Little did they know, after leaving Xiao Qicai's side, Xuan Chen also wiped away a cold sweat.
"Are people from Class B planets all this formidable? At such a young age, her logical thinking is downright terrifying. After talking for so long, it felt like facing a cunning old fox. She doesn’t seem like a teenager at all. If we can’t bring her to our side in the future, she can’t be allowed to remain."
"That’s about right." Xi Yuanche nodded.
"Does the boss have any intention of recruiting her? Though she was exiled here, she’s a clean slate with no background stains. If the boss really wants to legitimize our operations, she might be the perfect catalyst. Why not use this opportunity to test her abilities? Judging by the cost of the beauty potion she mentioned, producing it can’t be cheap. On a Class D planet, most people definitely can’t afford it. If she can actually establish a sales network and make money from that potion, it’ll prove this girl has real talent—we could put her to good use."
Xuan Chen’s idea was sound, but Xi Yuanche couldn’t shake the thought that the person inside that body might not be some naive young girl. So instead of making a decision, he said indifferently:
"No rush. Let’s observe first."
Of course, what he didn’t know was that if they missed this chance, there would never be another opportunity to become Xiao Qicai’s boss.
——
Through Xuan Chen’s connections, Xiao Qicai was slipped into a group of children belonging to miners who had just returned from a barren planet.
These miners had worked on the barren planet for years. Some had coupled up and had children, but due to the long absence of interstellar transport—or simply having no other family to care for their kids—some of their surviving children had stayed with them, never getting the chance to be registered in the citizen database.
Xuan Chen disguised her identity as the orphan of a miner couple who had died tragically on the barren planet, paying a fellow traveler some star coins to vouch for her.
With someone to verify her story and her status as an orphan, things went much smoother.
After genetic verification confirmed she wasn’t in the criminal database, carried no criminal genes, and wasn’t descended from criminals, Xiao Qicai finally obtained a brand-new citizen ID card.
Seizing this opportunity, she also reclaimed her original name—Xiao Qicai.
At the same time, she had 002 give her a potion to restore her original appearance.
Staring at her youthful reflection in the mirror, she suddenly realized she bore a striking resemblance to Bai Yushan—or rather, they looked very much alike.
But after so many years navigating the cutthroat world of business, surviving into her thirties, she had long forgotten what she looked like as a teenager. Besides, her adolescence had been harsh, nothing like the original owner of this body, who had been well cared for. Back then, she had been thin, dark, and malnourished.
For a fleeting moment, she wondered if she and Bai Yushan had somehow become one—or if Bai Yushan was another version of herself from a parallel universe.
No matter what, she was determined to live well, whether as Bai Yushan or Xiao Qicai.
And as for those who had killed Bai Yushan and schemed against her—she wouldn’t let a single one of them go.
Since this world had its own new rules, she would play by them.
——
Zhang Renzheng was the male staff member responsible for Xiao Qicai's community management alongside Li Qing.
He had already been displeased with Bai Yushan's "disdain" toward him, so when he learned that someone higher up was willing to pay to ruin her and needed his help, he agreed without hesitation. Using his student verification connections, he successfully obtained Bai Yushan's citizen ID card information.
Collaborating with a few people from the information department, he exploited a loophole in the citizen records transfer system to delete Bai Yushan's citizen information from the local database.
For this, he received one million star credits, with the additional promise that he would be transferred to a Class-B planet when the opportunity arose.
As a result, he had been in an exceptionally good mood these past few days, eagerly anticipating his supposed transfer to a Class-B planet and the change it would bring to his fate.
As for Bai Yushan—she deserved it!
Just as he was smugly awaiting his transfer notice, he suddenly received a message from Bai Yushan.
Without the slightest suspicion as to how she had obtained his terminal ID, he gleefully opened the message, hoping to hear her suffering and despair.
Sure enough, the girl sounded pitiful, tearfully pleading with him via voice message about her failed verification and having nowhere to stay.
She had completely abandoned her previous arrogance, asking if he could help her—even hinting that she was willing to trade her body for the chance to continue living there.
Gone was her previous disregard and contempt for him; now, she seemed utterly desperate.
Zhang Ren’s eyes lit up.
