118: Chapter 118 System Awakens! Tracing the Traitor from His Sickbed, Unwavering Commitment to Protecting the Important Equipment (5)

Just as Li Mo was about to rush to the small back door, his fingers already touching the cold iron doorknob, he suddenly spun around, his face twisted with ferocity and madness. He pulled a gleaming dagger from his pocket, its blade casting a bone-chilling light in the dim surroundings, and struck backward at the nearest security guard behind him.

The security guard, focused only on the chase, was caught off guard and was viciously stabbed in the left arm by the dagger. Blood instantly soaked through his security uniform, and a wave of intense pain forced a muffled grunt from him. His body went limp, and he staggered to the ground, his baton falling to the side.

"Stop!" Mu Li's eyes were wide with rage, his anger instantly ignited. He rushed forward, blocking Li Mo without hesitation. His gaze was cold as frost, and his entire presence exuded an intimidating aura as he stared fixedly at Li Mo. "Li Mo, surrender now; you have nowhere left to run!"

Li Mo panted heavily, his hand gripping the dagger trembling slightly. His eyes were filled with malice and despair, and a sharp, wretched sneer curled the corners of his mouth. "Mu Li, I didn't expect you to be able to find this place and see through my disguise. But do you think catching me ends it all? Too naive! Chen Tian will not let you off. This nuclear fusion power station project will sooner or later be destroyed at the hands of us, the 'Dark Web Phantom'. All your efforts are in vain!"

"Stop with your delusions." Mu Li's tone was cold and firm, every word resonating with conviction. "The conspiracy of the 'Dark Web Phantom' to steal national core secrets and destroy critical energy infrastructure is destined to fail. You, Chen Tian, and the mole Sun Qiang lurking in the project will not escape the sanctions of the law; you will all eventually pay a painful price for your actions!"

"Sanctions? I'm not afraid of any sanctions!" As if stimulated, Li Mo laughed frantically, his eyes growing even more crazed. He swung the dagger violently, stabbing viciously toward Mu Li's chest with astonishing speed. "Since I can't escape, I'll drag you down with me!"

Mu Li had been prepared. The moment Li Mo swung the blade, he quickly sidestepped to the left, precisely dodging the dagger's attack. The blade grazed his work uniform sleeve, bringing with it a cold breeze. Before Li Mo could retract the dagger, a cold glint flashed in Mu Li's eyes. His right hand shot out like lightning, firmly grabbing Li Mo's wrist holding the knife. His knuckles turned white from the force, and he then twisted it violently backward.

"Ahhh!" The intense pain forced a scream from Li Mo. The dagger in his hand clattered to the ground, and his fingers curled up weakly.

The security guards behind seized the opportunity and rushed forward, firmly pinning Li Mo's shoulders, arms, and legs, pressing him hard against the dusty floor. Their movements were clean and decisive, giving him no chance to resist. One security guard quickly pulled out spare handcuffs, and with a "click," firmly cuffed Li Mo's hands behind his back, completely cutting off any possibility of him escaping or resisting.

Mu Li slowly released his hand and looked at Li Mo, who was still struggling while pinned to the ground. He instructed in a calm tone, "Take him away, guard him strictly, and contact the Huaguo Public Security General Administration immediately to hand him over. Ensure there are no mishaps on the way." After speaking, he turned his gaze to the injured security guard lying on the ground, his tone softening with concern. "Quick, send two people to take him to the infirmary. Have the doctor treat his wounds properly; we must ensure his safety."

"Yes! Engineer Mu!" the security guards replied in unison. Two security guards hoisted the struggling Li Mo and escorted him quickly out of the warehouse, while another security guard carefully carried his injured colleague on his back, rushing toward the infirmary with an urgent expression, not daring to delay for even a moment.

Watching Li Mo's retreating figure as he was escorted away, Mu Li slowly let out a sigh of relief, his tense shoulders finally drooping slightly. His fingertips were still cold from the recent confrontation—for this period, Li Mo had been like a sharp knife hanging over the project, capable of posing a fatal threat at any moment. Now that he had finally been captured, the hidden danger that had plagued the project for days had finally been half-eliminated.

But he knew clearly in his heart that this was far from over. Chen Tian was still at large, and this cunning opponent might very well be driven to desperate measures because Li Mo had been caught, launching an even more violent counterattack against the project. The danger had not truly been resolved.

"Engineer Mu, are you alright? That was too dangerous just now." Zhang Hongyuan walked quickly to Mu Li's side, his face full of concern. He reached out to pat his shoulder, his tone still carrying a trace of lingering fear—the moment Li Mo swung the knife at Mu Li, his heart had been in his throat.

