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The doppelganger's pitch-black eyes stared at Zhu Yan's ever-changing face, understanding his words.

It defied logic that this fellow creature could take on the appearance of Zhu Yan.

For doppelgangers like them, the number of appearances they could assume generally depended on the number of skins they possessed.

Could it be that the Level 1 player it had been obsessing over had already become someone else's skin in just a few short hours?

The doppelganger simulated a look of disappointment.

Stepping on the soft carpet, Zhu Yan watched the changes in the doppelganger's expression, feeling a bit nervous.

Nothing must go wrong.

It had to keep up with his rhythm!

The doppelganger stared at Zhu Yan, trying to figure out if this was just a cheap trick of the transformation ability from the police officer's memory, or if the other party was truly one of its kind.

Chief? Guan En grew a bit anxious and went over to pull the doppelganger. Let's go, Chief. If we don't leave now, it'll be too late.

He wanted to kindly remind the female flight attendant.

This poor female attendant didn't know a vast amount of intelligence about the instance like he did.

She seemed to naively believe that doppelgangers were just ordinary NPCs replacing humans!

That wouldn't do.

As a police officer, he couldn't save Zhu Yan.

But for a player like this who shared the same stance, he could still use his Level 3 ability to save her.

Thinking of this, Guan En tugged the doppelganger again and spoke up to remind her.

Zhang Li, follow my orders. Stay in Car 7 and wait for now.

...How could that work?

Zhu Yan cursed him inwardly for being a busybody.

Without the information from the doppelganger's mouth, he reckoned he wouldn't even be able to get off the train!

Besides, if he got lucky, he could use the doppelganger to play the police officers a second time, further distracting them.

Zhu Yan gave the doppelganger another clear hint, shaking his head slightly and mouthing the words, Stay behind.

The doppelganger stared at Zhu Yan for a long time and finally understood.

The female attendant in front of it had empty eyes and a subtle stiffness in her muscles.

Her scent lacked any of the fragrance of a human, instead emitting a faint stench of rot and rubber.

She was clearly a genuine doppelganger, just like itself!

However, the other party's language system seemed a bit more flexible than its own.

Furthermore, the other party possessed Zhu Yan's skin.

In the memories it inherited, Zhu Yan was a player confirmed to have passed the novice instance, with a level of at least Level 1.

This doppelganger possessed the skin of at least a Level 1 player. Combined with its natural acting skills and agile reflexes, its level was probably no lower than its own!

The doppelganger curled its lips in displeasure.

Ultimately, it docilely turned its head and said to Guan En, You take the men to Car 15 first and secure the suspect.

I'm going to check the surveillance footage. That's it.

Zhu Yan was delighted.

No matter what, the little trick worked!

Guan En wanted to struggle a bit more: What about this attendant? Let her come with me, she—

What I say goes!

The doppelganger's voice grew sharp, drawing the attention of the passengers in the car.

Go there immediately! Now!

Guan En fell silent for a moment.

Alright.

He weighed his options for a moment, gritted his teeth, and turned to head toward Car 15.

His mission was to help his companions complete their tasks. As of right now, both Zhang Li and the doppelganger counted as his companions.

Zhang Li's task was to Assist the Police Department, Catch the Rat, which was highly consistent with the tasks of the doppelganger and himself.

He wanted to minimize casualties as much as possible.

As long as the mission was completed, no one would die!

Zhang Li, take care of yourself.

Zhu Yan gave a sound of acknowledgment and hurriedly pulled the doppelganger toward Car 6.

The commotion they had just made was too loud and had already prompted the police officers standing guard outside to peek in.

Taking the doppelganger directly into the restroom for questioning right in front of them would be suicidal.

It was better to walk a bit further ahead.

You stupid thing, Zhu Yan cursed in a low voice, activating his talent Complain.

What are you spinning around for like a headless fly? Are the folds in your brain made of large intestines?

Pulling it along, Zhu Yan quickly crossed through Car 7 and opened the door to Car 6.

Car 6 was empty, save for two police officers.

Zhu Yan jogged along, cursing quietly.

Having you in Carnival Paradise is like having shit in a pot of porridge.

I'm about to get killed because of you, you'd better have some damn self-awareness!

At the connection between Car 6 and Car 5, there was an empty restroom.

Seizing the moment when no one was looking, Zhu Yan swiftly pushed the doppelganger inside, then dodged in himself and pulled the door shut.

Due to the power of the talent Complain, the doppelganger was not in a good state.

