Chapter 133: Shapeshifter

A day after the battle, outside the villain's hideout:

"Shapeshifter?" Agent Luo Yajun lit another cigarette.

"You mean, someone who can change into anyone else?" Chen Meiyue asked.

"That's right," Chen Meiyue confirmed. "She can turn into anyone, changing her appearance, height, and body shape. I think she needs a DNA sample to do this. She took our blood so she could mimic any of us. But she can't copy our memories—she keeps us alive to get specific information, which helps her disguise herself."

Luo Yajun looked at the hostages. Most of them were young and attractive girls. Despite looking like refugees from a famine, you could still see they had been beautiful.

If the prisoner were a man, they'd deal with him quickly. But since it's a woman, she might have other motives, as Chen Meiyue suggested.

"So, she's a shapeshifter who uses our identities to act," Luo Yajun said.

"Yes," Chen Meiyue replied. "Her abilities are dangerous. We need to track the movements of all the hostages during this time. She could use our identities for anything, even..."

"Even stealing the identity of a senior agent and sneaking into the Secret Service Nine's airship, right?" Luo Yajun finished.

Chen Meiyue shuddered.

"Do you think... could it be...?" she asked, rubbing her temples.

"Jesus," she said, feeling overwhelmed.

"Are the consequences serious?" she asked, looking up.

"That depends on your definition of'serious.' Batman is here with a white accomplice, and they've dealt with the worst guy on the airship. But someone stole a seemingly minor piece of evidence, and we don't know what it's for."

"Jesus," Chen Meiyue repeated. She had feared the worst if her identity was stolen and thought she was prepared, but now she realized she wasn't.

Then she leaned in, checking to make sure no one else was listening and whispered to Luo Yajun.

"She comes back occasionally. Sometimes she takes a hostage out or asks detailed questions to help her disguise. She never shows her real face and always uses one of our faces."

Chen Meiyue became more serious.

"But I'm not just going to sit by," she said.

Luo Yajun noticed she handed him something, avoiding others' eyes.

"What's this?" he asked.

"It's one of her hairs," Chen Meiyue whispered. "She didn't notice, but I've kept it hidden. It might help us trace her identity in the future."

"Why give it to me?" Luo Yajun asked. "You should report it to your superiors and hand it over to the investigation team."

"Because," Chen Meiyue's voice was barely audible, but Luo Yajun understood.

She didn't trust anyone else. She suspected she was ambushed and that the mothership invasion was not a coincidence. There might be insiders in the Secret Service Nine.

"You don't trust this organization, which is good. I trust you now," Chen Meiyue whispered. "Find her, prove her existence, and be ruthless when you do."

Later that day, Chen Meiyue was locked up in a special cell on the airship.

If her story about a shapeshifter was true, other hostages would confirm it. But she wouldn't be released immediately; many tests and evaluations were needed.

At headquarters, Luo Yajun was questioned by his superiors. An agent reported what Chen Meiyue and Luo Yajun had said after the battle, and the superiors wanted an explanation from him.

They told Luo Yajun that Chen Meiyue might claim she's innocent, and she might even seem that way. But in their line of work, they couldn't just take her word for it.

Maybe the shapeshifters she mentioned didn't exist at all, and it was all made up by Chen Meiyue. Perhaps the ghost was really her, trying to regain trust.

Of course, testimonies from other freed hostages could back up her story, but this needed more investigation. If Chen Meiyue was an insider, she could deceive even the other hostages with the help of her allies.

They should be concerned. Chen Meiyue handed over an important piece of evidence, and any agent would need to report this. It was their duty.

But Luo Yajun was never one to follow the rules.

"No."

He stood in the conference room, ignoring the leaders' stares.

"She told me about a shapeshifter who can look like someone else, just as she told you. That's all."

Luo Yajun always claimed to be carefree, saying there was no one in the world worth caring about. But deep down, if he had to choose someone he cared about, it would be Chen Meiyue.

It wasn't that he had any romantic feelings for her—she was young, beautiful, and in a high position. It was purely out of friendship and respect. Even though he often broke the rules, he knew he was always forgiven and understood.

He knew how much he was cared for.

Luo Yajun didn't mention the hair to anyone. He used a lab at the Ninth Division for a DNA test, making up an excuse and keeping it private.

Since Luo Yajun was a high-ranking member, the lab was happy to help him. Soon, he got the results he wanted.

The computer found a match from the database and identified the hair's owner.

Lin Yi, a fifteen-year-old girl.

A girl who had died over ten years ago.

This result shocked Luo Yajun.

It wasn't unusual for the dead to come back and cause trouble, but this was usually recent. A girl who had been dead for over ten years? Back then, there were no reports of infected people.

With doubts in mind, Luo Yajun reviewed the old files about this girl.

It was a tragic story from the past.

One weekend, Lin Yi's parents were away on business, so she stayed at her uncle Lin Ruiming's house, bringing her best friend, Shan Xue. Lin Ruiming was kind and had always taken care of her when her parents were away.

But that night changed everything. Something snapped in Lin Ruiming, and he attacked the two girls.

Shan Xue was terrified. When her uncle tried to catch Lin Yi, she escaped by jumping out the window and ran almost a mile before finding help.

When the police arrived, Lin Yi was already dead.

The cause of death was a blow to the head, but the weapon was missing. Lin Ruiming had disappeared, clearly having fled after the attack. He was caught trying to leave town, claimed he was innocent, but with the evidence against him, his defense was useless, and he was convicted.

Luo Yajun couldn't find more clues in the old files. Despite discrepancies between the records and the current situation, one thing was clear: DNA doesn't lie.

So, it seemed the girl named Lin Yi might still be alive.