Chapter 109 Mouse
That was the building complex that Xie Shiyu had focused on during the day, belonging to the Mechanical Engineering Department and a key laboratory. The man's posture revealed a carefully maintained calm and concentration, which seemed out of place with the surrounding environment. He was so absorbed in his observation that he seemed completely unaware of the person approaching on the path behind him.
Gu Qiuyue's heartbeat inexplicably quickened. At this time, a "worker" who should have been in the logistics position or had already finished get off work appeared alone at the relatively secluded lakeside, staring so intently at that sensitive area?
She subconsciously softened her steps, taking advantage of the shadow of the lilac tree to quietly approach a few steps. Pretending to sort through books and periodicals, her eyes were fixed on the figure's back. The man seemed to confirm something, quickly lowered his head, and discreetly reached into the pocket of his work trousers with his right hand. In the dim light of the main road in the distance, Gu Qiuyue clearly saw him pull out a flat, black object the size of a matchbox! His fingers quickly pressed on it several times, his movements practiced and alert.
Just as he finished his action and was about to put the thing back into his pocket, and habitually glanced left and right behind him, his face suddenly turned an angle in the direction of Gu Qiuyue.
In the dim light, Gu Qiuyue's heart suddenly tightened.
Under the shadow of the hat brim, the profile was extremely ordinary. The man's eyes did not seem to be focused on her, but just scanned the area vigilantly. He did not seem to notice Gu Qiuyue in the shadow. He quickly stuffed the black object back into his pocket, pulled down the brim of his hat, and without stopping, turned around and walked with an unusually agile and silent pace that was inconsistent with the identity of a "logistics worker". He quickly turned into a darker path next to him, which led to the abandoned miscellaneous area behind the school boiler room, and instantly disappeared into the thick darkness.
It was as if a cold wind with a smell of rust suddenly blew across the lake.
Gu Qiuyue froze in place, the evening breeze blowing against her face, yet it couldn't dispel the piercing chill that suddenly surged through her heart. That furtive gesture, that gaze cast towards the laboratory, like a venomous snake stalking its prey... and that matchbox-sized black box being manipulated so swiftly...
Xie Shiyu's low and serious words seemed to carry a cold weight, hammering heavily on her eardrums again: "There must not be any mistakes in security."
She held the book with such force that her knuckles turned white. The brief warmth under the setting sun was gone. Under the tranquil night of Weiming Lake, the figure blended into the darkness, like a poisonous stone thrown into the center of the lake, instantly disturbing the apparent tranquility. An invisible yet suffocating cloud, following the disappearing trajectory, pressed heavily towards the brightly lit laboratory area, and also pressed on Gu Qiuyue's suddenly tense heartstrings.
Gu Qiuyue took a deep breath of the night air, tinged with the moisture of the lake, and forced herself to break free from her rigid state. She stopped pretending to sort through her books and magazines. She turned without hesitation, clutching the books in her arms, and ran towards the brightly lit main road. The gravel under her feet was slippery, and she stumbled as she ran. Her heart pounded against her ribs like a drum in her chest, each beat straining her nerves.
The few sparse figures of students on the main road quickly enlarged in her field of vision. She did not care about her usual reserve, nor did she care about the surprised looks that others might cast on her. She had only one target - the gray brick bungalow under the street light in front of her with a small wooden sign hanging on it that read "Security Department Night Duty Post".
That orange light is now the only beacon in the storm.
"Comrade!" Gu Qiuyue almost broke open the paint-stained wooden door. Her voice was trembling and panting due to the intense running and panic, which seemed unusually abrupt in the small duty room.
"By the lake... on the path behind the boiler room! There's someone... suspicious! He's running over there! Take pictures of the lab... There's something! A black box the size of a matchbox!"
There was only a security officer in his forties in the duty room. He was originally looking down at the notebook, but was startled by Gu Qiuyue's sudden intrusion and hurried words and looked up suddenly.
The sleepiness on his face disappeared in an instant, his thick eyebrows were tightly locked, and his eyes became as sharp as a hawk.
"Exact location? How many people? Did you see their appearance clearly?" The clerk spoke as fast as a machine gun, without any nonsense. It was obvious that he had received some kind of order in advance. While speaking, his body had already stood up from the chair, and one hand quickly grabbed the receiver of an old black hand-crank telephone on the corner of the table.
"One! Just one man! He was dressed like a worker, wearing dark overalls and a peaked cap! His face...his face was very ordinary, I couldn't see the details clearly. He turned from the lakeside path into the dark road leading to the abandoned storage area behind the boiler room." Gu Qiuyue spoke quickly, trying to recall every detail. "His movements were very fast, and his steps were very light, unlike an ordinary person. He had a black box in his hand and pressed a few buttons."
"Abandoned area behind the boiler room..." the security officer repeated in a low voice, his fingers already turning rapidly on the telephone dial. As soon as the receiver was close to his ear, he didn't even wait for the other party to speak before he quickly said: "Old Wei! The 'rat' has appeared. Target area: abandoned miscellaneous area behind the boiler room. One, male, wearing work clothes and a peaked cap, carrying an unknown black device. Immediately block all exits and block him. Don't let him slip out of that area. I repeat, abandoned area behind the boiler room! Act quickly!"
With a click, he hung up the phone. That decisive action carried a cold, special-front-level power.
"Classmate, you did a great job! Stay here and don't go anywhere!" The secretary's voice was firm and his eyes signaled Gu Qiuyue to stay where she was.
He said no more, grabbed the dark blue coat hanging on the wall and put it on neatly. At the same time, he took out something from the drawer and quickly put it into his pocket. He turned around and rushed out of the duty room, and his figure instantly blended into the dark night outside the door.
Gu Qiuyue was the only one left in the duty room. The old light bulb made a faint crackling sound. She leaned against the cold wall, and her violent heartbeat pounded in the suddenly quiet space, hitting her eardrums.
The thrilling moments of just a few seconds and the security officer's swift and decisive response made her feel cold all over and a little scared. Under the calm night of Weiming Lake, there was indeed an undercurrent and an invisible net had been quietly spread.
Time crawled slowly in the dead silence, and every second seemed particularly long. Gu Qiuyue's fingers unconsciously tightened the hard cover of the book in her arms, her fingertips were cold, and she listened with her ears tilted. It seemed that there were only vague voices and the sound of wind coming from the distant teaching building outside.
Suddenly, an extremely short and suppressed commotion came muffled from the direction of the boiler room.
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