His thoughts on Area A had always been limited to the idea that "crossing over would reveal the truth to Jian Yunxian." But today's series of posts and analyses made him start to seriously consider for the first time what exactly Area A was.
He knew very well that the photo was a trap set by Pei Xiangjin, so all the analyses by scholars and experts on this point, and all the discussions by netizens on this point, were fallacies derived from a lie.
But what about the real Area A? Yi Heye started having trouble sleeping.
They knew far less about the real Area A than they imagined. Over the years, those who secretly ventured out, those who used private drones to take photos, and those who attempted to force their way through all failed. Not only did they fail, but no one even managed to photograph or see what was on the other side of the wall.
Soldiers stationed there, high walls blocking the way, barbed wire fences, magnetic field interference, aerial surveillance... the protective measures they already know of have been stacked up for several kilometers.
What is it that warrants such strict security? If, as they claim, it is merely a secluded paradise for the upper class, is it really necessary to go to such lengths?
Yi Heye thought about it all night in a daze. He didn't know if he couldn't sleep or if he was thinking about it in his dreams. All he knew was that when he woke up the next day, images and content about City A were still rolling around in his mind.
He glanced at the schedule, shook his head, and simply finished washing up before sitting back down at his computer. When he opened it, yesterday's entries had been pushed to a less noticeable place—clearly, the authorities had intervened to some extent under the cover of darkness.
Sure enough, upon clicking on the entry, the highly-rated posts that had generated considerable controversy last night had been deleted, and several influential users had also been given additional bans and account suspensions. The only place where related discussions could still be seen had seen a complete shift in public opinion overnight.
“I don’t think it’s necessary to think so badly of Area A,” someone said. “If you think about it carefully, although Area A hasn’t had direct face-to-face communication with us over the years, they have provided us with a lot of direct and indirect assistance.”
The poster of this thread boasted about posting several long images, which compiled a list of significant scientific and technological achievements, humanities knowledge, and artistic treasures that had been introduced from Area A over the years…
"The smart chips we've used, the textbooks we've read, the beautiful music we've heard—how many of these are treasures gifted to us by Area A..."
This post immediately sparked fierce ridicule from countless netizens.
"Stop kneeling, it's hilarious! When are you going to stand up and speak?"
“The robber stole your things, drove you out of your house, and threw you a piece of bread that was rightfully yours when you were on the verge of starvation. You lay on the ground like a dog, wagging your tail and saying to the robber, ‘Thank you for the gift, master.’”
"Why are they at the forefront of science and technology, humanities and arts? Because they don't have to struggle to make ends meet. They have surplus resources. Only those who are well-off have the leisure and energy to think about these material things."
The blogger who posted this thread was quickly shut down by netizens. She didn't argue with anyone anymore, but that didn't stop the thread from being ridiculed and insulted repeatedly. Soon, a thread completely opposite to the original post's intention was created.
But at this moment, a professor who is usually very popular expressed his opinion:
“In fact, if you look closely at the course of history, Area A has always played a role in cohesion and centripetal force. This is like a mirage in the desert. It may make people lose their way, but it has also always brought the motivation for society to move forward.”
The moment this comment was posted, everyone's first reaction was that the professor's reputation had been ruined. Some said he was blinded by greed and money, while others defended him, saying that in his position, he sometimes had no choice but to speak out.
The professor's words received almost no recognition, and even caused his number of followers on social media to drop significantly. It wasn't until noon that a voice finally stood up for him: "Actually, during the great pollution incident, although Area A did not export a large amount of supplies, it provided a lot of technical support, including the final key pollution recovery technology, which was also provided by Area A. We cannot deny this."
As this comment was posted, more and more people who had been silent stood up—
“I don’t dare to say how fiercely he cursed us this morning. My grandfather wanted to commit suicide with our whole family. The charcoal was already prepared and we were about to light it when a news broadcast suddenly interrupted the broadcast, saying that Area A had sent people to provide support. Although it was just a news report about a few scientists coming to collect samples, and there were no videos or photos of the scientists for the sake of secrecy, we still gave up our suicide attempt after hearing this news, which is why I am still alive today…”
"Indeed, there was a popular saying at the time: 'Just think that there is science on the other side of the wall, and you will feel that you can definitely get through it if you grit your teeth.'"
As Yi Heye looked at these words, he couldn't help but recall the past—he was only five or six years old at the time, had never been to school, had never been in contact with anyone, had contracted pneumonia from breathing polluted air, and at one point felt like he was about to die.
Back then, my mother would tell me over and over again, "The scientists from Area A will come to save you."
