The material of He Kao's pendant was originally a juvenile leopard claw, then Qian Guran replaced it with a clouded leopard claw, followed by two different species of tiger claw and snow leopard claw, and finally, it was swapped back to a leopard claw.
Reading the news, he learned that a leopard had recently gone missing from a wildlife park more than two hundred kilometers away in Zhijiang City. In casual conversations, he even felt worried for the locals, unaware that this incident was related to him.
Why, after being swapped six times, did no one take any more interest in this beast claw? There are two reasons: first, after hearing about the pursuit of Hidden Moth clues from various channels and focusing on He Kao, those who should come had mostly already arrived.
As for those who haven't come, they either haven't heard the news, aren't interested, or have looked in the "wrong" direction.
The second reason may be more important, which is that the fake created by the last unexpected visitor was made so crudely that, in the eyes of true "experts," it was a blatantly obvious fake.
The newcomers might not know it was fake but could ascertain that the beast claw was unrelated to the legendary Hidden Moth Object. Its preparation time was no more than a month, with lingering blood energy, clearly just a recently made ordinary ornament.
The Hidden Moth legend dates back over eleven hundred years; the Hidden Moth Object would at least have to be an ancient artifact to make sense.
The previous five, including Qian Guran, while not perfect, still adhered to a certain level of sophistication. They not only used their techniques to age the fake beast claw but also conducted preliminary ritual processes. Although they couldn't forge a Magical Artifact, the material was no ordinary item.
This way, they could mislead others and create the dramatic scene of the beast claw being repeatedly swapped. After all, those who could access Hidden Moth information and knew of the existence of the Insect Concealing Artifact were no ordinary people.
As for the last person, perhaps due to lack of skills or insufficient cultivation, or maybe just an indifferent attitude, she only pursued a resemblance in appearance, just enough to fool ordinary people.
As for He Kao himself, he was completely unaware of this, not even considering the possibility.
This wasn't because He Kao wasn't smart, nor because he lacked vigilance. Based on an accidentally obtained recording, he had already deduced a lot of things, such as guessing that Huang Si was the Hidden Moth and noting that his colleague, Qian Guran, had issues.
He Kao had been obedient since childhood, but his uncle He Changshan once privately remarked that despite appearing to be well-behaved, this child was actually very deep-minded.
He Kao indeed had a deep mind, being cautious, sensitive, bold yet meticulous. He even secretly made a Bamboo Thunder for self-defense.
Yet, all this seemed futile, crushed by absolute power. In the eyes of the Observer, all his struggles seemed filled with a sense of helplessness.
Recently, He Kao had been sleeping soundly, always sleeping through until dawn, not waking even when his phone alarm went off. Before bed, he still habitually fiddled with the beast claw pendant on his chest, feeling it had become more refined.
Initially, He Kao's beast claw was a Magical Treasure with rare passive functions that could Calm the Spirit. But according to Qian Guran's secret observations, the swapped fake artifacts later on had the same calming effect for He Kao.
Each fake beast claw could Calm the Spirit, and the effect was even better than the original! Qian Guran was somewhat puzzled, but he soon realized the key, perhaps this was a placebo effect from a medical perspective.
He Kao was unaware the beast claw had been swapped, nor did he know the effects of the real beast claw, but having worn it since childhood, it had become a subconscious habit. Fiddling with it before sleep allowed him to fall into a peaceful slumber.
It seemed an inherent reflex had formed between the beast claw and He Kao.
But this effect has its limits; a fake is, after all, a fake. It had lost the miraculous ability of Malicious Detection. In this situation, He Kao slept even better, not waking even when someone broke into his room.
This was perhaps a blessing for He Kao. Even Qian Guran, secretly observing, was somewhat on edge, fearing that when those unexpected visitors came, He Kao would suddenly awaken. If a conflict arose then, He Kao might well be in personal danger.
Some used methods to make He Kao sleep more deeply, but others didn't use such methods, and He Kao consistently slept deeply, which was also a form of self-protection.
On this day, although there was no overtime, He Kao still went to the second-floor cafeteria for dinner. Despite not being free, it was great value for money; the dinner only cost twenty-five, easily paid by swiping the employee card, an internal benefit indeed.
Typically, there is a suitable social distance between people, determined by familiarity and setting. While no formal standard is set, it's a psychological consensus.
For instance, in a large cafeteria with many tables and seats, familiar people often sit together. Strangers first choose different tables, and when all tables are occupied, they select seats as far away as possible.
If there are other empty seats, yet someone unfamiliar directly sits beside you or across from you, it's a clear social signal—they want to talk to you.
He Kao had just chosen his meal and sat down to eat when someone directly placed their tray across from him. Somewhat surprised, He Kao looked up to find a guy about his age, whom he didn't recognize.
Most people dining in this cafeteria were company colleagues, and even though Tengxin Qiyuan Company Headquarters housed about five hundred people, he couldn't know them all. Instinctively, he glanced at the "dog tag" on the other's chest, feeling a bit surprised again.