As someone in sequence 001, I also want to give up today.

Li Xian rubbed his temples.

Never mind that for now.

He thought of that girl, Lin Xiaoqi.

He made it sound so easy, saying things like "it depends on your performance" and "I won't call the police."

But he couldn't believe everything that girl said.

What did it mean that it was the first time he stole something? What did it mean that his parents died young? What did it mean that he supported his younger brother's schooling?

That sounds quite pitiful.

But what if it's just acting?

What if this girl is a repeat offender and just a good actress?

Li Xian doesn't like to wrong people, but he also doesn't like to be deceived.

He looked at the clone.

"Go with that girl and see for yourself," he said. "See what her family situation is really like, and whether it's really as she says."

The clone paused for a moment, then asked, "How do I follow?"

Li Xian thought for a moment.

"Can you become invisible?"

The clone closed its eyes, sensed the sensation, and then opened them.

"Yes. The reconstruction of everything can alter the refraction of light, achieving an invisibility effect."

"That's fine then," Li Xian said.

"Stay close, don't get caught. Find out where she lives, what her family situation is like, and whether she really has a younger brother in school."

The clone nodded.

Then he asked, "What if we find out she's lying?"

Li Xian remained silent for a second.

"Then write it down," he said. "We'll talk about it later."

The clone then asked, "What if what she said is true?"

Li Xian thought for a moment.

"Then...we'll talk about it later."

The clone looked at him with a somewhat subtle expression.

The gist of the translation is: You're such a slowpoke.

Li Xian: "..."

He took a deep breath.

"Go away, stop talking nonsense."

The clone watched him without moving.

Li Xian was also looking at him.

The two stared at each other for three seconds.

The clone spoke up: "You told me to go, but you didn't say I had to go now."

Li Xian's temples throbbed twice.

He took a deep breath and used his main body's absolute control over the clone.

"Go now, immediately, right now."

The clone froze, then reluctantly walked towards the door.

As he reached the door, he suddenly turned back.

"What should we have for dinner?"

Li Xian: "...What are you going to eat for dinner, you're just a clone?"

The clone said matter-of-factly, "If I don't eat dinner, I won't have the energy to follow you."

Li Xian remained silent for three seconds.

Then he waved his hand: "I'll save you a copy when I get back."

The clone was satisfied and opened the door to go out.

The door closed, and the living room returned to silence.

Li Xian leaned back on the sofa, staring at the ceiling, and remained silent for a long time.

He suddenly understood those parents a little better.

Raising a child is really not easy.

Especially raising a bratty kid who looks exactly like you.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

On a street in Jiangcheng.

A man who looked exactly like Li Xian was standing by the roadside, looking at the crowds coming and going with a blank expression.

He forgot to ask Lin Xiaoqi where she lived.

I even forgot to ask how to find her.

The clone stood there, silent for three seconds.

Then he started to think.

How do I do this?

The answer is: Make a phone call.

The clone touched its pocket.

empty.

He forgot his phone.

The clone remained silent for another three seconds.

Then he began to think about the second question.

What should I do about this?

The answer is: Forget it, I'm not looking anymore, I'm going home and lying down.

But he is a clone, so he can't go back to lie down.

I will be unhappy.

"Why."

Life is tough, and I can't help but sigh.

He raised his head and closed his eyes.

Perception unfolds.

Ten thousand units of spiritual energy surged forth like a tide, covering the entire block.

He's looking for it.

Look for the energy traces that had come into contact with his original body.

Lin Xiaoqi, that girl, stayed at home for so long, she must have left some traces.

really.

I sensed a faint energy trajectory extending from the direction of the residential area, heading towards the east of the city.

The clone opened its eyes.

Take a step and follow.

Lin Xiaoqi lives in an old neighborhood in the east of the city.

It's similar to the neighborhood where Li Xian lives; both are old buildings built in the 1980s and 90s, with peeling paint and dimly lit stairwells.

