After seeing the stone fall, Tan An immediately understood.
She stealthily left the car and entered the apartment building.
As she was walking, she saw a black shadow flash past.
She didn't doubt herself; if Wan Ru had signaled her, she must have encountered someone. So who was that black shadow? Could there be more than one person on the other side?
Earlier, because she had secretly called Chen Jiancheng without Wan Ru knowing, she sent him another message and then turned to chase after the black shadow.
"Danger warning, danger warning."
The system's voice rang out in her mind.
Tan An stopped, her guard up, looking around.
She realized she seemed to have fallen into a simulated maze.
Her system also had this function, but she had never used it because she considered it meaningless.
"Damn it! How do I solve this maze, system?" Tan An asked.
"The mission to solve the endless maze is to do 50 push-ups to improve your physical health!" The system announced.
"Are you crazy? Fifty push-ups at once? Do you want me to die?" Tan An exclaimed, frustrated.
"Ah, the system recognizes you as female, so it's reduced to 20. Final price, no further reductions."
Tan An: "..." Crazy system.
She could only accept the mission, struggling to do push-ups.
This system had tormented her with many bizarre missions, such as waking up before 4 AM for five consecutive days, running 5000 meters for three consecutive days, and reading 30 books, each five centimeters thick.
Over time, she had become all too familiar with this system's self-improvement setup.
"Congratulations, you have completed...!"
"No need to say more, I completed the advanced mission the other day. Now I want to track that black shadow!" Tan An panted, cutting off the system.
"Alright."
A screen appeared before her, like watching a camera feed. A person in a black hooded cloak was standing, looking at a girl in the middle of the room.
Wait! That girl was her? Tan An spun around in surprise, only to be immediately hit by the hooded person with a club. She weakly fell to the ground, unconscious.
"Danger warning!" The system blared in her mind, but it couldn't wake her up.
The hooded person fled to the rooftop. Tan An struggled to get up with all her might, muttering.
"No, Wan Ru!"
"Tan An?" Chen Jiancheng's voice rang out.
He and Mei Jin ran over to help her up. As the two looked at her, confused, she used all her strength to try and speak.
"Wan Ru is on the rooftop, save her!"
Chen Jiancheng and Mei Jin helped Tan An lean against the wall and then quickly ran to the rooftop.
On the rooftop, Zhou Lin Kang held a knife, threatening Ming Jian and Wan Ru.
He let out a sinister smile and said.
"I'll let you go, but this girl has to stay!"
"I don't need your permission!" Ming Jian growled.
"What the hell does it have to do with you?" Zhou Lin Kang roared.
He lunged at Ming Jian. Ming Jian quickly pushed Wan Ru behind him and skillfully dodged.
But how could a gentleman fight a villain? After dodging for a while, Zhou Lin Kang resorted to throwing sand in Ming Jian's face.
Unable to see, Ming Jian stumbled. Seizing the opportunity, Zhou Lin Kang slashed Ming Jian's arm.
Seeing Ming Jian clutching his arm and collapsing, Wan Ru screamed in panic.
"Ming Jian!"
"Stop right there!" Zhou Lin Kang turned, holding the knife, and pointed it at Wan Ru.
"Bang."
Chen Jiancheng kicked the door open. Seeing Ming Jian clutching his bloody arm, and then seeing the other man pointing the knife at his girl, Chen Jiancheng's eyes turned red with bloodlust. He charged straight at Zhou Lin Kang, kicking him away.
"Jiancheng, it's too dangerous!" Wan Ru screamed.
But Chen Jiancheng still charged like a beast, relentlessly attacking Chu Lin Kang. He had kicked the knife away at the beginning; otherwise, he feared he would have used it to stab this man to death.
Seeing that Chu Lin Kang no longer resisted, he released him and immediately went to Wan Ru, gently cupping her face and asking,
"Did he bully you?"
Wan Ru shook her head, tears streaming down her face.
His hand, still wrapped in bandages, was now completely stained red with Chu Lin Kang's blood.
"It's too dangerous!"
Seeing Ming Jian's arm slashed and scratched by that person, Wan Ru was already panicked. Now, seeing Chen Jiancheng charge in, she was truly afraid he would get hurt. She didn't want that to happen at all.
Ming Jian struggled to hold his arm as he asked her,
"Ru, are you okay?"
"I'm fine! Jian, you're bleeding!"
"I'm fine! If I let Ru get hurt today, I'll carry the guilt for the rest of my life."
"You two, stop talking nonsense!" A woman's voice rang out.
All three turned to look in the direction of the voice.
They saw a hooded figure pulling Mei Jin forward. She held a gun in her hand, the barrel pressed against Mei Jin's temple.
"Say one more word, and I'll shoot this girl dead!" She shouted.
"Pei Lan An?" Ming Jian asked.
"That's right, it's me!" Pei Lan An replied.
Seeing Mei Jin in danger, Ming Jian became agitated.
Earlier, Chen Jiancheng, in his haste to save Wan Ru, had forgotten his niece behind. Now, she had been taken hostage by this crazy woman. Chen Jiancheng frowned, assessing the situation.
"Let Mei Jin go!" Ming Jian yelled.
"Bring that girl over here for an exchange, and I'll let her go!"
Chen Jiancheng and Ming Jian looked at Wan Ru. Ming Jian, who had been agitated, suddenly looked a little flustered, while Chen Jiancheng gripped her hand tightly.
"Hurry up!" Pei Lan An shouted excitedly.
"Tai Jin Ru, step over here!"
Hearing that name, Wan Ru was surprised. She stepped forward and asked her,
"Who are you?"
"You still ask me? Who I am, don't you know? I already entered your dream to warn you just the other day, didn't I?"
Pei Lan An replied.
Wan Ru's heart seemed to stop. If Pei Lan An said that, it meant the original host was in Pei Lan An's body. And entering a dream? Did the original host possess a system?
"Do you have a system?" Wan Ru asked excitedly.
"That's right, I have a system, so now you obediently come here and return my body to me!"
"You're the one who caused Jiancheng's accident?" Wan Ru's eyes were bloodshot.
"That's right, to warn you to return what you stole from me. Otherwise, it's this girl's turn to die now."