False alarm
Linda's words, "There was a car accident," pierced Jiang Mo's eardrums like an ice pick. Her vision went black, and she nearly dropped her phone. Fear, like a cold tide, instantly overwhelmed all the warmth and excitement she had felt just moments before because of Shen Zhiyan's veiled confession. She didn't even have time to utter a single word to the person on the other end of the encrypted phone before she abruptly stood up, her voice trembling as she pressed Linda on the other end, "How is it?! How are my parents?!"
"They're alright! They're alright!" Linda realized she had frightened her and quickly reassured her, explaining rapidly, "A motorcycle grazed your parents' electric scooter while they were walking. Your dad got a scrape on his arm, and your mom was startled and got a minor soft tissue contusion. Neither is serious! They've already been checked at the hospital! The main thing is... the main thing is that it was such a coincidence. I had just started to find some clues about your dad's old case, and then this happened, so I..."
Hearing that her parents were alright, Jiang Mo's tense nerves suddenly relaxed, her legs went weak, and she slumped back onto the carpet, a cold sweat breaking out on her back. She gripped her phone, listening to Linda's trembling ramblings, but her gaze remained fixed on the encrypted chat interface of the tablet beside her. The gray geometric avatar sat there quietly, as if waiting silently.
After the fear subsided, a boundless rage followed. This was no accident. It was a warning, a demonstration. Using the safety of her loved ones, they were telling her that they had a thousand ways to make her suffer unbearably.
She took a few deep breaths, forcing herself to calm down, and said to Linda, "Linda, listen, immediately transfer my parents to the best private hospital in the city. Arrange for someone to guard them, and no strangers are allowed to approach without my permission. I will pay for all the expenses. Then, get them a new cell phone with a number that only you and I know."
After arranging things for her parents, she reopened the encryption software. Her fingers hovered over the virtual keyboard for a moment; she deleted what she had originally intended to type, "My parents were in a car accident," and instead tried to state the facts as objectively as possible:
I just learned that my parents were involved in a minor traffic accident, and they are unharmed. The accident occurred after Linda began her in-depth investigation into what she calls an "old case."
She didn't need to add any subjective judgment; Shen Zhiyan had his own probability model.
The message was sent and received a reply almost instantly.
[Location? Time? Information about the other vehicle?] His questions were precise and swift.
Jiang Mo briefly replied with the information she had received from Linda.
[Received. I will try to trace the traffic monitoring data for that area during the same period.] He replied, then sent another message, [Do you need to leave immediately?]
Looking at the question, Jiang Mo felt a pang of sadness. Of course, she wanted to fly back to her parents immediately, but she knew that going back now would not only be futile but might also bring them more attention and potential danger. Staying behind and stabilizing the situation was the best way to protect her parents.
"No. I'll stay," she replied. "What they need is safety, not my presence."
This time, Shen Zhiyan's reply was a little slower. The screen displayed "The other party is typing..." intermittently for nearly a minute before finally sending a single line of text:
[Understood. Keep communication open. I can coordinate local medical resources if needed.]
Instead of offering empty words of comfort, he provided the most practical support he could. This pragmatism was more comforting to Jiang Mo at that moment than any sweet words.
The next day, Jiang Mo arrived at the lab on time as usual. Her makeup was exquisite, and her clothes were appropriate, but the lingering weariness and coldness deep in her eyes could not be hidden from those who paid attention. Researcher Zhou asked her with concern if she hadn't rested well, and she only replied lightly, "I'm a little light sleeper."
When Shen Zhiyan saw her, his gaze lingered on her face for a fraction of a second longer than usual, before he began his work as usual. The laboratory operated smoothly throughout the morning, with only the low hum of the instruments and the flickering light and shadow of data on the screens.
During her lunch break, Jiang Mo sat in the rest area, sipping hot water, her gaze distant. Xiao Chen sidled up to her, holding a brand-new cartoon hand warmer, and handed it to her somewhat sheepishly: "Miss Jiang, this... is for you. You seem a little cold."
Jiang Mo was a little surprised. She took the hand warmer, and the soft, plush outer shell radiated warmth. "Thank you, Xiao Chen."
Xiao Chen scratched his head and lowered his voice, saying, "Ms. Jiang, don't worry too much. Professor Shen... although he doesn't say it, he has a clear understanding of who is good and who is bad." He paused and added, "Yesterday after you got off work, Professor Shen stayed in the lab alone for a long time, seemingly repeatedly checking several sets of external data. His complexion... was quite unpleasant."
Jiang Mo gripped the warm hand warmer tightly, knowing in her heart that Shen Zhiyan must have been busy last night. He was silently fighting against the pressure from his father on a battlefield she couldn't see.
The afternoon recording session involved analyzing a set of biosignal data. Jiang Mo's part required identifying several specific rhythmic patterns in the data. Because she was worried about her parents, she initially had difficulty concentrating and fell behind schedule.
Shen Zhiyan surveyed the area and stood behind her. He didn't urge her or criticize her, but calmly said, "Try to ignore the high-frequency noise and focus on the basal rhythm. Sometimes, the most valuable information is hidden in seemingly stable underlying fluctuations."
His voice wasn't loud, but it was like a clear spring, washing away the anxiety in her heart. Jiang Mo took a deep breath and, following his instructions, adjusted the filter parameters, focusing her attention on the most essential rhythm of the data. Sure enough, the patterns that had been interfered with by the chaotic signals gradually emerged clearly.
She successfully completed the task. Looking up, she wanted to thank Shen Zhiyan, but found he was no longer behind her. In the control room, he was intently staring at his screen, as if his earlier suggestion had been unintentional.
After work, Jiang Mo returned to her apartment and immediately contacted Linda to confirm that her parents were settled and their emotions had stabilized. She breathed a slight sigh of relief.
On the encryption software, Shen Zhiyan's avatar was lit up. He sent a message:
Preliminary analysis shows that there were three minutes of abnormal frame drops in the surveillance footage before and after the accident. The other vehicle was using a fake license plate. The probability of this coincidence is less than 0.3%.
The cold, hard numbers cruelly confirmed her suspicions.
Jiang Mo looked at the words but didn't reply. She went to the balcony, where "Lu Gen" stood quietly in the twilight. She reached out and gently brushed her fingertips across the tender green leaves, feeling the faint yet tenacious vitality.
She suddenly remembered Shen Zhiyan's stiff remark from yesterday: "It has been working well until it encounters more complex viruses."
She opened the encryption software and slowly typed out a line of text:
Thank you. Also, your firewall was very stable today.
A few minutes later, Shen Zhiyan replied. The content of his reply surprised Jiang Mo slightly.
[Tomorrow's recording is cancelled. The center received last-minute notification of an important inspection. You... can take a day off.]
An inspection? At this sensitive moment? Jiang Mo instinctively felt that this was no coincidence.
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