Ice skates forward, regardless of east or west.

1

The screams reached their peak three seconds after the lights went out.

Gu Xidong was pinned down by Ling Wuwen, and he could hear her rapid breathing. From the direction of the stage came a heavy thud, chaotic footsteps, and the shouts of security guards.

"Don't move," Old Gun's voice came from behind. "There's a sniper."

Gu Xidong's left hand touched the cold, sticky blood—Chen Guodong's blood had spread to the third row.

The emergency lights came on, their stark white light outlining the chaotic silhouettes. Chen Guodong lay beside the sofa, a dark stain spreading across his chest, his eyes open.

On the side of the stage, a man wearing a hat is curled up on the ground, his hat rolling off.

Gu Xidong saw his face clearly—around forty years old, extremely ordinary, but those unfocused eyes, the look in his eyes at the very last moment…

As relieved.

Why?

"The evacuation route is at the back door," Old Gun whispered. "I'll count to three, then follow me. Don't run, and don't look back."

"evidence--"

"It's been released." The mouse's voice came through the headphones.

"All materials have been uploaded. The number of clicks exceeded one million within three minutes."

3. Gu Xidong was pulled up.

2. They moved back along the gap between the seats.

1. Fifteen meters from the back door, the security guard was calling on his walkie-talkie. Old Gun silently approached and knocked the guard down with a karate chop.

Pushing open the door leads to the fire escape.

They ran downstairs, Gu Xidong's left knee throbbing with pain, but he dared not stop. The sound of police sirens grew louder as they approached.

"The car is in the alley on the east side," Old Gun said first.

As I rushed out of the building, a cold wind hit my face.

A black SUV with its hazard lights flashing was parked in the alley. As soon as they got into the car, Mouse slammed on the gas and sped off.

The only sound inside the car was panting. Gu Xidong turned around and saw the TV station building brightly lit, with the red flashing lights of the police lights on the roof dazzling him.

"Who was shot dead on stage?" Ling Wuwen asked.

The mouse brought up a screenshot of the surveillance footage: "Facial recognition yielded no results. But we found this inside his jacket lining."

The screen displays a blood-stained note: [Evidence in locker A-17 at the station. Password: 0815]

"The intercity passenger transport center is twelve kilometers away," Mouse said.

Ling Wuwen looked at Gu Xidong: "It might be a trap."

"This might be our last chance." Gu Xidong stared at the note. The man's relieved look reappeared in his eyes.

"Let's go."

2

The station was deserted late at night. The locker area was dimly lit.

The door to cabinet A-17 popped open, revealing only a kraft paper file folder inside.

Back in the car, I connected the mouse to the USB drive in the bag.

The first document was a handwritten list with only nine names. Chen Guodong's name was followed by the note "[Executive Level - Processed]". Zhou Wentao's name was "[Executive Level - Detained]".

The ninth name made Gu Xidong's blood freeze: Gu Ming. His father. Note: [Unknown, deceased].

"Gu Ming, 47 years old, former deputy director of the logistics department of the municipal sports team. He died of a sudden heart attack five years ago." The mouse quickly searched, "No abnormalities found in the cause of death."

"But he's on this list." Gu Xidong stared at his father's name. "What does 'outer circle, unaware' mean?"

The second document is an eight-year fund flow statement, in which one of the receiving accounts is named Gu Ming, with a total of 830,000 yuan.

"Impossible," Gu Xidong shook his head, "My father is just an ordinary worker—"

There is an audio recording on the USB drive. Click to play.

After the electrical noise subsided, a weary, aged male voice spoke:

"If you hear this recording, it means I am no longer here. My name is Wang Zhenhua—an alias. My real name is Li Guozhong, a former agent of the Third Division of the National Security Bureau. In 2010, I was ordered to infiltrate the 'Black Swan' Club, codenamed 'Deep Dive'."

The car was deathly silent.

Recording continues:

"The club's core operations involve foreign forces, engaging in cross-border money laundering and intelligence trading by manipulating matches. I discovered they've started implanting micro-devices in athletes' brains to interfere with memories and implant false instructions via electrical signals. The recipients become 'dormant assets,' activated under specific conditions."

