Ice skates forward, regardless of east or west.

1

The stone steps of the National Sports Archives are glistening with morning dew.

Gu Xidong held the brass key, its sharp edges digging into his palm.

The gray walls of this Soviet-style building from the 1950s are covered with vines, and the underground warehouse is filled with original records of sports events since the founding of the People's Republic of China.

"It's too crowded and noisy during the day, so come at night."

Ling Wuwen pressed him down, and the two retreated back to the breakfast stall in the alley. It opened at 8:30, and the researchers arrived at 9:00—

This is the pattern they observed.

"The third basement level requires special access," Ling Wuwen checked his phone. "Raven said there are 'unsealed sensitive files' stored there."

"How do I use the key?"

"Having a key is useless without authorization. We need identification."

Gu Xidong swallowed the greasy bun, his knee wound throbbing with pain.

Zhou Wentao discovered that the pursuit would become even more frantic after the cloud was cleared.

"I have a way," Ling Wuwen whispered back five minutes later.

"Someone will take us in at 10 PM tonight. The condition is that after we get the contents of safe 712, we must make a copy for them."

"who are they?"

"Ice shavings".

She showed photos on her phone:

In the dimly lit room, seven or eight people sat around a table, with a portrait of a young athlete on the corner table.

"An underground supporters organization, whose members are all family members of athletes whose careers were ruined by corruption, or athletes like Zhao Xun who were forced to retire. They secretly collect evidence, waiting for a counterattack." Ling Wuwen paused, "They know we are investigating something that happened three years ago, and they took the initiative to contact Raven."

Is it believable?

"Raven has investigated. The core member's son died seven years ago in a training 'accident,' and the autopsy revealed unidentified drug residue in his heart. They've been investigating for seven years and have some leads, but they're incomplete."

At 10 a.m., they returned to the safe house in the north of the city.

Ling Wuwen was organizing the evidence from the cloud, but Gu Xidong was unable to assist due to his old injury. He sat by the window, watching the hustle and bustle of the market below.

That was a normally functioning world, while their world had fallen into an abyss of conspiracy three years ago.

My phone vibrated; it was a text message from an unknown number: "Read the news."

The television broadcast announced that Zhou Wentao, vice chairman of the International Skating Union's Referee Committee, has resigned due to "personal health reasons."

"He's cutting off his tail to survive." Ling Wuwen said without looking up.

"His son went missing, his cloud platform was hacked, and evidence was leaked—he realized he was going to lose, so he voluntarily withdrew to clear his name."

"Can resigning absolve one of guilt?"

"No, but we can buy time. If he resigns from his public office, he goes from being a 'sports official' to an 'ordinary citizen,' making the investigation process more complicated." Ling Wuwen turned off the television.

"Moreover, he transferred most of his assets overseas three months ago. His wife and son already have Swiss permanent residency. Now that he has resigned, he can leave the country at any time."

Gu Xidong stared at the standard smiling face on the screen.

"We can't let him get away."

"So we must release the evidence before he reacts," Ling Wuwen said. "We'll get 712's stuff tonight and release it tomorrow."

2

They spent the whole afternoon preparing.

Ling Wuwen contacted Bingxie to confirm the details, while Gu Xidong studied the archive's structural diagram: the three underground floors had four ventilation ducts, two emergency exits, and seventeen monitoring stations.

The guards patrol every two hours, and there is a 15-minute gap between shifts at 10 p.m.

"The people who handle ice chips can take care of the surveillance. They have former security personnel who know about system vulnerabilities."

It was six o'clock in the evening when the sky began to darken.

There were three long knocks and two short ones. Outside the door stood Sister Li, wearing a dark blue cleaning uniform and carrying a toolbox.

"My son's name was Zhang Rui. He died at the training hall when he was seventeen. The official reason was heart disease, but the autopsy showed high levels of adrenaline." She pulled out a photo: the boy was wearing a speed skating suit, making a V-sign, and smiling brightly. "Seven years. I've been pretending to be a cleaning lady for seven years, and I've overheard too many secrets in the sports bureau building."

She opened her toolbox, which contained work clothes, a name tag, and a stun gun. "9:50 PM, back door of the archives. I'll take you in."

