Chapter 68
Su Xiao (Shi Ye) sat at her small window-side workstation assigned to her by "Su Guang Space," her fingertips unconsciously tapping on the keyboard in front of the computer screen. The document titled "Preliminary Implementation Plan (Revised Version) for Ms. Shi Ye's Artistic Expression Exploration Project" was displayed. The sun shone brightly outside, but she felt as if several invisible, cold eyes were pressed against her back.
Qi Jin's "arrangements" were frighteningly efficient. Yesterday morning, the person in charge of "Su Guang" was summoned for a meeting by a man in a sharp suit who identified himself as the "legal and security consultant of the Qi Group," a man with an unusually expressionless demeanor. The content of the conversation was kept confidential, but when the person in charge returned, his expression was subtle. He called Su Xiao into his office and handed her a thick document that had just been printed and still smelled of ink.
Supplementary Agreement and Confidentiality Commitment for Participants in Special Projects
The document was a full twenty-eight pages long. It detailed the project location (ultimately set at a private studio under Qi Jin's name, located on a top floor in the city center, with security levels reportedly comparable to a bank vault), the time (twice a week, two hours each time, with specific times notified 24 hours in advance), the participants (in addition to a senior art therapist appointed by the organization and "approved" by Qi Jin, and Su Xiao as the assistant, there was also a "Qi-appointed observer" present throughout the process), and most importantly—all aspects had to be conducted under comprehensive audio and video surveillance, with the video recordings kept by Qi Jin, and "Su Guang" required to unconditionally cooperate and provide them if necessary.
Oh, and one more thing: Su Xiao, as the direct contact person, needs to provide a detailed resume from birth to the present, a notarized certificate of no criminal record, a recent medical examination report (including a mental health assessment), and sign a personal indefinite confidentiality agreement. The number of zeros after the penalty amount is dizzying.
"This... is even stricter than entering a state secret unit." At that moment, Su Xiao clutched the agreement, trying her best to maintain the shock and slight helplessness that a newcomer should have, but in her heart she was cursing Qi Jin to the core. This wasn't just approving a project; it was setting up a laboratory with a glass dome, treating her and the original owner of Shi Ye like guinea pigs, and doing it live 24/7.
The person in charge adjusted his glasses and sighed, "There's nothing we can do. Miss Shi's situation is special, and it's understandable that President Qi is cautious. Xiao Su, you were the one who actively sought this project. Although the conditions are demanding now, if we can succeed, it will be a great qualification for both the organization and you personally. Of course, the pressure will definitely be high. If you're not willing..."
"I'm willing," Su Xiao immediately stated, her eyes firm (pretending). "This is a rare opportunity, I'll do my best." Unwilling? Should they still complete the mission?
So, for the next two days, Su Xiao was spinning like a top. She ran to the police station to get a certificate of no criminal record, went to the designated hospital for a full medical check-up (including being questioned for forty minutes by a sharp-eyed psychologist), rummaged through her drawers to find all the award certificates and transcripts from elementary school to graduate school, and also had to cooperate with the "Qi Consultant" for a detailed background interview ("Ms. Su, when you went to teach in western China during your junior year summer vacation, were there any people with the surname Qin among your companions?" "During your parents' time teaching at University A, did they have any academic interactions with the late Ms. Su Wan?").
After submitting all the materials, she felt like she had been scanned eight hundred times, and even her dark history of stealing pomegranates from her neighbor's house when she was a child was almost dug up.
The system remained as quiet as a chicken in her mind, only subtly stabilizing her heart rate during the physical examination and psychological assessment, allowing her to answer "no" without blushing or skipping a beat when asked "Have you ever experienced a major traumatic event?"
