Mingzhao's heart sank. Was it complicated? Should she try to explain the situation?

This means that she is still suspected of being a "petty spy".

It is an indisputable fact that Li Hongmei had been instructing the original owner to "deliver things" for a long time.

Although she eventually turned against them, who can prove that she was "forced" and "unaware" before?

What's more, she's now mute and can't even defend herself!

For the next two days, Mingzhao felt as if she were locked in a transparent glass dome.

The hospital ward was her prison.

There were guards outside the room 24 hours a day. Although they were very polite to her and brought her food and water, they restricted her freedom and did not allow her to leave the ward even for a moment.

People from the National Security Bureau came twice.

On one occasion, Jiang Feng personally led a group to try to inquire about the details of her "delivering things" that day, as well as how she discovered the blueprints and how she handed them over to Howard.

Mingzhao could only utter some meaningless syllables or make extremely clumsy gestures, his forehead sweating with anxiety and his eyes filled with helplessness.

Jiang Feng frowned, his notebook almost entirely blank.

On another occasion, a stern-faced recorder asked more pointed questions, with preconceived notions, repeatedly pressing her about whether she had participated in Huang Weiguo's espionage activities and whether she had received any training. Mingzhao could only respond with silence and a shake of her head.

The other party was clearly very dissatisfied, and left with a gloomy expression.

She is like an enigma that cannot be proven. A victim covered in wounds, seemingly suffering from abuse, yet inextricably linked to espionage.

All she could do was listen intently and practice memorizing as much as she could.

It's very difficult for a mute person to prove their muteness!

She pricked up her ears, absorbing like a sponge the occasional whispers of the guards outside the door, the nurses' conversations in the corridor, and Dr. Gongzhu's instructions during her rounds.

Every syllable, every word, was frantically captured, analyzed, and memorized by her brain.

"Dinner's ready..."

"Change the dressing..."

"Commander..."

"Report……"

"Comrade..."

These simple words, combined with the speaker's tone and context, quickly formed a preliminary language model thanks to her powerful analytical thinking ability.

She could even discern the specific meaning behind the title "Commander Huo".

Whenever footsteps sounded outside the door, or someone mentioned "Commander Huo," she would involuntarily tense up and look over with a hint of expectation that she herself was unaware of.

However, Howard himself never appeared again. This gradually cooled the faint hope in her heart, replacing it with a deeper sense of confusion and unease.

Where did he go? Did he abandon her too? If no one saves her, she'll have no choice but to reveal her identity if she doesn't want to die. This world may also desperately need the latest technological advancements from the Interstellar Alliance.

What she didn't know was that Howard had been running himself ragged these past two days.

He first gave Jiang Feng and the military region's security department a detailed report on his "chance encounter" with Mingzhao by the river that day, and the whole process of how she "accidentally" handed him the blueprints.

He emphasized that Mingzhao's fear and weakness at the time were not feigned, and that her final act of knocking down Huang Weiguo was a typical victim's desperate counterattack.

"Captain Jiang, take a look at her medical report! Dr. Gong said those injuries weren't caused in a day or two! She's only seventeen! In that environment, what choices could she make? She was just a tool to be used and abused!"

Howard pointed to the detailed diagnostic report issued by Gong Zhu, his tone excited and earnest.

Jiang Feng frowned as he looked at the shocking description in the report: "Commander Huo, I understand your feelings. But procedure is procedure. She can't explain herself clearly, and Huang and Li insist that she is an 'accomplice' who knew about it, even saying that she took the blueprints to sell! We need more conclusive evidence to prove her innocence and complete passivity."

“Evidence? Her injuries are evidence! Her resistance is evidence!” Howard retorted, “Are we just going to wait for her to be locked up in a detention center and die? She’s so young; her body and mind can’t take any more abuse!”

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Jiang Feng was also getting impatient. "Release her? What if..."

“I vouch for her!” Howard said firmly, his eyes sharp as knives. “I vouch for her with my military honor and rank! She is an absolutely innocent victim who was coerced! I am willing to take full responsibility for her supervision!”

"A guarantee?" Jiang Feng looked at him with some surprise. "Comrade Huo Hua, this is no small responsibility! Besides, what makes you think you can guarantee this? You and she are not related..."

"Because of my comrade Minglang's entrustment!" Howard's voice was deep and powerful. "Minglang is her distant cousin! He was seriously injured while saving me and is still lying in the military hospital! His last words before he fell into a coma were to ask me to take good care of his poor cousin! I cannot betray his trust! I cannot watch a rescued child sink into an even deeper quagmire because of our incompetence and distrust!"

When we went on the mission, Minglang told me that after the mission was over, they would be transferred to this military region. He had actually applied to come here on his own initiative.

His younger cousin was adopted here, and his aunt used to be very kind to him. Now that he has the choice, he wants to come and take care of his cousin. Mingzhao is also of age, so if possible, he will also help find a reliable person to take care of her.

Howard's words were firm and resounding, and the office fell silent for a moment.

Jiang Feng looked intently at Huo Hua, as if weighing something.

Finally, he slowly spoke: "Comrade Huo Hua, I will report your guarantee to my superiors. But this will take time, and it will also require a... more secure resettlement plan. After all, her current identity is sensitive, and she is unable to communicate, so letting her return to society is impossible. Keeping her in the hospital is not a long-term solution either, as the pressure of guarding her is too great."

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