prove
That threatening text message, containing a recorded message, coiled around their hearts like a venomous snake. The other party not only eavesdropped on them but also precisely selected the most provocative moment—Shen Zhiyan's almost confessional phrase "abnormal existence." If this were publicly interpreted out of context, it would be enough to push both of them to the forefront of public opinion, completely tarnishing their unspoken feelings.
“They want to use our most private things as weapons to attack us.” Jiang Mo’s voice trembled slightly with anger as she looked at Shen Zhiyan’s tense profile. “We can’t go. This is clearly a trap.”
Shen Zhiyan stared at the address of the abandoned chemical plant on his phone screen, his eyes as cold as iron. "It's a 100% trap." He turned off his phone, looked up at Jiang Mo, his gaze filled with unprecedented resolve, "But this is also an opportunity. They've seized our 'weakness' and exposed their own 'eagerness.' It's time to end this cat-and-mouse game."
Without further hesitation, he opened the encrypted computer and pulled up all the evidence he had collected and repeatedly verified with Jiang Mo and Linda—from the foundation's unusual overseas fund flows to the organizational structure and financial connections of the online trolls, to the physical damage and wiretapping evidence suffered by the laboratory, and this blatant extortion information.
“It’s time to bring all of this to a definite conclusion,” Shen Zhiyan said.
The next dozen or so hours were a race against time, and also an ultimate battle with multiple parallel fronts.
Shen Zhiyan was in charge of the core battlefield. He conducted a final review and reinforcement of all the evidence, ensuring the logical chain was complete and the evidence was conclusive. Then, through an absolutely secure channel, he contacted a university senior who worked in the tax department and was known for his integrity, and submitted some of the evidence materials regarding the foundation's suspected economic crimes. At the same time, he compiled a detailed report on the evidence related to the laboratory being attacked, eavesdropped on, and threatened by unknown forces, and submitted it directly to the center's top leadership and security department.
Jiang Mo worked closely with Linda to support them in the battle for public opinion. Instead of waiting for the other side to launch an attack, they took the initiative. Linda contacted several reputable investigative media outlets, providing clues about Lu Yan's connection with "Mingyan Capital" and its long-term organization of online trolls to manipulate public opinion, thus guiding public attention to the mastermind behind the scenes.
Jiang Mo posted a meaningful message on her personal social media: "The truth may be late, but it will never be absent. Trust the path you have chosen, trust your comrades-in-arms." The accompanying photo was a candid shot of her and Shen Zhiyan working in the lab, their backs to the camera, the atmosphere focused and harmonious. This move both calmed her fans and indirectly responded to possible rumors of a "breakup."
Xiao Chen and Researcher Zhou also played crucial roles. Xiao Chen used his technical expertise to help Shen Zhiyan reinforce all data transmission channels and constantly monitored for any anomalies in the laboratory network. Researcher Zhou, with his years of experience and connections at the center, ensured that Shen Zhiyan's reports reached the decision-making level as quickly as possible and with minimal resistance.
By noon the next day, the abandoned chemical plant in the east of the city was naturally deserted. But the other party's reaction was faster and more frantic than expected.
At 2 p.m., a large number of vulgar and offensive comments about Jiang Mo suddenly appeared online, accusing her of "using any means to obtain resources" and "seducing scientists for publicity." Some even began to dox her family members, and harassing phone calls once again flooded Linda and Jiang Mo's parents' temporary numbers.
Almost simultaneously, the official website of the laboratory where Shen Zhiyan worked and the preprint server for academic papers suffered an unprecedented attack, and were temporarily paralyzed. Lu Yan even made a sarcastic suggestion in a live interview that "some artists who rely on their backgrounds are disrupting the normal business order."
This is a full-scale, hysterical all-out offensive.
The pressure came crashing down like a landslide. Linda's voice was hoarse on the phone, she was on the verge of collapse. Even the usually composed Researcher Zhou looked worried.
At this most chaotic moment, Shen Zhiyan received a call from his father, Shen Huaiming. The background noise on the other end of the line was unusually quiet, but Shen Huaiming's voice carried a calm calm before a storm, a calm that had been suppressed to the extreme:
“Zhiyan, look around you. This is the consequence of your insistence on your so-called ‘principles’ and ‘feelings.’ If you turn back now, apologize to me, admit your mistakes, and deal with the trouble caused by that female celebrity, I can pretend that nothing happened. Otherwise, not only you, but also your little laboratory and her will be doomed.”
This is an ultimatum, and the most blatant threat.
Shen Zhiyan took his phone, walked to the window, and looked down at the media reporters who were somewhat agitated due to the cyberattack. He spoke clearly and calmly into the microphone, word by word:
“Father, you are wrong. The consequences are not my insistence, but your unscrupulous behavior. I will never apologize for insisting on what is right. As for the consequences,” he paused, his voice carrying a resolute determination, “I will bear them myself.”
After saying that, he hung up the phone. This was the first time in his life that he had so clearly and thoroughly defied his father's will.
Shen Zhiyan's resolute decision acted like a shot in the arm, stabilizing their position. Jiang Mo only sent two words through the encrypted channel: "Received."
As evening approached, the eye of the storm suddenly shifted.
First, several authoritative media outlets published in-depth reports almost simultaneously, detailing how "Mingyan Capital" conducted suspicious financial operations through its foundation, as well as how its affiliates manipulated public opinion and attacked research institutions. Although they did not directly name Shen Huaiming, the target was crystal clear.
Following this, the center issued a formal statement strongly condemning the cyberattacks and espionage against national-level research institutions, and stated that it had secured evidence and handed it over to the relevant national security departments for processing.
Almost simultaneously, police announced that Lu, the legal representative of a cultural media company (referring to Lu Yan), and several key company personnel were summoned for investigation on suspicion of illegal business operations and provoking trouble.
A series of swift and ruthless blows struck precisely at the opponent's Achilles' heel. The online uproar and curses subsided instantly, as if a chokehold had been applied. The torrent of attacks also receded like a receding tide.
In the lab, before anyone could even celebrate this reversal of fortune, Shen Zhiyan received a encrypted call from her senior colleague in economic crime investigation. His tone carried the calm characteristic of an investigator:
"Zhiyan, the chain of evidence has been completed. We have established a joint task force to formally investigate Shen Huaiming and Mingyan Capital, which he controls, for suspected multiple economic crimes. According to our surveillance, his travel restrictions have been legally restricted."
The senior brother paused, lowering his voice slightly:
"According to regulations, we need to notify your immediate family members. Your father... is currently at the company. He doesn't seem to have any intention of leaving, but we've monitored him destroying a number of paper documents intensively over the past hour. You should understand what that means."
Shen Zhiyan's knuckles turned slightly white as he gripped the phone. He knew this was not the end, but the beginning of another, more brutal race against time and the law—the evidence he had submitted had ultimately brought his father to trial.
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