82: Chapter 82 The reward is neither compensation nor a pardon.

[Hidden Reward Three: Coordinates of the Original Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue's Hesitation Residue]

The moment these words appeared, Zhou Heng froze as if struck by lightning.

He stared at the blackboard.

He didn't move for a long time.

Chen Ye opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but ultimately closed it.

At a time like this, his loose tongue was of no use.

Shen Tingxue didn't speak either.

She knew very well what this line of text meant to Zhou Heng.

It wasn't just a simple clue.

It was an old question that was almost impossible to bypass.

The current Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue was the version reconstructed by the White Tower.

What about the "hesitation part" that had been cut away?

Was it still there?

If it was, what did it count as?

Part of Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue?

White Tower contamination residue?

Or an old self abandoned for twenty years?

Zhou Heng's fingers holding the Thunder Spear turned white bit by bit.

"The original Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue..."

His voice was somewhat hoarse.

"...hesitation residue."

He spoke these words very slowly.

It was as if with every word he uttered, his heart was torn open a little more.

Lu Chengyuan's projection looked at the blackboard, his gaze deepening slightly.

"I didn't expect the White Tower to list this as well."

Lin Jin immediately looked at him.

"You knew?"

Lu Chengyuan didn't deny it.

"The self-reconstruction twenty years ago didn't just delete emotions out of thin air."

"The White Tower temporarily stores the stripped-away parts."

"Fear, hesitation, excessive empathy, unnecessary concern for teammates."

"These would all be classified as impurities that affect barrier-breaking efficiency."

Zhou Heng whipped his head up.

"Impurities?"

Lightning flared in the depths of his eyes.

"You call a person's fear and hesitation 'impurities'?"

Lu Chengyuan said calmly,

"I am merely reciting the White Tower's records."

The blackboard lit up.

[Auditor Seat Speech Detection: No Boundary Violation]

This made Zhou Heng's expression look even worse.

Because Lu Chengyuan wasn't lying.

He was simply reciting those cold rules from back then exactly as they were.

But it was precisely because they were unchanged that it was so sickening.

Lin Jin looked at the third reward on the blackboard.

The Hand of Rules unfolded.

[Target: Hidden Reward Three]

[Content: Coordinates of the Original Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue's Hesitation Residue]

[Nature: Clue to the old replacement residue on the first floor of the White Tower]

[Risks: Bloodline resonance, Barrier Breaker Position path contamination, activation of the old reconstruction chain]

[Tip: These coordinates are not a rescue promise, nor a restoration plan, but merely a location clue]

Lin Jin read the tip aloud.

Then he looked at Zhou Heng.

"Did you hear that?"

"It's just coordinates."

"It doesn't mean that part can still be saved."

"Nor does it mean it is definitely good."

Zhou Heng stared at him.

"Do you think I don't know that?"

Lin Jin nodded.

"You know."

"But what the White Tower is best at is using the things you know but can't let go of as hooks."

Zhou Heng didn't argue.

Because he indeed couldn't let it go.

He hated the current Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue.

He hated how cold-blooded he was, how he always talked about family, path, and efficiency, and how he was like a sharpened blade in the hands of the Department of Education.

But now, the White Tower was telling him that twenty years ago, there was still an "original Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue's hesitation residue."

Did that mean the former Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue had also been afraid?

Had also hesitated?

And hadn't wanted to treat his teammates as the price for efficiency?

If that part was still there, how could Zhou Heng not want to take a look?

Lu Chengyuan suddenly said,

"Zhou Heng."

"Don't think of that residue as too important."

"It is merely the inefficient part that was stripped away during the reconstruction back then."

"Even if you find it, it won't prove that the current Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue is fake."

"And it certainly won't change the reality you must face."

Zhou Heng looked at him coldly.

"Are you afraid I'll find it?"

Lu Chengyuan said indifferently,

"I am merely reminding you."

"Chasing after a discarded part might make you just as hesitant as it was."

Lin Jin immediately looked up.

"The Auditor Seat is not permitted to induce actions or define the identity of team members."

The blackboard flared to life.