"Gu Xidong was the third subject of the experiment. The surgery was performed by my son—he was coerced. After he discovered the truth, he tried to withdraw, but they threatened him: continue to cooperate, or watch me die in a mental hospital."

"Gu Xidong's father, Gu Ming, was the club's logistics liaison, only responsible for the allocation of supplies and unaware of the inside story. They used his position to transport equipment and pay 'consultant fees.' Gu Ming never knew the true source of the money until his death."

"Important Clue: The club's true controller is not in China. Commands are transmitted via encrypted satellite channels, with the receiver codenamed 'Ice Surface Command Center,' and its location unknown. The signal source was previously detected in the South China Sea."

"Finally, regarding tonight: Chen Guodong will reveal part of the truth during the live broadcast, and then be silenced. The executor is someone I arranged; his name is Zhao Zhigang, a former SWAT officer, the only person I can still trust. His mission is to ensure Chen Guodong reveals crucial information, and, if necessary... to end Chen Guodong's life."

The recording paused for a long time.

"Gu Xidong, if you hear this, please remember: your memories have been altered. They implanted not only a jammer in your brain, but also a trigger command. When you hear a sound signal of a specific frequency, you will enter a controlled state. The signal source is—"

The recording suddenly stopped.

"There was interference in the last three seconds," the mouse said while checking the file.

"Trigger command..." Ling Wuwen grabbed Gu Xidong's hand, "What kind of sound was that?"

"I don't know." Gu Xidong felt a chill creep up his spine. "I don't even remember these things."

Old Gun suddenly asked, "Did your father give you anything special before he passed away?"

Gu Xidong tried hard to recall. His father's last moments…

"He gave me a key to a locker in my hometown. But I've never gone back to get it."

"Where is your hometown?"

"The neighboring city is a 40-minute high-speed train ride away."

They exchanged a glance.

"Go now," Ling Wu asked.

3

At 3 a.m., there were almost no cars on the highway.

Gu Xidong stared into the darkness outside the window, piecing together fragments in his mind: his father's kind smile, the weekly phone calls, always asking if he was tired from training, never asking about his results. A month before his death, he suddenly wanted to go back to his hometown, but ultimately didn't make it.

What exactly is hidden in that key?

At 4:30, we arrived at the tenement building in the old town of the neighboring city. The public lockers in the basement were still there.

The door to cabinet A-9 opened, and a cloud of dust rushed out. Inside was only a rusty metal box.

At the top is an old photo: a young Gu Ming wearing a sports team uniform, standing in the crowd.

He circled two people—himself and a thin-faced man. On the back was written: "A souvenir from Spring Training, 1989. Zhang Weiguo, and me."

Below the photo is a brittle plastic notebook, inside which are neatly recorded entries: "On a certain date, a payment was received from someone, for the purpose of 'equipment maintenance.'" This continued for seven years.

The handwriting on the last page is messy:

They wanted me to transport a batch of special equipment, supposedly the latest training instruments from abroad. But when I inspected it, I found something amiss; there were medical packaging and electronic components inside. I asked Zhang Weiguo, and he told me not to worry about it. Tonight I've decided to open one box and take a look. If I don't contact you tomorrow, give this notebook to…

The sentence ends abruptly. The date is three days before the father's death.

At the bottom of the metal box was a sealed plastic bag containing a microchip smaller than a fingernail. A note next to it read:

[A sample taken from the equipment case. I don't know what it is, but it's definitely not training equipment. Hide it well, don't let anyone know. —Father]

Gu Xidong picked up the chip, his fingers trembling slightly.

"A neural interface chip. Military grade." Mouse took it and looked at it. "Most likely the same one in your brain."

Ling Wuwen flipped through the notebook: "Your father discovered the truth, and three days later he suddenly died of a heart attack. It's too much of a coincidence."

It wasn't a coincidence. It was a cover-up.

Gu Xidong closed his eyes. For five years, he had believed his father had died of natural causes.

"Zhang Weiguo," he read the name from the photo, "who is that?"

