Chapter 59: The True Purpose

The hyper-intelligence seemed to have determined that Ye Sangsang had successfully completed her task, and therefore provided the criminal suspect profile immediately after she asked for it.

At the same time, it also provided a portion of the internal case files themselves.

Ye Sangsang sighed inwardly, noting that all available case files had been provided, and they were remarkably complete.

Perhaps this portion of the files had always existed within this copy, waiting for the person who could unlock it.

Twenty years had passed since the case, and the perpetrators remained at large—a heartbreaking and agonizing regret for many.

Just like the previous case involving Qin Jiang, someone was waiting in anticipation that one day, through a game, a faint glimmer of hope might be realized.

Ye Sangsang was not a righteous person; on the contrary, she lacked any sense of justice, and her perspective and values were thoroughly skewed.

It was merely decades of education that endowed her with the basic ability to distinguish right from wrong.

Of course, she wanted the files not because she felt this was the right thing to do.

It was simply because people of her kind possessed a deep-seated vengeful streak, desiring to hunt down the other party and exact retribution.

Dividing her focus, Ye Sangsang looked over the documents while deep in thought.

The partial internal case files resolved some of her doubts.

For instance, just as she had guessed, one of the couple had survived—the wife, Shen Lingling. Unfortunately, her injuries were too severe, and despite two days of emergency resuscitation, she remained in critical condition.

Struggling on the brink of death, she managed to articulate everything she knew before finally succumbing to her grievous wounds and passing away.

It was evident from the files that many of the copy's scenarios were constructed based on her oral testimony.

However, Ye Sangsang remained uncertain whether Shen Lingling’s brief survival was a mere accident.

Or perhaps someone could not bear to see the couple's deep affection and deliberately orchestrated this out of jealousy.

Alternatively, it could be that the other party did this intentionally for some unknown purpose of their own.

Combined with her previous deductions regarding their behavior, she felt a crucial piece of information was missing.

She believed that with this vital piece of intelligence, she could unlock their subsequent actions and successfully apprehend all of them.

Ye Sangsang racked her brain, but things turned out contrary to her wishes; one cannot imagine what one does not possess.

She began examining the profiles of the criminal suspects. The faces in the documents matched the appearances Ye Sangsang had witnessed in the game.

Just as she had previously deduced, Lin Deqiang had committed murder before and was a fugitive on the run.

Wang Laoer and Zhao Hong had spent two years in prison for petty theft. The two had once been cellmates, and naturally reconnected to make a living after their release. Afterward, they continued committing minor thefts, though they had evaded capture.

Later, for reasons unknown, they met Lin Deqiang, and the three men banded together.

As for the suspect Qiu Fu, prior to this he was an ordinary man with a clean record who worked as a primary school teacher. Later, he became involved with a woman engaged in sex work. After being reported by his lawful wife, he simply divorced, resigned, and moved to another city with the woman.

Because they likely traveled in a vehicle that required no real-name ticket registration, the police could not trace their exact destination, leaving them entirely in the dark about subsequent events.

At that time, the public security network was not nationwide; many things required specific personnel to make phone calls, travel, and conduct on-site investigations. Once a single link broke, everything that followed became untraceable.

Therefore, the police suspected that Qiu Fu, driven by money or other reasons, had thrown in his lot with the other three men.

When three or four men gathered together, they were bound to hatch some sinister scheme.

The police speculated that due to financial desperation, they had targeted the couple, Shen Lingling and Chen Yu.

Believing that the two of them had lived lives devoid of hardship, they developed a desire to torment them.

Especially Qiu Fu, who served as the mastermind and had previously been a teacher.

Having resigned from such a prestigious teaching position, if he subsequently lacked money, he would become a failure in the eyes of society. Under such circumstances, he easily fell into psychological imbalance, developed a deep resentment toward the two who shared his former profession, and thus chose them as targets.

Following the robbery, they quickly fled the city, vanishing into the vast sea of humanity.

This case shocked the small town; the police conducted endless visits and investigations, yet after a long search, only these scant details could be uncovered.

As for these individuals, they seemed to have vanished into thin air.

Ultimately, the investigation stalled, becoming an unsolved cold case.

While Ye Sangsang was deep in thought, Shen Lingling's parents walked in. Eschewing the pity-laden gaze that would only torment her daughter, the mother brought a thermos pot and placed it by the bedside. "Have something to eat."

She dared not look at her daughter with pity because it would only force the girl to recall the trauma she had suffered.

"Okay," Ye Sangsang agreed.

At that moment, Shen Lingling's father, standing nearby, hurriedly stepped forward to adjust the hospital bed into an upright position so his daughter could drink comfortably. The two elderly parents flanked her from left to right, their eyes rimmed with red as they gazed at their daughter, feeding her the food one spoonful at a time.

Their eyes conveyed countless unspoken words and emotions as their hands trembled slightly, watching their daughter swallow the soup bit by bit and offer a content smile.

Ye Sangsang looked at the two of them for a couple of seconds, smiled, and said softly, "It's delicious."

"Drink more. It's just that Chen Yu can't have any right now; he can have some after his surgery. His operation is almost over. In a moment, we'll go buy a wheelchair and push you to his ward." Holding a tissue, Shen Jiang河 wiped his daughter's mouth while gently speaking of the upcoming arrangements.

As a deeply affectionate couple who had shared adversity, such arrangements were naturally expected.

Ye Sangsang nodded, sipping leisurely without choosing to skip the timeline.

