112: Chapter 112 The Perilous Dark Web! A Snack Street Hides Dangers, Cleverly Drawing an Ambush in a Desperate Situation (4)

About ten minutes later, the man suspected to be Liu Hao returned. His face remained expressionless, looking no different from before, but Mu Li could clearly feel that his gaze was sharper and colder than before, with a hint of imperceptible killing intent and resolution in the depths of his eyes. Clearly, he had finished communicating with the person behind him, received clear instructions, and was ready to take action.

He walked straight to Mu Li's table, sat down opposite him without the slightest hesitation, and the chair scraped against the ground, making a harsh sound that shattered the lively atmosphere around them and raised Mu Li's vigilance to the peak. He leaned forward slightly, lowered his voice, and spoke coldly without any superfluous nonsense, getting straight to the point: "You are Mu Li? The chief engineer of the nuclear fusion power station project?"

Mu Li looked up, feigning a look of surprise, with a trace of doubt and panic in his eyes, put down his chopsticks, subconsciously shrunk his body back, and said with a hint of uncertainty: "Who are you? How do you know me? I... I am Mu Li, but I am just a regular technician on the project, not some chief engineer. You must have mistaken me for someone else."

"A regular technician?" The man suspected to be Liu Hao laughed disdainfully, his laughter deep and cold, carrying a hint of mockery. He leaned his body slightly forward, staring fixedly into Mu Li's eyes, trying to find a flaw in his gaze, and said in a cold tone: "Engineer Mu, stop acting. We have been investigating you for a long time. Your identity, your whereabouts, your every move—we know it all like the back of our hand, so there is no need to pretend anymore. Who I am is not important; what is important is that our boss wants to make a deal with you, a deal that is beneficial to both of us."

He paused for a moment, his tone softening slightly, yet still carrying a hint of oppression: "Our boss is very interested in the nuclear fusion power station project you are in charge of, especially the project's core data. As long as you hand over the project's core data to us, we will give you a large sum of money, enough for you to live in luxury for the rest of your life, never having to work hard again, and never having to bear such great pressure. Think about it carefully; this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If you miss it, it will be gone forever."

Mu Li sneered in his heart; it was indeed for the project's core data, exactly as he had speculated. The ambition of the 'Dark Web Phantom' was far greater than he had imagined; they wanted to steal the nation's core secrets and sabotage the nation's key projects, with extremely malicious intentions. But Mu Li did not show any anger, still pretending to be hesitant, frowning with a look of conflict and difficulty, and said in a troubled tone: "core data? That is a state secret, something our entire project team worked hard to research. I cannot give it to you. This is my duty, and it is also my bottom line. Besides, I am not short of money. I just want to do the project well and complete the task assigned to us by the nation. As for everything else, I don't want any of it."

"State secret? Duty? Bottom line?" The man suspected to be Liu Hao scoffed disdainfully, his tone filled with thick mockery, as if he had heard something extremely ridiculous: "In the face of money, these are all worthless. Engineer Mu, I advise you to be sensible and not refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit. Do you think that if you don't agree, you can keep the core data? Do you think you can protect this project?"

As he spoke, he took a black bank card out of his pocket and placed it gently on Mu Li's table. The bank card gleamed with a cold luster under the light, and his tone carried a hint of temptation as well as a hint of threat: "There is ten million in here. As long as you hand over the core data to us, this card is yours; the password is six eights. If you don't agree, bear the consequences. I can tell you clearly: since we were able to find you, we have a way to make you obey. When the time comes, not only will you be in danger, but your family and your team members will all be implicated. Their safety will be out of your hands."

Mu Li glanced at the bank card on the table, his fingertips twitched slightly, and a flash of imperceptible coldness crossed his eyes. He was even more certain that this man was from the 'Dark Web Phantom', and that his methods were ruthless, stopping at nothing to achieve his goals. He feigned a look of fear, his body trembled slightly, his hands gripped the edge of the table tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force, and with a look of fear and panic in his eyes, he said in a pleading tone: "You... what do you want to do? I really cannot give the core data to you. This is illegal. You should just leave, don't come looking for me again, I beg you."

Seeing Mu Li's reaction, a flash of triumph crossed the eyes of the man suspected to be Liu Hao, and the corner of his mouth curled into a look of disdain. He thought that Mu Li had already been scared by him and had begun to compromise, and his own vigilance also relaxed a little. He leaned back against the chair, crossed his arms, and his tone became even fiercer, with a hint of impatience: "It seems you are choosing the hard way. I tell you, we don't have that much time to waste on nonsense with you, and we don't have the patience to play along with you. If you don't agree, not only will you die, but your family and your team members will all pay the price for you. I mean what I say, and I will never break my word."

