37: Chapter 37 A Coincidental Report

Early the next morning, Lin Ning set out full of energy.

Having slacked off for a few days, combined with the painful experience of being nearly drained by the "Eye of Insight" last time, he knew he had to balance both exercise and "hunting for red names"—and he had to be firm on both fronts.

First stop: Fighting Gym.

To his surprise, there were quite a few people there at 8:30 AM.

Lin Ning changed into his training clothes and began to warm up.

"?" Lin Ning felt unexpectedly relaxed. "Strange."

Previously, those stretching exercises always required gritting his teeth to get into position, but today, they were exceptionally smooth.

He tried a few high knee lifts; his legs went higher than before, and he landed steadily.

"Yo, you've been resting for a few days, your condition is pretty good," Coach Chen Hu said as he walked over with his arms crossed.

As he spoke, he grabbed Lin Ning's back and arms a few times.

"Huh? Interesting! Come, let's test it." Coach Chen Hu became interested.

Push-ups, squats, shuttle runs, pull-ups... After a set of basic physical fitness tests, he was hooked up to the nerve detection machine. Coach Chen Hu looked at the record book, his brows furrowing tighter and tighter.

"That's not right, Lin Zi," he said, looking up at Lin Ning. "Your data... it's improved across the board. Especially your reaction speed and core strength. The rate of improvement is abnormal."

Lin Ning was puzzled himself. He wiped away his sweat and recalled the past few days—besides lying down, eating, collecting money, and getting excited, he hadn't done anything special.

Could it be... a benefit from upgrading his Golden Finger?

Or perhaps, even though using the "Eye of Insight" consumed a huge amount of energy, just like how muscles rebuild after tearing, it also strengthened his spirit or some kind of "fundamental quality"?

He couldn't figure it out, but this was a huge blessing!

This was the first time his Golden Finger's ability had directly affected his own body.

"Maybe... it's because I had accumulated enough over the past period, and resting for a few days allowed me to break through?" Lin Ning fabricated a barely plausible reason.

Coach Chen Hu was skeptical, but with the data right in front of him, he could only nod. "Alright, whatever, it's a good thing that your body is getting stronger. I'll increase your load today to see where your limit is."

"You got it!"

...

By the time training ended, it was nearly noon.

Lin Ning took a shower and felt his muscles aching all over, but the sense of satisfaction was unprecedented.

He stood in front of the mirror and looked—although he was still thin, his muscle definition was more prominent.

He brushed his sideburns. "I told you, definitely more handsome than Nicholas Tse!"

Looks like I should use the ability more often in the future? No, no, no, better to take it one step at a time. What if I faint again...

He ate a nutritious meal at the Fighting Gym and took a short nap.

He changed into his delivery rider's yellow uniform and hopped on his little electric scooter.

Tech Park, here I come~~

"You have a new delivery order!" his phone rang.

Lin Ning accepted the order, picked up the goods, and delivered them, but his eyes were not idle.

He scanned everyone he passed like a scanner.

In over three hours, he completed seven orders and earned over a hundred yuan, but he didn't see a single "red name" of value.

"Tsk, my luck is bad today." Lin Ning checked the time; it was almost four o'clock.

He decided that after delivering the current order, he would see if he could head over to the University Town.

Chuangxinzao Technology Building was one of the landmarks of the Tech Park, its glass curtain wall glittering in the sunlight. Lin Ning parked his scooter and walked into the lobby with a document bag.

After calling the recipient, Lin Ning sat in the lounge to wait.

Hey, you have to admit, compared to the messy, pixelated chaos on the streets of the Tech Park, inside Chuangxinzao, the colors were much cleaner—basically all green.

No wonder their company is so big; the quality of the "corporate slaves" is just different.

The elevator door opened with a "ding."

Lin Ning thought it was his client and was about to stand up, but he suddenly froze.

A few people were surrounding a woman as they walked out.