The clone stood at the entrance of the residential area, surveying the scene before it.

This place was even more dilapidated than he had imagined.

There wasn't even a security guard at the entrance. The iron gate was rusty and half of it was crooked, just lying there wide open.

He slowly walked in, sensing Lin Xiaoqi's presence as he went.

Although the clone cannot use the power of all phenomena, it still has 100,000 points of mental energy, and its perception ability far exceeds that of ordinary ability users.

He quickly located Lin Xiaoqi's position.

Third floor, east-facing unit.

The clone went downstairs and looked up.

The windows were old-fashioned sliding windows, with yellowed newspapers pasted on the glass, making it impossible to see inside.

With a casual wave of his hand, he became transparent.

Then it floated up lightly.

The ability to manipulate matter through the reconstruction of all things allows him to easily change his form and position.

It landed on the outside of the window on the third floor.

While invisible, he peeked through the gaps in the newspaper and saw what was inside.

An old house with one bedroom and one living room.

The living room is small, containing a folding sofa bed, a small square table, and two plastic stools.

An old wall clock hangs on the wall, its hands moving slowly.

There were some odds and ends piled up in the corner, but they were neatly arranged.

At this moment, Lin Xiaoqi was sitting on a plastic stool, holding a bowl of instant noodles in her hand, eating it in big mouthfuls.

Standing next to her was an exact replica of herself.

Two Lin Xiaoqis, one bowl of instant noodles.

"Eat slowly," said the clone of Lin Xiaoqi. "Nobody's going to take it from you."

Without even looking up, Lin Xiaoqi replied, "I'm hungry."

"That guy surnamed Li didn't even invite you to stay for dinner?"

"You may be shameless, but I am!" Lin Xiaoqi, in her true form, swallowed a mouthful of noodles.

"Besides, he made me pay for his snacks, where am I going to get the money to eat out?"

The clone of Lin Xiaoqi sighed.

"It's all my fault. If I hadn't been so clumsy and gotten caught..."

"It's not your fault." Lin Xiaoqi, the original body, raised her head.

"I'm the one who sent you. If anyone's to blame, it's me."

The clone of Lin Xiaoqi remained silent.

After finishing the last bite of noodles, Lin Xiaoqi placed the bowl on the table, leaned back, and looked up at the ceiling.

"He...really isn't going to call the police."

"Um."

"He didn't even tell his sister."

"Um."

"Just let me treat him to a meal."

"Um."

Lin Xiaoqi, in her true form, remained silent for a few seconds before suddenly saying, "Tell me, is he stupid?"

The clone of Lin Xiaoqi thought for a moment and said, "Maybe."

Outside the window, the hidden clone of Li Xian twitched at the corner of its mouth.

These two girls called him stupid right to his face?

He endured.

Lin Xiaoqi, the original owner of the body, spoke again: "But he really is a good person. If it were someone else, they would definitely have called the police."

"Um."

"Do you think his sister is really S-class?"

"I guess so," said the clone of Lin Xiaoqi. "Didn't you follow me several times?"

"Yeah, but I didn't see anything." Lin Xiaoqi scratched her head.

"She looks just like an ordinary person, except she has a slightly cold demeanor. Who would have thought she's an S-class?

The clone of Lin Xiaoqi said quietly, "So that's why you dared to steal from her house."

Body Lin Xiaoqi: "..."

She glared at the clone, but didn't refute it.

After a while, she suddenly stood up.

"I'm going to check on Xiao Bei."

She walked to the door of the inner room and gently pushed it open.

The clone followed behind her.

Li Xian's clone also floated over and glanced inside.

Inside was an even smaller room, just big enough for a single bed and a desk.

A boy, about fifteen or sixteen years old, was lying on the bed. His face was pale, his eyes were closed, and he was breathing very lightly.

On the desk were several books, a water glass, and a few medicine bottles.

Lin Xiaoqi tiptoed over, squatted down by the bed, and reached out to touch the boy's forehead.