"You... don't do anything reckless!" Mu Li pretended to be even more afraid, his voice trembling slightly, his eyes filled with fear and despair. He lowered his head, feigning helplessness, and after a moment of silence, he slowly looked up, with a hint of hesitation and pleading in his eyes: "I... I need to think about it. Give me some time, okay? This matter is too big. I can't make a decision all of a sudden. I need to think about it carefully."

"Fine, I will give you half an hour to consider." The man suspected to be Liu Hao stood up, his tone cold, with a hint of warning in his eyes: "Half an hour later, I will still be waiting for you here. You must give me a clear answer. If you agree, we will take you to get the core data. Once we get the data, we will let you go immediately, and this bank card will be given to you. If you don't agree, don't blame us for being impolite. When the time comes, I will let you know what it means to wish for death." After speaking, he stopped looking at Mu Li, turned around, and left the Snack Street without looking back, walking towards the village entrance, his figure soon disappearing into the crowd.

Watching the man's retreating figure, the fear, terror, and panic on Mu Li's face vanished in an instant, replaced by cold eyes and a firm expression. There were no ripples in the depths of his eyes, only a hint of imperceptible sharpness and resolution. He reached out, picked up the bank card on the table, examined it carefully, and then carefully put it into his pocket—this was important evidence, ironclad proof of the 'Dark Web Phantom' attempting to steal state secrets and coerce him, and it must absolutely not be lost.

He immediately took out his encrypted mobile phone, quickly edited an encrypted message, and sent it to Zhang Hongyuan: [Target has taken the bait, identity confirmed, definitely a member of the 'Dark Web Phantom', using the alias Liu Hao. The core objective is to demand the core data of the nuclear fusion power station project. He has used money and threats to coerce me, and I have kept the bank card as evidence. The other party gave me half an hour to consider; it is expected that they will gather accomplices during this time and prepare to force me to hand over the core data. Have security personnel and plainclothes law enforcement officers fully prepared, keep a close watch on the surroundings, and once the other party makes a move, immediately close the net. Pay attention to concealment, do not expose identities, and avoid injuring innocent bystanders.]

[part:gemini-3.0-flash]

Less than a minute after the message was sent, Zhang Hongyuan replied with a hint of urgency and determination: [Received, Engineer Mu. Security personnel and plainclothes law enforcement are all in position and fully prepared. We are closely monitoring the situation in the Snack Street and surrounding areas. We have identified several suspicious individuals suspected to be the other party's accomplices. Please prioritize your safety, do not provoke them, and try to delay as much as possible to cooperate with our operation. We will monitor your location throughout the process and will arrive to support you immediately if danger arises.]

Mu Li put away his phone and sat back in his chair, once again putting on a look of anxiety and panic. He looked toward the village entrance from time to time, his hands tightly clasped, fingers rubbing unconsciously, pretending to be hesitant and in agony. He perfectly played the role of an ordinary person being threatened and coerced, yet helpless.

He knew the next half hour would be the most critical and dangerous moment. The other party would likely use this time to gather more accomplices, lurking in every corner of the Snack Street to surround it, preparing to force him to hand over the core data. They might even set traps in advance; if he refused, they would immediately act to kidnap him. He had to continue acting and stalling for time, waiting for the security and plainclothes officers to be fully prepared and for the best moment to close the net.

The Snack Street remained bustling, the lively atmosphere thick with the shouts of vendors and the chatter of pedestrians. However, Mu Li's heart was cold, and his nerves were strained to the limit. His gaze swept through the crowd like a hawk, attempting to identify all the "Dark Web Phantom" members lurking in the shadows, confirming their numbers and positions to assist in the subsequent capture.

Soon, his gaze landed on several suspicious individuals—they wore ordinary clothes, indistinguishable from the surrounding pedestrians and tourists, but their expressions were unusually alert. Their eyes were fixed on Mu Li's position, and they occasionally exchanged glances or signals. They were distributed across the various exits and hidden corners of the Snack Street, forming an invisible perimeter that trapped Mu Li firmly within. Clearly, these people were "Liu Hao's" accomplices and members of the "Dark Web Phantom," ready to strike at any moment.

