Before he decided to go to A, Director Li had never tried to stop him like this.
He still remembers when he first joined the unit, Director Li told one of the new recruits: "Don't expect me to pull you back when you encounter danger. Once you've entered this line of work, you've decided that your life is no longer your own. Danger, injury, and even death are all part of your profession."
As it turned out, although Director Li doted on him, he never lowered his standards for Yi Heye because of the so-called danger—no matter how serious his injuries were, he would never stop him from playing when it was his turn. Even when Yi Heye risked committing a crime by recklessly entering Area A, he would turn a blind eye. But this time, however…
Yi Heye lay in bed, looking at the Milky Way hanging from the ceiling, tossing and turning—
Was I really going to my death on this trip?
It was a very difficult night. Yi Heye, who had been suffering from insomnia for several days, finally couldn't take it anymore and had to take the medicine prescribed by the doctor before he could finally fall asleep, feeling quite uncomfortable.
When he woke up, the interrogation of Lu Qing and the other person had already ended. Pei Xiangjin had personally interrogated them, and now several leaders were gathered together for a case discussion meeting.
Seeing Yi Heye passing by the office door and peering inside, Director Li sighed and simply waved him in.
Yi Heye sat down with droopy eyelids, dozing off as he listened to their conversation.
"It is understood that Lu Qing and Chen Yueqi were both sent to District E by local authorities for committing murder. They met in District E and successfully developed a romantic relationship..."
Yi Heye raised his head: "A murder case?"
“Hmm,” Pei Xiangjin said. “Lu Qing accidentally killed the bully who was bullying her, while Chen Yueqi killed her stepfather who abused her when she was sixteen.”
They were all pitiful people, but they had indeed committed crimes. Considering their character, Yi Heye didn't seem surprised.
“Five years ago, they hid in a prison van that came to E District to transport new prisoners. Because the supervision system was not perfect at the time, they escaped very easily,” Pei Xiangjin said. “It can be confirmed that their actions that time were indeed spontaneous and were not instructed by anyone.”
Yi Heye: "You escaped on your own?"
“Yes.” Pei Xiangjin nodded. “At that time, quite a few people actually escaped from prison, but most of them went into hiding, making it very difficult to track them down.”
At this point, the head of the Health Management Committee said, "Actually, if we trace back, we can find that there have been several outbreaks of infectious diseases of unknown cause in the three districts, which were brought back from outside the walls by the escapees. These include the novel influenza outbreak that caused so many deaths two years ago, and the S-type bacillus that was contained before it could spread. All of these are related to the continuous prison break activities. However, the index case of several related infectious diseases has already died from the disease, so we cannot find other escapees to investigate."
"As for Zhao Qiangqiang, who was murdered a few days ago, we have also conducted a detailed investigation into his identity." Pei Xiangjin pulled up a file. "He was sent to District E three years ago for rape and murder, and escaped from District E two months ago."
“Because of several large-scale prison breaks, the E-zone Border Management Bureau has significantly strengthened border control in recent years, and prison breaks have almost stopped happening in the last year or two,” Pei Xiangjin said. “Regarding Zhao Qiangqiang’s prison break, we have applied to the E-zone Border Management Bureau for assistance in the investigation. We cannot yet determine how he left E-zone, but we can be certain that it would be absolutely impossible for Zhao Qiangqiang to cross the border under the nose of the Border Management Bureau by himself.”
This corresponds to Yi Heye's speculation about the AI jailbreak incident—it seems that there is indeed a stronger force behind them, attempting to find a so-called correct path through their trial and error and sacrifice.
"Because Lu Qing and Chen Yueqi were most likely implicated because of their contact with Zhao Qiangqiang, we plan to focus our investigation on Zhao Qiangqiang and the jailbroken AI," Pei Xiangjin said. "The cyber security department is trying to reconstruct their previous activity patterns as much as possible, hoping to find some commonalities. Our security department is also starting with recent cases of unnatural deaths to see if we can find more samples for analysis."
As the meeting progressed, Yi Heye's already sluggish brain couldn't keep up anymore, so he could only bury his face in his arms, unable to fall asleep, but feeling extremely tired.
The medication left him completely drained, yet he wasn't quite at the point where he could fall asleep. The indescribable fatigue left him exhausted, but he felt helpless.
Director Li is right. The investigation will take some time. The most urgent task is to get back into the right mindset so that we can be ready to be dispatched anytime, anywhere.
What happens after that? Yi Heye thought sadly—what happens after the mission is completed? He'll climb back over the wall, continue to be hailed as a so-called hero, spend some time healing his wounds, and then, when he's almost healed, be stuffed into the next mission?
As Yi Heye thought about this, he suddenly felt tired and desperate. He knew that he was using work to numb his emotions, but even so, he still had to endure the insomnia, headaches, weakness, and nausea that would come up whenever he had a spare moment.
Moreover, he had absolutely no confidence that he could get out of this state. Would there ever be an end to this kind of illness where he didn't seek medical treatment, relied on mental anesthesia to cover up the pain again and again, and couldn't control every step he took as he fell downward?
