The richest man started taking advantage of loopholes after joining Alibaba.

After the words "The direction can be discussed" were spoken, room 607 was silent for about five seconds.

Lin Che did not stand up to express his gratitude.

There was no relief.

He didn't show any "finally passed" expression.

He lifted his hands off his knees and placed them back on the table.

"I have one more thing."

The head of national security looked at him but didn't say anything.

The technical assessment team members on both sides were also looking at him.

All three people's eyes were on him.

"I've been in room 607 for about two and a half hours since I came in."

His voice was flat, just like before.

But there was something extra in his tone.

It's neither tense nor relaxed.

It is a kind of sinking.

It's like a stone sinking to the bottom of the water.

"During those two and a half hours, I demonstrated Abyss's modification logs, historical prediction records, live demos, and notarized envelopes."

"You've seen it, checked it, and confirmed it."

The head of the National Security Bureau nodded slightly.

"I heard you say, 'The direction is negotiable.'"

He paused for a second.

"But I want to make one thing clear."

His gaze shifted from the table to the eyes of the person in charge of national security.

Look directly at it.

The two people faced each other across an oval table covered with documents.

"I came to room 607 today not to ask you to leave me alone."

Eleven characters.

His voice didn't get louder or stronger when he spoke.

His speaking speed was even slower than before.

So slow that you could hear the sound of water flowing from the radiator between each word.

"From the time CR-1247 was filed until now, I know what you've done."

"They investigated my cash flow, interviewed my associates, coordinated with the SEC for cross-border investigations, and froze the operational permissions of two offshore accounts."

"My business partner has been summoned for questioning three times, and my legal counsel has received two notices of assistance in the investigation."

"I haven't left the country in the past year, not because I didn't want to, but because I knew I couldn't."

His voice remained flat.

It's not an accusation, it's not a complaint.

It is listing facts.

Every single one of them is true, and he remembers every single one of them clearly.

"I understand all of that. Because from your perspective, the chain of evidence points to only one conclusion: someone is profiting from insider information."

The national security official's gaze remained fixed on the scene.

He listened.

"But after two and a half hours today, that conclusion has changed."

"It's not that someone is using insider information; it's that someone possesses an AI system that can predict things in advance."

Lin Che paused for a moment.

He picked up the handwritten paper from the table.

Blue ballpoint pen, November 18, 2022, LME copper, 10-15%, 78.9%.

The actual decline was 11.7%.

He put the handwritten paper back on the table.

"This piece of paper proves that Abyss is real."

"The joint regulatory framework demonstrates my willingness to accept constraints."

"But these two things combined don't equal 'Please let me go.'"

His voice didn't emphasize the words "Please let me go".

The three words were pronounced as evenly as the other words.

But it is precisely because it is flat that it appears heavy.

"I came to 607 not to plead for leniency."

He spread his hands out, palms up, and placed them on the table.

With all ten fingers spread out, there was nothing to hold.

This action has a different meaning than placing it on the knees previously.

The knee is marked "nothing in hand".

Having your palm facing up means "I'm not hiding anything."

"I've come to 607 to tell you that you have another option."

One option.

It's not "I'll give you a deal".

It's not "I traded Abyss for freedom".

It means "you have one more option."

The option means that you can choose to select it or not.

We made our choice and sat at the same table.

If not selected, CR-1247 will continue with its process.

But once the option appears on the desktop, it cannot be taken back.

"Prior to today, there was only one way to handle CR-1247."

"Investigate, hold those responsible accountable, and close the case."

"After today, there's one more."

"Investigate, utilize, and jointly manage."

Verify, utilize, and jointly manage.

Six characters, three words.

This corresponds to "verify, hold accountable, and close the case".

It also consists of six characters, three words.

But the directions are completely different.

"I am not asking for a reduction or exemption."

"I'm offering a possibility."

"This possibility is more valuable to you than holding someone accountable."

His gaze shifted from the head of national security to the man on his left.

"You're in the technical assessment role."

"You know better than I what a predictive system that can autonomously modify and continuously iterate means."

"It's not a tool, it's a capability."

The man's lips moved slightly, but he didn't speak.

His gaze fell on the screenshot dated January 3, 2020, on the table.

Lin Che then looked at the woman on his right.

"You conducted a control verification today."

"All six backtracking points match, and the notary envelope range is correct."

"I don't know your conclusion, but you just said five words: 'Not just prediction.'"

The woman's fingers twitched slightly on the table.

She was still stuck on the tip of her tongue, unable to finish her sentence, "This is..."

Two words, I've been stuck on this for minutes now.

Lin Che helped her finish up.

It's not about speaking on her behalf, but about reminding her of what she said.

Lin Che finally looked at the person in charge of national security.

"You took off your glasses."

Three words.

You took off your glasses.

There was no analysis of why it was picked, nor any interpretation of the meaning of this action.

It simply states a fact.

You know what it means that you took off your glasses.

I won't speak for you.

The person in charge of national security moved his finger on the table.

It's very light.

Thin-rimmed metal glasses were on his face, and the marks from the pressure on the sides of his nose were still there.

He didn't speak.

He no longer needs to speak.

Room 607 was quiet.

The sound of water flowing from the radiator.

The sound of electricity from a fluorescent lamp.

The darkness outside the window.

The desktop is covered with files.

The red wax shards were still next to the envelope.

The screenshot from January 3, 2020 is still there.

The handwritten paper is still there.

All the evidence, all the documents, all the spoken and unspoken words, remain on this desktop.

Lin Che sat in the chair with his palms facing up on the table.

Palm facing up, there's nothing there.

Three people were sitting opposite, and no one spoke.

No one needed to speak.

"so."

Lin Che's voice was even softer than before.

It was so soft it sounded like she was talking to herself.

"I didn't come here to ask you to let me go."

"I'm here to sit at the same table as you."

After saying his last sentence, he clasped his hands together, interlaced his fingers, and placed them on the table.

His posture was the same as the three people opposite him.

Four people, four pairs of crossed hands, and an oval table.

It's been two and a half hours since I entered.

The two sides of the table changed from "interrogator and interrogated" to something else.

It doesn't have a name yet.

But the posture is already the same.

Four pairs of hands, at the same height.

The same table.