Bai Yushan might have a bad temper and look down on him, but her face and figure were undeniably attractive. Though her skin had some blemishes, most people here had acne, so it didn’t detract from her looks. Compared to the local women of Planet 4628, this spoiled young lady was practically radiant.
He had always harbored disgusting thoughts but lacked the nerve to act—especially since he was a community worker. If he did anything to a resident, his job would be over.
But now, knowing Bai Yushan’s citizen ID had been erased and she was no longer "Bai Yushan," he figured he could do whatever he wanted without consequences, right?
She was just a stateless drifter without a citizen card. Even if she died, no one would hold him accountable. And if he did something to her, there’d be no legal repercussions.
With that thought, lust surged within him, and malice took hold.
That very night, under the cover of moonlight, he sneaked into Xiao Qicai’s room.
Just as expected, the desperate girl immediately opened the door and pulled him inside.
But just as he was about to pounce on her in delight, he suddenly caught a whiff of a strange fragrance—then collapsed unconscious.
002, watching Zhang Ren’s unconscious form, couldn’t help but warn Xiao Qicai:
"He got what he deserved—he’s just a vile obstacle standing in the way of your happiness. But don’t do anything illegal! Otherwise, I won’t provide you with these kinds of tools anymore."
"Of course not. I’ve always been a law-abiding, rule-following businesswoman."
Xiao Qicai said this, but her face was icy.
She took Zhang Ren’s terminal, dressed him in her own oversized old robes, then made him drink a potion.
Soon, Zhang Ren's face transformed into that of a delicate young girl—none other than Bai Yushan's likeness.
Having completed this, Xiao Qicai packed up the few remaining valuables she had and left the room.
Not long after her departure, two burly men who had obtained the door access code stealthily returned to Xiao Qicai's room.
To their ecstatic surprise, the code worked, allowing them to effortlessly open the door.
A beautiful young girl lay on the small bed, seemingly deep in slumber, completely defenseless.
One of the men was none other than Zhang Biao, the scar-faced thug originally sent to humiliate Bai Yushan. His lecherous gaze fixed on the girl he had long fantasized about:
"I never thought my dream would come true! Today, she won’t escape!"
With that, he lunged at the girl on the bed.
The bald man, Wang Fu, hesitated for a moment before stepping forward as well.
Due to Xi Yuan Ce’s earlier protection, they had found no further opportunities to target Bai Yushan, nor had they received the remaining payment for their previous job.
In fact, their earlier assault on Bai Yushan had brought them considerable trouble, leaving them unable to secure new "jobs" and mired in poverty and resentment.
Unexpectedly, someone had contacted them today, promising payment—both the outstanding balance from before and additional funds—if they went after Bai Yushan again.
"Men die for wealth, birds for food." The temptation of money was too great, especially when the contact assured them everything was already arranged—all they had to do was walk in and have their fun. Why refuse?
A peculiar scent filled the room, soon accompanied by strange, ambiguous noises.
Among them were also sounds of terror.
But soon, they lost all restraint, descending into madness. The room was left in utter disarray, echoing with horrified cries.
——
Meanwhile, Xiao Qicai sat in the common area of the shelter, timing her exit before stepping out into the morning mist.
She activated Zhang Ren’s terminal and connected to the most recent mysterious contact.
Though labeled as "mysterious," Xiao Qicai knew full well it was He Xinmin’s ID and profile picture.
Of course, there were also the IDs and avatars of several other officials among the recent contacts, all of which Xiao Qicai memorized.
In a panicked tone, she sent a distress message to He Xinmin:
"The job is done, but I think Xi Yuan Ce’s people have found me! Save me—they’re going to kill me!"
With that, she tossed the terminal into the largest, filthiest river nearby.
Early the next morning, He Xinmin received two pieces of news.
The first: Bai Yushan had been killed by those two thugs in an unspeakable manner.
The second: that greedy fool Zhang Ren had apparently been hunted down and killed by Xi Yuan Ce in retaliation.
The former was naturally good news to her, while the latter also brought a smile to her face.
Now, no one could trace anything back to her!
Eagerly, she shared the good news with her closest friend.
"Really? Bai Yushan is really dead?" Though the girl’s voice still sounded innocent, her joy was unmistakable.
