The randomness of events triggered by players in [Heartbeat] is strong; it could be at a coffee shop one time and a museum the next. The various ways the rich lady met her demise in the first six rounds vividly proved this point.

However, there are also some fixed events.

For example, the rookie investigator always starts in the [Imaging Room], and as the game progresses to a certain extent, something is bound to happen at the [Destiny Club]…

As soon as the name [Destiny Club] appeared, Chu Xia knew she had to go.

In the end, using an absolutely legitimate reason (with a persuasion skill level 4), Chu Xia convinced Deng Zu.

Deng Zu agreed; he couldn’t let a young girl go into the club alone. In addition to the logistics support team outside, he arranged a partner for Chu Xia to go in together, and it was Yin Han.

On the day of the mission, the two arrived at the location for preliminary preparation in the afternoon.

Since it was an undercover investigation, Chu Xia also changed her appearance.

Her usually neatly arranged hair was let down and styled into big waves with a hair straightener, falling all the way to her waist. Her face was adorned with bold makeup, and the low neckline of the sleeveless evening dress revealed a large expanse of fair shoulder skin.

When Chu Xia emerged from the dressing room, Yin Han had already finished getting ready and was waiting outside.

He changed his hairstyle, put on black-framed glasses, and also changed into a waiter’s attire. But the looks of the capturing characters would never be low, even if Yin Han degraded himself a bit. The fox-like eyes were subdued by the black glasses, and at first glance, he even had a bit of the innocent and pure charm of a male high school student.

Yin Han’s expression was much more serious than that of a male high school student. At the moment, he was adjusting his earpiece while typing on the computer, occasionally freeing up one hand to write and draw on the side, obviously communicating details with colleagues outside.

Busy with multitasking, he heard the sound of the curtain being pulled open and casually lifted his head. With a pen in his mouth, he gestured towards a nearby table, saying unclearly, “Your…” earpiece.

Before he could finish his sentence, the pen fell to the ground.

Subconsciously wanting to cover the camera, Yin Han made a sudden movement, directly closing the notebook.

With a “snap,” the camera went black, and the data being transmitted was cut off.

On the other end of the earpiece, there was urgency: “Brother Yin? Brother Yin! What’s happening?! Something went wrong?!!”

Yin Han only snapped back to reality at this point.

He coughed, explaining, “It’s nothing.”

After a pause, he added, “I accidentally pressed the wrong button.”

Colleague outside: ?

Chu Xia knew the reason for Yin Han’s reaction.

The goddess-level account itself had excellent initial attributes, and Chu Xia had invested a lot of time, raising the character’s [Charm] attribute to 85. This was already quite high, and coupled with the fact that the character was a rich lady, there were many items in the account that added attributes. Before entering the game, Chu Xia received permission from the other party to “use whatever you want.” After the cumulative bonuses from items such as [Lipstick], [Foundation], and [Evening Dress], the character’s [Charm] attribute was already at its maximum, so NPC reactions were quite normal.

Meanwhile, Yin Han reopened the notebook and restored the data.

His expression and actions were just as meticulous as before, but Chu Xia could still sense his distraction because, for the third time, he reached out to grab the pen and found it missing.

Chu Xia couldn’t help but make a small “tsk” sound in her heart.

This childhood friend sometimes acted quite reserved.

Yin Han took a moment to relax, finally adjusted his mood, and returned to work mode.

“Lan…” he instinctively called out, but quickly corrected himself after realizing and used the alias Chu Xia was using at this club, “Xia Xia.”

Chu Xia turned around at the words. In fact, “Xia Xia” was the nickname she most commonly used in the game.

Yin Han gestured, “Come here. I just reviewed the layout of the club. There are a few small paths leading to emergency exits. In case of any accidents, we can use them. You should familiarize yourself with them.”

He was now completely serious in work mode.

Chu Xia agreed with a simple “okay” and obediently went over to learn.

Why did she work so hard to improve the favorability of the official pairing in the early stages? Because this guy was a pro! In critical moments, he could save lives.

If the rich lady had boosted the favorability of the official pairing in the early stages, she wouldn’t have died so quickly.

“Don’t lose the earpiece, and remember to use your hair to cover it.”

“If anything unexpected happens, don’t think about rushing forward. This is an investigative mission, and the most important thing is not to alert the enemy. If it doesn’t work out this time, there’s always next time.”

“Do you remember how to escape? Should I go over it again for you?”

“…”

Yin Han explained in great detail, and Chu Xia responded to each instruction without impatience.

It was Yin Han’s expression that became increasingly anxious. His teeth unconsciously bit down, and he instinctively touched his pocket, finding it empty.

Chu Xia noticed this small movement.

The official pairing smoked, but they never smoked in front of the main control.

Chu Xia also noticed this detail after playing several rounds.

She thought for a moment, stopped in her tracks, turned slightly, and smiled up at Yin Han. “Don’t worry, it’s just an investigative mission. Nothing will happen.”

Yin Han paused, looking deflated as if all the energy had drained from him, and his entire posture slouched.

He muttered under his breath, “You even managed to comfort me.”

Reaching out, he instinctively wanted to ruffle her hair out of habit, but with the styled hair, his hand found no grip. He tilted his hand to the side, only to see a stretch of fair shoulder.

