Chapter 33: The Heroine Wang Xiaoqian

A gaming championship? Li Xin suddenly felt his heart race—tinged with joy and anticipation. He had no other motive; simply going there to play would be wonderful in itself.

He checked the road conditions and found a spot where traffic was relatively sparse, then slowly pulled over and parked. Li Xin took out his phone, logged into the website, and browsed as the poster described: all twelve games in the tournament were classic FC titles popular twenty-five years ago. Some were from cartridge-based game collections, others from disk-based consoles.

King of Fighters, Heavy Armored Soldier, Empire Fighter, Tank Battle, Double Dragon, Tetris...

Each name stirred familiar memories, filling him with nostalgia. "So this was Er Gouzi's real intention," Li Xin realized, shaking his head with a faint smile.

There was still more than a month before the registration deadline; no need to rush. Putting away his phone, Li Xin drove toward the highway. It was nearly dark and he needed to reach his next stop—Gaoyou—before nightfall. He would rest there overnight, then take the ferry from the Ming and Qing Canal into the Grand Canal the next day, heading north.

As dusk settled, traffic was sparse on the road, but two SUVs kept following Li Xin. Despite the drivers varying their speed to appear inconspicuous, they couldn't escape Li Xin's notice.

Half an hour later, the highway entrance was just ahead. Li Xin suddenly floored the accelerator and shot forward, entering the toll station. The two SUVs pulled over, and one man made a phone call, muttering something unintelligible.

Watching Li Xin enter the highway with his own eyes, they finally turned back toward town. "How pointless, really—fighting for territory in such a small county," Li Xin chuckled bitterly, feeling a slight headache.

By half past eight that evening, he arrived at his second destination, found a reasonably clean and tidy inn, and checked in for the night. After a casual meal at a nearby restaurant, he was on his way back when a commotion erupted from the street behind him.

"Stop! Stop!"

Shouts rang out, people scattered. A young woman, breathless and desperate, ran with all her might, while a dozen men chased after her, closing the distance rapidly. On either side of the street, some seemed aware of what was happening, whispering with interest.

Suddenly—

The woman, running at full speed, slipped and nearly fell. "Careful!" Li Xin called out quietly, darting forward to catch her. She avoided disaster, but the moment’s delay allowed the men to catch up and surround them. One, apparently the leader, scowled and barked harshly.

"Wang Xiaoqian, let's see where you run now!"

So her name was Wang Xiaoqian.

"Hmph, if I hadn't slipped, you wouldn't have caught me," Wang Xiaoqian snorted with disdain, pulling herself from Li Xin’s arms.

"Thanks," she said.

Li Xin smiled faintly. "No need."

Wang Xiaoqian nodded, then turned to the leader. "He’s just passing by—let him go first."

"Of course. We're not criminals," the man said, waving his hand. The group parted to let Li Xin through. After a moment’s hesitation, Li Xin slipped out quickly.

At first, he’d assumed a villain was chasing a virtuous woman, but now it didn’t seem so. The men were all sharp and strong, with the bearing of former soldiers now working elsewhere. The woman had a hint of bravado, but was careless and sly, her eyes gleaming with cunning.

During those few seconds of close contact, Li Xin sensed a potent air of society about her.

He glanced around. The men to his left were laughing and chatting, occasionally pointing at Wang Xiaoqian in the center. Li Xin edged closer, intending to listen in.

The group closed ranks again. The leader demanded fiercely, "Where’s the item? Hand it over."

"What item? I didn’t see anything, and I didn’t take anything. You’ve got the wrong person," Wang Xiaoqian retorted, her nose in the air, full of smug pride.

"Don’t lie! When we came out, you were running fast around the corner—don’t tell me you just happened to be passing by."

"It was pure coincidence! The road belongs to the government—what, does your family own it now?" Wang Xiaoqian replied carelessly, even absentmindedly fussing with her messy hair on her phone screen.

The man was momentarily at a loss, stymied by her retort. In broad daylight, with a crowd watching, he couldn’t force a search—if he failed to find anything, this crafty woman might turn the tables and accuse him. After all, she had a history of such tricks and a notorious reputation.

After a moment’s thought, he took out his phone to make a call. Wang Xiaoqian, realizing she couldn’t escape the human wall, simply started humming a tune in their midst.

"Quiet! Can’t you see I’m on the phone?"

"Why do you care? Is singing a crime?"

"You…" The man was furious, but could only move farther away.

Outside the crowd, Li Xin had pieced together some of the story. It was intriguing.

Wang Xiaoqian, it turned out, was a famous habitual thief in Gaoyou, often sneaking into wealthy homes or large shops, waiting for a chance to steal. Logically, a notorious robber like her should have been caught long ago. But surprisingly, Wang Xiaoqian was genuinely skilled.

Whenever she stole, she never left any fingerprints or traces. Whether cornered on the spot or pursued by police, no one could ever find the stolen goods on her, as if they had vanished without a trace. With no physical evidence, arrest and conviction were impossible.

Over three years, Wang Xiaoqian had committed more than a dozen crimes without a single failure. In Gaoyou, anyone with money or power feared her and tried to avoid her.

Yet there was another side to the story. Li Xin approached an elder and asked, "Sir, since everyone knows she's a habitual thief, why hasn't anyone reported her?"

"Heh, why report her? Wang Xiaoqian is a great person," the old man replied in a thick regional dialect, which Li Xin could mostly understand.

A great person?

Li Xin was baffled—how could a habitual thief be considered good?

"You don’t know, young man—Wang Xiaoqian is very wealthy. When she’s not busy, she supports welfare homes and orphanages, and takes care of elderly folk like us who are less fortunate. With such a good-hearted girl, who among ordinary people would ever want to report her?"

"Is that so?" Li Xin asked, frowning.

"Absolutely," a middle-aged man chimed in. "Wang Xiaoqian is a millionaire, with a solid family background and many businesses."

Li Xin was at a loss. Why would a wealthy person engage in such activities? Was she bored, or did she have a Robin Hood complex?

"Uncle, does she have any other interesting stories?"

"Plenty! If you’re curious, you should ask around. Since you're so interested, I’ll tell you one thing," the middle-aged man said, eyes bright with excitement.

He wasn’t alone—the nearby crowd shared the same expression, as if Wang Xiaoqian’s exploits were a local fascination.

"Young man, those corrupt officials who fell last year in Gaoyou—Wang Xiaoqian was the one who reported them by name."

"What!" Li Xin exclaimed. This woman was becoming more and more intriguing.

By now, the leader had finished his call and strode over to Wang Xiaoqian. "You just wait—the female officer from the station will be here soon. She’ll search you, and let’s see what you say then."

"Hmph, let her come—I’m not afraid. I stand upright and cast no shadow," Wang Xiaoqian said, nose wrinkled, head held high, utterly calm and unafraid.

She truly had the bearing of a female hero.