Finally, on the afternoon before the first project began, Su Xiao received official notification from "Qi's Consultant": the application materials had passed (tentatively), and she was to arrive at "Cloud Top Studio" (the top-floor vault) at 10:00 AM the next morning for the first trial activity. The healer, Teacher Wang (assigned by the organization, a gentle-looking middle-aged woman whose background had also been thoroughly investigated), would arrive half an hour early. "Qi's Special Observer" would also be present on time.
"Who is the observer?" Su Xiao asked casually.
"You'll find out tomorrow," the consultant said politely, his answer leaving no room for ambiguity.
Su Xiao hung up the phone, looked at the deepening twilight outside the window, and took a deep breath. She'd deal with whatever came her way. Surveillance was one thing, but an observer was another; anything that gave her a chance to get close to the original owner and facilitate contact between her and Qi Jin was better than not being able to even get through the door.
She turned on her computer and began making final revisions to the plan. Since monitoring was unavoidable, she decided to make the plan more "transparent" and "harmless." She removed all open-ended suggestions that might involve deep privacy concerns and added more detailed descriptions regarding material safety (non-toxic paints, round-tipped scissors, etc.), environmental comfort (soft natural light, a soothing background music playlist), and flexibility in the process (the ability to pause, rest, and change activities at any time). It looked more like an advanced early childhood art education program.
After finishing all this, she leaned back in her chair and rubbed her throbbing temples. The image of Qi Jin's cold, scrutinizing eyes, and the original owner's bewildered and timid expression, inexplicably flashed through her mind.
This mission is truly a hellish start.
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(9:50 AM the following morning, "Cloud Peak Studio")
Su Xiao stood in the elevator, carrying a prepared materials box (containing various safe art supplies, paper, and some natural materials such as leaves and feathers). The elevator went directly to the top floor and required a special key card to activate. The key card had been given to her by the consultant that morning and was a one-time use item.
"bite."
The elevator doors slid open silently. The first thing that caught the eye was a minimalist, almost austere, entryway, predominantly gray and white with only a single, sharply defined wall lamp. A faint, clean scent, similar to that of a fresh air system, filled the air, along with a very subtle… cool, cedar fragrance?
A young woman in a black business suit, with her hair up and a serious expression, was already waiting at the door, a small, unmarked silver brooch pinned to her chest. She nodded slightly to Su Xiao: "Miss Su, please come with me. Teacher Wang has arrived."
Could this be one of the "special observers"? Su Xiao guessed in her heart, but smiled politely and said, "Okay, thank you for your help."
Passing through the entrance hall, the interior opens up dramatically. The entire top floor has been transformed into a vast, bright space. Three walls are floor-to-ceiling glass curtain walls, offering panoramic views of most of the city. However, the glass is clearly custom-made, making it impossible to see inside from the outside. The interior design, however, is not as stark as the exterior: natural wood floors and soft, off-white carpets define several areas. Near the windows are several large, height-adjustable workbenches and comfortable chairs, with easels standing nearby. There's even a small corner with plants and art books. Extremely soft, almost inaudible natural sound effects play in the background.
If Su Xiao hadn't known this was Qi Jin's territory, she would have almost thought it was a particularly stylish private gallery or studio.
Art therapist Ms. Wang was already there, talking to someone else.
The person was standing with their back to the door, wearing light gray loungewear, their hair loosely tied up, looking down at an unopened box of oil pastels on their worktable.
It was the original owner who visited.
She seemed more tense than in the studio, her fingers curled at her sides. Hearing footsteps, she turned her head in surprise. When she saw Su Xiao, she seemed to pause for a moment, a barely perceptible glimmer of... relief flashing across her eyes before she regained her usual blankness and restraint.
"Good morning, Ms. Shi," Su Xiao greeted with a smile, trying to make her voice sound relaxed and cheerful. "Good morning, Teacher Wang."
Teacher Wang responded gently and introduced the woman in black: "This is Secretary Li, whom President Qi arranged to assist in ensuring the smooth progress of the project."
