Chapter 24: Traumatized by the System

As the office darling, Shen Zhiyu’s acquisition of a bicycle ticket went largely unnoticed. After all, who could dislike a pretty, sensible, and sweet-talking girl?

Shen Zhiyu hadn't expected that her simple plan to hunt for a second-hand bike would result in her obtaining a coveted bicycle ticket. Fortunately, she wasn't short on money. After work, she headed straight to the supply and marketing cooperative. For one hundred and eighty yuan and that single ticket, she secured a Phoenix brand ladies' bicycle.

As she pushed the bike out of the store, she felt an inexplicable sense of pride. In the eighties and nineties, a bicycle was still considered a major asset. While the number of bikes in the capital was not insignificant, the actual rate of household ownership remained quite low. Although Shen Zhiyu had a bicycle back in the Han family village, it hadn't belonged to her; it was part of her predecessor's dowry. Looking back, the life of her predecessor was a chaotic mess. Qiao Xi had wanted to scheme against her, but since the original owner was incapable of manual labor, it had ironically been a blessing in disguise.

It was a pity that her predecessor, after being betrayed by her own parents, had a heart riddled with holes. She had once hoped to find salvation in Qi Huan, even attempting to win the approval of that wicked mother-in-law, Zhou Cuihua. Alas, from beginning to end, she was merely a prop in the so-called romance between the heroine and the male supporting character.

"Scumbag and slut!" The thought of the male lead and the heroine from the original book made Shen Zhiyu’s blood boil. It wasn't until Yuanbao barked a few times that her mood softened. Come to think of it, according to the tropes of the novels she had read, her predecessor was the supporting female character in the struggle between her and Qiao Xi, while Qiao Xi was the heroine. Yet, in the rivalry between Qiao Xi and the "white moonlight" of Zhou Yuhuai, Qiao Xi was merely a supporting character herself.

"Tsk, tsk, it’s like rings within rings. Thank goodness I jumped out of that cycle!" Now that she was far away from those psychos, she, Shen Zhiyu, could live her own happy life.

"System, summon an airdrop!" Feeling much better, Shen Zhiyu decided to cheer herself up further. She wanted to see what kind of good things the "Joyful Airdrop" would bring her this time. Soon, the coordinates were locked, and the navigation began. Knowing that the airdrop chest would be invisible to others, she didn't rush, opting instead to ride her bike leisurely through the streets and alleys.

Ten minutes later, she located the airdrop chest. It was in a tree!

"System, are you out of your mind?" Shen Zhiyu felt a surge of irritation. It was just a chest, yet it had been dropped into a tree, right inside a giant magpie's nest. She wanted to turn around and leave, but the light radiating from the chest in the nest was simply too tempting. Finally, she decided to climb the tree.

"Yuanbao, help me out. I don't know how to climb trees!"

"Don't worry, Master. I’ve got this handled!"

Shen Zhiyu went through the motions of climbing, but in reality, Yuanbao used its spiritual energy to lift her up into the branches. The nest was truly massive! Inside, there wasn't just a large system chest, but also a round object wrapped in oilcloth. The moment she saw it, she shivered, nearly falling from the tree. It looked disturbingly like a human head.

Shen Zhiyu didn't dare to think further, nor did she dare touch the oilcloth-wrapped item. With Yuanbao's assistance, she scrambled down the tree.

Report it! She had to report it to the police! Regardless of what that thing was, she had to alert the authorities.

When she reached the nearby police station and reported her discovery, the officers treated the matter with great urgency. A group of them, led by Shen Zhiyu, rode their bicycles back to the tree. Two officers climbed up—they were the real deal at tree climbing. Before long, they descended, bringing down the suspicious oilcloth-wrapped object.

"Ah!" Seeing an officer reach for the oilcloth, Shen Zhiyu gasped and turned away. Two minutes later, an elderly officer spoke slowly: "Wrap it back up. Contact the municipal bureau immediately and have them send someone to perform an examination!"

Hearing this, Shen Zhiyu felt sick. It was confirmed. It really was a human head!

"Stupid System! Are you broken? You’ve sent people via airdrop before, but now, even though you didn't send a person, you drop a chest at a site containing something like this? Damn it, I’d rather have encountered a person!"

"Comrade Shen Zhiyu, we’ll need you to come back with us to provide a detailed statement."

"Wait—wait a moment. Let me catch my breath." She was starting to develop a psychological trauma from this "Joyful Airdrop." She suspected she might be the most miserable transmigrator among all those who possessed a system!

More than ten minutes later, she finally regained some composure and returned to the station with the officers. She explained in detail how she had discovered the head. "I had just bought a bicycle and was riding around. Before I got here, I saw several magpies and that huge nest. I don't know what I was thinking, but I decided to climb up and take a look. If I had known what was up there, I wouldn't have gone up even if you killed me!"

She felt she might have nightmares tonight. There was no transmigrator more unfortunate than her.

The officers didn't suspect her of any wrongdoing, but they conducted a routine investigation nonetheless. After completing her statement, she cycled back to the shared compound.

"Master, Master! Someone is following you!" Yuanbao suddenly barked halfway home. Shen Zhiyu nearly crashed her new bike into a wall.

"What's the situation? Tell me!"

"A man. He’s been sneaking along behind you. Actually, he appeared right when you showed up at that tree!"

"Damn, could it be the killer?" Having watched her fair share of detective stories, she knew that some criminals liked to return to the scene of the crime. Don't panic! Stay steady! Shen Zhiyu took a deep breath and kept riding smoothly. "Yuanbao, keep an eye on him. If he tries to ambush me, attack him—teach him a lesson, understand?"

"Master, leave your safety to me!" Yuanbao barked twice. Shen Zhiyu breathed a sigh of relief. With a spirit beast guarding her, the mere mortal could wait to be crushed.

However, until she reached the compound, the man never made a move.

"Master, he’s gone."

"Gone?"

"Yes, he saw you enter the courtyard and then he left."

"Remember him. If he shows up again, tell me immediately!"

Shen Zhiyu felt as though she had been targeted. Could it be that this bastard intended to make her his next victim?