Chapter 99 Mandala 19
Two days later, late at night, Donglan City was quiet.
In front of the floor-to-ceiling window, a man and a woman sat opposite each other on the sofa, with two cups of coffee in front of them.
After a busy day, the woman had just finished processing the background of the APP.
She hadn't slept for almost two days and felt a little dazed. She was only able to keep herself going thanks to the coffee.
The woman's voice trembled. "The police have been staying at No. 3 Middle School for a week. They've questioned many people and told them many things. If they continue to investigate, will they implicate us?"
"No," the man opposite replied firmly, remaining calm. "They can't investigate further, and they can't find us either."
The woman asked, "So what should we do now?"
"You do as I say. First..." the man's voice was calm, "delete it."
The woman hurried to explain, "I've deleted all the information on the students' phones that were found... and I'm also processing it regularly. We're short-staffed right now, and I'm overwhelmed."
"No," the man said. "I mean, delete all the apps on the phones of all the students at No. 3 Middle School."
The woman was stunned. She stared at the man in front of her with wide eyes: "That's the result of many years of hard work..."
They checked the information of those students one by one, formulated the rules of the game bit by bit, and slowly developed it to the scale it is today.
The woman was obviously distressed.
The man shook his head: "Only in this way can we completely cut off the police's clues."
The woman lowered her head and remained silent.
"In this school, the Whisper app has fulfilled its purpose. It's like a treasure trove that has been hollowed out," the man continued. "If you delete those messages, everyone will be safer."
At this point, a strange smile appeared on the man's lips. "Also, do you think those people, those children, can go back to the past?"
Hearing this question, the woman on the other side said, "If we can't contact them and stop guiding them, they might forget these things..."
The man smiled and shook his head, but a cold look shone in his eyes. "Those who have just joined the game might be like this. We can use this opportunity to discard the hypocritical and useless cowards and eliminate unstable factors. As for those who have been playing for a long time, they have long since become our loyal supporters. After this experience, they will become addicted to it, lawless, and look forward to continuing to do bad things."
He took a sip of coffee and continued, "People who have experienced this will never be able to integrate into normal society again. They will wait day and night for us to call them. So, at this moment, what's important is no longer this software, but the list we have. As long as the list and the contact information are still there, we can find every one of them at any time."
The woman hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "But is that the end of it? I feel like we've lost."
"Lost? No." The man shook his head. "This is a strategy of advancing in order to retreat. Only in this way can we force the police to withdraw from the campus."
"Can we force the police to withdraw from the campus?" The woman took a sip of coffee. This would be beneficial to them.
The man said, "I'll do it."
The woman thought about it and was still a little scared: "But, do you know about that incident? It's the incident on West Street. Those involved know a lot of secrets... If the police follow the clues..."
"Don't worry, I'll take care of this matter too." The man smiled. "Just wait for them to receive our generous gift."
The woman's emotions were calmed down, and she nodded obediently: "Okay, I understand."
After finishing her coffee, she sat back in front of the computer. The woman looked at the familiar background on the screen, took a deep breath, and pressed the clear button.
In the dark night, the screens of connected mobile phones suddenly lit up and then disappeared into darkness.
The woman also set up a pop-up window that automatically disappears after five seconds.
Tomorrow morning, when those children habitually pick up their phones, they will see this message.
"Due to technical reasons, the Whisper App will undergo technical maintenance, which will affect the login of some users. Your data and personal privacy will be protected. We look forward to seeing you again."
During this period, the police's work has been progressing very smoothly. Luo Siwei can feel that they are getting closer to the truth and the people behind the software step by step.
But early that morning, the police quickly discovered that the situation had changed.
The students stopped talking about their involvement with the app, and no new traces of its use were found. Many leads suddenly vanished.
Everything disappeared like smoke overnight.
Luo Siwei felt that something was wrong. She questioned several students in a row to confirm who was implicated, including those who had installed the software, and pried open their resentment bit by bit.
Luo Siwei took a lot of effort to find out the truth.
"When I woke up today, I found that the app had been automatically deleted."
"The app popped up a maintenance notice, but before I could read it clearly, the pop-up disappeared."
"They said... they would keep our secret... something like they hope to see us again someday."
In any case, the automatic disappearance of software is an established fact.
Chi Li was called to the Municipal Bureau by Director Chen for a meeting today. Luo Siwei took advantage of the lunch break to call several members of the special task force to discuss the situation.
