71: Chapter 71 Deadly Crisis! Trial Run Concludes with Hidden Dangers, Foreign Shadows Lurk in a Web of Deception (4)

"Comrade Mu Li, hello. We are from the Regulatory Department," the team leader said as he walked up to Mu Li and stopped. His tone was serious, devoid of any small talk, and his gaze was locked onto Mu Li with scrutiny and gravity. "We have received a real-name report alleging that you have exploited your position as project leader to accept bribes, leak core national secrets, and intentionally conceal equipment hazards, leading to major safety risks for the project and causing potential massive losses to the state. Now, we officially announce that your position as project leader is suspended. Please cooperate with our investigation immediately and come with us to the Regulatory Department for questioning."

Mu Li's entire body jolted as if struck by a thunderbolt. He froze on the spot, his face instantly filled with shock and disbelief. His eyes widened, his pupils contracted slightly, and even his breathing stopped for a few seconds. Subconsciously, he straightened his back to prove his innocence, but the sudden movement tugged at the wound on his back. A piercing, agonizing pain instantly swept through his body, causing fine beads of cold sweat to break out on his forehead and slide down his temples. His face grew even paler. Yet, he continued to stare fixedly at the team leader, his lips moving as he spoke in a voice as raspy as sandpaper, yet filled with a trace of indignation and resolve: "Leader, what did you say? Someone reported me? That's impossible! Absolutely impossible! I have never accepted any form of bribe, nor have I leaked core national secrets or hidden any equipment hazards. This must be a mistake, a deliberate frame-up, a conspiracy by Overseas Forces!"

"Whether it is a mistake or a frame-up, a conclusion will naturally be reached after the investigation," the team leader's expression remained unchanged, his tone still serious and unyielding. He slowly held out the report letter in front of Mu Li, his fingertips pressing slightly. "This is the report letter, along with the relevant 'evidence'—photos, agreements, and videos are all inside. See for yourself. Now, please come with us and cooperate with the investigation. Don't make things difficult for us."

With trembling hands, Mu Li took the thin yet heavy report letter. His fingertips turned white from the strain, and his hands shook so much he could barely hold the pages. He quickly flipped open the letter, his eyes urgently scanning the contents. When he saw the attached photos, agreements, and blurry videos, he began to shake with rage. His chest heaved violently, and each breath tugged at the wound on his back, causing his vision to darken and his head to spin. Nearly unable to stand, he instinctively leaned against a cold equipment cabinet, his fingers gripping the edge tightly to steady himself. His knuckles turned white and his fingertips felt numb from the exertion.

Those photos were clearly real scenes of him inspecting working conditions in the equipment area, with Wang Lei and Zhou Yaqi present at the time. However, the photos had been maliciously cropped to remove his team members, leaving only the image of him shaking hands with Hans, creating a false impression of him colluding and passing information to overseas personnel. Those agreements were entirely forged; although the signatures were somewhat similar, subtle flaws could still be seen, yet they had been meticulously disguised to look rigorous and official, flagrantly framing him for accepting huge bribes from Hans. As for the video, it was a routine meeting where he and his team discussed technical optimizations, but it had been maliciously spliced and edited. Key dialogue had been removed, turning his explanation of technical optimization plans into 'evidence' of leaking core project parameters. Every piece of 'evidence' pointed to his 'guilt,' and every detail reeked of meanness and malice.

A massive wave of grievance and anger surged into his heart, nearly drowning his reason. He bit his lower lip hard until he tasted blood, barely managing to suppress the fury and despair within. He was unwilling—truly unwilling—to accept that everything he had protected with his life while severely injured, the project he had poured his heart and soul into, was being slandered by such despicable and vicious means. He could not accept that he, a project leader dedicated to his country, had instantly become a 'traitor' spat upon by everyone, pushed ruthlessly into a bottomless abyss.

