79: Chapter 79 confirms that the person who wielded the knife was the one who truly understood the situation.

[External Confirmer: No. 9 Peripheral Training Project Supervisor]

[Name: Lu Chengyuan]

[Remarks: Department of Education, Special Career Development Division, current Director]

After this line of text appeared, the old classroom seemed to have been muted.

Chen Ye opened his mouth, and it took him a long time to squeeze out a sentence: "Current Director?"

"In other words..."

He stopped halfway through his sentence.

There was no need to finish.

Everyone understood.

Twenty years ago, the person who pressed the confirmation for Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue's self-replacement on the first floor of the White Tower was not an ordinary Observer.

Not a temporary teacher.

Not some shadow in an out-of-control instance.

But the current highest-ranking official of the Department of Education's Special Career Development Division.

Lu Chengyuan.

Zhou Heng stared at the blackboard, his voice somewhat hoarse.

"So, you didn't choose it alone back then."

Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue did not answer.

He stood within the projection, his expression chillingly cold.

That coldness was not the calm Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue usually displayed when facing questioning.

It was more like something that had been suppressed for twenty years had been dug up by the White Tower in front of everyone, to the point where even he could no longer pretend it didn't exist.

Qin Shanhe slowly set down his enamel mug.

The bottom of the mug hit the tabletop with a faint sound.

"Lu Chengyuan."

When the old man spoke the name, his tone carried anger that had been suppressed for many years.

Teacher Xu Wenzhou's face turned even paler.

He said in a low voice: "After the 104 Incident, all official review documents had to be submitted to the Special Career Development Division."

"I only saw Lu Chengyuan's signature."

"I never saw him in person."

Lin Jin looked at him.

"Are you sure?"

Teacher Xu Wenzhou nodded.

"At that time, he wasn't the Director."

"He was just a No. 9 Peripheral Training Project Supervisor."

"But his authority was very high."

"High enough that academy teachers, project executors, and even on-site inspectors had to wait for his confirmation."

Zhou Heng suddenly laughed.

The laughter was cold.

"No wonder."

"No wonder after you came back, the Zhou Family treated you as the most successful Barrier Breaker Position."

"No wonder the Department of Education was able to take you away intact."

"No wonder you later became a Deputy Director."

He looked at Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue in the projection.

"Because when you came out of the first floor of the White Tower, you had already been confirmed by Lu Chengyuan."

Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue finally spoke.

"Zhou Heng."

"Your current judgment is clouded by emotion."

Zhou Heng suddenly raised his weapon.

"Then tell me, which part is wrong?"

Lightning crackled in the classroom.

The Mutual Verification Contract lit up, not to suppress Zhou Heng, but to warn him that his action window was becoming unbalanced.

Zhou Heng gritted his teeth and lowered the Thunder Spear by half an inch.

He did not lose control.

But his eyes remained fixed on Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue.

"Second Uncle."

"I'll ask you one more time."

"After you came out of the first floor of the White Tower, were you still the original Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue?"

This question was too sharp.

Even Chen Ye didn't dare to speak.

Shen Tingxue looked at Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue, her eyes also cold.

Lin Jin did not rush him.

Because this question had to be answered by Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue himself.

Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue in the projection was silent for a long time.

So long that a new verification countdown began to appear on the blackboard.

He then said in a low voice:

"Not exactly the same."

Zhou Heng's fingers trembled violently.

Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue continued:

"The White Tower didn't create a version of me out of thin air."

"It just took away a part of me."

"And replaced it with more efficient barrier-breaking logic."

"I retained my memories, my career, my name, and my status in the Zhou Family."

"So everyone believes I am still Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue."

He paused for a moment.

"Including myself."

Chen Ye couldn't help but say:

"Isn't that just being altered?"

Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue looked at him.

"From the perspective of White Tower rules, it's called reconstruction."

Lin Jin said coldly:

"From a human perspective, it's called cutting off a part of yourself."

Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue did not refute this.

On the blackboard, the White Tower text continued to refresh.

[Twenty years ago self-replacement record completed]

[Original Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue: Unstable Barrier Breaker Position]

[Reconstructed Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue: High-adaptation barrier-breaking sample]

[External Confirmer: Lu Chengyuan]

[Confirmation result: Reconstruction successful]

[Original hesitant part: Whereabouts unknown]

When the last line appeared, Zhou Heng froze completely.

"Original hesitant part..."

Shen Tingxue frowned.

"Whereabouts unknown."