"I'm fine, don't worry." Mu Li shook his head gently. His gaze swept over the chaotic environment of the warehouse, where the air was still filled with dust and a faint smell of blood. His tone became rigorous again. "Notify the Technical Team immediately to come over and conduct a comprehensive and detailed inspection of the entire warehouse. Don't miss a single corner; see if there are any other clues left by the 'Dark Web Phantom,' such as encryption devices, communication records, or undiscovered dangerous items. Additionally, arrange for security personnel to clear out the abandoned equipment and materials in the warehouse, strengthen the security measures here, and assign people to be on guard 24 hours a day to avoid anyone taking the opportunity to hide here again and leaving behind security risks."

"Alright, I'll go arrange it right away, no delays." Zhang Hongyuan nodded solemnly and immediately took out his phone to quickly edit a message, notifying the members of the Technical Team and the security team to come and provide support. His fingertips tapped rapidly on the screen, not daring to be the least bit slack.

Just then, Lin Wei arrived in a hurry with two members of the Technical Team, holding out a bottle of warm mineral water. Her face was full of concern and relief. "Engineer Mu, you've worked hard. We just received news that you've caught Li Mo, and we can finally breathe a sigh of relief."

Mu Li took the mineral water, unscrewed the cap, and took a sip. The warm water flowed down his throat, slightly easing the tension and fatigue from just before. He nodded gently. "We can indeed breathe a sigh of relief, but we absolutely cannot let our guard down. Chen Tian is still at large; his mind is more meticulous and his methods more ruthless than Li Mo's. Now that Li Mo has been caught, he might very well be driven to desperate measures, attacking the Core Laboratory or other key areas of the project at any cost. We must find him as soon as possible and completely eliminate all security risks before we can truly rest easy."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the phone in Mu Li's pocket suddenly rang urgently. The words "Huaguo Public Security General Administration" flashed on the screen. Mu Li's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately answered the phone, his tone respectful and urgent. "Hello, this is Mu Li."

On the other end of the line came the excited yet steady voice of the person in charge at the Huaguo Public Security General Administration, clearly audible through the receiver. "Mr. Mu, I have good news for you! Based on the clues we locked onto earlier, we deployed a large number of police forces near the 'Jingxin Teahouse' and just successfully captured Chen Tian's contact. After preliminary interrogation, he has confessed truthfully that Chen Tian's secret stronghold is in an abandoned factory in the suburbs of the capital city of Ji Province. It also hides some of the classified documents and spy equipment he stole. We have already dispatched elite police forces there, and it is estimated that it won't be long before we can successfully capture Chen Tian and completely destroy this stronghold!"

"That's great! Thank you so much!" Mu Li felt a surge of excitement; the tension and suppression of the past few days instantly dissipated for the most part, and he couldn't hide his joy. "Thank you for your hard work, comrades. If there are any developments, please notify me immediately. I will also cooperate with your work at any time."

"Rest assured, Mr. Mu. As soon as there is news, we will contact you immediately." After the person in charge's voice faded, Mu Li hung up the phone and turned to share this exciting good news with Zhang Hongyuan, Lin Wei, and the staff around him. Upon hearing the news, everyone's faces revealed long-lost joyful smiles. The high-intensity work, tension, and fatigue of the past few days seemed to vanish in an instant at this moment, and their eyes reignited with light.

"That's truly great! As long as Chen Tian is caught, the threat of the 'Dark Web Phantom' to our project will be completely eliminated, and we can advance the project with peace of mind!" Zhang Hongyuan said excitedly. His nerves, which had been taut for days, were finally able to relax, and a look of relief appeared on his face.

"That's right." Mu Li nodded, the heavy stone in his heart finally dropping. His eyes were full of relief. "Once Chen Tian is caught, the 'Dark Web Phantom's' conspiracy against our project in the country will have completely failed. By then, we can devote ourselves wholeheartedly to the project construction, advance steadily according to the plan, and complete the construction of the Nuclear Fusion Power Station as soon as possible, not failing the nation's trust and everyone's hard work."

In the time that followed, Mu Li and the team members became busy with clear division of labor and in an orderly manner—waiting patiently for news of the Huaguo Public Security General Administration capturing Chen Tian, while also organizing the investigation results of the project site, and making every effort to restore the normal working order of the project.