This was indeed the belief that allowed him, as a young child, to survive.
Yi Heye once again watched the heated online discussions—he had always lacked the ability and stance to think independently, and seeing everyone sticking to their own opinions, he didn't know who was right and who was wrong. At this moment, Area A was an even more complex and mysterious image in his mind.
Completely tangled, Yi Heye took a deep breath, wiped his face, and shut down the computer. He needed to find someone to help him sort things out.
Half an hour later, in the same coffee shop, Pei Xiangjin sat down across from him. This time, they got straight to the point, and things were much easier to talk about.
"You arranged this?" Yi Heye bombarded him with a question.
Pei Xiangjin didn't speak, only took a sip of coffee. For an extremely cautious police officer, silence was a direct affirmation.
Yi Heye understood what he meant, nodded, and then asked, "Did you hire all of those actors?"
Pei Xiangjin glanced at him, then at the screenshots of comments he had listed in front of him, and chuckled lightly, "I just came up with a few ways for them to argue."
Providing ideas, or to put it bluntly, stirring up trouble, reminded Yi Heye of his previous smooth and effortless efforts to build himself into an idol, and he could only complain: "You should be in the entertainment industry, being a policeman is a waste of your talents."
Pei Xiangjin took the compliment as a compliment and accepted it without question. Just as they were about to have a proper chat about their next plans, an interview video was forcibly inserted onto the huge screen at the crossroads outside the window.
In the video, the interviewer only showed a microphone, while a lamb sat cross-legged on the interviewee's seat, its posture as domineering as an animal king looking down on all others.
"Mr. SHEEP, I understand that you have always lived in Area A. There has been a lot of discussion about Area A online recently, and some people are even trying to bypass the Great Firewall. What are your thoughts or advice on this?"
Yi Heye and Pei Xiangjin stopped talking at the same time and began to look at the little lamb being interviewed.
Based on Yi Heye's understanding of him, this guy was bound to put on airs again, saying things that were infuriating and left people helpless, such as "My advice is to go home and get some sleep, you can dream about anything at night," or "I suggest you all be reincarnated," and so on.
But to my surprise, this time, the guy spoke with unexpected seriousness.
"Most of it is just rumors," Little Sheep said. "If you're really curious, I can do a live stream sometime and give you a proper tour. There's nothing in Area A that you can't see, but please don't have any dangerous thoughts..."
This unexpected answer left Pei Xiangjin and Yi Heye looking at each other in bewilderment. After a long while, Pei Xiangjin finally spoke:
"It seems your partner really doesn't want us to go over and see for ourselves."
Author's Note:
Meow: Meow is too hard
Chapter 150, number 150
Yi Heye glanced at Pei Xiangjin, then at the eloquent little sheep on the screen, and suddenly felt a surge of anger. He sneered, "What the hell does he care if he doesn't want to think about it or not?"
After his plan to go to Area E was thwarted, Yi Heye was already somewhat annoyed. This time, not letting him go to Area A was like igniting a fire in his rebellious heart.
Yi Heye gritted his teeth: "This time, no one can stop me. I'm going to this place."
Pei Xiangjin was satisfied with his attitude: "Good."
Yi Heye let out a cold snort from his nose—initially, he did want to help Jian Yunxian clear his name, but after reading so many discussion posts, his intense curiosity finally arrived belatedly along his long reaction time.
This time it had nothing to do with anyone else; he just wanted to see what it was like on the other side of the wall.
Whether it was a misperception or not, when Yi Heye looked up, the little sheep on the screen seemed to be looking over at him, its eyes filled with a hint of helplessness and a rare weariness.
They looked at each other across the entire street, but the next moment, Yi Heye coldly withdrew his gaze.
While he was drinking his milk with his head down, Pei Xiangjin asked, "Have you ever thought about what if he really..."
Yi Heye understood what he meant—what if he really wasn't a good person, what if he turned the tables and found out that he wasn't innocent, what if the truth was even more cruel than he imagined?
Yi Heye put down the milk in his hand, licked his lips, and never looked up at the little lamb outside the window again.
“I will not compromise on matters of principle,” Yi Heye said. “A hunter’s bullet is never soft.”
This time, Pei Xiangjin was finally willing to loosen his lip a little and share some of his plans. Yi Heye tried to understand—he discovered that planning a "rebellion" was far more complicated than he had imagined, far beyond what he could do with a playful attitude.
“When necessary, we need to draw on other resources for support, such as cybersecurity technology and border control,” Pei Xiangjin said. “But in any case, we must prioritize stability and choose trustworthy people.”