The woman was about thirty years old, wearing glasses, with a refined yet sharp temperament, and dressed in a white lab coat.

She was tilting her head, talking to a young researcher beside her, speaking very quickly:

"The liquid metal data for the A-Qreb direction must be cross-checked three times. The calculation model for the interface energy barrier needs to be optimized again. The expert group will want to see the preliminary report next week..."

The young researcher nodded repeatedly and said respectfully, "Senior Engineer Gao Yayin, don't worry."

Lin Ning's pupils constricted violently.

Above that woman's head, the color was a red so dark it was almost purplish-black. [Senior Engineer Gao Yayin]

The reddish-purple halo was like the deathly silence of half-dried blood. It was the first time Lin Ning felt evil from a color.

Even the wanted criminal Zhang He hadn't been this sinister in red.

Lin Ning's palms instantly broke out in a sweat.

He forced himself to look away, pretending to look down at his phone, but his heart was pounding wildly.

He quickly typed "Chuangxin Technology Gao Yayin" into his phone.

The search results popped up—"Senior Engineer Gao Yayin, Chief Senior Engineer of Material Science at XXX Technology Group, specially appointed expert of the national 'Peak Project', winner of the National Science and Technology Progress Award, published SCI papers in the field of liquid metal..." Her resume was brilliant, and she was covered in honors.

There was a photo of her on the website, and it was exactly the person in front of him.

There was also information about the Chuangxinzao Material Science Laboratory project on the website. There were many terms Lin Ning couldn't understand, but he learned one term—National Secret-Level Strategic Laboratory.

And the Senior Engineer of this laboratory had a deep red color representing monstrous crimes above her head.

Lin Ning felt a chill run up his spine.

He remembered what Chen Zhi had said: "Some people's bottom line is so low that it changes their species."

What on earth had she done? Leaked secrets? Sold data? Or... Lin Ning suddenly felt that murder might be the best-case scenario.

Regardless of what it was, if a top scientist who could access "strategic-level" experimental results defected, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Lin Ning took a deep breath. After the document handover was completed and he walked out of the building, he immediately dialed Chen Zhi's number.

"Brother Chen, it's me, Lin Ning. I have an important lead and must report it in person."

On the other end of the line, Chen Zhi's voice paused: "How important?"

"I think it's more important than the previous two combined," Lin Ning said in a deep voice.

...

It was the same inconspicuous little building.

But this time, Lin Ning was taken into a more formal conference room.

Chen Zhi sat opposite him, his expression serious: "Speak."

Lin Ning didn't beat around the bush and said directly: "I am reporting Senior Engineer Gao Yayin of the laboratory affiliated with Chuangxinzao Technology Group."

Chen Zhi's eyes became sharp as knives instantly: "Reason? Evidence?"

"No evidence." Lin Ning was brutally honest. "Only my judgment."

He leaned forward, pressing his hands on the table, and said word for word.

"Brother Chen, I have reported two spy cases to you, and both were correct. At the police station, I have reported three criminal gangs, caught an A-level wanted criminal, and saved a police officer. All these people were identified by me through 'physiognomy'—I felt they weren't good people."

"I know this 'physiognomy' thing sounds like a joke, so I always try hard to find flaws in those people, and I only report them when I have reasons or even evidence."

"But this time, ..." Lin Ning fell silent for a moment.

"I have never seen such a heavy 'sin' on anyone's 'physiognomy'. Senior Engineer Gao Yayin has shown me."

"I don't know what exactly she did, maybe she sold secrets, maybe she killed someone, but given the level of experimental results she has access to, I hope you can investigate her immediately and seriously."

After Lin Ning finished speaking, the conference room was silent.

Chen Zhi looked at him deeply, his usually gentle eyes now churning with complex emotions: scrutiny, weighing, shock, and a hint of imperceptible appreciation.

After a long while, Chen Zhi spoke slowly, his voice steady and powerful:

"Lin Ning, we will attach great importance to your report and immediately initiate investigation procedures."

