I started with a portal, then turned around and handed it over to the nation.

Ministry of State Security, temporary command center.

There were no windows. Cold white light illuminated every corner, and data streams cascaded down the huge circular screen wall.

Dozens of uniformed staff sat at their workstations, the sound of their keyboards blending into a deep, efficient hum.

The only sounds in the air were the soft hum of the equipment cooling down and suppressed breathing.

Zhou Yan stood in the center of the command center, having just finished a call with the on-site team. The team members' hushed reports still lingered in his earpiece.

"Target under control, emotionally agitated, initial assessment indicates no direct aggression. Repeat, target under control."

Zhou Yan took off his headset and handed it to his assistant. His face was expressionless, but his eyes were sharp enough to pierce through people's hearts.

"Notify the technical department."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly throughout the entire command center.

"I need all of Lin Mo's digital records from the past month, down to the second."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Lin Mo's profile picture and basic information that had just popped up on the big screen, and added in an even colder tone.

"He claims to have disappeared in another world for seven days. I need to know if there is any evidence of his existence on Earth during those seven days?!"

"receive!"

The head of the technical team responded immediately, and the fingers of more than a dozen technicians flew across the keyboard, making the data stream on the screen even more rapid.

Zhou Yan turned around and looked at the intelligence analysis group on the other side.

"Team One, immediately contact the target's ex-girlfriend, Su Wan. I need to know every detail about Lin Mo in her eyes, his personality and habits, and whether there's anything unusual about him."

"Group Two, control the target's former superior, Wang Defa. Focus on investigating Lin Mo's work status and the specifics of the so-called 'seven days of unexcused absence'."

"Group Three, investigate Lin Mo's social relationships, family background, and educational experience. We cannot overlook any suspicious points."

He issued a series of orders in an orderly manner, and the entire massive state apparatus began to operate at a terrifyingly high speed, revolving around the name "Lin Mo".

"All field teams, depart now!"

"yes!"

With a unified response, the side door of the command center slid open, and two teams of men in black suits with stern expressions strode out, their figures quickly disappearing at the end of the corridor.

The black Hongqi sedan silently glided out of the underground parking garage, merged into the city night, and sped off in two completely different directions.

……

At the same time, in a high-end apartment in the west of the city.

Su Wan, wearing an expensive hydrating face mask, reclined on the sofa and scrolled through short videos, giggling as she watched funny clips.

The unpleasantness from the breakup has long been washed away by shopping and delicious food.

In her opinion, getting rid of Lin Mo, that good-for-nothing penniless wretch, was the best decision she made this year.

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

A series of urgent and forceful knocks on the door interrupted her leisurely pace.

"Who is it in the middle of the night!"

Su Wan sat up impatiently, shuffled to the door in her slippers, and glared at the outside through the peephole.

Three men stood outside the door, all dressed in matching black suits, their expressions serious. The one in the lead was calmly watching the peephole.

Su Wan frowned, wondering if the property management was coming to collect some fees again.

She reluctantly opened the door, her tone sharp.

Who are you looking for?

The man in the lead didn't speak, but simply took out a red ID card from his pocket and unfolded it in front of her.

Under the bright lights of the apartment corridor, the golden national emblem on the ID card gleamed dazzlingly.

"Ministry of State Security"

The man's voice was flat and devoid of any emotion.

"Ms. Su Wan, we need your cooperation in investigating some matters. Regarding Lin Mo..."

Su Wan's impatience froze instantly.

She paused for a few seconds, then scoffed, her tone full of contempt and absurdity.

"Lin Mo? That good-for-nothing? What could he have done wrong? Robbed a bank or committed treason? Oh, I see, is he behind on his utility bills?"

The lead agent, expressionless, retrieved his identification.

"Please come with us."

His gaze fell on Su Wan's face, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"Now, immediately."

Su Wan's smile froze, and the sheet mask began to crack due to muscle stiffness.

From her initial disdain to her astonishment after witnessing the documents, and now to the irresistible pressure in the man's words, a nameless panic rose from the bottom of her heart.

"Why...why should I go with you? Do you have an arrest warrant? Lin Mo...he doesn't even know where he is anymore, what does it have to do with me!"

We are not asking for your consent.

Another agent stepped forward and stood in the doorway, blocking her retreat.

The icy aura made Su Wan shiver involuntarily.

For the first time, she felt a deep, uncontrollable fear.

……

In the east of the city, in the office of a company that practices the 996 work schedule.