Gu Xidong took the employee badge; the photo was of a stranger named "Wang Jianguo".

"This person is taking the day off tonight. But remember, there are still three staff members on duty at the archives: two in the monitoring room and one in the second-floor archives room. If you see anyone, lower your head, don't speak, and pretend to cough." Sister Li checked her watch. "Set the time now. Be at the back door at 9:50 sharp. Latecomers will not be waited for."

They set off early at nine o'clock in the evening.

At 9:45, I headed towards the back door.

Sister Li was already waiting in the shadows. "Stay close to me." She took out her keys and opened the iron gate.

The corridor inside was dimly lit, and the air was filled with the mixed smells of moldy paper and dust.

Sister Li quickly led them down the stairs; the temperature on the second basement level had dropped. "The patrol just finished. We have twelve minutes to reach the entrance to the third basement level."

The fire door was heavy; Sister Li swiped her card, and the green light came on. "712 is in Zone E."

Three underground levels stretched out rows of gray-green metal filing cabinets resembling tombstones, the air as cold as an icebox. Cabinet numbers: 702, 704, 706…712. Dark green safes, approximately 1.5 meters tall, were labeled:

"Sealed: Investigation materials on figure skating controversies from 2009 to 2012 (unresolved)".

3

Gu Xidong inserted the brass key, turned it, and with a click, the lock opened. But the cabinet door didn't move.

"There's also a combination lock," Ling Wuwen said, pointing to the mechanical lock disc.

Gu Xidong tried 0807 (his birthday) and 1123 (the competition date), but neither was correct. Sister Li checked her watch: "Seven minutes have passed. The patrol will come down again at 10:20."

Gu Xidong squatted down to inspect the bottom of the cabinet. Among the dust, a small area was clean—someone had touched it recently.

My finger brushed against it and touched a tiny raised bump. It was a miniature magnetic sticker holding a strip of paper about the size of a fingernail.

Unfold, and you'll see Ling Wufeng's handwriting: "Reflection".

「试试镜像数字。」凌无问在手机上输入3-2-1-1（1123的镜像）。

顾西东转动锁盘：3-2-1-1-0-0。

Click.

The cabinet door popped open a crack. Inside were three black waterproof file boxes:

1. Figure skating judge bribery network (fund flow records) 2009-2012

2. Records of contestant selection manipulation from 2010 to 2013 (audio/photos)

3. Accident Cover-up Files (2011-2014) (Medical Reports/Internal Communications)

"That's it. With this and the cloud data, the evidence is irrefutable." Ling Wuwen's voice trembled.

Sister Li glanced at her watch: "Three minutes, I have to go."

They quickly packed the file box into their backpacks, locked the cabinet, and retrieved the key.

Sister Li led the team back along the same route.

Footsteps were heard ahead, and the three of them slipped into the disinfection room.

Two security guards walked by through the crack in the door. "I think I heard a sound just now." "Probably a rat."

They hurried to the back door and slipped out. Sister Li turned to leave:

"I got the item. Make a copy for me as agreed. See you at the usual place tomorrow at noon."

"Sister Li," Gu Xidong called out to her, "your son's matter... will be resolved."

The woman had her back to her, her shoulders trembling slightly. She nodded and disappeared into the depths of the alley.

We returned to the safe house at 1 a.m.

As evidence unfolded, three file boxes and cloud data formed a dark network: involving 47 people, spanning eight years, amounting to over 20 million, and ruining at least 30 careers.

"It will be announced tomorrow."

"How can we make it public? Giving it directly to the media will be met with pressure, and going through the disciplinary committee is too lengthy."

"Live broadcast. 'Face to Face with Champions,' tomorrow night at 8 PM prime time, guest Chen Guodong. The program is live and cannot be edited. We'll sneak in and expose them on the spot."

Gu Xidong looked at the screen.

Program title: "Judge's Perspective: Fairness and Art in Figure Skating".

"The risk is too high. Security at the live broadcast site is tight. How do we get in? How do we get close? How do we leave?"

"The ice chip organization has made arrangements. The two are disguised as staff members, wearing special passes. The audience interaction segment midway through the program is an opportunity." Ling Wuwen enlarged the program schedule.

