The other nine people, not being criminals, did not live in the protected area. Based on this analysis, it seems the murderer was afraid these people who had left the protected area would return to the walled area, making this act appear to be an attempt to silence them.
“In addition, there was another major discovery,” LOPO said. “After our last intrusion into Area A, we tried to resample the signals from Area A and found subtle differences from the signals detected in the ISSAC and Lost Lamb events.”
Yi Heye's mind was initially in a daze, but his eyes immediately lit up upon hearing this.
"Based on repeated comparisons and judgments, we can be almost certain that the signal source detected earlier was deliberately disguised as an IP address from area A," LOPO said. "In fact, the real source should be in area E."
Upon hearing this, Yi Heye's hands began to tremble with excitement.
"In other words, it can now be basically confirmed that this series of cases was deliberately framed against SHEEP—the real culprit is currently hiding in Area E."
Author's Note:
Beep beep! Attention all tourists, the final leg of your journey is about to begin!
====
Let me explain again, just in case I haven't made myself clear:
The terrain of the entire Fifth District is like a target, with one ring inside another. From the center outwards, they are in the order of A, B, C, D, and E. The innermost small circle of District E is a protected area spontaneously established by the criminals. Outside the circle is the rest of District E. All 21 people who died this time had been outside the protected area and then escaped back inside the walls.
If you still have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments section!
This story will conclude with 180 chapters of main text, along with 20 extra chapters. Thank you all for your continued support!
Chapter 167 (Number 167)
As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the entire venue became excited.
The move to Area A did not lead to the solving of all the old cases, but rather to the unsolved cases being left unresolved. This fact greatly dampened the confidence of the task force, and all government agencies, from top to bottom, experienced a long period of depression.
This time, the clear answer was like a beacon in the darkness of unconsciousness, illuminating the path ahead for everyone who was lost.
The SHEEP incident seems to have become an unspoken regret and guilt in everyone's hearts since then. This time, evidence proving his innocence has been found, which can be regarded as a way for everyone to make amends after the fact.
What's truly exciting is that evidence related to the case in Area E has finally been found—proving that outsiders finally have a reason and an excuse to invade the interior.
After LOPO finished reporting the news, the meeting host arranged for everyone to have a free discussion. Yi Heye was not allowed to speak on his microphone, and no one was allowed to discuss privately. So he paid close attention to the content of the speeches of the various responsible persons, nervously picking at his fingers in front of the screen.
After a ten-minute open discussion, the meeting chair arranged a secret ballot on "whether to immediately send a special task force to Area E for investigation." Sixty percent of the votes supported the cross-area investigation, giving the majority of voters a slight advantage.
The trip to Area E was immediately put on the agenda, and after the commander-in-chief announced the results, a special task force was immediately formed.
"Since we cannot rule out the possibility that the management of Zone E concealed or assisted in the entire case, our investigation should not be publicized. Therefore, while ensuring that all participants are included, the number of people involved should be as small as possible," the commander-in-chief said. "Please ask the leaders of each unit to study this and arrange for well-rounded and highly capable personnel to participate, and ensure that they are trustworthy members of our own team."
Yi Heye's heart was pounding in his throat—he knew that Director Li didn't want him to participate from the beginning, but this time it was indeed his boss's decision, and he was afraid that if Director Li chose someone else, all his efforts would be in vain.
The security department was the first to confirm Pei Xiangjin, and Yi Heye breathed a sigh of relief—at least this guy was reliable, and whether he could go or not, he wouldn't be the wrong choice.
Next, the commander-in-chief began to ask for the opinions of the cyber security team. They recommended LOPO. This girl had Song Zhouzhou backing her up, and her non-human physique could indeed play a significant role in many situations. In addition, she was skilled in both literature and martial arts, so she was quickly selected.
Yi Heye clenched his fists. He was afraid that LOPO's functions would overlap with his own, so the leaders would no longer consider him for selection. However, the commander said that they still needed to arrange an AI hunter, so he was slightly relieved.
Yi Heye lowered his head, looking at his phone, sweating nervously—he had never begged anyone so humbly in his life, but this time, seeing Director Li's indecisive attitude, he couldn't help but send a private message:
"Director Li, please, please let me go! I've been preparing for this whole time, and my physical fitness has improved. I even got first place in the bureau's martial arts test recently. I'm perfectly capable of this position!"
Not long after the message was sent, the commander-in-chief spoke first: "Li Ren, I've heard that Yi Heye from your unit has performed well, and he made a great contribution in the mission in Area A..."
When Yi Heye heard that the commander-in-chief had singled him out, his eyes immediately lit up.
This time it should be safe. Just as this thought crossed his mind, Director Li slowly said, "This child was injured in the previous mission, and his condition may not be good."