"This is a frame-up! A pure frame-up!" Mu Li suddenly looked up, his voice raspy but resonant, carrying an indisputable power. He pointed a trembling finger at the photos and videos in the report letter, defending himself excitedly: "Leaders, look! Look closely! This photo is of me checking the equipment's operation. Hans was right there reporting on the maintenance progress. We were just having a normal work exchange, just a handshake, but they maliciously cropped it to mislead you and forge an illusion of collusion! And this video is of me and my team discussing the optimization plan for the equipment's temperature control system, talking about how to solve the previous runaway temperature issue. They took it out of context and altered the original meaning, turning it into evidence of me leaking parameters! This evidence is all forged, it's fake! I have never done anything to betray my country, the project, or the team! I guarantee it on my character and my years of work experience—I have absolutely not betrayed the country!"

He looked at the surrounding regulatory personnel, his eyes full of pleading and resolve, then turned to his anxious teammates. A sharp bitterness washed over him, and his voice softened, carrying an imperceptible sob. Seeing this, Zhang Hongyuan immediately stepped forward, shielding Mu Li, and said urgently to the regulatory personnel: "Leaders, what Engineer Mu said is true. He would never do such a thing! He almost lost his life for this project. Just a few days ago, he was hunted by 'Black Crow' mercenaries and suffered a severe back injury that required over a dozen stitches. It's still repeatedly getting infected, yet he ignored the doctor's advice and stayed on the front lines of the rectification every day, not even having a proper meal. How could he possibly betray the country or leak secrets? This must be a conspiracy by Overseas Forces. Scorpion and Hans are deliberately framing Engineer Mu. Please, look into it again. You must clear Engineer Mu's name. You can't let a good man be wronged!"

Lin Wei's eyes were also red as she hurried forward. She quickly pulled out her phone and brought up photos of Mu Li's wounds after being hunted by the mercenaries, his hospital records, and videos from the rectification site over the past few days. She said with a sob: "Leaders, look. These are the photos of Engineer Mu after being hunted by mercenaries. His back is covered in wounds, a bloody mess, and it's still getting infected; he feels pain with every movement. And these are videos from our rectification site. Engineer Mu stayed up late every night, personally reviewing every line of code and verifying every parameter. He even ate his meals on-site. He poured all his heart into this project, protecting it like his own child. How could he do something to betray the country? This 'evidence' must be forged. Please investigate clearly. Give us a little more time, and we will surely find the traces of their forgery!"

Wang Lei, Zhou Yaqi, and other team members also stepped forward, surrounding the regulatory personnel and speaking all at once to defend Mu Li. Some spoke of Mu Li's dedication to the project, some of his character, and others pleaded for a re-investigation. Every face was full of anxiety and sincerity, their voices filled with entreaty. But in the face of this 'ironclad' evidence, their defenses seemed pale and weak, like trying to put out a bonfire with a cup of water, unable to sway the regulatory personnel's decision. The team leader's expression remained serious as he slowly shook his head, his tone calm but carrying an unshakeable firmness: "Everyone, we understand your feelings and know that Comrade Mu Li has sacrificed a lot for this project. We also don't want to believe such a thing happened. But everything depends on evidence. Now that the report letter and relevant 'evidence' are before us, we must follow regulations and investigate Comrade Mu Li. Please cooperate with our work and do not obstruct us, or we will be forced to take compulsory measures according to the law."

The inescapable net cast by Overseas Forces was swallowing Mu Li step by step. The forged evidence acted like shackles, trapping him and leaving him unable to defend himself, falling into a state of isolation. The defenses of his teammates seemed so pale and powerless against the 'ironclad evidence.'

Unexpected changes followed one after another, like a long-premeditated storm hitting Mu Li repeatedly, giving him no room to breathe and no time to prove his innocence. Just as the regulatory personnel were about to step forward to take Mu Li away, several officers from the Public Security General Administration hurried over. Their expressions were solemn and their pace urgent, with fine beads of sweat on their foreheads, clearly having rushed all the way. They went straight to Officer Zhao and whispered a quick report. Their tone was urgent and their expressions panicked. As they reported, Officer Zhao's face gradually turned pale, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief. He suddenly turned to look at Mu Li, his gaze full of complexity and regret. Then, he quickly walked to the team leader's side and whispered into his ear. His tone was grave. The team leader's face grew even darker, and the scrutiny in his eyes became even more severe as he locked onto Mu Li with a trace of cold disappointment.

