response
The busy tone from the satellite phone receiver was like a cold needle, piercing the brief brilliance brought by the applause in the Golden Hall. Jiang Mo gripped the phone, her fingertips turning white from the pressure. "Feinting to the east while attacking in the west," "gray methods through legitimate channels"—Shen Zhiyan's words echoed in her mind, corroborating the four words "all procedures complete" in Linda's message, outlining an invisible yet resilient net.
She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. Panic wouldn't solve anything. She quickly checked her belongings, carefully placed the encrypted communicator disguised as a bookmark close to her body, and without hesitation, opened the door and headed towards room 1704.
Shen Zhiyan's room, like hers, was a standard hotel suite, but at this moment it resembled a makeshift wartime command center. The curtains were drawn, the main light was off, and only the laptop screen on the desk emitted a dim blue light. Shen Zhiyan stood in front of the screen, her brows furrowed, several windows running simultaneously—a complex stream of code, a map of Vienna, and a red countdown: 23:42:17.
“The situation is more complicated than expected.” He cut straight to the point without any pleasantries, his voice hoarse from staying up all night, but his logic remained as clear as a scalpel. “The other party took advantage of a vague clause in the international data security convention, using the pretext of ‘potential technical risk assessment’ to send a ‘non-mandatory assistance request’ to relevant domestic departments through the coordination channels of an international organization.”
He pulled up a screenshot of a document stamped with an electronic seal, filled with dense English legal terminology. "This is a high-level form of pressure. The procedure is legal, but the purpose is ambiguous. My uncle and aunt are currently safe, in a state of 'protective cooperation with the investigation,' but the longer it drags on, the more variables there will be."
Jiang Mo walked to his side, looking at the cold countdown on the screen: "What is the 'Mirror Theater' plan?"
“A counter-strategy.” Shen Zhiyan typed on the keyboard and brought up a new interface. “They want to trap us with programs, so we’ll use more advanced programs to break the deadlock. The key is to take advantage of the attention we’ve just gained at the international forum.”
He quickly outlined the plan:
1. Immediately disclose, to a limited extent, through Linda and credible domestic media channels the fact that Jiang Mo's parents were "invited to assist in the investigation," emphasizing the unusual nature of the procedure and its potential connection to Jiang Mo's work, thus placing the incident under public scrutiny.
2. Shen Zhiyan will proactively contact Professor Wagner and the forum organizing committee, citing the need to "promote international scientific research collaboration and eliminate technical barriers," and propose to disclose some non-core algorithm modules of his affective computing model under specific supervision as a "guarantee of technical security."
3. At the same time, Linda should assist Jiang Mo's parents in formally questioning the procedural compliance of this "assistance in the investigation" in accordance with domestic law, and demanding clarification of the legal basis and time limit.
"This is a psychological and procedural battle," Shen Zhiyan summarized. "The other side is betting that we will panic and compromise under pressure. What we need to show is absolute calmness, cooperation, and even initiative, but every step must be within the boundaries of the rules, thus putting them on the defensive."
The plan was quickly put into action.
Jiang Mo was responsible for communicating with Linda. Despite the time difference, Linda's voice trembled with anger on the other end of the phone, but her professionalism allowed her to quickly grasp the essence of the strategy: "Understood, I'll act immediately. Let the sunlight kill these rats in the gutter!"
Shen Zhiyan then began drafting an email to Professor Wagner. His wording was extremely precise, expressing both his sincerity in contributing to the transparency of scientific research and subtly hinting at the "unnecessary interference" he was currently facing. The moment he pressed the send button, it was as if one could hear the sound of some kind of balance being broken.
The next few hours were agonizing. Only the clatter of keyboards and their own clear breathing filled the room. Jiang Mo watched the countdown on the screen steadily decrease, and for the first time, she clearly felt the immense protective force hidden beneath Shen Zhiyan's seemingly cold rationality. He wasn't comforting her with emotions; he was using his most effective methods to build a defense line for her, to conquer and protect her.
"Would you like to take a break?" Jiang Mo poured him a glass of water.
“No need. Sleep efficiency naturally decreases during crisis management; it’s a physiological stress response.” He took the water glass, his fingertips accidentally touching hers. He paused slightly, then naturally withdrew his hand. “Are you alright?”
“It’s better than I expected.” Jiang Mo looked at the faint blue lines under his eyes. “Because I know I’m not fighting alone.”
In the early hours of the morning, a turning point finally appeared.
Linda sent a encrypted message: "There's progress! A mainstream media outlet has intervened and published a commentary questioning the matter. Their tone has softened!"
Almost simultaneously, Shen Zhiyan's computer received a reply from Professor Wagner. In the email, the professor expressed his understanding and support for their situation, and clearly stated that he had joined forces with several influential scholars to send inquiry letters to relevant international organizations.
When the countdown on the screen stopped at [08:17:02], Linda's emergency communication came through again, this time with a relieved joy:
"It's resolved! They've officially informed us that the investigation is over, and my aunt and uncle are safely home! They just said it was a 'misunderstanding'!"
Jiang Mo's heart, which had been hanging in suspense all night, finally settled down, leaving her feeling almost completely exhausted. She looked at Shen Zhiyan, whose tense jawline had finally relaxed, and he raised his hand to rub his temples.
"We...successfully?" Jiang Mo's voice trembled slightly with disbelief.
“A partial victory.” Shen Zhiyan shut down his computer, and the room went completely dark, with only the faint light filtering through the curtains outlining his silhouette. “The enemy’s ‘program’ was overwhelmed by the greater ‘potential energy’ we created.”
He walked up to her and gazed at her silently in the pre-dawn darkness. Then, he reached out and, very gently and with great restraint, pulled her into his arms. It was an embrace devoid of any lust, filled with the weariness of surviving a catastrophe, and a silent comfort and sharing.
Jiang Mo rested her forehead on his strong shoulder and closed her eyes. At that moment, all the claw marks and the watch list seemed to be shut out by this embrace.
However, in this moment of tranquility, the silent satellite phone on the desk emitted a sharp beep again, more urgent and louder than ever before, as if carrying some kind of warning that could not be ignored.
Shen Zhiyan's body stiffened slightly, and he released her. He walked over and answered the phone, but after only a few sentences, his expression instantly became extremely serious. He put down the phone, looked at Jiang Mo, and his eyes were filled with complex emotions.
“It was Ms. Lin Jing. She told us to return to China immediately. She said… during the final stage of the trial, my father requested to see me alone.” He paused, his voice lowering, “He also said that he had information about the origin of the ‘claw marks’ that we would never have imagined.”
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