Yi Heye's heart sank, but when he looked up and saw that Pei Xiangjin's microphone was on, he knew he had permission to speak, so he immediately swallowed his pride and sent a message: "Help me!! Please say something for me!!"
After a few seconds of silence, Yi Heye heard him cough twice.
"In my humble opinion, no one is more suitable than Yi Heye," Pei Xiangjin said. "From a strategic perspective, Yi Heye's personal strength is absolutely top-notch in the Artificial Intelligence Administration. He also achieved outstanding results in your unit's recent test. From this point of view, there is no problem with his condition. In fact, it can be said that no one is in better condition than him."
At this moment, Yi Heye's gratitude towards Pei Xiangjin was overflowing, and he even considered wiping the slate clean of their past grievances.
But Director Li was clearly displeased upon hearing this: "Actually, I don't want to say these things out loud, but those who are close to our unit should know that Yi Heye and SHEEP have a personal relationship. The previous incident had a great psychological impact on him, and from the perspective of the principle of recusal, he is not suitable to participate in this case anymore."
Yi Heye was shocked that Director Li would bring this up in front of so many people. He felt a chill run down his spine.
But Pei Xiangjin did not give up. Instead, he calmly said, "That's precisely why I feel that he must be involved in this matter."
"It's undeniable that Yi Heye has strong personal feelings about this case, and his involvement might even be motivated by impure motives. But I believe that it is precisely because of these emotions and obsessions that a breakthrough can be made at a critical moment," Pei Xiangjin said. "The leaders should be clear that going to Area E is not a simple matter. Even without considering whether other comrades are psychologically willing to participate, just the fact that others have concerns outside the wall could very well become a reason for hesitation and retreat at a critical moment."
Upon hearing this, Director Li immediately became angry, his previous politeness vanishing: "What do you mean by that? Yi Heye is all alone and has no ties, so it's okay to choose to sacrifice him at a crucial moment?"
Pei Xiangjin spoke, but his tone remained cold: "That's just how it is. In such a hostile mission environment, we need people who can be sacrificed at crucial moments. Yi Heye is obsessed with the case and has no relatives outside the walls, so he is the best candidate."
This all-too-familiar, cold attitude of treating people as tools left Director Li speechless with anger. Yi Heye also felt a pang of discomfort upon hearing it, but then he thought that as long as the outcome was good, it didn't matter how he was treated.
Moreover, Pei Xiangjin was absolutely right. If someone has to sacrifice themselves when necessary, who else can we rely on if someone like me doesn't step up?
Li Ju's silence gave Pei Xiangjin the upper hand. He continued slowly and deliberately, "There's no need to worry about the psychological state issue that Li Ju mentioned. If it were a solo operation, I would never recommend Yi Heye. However, in teamwork, as a relatively calm member who knows him well, I am confident and capable of adjusting his state. My rather reserved way of thinking also needs to be balanced by someone with his drive and willingness to break through. I believe our cooperation can complement each other's strengths and achieve the best results."
After speaking, Director Li remained in a long and helpless silence, and Yi Heye knew that things were almost settled.
Sure enough, the commander-in-chief also became interested in Yi Heye and asked, "Did Yi Heye attend the meeting? Let's hear his own opinion?"
Yi Heye's eyes lit up immediately. He turned on the microphone in front of him and nervously said, "I really want to go. Please, leader, give me this opportunity."
"Alright," the commander-in-chief said, "You're the one."
After the meeting, Yi Heye wanted to apologize to Director Li again, but the old man was too angry to answer his calls.
Having no other choice, Yi Heye hurriedly ran to the security department to meet up with Pei Xiangjin and the others.
When he arrived at the scene, all the members of the combat team were already there—besides himself, Pei Xiangjin, and LOPO, there was only Yu Yili.
Yu Yili signed up on his own initiative, driven entirely by curiosity and a desire to explore. Coincidentally, the team was short of a medical support staff member, and Yu Yili's skills were maxed out. He could see the dead and heal the living. Although his marksmanship wasn't great, he was still a police officer, so he was definitely much better than the other candidates.
This guy is truly capable of doing the work of several people, so Pei Xiangjin couldn't stop him. Just like Yi Heye, he was directly poached by the commander, bypassing his own leader.
Clearly, Pei Xiangjin was also extremely reluctant to involve Yu Yili: "Now I can understand why Director Li wanted to kill me."
Yu Yili just laughed and said, pinching his upturned collar, "I'm Captain Pei's personal image assistant. Wherever Captain Pei goes, I go."
Pei Xiangjin angrily reached out and slapped his hand down.
After taking his seat, Yi Heye first expressed his awkward gratitude to Pei Xiangjin, and then joined the discussion on the battle.