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

"Comrade Mu Li," the team leader looked at Mu Li, his tone a few degrees colder than before, and his eyes holding a bit more disappointment and sternness. He said word by word, "We have just received news from the Public Security General Administration. They searched the hidden compartment in the wardrobe of your temporary dormitory and found 5 million in unexplained cash. The cash was neatly bundled, with bank seals on every stack, initially judged to be proceeds from bribery. Additionally, they found stored project core technical data on your personal computer. This data includes the core parameters and operating principles of the Nuclear Fusion Power Station and belongs to national top-secret level data. More importantly, this computer is equipped with a dual exclusive lock of fingerprint and password, which only you can unlock, meaning there is no possibility of it being hacked or stolen by others."

These words struck Mu Li like a fatal blow. He froze completely, his strength instantly drained, and his blood seemed to congeal at that moment. The color drained from his face, leaving only a paper-white complexion. The last glimmer of hope in his eyes shattered, leaving only disbelief and deep despair, his gaze becoming hollow. The sharp pain from the wound on his back swept through his body like a tidal wave, more intense than any previous time. It made him tremble all over, his teeth chattering, and cold sweat from his forehead slid down his cheeks, dripping onto the floor and forming a small water stain. His vision went black in waves, he felt dizzy, and his mind went blank, as if all his consciousness had been drained away, leaving only endless coldness and despair.

He had never touched this money, nor had he ever stored the core technical data on his personal computer! His personal computer never left his side; during the day it was on the desk in the Main Control Room, and at night he brought it back to his temporary dormitory. The password was his birthday plus the project start date, and the fingerprint was exclusively his, never disclosed to anyone. Even Zhang Hongyuan and Lin Wei, whom he trusted the most, had never touched his computer. This was clearly a death trap meticulously woven by Scorpion, Hans, and an internal traitor in the project—a seamless death trap, one that would ensure he could never flip the tables or defend himself! They wanted to ruin his reputation, destroy him completely, and let this project be thoroughly ruined in his hands!

"No... it's not mine!" Mu Li's voice was trembling uncontrollably, intermittent, carrying a heavy nasal tone and endless despair. Anger and powerlessness intertwined like an airtight net, trapping him firmly and making him almost suffocate. "This is not my money. I have never seen this money, and I have not stored any core data on my personal computer! Someone is framing me. It must be Scorpion and Hans, along with the traitor in the project. They colluded to frame me! They secretly copied my computer backup and, taking advantage of when I was busy on-site and not in the dormitory, hid this money in the hidden compartment of my dormitory wardrobe. They just want to leave me unable to defend myself, to ruin my reputation, and to ensure I can never turn things around!"

He subconsciously looked at his teammates beside him, his gaze eagerly sweeping across everyone's faces, wanting to see trust and firmness in their eyes. However, he caught a flash of doubt and hesitation in the eyes of a few members. That trace of doubt was like a sharp needle, fiercely piercing his heart, hurting him so much that he could barely breathe, and even his heart seemed to be twitching. He knew that these teammates didn't necessarily distrust him, but these "pieces of evidence" were too realistic, too fatal; even the people who trusted him the most could not help but waver. This was enough to show how meticulously planned, how vicious, how impossible to refute, and how despair-inducing this trap was.

He turned his head abruptly and looked at Zhang Hongyuan, his eyes filled with pleading and a final bit of determination. His voice carried a trace of choking, almost begging: "Hongyuan, believe me. I did not betray everyone, and I did not leak any secrets. This is all the work of Scorpion and Hans, and the traitor in the project. They colluded to frame me! You've been with me for so many years; you know my character. I have been diligent and conscientious all my life, devoted entirely to my work. It is impossible for me to do something like betraying the country and the team, right? You must believe me!"

Zhang Hongyuan walked forward without hesitation and tightly gripped Mu Li's cold, trembling hands, the warmth of his palms forcefully transmitting a sliver of strength to Mu Li. His eyes were firm, his tone steady, carrying unquestionable trust: "Engineer Mu, I believe you! I absolutely believe you. No matter what happens, no matter how much 'evidence' is placed before us, I believe you! No matter what happens, I will stand by your side. I will definitely find the real traitor, find the evidence of them framing you, and clear your name! Don't worry, with me here, I will never let you be wrongly accused in vain, and I will never let you be slandered by these scoundrels!"

