I slept with my sister's classmate, and she turned out to be my boss.

at the same time.

Zhao Yike hung up the phone and placed it on her desk.

She leaned back in her chair.

She made that phone call very calmly, with a steady tone and appropriate wording.

It even carried a hint of "I'm willing to cooperate"—

The preconditions weren't unreasonable.

However, "the handling of her case after returning to China should not affect her legitimate work in Australia."

It sounds reasonable, like a well-considered answer.

But she knew it in her heart.

This prerequisite itself is a threshold.

I knew it the moment she brought it up.

It's impossible for them to give a clear written commitment from the domestic side.

In matters involving legal proceedings, no one can guarantee her the outcome beforehand.

So she brought it up.

Because bringing it up gives the other party a reason to "need to discuss".

This effectively buys them a buffer period in terms of time.

Zhao Yike stood up and walked to the window.

Looking at the pedestrians coming and going on the street below, I rested my hand on the windowsill.

She recalled the young man who sat opposite her yesterday, pushing the folder towards her with unwavering gaze and a flat tone, without saying a word.

She did indeed go through all those materials at the time.

And indeed, the complete financial chain was seen—

The time, amount, and account are all clearly recorded.

The records were much more complete than she had expected.

Several pages even made her pause, because the dates and amounts on them completely overlapped with a certain point in her memory.

But that doesn't mean she has to cooperate.

She was well aware of her current situation—

In Australia, she has legal residency status, a job, and a basic sense of routine.

Once you return to your home country, all these benefits will become invalid.

She had considered the possibility of going back.

But her father had already sent her a message telling her not to go back.

She also texted her father, asking if he wanted to come out.

The father's reply meant that he couldn't leave; he was too conspicuous.

It's easy to arouse suspicion.

From that moment on, she knew that she might never be able to go back in this lifetime.

That road is already blocked.

She can't gamble, because she can't afford to...

……

After get off work.

She didn't go straight home; instead, she went to the supermarket first and bought some fruit and bread.

While checking out, I glanced at the security camera at the entrance, and without pausing, I scanned the code, paid, and walked out with my shopping bags.

She knew that no coercive measures would be taken against her in Australia.

But she wasn't sure if the task force had assigned someone to monitor her daily schedule.

She didn't want to appear to be anything unusual.

By the time I got back to my lodgings, it was already dark.

She changed her shoes and put the things in the kitchen.

He stood in the living room for a while, then went into the study and closed the door.

Husband Peng Yuan is looking at something on the computer.

Hearing the door open, he turned around.

He was two years older than her and was a senior executive at a foreign company in China.

Two years ago, I resigned early due to some work-related reasons.

After discussing it, the two brought their son to Australia.

After the family settled down here.

He found a consulting job with flexible hours, and worked from home most of the time.

Zhao Yike sat down in the chair next to him, and after a moment of silence, she spoke:

"Honey...the task force came again today. This time there was one more person, and they brought a stack of documents."

Peng Yuan closed the computer screen and turned to face her:

"You've seen it all?"

"I've checked it. It's more complete than I expected. The time, amount, and account—everything matches up."

She paused for a moment:

"I made one condition: I was willing to cooperate with the investigation, but it couldn't affect my normal work in Australia."

Peng Yuan looked at her for a few seconds:

"They're trying to lure you back to China..."

"I know……"

Zhao Yike looked down at her fingers, her voice lowering slightly:

"But that's all I can say. If I say I won't cooperate, they won't leave. If I say I will cooperate, at least they'll think I'm considering it."

Peng Yuan did not respond immediately.

He stood up, walked to the door, closed the study door, then came back and sat down next to her, his voice very low:

"That's fine... How long do you plan to drag this out?"

Zhao Yike was silent for a while:

I don't know. But I don't think they'll have to wait too long.

The young man's attitude was very clear when he arrived.

The materials he brought were complete; it wasn't a test.

"What if they never leave?"

Zhao Yike looked up at him, pausing for a few seconds:

"Then let's go. Not back to China, but to Canada. Our green cards are still valid, so we can go anytime."

Peng Yuan did not object.

They had discussed this matter privately more than once.

Australia is just a transit point; Canadian citizenship is the last resort.

I just didn't expect the escape route to start earlier than anticipated.

"How should we tell Zirui?"

"Let's not talk about it yet. We'll tell him when he gets home from school. We'll say we're going on a business trip and taking him to stay for a few days."

Peng Yuan didn't press further, pausing for a moment before asking, "So, how are you going to respond to Director Zhou tomorrow?"

Zhao Yike thought for a moment: "Don't send a message yet. Send them another one tomorrow morning, saying that if there's any feedback from back home, I can cooperate with a face-to-face meeting. Let them know I'm seriously considering it."

"Then what?"

"Then we'll see their reaction. If they agree to my terms, I can delay for a few more days. If they don't..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but Peng Yuan understood what she meant—

If they disagree, it means that the country is already closing its last window of opportunity.

If we don't leave by then, we won't be able to leave at all.

The two remained silent for a while.

Peng Yuan stood up first, walked to the cabinet on the other side of the study, and pulled out a dark gray file bag from the innermost part.

The bag wasn't big, and it was sealed with a thin string wrapped around it several times.

He placed it on the table without opening it.

"My passport, green card, and a few spare documents are all inside. I can leave anytime."

Zhao Yike looked at the file bag but didn't reach out to touch it.

She nodded: "Leave it for now."

Peng Yuan cooked dinner, just a few simple dishes.

Zhao Yike sat at the table and ate very little, occasionally picking up a piece of food and chewing it for a long time.

Her son, Peng Zirui, sat opposite her. After finishing his meal, he looked up at her.

"Mom, are you going to work tomorrow?"

Zhao Yike put down her chopsticks and smiled:

"We need to go. What's wrong?"

"Nothing, just asking."

Peng Zirui bent down and scooped up the last few grains of rice from the bowl, then ran into the kitchen with the bowl in his hand.

Peng Yuan stood up and went inside to wash the dishes, the sound of running water filling the air.

Zhao Yike sat at the dining table without moving, and heard her son talking to Peng Yuan in the kitchen, but the words were muffled and she couldn't make out what they were saying.

She didn't stand up to help, nor did she go back to the study; she just sat there.

I listened quietly to the sound of water and occasional laughter coming from the kitchen.

It took quite a while before it moved.

He reached for his phone and scrolled to Zhou Yiming's number.

She didn't send a message and put her phone back on the table.

……

The next morning, after arriving at her office, Zhao Yike dialed Zhou Yiming's number using a landline.

She spoke first after the call connected, her voice more relaxed than the day before:

"Director Zhou, have you heard anything about the condition I mentioned yesterday?"

She did not mention the word "cooperate".

They were simply asking if there had been any feedback regarding the preconditions, as if confirming that their request was being processed.

Zhou Yiming paused for a moment on the other end of the phone, then said:

"Ms. Zhao, I have reported your conditions to the authorities in China. We are currently awaiting a response. Is there anything else you would like to add?"

Zhao Yike held the microphone:

"No. Just contact me when you have news."

She paused for a moment, as if mentioning it casually:

"I've been quite busy with work lately, so it's okay if it takes a few days to get back to me. I can manage my schedule."

After she finished speaking, she said it again:

"Okay, that's settled then."

Then he hung up the phone.

She remained seated behind her desk, her gaze fixed on the view outside the window.

She wasn't lying in what she just said.

She does need time.

But what's needed isn't time to cooperate with the investigation, but time to prepare to leave.

In the evening, Peng Yuan sent a message: "I've checked the plane tickets."

After reading it, she replied with three words.

"understood."