[Auditor Seat: Three Warnings]

[Detected inducement of hesitation definition toward Barrier Breaker Position Zhou Heng]

[Pursuant to Auditor Boundary Article Five: Immediate interruption of auditing]

Lu Chengyuan's projection paused slightly.

In the next second, the projection array began to shut down.

Lu Chengyuan looked at Lin Jin. There was no anger on his face; instead, a very faint smile appeared.

"You used the boundary well."

"But inside the White Tower, boundaries will be much more fragile than a blackboard."

Before his voice could fade, the projection went completely dark.

The sense of oppression in the old classroom eased instantly.

Chen Ye immediately cursed,

"We finally got that old fox out of here."

Qin Shanhe snorted coldly.

"Not 'got out'."

"The rules kicked him out."

Gu Changye's voice came from the communication talisman:

"The auditing interruption record has entered tripartite review."

"Lu Chengyuan has violated the boundary three times. He is barred from accessing the training classroom again before the White Tower opens."

Chen Ye immediately said,

"This is great."

"I suggest making it permanent."

Gu Changye didn't indulge his banter.

"But he is still the highest-authorized person-in-charge from the Department of Education for the White Tower incident."

"Don't think that interrupting his auditing means you can avoid him."

Lin Jin nodded.

"I know."

He looked at the blackboard.

Now, the real rewards for the first floor of the White Tower had increased from two items to three.

[List of the Replaced]

[Original Copy of Lin Shoushan's supplementary clauses]

[Coordinates of the Original Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue's Hesitation Residue]

The three rewards each precisely targeted a gap in someone's heart.

The List of the Replaced was meaningful to everyone.

Lin Shoushan's supplementary clauses were a hook for Lin Jin.

The coordinates of Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue's hesitation residue were a hook for Zhou Heng.

And the Ice Key in Shen Tingxue's hand had already proven that Shen Qingshuang's residue was also inside the White Tower.

Chen Ye watched for a long time, then suddenly pointed to himself.

"What about me?"

"You all have hooks."

"Is it looking down on me?"

Zhou Heng said coldly,

"Do you want one?"

Chen Ye immediately shook his head.

"No."

"I'm just making sure I'm temporarily safe."

Shen Tingxue said indifferently,

"You aren't safe."

"It's just that the White Tower hasn't revealed yours yet."

Chen Ye's face fell.

"Can you not be so accurate?"

Lin Jin walked to the blackboard and picked up a piece of chalk.

"We need to set boundaries for the rewards as well."

Chen Ye was taken aback.

"We can set boundaries for rewards too?"

"Whether it takes effect is another matter,"

Lin Jin said.

"But at least we must first agree on how to handle them."

He wrote down the first rule.

[White Tower real rewards shall only serve as evidence, clues, or coordinates, and shall not serve as a basis for compensation, absolution, replacement, or inheritance.]

Seeing the word "absolution," Shen Tingxue nodded gently.

It was very important.

If certain names appeared on the List of the Replaced, it did not mean what they had done could be forgiven.

If Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue's hesitation residue was still there, it did not mean the current Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue was free of responsibility.

If Lin Shoushan's supplementary clauses existed, it did not mean Lin Jin had to follow every single word his father left behind.

Lin Jin continued to write the second rule.

[No reward may be privately contacted, read, or bound by a single member.]

Chen Ye immediately said,

"This one must be bolded."

"The White Tower will definitely make whoever wants it most take it first."

Lin Jin wrote the third rule.

[Rewards involving personal bloodlines, families, residues of previous generations, or missing relatives must be read only after team mutual verification.]

Shen Tingxue added,

"We also need to add: reading does not equal a commitment."

Lin Jin nodded and wrote down the fourth rule.

[Reading a reward does not equal a commitment to rescue, fuse, restore, replace, or seal it.]

Zhou Heng remained silent.

Only when Lin Jin finished writing the fourth rule did he speak:

"Add one more."

Lin Jin handed him the chalk.

Zhou Heng walked to the blackboard.

There were still bloodstains on his fingers from the training.

He stared at the [Coordinates of the Original Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue's Hesitation Residue] for a moment before writing underneath:

[The original Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue's hesitation residue shall not be used to define Zhou Heng, nor shall it be used to absolve the current Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue of responsibility.]