"Just like the commander-in-chief said, this is a secret operation, and it is not appropriate to publicize it. The infiltration must also be reasonable," Pei Xiangjin said. "The higher-ups have already sent people to help us arrange our 'resume'. Tomorrow morning, we will receive the court's judgment."
Unlike Area A, where they were united and shared a common enemy, allowing for a high-profile infiltration, this time they needed to enter without the knowledge of the Area E border control bureau. The best approach was to "legitimize" their entry.
“Because our team happens to be the same one that participated in the operation in Area A last time, they will uniformly assign us the ‘charge’ of ‘trespassing into a restricted area and causing a serious negative social impact,’ with the maximum penalty of ‘permanent exile.’ At the latest, by tomorrow afternoon, a prison van will take us all to Area E,” Pei Xiangjin said. “If we get out safely, these sentences can be overturned at any time, so there’s no need to worry. We need to use the remaining time to prepare and discuss what essential items to bring. This is going to be a tough battle, and we must be cautious.”
Yi Heye clenched his fists—he hadn't felt this tension and excitement in a long time.
The following afternoon, the group packed their luggage, changed into prison clothes, and waited in front of the courthouse for the prison van to pick them up.
Yi Heye stood silently to one side, his backpack stuffed full.
Baggage security checks are a court matter, so they can bring almost anything they want.
In addition to a whole bunch of necessary tools, Yi Heye also secretly brought along Xiao Yunduo's little yellow duck.
Director Li was still angry with himself and couldn't find anyone. Before leaving, he could only entrust Xiaoyunduo to Zhou Wenkai.
If he had any lingering attachments outside the wall, besides the old man he had fallen out with before leaving, it was only his two-hundred-pound son.
He felt a little sorry for Xiaoyunduo. That child had been wandering outside for so long, just to stay with him, but he had heartlessly left her behind, not even knowing if she would ever come back.
If he dies, how long will Zhou Wenkai still care for it? Will Little Cloud become an orphan? How long will it take for it to forget him?
Just then, the prison van landed. Yi Heye followed the group into the van, found a corner where no one would notice him, and quietly took the little yellow duck out of his bag to play with.
I'm so mean; I took away Little Cloud's most treasured toys just so I could have something to remember her by.
He played with the duck, listening to the sound of the prison van slowly taking off outside the window. The excitement he had been building up for so long was unexpectedly overwhelmed by his uncontrollable longing.
Just as he was staring at the duck in a daze, someone touched his hand, causing him to lose his grip on the duck and drop it to the ground.
The guy who touched him was wearing a sweater, and the fuzzy sweater rubbed against his hand, startling Yi Heye.
He was about to bend down and pick up the ducklings while cursing when he suddenly remembered something—who wears a sweater in the middle of summer?
When I looked up, I saw a pair of bright, beady eyes staring at me, and the little yellow duck that had fallen was being picked up.
Yi Heye looked up at Xiaoyunduo, who was biting her toy like a dog, begging for praise. It took him more than ten seconds to react before he muttered a curse in shock:
"Holy crap, how did you get here?!"
Author's Note:
Little Cloud: You keep saying you love me, but after you came here you complain about me. You scumbag dad!
Chapter 168 (Number 168)
The moment Yi Heye saw the little cloud, all his longing and tenderness turned into utter shock.
But clearly, the silly child in front of him had no idea whatsoever; she simply rubbed her hand against his palm with obvious delight, seemingly thinking it was a sparkling surprise.
"Meow~"
In that instant, countless thoughts and ideas flashed through Yi Heye's mind. Finally, he leaned out of the car window, and after confirming that the prison van had already taken off, he realized that throwing the sheep out of the window might kill passersby or injure the ground, so he could only shrink back in horror.
After staring at the innocent-looking little lamb for a moment, Yi Heye could only swallow back the curses and scoldings he was about to unleash, sighed deeply, and hugged the child closer to his chest.
What else can we do? We're already here.
"It's dangerous outside, don't run around, be obedient, understand?" Yi Heye instructed in a low voice.
The lamb nuzzled his cheek and replied, "Baa~"
...I don't know if I really understood or just pretended to understand.
Besides them, there was a whole carload of other prisoners from the same cohort on the bus. Since walls have ears and too much talk can lead to mistakes, the group simply pretended not to know each other and remained silent the entire way.
Perhaps everyone knows what kind of place Zone E is; the entire car was filled with a deathly sense of despair.
After all, in an era without the death penalty, exile was the most severe punishment. Once you crossed that wall, it meant that your life had come to a broken end.
The prison van had a dedicated air route, making the journey from Zone B to the boundary of Zone E much faster than Yi Heye had imagined.
In the short time it took him to doze off while holding Little Cloud, the prison cart had already slowly descended from the sky.