Lin Jin's heart also sank.

This sentence meant that the replaced "Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue" was not just an emotional label.

The White Tower might have treated that part as some kind of residue, leaving it on the first floor or taking it deeper.

This also meant that in the so-called real reward, the "List of Replaced Persons," a name might really appear.

Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue.

But that name might not point to this current Deputy Director of the Department of Education.

But rather the part of the person that was reconstructed twenty years ago.

Zhou Heng's voice lowered.

"Do you know where that part went?"

Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue looked at him.

"I don't know."

This time, he answered very quickly.

And very firmly.

As if he didn't allow himself to think any further.

Zhou Heng sneered.

"Don't know, or don't dare to know?"

Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue did not answer.

Lin Jin looked at the Hand of Rules.

Prompts were refreshing continuously.

[Target: Observer identity of Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue]

[Risk update: Old reconstruction confirmation chain still exists]

[Confirmation chain source: Lu Chengyuan]

[Possible functions: Remote permission response, route correction, Barrier Breaker Position override, Observer position unauthorized access]

[Danger level: High]

Lin Jin's heart tightened.

"The confirmation chain is still there."

Qin Shanhe's eyes darkened.

"What does that mean?"

Lin Jin pointed to the blackboard.

"Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue's reconstruction back then wasn't just completed by the White Tower."

"There was also Lu Chengyuan's external confirmation."

"This confirmation might have formed a chain."

"If Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue is allowed into the White Tower, this old confirmation chain might be recalled by Lu Chengyuan."

Chen Ye's scalp tingled.

"In other words, Lu Chengyuan doesn't need to go in, he can just use him as an interface?"

"Possibly."

Lin Jin looked at Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue.

"Do you know it yourself?"

Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue was silent for a second.

"I know the old reconstruction residue exists."

"But I'm not sure if it can still be called."

Zhou Heng sneered.

"You're always 'not sure'."

Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue looked at him.

"Because I am not the White Tower rules themselves."

"I can only know what I can still control; I cannot be sure what Lu Chengyuan left behind back then."

This statement was actually more terrifying than a denial.

Shen Tingxue spoke up:

"Then the Observer restrictions aren't enough."

"The Lu Chengyuan confirmation chain must also be locked."

Gu Changye's voice came from the communication talisman.

"The Abyss Processing Bureau agrees."

"If the confirmation chain can be called remotely, the Observer position will become a supervisory interface."

Inspector Han Su's voice also rang out.

"The Department of Education recorder confirms that Director Lu is currently not connected to this classroom training projection."

Qin Shanhe sneered.

"Not connected doesn't mean he can't connect."

Inspector Han Su was silent.

He did not refute.

Because from the moment No. 9 changed the file earlier, everyone knew that "not" in terms of procedure did not mean it wouldn't happen in reality.

Lin Jin picked up the chalk and continued writing on the blackboard.

[Additional Observer position isolation clause: Lu Chengyuan confirmation chain shall only serve as historical evidence and may not be used as a current command interface.]

[Observer Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue shall not receive, relay, or execute any unilateral instructions from Lu Chengyuan regarding White Tower routes, rewards, replacements, or member identities.]

[If the Observer senses the activation of the confirmation chain, they must immediately declare it publicly.]

[Concealing the activation of the confirmation chain will be considered unauthorized access by the Observer position, resulting in the automatic freezing of Observer qualifications.]

After finishing, the blackboard flickered violently.

The White Tower obviously didn't like these clauses.

Because they directly blocked the most dangerous part of the Observer position.

Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue looked at those clauses, his face expressionless.

Lin Jin looked at him.

"Confirm."

Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue did not answer immediately.

Zhou Heng said coldly:

"Afraid?"

Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue glanced at him.

"Provocation is meaningless."

"Then I confirm."

Zhou Heng's voice was even colder.

"Since you say you are not Lu Chengyuan's tool, then confirm."

The air in the old classroom tightened.

A few seconds later, Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue finally spoke:

"I confirm."

[Confirmed by the Observer]

[Additional isolation clauses effective]

[Lu Chengyuan confirmation chain: Marked as historical evidence]

[Current command interface: Prohibited from activation]

[Consequences of violation: Observer position frozen, old reconstruction records publicly entered into the tripartite review master file]

Chen Ye let out a deep breath.

"Finally locked something down."

Lin Jin, however, did not relax.

Because the Hand of Rules was still flickering.