Lin Wei also tightly gripped Mu Li's other hand. Her tears fell even more fiercely, blurring her eyes, but her gaze remained firm, and her voice was choked but carried strength: "Engineer Mu, we all believe you. Wang Lei, Zhou Yaqi, all of us believe you! We will definitely find the evidence as soon as possible, find the traitor, and clear your name. Don't give up, you must hold on, you must not let them break you!"

Looking at the firm gazes of Zhang Hongyuan and Lin Wei, and feeling the warmth and strength transmitted from their palms, a faint sense of warmth welled up in Mu Li's heart. That warmth was like a glimmer of light in the darkness, briefly dispelling some of the despair. But this warmth was quickly drowned out by deep despair. His brain raced, instantly clearing up all the threads: This was inevitably the work of Scorpion, Hans, and the traitor—the traitor was someone in the project team who was familiar with his schedule and could access his personal computer and dormitory key. This person was most likely a core member of the team, working with him every day, understanding his every move, knowing when he was busy on-site and when he was resting in the dormitory. This person had quietly copied his computer backup and, taking advantage of the gaps when he was hospitalized or busy on-site, secretly sneaked into his dormitory and hid that cash in the hidden compartment of the wardrobe. The layout was seamless, leaving no room for rebuttal, and making it impossible for anyone to find a breakthrough, even if they wanted to help him.

"This is a frame-up!" Mu Li argued angrily again, his fists tightly clenched, his fingernails digging deep into his palms, leaving several crescent-shaped bloodstains. Blood dripped from his fingertips, hitting the ground and blooming into a small bright red mark, forming a sharp contrast with his pale complexion. "I did not accept bribes, and I did not leak secrets. This is all their conspiracy! I beg you to investigate again, check the source of this money, check the bank records of this money, check the storage time of the data on the computer, check the whereabouts of Hans and the traitor, check the surveillance in my dormitory. You will definitely be able to find evidence, and you will definitely be able to clear my name!"

But at this moment, he lacked any direct counter-evidence; there were no witnesses, no surveillance, and nothing to prove his innocence, making it fundamentally difficult to prove his own innocence. The team leader shook his head with a grave expression, his tone carrying a trace of helplessness but remaining firm: "Comrade Mu Li, we understand your feelings, and we will conduct a comprehensive investigation into the suspicious points you raised, and verify the source of this money and the storage time of the data. But before the investigation results are out, we must follow regulations and take mandatory measures against you. Please cooperate with our work and do not resist."

In the end, the Regulatory Department and the Public Security General Administration jointly issued a preliminary investigation opinion. Based on all the "evidence," they determined that Mu Li was suspected of accepting bribes and leaking core national secrets, and in accordance with the law, they opened a case for investigation against him and took mandatory measures. Two police officers from the Public Security General Administration stepped forward with serious expressions, took out a pair of cold handcuffs, and slowly cuffed Mu Li's wrists. The coldness of the metal spread through his skin to his whole body, and the bone-chilling cold made him tremble all over. That chill was more bone-piercing than the sharp pain in his back, and colder than the despair in his heart.

Mu Li slowly raised his head and looked out the window. The midday sunlight was still bright, spilling in through the floor-to-ceiling windows and illuminating every corner of the Main Control Room, but his heart was filled with haze, unable to see a glimmer of hope, as if he had fallen into endless darkness. He looked at the teammates beside him with anxious faces and eyes full of heartache, looked at the red-rimmed eyes of Zhang Hongyuan and Lin Wei, looked at the unwillingness and helplessness in the eyes of Wang Lei, Zhou Yaqi, and others, and then looked at the project site to which he had poured all his heart and blood, and which he had risked his life to protect. Looking at the equipment he had personally debugged and the code he had personally reviewed, his eyes were full of unwillingness and despair. Tears finally could not help but slide down, following his cheeks, dripping onto the handcuffs, making a slight "tap-tap" sound.

The moment the cold handcuffs cuffed his wrists, Mu Li's heart sank completely to the bottom. He knew that from this moment on, he was no longer the respected project leader, no longer the technical worker devoted to the country, but a "traitor" who had been slandered and was now imprisoned. A long and difficult road to clear his name had officially begun from this moment, and he did not know how many difficulties and obstacles were waiting for him on this road, nor did he know if he could wait for the day when his name was cleared.