18: Chapter 018 Silent Clash
The moment the door closed, the restraint and youthfulness on Lin Mo's face receded like a tide, replaced by an extreme calmness. He didn't move immediately but stood in place, his ears twitching slightly to catch the sound of footsteps fading away outside until he was certain the other party had truly left.
He slowly walked back into the room, his gaze like a precision scanner, carefully examining everything inside. The placement of objects, the subtle flow of dust in the air, even the invisible marks left by that game of chess... He was replaying every detail of the past twenty minutes, every sentence of the conversation, and every look and micro-expression of the man who called himself "Officer Long."
"comprehensive administrator?" A cold arc curled at the corner of Lin Mo's mouth. "A Neighborhood Office doesn't produce an officer with the scent of gunpowder and iron blood."
The man's seemingly casual stance was an alert posture honed through thousands of trials; the scrutiny hidden beneath his peaceful words was the insight only someone long in a high position could possess. Especially those last few chess moves—seemingly peaceful but hiding sharp edges, every step testing his personality, reactions, and bottom line.
"He knows me. Or rather, he suspects me," Lin Mo concluded. This visit was no accident. The power of the state had already noticed him and sent a heavyweight figure for close contact and assessment.
Fortunately, the other party didn't seem to have any malice, at least for now. The reminder to "stay safe" was more like a subtle warning and protection. But Lin Mo knew well that this "protection" was a double-edged sword, meaning he had completely entered the state's field of vision. Every move he made from now on would be exposed under invisible surveillance.
He walked to the window and pulled back a corner of the curtain again, his sharp gaze sweeping over the street below. A few seemingly ordinary pedestrians and several cars parked in inconspicuous corners now seemed to hold an unusual significance in his eyes. An invisible net had indeed quietly spread out.
"I can't panic, and I certainly can't get flustered." Lin Mo took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. The system's existence was his greatest reliance. As long as he didn't take the initiative to expose it, even if the other party was suspicious, they wouldn't find any substantive evidence. The priority now was to continue improving himself and use more solid results to stabilize his value and status.
He looked at the [Low Earth Orbit Space Station Module] technology branch that had just been unlocked on the system interface in his mind. It was time to send the second "gift." This time, it had to be more cautious and better demonstrate his value.
Meanwhile, outside the urban village, inside a seemingly ordinary black sedan.
Long Zhantian took off the plain glasses he used to increase his friendliness, returning to his usual cold expression. He leaned back in his seat, resting with his eyes closed, his mind also rapidly replaying the chess game and all the conversations from earlier.
"What did you see?" In the front passenger seat, a young assistant asked in a low voice.
Long Zhantian slowly opened his eyes, a sharp light flashing in them. "He's bottomless."
He paused and continued, "His calmness exceeds his age, and his responses are flawless. His chess style was conservative at first—that was a disguise. In the mid-game, he exerted force with precise calculations and broad thinking. Those few brilliant moves... they're definitely not something an ordinary amateur could pull off. It's more like an instinct after highly intensive training."
"Most importantly," Long Zhantian tapped his knee lightly with his finger, "he could keep up with my rhythm, whether it was the verbal probing or the pressure on the chessboard. He knew clearly that I was testing him, and he perfectly controlled his reactions, showing no flaws or any emotions he shouldn't have. This mental strength... is terrifying."
The assistant gasped. "Then... his threat level?"
"Unchanged for now. But his importance needs to be raised by another level," Long Zhantian said decisively. "Send out the word: double the protection, but the actions must be even more concealed. We must not let him realize he's being 'corralled.' Also, for those 'special' materials he needs, we can appropriately give some green lights. Use more discreet channels so he can 'luckily' buy some. We want him to feel convenience, not restriction."
"Understood!"
Long Zhantian looked out the window toward Lin Mo's rental house, his eyes filled with complexity. In this silent confrontation, he hadn't been able to probe Lin Mo's depths; instead, he became even more convinced of this young man's extraordinary nature.
"Lin Mo... just how many secrets are you hiding?" he muttered to himself. "I hope you will always be the 'Patriot X' of the Dragon Country."
A more hidden protection and observation surrounding Lin Mo upgraded in silence. As for Lin Mo, after a brief period of alertness, he once again threw all his energy into new studies and preparations for the "gift." He knew that only by showing enough value could he gain more initiative in this subtle interaction with the state power.