Yin Han: “…”

He sighed silently. His hand, with nowhere else to go, could only push up his glasses and adjust his nose bridge.

“Be careful,” he instructed finally.

Chu Xia nodded obediently, a picture of player-style obedience.

*

Following the arrangement, Chu Xia entered the private room of the suspected target.

In cooperative tasks that required multiple investigations, the trigger point was 95% on the player’s side. After all, players couldn’t go through the trouble of triggering tasks, only to end up with a round of inconsequential side quests.

This time was no exception.

Chu Xia, with her level 5 [Investigation] skill, entered the room and immediately noticed the prominently bold and blood-red [Mission Clue] label: an extremely expensive box, seemingly containing some strange powder.

In the short time she stood at the doorway, whistles were already heard from inside.

“Wow!”

“Such a gorgeous girl!”

“Those legs are amazing!”

…

Playing the game wasn’t about suffering; before entering, Chu Xia had already activated the [Pure Mission Mode], completely ignoring the pixelated characters. After collecting all the [Clues], she clicked on [Leave].

Chu Xia once again resumed the [Immersive Perspective], finding herself in the restroom.

Her head was still a bit dizzy, and controlling the character was not as agile as usual.

Chu Xia checked the character’s status and found a [Mildly Intoxicated Debuff].

She turned on the tap, scooped a handful of cold water, and splashed it on her face. After checking the nearby map for any other people, she adjusted her earpiece and, referring to the system-integrated [Investigation Report], reported, “It’s me here. Besides those called to accompany with drinks, there are twelve people, at least seven of them armed. The bodyguard positions haven’t changed much…”

Chu Xia carefully read out the contents of the [Investigation Report], but the response on the other end, a simple “Received,” left her momentarily stunned.

The sound, deformed by electrical currents and then reassembled, was instantly recognized by Chu Xia, who had played many rounds.

She exclaimed, “Yin-Ge?”

Wasn’t Yin Han supposed to be in here with her?

Yin Han replied, “The target I’m keeping an eye on isn’t in my group. I wanted to help, but there was no activity in your room, and I was worried, so I came out to check.”

Chu Xia said, “…Oh.”

The official pairing was a pro, so it was normal for him to act faster than her.

Don’t be upset.

Take a deep breath.

Yin Han couldn’t decipher any complex meanings from Chu Xia’s single word.

On the other side of the earpiece, there were noises indicating preparations for action, and Yin Han’s voice came through steadily: “Your mission is over. Find a place to stay and don’t return to the private room.”

Chu Xia had adjusted her mood, and she replied with a crisp “Received.”

She listened for a while to the sounds on the other side, then moved her fingers to turn off the earpiece. The logistics noticed but didn’t pay it much attention, probably assuming she was dealing with a personal issue.

Carefully avoiding being noticed, Chu Xia turned the switch and placed the earpiece on the sink.

She was going to “bump into” Capper, and once this standardized earpiece was discovered, her chances of success in this round would be virtually ruined.

Chu Xia checked herself from head to toe, ensuring there was nothing suspicious, and then, pretending to be drunk, she staggered out.

Encounters in a dating game also followed basic rules. Since she received a mission at the Destiny Club, she was likely to meet Capper here.

Compared to the uncertainties brought by algorithmic deduction, Chu Xia preferred to take the initiative with preparation.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t activate [Pure Mission Mode] in non-mission states.

Simulating a drunken state, Chu Xia stumbled into several people along the way, briefly stopping in front of several private rooms, apparently checking the room numbers. Finally, she leaned against the door of Room 074, the site of a [Fixed Event].

The woman seemed to struggle to recognize the number, murmuring “ninety-four” and then pushing open the door.

…Utilizing the [Lockpicking] skill that had been maxed out.

The lock on the private room was just a regular lock, and maxing out [Lockpicking] was to avoid leaving any traces.

Sure enough, the confrontation inside the room had momentarily frozen due to the noise outside the door, but the sudden opening of the door caught everyone by surprise.

After a brief pause, several dark gun muzzles were aimed at the door.

The woman who entered the room still seemed unaware of what was happening, her face showing some drunken sluggishness. It was as if she slowly comprehended the situation inside the room, with fear gradually appearing on her face and her pupils abnormally contracting.

Her legs went weak, and she fell to the ground, screaming, attempting to crawl outside.

Before the sound could completely escape her throat, someone rushed over from behind, covered her mouth, pulled her back, and slammed the private room door shut with a “click.”

Chu Xia, having used the fall to break free from being locked on, took advantage of the person checking the door lock to bite down hard. The person covering her mouth probably relaxed their vigilance because the door had already been closed, and this sudden pain caused them to release their grip.

Chu Xia:

So easily?!

Chu Xia didn’t have time for more reflections. Seizing the opportunity, she tumbled and crawled to the center of the room, quickly grabbing the chilled storage box that served as the focal point for both parties. Plunging her hand into the ice, she directly seized the vial stored within.

She sternly shouted, “Let me go! Otherwise, I’ll smash it!”

The young man who had been sitting on the side finally lifted his eyelids.

—Pretty clever, huh?

[Capturable Character, Capper – Favorability +1]

[Current Favorability: 1]

Author’s note: Xia Xia: Starting at 0 points?

That’s a bit too much.