The members of the Technical Team brought equipment to carefully inspect every corner of the warehouse, while continuing to crack the communication devices of the 'Dark Web Phantom' members to extract more valuable clues and perfect the chain of evidence; the members of the security team strengthened patrols across the entire project site, especially in key areas such as the Core Laboratory and the Main Control Building, adding more guards, fully armed and standing by to ensure the absolute safety of the project; the members of the construction team re-engaged in construction work, the roar of machinery sounded again, and the project site returned to its former busyness and vitality. Everyone worked together, accelerating the progress of the project.

Time ticked away, and a little past four in the afternoon, Mu Li's phone rang again—it was the Huaguo Public Security General Administration calling again. He answered immediately, and the voice of the person in charge, even more excited, came from the other end. "Mr. Mu, I'm reporting good news to you! Our police force has successfully raided Chen Tian's secret stronghold and successfully captured Chen Tian in the abandoned factory. On-site, we seized a large amount of spy equipment, encrypted communication tools, and a batch of stolen national core classified documents, with no casualties. Chen Tian has been controlled and is on the way to the Public Security General Administration. Subsequent interrogation work will begin immediately, and if there are any important clues, we will synchronize them with you in a timely manner."

"That's great! That's great!" Mu Li's heart was filled with joy and a sense of achievement, his tone somewhat excited. "Thank you so much, thank you all, comrades! With your help, we were able to completely thwart the 'Dark Web Phantom's' conspiracy so quickly and protect the safety of the project."

After hanging up the phone, Mu Li immediately notified all members of the project of this good news through the work group. In an instant, the entire project site was in an uproar. Everyone stopped their work one after another, cheering and jumping for joy, their faces overflowing with the joy of victory. Cheers and applause echoed in the mountains, not fading for a long time. The hardships and efforts of the past few days had finally yielded a perfect result, and all dangers and hidden risks had been completely eliminated at this moment.

Mu Li also couldn't hide the joy in his heart. He walked to the window of the Main Control Room, watching the lively scene at the project site—busy construction workers, patrolling security guards, and focused technical personnel, everyone's face bearing a relaxed smile, their eyes full of hope. His heart was filled with a sense of achievement. During this time, he and his team members fought side by side, surviving countless sleepless nights and experiencing countless dangers and challenges. From catching turtles in a jar in Lijiazhuang to the bomb crisis in the Core Laboratory, and then to capturing Li Mo in the abandoned warehouse, every step had been exceptionally difficult, yet exceptionally firm. Now, they had finally successfully thwarted the 'Dark Web Phantom's' conspiracy, protected the safety of the nuclear fusion power station project, and also protected every partner by his side.

"Engineer Mu, we did it! We really did it!" Lin Wei walked to Mu Li's side with a bright smile on her face, her eyes shining with excited tears. The hard work and grievances of this period had all turned into joy at this moment.

"Yes, we succeeded." Mu Li said with a smile, his eyes full of tenderness and relief. "This is not my credit alone; it is the result of our entire team's joint efforts. Everyone has worked hard during this time, working day and night, disregarding personal safety, and sticking to your posts. Without you, there would be no victory today. When things with the project stabilize a bit, I will treat everyone to a big meal to relax properly, which can also be considered a reward for everyone."

"Great, great! Thank you, Engineer Mu!" Lin Wei said excitedly and immediately turned and ran off to share this good news with more team members. The Main Control Room was instantly filled with laughter.

By evening, the work at the project site had gradually returned to stability, and the team members, who had been busy all day, could finally let down their tense nerves and get some good rest. Mu Li finished the last piece of work at hand, turned off the computer, and returned to his dormitory. This was the first time in days that he could truly return to his dormitory with peace of mind, without having to worry about sudden situations or stay up all night sorting out clues; he could finally relax properly.

He took off his dusty work uniform, changed into a comfortable set of casual clothes, and lay on the soft sofa. Closing his eyes, his mind involuntarily recalled everything that had happened during this period—from the class reunion in Jing City, where he accidentally learned of the 'Dark Web Phantom's' tracks, to the "playing the pig to eat the tiger" in Lijiazhuang, successfully capturing Liu Hao and others; from the abnormal signals in the Core Laboratory, discovering the bomb crisis, to the security system accidentally awakening and providing them with key clues; from investigating the cleaning staff, locking onto Li Mo's tracks, to the life-and-death standoff in the abandoned warehouse, successfully capturing Li Mo; and now, Chen Tian had also been successfully captured, and all dangers had been resolved. Every scene was vivid in his mind, and although the process was full of danger and challenge, the final result made all the efforts worthwhile.