Eye of Insight

It seemed like Grace had found a sense of resolve after her cousin's words, her expression softening. However, Ethan, standing beside her, didn't think the police would find anything useful. The three thieves had a clear division of labor and were very skilled—there wouldn't be many traces left behind at the scene. To be honest, Ethan had thought the police might bring a dog, after all, a dog's sense of smell was far superior to a human's, and they might be able to trace the scent.

"Ean, if you're tired, you can head back and rest. Clara is here, it'll be fine," Grace said, looking at Ethan, who seemed lost in thought. A hint of concern slipped into her voice.

"Mm, just paying the overdue rent," Ethan replied, pulling out a wad of cash from his pocket. He counted out a portion and gently placed it on the sofa before turning to leave.

As soon as he stepped out, Ethan winked his left eye, and the image of the three thieves flashed in his mind again. He followed the trail of their movement, heading downstairs. About 200 meters from the building's entrance, he saw the three of them jump into a white Volkswagen van and speed off. But he managed to note down the license plate number.

Ethan pulled out his phone, intending to call Grace with the information he had gathered. But then he hesitated. If he did, wouldn't people find out about his eyes? Such an extraordinary ability could bring unimaginable trouble if it became public knowledge. He might end up locked in a cage as a test subject, or worse, used for experiments...

The more Ethan thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. His back was drenched in cold sweat. After thinking it over, he shoved his phone back into his pocket.

Humans were selfish, and while Ethan wanted to help the beautiful landlady recover her lost items, the potential consequences filled him with dread. He didn't want anyone to know about the ability his eyes possessed. For a student with no strong background, that could mean disaster.

Standing still, Ethan pondered, hoping for a solution that would allow him to help without drawing attention. Suddenly, an idea sparked in his mind—a public payphone! One of those scattered along the roadside. He could buy a phone card, find a payphone far from home, and make the call. No one would be able to trace it back to him, not even the police.

Excited by the idea, Ethan quickly ran to the side of the road and hailed a taxi. "River City University," he instructed. He remembered there were public payphones near the entrance of the university.

Fifteen minutes later, the taxi stopped in front of a newsstand by the university. Ethan got out, bought a phone card, and made his way to a nearby payphone booth. Keeping his head lowered to hide his face, he cautiously looked around. After confirming no one was paying attention, he nervously dialed Grace's number.

The phone rang.

"When I was young, I'd listen to the radio, Waiting for my…"

Grace's ringtone was surprisingly old-fashioned—an old song. Before the song could finish, she picked up the phone.

Ethan spoke with a voice so raspy it even gave him chills. "If you want to find the things you lost, listen carefully. A white Volkswagen van. License plate A58XX. There were three thieves, one has a black mole near his left eyebrow, and one has a long face…"

He blurted out all the details in one breath, repeating the license plate number for emphasis. Then, with a sharp click, he hung up the phone, swiftly pulled out the phone card, and left the booth. He jumped back into a taxi and returned to his apartment. As soon as he got inside, he rushed to the table and gulped down a glass of water. His heart was pounding, and he felt as if he had just committed a crime.

Inside, the door to the other room was already closed, and Ivy was asleep. Ethan tried to calm his racing thoughts, took a shower to soothe his nerves, and then sat back at his desk to continue his research. He logged into Facebook absentmindedly.

Just as he was noting down two details about identifying jade grades, a notification popped up in the corner of his screen. He clicked on it—it was from a guy named Larry.

Larry: "Bro, I got rejected last night. I've been holding on to my virginity all this time, but I was planning to keep it until college."

Breeze: "(Sweat) Trying to act innocent, huh?"

Larry: "Haha, man, I finally got to experience the four stages of primal human interaction. It was great, but exhausting."

Breeze: "Really? What could you have possibly experienced for the first time?"

Larry: "At the start, the guy gets hard, the woman softens. During, the guy moves, the woman screams. At the climax, the guy shoots, the woman shakes. At the end, the guy softens, but the woman still wants more..."

Breeze: "Haha! You've got talent."

Larry: "I'm pitiful. I went seven rounds in one night, drank a whole box of milk, but in the end, what went in was milk, and what came out was just thin soup."

Breeze: "What's wrong? Not concentrated enough? Did you filter all your essence in one night?"

Larry: "Oh wow! Man, I can't talk anymore, she wants it again…" With that, Larry's profile pic turned black—seems like he was off to experience more.

Ethan shook his head with a smile. A strange feeling of restlessness stirred within him. After some more research, he felt tired and decided to shut down the computer and go to sleep.

For the next few days, everything was calm. Ethan spent his time either studying or browsing the internet. His life felt easy and leisurely. He even took some time to open a few bank accounts, depositing two million in each. But despite several trips to the park, he couldn't find any trace of the crazy old man. Even using his left eye, he found no results. Eventually, he gave up.

The issue with the stolen items at the landlady's place seemed to have come to a halt. Ethan hadn't heard anything more, and he hadn't seen her around for a few days. Several times, he passed by her door, but it was always locked, and he hadn't called to ask. After all, their relationship was just that of landlord and tenant, and being too eager might raise suspicion.

Ethan thought he'd done what he could. Whether the police would catch the thieves based on the lead he gave wasn't something he could control. In the end, as long as his conscience was clear, that was all that mattered.