“Xiao Gu, you’re… setting up a stall here?”

Lin Jianyi, accompanied by Sun Zhaoqian, approached the scene. He looked at the bare table and then at the simple two-word banner that read “Fortune-telling.” For a moment, he felt at a loss for words.

“Yes, Brother Lin. Are you on patrol?”

Gu Xicao greeted him warmly and nudged Lin Yuan to call him “big brother.” Being vulnerable, building good relations with Lin Jianyi could help them avoid trouble from local thugs.

“Brother Yi, seriously? Are you telling me this little girl is that so-called master fortune teller?”

Sun Zhaoqian sipped his soda, his eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets.

Lin Jianyi sighed helplessly. “Skill has nothing to do with age. You were the one who wanted to ask, and yes, she’s capable.”

“Officer, are you her shill or what?”

From the side, Wang Laoshi, the fortune teller at the neighboring stall, couldn’t resist throwing shade. “Master fortune teller? I wouldn’t even dare call myself that.”

“Uncle, it’s true. I’m not one to make things up,” Lin Jianyi said patiently. “Don’t underestimate Xiao Gu. She helped me catch a hit-and-run driver just yesterday.”

“She’s really that amazing?” Wang Laoshi scoffed, his face full of disbelief. He was convinced that Lin Jianyi was just here to hype up the girl’s reputation.

Sun Zhaoqian blinked a few times before suddenly proposing, “If she’s that good, why not help us find someone?”

“Sure, but my rate isn’t cheap—yuan per session.”

Gu Xicao said this with a straight face, without even blinking.

“188?!” Sun Zhaoqian choked on his drink, coughing violently. After a moment, he managed to catch his breath.

Wang Laoshi burst into laughter. “Officer, she’s treating you like a sucker! You wouldn’t actually fall for it, would you?”

Although Mrs. Leung had asked Wang Laoshi to look out for Gu Xicao, the competitive nature of their trade left him unwilling to help her. In fact, he seemed more interested in undermining her.

“188, is it? Fine, but it better be accurate.”

To everyone’s surprise, Lin Jianyi was intrigued. He pulled out his wallet, counted out two banknotes, and handed them to Gu Xicao.

Taking the money, Gu Xicao returned the appropriate change. Sun Zhaoqian stared at Lin Jianyi as though he had seen a ghost. “Brother Yi, do you just have money to burn? Why not give that 188 yuan to me? I’ll help you catch the jewelry store robber!”

“You’re looking for the jewelry store robber? Is that the Zhou Daliu robbery case?”

Wang Laoshi perked up immediately. “That case has been unsolved for over a week. People are saying the robber’s already made it to Malaysia. How are you planning to catch him?”

Lin Jianyi hesitated for a moment. Wang Laoshi wasn’t entirely wrong—the robber had stolen more than three million yuan worth of gold and jewelry and then seemingly vanished.

“Let me calculate.”

Gu Xicao began theatrically “counting on her fingers.” In reality, she was frantically pleading with her gossip system: “System, hurry up! Where’s the robber hiding?”

System: “I’m a gossip system, not a detective system.”

Gu Xicao: “What’s the difference? Aren’t we supposed to help people? I didn’t even blame you when your bug caused me to miss out on my own ‘melons.’ You owe me!”

Embarrassed by her pointed words, the system reluctantly agreed to help.

Meanwhile, Wang Laoshi watched in amusement. “This girl doesn’t even know how to count properly,” he muttered.

Finger-counting in fortune-telling wasn’t random. It was part of the Liu Ren method, with each finger joint corresponding to specific outcomes: good fortune, obstacles, conflict, and so on. But Gu Xicao’s gestures? Completely haphazard.

“If she gets this right, I might as well take her surname,” Wang Laoshi thought smugly.

“You’ve received multiple tips about the robber’s whereabouts, haven’t you? But every time you went to catch him, he wasn’t there.”

Gu Xicao suddenly paused and spoke.

Lin Jianyi froze. Sun Zhaoqian exclaimed in shock, “How do you know that? That’s a secret! Our sergeant specifically told us not to let anyone find out about those failures.”

“What?”

Wang Laoshi straightened up in surprise, glancing at Sun Zhaoqian suspiciously. “Is that true? Did one of your colleagues tip her off?”

“No way! I barely know Xiao Gu,” Lin Jianyi replied, equally astonished.

Gu Xicao remained calm. “I have good news. The suspect hasn’t fled the country. But..”

“But what?” Sun Zhaoqian asked nervously.

“But he’s hiding in a place none of you would expect.” Gu Xicao’s expression turned mysterious. “He knows your every move. Every plan you make to catch him, he’s already aware of.”

Both Lin Jianyi and Sun Zhaoqian felt a chill run down their spines.

Sun Zhaoqian, who was easily spooked, shivered and rubbed his arms. “Miss, it’s not the Hungry Ghost Festival yet. Don’t scare us like that! Are you saying the robber has eyes in the police station?”

Gu Xicao chuckled and turned to Wang Laoshi. “Master Wang, have you heard enough?”

Caught leaning in to listen, Wang Laoshi tried to save face. “What? I can’t listen in a bit?”

“Sure. But lend me your paper and pen as your ‘gossip fee.’”

Gu Xicao pointed unapologetically at Wang Laoshi’s desk supplies.

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“Laoshi” (老师) means “teacher” in Chinese. So, Wang Laoshi translates to “Teacher Wang” in English. It’s a respectful way to address a teacher or mentor.