encrypted calls
The three characters "Chen Zhiyan" on the phone screen pulsed persistently in the darkness, accompanied by vibrations, as if striking directly at Jiang Mo's heartstrings. He had never called this private number before. At this moment, when she had just received threats from her family and was at her most vulnerable and vigilant, his call felt like a dangerous test, yet also like an unexpected lifeline.
She stared at the screen until the very last second before the ringtone was about to end, then pressed the answer button, put the phone to her ear, and didn't speak immediately.
It was quiet on the other end of the phone, with only soft, steady breathing coming through the receiver. It was as if he was confirming that it was indeed her answering.
"...Hello?" Jiang Mo finally spoke first, her voice hoarse from not speaking for a long time and with a hint of tension that was barely perceptible.
"It's me." Shen Zhiyan's voice came through, deeper and more...real than when heard through the lab equipment, as if it were right next to my ear. "Are you alright?"
He didn't exchange pleasantries or explain why he was making the call; he went straight to the point. This directness, reminiscent of Shen Zhiyan's style, actually gave Jiang Mo a sense of peace amidst her chaotic thoughts.
"It's alright," she replied briefly, unwilling to reveal any further emotion.
There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone, followed by his usual calm tone, but his speaking speed seemed slightly faster than usual: "I just found out about your father. This behavior... goes beyond the scope of normal business competition."
He didn't use "Mingyan Capital" or "they," but rather "this behavior"—a precise and unbiased characterization. Jiang Mo felt a little relieved; at least, he hadn't tried to excuse his father.
"So?" she asked, her tone involuntarily taking on a sarcastic tone. "Is Professor Shen here to express sympathy, or to provide new 'data support'?"
There was another brief silence on the other end of the phone. Jiang Mo could almost picture him frowning slightly, organizing his thoughts in his mind.
“Both,” he replied, surprisingly candid. “Based on the information available, there’s a greater than 90% chance the other side will escalate the conflict. You need a higher level of security protocols.”
"What security protocol?" Jiang Mo gripped her phone tightly.
“First, make sure your current environment is safe,” he said.
"I'm at home, all alone."
“Secondly,” Shen Zhiyan’s voice became more serious, “from now on, avoid discussing critical information through any unencrypted channels. Including your everyday mobile phone.”
Jiang Mo paused for a moment, then subconsciously glanced at her personal cell phone, which she was on a call with.
"This one isn't safe either?"
“Statistically, there is a risk. Especially since the other party has shown a tendency to use any means necessary.” He paused. “I’ll give you a download link for encrypted communication software and a one-time verification code. Use that to contact them in case of an emergency.”
Soon, a text message with a link was sent to another of her frequently used numbers. He had thought of everything; he even considered that she might not immediately download the new software on her personal phone.
Following the instructions, Jiang Mo downloaded and logged into the software, whose interface was extremely simple, even somewhat rudimentary. Almost immediately, Shen Zhiyan sent a message; his profile picture was a default gray geometric shape.
[Encrypted channel established. Testing.]
"Received." Jiang Mo replied.
Regarding your father's case, I will try to obtain information from my channels about the so-called 'old case.' However, this will take time, and there is uncertainty about whether it can be resolved.
He took the initiative to take on the matter. Jiang Mo looked at the line of text on the screen, her heart filled with mixed feelings. Of course, she wanted to find out about her father's affairs, but this meant that Shen Zhiyan had to take the initiative to explore areas that his father might not want others to know.
"Why?" she asked. "You don't need to do that."
[Two reasons.] His reply was swift, as if he had already calculated the answer: First, threatening family members crossed a line, and I had a responsibility to clarify the source of the risk associated with us. Second, ...
He unusually used an ellipsis, as if he was considering his options.
Jiang Mo waited, and the screen displayed "The other party is typing..." for a longer time than usual.
Secondly, I don't want you to think that I'm the same kind of person as them.
Jiang Mo looked at those words, and her heart felt as if it had been gently struck by something. This was the first time he had expressed his stance so clearly and almost bluntly in front of her, even with a hint of... eagerness to prove his innocence. This was unlike the ever-calm and detached Dr. Shen.
"I never thought that way," she replied earnestly.
This time, it was Shen Zhiyan's turn to remain silent.
In the following days, the atmosphere in the lab remained subtle, but an invisible, encrypted bond seemed to have formed between Jiang Mo and Shen Zhiyan. They maintained a proper distance in public, but their occasional eye contact would linger for half a second longer than usual, carrying a signal that only they understood.
Jiang Mo poured most of her energy into the recording, using the high-intensity work to numb her inner anxiety. Linda used all her connections to investigate her father's matter, but there was no definite progress yet. All she knew was that it seemed to be an old matter from more than twenty years ago related to school procurement, which was eventually left unresolved.
During a break in recording, Researcher Zhou looked at Jiang Mo and couldn't help but exclaim, "Ms. Jiang, you have amazing composure. There are so many rumors circulating online lately, but your work hasn't been affected at all."
Before Jiang Mo could answer, Xiao Chen, who was tidying up the cables, interjected, "That's because Miss Jiang is upright and honest! Unlike some people who only do dirty tricks behind people's backs." After he finished speaking, he also secretly glanced in the direction of the main control area, obviously linking the recent turmoil to the movements of "Mingyan Capital".
Shen Zhiyan happened to be walking over from the main control area and overheard the second half of Xiao Chen's sentence. He showed no expression, but simply said to Researcher Zhou, "The environmental noise data from this afternoon needs to be recalibrated; the interference is too great."
Researcher Zhou's attention was immediately diverted: "Huh? How could that be? I just calibrated it yesterday."
“There are intermittent abnormal peaks,” Shen Zhiyan said calmly, glancing at the instruments beside him. “It could be external electromagnetic interference, or it could be… an internal interference source being activated.” His words were full of meaning.
Jiang Mo understood that the "internal interference source" he was referring to was likely the pressure from his father, which was no longer just targeting her but had begun to infiltrate and influence his work.
That evening, Jiang Mo received a compressed file from Shen Zhiyan on the encrypted software.
[A summary of recent activities by the foundation and its affiliates. The content has been anonymized; please delete it immediately after reading.]
Jiang Mo opened the file. Instead of specific names and transaction records, it clearly outlined a capital operation using codes and charts. It clearly showed that after the variety show aired, funds did indeed begin to flow systematically to several specific marketing companies and online troll groups. And after she refused to endorse the product, the flow of funds became even more covert and active.
He did not provide evidence of direct instructions from his father, but this analysis is convincing enough.
Just as she was about to reply, his next message popped up:
Don't worry about the lab. I have my own firewall.
Jiang Mo looked at the sentence and suddenly felt like laughing. He was always like this, using the most technical language to express the most firm attitude.
"And you?" she asked. "Can your 'firewall' withstand continuous attacks?"
This time, Shen Zhiyan's reply was surprisingly quick:
It worked well until it encountered more complex viruses.
Jiang Mo was stunned. His words were like a clumsy programmer's joke, yet also like... an extremely subtle confession. He was saying that her appearance was like a "more complex virus" to him, testing his system, which was still running for her.
She stared at the coded message on the screen, her cheeks flushing, unsure how to reply.
Just then, Linda's urgent call came in on her usual cell phone. Jiang Mo's heart tightened, and she answered immediately.
Linda's voice was filled with unprecedented panic: "Momo! Something terrible has happened! Your parents...they were in a car accident back in our hometown!"
Jiang Mo felt a sudden darkness before her eyes, as if the blood in her body had instantly frozen.
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