After writing this line, Zhou Heng's breathing grew noticeably heavier.

Lin Jin looked at that line of text.

"Clear enough."

Zhou Heng put the chalk back and said coldly,

"I want to find it."

"But not to whitewash Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue."

Chen Ye nodded.

"I understand this."

"Even if he had his difficulties in the past, we can't just let it slide now."

Shen Tingxue said,

"The residue is a clue, not a conclusion."

Zhou Heng let out an "hmph" of agreement.

It was very soft.

Almost inaudible.

But this was already the greatest concession he could make.

The five reward boundaries on the blackboard began to glow.

A moment later, the gray-gold text condensed into a new imprint, settling beside the Mutual Verification Contract.

[Reward Isolation Protocol Established]

[Effect: White Tower rewards cannot bypass team mutual verification to directly bind to a single member]

[Limitation: The protocol is stable only when members actively comply with it]

After reading the last line, Chen Ye frowned.

"Actively comply?"

"In other words, if someone gets tempted on their own, the protocol won't be able to stop them?"

Teacher Xu Wenzhou spoke:

"No contract can stop genuine willingness."

"What the White Tower loves to manufacture most is the illusion of willingness."

These words made the old classroom fall silent once again.

Lin Jin put away the chalk.

"So we can't rely on a protocol to save our lives."

"We have to rely on ourselves to remember."

He looked at the three of them.

"Inside the White Tower, whoever wants a certain reward the most must be the last one to touch it."

Chen Ye immediately said,

"I agree."

Shen Tingxue nodded.

"I agree."

Zhou Heng was silent for a second.

"Agreed."

Lin Jin said,

"I will be the last to touch Lin Shoushan's supplementary clauses."

Shen Tingxue followed up,

"I will be the last to touch anything related to Shen Qingshuang."

Zhou Heng said in a low voice,

"I will be the last to touch Deputy Director Zhou Chengyue's residue."

Chen Ye looked left and right.

"What if I encounter my own hook?"

Lin Jin looked at him.

"You touch it last too."

Chen Ye nodded seriously.

"Alright."

This time, he wasn't joking.

Because everyone knew that the White Tower would not spare him either.

Outside the old classroom, the sky had completely brightened.

The second day's training had dragged on from the early morning until now, leaving everyone feeling as if they had been half hollowed out.

But the blackboard didn't give them much time to rest.

[Day Three Training: White Tower outer perimeter rules preview will begin in two hours.]

[Preview Focus: Reading order of real rewards, freezing of Observer boundary violations, team tower-entry route selection.]

Hearing "in two hours," Chen Ye felt completely numb.

"Is it too late for me to apply to transfer to a regular Combat Academy now?"

Qin Shanhe glanced at him.

"Yes."

Chen Ye was startled.

"Really?"

Qin Shanhe said indifferently,

"First write a withdrawal application, then undergo the White Tower's replacement assessment, and finally, the Department of Education will be very happy to arrange a more stable protective sample for you."

Chen Ye immediately sat up straight.

"I suddenly feel that the Special Assignment Class is very good."

Zhou Heng sneered.

"Coward."

"If you're not a coward, you go withdraw."

"I didn't say I wanted to withdraw."

"Then shut up."

The two started bickering again.

But this time, their bickering actually lightened the oppressive atmosphere in the classroom a bit.

Lin Jin sat back down at the Maintenance Position. Just as he was about to close his eyes and rest for a bit, the rule correction wrench on the desk suddenly vibrated gently.

It wasn't a White Tower prompt.

Nor was it the Hand of Rules.

Instead, the grey screw he had obtained from Lin Shoushan's remnant shadow rolled to the front of the blackboard on its own.

The grey screw projected a very faint image.

In the image was an old maintenance box.

On the lid of the box was Lin Shoushan's handwriting.

[Supplementary Clauses Backup Tip]

[If Lin Jin sees this, it means the first floor of the White Tower has already forced you in front of the rewards.]

[Remember.]

[The more a reward looks like the answer you want, the more you must let your teammates read the first sentence first.]

The image paused here for a moment.

Then, one last line of text emerged.

[Especially, don't let me speak first.]