Mu Li silently calculated that there were about five or six of them, all tall and fierce-looking, clearly not people to be trifled with. Their positions were cleverly distributed, allowing them to monitor his every move while being able to quickly surround him and prevent his escape if they acted, all while staying alert for any sudden changes in the surroundings. He knew he couldn't strike first or provoke them; he had to wait for them to show a weakness or make the first move. This would give him the initiative and make the subsequent arrest more convincing, leaving the members of the "Dark Web Phantom" with no way to deny their actions.

Time passed slowly, each second feeling like an ordeal. The tension in the air grew thicker. Mu Li could clearly feel the gazes of the "Dark Web Phantom" members lurking in the shadows becoming colder and sharper, their bodies gradually tensing, ready to act. Mu Li continued to feign anxiety, checking his phone from time to time with a look of despair and helplessness, continuing to stall for time.

In the blink of an eye, the half-hour was up. The man suspected to be "Liu Hao" returned to the Snack Street on time, followed by four tall, fierce-looking men. Each of them had a cold, serious expression and radiated a chilling killing intent. Their steps were steady and their movements agile, clearly professionally trained—they were his accomplices and core members of the "Dark Web Phantom." They walked straight to Mu Li's table and, without a word, surrounded him from the left, right, front, and back, forming an airtight perimeter. This instantly drew the attention of the surrounding pedestrians, and the lively atmosphere suddenly became oppressive. Pedestrians instinctively avoided them, watching from a distance and not daring to approach.

"Have you made up your mind?" The man suspected to be "Liu Hao" walked up to Mu Li and looked down at him, his voice cold and devoid of any unnecessary chatter. His eyes held a hint of impatience and threat. "I don't have much time to waste with you. Give me a clear answer: are you going to agree or not?"

Mu Li looked up, feigning despair, his eyes filled with helplessness and fear. He lowered his head and remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking, his voice trembling slightly with a hint of pleading: "I... I agree. But the core data isn't on me. It's encrypted and stored in the Main Control Room at the project site. Only I can open the encryption system and extract the core data. I need to go back and get it before I can give it to you."

"Go back and get it? What kind of tricks are you trying to play?" A flash of suspicion crossed the eyes of the man suspected to be "Liu Hao." He stared intently into Mu Li's eyes, trying to find any flaws, and questioned coldly, "Do you think I'll believe your nonsense? How could you not carry something as important as the core data with you? Are you trying to take the opportunity to escape, or are you trying to notify your accomplices to save you?"

"I wouldn't dare play any tricks, I really wouldn't." Mu Li quickly looked up, his eyes filled with urgency and pleading, his tone sincere as he tried to make the other party believe him. "I'm really not lying to you. The core data is a top national secret with a very high level of encryption. It can't be stored on a phone or carried around; it can only be stored on a dedicated server in the Main Control Room. Only I have the unlock password, and only I can open the server to extract the core data. I must go back to give it to you. If you don't believe me, you can send two people to follow me back and watch me the whole time. Everything I do will be right under your noses. That should put your mind at ease, shouldn't it?"

The man suspected to be "Liu Hao" frowned and fell into thought. He lowered his head and whispered a few words to an accomplice nearby, exchanging a glance. Then, he looked up again, his gaze falling back on Mu Li. He carefully observed Mu Li's expression to confirm he wasn't lying or showing any abnormalities, and his suspicion eased slightly. He felt that Mu Li's words made sense; something as important as the core data indeed couldn't be carried around. Moreover, with two people following Mu Li and watching him the whole time, there was no fear of him playing tricks, escaping, or notifying his accomplices.

After a moment of thought, he nodded and said coldly, "Fine, I'll believe you this once. I'll send two people to go back with you to get the core data. You'd better behave and not try any tricks, don't try to escape, and don't try to contact your accomplices. Otherwise, I guarantee you won't see tomorrow's sun, and your family and team members will pay a heavy price for your actions."

After speaking, he pointed to the two men behind him. These two were tall and fierce-looking, with the heaviest killing intent, clearly his most trusted and capable subordinates. "You two, follow him the entire time and don't leave his side for a second. If he makes any suspicious move, whether he tries to escape or contact his accomplices, act immediately. Don't hesitate."

"Yes!" the two men replied in unison, their voices low and raspy, devoid of any unnecessary emotion. They then walked to either side of Mu Li, crossing their arms and staring at him coldly like two sinister guardian gods, completely blocking his escape routes. The killing intent they radiated caused the onlookers who were watching to instinctively step back further, not daring to get any closer.