted for so long, I somehow kept missing them time and time again. If not for my chance encounter with Ma Zao, I probably would still believe this was nothing more than a cultural trend of new urban legends rising online.
Incidentally, the scene of me slicing through an unfinished building during my fight with Agent Kong was also witnessed by bystanders. Some even filmed the event and uploaded the videos online. The uploader adamantly claimed that the footage had not been edited in any way, and a few locals commented under the video, vouching for its authenticity. However, the majority of viewers assumed it was either an unexplained but otherwise logical explosion or simply a well-crafted special effects video.
I never expected to become the protagonist of such an incident myself—there’s even a chance that urban legend enthusiasts might visit the site for an investigation.
Since I’ve now stepped onto the stage of the demon hunter world as a superpowered individual, there’s no point in pretending to hide my abilities anymore. From now on, I won’t bother with the whole "don’t use your powers in public" nonsense. When unnecessary, I won’t flaunt them, but when needed, I won’t hesitate or shy away from using them. Just let things take their natural course.
That said, I still need to be careful in front of Ma Zao. Because I had initially portrayed myself as a normal person, suddenly revealing my powers now might raise her suspicions. I can’t keep this hidden forever, though; I’ll need to find the right opportunity to tell her.
As of now, it’s the fifth day since we first met.
This time, I can no longer find a reason to convince her to delay her departure.
Her decision to leave is final.