Under Director Zhang's instructions, the researcher called Liu hurried off. Before long, he reappeared in front of the group, but this time there was a panicked look on his face.
"Vice Director, a lot of the surveillance footage in the monitoring room is gone!"
"You…"
Chixia's heart tightened. Even without asking, she knew that the simulation room's footage had to be among the missing videos.
Without evidence, they had no way to do anything to Director Zhang.
After all, killing someone was nothing more than using a knife. Director Zhang wouldn't be hard to kill either.
But if they really did that, they would be knowingly breaking the law. The laws of Jinzhou would be trampled on at will.
Even if it had to be fabricated, a charge still had to be pinned on him.
And just as she had expected, under Director Zhang's questioning, Liu confirmed that the simulation room footage was indeed one of the missing files.
Chixia was about to storm forward to argue with Director Zhang, but just as she moved, Zane stopped her.
"Zane, the missing footage in the monitoring room must be this guy's doing!"
"I know."
"Then why..."
Before Chixia could finish, she felt someone tugging at her clothes. She turned and saw that it was Rover.
"Trust Zane."
Since Rover said that, Chixia could only suppress her impatience and stay silent, though her bright eyes remained fixed fiercely on Director Zhang.
After Rover calmed Chixia down, Zane turned to Director Zhang.
"Impressive, Vice Director Zhang. I didn't expect you had a move like this."
Facing Zane's slightly darkened expression, Director Zhang secretly smiled with satisfaction, but on the surface he showed anger and shouted at the researchers nearby.
"What are you all doing? I told you to maintain the facilities, and this is how you maintain them? Go find the surveillance footage right now. If you can't find it, don't bother coming back!"
"Yes… yes…"
Several researchers nodded quickly and hurried off.
After arranging everything, Director Zhang turned to the onlookers and spoke with deep emotion.
"Please rest assured, everyone. Although I do not believe that child Buqun would do anything harmful, if the facts truly prove otherwise…" As he spoke, tears glimmered in his eyes.
"Then I, Zhang, will show no mercy. The Huaxu Research Institute concerns the safety of tens of thousands of people in Jinzhou."
"I will not allow even a single black sheep to exist. Even if the one who crosses the line is my own relative, I will give everyone an explanation!"
His passionate speech drew cheers from everyone present.
"Long live Vice Director Director Zhang!"
"That's right, we hope Vice Director Zhang will handle this according to the law and give everyone justice!"
"Well said, Mr. Zhang. I support you!"
"I knew it. There's no way Vice Director Zhang would cover for the fat researcher just because he's family. It must be fake accounts stirring things up."
"Investigate thoroughly!"
———
The crowd was fired up. At this moment, Director Zhang was their upright official.
Of course, there were people who understood the truth, but they didn't dare speak out under Director Zhang's influence.
Meanwhile, after finishing his speech, Director Zhang turned back with a righteous expression and immediately saw the anger on Zane and the others' faces. A wave of satisfaction surged in his heart.
"Young man, it seems I've won this round."
Director Zhang walked up to Zane and declared his victory in a voice only the two of them could hear. Then he cast a meaningful glance at Rover and the other four standing behind Zane.
A threat.
This was a naked threat.
As long as he got through this crisis, he, the Vice Director of the Huaxu Research Institute, would have plenty of chances to make things difficult for them.
He wanted everyone to know what would happen if they defied him.
But as for Rover…
Director Zhang's gaze flickered as he stared at her.
Based on how much the Jinzhou magistrate valued her, he would sooner or later suffer consequences because of this.
If that was the case, he might as well leave Jinzhou sooner.
Zane noticed Director Zhang's gaze lingering on Rover and thought he was still plotting something. He immediately stepped in front of her.
Clearly, Director Zhang noticed this small action, but he wasn't in a hurry. Instead, he admired this kind of person who kept struggling even when defeat was certain.
Now he only needed to wait for his subordinates to "search diligently" and come back with the news that the footage couldn't be found.
At this point, the outcome was already decided. He wanted to see despair on Zane's face. He wanted to recover the dignity he had just lost.
But…
"You're talking like you've already won."
Zane suddenly dropped his angry expression and let out a scoff, his eyes filled with mockery as he looked at Director Zhang.
"Heh, young man, feel free to keep talking tough." Director Zhang smiled cruelly.
"But unfortunately, you have no evidence. You can't do anything to Buqun. Or… are you planning to break the law knowingly?"
As his words fell, Director Zhang saw a researcher running back hurriedly.
"Well then, it's time to end the show…"
The researcher kept getting closer… and closer… and then tripped and fell.
