Chapter 13

Although it was embarrassing for a transmigrator, Lin Xinyi decided to work honestly.

He had no choice—his predecessor hadn't left him any capital to invest or make money.

He knew nothing about music or art, had little exposure to anime or films, and his writing skills were subpar.

Back in school, writing an 800-word essay was already a struggle. Expecting him to reconstruct a bestselling novel from a vague memory of an outline? That was just unrealistic.

The usual ways transmigrators got rich weren't options for Lin Xinyi.

Thinking carefully, the only skills he had were dissecting corpses and being good at fighting—

If he treated the Criminal Code like a Get-Rich Guide, these two skills could indeed make him wealthy quickly.

But if he wanted to be a law-abiding citizen, these abilities were pretty much useless for making money.

So, how could he earn a living?

Should he use his current identity as a "friendly Japanese acquaintance" to return home and reveal a wealth secret? Or maybe apply for a scholarship and scam some financial aid?

Well… those were options, but they felt too unambitious.

"Better just take the original owner's job."

"If I can hold on for a few months—just three or four—the saved salary will make things much easier for me."

Lin Xinyi set his sights on the generous paycheck left by his predecessor.

A solid 890,000 yen per month.

Even if he only lasted three or four months before getting fired for incompetence, he'd still receive severance pay.

In total, that would be several million yen—enough to support him for a while.

And if he managed to keep up the act for a whole year?

Then he'd have enough savings to quit, return home, and start his fortune.

Feeling a little guilty, Lin Xinyi began planning how to take over his predecessor's role and blend into the company unnoticed.

Just then, his phone suddenly rang.

"Who could this be?"

Lin Xinyi frowned slightly.

While making his statement at the police station, he had carefully checked the phone.

There were no call records—probably wiped clean before his predecessor's death.

The contacts list was pitifully short, with only two numbers saved.

The first was labeled "Laboratory", clearly a work contact.

The second was labeled "Most Important Person."

This was the one that worried Lin Xinyi the most.

Who exactly was this "most important person"?

A parent? A relative? A close friend? A girlfriend?

Whatever the case, Lin Xinyi had no desire to answer a call from that number.

After all, he wasn't the real Lin Xinyi. He had no idea how to interact with this "most important person."

Feeling slightly nervous, he looked at the screen—

The call was from an unknown number, with no saved name.

For a moment, he wondered if this was someone his predecessor wasn't close to.

But as soon as he answered, the voice on the other end sounded extremely familiar with the original owner:

"Hello, Lin."

The caller addressed him directly by surname.

"I just went to the lab. You weren't there."

"What's going on?"

It was a man's voice—not too young, not too old—but steady and authoritative.

There was clear discontent in his words, but no hint of emotion.

The overwhelming impression from his voice was… cold.

Even over the phone, Lin Xinyi could imagine a stern-looking man giving orders with an icy expression.

"Asking about unexplained absence right away—so this must be 'my' boss."

"Seriously? The guy didn't even save his own boss's number?"

Lin Xinyi silently criticized his predecessor's carelessness.

Then, he glanced at the clock on the wall.

9:10 AM.

Even though a lot had happened that morning, it was still just a little past 9—barely late for work.

But judging from the tone of the caller…

This was definitely "his" boss.

And today, the boss had personally come in to check on employees, just in time to catch him skipping work.

"Damn, what timing."

Lin Xinyi still wanted to keep this job for a few months, so he quickly adjusted his tone to sound extremely respectful:

"Apologies!"

His voice was submissive, like a well-behaved underling, which successfully avoided any suspicion.

Since he had no idea how his predecessor usually addressed this boss, he deliberately skipped any title:

"I just got back from the Metropolitan Police Department and haven't had time to go to the lab yet."

Lin Xinyi left the explanation vague, waiting for the boss to ask for details.

After all, "I was detained as a criminal suspect this morning" wasn't exactly a convincing excuse for skipping work. A slow, step-by-step explanation would sound more believable.

"The police?"

There was a barely noticeable shift in the cold voice.

But a boss was still a boss—calm and composed.

Instead of immediately demanding details, he paused briefly, then simply said:

"I need an explanation."

"Wow, what a commanding leader."

Lin Xinyi silently admired the man's poise, then obediently explained:

"I was out for a morning run and accidentally got caught up in a dismemberment case. The police took me in for questioning."

"I even met that well-known detective, Kudo Shinichi—he was there too."

To make the story more convincing, he dropped the famous detective's name.

But his boss remained completely unfazed.

Even after hearing about a dismemberment case and a famous detective, he showed no surprise at all.

After a brief silence, the boss simply replied in a deep voice:

"Understood."

"In that case, get to the lab now."

Lin Xinyi: "…"

His first reaction to an employee getting involved in a murder case… was telling him to hurry back to work?

"What a ruthless machine for squeezing out every last drop of value."

Before Lin Xinyi could even complain internally, the boss continued in his penguin-freezing cold tone:

"You haven't been in great shape lately. This is a problem."

"The lab is under your management, Lin."

"Don't disappoint me."

Lin Xinyi really didn't want to deal with such an inhuman boss.

But then he thought about that 890,000 yen paycheck.

That made it easier to swallow.

"Understood. I'll complete the task!"

His boss didn't even acknowledge his reply. The call ended abruptly.

"Phew…"

Lin Xinyi let out a long breath.

"'My' boss seems like a tough one."

"But judging from his words, he doesn't come to the company often. I won't have to deal with him every day."

"That's a relief."

"Wait… 'The lab is under my management'?"

Hearing those words made his head ache.

He could manage a forensic lab.

But a biotech lab?

Would he fail on his first day?

A high-ranking lab position wasn't easy to fake.

But he had no choice.

The boss had already ordered him to work, and he desperately needed that salary.

"Whatever. I'll just go and see how things play out."

"Worst case? I get fired. No big deal."

He'd been far more worried earlier—back when he thought he might get arrested.

Now, compared to that…

"At least I'm not a criminal."

Lin Xinyi straightened his suit and walked out the door.