Although her body felt quite uncomfortable at the moment, it was not entirely immobile. The couple found a nurse, and together with Shen Jianghe, carefully lifted Ye Sangsang into a wheelchair.

Passing through the hospital corridor and taking the elevator to the surgical floor, they quickly arrived outside the operating room.

There were many people gathered here, and Ye Sangsang soon spotted Chen Yu's parents, both of whom had wept until they were soaked in tears.

Seeing Ye Sangsang's condition, the two wept even more bitterly, murmuring softly that it wasn't that they didn't want to visit her, but rather that they simply couldn't leave this place, as various consent forms had to be signed at any moment.

Ye Sangsang paid them no mind; she only wanted to know whether Chen Yu would survive.

She surmised that successfully completing the "escape alive" task included Chen Yu's survival. She hoped he would live; otherwise, her "perfect completion" would be reduced to a mere completion.

After exchanging polite pleasantries, the group waited quietly for roughly half an hour before Chen Yu was brought out.

The doctor glanced at Ye Sangsang in the wheelchair, evidently aware of her situation, and addressed her specifically. "He's out of immediate danger. He'll probably need to spend two or three days in the ICU for observation. Once his condition stabilizes, he can be transferred to a regular ward to recuperate slowly."

A chorus of weeping erupted around them—sounds of joy mixed with tears.

Ye Sangsang sat upright and motionless, whispered her thanks, and followed the bed carrying Chen Yu to the ICU entrance, watching as he was wheeled inside.

Their contingent attracted the attention of quite a few onlookers.

Many people quietly pointed at Ye Sangsang, muttering among themselves.

Evidently, the events at the plaza had already spread throughout the entire small town.

"Lingling, focus on recovering your strength and don't think about anything else. As for Chen Yu, we'll take good care of him, so don't worry," Chen Yu's mother urged, looking at Ye Sangsang with pity.

Ye Sangsang nodded lightly and was wheeled back to her room, as it was time for her medication and dressing changes.

After completing these tasks, she chose to log off, while waiting to perform other actions after skipping the timeline.

Opening her eyes, she was met with the disapproving gaze of a nurse.

Ye Sangsang checked the time; she had lingered in the game for an extra half hour.

Rarely, she offered a smile to the other person. The nurse froze, her face instantly turning crimson as she stood up, turned her head slightly, and handed the medicine to Ye Sangsang.

This was the same nurse who had warmly delivered a message to her earlier. Being a newcomer to the hospital, she treated Ye Sangsang with relative friendliness. As for the other nurses, their perception of her was poor, and they generally preferred to keep their distance.

This stemmed from the reason for Ye Sangsang's hospitalization.

Although this was a patient's privacy—a privacy that should remain unknown to others—it was hardly a secret among the nurses.

Because the reason for her admission sounded shocking to many ears, once it was intentionally leaked and spread throughout the hospital, they had treated her with icy coldness.

Ye Sangsang had no intention of casting blame; avoiding harm and seeking benefit was human nature.

She was merely curious about this young nurse's mindset.

Extending her hand to accept the medicine, she asked with lingering amusement, "Aren't you afraid of me?"

She was simply curious about the girl's actions; the other person must have been "briefed," so why act like this?

"I... I'm your fan... Even though you were scary in the game, I feel your illness is actually manageable, and you wouldn't impulsively do... that kind of thing..." Watching Ye Sangsang swallow the pills one by one, the nurse wore an embarrassed expression, twisting her fingers for a few seconds before stammering out what she wanted to say.

Ye Sangsang flashed a faint smile at her. "Don't be fooled by appearances; judging by a face alone doesn't work."

"It's not about the face. I... I just feel you aren't that kind of person, and what other people say is just what they say," the nurse lowered her head, stubbornly arguing her point.

Ye Sangsang reached out, set the cup down, and looked at her. "Thank you for the trust."

"I hope you recover and get discharged soon," she smiled.

Ye Sangsang lowered her gaze, nodding slowly a moment later.

The nurse walked away with brisk, cheerful steps. Ye Sangsang looked out the window, wondering how much longer until her discharge, as she longed to change her scenery.

Slowly sliding off the bed, she braced her hands against the table and shuffled step by step to the window, gazing at the verdant leaves.

The mottled light and shadows cast upon them by the sunlight were truly beautiful; no matter how realistic holographic games were made, they still lacked the vibrant vitality of reality.

That kind of vitality was simply invisible.

Bracing herself to stand for two minutes, she moved into her wheelchair, fished out her phone, and dialed the head of the family office responsible for her current assets.

"Help me check whether Xinghuan has arranged for anyone else to enter the game copy I'm currently in." Ye Sangsang directly requested the inquiry.

This office had been left to her by her mother to manage the assets currently in her hands and do everything within their power.

Although checking this might be somewhat difficult, it shouldn't be too hard for them.

True to form, the next second, the other party immediately agreed, stating that an answer would be provided by tomorrow afternoon.

Just as Ye Sangsang was about to hang up, the person on the other end spoke again.

"Ms. Ye, your father is claiming that you have currently lost your capacity for civil conduct and that he is your legal guardian. On those grounds, he has demanded that the office hand over all the assets and family trusts we are currently managing on your behalf." The person spoke unhurriedly, informing Ye Sangsang of his actions before adding, "Although we stalled his takeover attempt by demanding that he initiate legal proceedings to officially obtain guardian status..."

"As you know, if your mental condition fails to recover, we may eventually be forced by legal documents to grant him the management rights to your assets and family trusts."