Nominal: Hou Liangping blocking the door? He was slapped away!

There was silence for a few seconds at the other end of the iron table.

Heng Shichang's neatly buttoned collar loosened slightly, and sweat quickly beaded on his forehead, running down his temples and even dampening the glasses on his nose.

He tried to maintain his composure, his lips parted several times, but his throat tightened. "Your military's determination must be based on evidence. Outsourcing companies, white gloves, and subordinates messing around—why should I be blamed?"

Zhou Weiguo pushed the chip comparison report over; the first page was stamped with a red seal, and the flight route application, exemption from inspection certificate, and black leather folder catalog were attached to the back.

"Because they all come from your hands."

"Heng Shichang, you tried to use your travel permit to pressure people on the private jet. The travel permit is real, the flight route is real, the black wallet is real, and the chip is real too. No matter how stubborn you are, the paper is still here."

Heng Shichang didn't touch the stack of papers, but stared at the two chips on the table, breathing heavily, his wrists rubbing the handcuffs together.

This time, he didn't mention his position as director, nor did he mention the rules. The outer rain shelter had completely collapsed by the time they reached the north gate.

After a moment, he raised his head, his voice dry, "I can cooperate."

Zhou Weiguo did not respond.

Heng Shichang licked his lips and took off his glasses. "But I have one condition. I need to make a top-secret call first."

"To save my life?"

Heng Shichang's fingers tightened, as if grasping the last thread. "Procedurally, I have the right to report. After I finish writing, I will sign all the statements here."

Zhou Weiguo turned his head to look at Shen Zhong. This phone call was sinister. It could exert pressure upwards, and it could trigger other things downwards—a broken supply chain, a disconnect, or even the elimination of witnesses.

Shen Zhong did not answer immediately.

He twirled the unlit cigarette between his fingers, his gaze sweeping over the cameras above the interrogation room and then over the technical staff behind the listening window next door.

Under the table, he tapped his index finger lightly along the seam of his trousers, two short taps followed by one long one.

After listening through the adjacent window, the monitoring team leader understood and immediately turned on the main recording, backup recording, spectrum capture, and real-time transcription to the highest settings.

Zhou Weiguo understood as well. His lips twitched, and he took the military-grade secure telephone from the cabinet and placed it next to Heng Shichang.

"hands-free."

Heng Shichang looked up. "This line shouldn't be left unmentioned."

"You don't have to fight."

Heng Shichang's chest heaved a few times, but he ultimately swallowed his words. He recited a six-digit transfer number and then two manual verification codes.

Zhou Weiguo dialed the number himself. When the line was connected, the green line on the spectrum display rose a bit, and everyone in the listening area pressed their headphones down tightly.

The busy signal sounded three times.

Heng Shichang's forehead was covered in even more sweat, his gaze fixed on the phone, as if waiting for a hand to reach out from the core and drag him off the iron chair.

Shen Zhong stood opposite him, his face expressionless, only raising his chin to indicate that he should continue.

Zhou Weiguo pressed the speakerphone button, removed his hand from the phone, and stepped back half a step.

Shen Zhong nodded, his tone as flat as the back of a knife pressing on a table.

"Let him hit me. I want to see who dares to take the blame."

……

The second basement level of the north line.

The military-grade secure telephone sat on the iron table, its casing dark, with the hands-free light on.

Heng Shichang sat in the chair, his handcuffs fastened to the chair ring, sweat dripping down his forehead.

Zhou Weiguo stood next to the telephone, the earpiece pressed against his left ear, his finger hovering over the record button.

Shen Zhong stood across the table, his military uniform buttoned up to the top, a cigarette dangling from his hand.

The third busy tone has finished.

The line is connected.

There was no introduction from the person on the other end of the phone, only heavy breathing, coming through layers of encrypted lines, like an old bellows pressed down on a sheet of iron.

Heng Shichang's Adam's apple bobbed.