He Xinmin nodded:
"Yes, and it was a gruesome death. They say she was murdered, but rumors are she was raped before being killed. Look at the photo—that face is still recognizable. It's definitely her! This time, she's really dead!"
"That's good. Now no one will interfere with your marriage to Brother Luomen," the girl sighed in relief, her expression both innocent and chilling.
—Sister, don’t blame me. You were the one standing in my way. Dead is dead! With your abilities, you wouldn’t have lasted long on that hellish planet anyway—it might’ve been worse than death. Consider it a mercy from your little sister!
Humming a tune, she closed the terminal.
He Xinmin also took a deep breath after shutting off her device. She thought she was ruthless, but Bai Yushan’s younger sister, Bai Yuting, was even more vicious.
If blood relatives could act like this, what did that make her?
She wasn’t oblivious to the fact that Bai Yuting had manipulated and guided her into killing Bai Yushan. Innocent and kind? If she were truly innocent and kind, she wouldn’t have turned on her own sister!
Still, He Xinmin hadn’t originally intended for Bai Yushan to die. But there was no other choice—if Bai Yushan lived, Luomen would never give up on her and agree to marry into the He family.
And the He family was on the brink of collapse. For her, this marriage wasn’t just about a man—it was about business, about survival.
Because if the He family fell, her fate would be far worse than Bai Yushan’s.
So don’t blame her. Blame your sister instead. Rest in peace.
——
As a "displaced person," Bai Yushan’s death went entirely unnoticed, even though she died horribly in a government-subsidized housing unit. No doctors or law enforcement officers came to investigate. Her death was merely registered before her body was hauled away for mass disposal—no identity verification, nothing.
Only Li Qing appeared shocked and fearful in the news, even identifying the two intruders who had broken into the housing unit, causing significant harm and property damage to its residents.
The two men, seemingly under the influence of drugs, were still incoherent when the officers arrived. They even attempted to attack the authorities, leading to their immediate arrest.
Xiao Qicai had Xuan Chen discreetly inquire about the case. Given their prior criminal records, the eyewitness testimony from a public official, and their assault on law enforcement, the two were swiftly sentenced to death—a harsh punishment.
Upon hearing the news, Xiao Qicai didn’t even blink. Truth be told, from the moment she transmigrated here, she had wanted these disgusting men dead.
It took a while, but they were finally dealt with.
Serves them right, doesn’t it?
And they brought this upon themselves by breaking the law—it had nothing to do with her.
As for Zhang Ren, after being missing for three days, officers found his terminal in a filthy drainage ditch. It was concluded that he had drowned after getting drunk and falling in. With mutated vermin swarming the area, the disappearance of his body wasn’t unusual.
And with that, the matter was closed.
——
Xuan Chen had actually helped Xiao Qicai a little in this affair, so he knew the full story.
But what surprised him was how Xiao Qicai had achieved her goal without leaving a single trace—even using the opportunity to completely reinvent her identity. That level of skill was… impressive.
"That Bai Yushan—no, Xiao Qicai—is truly ruthless and formidable. All those who wronged her are now dead, while she's successfully walked away unscathed. Someone like her would be perfect for our Dark Star organization. What a shame she's chosen the straight and narrow path."
"People like her are better suited for the legitimate path, don't you think?" Xi Yuanche remarked indifferently.
So naive and innocent—he actually thought Xiao Qicai wouldn't get far.
Only those with real capability could catch his eye. Perhaps Xiao Qicai might truly rise from nothing and achieve her goals.
"Keep an eye on her. As long as she doesn't slip from our control, it's fine if she has some tricks up her sleeve. Otherwise, how could she have survived on a Class-D planet?"
Xi Yuanche then casually asked, "What's she planning to do next?"
"Probably make money. She's already advanced the hiring fee she owes you to buy materials for her beauty potion. I'm curious—what gives her the confidence that her potion could fetch an astronomical price?"
"After all, when the time comes, not only does she have to split at least 10 million in profits as per our cooperation agreement, but she'll also have to continue paying your hiring fee, right?"
Just as Xuan Chen was speaking, his terminal suddenly beeped. He instinctively opened it, only for his face to show astonishment:
"Oh, wait—I just received a message. She actually still insists on going to school? And the program she's applying for is... actuary?"
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