"You must remember—reporting is never wrong. Citizens provide clues, and it is our duty to distinguish truth from falsehood. Even if it turns out to be a misunderstanding, your vigilance and the act of reporting itself are correct and worthy of affirmation."

He paused, his tone becoming heavier: "Your assessment of the severity of the incident is very sharp. This is good. Maintain this sharpness, but also learn to protect yourself. This matter ends here. Do not mention it to anyone, and do not conduct any further investigations. Understand?"

Lin Ning nodded solemnly: "I understand."

After the serious business was finished, Lin Ning got up to leave.

When he reached the door, he paused.

After hesitating for a few seconds, he still turned around and asked casually: "By the way, Brother Chen, who was that person you were having coffee with yesterday?"

The moment the words landed, Chen Zhi's eyes changed.

It was a kind of extreme vigilance—his pupils suddenly constricted, his body stiffened imperceptibly, and his gaze swept across Lin Ning's face like a scalpel.

Although it was only for a split second, that coldness and sense of inquiry had already made Lin Ning's back feel cold.

But the next second, Chen Zhi returned to calm, his tone solemn: "That is a patriotic entrepreneur, a pioneer in the field of liquid metal."

Chen Zhi paused, "He is also one of the founders of the group where Senior Engineer Gao Yayin works."

He looked at Lin Ning, word for word, clearly and slowly: "Lin Ning, do not inquire about him!"

Lin Ning's heart skipped a beat.

Ou Jiarui is actually Senior Engineer Gao Yayin's boss?

This coincidence is too damn coincidental!

In the eyes of a professional like Chen Zhi, who would suspect even a dog passing by, how would his "unintentional question" just now be interpreted?

Lin Ning felt as if he could already see countless conspiracy theories flashing through Chen Zhi's mind, eight out of ten of which would be: "Could this kid actually be the real spy, and reporting Senior Engineer Gao Yayin is just to get close to Ou Jiarui or target the XXX Group?"

His scalp went numb, and he quickly raised his hands in surrender: "Understood, understood! I absolutely will not inquire, and I will take a detour if I see him! I swear!"

...

Coming out of the Ministry of State Security building, Lin Ning felt a tightness in his chest.

The sunset stretched his shadow very long. He hopped on his little electric scooter and went straight back to Juma Bridge.

Some emotions can only be digested in that atmosphere of fireworks and daily life.

He called Jin Er: "Second Brother, let's go eat, Old Yang's place!"

Old Yang's BBQ, the place where the four brothers had their first meal together, had almost become their exclusive dining spot.

But really, the skewers were delicious, and the beer was cold enough!

Lin Ning listened happily as Jin Er and the others bragged and exposed each other's dark history.

After three rounds of drinks, Lin Ning was getting drunk a bit quickly today.

He leaned against the wall, watching the never-extinguished lights and the flow of people at Juma Bridge.

Suddenly, he said in a hoarse voice:

"Second Brother, Third Brother, Zhang Shitou... tell me, what does one live for in this lifetime?"

Jin Er sipped his wine and squinted: "For peace of mind, for a good time."

"Then what if... you did something you thought was right, but others might misunderstand you, suspect you, or even think you have ulterior motives?" Lin Ning asked.

Zhang Shitou slowly peeled peanuts: "Just have a clear conscience."

Xu San chimed in: "Why bother with them? Just know what you are doing yourself. Let others think what they want; can you control other people's brains?"

Lin Ning listened and suddenly laughed.

He raised his glass to the three of them, and also to the moon that was still bright under the murky night sky.

"Well said! I have a clear conscience, I walk straight and act right! Come, cheers!"

"Cheers!"

Beer foam splashed under the warm yellow light.

Lin Ning drank it all in one gulp.

Forget about what Chen Zhi thinks, forget about Ou Jiarui or Senior Engineer Gao Yayin.

The road is still long, and there are still many things to do.

He just needs to know what he is doing, and why he is doing it, and that is enough.