"I am Heng Shichang."

There was no response from the other side.

Heng Shichang leaned forward, his voice very low, but the hands-free mode made each word seem to be pushed to the four corners of the interrogation room.

"I was forcibly detained by the military under martial law at a joint military-civilian airport on the northern front."

Zhou Weiguo raised his eyelids slightly.

In the listening area, the spectrum indicator jumped up one notch.

Heng Shichang continued speaking.

"The top-secret pass has been presented, but the airport did not allow us to leave. Our small suitcase was opened, our personal communication folder was confiscated, and two chips were placed on the table."

The person on the other end of the phone paused for a moment.

Heng Shichang's face was very tense.

"I need procedural intervention. Immediately. Any later, the northern front will seal the materials as military documents."

Still, no one responded.

Shen Zhong held the cigarette between his fingers, his face expressionless.

Heng Shichang gritted his teeth.

"The expiration of the passage indicates that the regular channels can no longer suppress the heavy burden. He's going by the treason narrative, and I can't bear such a heavy accusation."

These words were spoken.

The only sound in the interrogation room was the background noise of the electrical circuit.

one second.

two seconds.

three seconds.

Finally, someone spoke on the other end of the phone, their voice very low, as if coming from behind a thick door.

"Cut off physical contact and remain silent."

beep.

The call was disconnected.

One dial tone after another rolled out of the phone, so monotonous it made one's chest feel heavy.

Heng Shichang remained seated, his glasses still resting on the corner of the table. He stared at the hands-free light, his lips moved slightly, but no words came out.

Zhou Weiguo reached out and turned off the phone.

The room fell silent.

Heng Shichang's shoulders slumped, and the dignity he had just maintained was completely shattered by those eight words.

He finally understood.

They didn't save him.

All he has to do is disconnect over there.

Shen Zhong raised his hand and tapped the iron table.

"Heng Shichang, did you hear me clearly?"

Heng Shichang looked up, his eyes gray.

"He...they wouldn't treat me like that."

"It's already been dealt with."

Zhou Weiguo ripped the real-time transcription paper off and slammed it onto the table.

"Cut off physical contact and remain silent. Director Heng, that's a convenient way to put it, saving you the trouble of offering any comfort."

Heng Shichang's wrist twitched, and the handcuffs clanged against each other.

"I want to see the official reviewers."

"That's what you're seeing now."

Shen Zhong picked up the transcription paper and glanced at it.

"You still have a chance to give a complete statement."

Heng Shichang lowered his head and did not reply immediately.

The listening booth next door.

Three military-grade devices were running at full capacity simultaneously. The lines on the screen looked like several thin snakes, winding around the relay cabinet, the secure exchange station, and the fake gateway, before emerging from two disguised nodes.

The monitoring team leader took off his headphones, his face tense.

"Zhou Chu, the landing point has been determined."

Zhou Weiguo pushed the door open and went in.

"speak."

"The eight-code main line has three layers of protection. The transfer station is located on the outer edge of the core area, and the final response point is the Xishan Retired Cadres Service Center."

Zhou Weiguo paused for half a second, then dragged the coordinate map to the main screen.

The red dot stopped at the core of Xishan.

There is another string of smaller characters below.

Xishan Retired Cadres Service Center, internal confidential exchange point, access level, QC sequence.

Zhou Weiguo uttered a very mild swear word.

"They really dared to answer that call."

The monitoring team leader packaged the band charts.

"The other party only spoke eight words, and the voiceprint was incomplete, but the spectrum, transition, and transfer address were all preserved."

Zhou Weiguo returned to the interrogation room with the documents.

Shen Zhong took the tablet and only looked at it for three seconds.

"Recordings, spectrum bands, jumper addresses, all sealed."

"Yes."

"Write it into a top-secret file."

Shen Zhong placed the tablet face down on the table.

"This is irrefutable evidence of interference in military affairs."