I wish I hadn't gone to Area A.
If only that shot had hit me instead.
Harboring this suffocating feeling, Yi Heye self-destructively shoved himself into the training room.
Under such extreme mental and physical exhaustion, Yi Heye could hear his heart pounding under the strain, as if he could have a heart attack and die at any moment. Ironically, this made him feel unusually at ease.
Perhaps he could get a good night's sleep when he was exhausted, or perhaps not. When Yi Heye got off the training machine, he stumbled and almost lost his balance, but when he saw the figure of another person in front of him, his pride made him stand up straight.
Across from him was Pei Xiangjin, who handed him a bottle of post-training nutritional supplements. Yi Heye didn't drink it and simply put it aside.
“I heard from Director Li that you really want to visit Area E,” Pei Xiangjin asked.
"Yes." Yi Heye looked up at him. "Aren't you going?"
“I will definitely go if I am needed,” Pei Xiangjin said. “Judging from the current situation, the possibility of me going is very high.”
Yi Heye glanced at him but remained silent.
"But have you really thought this through?" Pei Xiangjin asked. "What you are about to face is not Area A, which is built on fantasy and utopia, but Area E, which is filled with sin and suffering. The high wall in front of us is no longer class and law, but real life and death."
"If you're not afraid, why should I be?" Yi Heye chuckled calmly, a faint shadow of darkness seemingly flashing across his eyes.
"Moreover, the day I returned from Area A, the wall between life and death no longer existed for me."
Chapter 166, number 166
Pei Xiangjin looked at Yi Heye for a long time before sighing and saying:
"Do you need to see a different therapist? Yu Yili knows someone who does..."
"Thank you, but no need," Yi Heye said with a wry smile. "I feel pretty good right now."
Unable to bear the man's hesitant expression any longer, Yi Heye patted him on the shoulder and laughed, "When did you change your ways? Didn't you used to desperately want me to have mental problems so you could pry information out of me?"
Pei Xiangjin said helplessly, "We have no personal grudges between us. The official matters have been resolved, so why should I always make things difficult for you?"
Yi Heye finally recovered and drank the bottle of nutrients in two gulps. The stuff tasted so bad that he frowned, but it also made him feel a slight recovery of his physical strength.
He smacked his lips twice before slowly saying with drooping eyes, "Anyone can see that I didn't want to kill him at all. If I could do it all over again, I definitely wouldn't do it. So don't think I'm innocent. I'm on the same side as the bad guys."
Looking at him like this, Pei Xiangjin hesitated for a long time before saying, "I believe SHEEP isn't a bad person..."
Yi Heye's mind was still slowly blanking out when he heard those words, and he looked up almost instantly: "What?"
Seeing that Pei Xiangjin didn't speak, Yi Heye finally couldn't help but ask in a low and humble voice, "What did you see over there, didn't you?"
In that instant, Pei Xiangjin regretted speaking. He hesitated for a long time before saying, "...I don't have any evidence yet, which is why I want to find the real culprit—if my unit assigns me to go to Zone E, I will definitely go."
Upon hearing this, Yi Heye's eyes instantly reddened, but he stubbornly refused to shed tears in front of Pei Xiangjin, letting his eyes burn.
He thought of the online frenzy, and of the shot he had been forced to fire.
He knew he couldn't blame Pei Xiangjin and the others for misunderstanding Jian Yunxian, nor could he blame everyone for wanting to kill him. The truth hadn't come out yet, so all the speculations were reasonable.
After a long pause, Yi Heye could only choke back a sob and force a smile that looked more like a grimace: "Right? I told you he didn't do it..."
That night, Yi Heye held Xiaoyunduo in his arms, unable to cry. He could only fall asleep amidst Xiaoyunduo's even breathing and the fatigue accumulated throughout the day. However, his sleep was restless, as he was always suddenly awakened by gunshots in his dreams.
Every time he woke up, he would disturb the fat sheep sleeping soundly in his arms. The guy had a good temper and was not annoyed when he was woken up. He would just rub against his neck and lick his face in a daze, coaxing and cajoling Yi Heye to continue sleeping peacefully.
When I woke up, I was still in a daze and feeling unwell. But when I opened my eyes, Little Cloud was curled up in my arms, and I could faintly smell a familiar sandalwood scent.
Yi Heye would no longer mistake this little lamb for Jian Yunxian. This aura only made him feel at ease and secure, which was why he risked the bed collapsing to sleep with Little Cloud in his arms.
Unfortunately, Xiaoming is too tough, and the smell of gasoline on him isn't pleasant either. Otherwise, he would love to wrap himself up completely with one arm in each hand when he sleeps, so he wouldn't have to worry about having nothing behind him when he closes his eyes.
After resting in bed for a long time, the two of them finally got out of bed reluctantly to wash up.
A few days ago, Director Li specially arranged for a set of furniture for Little Cloud in the dormitory, including a low table, a small stool, a small washbasin and a small bathtub that were matched to its height. This way, it can take care of itself easily, and Yi Heye doesn't need to worry too much about its daily life.
Little Cloud learns quickly. In just two days, she has already learned to stand upright on both feet by the sink to brush her teeth and wash her face.