Huo Cunsheng's eyes lit up with smiles after hearing the latest developments. "The people behind this software are scared, right? I knew they were playing dirty tricks. Once we investigated, they'd be so scared they'd delete it and run away overnight."
Shen Qing asked: "It seems that... we can evacuate the school soon?"
Huo Cunsheng nodded: "Yes, our original goal was to make this app disappear. Now that it's gone on its own, doesn't that save us a lot of effort?"
Guo Zhengyao had been busy these past few days leading his men. The bed in the dormitory was clearly too small for someone of his height and weight, and Deputy Captain Guo had dark circles under his eyes, like pandas. He was delighted by the news and said, "This is great news! I mean, the food in this school cafeteria is terrible. If I take this information back to the city bureau, I think our efficiency will double."
Luo Siwei shook his head with some concern: "I don't think things are that simple."
The sudden disappearance of the software seemed to be the opponent's retreat, but Luo Siwei felt like he was punching cotton.
She felt like she was blindfolded, her ears blocked, and she was facing cut clues.
Originally, they would interrogate the students, search their phones, and find traces so that the students would confess, but now...
Without any evidence, the students would deny everything. Whether or not they could elicit anything depended entirely on the police's interrogation skills, significantly increasing the time and difficulty of the investigation.
Luo Siwei was not happy at all, but the police officers regarded this as a temporary victory and even started discussing where to eat after the case was solved.
Luo Siwei turned around and asked Ni Xiang, "How's the surveillance comparison going?"
Ni Xiang said: "We have identified most of the suspects, but there are still eight students left to be found."
This is the only good news so far. Even if the software is deleted, the monitoring comparison will not be affected.
In the afternoon, Principal Liang called Luo Siwei over alone and asked her to meet in the principal's office.
Luo Siwei didn't know why Principal Liang suddenly wanted to see her. She vaguely felt that it might be related to the mysterious disappearance of the APP.
Luo Siwei arrived at the principal's office at the agreed time and sat opposite Principal Liang.
The old principal looked at her and smiled. "Officer Luo, I remember you also graduated from No. 3 Middle School, right?"
Luo Siwei was taken aback by this opening. She hadn't dealt with Principal Liang much before, so it was unlikely that he would still remember her. He deliberately brought it up now, as if he had checked her out.
Principal Liang added, "I personally feel very sorry about what happened to your mother back then."
Luo Siwei's face darkened and he said coldly, "It's all over."
"Our school is proud to have produced outstanding students like you. Thank you for your hard work returning to your alma mater to investigate this time." Principal Liang paused for a moment and continued with a smile, "Captain Luo, your police presence has been on campus for a week. Our No. 3 Middle School is different from when you attended. It has become a private school, and the daily lives of teachers and students are mainly focused on learning. The teachers, parents, leaders, and school board are all very concerned about this matter. I'd like to know how your investigation is progressing?"
Luo Siwei understood. This was a Hongmen Feast, but the timing was too coincidental. The software had just been cleared last night, and today Principal Liang came to inquire about the progress. Furthermore, he had completely changed his attitude and his rhetoric.
She went over some of the official reportable data.
Principal Liang leaned forward and said, "I can tell that your police are working very hard and the progress is very smooth. You have effectively contained the originally serious situation."
Luo Siwei didn't say anything, so Principal Liang made a sudden change: "However, I think that if it's just a software issue, we should still take a long-term view. If the situation has been brought under control and it's clear that it has nothing to do with most of the students, then we might as well let the police officers go back first."
Feeling Luo Siwei's gaze, Principal Liang softened his tone and poured a cup of tea in front of her. "Of course, I don't mean to ignore it. You can continue to investigate and handle the matter impartially. The police can call some of the implicated students to the Municipal Bureau. This way, the officers won't have to work so hard, and it won't affect the work and life of most students and teachers."
That's true, but once they evacuate the school, the police won't be able to find these students at any time.
If you want to call students over to cooperate with the investigation, formal procedures and processes are required.
Now, all the software on the mobile phone has been deleted. Except for the key people involved in the case with actual evidence, it will be difficult to summon other relevant personnel.
Luo Siwei felt as if there was an invisible wall erected between her and the truth.
