trust
The alarm for an "internal" intrusion ripped sharply through the studio's tranquility. Shen Zhiyan's first instinct was to shield Jiang Mo behind him; this subconscious gesture was more powerful than any words. Jiang Mo remained quietly in the safe space he had created, feeling an unprecedented sense of security.
“Don’t touch any equipment.” His deep voice carried absolute authority. “This could be a trigger trap.”
His calmness quickly infected her. The panic subsided, and reason regained its advantage. She nodded, her gaze sharpening, and began to examine the space they had thought was absolutely safe with him.
Shen Zhiyan's gaze, like a sophisticated radar, swept over the flashing indicator lights of the server, across the empty office area, and finally settled on the dimly lit courtyard outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. In the moonlight, the shadows of the newly transplanted bamboo stalks were indistinct. His eyes locked onto an extremely unnatural, slightly dark-colored "scar" on one of the bamboo stalks.
“It’s a physically implanted node.” Shen Zhiyan concluded instantly, his tense jawline relaxing slightly. Unknown internal betrayal is the most terrifying, but clear external threats can always be dealt with. “We tampered with the courtyard layout.” He had previously focused on electronic defenses, neglecting the most basic physical infiltration.
He quickly retrieved a non-metallic shielding device from the tool cabinet, adjusted the frequency, and aimed it at the node through the glass window. An invisible pulse was emitted, and a wisp of extremely fine, almost invisible blue smoke rose from the "scar" on the bamboo joint.
The crisis has been temporarily averted, but the follow-up must continue.
Shen Zhiyan returned to the control panel, his hands flying across the keyboard as he recalled the previously pre-set reverse tracing program designed to handle all abnormal signals. Data streamed down like a waterfall; the attacker had employed multiple layers of botnet redirection and dynamic IP spoofing—a remarkably sophisticated technique.
Jiang Mo sat quietly in the chair beside him, not uttering a sound to disturb him. She looked at his focused profile, the glowing code on the screen reflected in his deep pupils. At this moment, she was no longer a partner who needed constant protection, but his solid support; a silent trust flowed quietly between them.
The tracking process lasted for nearly half an hour. Shen Zhiyan pressed the last Enter key, and the map on the screen locked onto a blurry area—the urban-rural fringe. The signal eventually disappeared near an undeveloped industrial park.
“It aligns with the direction of the Beichen Research Institute.” Shen Zhiyan turned off the screen and rubbed his temples. “It’s ‘Observer’.”
"Their motives seem... contradictory," Jiang Mo pondered, sorting through the clues. "Sending the USB drive and jewelry box seems like they're guiding us to discover the truth. But installing a listening device here seems like they're monitoring and controlling us."
Shen Zhiyan nodded, his thoughts clear: "What Father said about 'cleaning up traces' and 'taking advantage of the situation' may just be the reason why the 'Observer' is not a monolithic group. Some people want to completely bury the past related to 'Mind Domain,' while the other group, which may be people my father contacted or who are Li Qingyun's former subordinates, want to use us to bring the truth and the 'vaccine' back to light."
He looked at Jiang Mo with a serious expression: "When we go to Beichen, we may not only be facing long-buried secrets, but we may also get involved in their internal struggles."
“But we have no way out, do we?” Jiang Mo met his gaze, her tone calm and firm. “Whether it’s to completely get rid of the shadows of the past or to find out the truth of all this, Beichen is a place we must go.”
Her determination inspired him. Shen Zhiyan took a deep breath and made a decision: "Tomorrow night at 11 PM, proceed as planned. But the plan needs an upgrade." He reopened his computer. "The 'Mirror' protocol has been detected by the other side. We need a more sophisticated and harder-to-track stealth solution."
He began designing a new action plan, while Jiang Mo, with her insights into human nature and behavior, filled in details that might be overlooked by the technology. They were no longer simply executors and assistants, but true co-planners.
By the time the new action plan was finalized, the sky outside the window was already tinged with a hazy gray. The continuous high-intensity mental strain had left both of them feeling deeply exhausted.
Shen Zhiyan shut down his computer, plunging the studio into the deepest darkness and silence before dawn. He turned around and found Jiang Mo quietly watching him, her eyes showing weariness, but also a gentle warmth.
"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice a little hoarse from staying up all night.
"Hmm." Jiang Mo smiled slightly, "It's better than I expected."
She stood up, walked to him, and without saying a word, gently and tentatively reached out and took his hand, which was resting on the table. His palm was a little cool, with a slight stiffness from typing for a long time.
Shen Zhiyan paused slightly, then turned and tightly enveloped her hand in his palm. The strength was gentle yet firm, as if he were holding a lost treasure that had been found again. There was no passionate confession, no vows of eternal love; it was simply that in this pre-dawn hour, when the dust had not yet settled and the road ahead remained unknown, two weary souls relied on the warmth they shared with each other, drawing strength to continue their journey.
In that quiet moment, the screen of Shen Zhiyan's backup phone, used for one-way communication with Linda, suddenly lit up. A new message popped up, sent ten minutes ago:
"Mo, your aunt and uncle received an anonymous package this morning containing an old photograph with the words 'Do not go to Beichen' written on the back. The source of the package is being traced, but your aunt is quite emotional and insists on seeing you immediately."
This message was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake. The tranquil atmosphere that the two had just established was instantly shattered.
Jiang Mo unconsciously tightened her grip on Shen Zhiyan's hand. Not only did they know their plans, but they had even pinpointed her parents' address to issue a warning. This feeling of being completely exposed and having nowhere to hide was more suffocating than a direct confrontation.
Shen Zhiyan's eyes suddenly sharpened like an eagle's. He immediately pulled up the real-time surveillance footage of the area around Jiang Mo's parents' residence. The footage showed everything was normal, but this "normality" seemed particularly eerie at this moment.
“They are telling us in this way that they are everywhere.” Shen Zhiyan’s voice was as cold as ice. “This is both a warning and a demonstration.”
Jiang Mo forced herself to calm down, her mind racing: "Sending photos to my mother... is she trying to emotionally sway us? Or does my mother possibly know something about Beichen?"
This possibility caused both of them to fall into deep thought. Lin Jing's entanglements with the past seemed to run deeper than they had imagined.
Shen Zhiyan stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the gradually brightening sky. His back was straight and resolute.
"The plan remains unchanged." He turned around, looking at Jiang Mo with unwavering eyes. "The more they try to stop us, the closer we are to the core. But this time, we'll try a different approach."
He picked up the encrypted communicator and quickly entered the following commands:
“Activate the ‘Dual Shadow’ protocol. It’s time to show them what a true feint attack looks like.”
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