"Gurgle, tui~" It spat out the mouthwash and looked up at Yi Heye.
Yi Heye skillfully picked up a wet wipe and cleaned the foam from its mouth. After a while, he praised, "Great, smells so good!"
Little Cloud happily rushed out of the washroom to play with its rubber duck.
Yi Heye stared blankly at the plump white figure—thankfully, he had Xiaoyunduo to live to this day.
As Yi Heye was groggily getting up to go to work, he noticed a new message. Opening it, he saw it was from Pei Xiangjin.
“I have a gut feeling that the truth of the case is related to Area E. We are working hard to find relevant evidence. I hope you can cheer up and personally clear his name.”
Yi Heye hesitated for a long time, then remembered the online criticism and condemnation of SHEEP, and his nose began to sting again.
He thought for a moment, then replied with just two words: "Thank you."
Yi Heye has stopped taking his medication on his own initiative for many days, and without the control of drugs, his mental state is visibly deteriorating.
He looked at the words again and remembered what Director Li had said: if he couldn't recover properly, he might not approve his trip to Zone E.
After hesitating for a moment, Yi Heye turned around, poured a glass of warm water, and poured out a handful of medicine—even if he had to force himself to stay strong, he had to pull himself together.
Director Li noticed that Yi Heye's condition seemed to be visibly improving.
Although he remained silent and didn't seem particularly enthusiastic, his routine gradually became more regular, and his physical training proceeded smoothly. A few days ago, he even took the initiative to request counseling from a psychologist, indicating that he was subjectively inclined to improve.
Yi Heye himself felt that the psychological pressure and burden had not lessened much, but his physical functions were indeed slowly recovering. Although he still couldn't hold a gun, his physical strength, agility, and explosiveness had reached or even surpassed their previous levels through regular training.
After all, it seems that he can only fight in close combat for now. To make up for the lack of guns, he needs to get himself into better shape.
During a martial arts test over the weekend, Yi Heye swept through the entire arena with his bare hands without choosing any weapons. This result reassured him, and he knew he was ready to return to the battlefield at any time.
One morning not long after, the case seemed to have made some progress and breakthroughs, and several organizations jointly held an online seminar.
Upon hearing this, Yi Heye immediately rushed back from the training room. This time, LOPO also represented the Cyber Security Center at the meeting, and Yi Heye knew that there was hope for the case.
The first to speak was from the Security Department. Pei Xiangjin immediately threw out a huge pile of case files, densely covering the screen, making Yi Heye feel nauseous.
"After the last meeting, the Security Department conducted a comprehensive screening of abnormal death cases over the past year and asked the forensic team to conduct a new autopsy and study of the bodies that had not yet been cremated," Pei Xiangjin reported. "After repeated comparison and confirmation, 21 people were identified as fugitives from Zone E. After we drafted the list, we immediately submitted it to the Cyber Security Center for further tracking of their activities."
As soon as he finished speaking, the personnel information and death reports of these 21 people appeared on the screen, and Yi Heye casually clicked to view them—
Of these 21 people, 12 were deported to District E for committing crimes, and the information of the remaining 9 is unknown, but they are very likely native residents of District E.
Among these individuals, each death was carefully concealed as an accident, with most being drowning or electrocution, and a small number being car accidents, etc. When the cases were initially reported, they were not classified as criminal cases, and therefore did not attract immediate attention.
After the brief report, the camera switched to LOPO, the newly appointed spokesperson and brand ambassador for the Cybersecurity Center.
She stared at a head of very cute pigtails, and began to report the case with a serious expression:
"Because Area E has imposed a certain degree of information blockade on Area 3, we can only make a general judgment on the overall situation of Area E based on the accounts of fugitives, past video materials, and some historical records, and summarize them in combination with our actual exploration results."
"It is understood that the overall natural environment of Zone E is harsh and the living conditions are very difficult. Due to the existence of too many unknown factors, the criminals who were sent to Zone E for crimes have spontaneously established so-called protected areas and do not allow anyone in the protected areas to enter or leave without permission. Otherwise, they will spontaneously carry out sanctions against them."
As he spoke, LOPO displayed a virtual 3D model on the screen. In the image, several simple self-built houses were all crammed tightly against high walls, densely packed together, surrounded by spontaneously erected fences and electric fences.
In this light, it appears that the crowd is trying to gather as close to the center as possible and attempting to isolate themselves from the outside world.
“These self-built, isolated defense systems were equipped with simple facial recognition systems. My husband spent two days overcoming the difficulties of network connectivity to access the information inside the facial recognition system,” LOPO said, arranging several facial recognition photos on the screen.
Yi Heye glanced at it, and his eyes widened immediately.
These 12 photos are exactly the 12 criminals who escaped from the wall that Pei Xiangjin just displayed.
It's important to know that the protected area is right next to the high wall of the E zone boundary. People inside the zone don't need to cross these security systems to escape from the E zone; they can simply escape in a direction away from the center.
In other words, without exception, all of these people left the protected area first, then returned inside the wall, and were killed inside the wall.