You could resist the law, use disguises, and evade the police. After all, even police officers are just wearing a skin—they still have to act the part.

But against a gang, that kind of thinking is suicidal.

Because dealing with a gang is about shedding your skin. The higher you climb, the more layers of skin you tear away, until only the bloody beast remains.

And beasts rely on instinct, following primal urges. Like a dog smelling blood, the more you run, the more it chases, until it bites or kills you.

You can play mind games and hide from people.

But against a beast, it’s only a straight fight to the death.

Returning to her room, Ivy didn’t immediately start training. Instead, she sat at her desk, taking out paper and pen to organize her thoughts.

The dead man, Zheng Hang's father—the Qinglang Gang leader—was clinging desperately to the case's conclusion.

The seemingly clever second-in-command at the crime scene—was he the one who narrowed down the list of suspects?

The content of the papers held by the thugs at the school gate?

The precinct captain’s indifferent attitude towards the Qinglang Gang’s investigation—a slap in the face.

The inconclusive conclusion of Zheng Hang’s case—the precinct’s next move?

Wang Wei’s mother’s death at the hospital—its implications for the whole case?

...

Because she didn’t know the names of these individuals, Ivy used indirect descriptions to label them on the paper.

After an hour, Ivy decisively placed eight slashes next to several names, a plan vaguely forming in her mind.

“I can’t stop the Qinglang Gang’s investigation. A father’s grief is unstoppable. That problem is too difficult to solve, so I’ll deal with those who caused the problem.”

The order of the names circled on her paper represented the order of her plan.

A knock interrupted Ivy’s thoughts. Her mother, Wang Suli, called her for dinner.

Ivy responded, habitually tearing up the paper and swallowing it along with some iron beads and water.

During dinner.

Ivy casually asked, “Dad still hasn’t come home. This case is taking too long.”

Seeing Ivy’s unusual concern, Wang Suli happily shared what she knew.

She said, “It might take a while. Not just your father, but most of the precinct’s officers have been deployed to the west of the city. They’ve found a lead, and it looks like they’ll be able to make an arrest in the next couple of weeks.”

Ivy chewed her food and asked, “Are they arresting people from that [Destiny] organization?”

Wang Suli had no qualms about sharing information, or perhaps the precinct was simply a leaky vessel.

She replied, “Yes, it seems they’ve identified about four suspects. If they arrest them all, the precinct will make a big catch.”

Ivy licked her lips. “They’ve identified the suspects, but haven’t made any arrests yet?”

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Wang Suli said, “They say there might be more people involved whose identities are still unknown. They’re waiting to catch the big fish. I don’t really understand it.”

A chill ran down Ivy’s spine. She remembered the system’s daily prompt: [Rewards have been sent, please check and claim].

She swallowed and said, “Does the precinct have a good chance of arresting them? Will they be safe dealing with such a vicious organization?”

A hint of worry appeared on Wang Suli’s face, but she still smiled. “It should be fine. From what your father said, it seems the precinct is deploying a large force this time.”

Ivy’s heart sank, but her face remained impassive. She made a sound of agreement, finishing her rice before returning to her room.

Locking the door behind her, Ivy swallowed some iron beads while thinking, If the precinct is so confident, there’s an 80% chance that the [Destiny] members are in the clear.

I hope there are no delivery personnel among them, but there probably are, she thought. She didn’t believe she could rescue anyone from the precinct’s grasp. She decided not to speculate and focused on training.

She would stay up all night, pushing herself to the limit until dawn.

...

Ivy turned off her alarm, accidentally crushing the case.

She realized this as she examined her right arm. A cold chill traveled down her arm, through her elbow, into her wrist, and into her fingers, silently enveloping her entire right arm.

“Right arm hardening complete!”

Ivy’s eyes lit up. She unconsciously flexed her right arm, feeling its increased weight.

Pulling up her sleeve, she compared her two arms. Her right arm was noticeably larger than her left. When she flexed her fingers, a grating sound echoed, and the skin on her hand was sore from the pressure.

Ivy picked up the crushed alarm clock. No longer concerned about accidentally using too much force, she squeezed it, crushing the metal case into a lump.

She released her grip, revealing red marks on her palm.

The good news: Right arm hardening complete. Increased strength.

The bad news: The hardening only affected her bones, not her skin, meaning she could still injure herself.

“However, now that my bones are hardened, the recoil from a punch is less than before, as the hardened bones can better absorb the impact.”

Ivy pulled her sleeve down, concealing her arm, her right hand reaching for the knife in her pocket. She thought,

“It seems I need to learn Iron Sand Palm or a similar martial art. Until then, I'll use a knife to settle things, not my fists.”

...

Ivy rode her bike to the incinerator.

As soon as she arrived, Wang Jian hurried over, saying mysteriously, “Let me tell you, I was stopped by someone from the Qinglang Gang this morning.”

Ivy’s pupils constricted slightly. “What? Why did they stop you?”

Wang Jian looked strange. “They asked me where I was and what I was doing on the evening of the 15th. I was terrified.”

Ivy feigned surprise. “What about the 15th?”

Wang Jian scratched his head. “I was also confused, but they looked menacing, so I told them I was working the night shift at the incinerator on the 15th. Then they asked who could corroborate my story, and I said several night shift workers could.”

Before Ivy could respond, Wang Jian whispered, “I’ve been thinking about this on the way here, and I think I might have figured something out. Remember those deaths at school that you told me about?”

Ivy nodded. “What about them?”

Wang Jian looked around cautiously, lowering his voice, “I heard that the son of the Qinglang Gang leader was among the dead.”

“What?” Ivy feigned surprise. “No, I saw it myself. It was a female student.”

Wang Jian, weaving together rumors and his own speculation, explained seriously.

“No, a male student is also missing—the son of the Qinglang Gang leader. The precinct believes he’s the murderer and has issued a warrant. But the gang leader denies it and believes someone else killed his son, saying his son was accidentally killed and went missing.”

Wang Jian sneered, confidently stating his conclusion.

“In my opinion, the precinct isn’t wrong. The Qinglang Gang is putting on a show. The son was probably being hidden by his father.”

Ivy narrowed her eyes, impressed by Wang Jian’s insight. “I think you’re right,” she said with a smile.

Wang Jian beamed, pleased with his deduction.

Ivy, however, asked, “They only asked you two questions, and then let you go?”

Wang Jian’s eyes flickered slightly. “They also asked me about other classmates, whether anyone had been acting strangely lately. I told them I’d dropped out and wouldn’t know anything about that.”

Wang Jian was lying. When questioned, he’d panicked and blurted out his classmate’s names to get away.

Ivy noticed the flicker in Wang Jian’s eyes and felt a sinking feeling in her stomach.

Wang Jian, feeling uneasy, quickly changed the subject, dropping a bombshell, “Ivy, be careful. I saw the papers the Qinglang Gang had. Your name and photo were on them.”

He paused before adding, “Yours wasn’t the only one. La Tap’s, Tao Fei’s, Sun Yi’e’s… it seems everyone’s names are on those lists.”

A serious expression crossed Ivy’s face. “I know.”