The boy frowned and opened his eyes.

"sister?"

"Hmm, did I wake you up?"

"No." The boy shook his head and tried to sit up.

Lin Xiaoqi pressed him back down.

"Don't move, just lie still."

The boy obediently lay back down and looked at her.

"Sis, you're home early today."

"Um, nothing's wrong," Lin Xiaoqi said. "How are you feeling today?"

"I'm much better," the boy said. "My fever broke this afternoon, and my dizziness has subsided. I should be able to go to school tomorrow."

Lin Xiaoqi nodded.

"Then I'll take you there tomorrow."

"No need, I can go by myself," the boy said. "Don't keep taking leave from work, or your boss will get upset."

Lin Xiaoqi was stunned for a moment, then smiled.

"It's alright, our boss is a nice guy."

The boy looked at her, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.

Lin Xiaoqi pinched his cheek.

"Alright, stop overthinking. Just focus on getting better and recovering as soon as possible; that's more important than anything else."

The boy nodded.

Lin Xiaoqi sat with him for a while longer, and only after he closed his eyes and fell asleep again did she quietly leave.

She closed the door, leaned against the wall, and let out a long breath.

The clone of Lin Xiaoqi stood beside her, watching her.

"What are you planning to do?"

Lin Xiaoqi remained silent for a few seconds.

"I don't know," she said. "Let's just take it one step at a time."

"That guy surnamed Li..."

"He let me go," Lin Xiaoqi interrupted her. "That's enough. We'll talk about the future later."

The clone of Lin Xiaoqi opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end, she didn't.

Outside the window, Li Xian's clone watched this scene in silence for a long time.

He initially thought that what Lin Xiaoqi said was somewhat exaggerated.

"Being desperate" or "having elderly parents and young children to support" are common excuses used by thieves.

But now it seems...

What this girl said is all true.

She does have a sick younger brother, she does live in this dilapidated neighborhood, and she does worry about getting a bowl of instant noodles.

The reason she stole things was indeed to support her younger brother's schooling.

Li Xian's clone stood outside the window, looking at the two tired figures inside the room, and suddenly felt a little emotional.

This world is indeed not simply black and white.

Some people do bad things not because they are bad, but because they have no other choice.

Of course, this doesn't mean that stealing is the right thing to do.

Wrong is wrong.

But at least Lin Xiaoqi can be saved.

After she was arrested, she didn't try to argue or make excuses. She honestly admitted her mistake and even made the person in question apologize, clean the house, and compensate her with snacks.

Just based on this attitude, he's much better than those who stubbornly refuse to admit their mistakes.

Just as Li Xian's clone was about to leave, he suddenly heard a sound coming from inside the house.

Lin Xiaoqi took something out of her pocket and handed it to her clone.

"Here, take this."

The clone of Lin Xiaoqi took it, glanced at it, and froze.

It was a crumpled fifty-yuan note.

What are you doing?

"You must have gone to all that trouble," Lin Xiaoqi said. "Let's buy some good food tomorrow."

The clone Lin Xiaoqi stared at the money and remained silent for a few seconds.

Then she stuffed the money back into Lin Xiaoqi's hand.

"I do not want."

"Take it."

"No," said the clone of Lin Xiaoqi, "I don't need to eat."

"Then take it and buy something else."

"I don't need anything." The clone of Lin Xiaoqi looked at her. "Keep it and buy some nutritional supplements for Xiaobei."

Lin Xiaoqi opened her mouth, as if to say something.

The clone of Lin Xiaoqi spoke first: "Alright, enough nonsense. I'll stay here with you today, and I'll disappear again tomorrow morning."

Lin Xiaoqi looked at her, her eyes a little red.

"Thank you."

The clone of Lin Xiaoqi waved her hand.

"We're like brothers."

Outside the window, Li Xian's clone watched this scene, a slight smile curving his lips.