Though he really wanted to curse the man as useless, Director Zhang still maintained a calm expression. He didn't believe one fall could overturn his certain victory.
This drama was about to end. The advantage was his.
"The footage is here."
"You heard that, the footage isn't... wait, what did you say!?"
Director Zhang's expression changed drastically. His previously flushed face instantly turned a dark, purplish color.
He whipped his head around and saw a girl walking toward him, holding a videotape. Her cute round face still carried an innocent smile.
"Impossible. Absolutely impossible. The tape should have already…"
"There's nothing impossible."
The girl stepped forward slowly, and the crowd parted automatically to make way for her.
"To be honest, I never expected you'd wait this long before dealing with the footage." The Doctor said as she waved the tape in her hand provocatively.
From the very beginning, she had anticipated this situation. If the fat researcher dared to cause trouble publicly at the Huaxu Research Institute, there was no way he didn't have backing.
So she and Zane made a plan. Zane would hold off the fat researcher and those behind him, while the Doctor would find evidence that could end it in one blow.
However, her height was rather… cute. Even when she raised her hand, she could barely reach Zane's forehead.
So instead of adding authority, the gesture made people want to pull her into their arms and dote on her.
Of course, that feeling only applied to the surrounding onlookers and Zane's group.
As for Director Zhang, all he felt from this cute girl was fear.
He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. Only now did he realize that the situation seemed to have slipped out of his control. An indescribable suffocating feeling crept up his throat.
"Th-then please, miss, play the footage…"
"Oh? So Vice Director Zhang is someone who keeps his word?"
"Of course… of course! I always keep my word."
He didn't know if it was just his imagination, but the pressure this girl gave him felt, in some ways, no less than that person, Lady Changli… perhaps even greater.
"Anyone who endangers the institute and Jinzhou should be brought to justice?"
"That's right… that's correct."
"You have to save me!"
Only now did the fat researcher begin to panic. He dragged his heavy body over to Director Zhang's feet, trying to cling to him.
But Director Zhang didn't have the time to care about him. Ignoring the fat researcher's cries, he kicked him hard in the face.
"I, Director Zhang, will fight these black sheep to the very end!"
"Pfft~"
Hearing Director Zhang's words, the Doctor let out a clear, bell-like laugh.
"What are you laughing at!"
"Sorry, I just thought of something amusing." The Doctor smiled brightly. "I still have a few stories here. I'd like Vice Director Zhang to listen carefully."
Ignoring whether Director Zhang resisted or not, the Doctor walked forward on her own.
"On December 13th, ten years ago, under your proposal, the Huaxu Research Institute eliminated a batch of outdated equipment. Afterwards, you spent 3 million coins to introduce a new batch of research equipment… but if you compare the accounts carefully, you'll find the actual quoted price was only 1.5 million."
The Doctor paced slowly, her black boots clicking against the stone floor, each step sounding like a heavy hammer striking Director Zhang's heart.
"On the night of August 17th, seven years ago, a warehouse storing Blackstone weapons caught fire. Hundreds of weapons disappeared without a trace, and your name was clearly written on the fire investigation report. In that report, you stated that the weapons were disposed of along with the building debris."
As she spoke, she took out a stack of reports and threw them in front of Director Zhang.
"This is an inspection report submitted by a patrol guard on August 19th of that year. It records in detail that at 23:11, dozens of vehicles carrying unregistered goods left Jinzhou."
"Unfortunately, this report vanished without a trace, and the guard disappeared the next day. And on that same day, the notice for transferring personnel to escort a shipment came from the Vice Director's office of the Huaxu Research Institute."
"So, Vice Director Zhang," the Doctor blinked her bright eyes and asked innocently, "shouldn't you also bring yourself to justice?"
Looking at the reports scattered on the ground, Director Zhang's face shifted between pale and green.
"How did you do this!? How were you able to find all this!?"
Director Zhang roared hysterically, his hoarse voice completely different from the refined demeanor he usually displayed.
Even the surrounding researchers fell into an eerie silence, clearly not expecting him to have done such things.
But the evidence was ironclad, tearing away the mask of gentleness and revealing the greed underneath.
The Doctor, however, had no intention of answering him. Instead, she turned to look at Zane, a trace of concern appearing on her delicate face.
Zane noticed something was off.
"What's wrong? Did you find something else?"
The Doctor remained silent for a moment, then nodded… and then shook her head.
This completely confused Zane. Was that a yes or a no?
Or had she run out of rational thinking?
At this moment, the Doctor glanced at Rover standing behind Zane, as if making up her mind, and took out a third report.