Its legs bent like soft rubber, and its expression held nothing but a frantic hunger and a deep fear of Zhu Yan.

As an ordinary doppelganger, its brain wasn't complex to begin with, and now it was completely incapable of thought.

The doppelganger categorized this as coercion from a higher existence, even though it felt like something wasn't quite right.

However, it didn't want to think too much about it.

It was sad because having offended such a powerful higher existence, its meal was bound to be ruined.

Excuse me, how did I offend you? the doppelganger asked weakly.

Zhu Yan didn't answer the question.

Time was running out, and he needed to extract as much information as possible from the doppelganger.

Too much nonsense. Who is the leader in charge of this operation in Anwu City? he asked point-blank.

The first sentence was another minor complaint, making the doppelganger a bit weaker.

Zhu Yan's question confused it; this wasn't a common question in Carnival Paradise.

Shouldn't he be warning it not to touch the food?

The doppelganger racked its simple brain and chose to answer truthfully.

His name is Liu Mingli, it said.

Specific title?

Chief of Police.

Is he at the scene?

The doppelganger shook its head. No.

Is he attending a meeting out of town today, or staying locally to supervise your work?

Locally, the doppelganger replied.

That made things easier.

Zhu Yan patted the doppelganger down, looting a work ID and a cell phone.

What are you doing?

Never mind that. Zhu Yan shoved the ID and phone into his pocket. In a little while, that novice player will come looking for you.

By the way, what's the new player's name?

Guan En, the doppelganger said.

Zhu Yan memorized the name and decisively tossed Guan En to the doppelganger.

Alright. Guan En is your food.

The doppelganger's stiff expression shifted, and its mind, weakened by Complain, felt significantly relieved.

Eh?!

It still gets to have food?

Zhu Yan sharply caught the secret delight on the doppelganger's face, but he remained tense, not daring to relax.

Just play the role of his boss as usual. If he asks about me, just say I took you to check the surveillance footage.

The delight on the doppelganger's face became even more obvious.

It nodded, its tone turning sycophantic.

Rest assured, sir.

Taking advantage of the doppelganger's good mood, Zhu Yan struck while the iron was hot and asked one last question.

He had figured it out: ordinary doppelgangers were mostly simple-minded.

They only looked terrifying; they possessed some ability to think, but not much.

You're quite sensible, he said. Give me a couple of compliments to finish off. I like hearing them, and I promise I won't touch your food. Tell me, how did you figure out my level was higher than yours?

You have a skin. You can transform.

Hearing the promise "I guarantee I won't touch your food," the mimic immediately began to flatter him.

"You have two skins, which means you have already survived two instances and eaten two players!"

...No wonder the mimic in [Who is the Crown Prince] was so respectful.

So it had mistaken him for the latter?

"You also possess a natural tone of voice, highly flexible expressions, and great acting skills... Even though you don't smell bad enough, you are far superior to an ordinary mimic in every other aspect..."

Zhu Yan understood.

He nodded and gave his final command: "Stay in the restroom for now. In five minutes, if your food still hasn't arrived, go find him in Carriage 15."

"Then, tell him you found something in the security room and take him to the front of the train to check the monitors."

These steps were all just to buy time.

He didn't know what that police officer's ability was.

Nor did he believe that the mimic was necessarily the [Companion] mentioned in the young officer's mission.

Zhu Yan's true mission was [Do not get caught by the Police Department].

Thinking about consistency in phrasing, if the young officer's [Companion] was indeed the mimic, why didn't his mission directly state [Police Department]?

The "companion with a mission" most likely referred to Zhu Yan, who was a fellow player!

However, Zhu Yan had no obligation to point this out.

Inside the cramped restroom, the stuffy, foul air was suffocating.

Zhu Yan's state of mind was far from relaxed. His insides were tied in knots from the tension, and his breathing grew shallow and rapid.

He would be thanking the heavens just to make it out alive himself; he was in no position to care about anyone else.

The light shone on the mimic's face as it used its stiff muscles to simulate a genuine smile.

"Understood."

It agreed, its tone completely distorted.

"Thank you. I am truly mesmerized by you!"

"I will take him to see the monitors, and then I will eat him."

It was settled.

The heavy knot in Zhu Yan's stomach loosened just a fraction, though his body remained entirely tense.

He gestured for the mimic to stay put, then quickly pulled open the door and stepped out of the restroom.

The very moment the door clicked shut again, he transformed into a uniformed police officer in the middle of a phone call.