Wang Defa was sitting with his legs crossed, a cigarette dangling from his lips, cursing loudly into the phone.

"What happened to your sales figures this month?! Huh?! If you don't want to work here, get out! I don't keep idle people! Do you hear me?!"

"Bang!"

The office door was pushed open from the outside.

Wang Defa was startled and was about to get angry when he saw two cold-looking men in black walk in.

He slammed down the phone, stood up abruptly, his beer belly protruding, and tried to put on airs of a leader.

"Who let you in! Don't you know the rules! Where are the security guards?! Where are they all?!"

One of the agents walked straight up to him and showed him the same badge with the national emblem.

"Ministry of State Security. Wang Defa, come with us."

Wang Defa's pupils contracted, and his arrogant demeanor vanished instantly.

His legs went weak, and he almost lost his balance, plopping back into the boss's chair, which groaned under the weight.

His fleshy face twitched, forcing out a smile that looked more like a grimace.

"Comrade...is there some misunderstanding? I...I'm a law-abiding citizen, I pay my taxes on time every year..."

The agent's gaze remained unchanged.

"We're looking for you to find out about a man named Lin Mo."

Upon hearing Lin Mo's name, Wang Defa visibly relaxed and straightened his back.

He immediately put on an indignant expression and began to pour out his grievances.

"Lin Mo? Oh, oh, it's about him! Comrades, you've come to the right person! That kid is absolutely lawless! Seven days of unexcused absence! Seven days! Do you know how much damage that has caused the company? I'm fining him and deducting his bonus according to regulations, that's...that's reasonable, right? This isn't your responsibility, is it?"

The agent looked at him coldly.

Whether we get involved or not is not up to you.

The agent retrieved his credentials, stepped aside to clear the doorway, and gestured for the other to proceed.

"Let's go, Mr. Wang. Some things are better said elsewhere."

Cold sweat suddenly broke out on Wang Defa's forehead, instantly soaking his already greasy hair.

He looked at the two men in front of him, and the absolute oppression emanating from the state's violent apparatus rendered him speechless.

He tried to straighten his tie, but his hands were shaking so badly they wouldn't obey him.

……

Temporary command center.

On the large screen, all the data links about Lin Mo have been completed.

A young technician, wearing thick glasses and looking to be in his early twenties, walked quickly to Zhou Yan's side, his voice trembling slightly with excitement and disbelief.

"Team leader! The investigation results are in!"

Zhou Yan suddenly turned around.

"explain."

"The period of time Lin Mo mentioned when he went missing was from 6:03 PM on Wednesday seven days ago to 9:17 PM last night."

"During this period, all his social media accounts, bank card transaction records, mobile phone signal, and network login IP... were completely silent!"

The technician adjusted his glasses, swallowed, and continued:

"Most importantly, we accessed the Skynet system and all traffic and public place surveillance footage in the city, and used facial and gait recognition for cross-comparison."

"He entered his rented apartment seven days ago and hasn't come out since! For a full 171 hours, there was no video or video recording of him leaving the building!"

The entire command center was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared in shock at the young technician.

Zhou Yan's pupils contracted sharply. He stepped forward and stared intently at the technician.

"The timelines match perfectly?"

"A perfect match!"

The technician's voice rose eight octaves as he pointed to two parallel timelines on the large screen: one of Lin Mo's testimony, and the other of the data investigation results. The two lines aligned perfectly, without any deviation!

"His disappearance and reappearance, and the timeline of his 'seven days of absenteeism' mentioned in his confession, are perfectly aligned, down to the second!"

"Team leader, technically speaking, this is absolutely impossible for an ordinary person with no counter-surveillance capabilities!"

"This wasn't hiding or evading; a living, breathing person simply vanished completely from our surveillance network!"

The technician took a deep breath and uttered a single word in an almost dreamlike tone.

"This is simply... the 'quantum state' has disappeared! If it can't be observed, it's as if it doesn't exist!"

Zhou Yan didn't speak. He stared intently at the two perfectly overlapping timelines on the screen, his chest heaving slightly.

The state apparatus used the most rigorous and ruthless logic and data to verify the most illogical and absurd fact.

a long time.

Zhou Yan slowly raised his hand and picked up the communicator on his chest.

His gaze pierced through the screen, landing in the distance, his voice calm and unwavering.

"Interrogate Su Wan and Wang Defa."

He paused, then added.

"Furthermore, reassess Lin Mo's strategic value. Immediately, right now!!"