Secretary Li bowed slightly to both Su Xiao and the original owner of the body, Shi Ye, her tone flat and emotionless: "President Qi instructed that Miss Shi's comfort and safety must be ensured. I'm in the control room next door. Please press the bell if you need anything." She pointed to an inconspicuous white button on the wall. "The monitoring system is activated, recording the entire process for subsequent analysis and evaluation. The images are strictly confidential." She stated the existence of the surveillance without any hesitation.
When the original owner of Shi Ye heard the word "surveillance," his body stiffened visibly, his face turned even paler, and he subconsciously moved closer to Su Xiao and Teacher Wang.
Su Xiao cursed Qi Jin's cold-heartedness in her heart, but her smile remained unchanged: "Okay, Secretary Li, thank you for your trouble." She placed the materials box on the creation table and opened it. "Ms. Shi, Teacher Wang, we don't have any theme today. We can just look at these materials. You can touch whatever you want, or if you don't want to touch anything, that's fine too. We can just look at the scenery outside the window and chat."
She took out the box of oil pastels, opened it, and the vibrant colors were neatly arranged. "Or, like this, just scribble a few lines?" She pulled out a red one and casually scribbled a few strokes on the scrap paper prepared beside her, her movements relaxed.
The original owner of Shi Ye's gaze was drawn to that splash of bright red. She hesitated, then slowly reached out and picked up a red oil pastel, mimicking Su Xiao's gesture, and lightly drew a line on the paper. The strokes were very light, and the lines were broken.
"The colors are beautiful, aren't they?" Teacher Wang said softly at the right moment, without commenting on whether the painting was good or bad, but simply describing her feelings.
The original owner stared at the crooked red line on the paper for a long time, then picked up a blue pen and drew another line next to the red one. The two colors were side by side, without blending.
Su Xiao secretly breathed a sigh of relief. At least, it had begun.
She stepped back half a step, letting Teacher Wang take the lead, while she played a supporting role, organizing other materials, adjusting the music volume, and occasionally handing over a glass of water. Her eyes, however, were constantly watching the original owner Shi Ye's condition, and... the location of the almost invisible cameras in this spacious studio.
Secretary Li had silently retreated to the side, behind what appeared to be a wall but was actually likely a one-way window or a door leading to the control room. His presence was diminished, but the pressure was ever-present.
The original owner of Shi Ye gradually became immersed in the simple act of applying color. Although she remained silent, the lines of her shoulders seemed to soften a little. She began to experiment with mixing colors, creating some blurry patches of color on the paper.
As Su Xiao watched, her mind raced.
Under such surveillance and "protection," she had almost no opportunity to privately contact or guide the original owner of the body. Let alone any contact between the original owner and Qi Jin. Qi Jin himself would probably never even set foot here.
She needs to break the deadlock.
Where is the breakthrough?
Secretary Li? Too professional, too difficult to deal with.
Teacher Wang? Neutral and professional, but may not be willing to get too deeply involved.
The original owner was actually visiting her? She's like a frightened bird now; any deliberate guidance could backfire and be monitored and recorded.
Su Xiao's gaze fell on the chaotic blue-gray patch that the original owner had painted. That color inexplicably reminded her of Qi Jin's eyes.
Perhaps... she should try a different approach.
It wasn't her who pushed the original owner to get closer to Qi Jin.
Instead, it was to let Qi Jin "see" something for himself.
Through these cold, ubiquitous cameras.
She needed to design some "visuals," some "information" that could be silently transmitted to the person behind the screen through surveillance.
Some real, struggling fragments about "timely visits," which may touch a frozen heart.
This is very difficult and extremely risky.
But this is currently the only path.
Su Xiao lowered her head, tidying up the edges of the colored paper, a faint smile curving her lips—a smile only she could understand.
Matchmaker Su Xiao is live-streaming online, generating electricity for love (tasks).
Act One: Color and Silence.
The actors are in place.
Director (and audience member) Ms. Qi Jin, are you ready?
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