Yi Heye nodded, and as he listened to his tense and authoritative voice, a thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.
When they finished talking, the interview with SHEEP was coming to an end. Instead of parting ways, the two of them went live together.
As expected, SHEEP's announcement that they would take everyone on a tour of Area A immediately caused a huge uproar.
The influx of viewers into the live stream caused a brief disruption to the platform, and SHEEP patiently and meticulously responded to everyone's questions.
How large is Area A exactly?
"I don't have the authority to measure it, but based on my personal experience, it's not much different from the actual area of the BCD zone, maybe a little smaller."
Why is it that outsiders are strictly prohibited from entering Area A?
“My statement does not represent the position of Area A, but as we all know, Area A is the science and technology development center of the entire five districts. There are many classified scientific research and military institutions inside the walls, which are related to the common development of the entire five districts. Therefore, I think it is very reasonable to control access.”
What's your opinion on the claim that people hold surplus resources but remain indifferent during an era of massive pollution?
"This is an absurd claim. First of all, during the period of severe pollution, the A District government did everything in its power to provide technical support to the outside world and help them overcome the difficulties as quickly as possible. I believe that friends with a conscience will not forget this. Secondly, the claim of surplus resources is also baseless. The reserves of materials within A District are only just enough to meet the daily needs of the residents. There is no surplus at all. I think that feeding one's own family members should not be criticized, should it?"
What's so special about the people in Area A? If I get into Tsinghua University, Bayi University, Harvard University, or MIT, will I have a chance to rise above my station?
"...Uh, in Area A, household registration is based solely on birthplace, and there are no plans to issue immigration quotas for the next fifty years. We suggest you find a comfortable pillow and go to sleep early tonight, or perhaps try your luck by being reincarnated, dear~"
Finally hearing those words, Yi Heye looked up at the screen and saw the sentence "Personal opinions do not represent the official position of Area A," and almost burst out laughing—at least this guy is the real deal, SHEEP.
"Mr. SHEEP said he would do a live stream to show us what the inside of Area A looks like. Is this legal? Why would you do this?"
"Of course it's illegal," SHEEP said, eyes wide. "But I've always been a lawless outlaw, so of course I'd be the first to rush in when it comes to something like this!"
The lack of logic has become SHEEP's own unique logic. This obviously ambiguous statement went unquestioned by anyone because of SHEEP's unreliable personality.
But Yi Heye, relying on his understanding of him and his infallible intuition, was certain in his heart that things were not so simple.
"When will you start a live stream to guide us?"
"Give me a few days to prepare. The cops in Area A aren't like the ones over there who just sit around doing nothing."
At this point in the conversation, Pei Xiangjin, who had been eating without doing anything, immediately put on a stern face.
"Damn it," Pei Xiangjin cursed.
Yi Heye was having a good time watching the spectacle and chuckling until Pei Xiangjin shot him a glare, at which point he finally quieted down a bit.
Then Pei Xiangjin said seriously, "What if he really starts a live stream this time?"
Yi Heye also fell silent.
If the live stream can successfully refute the rumors, it seems to prove that there is nothing fishy going on in Area A. Then, is there any need for them to continue investigating?
If he can really eliminate the public's concerns and resolve the grievances that have been built up over time through this live broadcast, then wouldn't all their work during this period have been in vain?
But Yi Heye quickly looked up: "If there are no problems, then we really don't need to go there anymore, right? Our original intention was to solve the problem, not to explore."
"But the premise is that there really are no problems," Yi Heye said.
After the meeting, Yi Heye did not go home, but instead returned to his workplace, which was a long way away.
It was already past closing time, but the office building was still brightly lit.
Yi Heye knew that as soon as SHEEP showed up, the hundreds of people in the entire bureau would once again enter an endless overtime mode.
He parked Xiaoming's car and headed straight for the office building, where he happened to run into Director Li.
The old man and the young man exchanged a glance. Yi Heye remembered that their conflict was not over yet, and thinking of the harsh words the old man had said to him, he lowered his head and did not say another word.
In the instant they brushed past each other, a sudden intuition surged into his heart. Yi Heye paused tentatively, halting his steps towards the dormitory area and turning directly towards the classified archives room.
As expected, Director Li neither asked him what he was going to do nor stopped him.
Along the way, even the usual strict security was nowhere to be seen, and the classified computers that usually required high-level privileges to access were "just happened" to be left on.
He sat down at the computer, and the page happened to be on the relevant index for section A. Without thinking, he clicked on it. There was nothing else on it, only a border control and garrison regulations—