“I can’t think of Boss Mu’s purpose for doing this right now, but you need to understand that he has far more resources than we imagine!”
“With a move as big as the Special Abnormal Affairs Bureau sending people to Jiangcheng, there’s no way he only found out at the last second.”
“He could have easily notified us half a day or even a full day in advance, allowing us to evacuate before they even arrived—cleanly, without leaving a trace.”
“But he didn’t...”
Qin Zhong’an’s Adam’s apple bobbed.
“Maybe... the security clearance for this operation was very high, and Boss Mu’s informants couldn’t get the information in advance...”
His face was flushed, refusing to believe Liu Junnan’s speculation.
The atmosphere inside the car suddenly grew heavy.
Qin Zhong’an’s fingers gripped the steering wheel so hard his knuckles turned white.
“You know the organization’s rules.”
“If the organization determines there’s a risk of us being captured...” Qin Zhong’an’s voice was very low, so low he could barely hear himself, “If it’s certain we’ll be caught, certain we can’t escape...”
“Boss Mu wouldn’t have made that call!”
“He wouldn’t have warned us to evacuate; he wouldn’t have given us any information!”
“He would have directly severed all connections between us and the organization.”
He withdrew his gaze from Liu Junnan and focused back on the road ahead.
“The encrypted communication channels would be reset in an instant, and all the keys in our hands would be invalidated.”
“The data in the terminal would be remotely wiped, and the storage chips would self-destruct.”
“The strongholds we rented in Jiangcheng, the vehicles, the equipment—everything linked to the organization would be marked as ‘discarded.’”
“As for us...”
He paused.
“If we were caught, the information we could provide would be limited to what the organization permits...”
His voice trailed off.
The business van hit a patch of uneven road, causing the vehicle to jolt.
Liu Junnan leaned back against his seat and closed his eyes.
Qin Zhong’an gripped the steering wheel with both hands, staring straight ahead. His lips were pressed thin, and the muscles in his jaw were pulled tight.
“I don’t believe it! I don’t believe the organization would abandon us!”
Liu Junnan leaned back in the passenger seat, turning his head to look at Qin Zhong’an’s profile.
“You don’t believe it?” he asked, his voice raspy.
“Then you can try it.”
Qin Zhong’an glanced at him. “Try what?”
“Contact the organization and request support,” Liu Junnan said flatly, as if stating something mundane. “Tell them we’re being pursued by the Special Abnormal Affairs Bureau and ask them to send someone to rendezvous with us.”
Qin Zhong’an’s brow furrowed.
“Are you crazy?” His voice was low, but it was filled with irritation.
“I’m not crazy.” Liu Junnan turned his head, his gaze landing on Qin Zhong’an’s face. “Didn’t you say you don’t believe it? Then try contacting them! See how the organization responds.”
Qin Zhong’an’s fingers tightened on the wheel.
“Liu Junnan, you know the organization’s rules better than I do!”
“We aren't allowed to initiate contact unless it’s an absolute emergency!”
“We’ve already escaped danger, and you want me to contact the organization with a false report...”
“It’s not urgent enough now?” Liu Junnan interrupted, his voice rising. “The Special Abnormal Affairs Bureau is right behind us and could catch up at any moment! Does that not count as an absolute emergency?”
Qin Zhong’an’s Adam’s apple bobbed.
“That’s just your imagination! We’ve successfully evacuated; we aren't being followed!”
“Then try contacting them!” Liu Junnan stared at him, his lips curling into a mocking sneer. “If the organization responds, it means I was wrong. If they don’t...”
Qin Zhong’an fell silent.
The car hit another bump in the road, jolting the chassis.
“No!” Qin Zhong’an finally shook his head. “If our assessment is wrong, the organization will decide we’re making a false report, and then...”
“Qin Zhong’an!”
“You know in your heart that I’m right. You’re just afraid to face it!” Liu Junnan’s voice suddenly became calm.
Qin Zhong’an’s breathing quickened. “Enough!”
He jerked the steering wheel, veering the car onto a side road and pulling over next to an abandoned gas station.
“What exactly do you want?” Qin Zhong’an turned to look at Liu Junnan, his eyes swirling with a complex mix of irritation and unease.
Liu Junnan didn't speak. He simply reached out and grabbed the encrypted terminal Qin Zhong’an had placed on the center console.
“What are you doing!” Qin Zhong’an’s expression changed instantly as he reached to snatch it back.
Liu Junnan was faster.
He leaned away to dodge Qin Zhong’an’s hand while using his other hand to grip Qin Zhong’an’s shoulder, pinning him firmly against the seat.
Qin Zhong’an struggled, but although Liu Junnan’s mental power was exhausted, his physical condition was still far superior to that of an ordinary person.
The hand on his shoulder felt like a slab of iron, immovable.
“Liu Junnan! You motherfu—”
“Don’t move!”
Liu Junnan’s voice was as cold as ice.
With one hand pinning Qin Zhong’an, he used the other to pick up the encrypted terminal and pressed the emergency contact key he had never used before.
The red indicator light flickered once.
Then, it went out.
Liu Junnan’s finger paused.
He pressed it again.
The indicator light flickered on, then off again.
There was no tone indicating a successful connection, nor any feedback that the call had gone through.
There was only that red indicator light, flickering on and off like the weak pulse of a dying man.
Liu Junnan released Qin Zhong’an’s shoulder and looked down at the terminal in his hand.
His finger slid across the screen, pulling up the contact list. He randomly tapped a number—a backup channel used for daily communication.
Still, there was no reaction.
He opened the system settings to check the terminal’s status.
The screen displayed only a few lines of information. Most of the areas where data should have been were blank.
【Encryption Module Status: Offline】
【Communication Key Status: Invalidated】
【Remote Data Sync: Disconnected】
【Terminal ID: Unrecognized】
Liu Junnan’s gaze fell on the last line, and the final trace of warmth vanished from his eyes.
He handed the terminal back to Qin Zhong’an.
“See for yourself.”
Qin Zhong’an took the terminal and looked down. His face instantly turned deathly pale.
Refusing to believe it, he operated it himself.
He pressed the key; the red light flickered on and off.
He pressed it again; it flickered on and off.
His fingers began to tremble.
“Impossible...” he muttered to himself, his voice so raspy it was almost inaudible.
“Maybe there’s something wrong with the terminal, or maybe the signal is bad. This place is too remote...”
He stepped out of the car, holding the terminal high as he paced around the open ground of the gas station.
The signal was at full bars.
He pressed the emergency contact key once more.
The red light flickered once and then went out completely, without even that dying glimmer.
Qin Zhong’an stood frozen in place, the hand holding the terminal slowly dropping to his side.
Rate on N.U.