[Warning: Clauses only restrict the Observer's active response]

[Cannot restrict forced access from higher external authority]

Higher authority.

Lin Jin looked at the four characters "Current Director" on the blackboard.

If Lu Chengyuan was truly the Confirmer from twenty years ago and had reached the position of Director today, he couldn't have left just such a simple chain.

At this moment, Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue in the projection suddenly said:

"Lin Jin."

Lin Jin looked up.

Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue looked at him.

"You must think I was very stupid back then."

Lin Jin did not hold back.

"Yes."

Chen Ye almost choked.

Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue, however, was not angry.

"I thought so too."

"But if you enter the second floor of the White Tower, you will understand."

"The replacement authority on the first floor is just the beginning."

"The truly terrifying part of the White Tower is that it makes you constantly prove that you are still worth keeping."

"Every time you pass a level, it asks you once."

"Do you still want this teammate?"

"Do you still want your current self?"

"Do you still want those emotions that will slow you down?"

Zhou Heng's voice tightened.

"So you chose 'faster' time and time again later?"

Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue was silent.

This silence was enough of an answer.

Teacher Xu Wenzhou suddenly said in a low voice:

"It wasn't just him."

Everyone looked at him.

Teacher Xu Wenzhou's hand pressed against the edge of the podium, his knuckles white.

"In the team back then, everyone was asked by the White Tower."

"Some people refused."

"Some people... did not completely refuse."

Shen Tingxue immediately asked:

"What about Shen Qingshuang?"

Teacher Xu Wenzhou shook his head, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.

"I can't remember."

"Although the gag order has cracked, memories related to the White Tower still seem to be frozen in part."

Lin Jin looked at him.

"So the 'List of Replaced Persons' must be obtained."

Teacher Xu Wenzhou nodded.

"That list might be more critical than the 104 Incident file."

"It doesn't record who is strong and who is weak."

"But rather who, from when, ceased to be complete."

Zhou Heng kept his head down and didn't speak.

This statement clearly struck a chord with him.

If Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue had not been complete since the first floor of the White Tower twenty years ago, then what exactly was the "successful Barrier Breaker Position" the Zhou Family had worshipped all these years?

And what exactly was the Deputy Director cultivated by the Department of Education?

Just then, the blackboard suddenly displayed a new record.

[Supervisory Observer position verification complete]

[Observer: Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue]

[Restriction clauses: Established]

[Old reconstruction records: Marked]

[Tower entry qualification: Temporarily approved]

Zhou Heng looked up, his eyes cold and hard.

"Temporarily approved."

"Not because I trust you."

Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue said indifferently:

"I don't need your trust."

Lin Jin added.

"You need to abide by the clauses."

Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue looked at him.

"I will abide by them."

After a half-second pause, he added another sentence.

"At least, while I can still control myself."

This sentence caused the atmosphere in the old classroom, which had just eased slightly, to sink again.

Zhou Heng's expression changed.

"What does that mean?"

Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue did not answer.

The projection began to fade.

Inspector Han Su's voice came through:

"Observer verification records have been sealed."

"Before the White Tower opens, Deputy Director Zhou will undergo a confirmation chain test by the Abyss Processing Bureau."

Gu Changye said in a deep voice:

"The Processing Bureau will execute it."

The projection turned off.

The old classroom returned to dim, yellow lighting.

All the clauses on the blackboard shrank into a gray-gold mark, landing next to the four people's Mutual Verification Contract.

[Observer position isolation mark established]

[Prompt: If the Observer crosses the line inside the White Tower, the team can apply to freeze the Observer position]

Chen Ye sat back in his chair and rubbed his face.

"I feel like going in with five people is much harder than four."

Shen Tingxue looked at the Ice Key.

"He is not the fifth teammate."

Zhou Heng said coldly:

"He better remember that."

Lin Jin did not speak.

He looked at the three characters "Lu Chengyuan" that had not yet completely disappeared from the blackboard.

This name had finally stepped from behind the scenes to the front.

And not in the way of villainous rumors.

But as the Confirmer from the first floor of the White Tower twenty years ago.

Just as Lin Jin was preparing to put away the chalk, the blackboard suddenly lit up again.

It wasn't White Tower text.

Nor was it the academy's main control.

It was an access request from the highest authority of the Department of Education.

[Director of the Special Career Development Division, Lu Chengyuan, requests to join the tripartite review as an Observer]

[Postscript: Lin Shoushan's son, I have been waiting for you for a long time.]