The next morning dawned pale and grey, a thin layer of frost coating the courtyard tiles. Winter was pressing in. Yet despite the cold, Lin Wei awoke before sunrise, senses sharp, mind restless.
The system's "Trajectory Conflict" warning still echoed in him like a second heartbeat.
When he stepped into the courtyard, Liu Fang was already sweeping the ground, breath fogging in small clouds. She offered him a warm smile—but worry still lingered behind her eyes.
"Did you sleep at all?" she asked.
"Enough," he lied.
A Strange Start to the Day
As they walked to the bureau together, people on the streets were gathered around public bulletin boards, radios, and loudspeakers. Whispers spread quickly, like smoke carried by the morning wind.
"Did you hear?""Another collapse last night?""No… the report said it was a prevented collapse.""Prevented? By who?""They didn't say—just that an anonymous technician stopped it."
Lin Wei stiffened.
Liu Fang immediately sensed the shift."Lin Wei…?"
But he didn't answer.
Because he already knew:
The man in the long coat had left another message.
And this time, it was public.
The Bureau in Chaos
By the time they reached the main gate, the bureau was buzzing like a shaken beehive.
Workers clustered in groups, talking anxiously.Inspectors carried stacks of papers.Political officers rushed past with tight expressions.
Director Li met them near the entrance.
"You two, inside. Now."
They followed him into a radio operations room normally used for emergency broadcasts. Papers were scattered everywhere, technicians pale-faced as they replayed a cassette tape on loop.
Static crackled.
Then a voice filled the room—calm, smooth, unmistakable.
The man in the long coat.
"Good morning, citizens.Last night, a major structural failure threatened a residential block in the southern district.
It was prevented.
Prevented by someone who understands collapse, someone who sees deeper than regulations and rusted protocols."
Technicians exchanged terrified glances.
Director Li grimaced.
"He's using our emergency frequency as a platform."
Liu Fang whispered, "But how did he gain access…?"
Lin Wei didn't move.
He listened.
Every word.
"A new generation is rising.One technician in particular shows remarkable potential.
He notices what others ignore.He adapts faster than established engineers.
He is the future.
And I will continue to test him—
for the nation deserves the strongest foundation."
The room fell silent.
And then—
"Lin Wei."
Liu Fang gasped.Director Li slammed his fist on the table.
The broadcast continued:
"You proved yourself again yesterday.Quick reflexes.Precise risk judgment.A worthy candidate."
Lin Wei's entire body stiffened.
The man wasn't being subtle anymore.
He was announcing it to the entire city.
To the bureau.To the political officers.To everyone.
"But strength is not a moment—it is a path.
Your next test begins soon."
The tape clicked to a stop.
The room remained still, except for the soft ticking of the clock on the wall.
The Bureau Turns on Lin Wei
Director Li turned to Lin Wei with a look that wasn't angry—but deeply pained.
"Lin Wei," he said quietly,"this puts you in extreme danger."
Liu Fang reached for him instinctively.
"Director, he hasn't done anything wrong—"
"That doesn't matter," Director Li snapped."Perception matters. Politics matters."
He rubbed his eyes.
"An unidentified saboteur—possibly a rogue engineer—broadcast your name over state frequency. Do you understand how this looks?"
Lin Wei did understand.
Too well.
Master Yu entered abruptly, slamming the door behind him.
"Director! Political Officer Zhang is demanding we suspend Lin Wei pending investigation. And they want to question Liu Fang as well."
Liu Fang froze.
"What?! Why me?"
"Because you're close to him," Master Yu said bitterly. "Which apparently makes you a suspect."
Lin Wei's jaw clenched.
"This has nothing to do with Fang."
"It does now," Director Li said heavily."The broadcast made it so."
The System Reacts
Inside Lin Wei's mind, the system flared like a pulsing warning light.
[Host Stability at Risk][External political pressure rising][Saboteur influence increasing][Countermeasure Suggestion: Public Counteraction…or Controlled Retreat]
Lin Wei swallowed.
Two choices.Neither good.
Liu Fang grabbed his hand.
"You're not doing this alone," she said fiercely.
Director Li nodded.
"We will fight this. But first, we must act quickly and strategically."
Master Yu crossed his arms.
"Before the committee decides something irreversible."
But Lin Wei wasn't listening anymore.
He was thinking.
The man in the long coat didn't just test him physically.He was using the system—the society's structure—as another form of pressure.
Reputation.Suspicion.Isolation.
Collapse of a different kind.
Liu Fang squeezed his hand tighter.
"Lin Wei… what is he trying to turn you into?"
Lin Wei exhaled.
"…A weapon."
And for the first time, Liu Fang's fear wasn't for herself.
It was for him.
A New Threat Appears
A technician burst into the room, breathless.
"Director! Another message just arrived—this time written."
He handed over a small envelope—unmarked, except for one symbol on the flap.
○╳
Director Li opened it carefully.
His eyes went wide.
"…Oh no."
Liu Fang stepped forward.
"What does it say?"
Director Li handed it to Lin Wei.
Just one sentence:
"Meet me where the first collapse took place."
Lin Wei's breath caught.
He knew exactly where that was.
Liu Fang grabbed his arm with both hands.
"You can't go alone."
Lin Wei nodded slowly.
"I won't."
Because now, the test wasn't just about him.
It was about the city.The bureau.The system.Liu Fang.Everyone.
The man in the long coat wanted a confrontation.
And Lin Wei…was finally ready to face him.