One person said: The essence of Wuhou Qimen lies not in Qimen, but in Wuhou.

Zhuge Ming raised his head, closed the report he had already read, and smiled slightly.

He turned his head to look at the pale, white cement corridor, then at Xu Si's face, which was filled with sincerity and worry. His tone was gentle and calm, as if he were talking about something trivial: "Comrade Xu Si, working on the front line is not easy."

As leaders, Chairman Zhao and I should set an example. How can we avoid it just because the environment isn't good? Please show us around; it'll be a good opportunity to understand the actual working conditions at the grassroots level.

Upon seeing this, Xu Si, without saying a word, turned to the side, stretched out his arm, palm facing up, and made a standard guiding gesture.

His movements were clean and efficient, his body leaning slightly forward, his voice loud and solemn: "Please, leaders!"

The iron door to the interrogation room was pushed open.

As soon as Zhuge Ming stepped across the threshold, he saw Zhang Chulan standing by the wall.

The young man remained in the same position as when Xu Si pushed him away, leaning straight against the cold cement wall, his hands hanging at his sides, his eyes wide open.

But his face—Zhuge Ming's gaze lingered on Zhang Chulan's face for a moment.

His cheekbones were purplish-blue, his eye sockets were dark, his mouth was cracked and scabbed over, and a swollen bump the size of a pigeon egg was on his forehead. This was a face that had been badly beaten; anyone with eyes could tell it wasn't from a fall.

As a leader, Zhuge Ming could not possibly smile, but the corner of his mouth twitched extremely slightly, the curve so subtle that no one could detect it.

He silently commented to himself—this pig's head is quite recognizable.

Then he turned his gaze to Xu Si beside him and said in a businesslike tone, with appropriate concern but not excessive: "Comrade Xu Si, this must be Comrade Zhang Chulan."

I looked at this comrade's face—what happened? He's injured like this, what happened? Or is it some kind of acute allergic reaction? Our company must ensure the health of every employee; we can't neglect basic safety measures because of work.

Standing behind Zhuge Ming, Zhao Fangxu also looked up and saw Zhang Chulan's shockingly ugly face.

His brow furrowed slightly, and his gaze shifted from Zhang Chulan's face to Xu Si's. There was no reproach in his eyes, but the meaning was clear—how could you resort to vigilante justice? At this critical juncture?

Xu Si hadn't spoken yet.

His brain was rapidly processing a plausible explanation—a fall? No, it couldn't have been that even.

Allergies? You can't fool someone with medical knowledge.

He was hit by the sand swallows? Why didn't you mention that when you reported it earlier? His lips had just opened, and he hadn't even prepared to utter the first word, when he heard Zhang Chulan speak from the other side.

His voice carried a forced composure, but every word sounded as if he had rehearsed it in his mind several times beforehand.

"Greetings, leaders!"

Zhang Chulan took a step forward and stood in front of Zhuge Ming and Zhao Fangxu, his swollen eyes straining to peek out from between the slits of his gaze.

As he spoke, he subconsciously glanced at Xu Si, a brief but meaningful look, before quickly averting his gaze and continuing to the two leaders, "This isn't Brother Si—no, it's not Manager Xu's fault! It's my own fault! I accidentally tumbled down the stairs when I entered the dungeon! Everything went black, I couldn't see anything, and I rolled down several steps—"

As he spoke, he gestured with his hand to illustrate the parabolic motion of rolling down the stairs. His hand gestures and the sincerity on his face complemented each other perfectly. Then, he continued in an even more earnest tone: "However, considering my personal innocence, I strongly requested that I finish writing the report before going up for treatment."

Manager Xu originally insisted that I go for treatment first and then come back to write the report, but I refused to agree no matter what.

Dear leaders, please don't blame Manager Xu for this! The reason I did this is to clear my name! I just got into Nankai University this year, and there are many things I don't understand. I was confused and even almost went astray.

"If it weren't for Manager Xu's care and guidance during this time, I might have been harmed long ago—it's true."

After saying that, he raised his hand and rubbed his eyes.

Tears streamed down his face at just the right moment, making it all the more heart-wrenching, especially considering his face had been beaten beyond recognition.

Xu Si stood to the side, his expression unchanged, still with that upright and serious working face, like a sculpted stone statue.

But in his mind, several waves had already surged, and those waves crashed against the reefs of his understanding, shattering into a spray of water filled with surprise and admiration—damn, this stupid college student is something else.

That's the way to go.

What did he study? Performing arts, right? No, he said he's in civil engineering. When did Nankai University's civil engineering department start teaching that? He cleared his throat, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and spoke with a steady and frank voice, as if stating an undeniable objective fact: "Two leaders, as Comrade Zhang Chulan said, the situation is indeed as described. I also considered that as an extraordinary being, his physique is stronger than ordinary people, and his body is not so fragile, so I agreed to let him finish his current work before seeking treatment."

After all, work cannot be delayed; this is our basic attitude of being responsible to the organization and to our superiors.

Of course, I could have been more attentive to the health and well-being of my employees, and I would like to offer this self-criticism to both leaders.

Zhuge Ming stood there, listening to Zhang Chulan and Xu Si's seamless combination punches, and was surprisingly surprised.

This Chu Lan, with bruises still on her face from the beating and tears still clinging to her swollen eyes, was able to concoct a logical, detailed, and even flattering statement about Xu Si. Her mental fortitude and ability to adapt to the situation were truly beyond what an average college student could possess.

He could tell, of course, that Zhang Chulan's face had been punched; without a doubt, it was Xu Si.

But the victim himself is here, patting his chest and saying that he rolled down the stairs on his own. What can Zhuge Ming say? This kid certainly knows what social etiquette is.

As expected of the original protagonist, he's incredibly clever.

When he spoke, his tone remained businesslike and mild, but with a touch more warmth than usual: "I see. Thank you for your hard work, comrades."

Zhang Chulan, I understand your situation, and it's certainly not easy for you.

However, some things have already happened, and no one can change them; all we can do is try our best.

The world of supernatural beings is not peaceful. As a college student, you should be studying hard at school. As a successor of socialism, your main task is still your studies.

But since you're already involved, consider it training.

I can assure you that as long as you are an employee of the company, the company will guarantee your safety.

As long as you are a legal citizen of China, the government will protect your life and safety.

This is beyond doubt.

You can trust our own country unconditionally.