C3 An Important Clue

Zhou Qianlong slowly raised his right hand, revealing a tattoo with the letter "D" prominently etched within the design of an eyeball.

The crowd was visibly shaken.

A Level D Evolver?

Zhou Qianlong, who appeared to be barely in his twenties, possessed a strength so formidable that he stood out as a rarity even within the entire safe zone.

"Young Master Zhou, take me with you!"

"Brother Qianlong, I want to team up with you too!"

No sooner had the words been spoken than the crowd flocked to Zhou Qianlong's side.

Suddenly, Chen Fan, who stood alone with his hands in his pockets, seemed isolated.

Zhou Qianlong, wearing a smile of satisfaction, nodded to each person before him and then turned his attention to Chen Fan.

"Brother, are you certain you don't want to join us?"

"Come along, and we can move together later, sharing information..."

Chen Fan gestured dismissively, responding coolly,

"No thanks, I prefer to go solo."

The prospect of sharing information didn't sway Chen Fan in the slightest.

Forming an alliance meant the system would evenly distribute the rewards among the members upon clearing the dungeon. Given the scarcity of rewards in the safe zone dungeons, why would he share his hard-earned gains with others?

Besides, with his intimate knowledge of every plot detail, what information could possibly be of value to him?

"Well, I won't insist," Zhou Qianlong said with a genial smile, stepping back.

Meanwhile, the other Evolvers cast disdainful glances at Chen Fan, their sneers speaking volumes.

They couldn't fathom why anyone would pass up the chance to align with Zhou Qianlong's formidable presence and instead opt to go it alone.

Chen Fan simply closed his eyes to meditate, ignoring their mockery as he awaited the countdown's end.

Then, beams of light rained down from above, enveloping the heads of all present and causing their figures to vanish within the luminance.

"Since this instance is a safe zone dungeon, all participants are granted extra privileges!" announced a voice.

"Esteemed Evolver Shadow, you have one minute to create a suitable identity for yourself to aid in clearing the dungeon."

"Please note that this identity is solely for the purpose of approaching main characters and carries no additional benefits. Failure to establish an identity within the time limit will result in forfeiture."

As Chen Fan was being teleported, the system notifications rang out one after another. Thinking on his feet, he quickly assumed the identity of the "Governor of the Criminal Police of Abrakding"—a position tantamount to being the top dog of the entire Abrakding police force. With a single command, he could mobilize all the island's police resources at will. However, his attempt was ruthlessly rejected. It appeared that Alxemy would not allow such an obvious loophole to be exploited.

Undeterred, Chen Fan promptly crafted a new identity for himself as a professor at Abrakding University, with a research focus on "The Ancient Martial Arts of China." This time, his identity was accepted without issue.

As the light faded, Chen Fan found himself in a study room, brightly lit, contrasting with the darkness outside. "Looks like it's nighttime," he said to himself. On the desk in front of him was an open laptop, its screen displaying the latest news about a sensational tunnel murder case. Chen Fan's heart skipped a beat as he realized the narrative of this world had already begun.

The main antagonist, Feng Yuxiu, was the culprit behind the murder in the tunnel, having taken the life of the South Fist King, Mairong. Just then, a system notification chimed in his ear:

"Main Mission Announcement!"

"Main Mission 1: Assist the Abrakding police in apprehending the tunnel murder case's perpetrator within one week."

"Mission Reward: 3,000 evolution points, 20 Free Attribute Points."

"Mission Failure: Evolvers will lose a certain number of evolution points and Free Attribute Points."

"Main Mission 2: Rescue the martial arts masters. Each master saved will earn you evolution points. Save them all for an additional, mysterious reward!"

"Mission Rewards will be distributed upon dungeon completion."

"This dungeon is a peaceful plane; Evolvers are prohibited from killing one another, or they will be erased by the system!"

Chen Fan's eyes gleamed with determination, his mind crystal clear: "The first mission... is simply impossible to complete!" He made this precise and lucid judgment the instant the system's voice faded. The murderer was undoubtedly Feng Yuxiu, but capturing him was a near-impossible task. Even with Evolvers' assistance, the Abrakding police stood no chance against Feng Yuxiu, as helpless as lambs to the slaughter. In the original story, Feng Yuxiu was a force to be reckoned with, having nearly reached the pinnacle of martial prowess in this realm.

Compared to Xiahou Wu, the unrivaled male protagonist, he was just a notch below.

Take Mairong, the South Fist King, for example. His boxing skills were legendary, and he always carried a handgun, but he still met his end at the hands of Feng Yuxiu.

In the latter part of the story, the Major Crimes Division, the Flying Tigers, and the Abrakding Police Department all took action simultaneously, attempting to corner Feng Yuxiu in the bay's shantytown.

And the outcome?

After effortlessly dispatching a large contingent of police officers, Feng Yuxiu vanished without a trace.

Had it not been for Feng Yuxiu's fatal mistake of injuring Xiahou Wu's junior sister, Dan Yin, which triggered the male lead's resurgence to his martial arts zenith,

Xiahou Wu would not have beaten him severely, nor would he have been fatally shot by the female lead, Lu Xuanxin.

Otherwise, the final direction of the story would have remained a mystery.

However, as the film begins, Xiahou Wu, having spent three years behind bars, is far from his prime.

Without him as support, capturing Feng Yuxiu seems impossible.

Chen Fan shook his head, realizing why Lone Warrior, despite being a safe zone instance, had such a minuscule success rate over the years.

It was incredibly challenging!

But that was for others.

Chen Fan squinted his eyes, pondering deeply.

Knowing the plot inside out, he might just find the perfect opportunity.

Standing before the mirror, Chen Fan examined his current self.

He used to be a lean young man, around 1.8 meters tall.

Now, he was significantly shorter and sported a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, giving him a scholarly appearance.

Professor Wang Ming of Abrakding University...

Without this identity, he was immobilized, much less able to collaborate with the police.

Chen Fan returned to the sofa, sitting down to strategize his next steps.

Inopportunely, his stomach growled.

With a sense of resignation, Chen Fan stood up and found a cup of instant noodles to tide him over.

Alxemy was the perfect mirror of reality.

It wasn't just hunger, fatigue, and sleepiness that were genuine—death was too!

This explained why people often vanished without a trace after an ordinary night in the real world.

After enjoying a satisfying meal, Chen Fan called the police station, initiating the first move of his strategy.

A brief busy signal was followed by an engaging female voice:

"Hello, this is the Abrakding Police Center. How may I assist you?"

"I'm Prof. Wang from Abrakding University. I have vital information regarding the tunnel case that I need to report to Officer Lu Xuanxin."

"But remember, I wish to speak with her and only her."

Chen Fan succinctly stated his identity and intentions.

Swiftly connecting with key individuals is the best way to firmly control the narrative.

There was a moment of silence on the other end before the response came:

"One moment, Professor Wang. We will connect you to Officer Lu immediately."

About thirty seconds later, a woman's voice came through, cutting to the chase:

"Hello, I'm Lu Xuanxin."

"You mentioned you have significant clues about the Tunnel Case?"