The tall boy had been standing beside the fruit stall for ten minutes.
In this sweltering summer heat, he lingered under the flimsy canopy, quietly watching one customer after another buy watermelons.
Had business not been so good today, the vendor would've kicked him out already.
Why aren't you hanging out in that air-conditioned McDonald's next door, huh? What the hell are you doing sweating up my stall?
Stop standing there staring if you're not gonna buy anything.
"Boss, I'll take a melon," the boy finally spoke up after another frozen watermelon got sold.
"You want it chilled?" the vendor asked.
"Yeah."
"Sliced?"
"Sliced."
The vendor opened the freezer. Inside, the watermelons were stacked like cannonballs. As usual, he grabbed the one closest to the top.
"Hold on, is this one ripe?" the boy suddenly asked.
"Don't worry, none of my melons are unripe. If they are, I'll give you a free one." The vendor pointed at the wooden sign hanging above the canopy. Bold characters read:
Kirin Melon - 2.98 RMB/jin. [Note: 1 Jin ≈ 0.5 kilograms.]
If unripe, it's free.
"Alright," the boy said.
CRACK—
The vendor brought the cleaver down. The melon split cleanly in two, revealing pale white flesh.
"What the hell?! It's unripe! Damn it, what's up with this wholesale batch?!"
The melon weighed nearly 8 jin—over four kilos. That could've sold for more than twenty yuan. The vendor started swearing like a sailor.
"Boss, you said it's free if it's unripe…" the boy reminded him.
"You—You little—" The vendor's face twisted in frustration. But remembering his own guarantee, he had no choice but to shut up.
The boy, Shen Mo, didn't press further. Silently, he pulled out a single one-yuan bill.
"Here, just a little something."
"..."
The vendor's hand trembled as he accepted it.
"Don't slice this one."
With a forced smile, the vendor grabbed another watermelon, carefully wrapped it up, and handed it over with shaky fingers.
"Thanks, boss."
"N-No problem."
Get lost. Don't let me see your face again.
Shen Mo gently patted the melon, satisfied, and turned to leave.
[Target: Kirin Melon. Ripeness: 100% (Ripe). Freshness: Picked three days ago.]
That was the information that flashed in Shen Mo's mind the moment he laid eyes on the melon.
Just then, a heavy truck approached from the opposite direction, its flapping tarp barely holding on in the wind.
Shen Mo glanced at it, and a line of text appeared in his thoughts:
[Target: Polyester Tarp. Damage: Tie rope. Severity: 99.8% (2 seconds remaining)]
One... two...
Right on cue, the knot gave way. The tarp billowed open and scraped against the pavement. The truck had to pull over. A driver stormed out, fuming.
[Target: Truck Driver. Mood: Very bad. Extremely angry.]
Shen Mo lowered his head and walked swiftly past.
All this information came from his superpower:
The ability to perceive the details of any object, including properties, status, and conditions, with just a glance.
Even Sherlock Holmes would be envious.
He had named it The All-Seeing Eye.
The ability had awakened just that morning. When he'd tried to squeeze the last bit of toothpaste out of a crumpled tube, a message suddenly popped up in his mind:
[Toothpaste remaining: 2%]
At first, he thought he was hallucinating. But after several repeated instances, he realized it was real.
Everything—so long as he focused on it—would yield instant, detailed intel.
Once, he even tried to access everything about a single item. The next moment, his brain was nearly overwhelmed:
Name, height, length, width, volume, weight, temperature, purpose, composition, manufacturing method, date of production, place of origin, expiration date, purchase date, usage level, damage level...
His mind nearly crashed.
Lesson learned: some thoughts are better left unthought.
With the melon in tow, Shen Mo strolled down Qingshan Road in Song'an District, Ninghai City.
It was just past 6 PM—rush hour. People bustled about: crosswalks, intersections, sidewalks... all filled with overworked salarymen.
As he passed them by, Shen Mo occasionally glanced around.
[Male, 32. Medical Analysis: Cardiovascular disease.]
[Female, 27. Medical Analysis: Anemia, irregular menstruation.]
[Male, 25. Medical Analysis: Nephritis.]
...
It was kind of disheartening. Practically no one was in perfect health. Everyone had some issue or another.
Especially the younger crowd—they were walking disaster zones.
Truly, the modern office worker lived a life of toil and trouble.
After a few more turns, Shen Mo finally arrived at his apartment complex: Jinghui Garden.
It was an old development, but clean, with well-maintained public facilities and excellent access to the nearby shopping district. Best of all, utilities were cheap. It was great value for money.
Shen Mo wasn't a local. He had moved to this city after getting into university. Now it was summer break of his freshman year. With campus housing closed, he'd rented a room here for his part-time job.
Building 12, Room 308.
As he approached the entrance, he spotted a familiar figure crouching by the gate. Pretty face, spaghetti strap top, short shorts—curves on full display.
One of the key reasons he'd rented this unit.
[Target: Landlady. Female. Age: 24. Height: 165 cm. Bust: 88 cm. Waist: 57 cm. Hips: 89 cm. Cup size: D]
A killer body, on full display.
Now the real question was: Is she single?
A new line popped up:
[Relationship status: Single]
Whoa. I can see that too?
He made a mental note: one day, open a dating agency. Bring true lovers together, punish the players, and make the world a happier place.
Such a noble dream.
"Back already, Shen?" the landlady greeted without getting up.
They'd known each other for less than two months, but had grown quite familiar.
"Yeah."
Shen Mo smiled and nodded. "What are you doing out here, Miss Qin?"
"A cat showed up earlier. Just sat here and refused to leave."
She pointed toward the stairwell.
"Cat?"
Shen Mo followed her finger and sure enough, there it was—a medium-sized black cat, eyes closed, calmly perched beside the railing.
Its fur was glossy. Clearly well cared for.
Let's see who owns you...
And then—something strange popped up:
[Target: ???]
The All-Seeing Eye failed?
He looked at the landlady again.
[Target: Landlady. Cup size: D]
Still working.
He focused all his attention on the cat.
[Target: ???]
Still blank.
The cat opened its eyes. Golden pupils locked onto his.
It didn't feel like a pet. It felt like being stared down by a person.
A chill ran through him. He quickly looked away.
"Maybe it belongs to someone upstairs. Just waiting for its owner."
"That's what I thought too," she nodded.
Suppressing a shiver, Shen Mo ignored the cat and made his way up.
He reached Room 308, unlocked the door, and stepped inside.
A spacious studio. The balcony faced the front door. The AC had already kicked in thanks to the timer.
Shen Mo slipped off his shoes and set the watermelon on the table.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
A sudden pounding echoed.
Every hair on his body stood up. Slowly, stiffly, he turned his head.
The sound came—from the balcony.
A black cat sat silently outside the glass door.
Golden eyes stared into his.
"Open the door,"
it said.