Luo Siwei's eyes were clear, neither humble nor arrogant: "Principal Liang, I understand what you mean. I will communicate with the leaders of the Municipal Bureau later and make follow-up arrangements."
After leaving the principal's office, Luo Siwei felt unwell. She touched her forehead and found no fever. The discomfort seemed to originate from within her.
Luo Siwei calmed herself down and thought about what to do. Now that so many situations had arisen, she wanted to communicate with Chi Li.
Before Luo Siwei could make the call, Chi Li called first.
It was during the break, and Luo Siwei was afraid that the students would hear her talking, which was not very convenient.
While greeting Chi Li, she walked towards a less crowded place.
Luo Siwei is very familiar with this campus, and there are some roads that he will not go wrong almost subconsciously.
When they arrived at a deserted place, Luo Siwei first told Principal Liang that he was looking for her.
Chi Li also told Director Chen about the results of his report.
Then he said, "I received your message and informed the leaders of the situation. Be prepared and evacuate the school as soon as possible."
Luo Siwei was stunned: "Even Director Chen thinks that we should withdraw from the school?"
"Director Chen didn't say that. I suggested it." Chi Li then explained to Luo Siwei, "The software was deleted, which means those people are trying to save their own car by sacrificing their own pawns. If they withdraw, there's little point in us staying here. We won't find any key information if we continue to stay. If there's no progress, delaying it will only make it harder to act."
Luo Siwei originally felt a little depressed, but after listening to Chi Li's analysis, she felt better.
She regained her composure. "You're right. Besides, this is still school territory after all. Even if we stay, without the school's support, we'll only be asking for trouble. If they catch us again, we'll be in a more passive position. It's better to withdraw voluntarily to benefit the situation."
Chi Li hummed and continued, "Those people not only deleted the software, but also put pressure on the city bureau's work, trying to hinder the progress of the investigation. By doing this, they made me understand some things. I saw the clues behind it clearly."
"Principal Liang has also suddenly changed his attitude, which means that there may be many forces behind the scenes." She asked Chi Li, "What should we do next?"
Chi Li said: "Withdrawing does not mean stopping the investigation, but to better arrange the next work. Everyone has worked hard during this period. You should come back first to reorganize and recharge your energy. Later, you can meet with Lao Yu to look for more clues."
Luo Siwei said: "Okay."
Chi Li added: "I think there is no need to pursue those lower-level members. As long as we make sure they can't log in to the app and distance themselves from each other, they will slowly return to normal."
"Then what's next..."
"We're looking for the people behind the software, the Whisperers who fanned the flames, and the senior members who were brainwashed and controlled. These are the source of the evil and the focus of our work. So next, we have to start with the list of 27 people. As long as we find them, our clues will not be broken." Having said that, Chi Li added, "Also, remember to bring Tang Xi to my office when you come back. I have found some important clues from other directions."
"Important clue?"
"Yes, I may have found a Whisperer." Chi Li said.
"Who is it? Do I know him?" Luo Siwei was full of curiosity. This news was like a sudden ray of hope. They seemed to be getting closer and closer to the answer to the mystery.
"I'll tell you the details when you come back." Chi Li didn't tell her directly.
Luo Siwei hung up the phone and looked up. She had unknowingly arrived at the top floor of the laboratory building.
She suddenly remembered the afternoon many years ago when she had climbed onto this rooftop helplessly.
Luo Siwei figured out what that uncomfortable feeling she had today was. It was a feeling of powerlessness that came from being in a difficult situation and unwilling to give up.
But when she finished the call with Chi Li, that feeling disappeared, and her hope and fighting spirit were rekindled.
This time, she wasn't the only one fighting.
As time passed, she stood here again with a different mood and found that the view overlooking the campus from here was very beautiful and the vision was broad.
Luo Siwei was about to go downstairs when suddenly a gust of wind blew.
She looked back at the sky, the wind ruffling her hair.
It was already afternoon, the sun was setting, and the sunset glow on the horizon was illuminating the thick clouds. The clouds were blown by the wind, as if an invisible hand was pulling them forward in the air.
Luo Siwei suddenly remembered a line from a poem: "The mountain rain is about to come, and the wind is blowing through the building."
She felt like she was deep in the darkness of the night, unable to see the enemy's whereabouts, yet able to sense the flickering of swords and sabers. She also felt like she was looking down at a tense chess game.
During the game, both sides made their own moves.
The outcome is still unknown.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
