Chapter 19
1302 Words
No Nonsense, Just Catch Them
That day, he and Li Wanyun were engrossed in running errands, completely oblivious to Sister Sheng's latest endeavors.
Sheng An: "I'm reviewing the investigation results on Song Linwei."
Hao Jingye immediately straightened up, his curiosity piqued. "Did you find anything?"
"It's a bit odd," Sheng An replied, her fingers deftly swiping through her device.
The previous day, she had orchestrated an extensive investigation into Song Linwei's living conditions, familial background, and his interactions over the past three days.
This was a colossal information network, encompassing a vast array of data.
However, Sheng An had already sifted through this information.
Song Linwei's background appeared immaculate.
His parents were university professors, now rehired and still contributing to academia.
His sister and brother-in-law were successful businesspeople with flourishing careers.
He himself had graduated from the nation's top university with a master's degree, engaged in physics research.
The entire family resided in Beijing, each member immersed in their respective careers.
Additionally, Song Linwei had a sixteen-year-old nephew who was in his second year of high school.
From the investigation, this family seemed to possess commendable personalities.
Song Linwei himself was exceptionally intelligent, receiving high accolades both in academia and at work.
Their living conditions were comfortably middle-class, with a harmonious family atmosphere, and their relatives were all quite accomplished...
There was not a single blemish to be found.
Moreover, since he began posting, Song Linwei had not been to work, taking leave and staying at home.
For the past three days, aside from seeing his family, he remained at home the entire time.
Monitoring his calls revealed nothing out of the ordinary.
The people he interacted with over the past three days were few and listed out: delivery personnel, couriers, supermarket clerks... everything was routine.
In summary, from the investigation results, Song Linwei seemed perfectly normal.
Hao Jingye was taken aback, "He seems pretty normal. Sister Sheng, what do you find strange?"
Sheng An countered, "What kind of person do you think Song Linwei is?"
Without hesitation, Hao Jingye responded, "A smart and good person."
Smart because of their few interactions and the background check.
Good because he posted a doomsday warning, attempting to alert everyone.
Sheng An smiled.
"Then let's reverse the logic. If my intuition is correct and he has a problem, but no anomalies can be found, does that mean he is even smarter than we thought?"
Hao Jingye nodded.
"Then, given that such a smart person posted a hint that only drew our attention and served almost no other purpose, why would he do that?" Sheng An narrowed her eyes, her gaze intense.
Hao Jingye: "!!!"
Indeed, that was a contradiction.
Moreover, it could be further speculated that if Sheng An's intuition was wrong and Song Linwei had no problem, and he truly encountered "Iron Man," would a smart researcher post it online or seek assistance from higher authorities?
—He would seek assistance from higher authorities!
He would promptly inform the state about the existence of "Iron Man."
Posting it online was not in line with the behavior of a smart person.
Hao Jingye gasped, "So, if Song Linwei really has a problem, what is his purpose? What is he hiding? If he is not 'Iron Man,' then who is?"
"The investigation on Song Linwei is still ongoing. Do you know today's results?" Sheng An teased.
Hao Jingye shook his head, his eyes wide with anticipation.
Sheng An: "Before today, his parents, sister, brother-in-law, and nephew were all going about their usual routines."
She smiled, her eyes crescent-shaped, "But today, they all took leave and went home."
Hao Jingye was stunned.
After a moment, his mind whirred into action, and he slowly spoke, "So, he only confirmed the doomsday last night!"
Then, that post...
Sheng An tilted her head and said softly—
"Yes, the 'Iron Man' who believes in light must be someone around him, and he is protecting that person. As for the post..."
"Song Linwei is fishing."
Fishing for the state’s people.
He wanted to confirm whether the doomsday was approaching and to establish contact to gather information.
After a while, Hao Jingye let out a long breath.
Song Linwei was indeed very smart.
His plan was impeccable, but unfortunately, he encountered Sheng An.
Hao Jingye looked at Sheng An and suddenly understood why the state had appointed her as one of the heads of the Doomsday Special Affairs Department.
They believed she could suppress those heretics.
Sharp, intelligent, and formidable, she could already handle heretics without any special abilities.
What if she awakened powerful abilities?
Hao Jingye suddenly felt a surge of anticipation.
*
At the Song residence.
After a day of processing, the entire family finally came to terms with the impending doomsday.
Father Song frowned deeply, looking aged.
Mother Song was equally bewildered, "How did it come to the doomsday?"
Song Linwei's sister, Song Linlin, asked him, "Why did you post to attract the state's attention? What if the state..."
Song Linwei sighed and explained:
"Because I wanted to confirm if the doomsday was real. It was just a very ordinary post that wouldn't attract any attention unless the state was already vigilant.
"But the state contacted us immediately, indicating they were always watching, and not just watching for doomsday posts, but watching for anyone with anomalies. The state is searching for people with special abilities!"
Last night, he received the answer he sought from the state's agents.
A terrifying but expected answer.
Song Linlin: "So now the state is already watching? Will they notice Xiao Xin?"
Song Linwei shook his head, "They shouldn't. There were no loopholes from start to finish. I only revealed the existence of special abilities, not Xiao Xin."
*
In the car.
Hao Jingye: "Sister Sheng, who do you think it is?"
Sheng An pointed to a name with a calm expression, "Li Xin, Song Linwei's nephew."
Her tone was not speculative but certain.
*
Mother Song worried, "Your post was too specific, exposing Xiao Xin's abilities. It's still too dangerous. We must hide him well and not let the state find out."
Li Xin's father, Li Huai, shook his head, "The state is looking for people with special abilities. Xiao Xin may not need to hide forever."
If the doomsday is approaching, special abilities would be more advantageous than being an ordinary person.
Song Linwei agreed, "Yes, that's why I hinted at Xiao Xin's abilities in the post. If the doomsday is imminent, Xiao Xin might not be the most special, but he is still very special."
He looked at the closed room, took a deep breath, and said slowly:
"We can use this to negotiate with the state, but we must do it before they discover Xiao Xin. I need to probe their attitude towards people with special abilities."
Time was running out, only 19 days left.
Song Linlin was a bit worried, "You are considering Xiao Xin, but this kid is unruly and disobedient..."
Song Linwei: "I must fight for his rights. Xiao Xin is special after all, it shouldn't be hard."
*
Sheng An: "If my guess is correct, Song Linwei exposed his nephew's metal abilities to negotiate with us, to fight for his nephew's rights."
"Then this will be easy." Hao Jingye adjusted his glasses, "It's just negotiation, right? We just need to find out—"
Sheng An interrupted him, "No, no negotiation."
Hao Jingye was stunned.
Sheng An sneered, "This heretic wants to negotiate, and that one too. Who has the time? If they enter my department, they better behave."
She tapped the steering wheel.
"Let's go back and check on Xiaoyu's progress. Tomorrow, we'll catch that 'Iron Man who believes in light.'"
Catch?!
Hao Jingye's eyes widened.
This was the first time Sheng An used that term!
- Writer