"The people from the ice shavings group arranged for us to sit in specific locations to ensure we were chosen. The moment the microphone was handed to us, we presented our evidence and told them everything."

"And then what? Security guards will restrain us on the spot."

"So we need to be quick. In three minutes, clearly state the core facts and project the evidence photos onto the big screen—the people from the Ice Shavings group will hack into the live stream system. Escape immediately after three minutes; there are backups in the safe passage."

Every step of the plan was risky, but everything was meticulously planned. The Ice Chips organization had clearly been planning this for a long time.

Why did they help us?

Ling Wuwen remained silent for a moment.

"Because their loved ones died unjustly, like Ling Wufeng. Because seven years, ten years, justice still hasn't come," she said softly. "We are not alone in our revenge. We are the first hand extended to all the buried innocent souls."

Preparations began at 3 a.m.

Ling Wuwen sifted through the key evidence, while Gu Xidong repeatedly practiced what he was going to say.

At dawn, the raven sent an encrypted message: "Zhou Wentao went to the airport at 5 a.m. this morning, seemingly preparing to leave the country. Customs has temporarily restricted his departure (operated by the ice chip organization), but the restriction is only for 48 hours. You must act before tomorrow night."

The countdown starts.

4

Rest during the day to conserve energy.

At 6 p.m., the ice chip organization delivered blue vests and passes to the program crew.

"Enter through the staff entrance at 7:30. There's a miniature camera inside your vest, transmitting data synchronously to our server. Once you start speaking, the evidence will be automatically uploaded to seven public websites." The bespectacled young man handed over a wireless headset. "Put it on and follow my instructions. I'm in the control room."

We set off at seven o'clock.

The television station building was brightly lit, and employees swiped their cards to enter. Heading to the studio as planned, the audience seats were already full.

They were seated in the third row on the far left, near the emergency exit.

At 7:50, Chen Guodong appeared, dressed in a dark gray suit and wearing gold-rimmed glasses, his steps composed. Gu Xidong's blood pounded in his ears.

At 8:40, the host said, "Next is the audience Q&A session! Is there anyone in the audience who would like to speak with Referee Chen?"

Gu Xidong and Ling Wuwen raised their hands. The host's gaze swept across the room, stopping at the third row on the left:

"That staff member in the blue vest—oh, you want to ask a question too?"

Gu Xidong stood up, walked onto the stage, and pressed the button on his vest. His voice came through the speakers:

"Three years ago, at the National Sports Center figure skating rink, my partner Lin Wufeng died in front of me. That wasn't an accident; it was murder."

The entire room fell silent. Chen Guodong's smile froze.

Gu Xidong held up a copy of the evidence:

"Judge Chen, do you want to explain why your account received a transfer of 500,000 three years ago? Why was Lin Wufeng's autopsy report altered?"

Security guards rushed onto the stage. Gu Xidong pressed a button inside his vest, and the large screen at the back of the stage switched to displaying evidence photos.

Chen Guodong yelled, "Shut it down! This is slander!"

Ling Wuwen threw a smoke grenade, and white smoke exploded. The headset command: "Evacuate! Emergency exit!"

Gu Xidong grabbed Ling Wuwen's hand and rushed towards the safety door on the side of the stage, running up to the rooftop. Security guards approached from behind, their stun guns flashing blue light.

"Jump."

The van downstairs had a thick cushioning pad on its roof. The two men jumped down, landed on the pad, and rolled into the van.

"The live broadcast signal was cut off, but the first thirty seconds of your speech were broadcast. The evidence photo was displayed on the big screen for fifteen seconds, which was enough time for it to be screenshotted and spread."

A man wearing glasses handed over a tablet. Top three trending topics on social media: #ChampionFaceToFaceLivestreamAccident# #ChenGuodongSuspectedOfMurder# #FigureSkatingBehindTheScenes#

Gu Xidong slumped onto the carriage floor, laughing, laughing through his tears.

Three years.

Finally, everyone heard it.

The truck drove into the night towards an unknown safe haven. Behind it, inside the television building, a real storm was just beginning.