These two Lin Xiaoqis are quite interesting.

He withdrew his gaze and drifted away.

---

Li Xian's family.

Li Xian was lying on the sofa, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Suddenly, something transparent floated in through the window.

It landed on the ground and revealed its shape.

The clone is back.

Li Xian glanced at him: "So fast? How's it going?"

The clone slowly walked to the sofa and plopped down.

She wasn't lying.

"More details."

The clone began to report.

"Her place is in an old neighborhood in the east of the city, more run-down than ours. It's on the third floor, a one-bedroom apartment, but it's quite clean. Her brother is indeed sick and can't get out of bed. She eats instant noodles at night, splitting a bowl into two bites. It seems she really has no money."

Li Xian listened without saying a word.

The clone continued, "Her clone was quite interesting too. The original offered the clone money, but the clone refused, telling her to buy nutritional supplements for her younger brother instead. The two of them were going back and forth about it; it was quite touching."

Li Xian raised an eyebrow.

"That's all?"

"And another thing," the clone said, "her brother seems quite sensible; even when he's sick, he still wants to go to school. She lied to him and said she was working at a bubble tea shop, and he seems to have believed her."

Li Xian nodded.

"Okay, I got it."

The clone looked at him and waited a few seconds.

"No other instructions?"

"That's all."

The clone stood up and walked towards the door.

After taking two steps, he suddenly turned back.

"What about dinner?"

Li Xian glanced at him.

"I haven't cooked it yet. There are leftovers in the kitchen. Heat them up yourself if you want."

The clone frowned.

"You want me to eat leftovers?"

"What, can't we eat leftovers?"

"I am a clone."

"What's wrong with clones? Don't clones need to eat?"

The clone remained silent for a second.

Then he quietly went into the kitchen and started heating up the food.

Li Xian leaned back on the sofa, watching his back, and suddenly felt like laughing.

This clone, though seemingly unwilling, did just as much work as required.

Who does it resemble?

Just like him.

He looked away and continued staring at the ceiling.

The matter concerning Lin Xiaoqi has been investigated and clarified.

That girl was truly desperate, which is why she did such a thing.

Stealing is wrong, but she has admitted her mistake, apologized, and made compensation.

This matter should have been put behind us by now.

But Li Xian felt that it was a bit unreasonable to just leave it like that.

Her brother attends the high school section, which is Li Yu's territory.

She herself is a Class D ability user who has only recently awakened her powers. Without guidance, she could easily go astray.

What if she's "desperate" again and steals from someone else's house and gets caught?

What if she encounters someone with a bad temper and gets beaten to death?

Li Xian thought for a moment, then took out his phone and sent a message to Li Yu.

"That person's name is Lin Xiaoqi. Her younger brother is Lin Xiaobei, who is in Class 3 of the first year of high school at your school. Their family isn't well-off. Could you see if you could help them out?"

Three seconds later, Li Yu replied.

"Okay. I'll be careful."

Li Xian put down his phone.

Would you call this meddling in other people's business?

He thought about it and decided that it should count.

However, he didn't think there was anything wrong with it; as long as he was happy, that was fine.

Although the girl stole from his house, she had a good attitude, sincerely admitted her mistake, and made adequate compensation.

It's nothing, just a small favor.

and--

He glanced at his clone, who was heating up food in the kitchen.

This clone is actually quite useful.

Consider it a thank you for this "generous gift".

In the kitchen, the clone brought out a bowl of heated food, sat down at the table, and began to eat slowly and deliberately.

Looking at his appearance, Li Xian suddenly remembered a question.

"What are you planning to do after you finish eating?"

The clone looked up and glanced at him.

"Lie down."

Li Xian: "..."

He knew it.

"What about tomorrow?"

"Lie down."

"And the day after tomorrow?"

"Lie down."

Li Xian remained silent for three seconds.

Then he waved.

"Fine, lie down if you want."

The clone nodded in satisfaction and continued eating.