Mouse search: "Zhang Weiguo, 58 years old, is currently the director of the Equipment Department of the Provincial Sports Bureau, responsible for the procurement of training equipment for the whole province." He pulled up a recent group photo: standing next to Zhang Weiguo is Zhou Wentao.

All the clues are beginning to close in.

It's almost dawn.

"What do we do now?" Ling Wu asked. "After the live stream incident, we've become wanted criminals across the entire internet."

Gu Xidong opened his phone, and a news notification popped up:

A shooting occurred during a live broadcast; Gu Xidong is suspected of disrupting public order.

Police urge Gu Xidong to turn himself in.

The accompanying photo shows him rolling up his trouser legs on stage.

The comment section has been flooded with paid trolls.

"Public opinion is being controlled," Mouse said. "The accounts of the Ice Shards organization are being banned in batches."

Old Gun glanced at his watch: "We can't stay in this safe house any longer. Zhang Weiguo will definitely investigate your social connections if he sees the live stream."

"Go find Zhang Weiguo." Gu Xidong stood up.

"What?"

"Go directly to him. Since we can't escape, let's face it head-on. He knows about my father, about the chip, and might even know what the trigger command is."

"It's too dangerous," Ling Wuwen said, pulling him back.

"But this is the only way to bring the truth to light." Gu Xidong looked at the iron box. "The evidence my father risked his life for cannot remain hidden in the basement forever."

As the morning light fully illuminated the basement, they decided to split into two groups: Mouse and Old Gun would take the original evidence and try to release it through overseas media; Gu Xidong and Ling Wuwen would go to find Zhang Weiguo.

4

Nine o'clock in the morning, at the coffee shop opposite the Provincial Sports Bureau building.

Gu Xidong, wearing a hat and mask, sat by the window with Ling Wuwen.

"He usually arrives at 9:30, in a black Audi, and goes straight to his office on the seventh floor," Ling Wuwen said, looking at the documents.

Gu Xidong took out his phone and dialed a number.

Three rings, then the call is connected.

"Feed?" Zhang Weiguo's voice was steady and official.

"Director Zhang, I am Gu Ming's son."

Five seconds of silence.

"I don't know you. You've dialed the wrong number."

"I have photos from the 1989 spring training, with your and his names on the back. I also have an account book that records every payment you made for having him transport 'special equipment.' And a chip that I took out of a box."

A longer silence.

"What do you want?"

"Let's meet. Now. Come alone, I'll send you the address. If I don't see you in an hour, or if you bring someone else, all the materials will be sent to the Discipline Inspection Commission, the National Security Bureau, and all the media."

hang up.

Ling Wuwen looked at him: "Will he come?"

"Yes. He needs to confirm what I actually have."

Forty minutes later, a black Audi pulled up in the park parking lot three blocks away.

Zhang Weiguo got off the bus alone, dressed casually like an ordinary elderly person doing morning exercises.

He walked towards the bench where they had agreed to meet. Gu Xidong was already waiting there.

"Where are the things?" Zhang Weiguo sat down without exchanging pleasantries.

"Answer me first: How did my father die?"

Zhang Weiguo looked at the lake for a long time before speaking: "Myocardial infarction. The hospital has records."

"I want the truth."

"...He discovered something he shouldn't have. I advised him not to investigate further, but he wouldn't listen. Three days later, he died on his way home."

"Who did it?"

"I don't know. I was already in a precarious situation myself. The club threatened me with my family. As for your father... I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do."

"What is a chip?"

"Neural control device components. Smuggled in from abroad, disguised as training equipment. The club uses them to experiment on athletes, cultivating 'controllable champions'—pawns that can both win games and be manipulated at any time."

"What is the trigger command?"

Zhang Weiguo's pupils contracted slightly: "How much do you know?"

"I know there's something in my head. I know I'll lose control when I hear certain sounds. I need to know what those sounds are."

"Yes..." Zhang Weiguo was about to speak when his phone rang.

He glanced at it, and his expression changed drastically.

"I have to go." He stood up.

"I haven't finished speaking—"

"If you don't want to die, leave this city right now." Zhang Weiguo lowered his voice and spoke rapidly. "They know you're here to see me. They've been listening in the whole time. Go!"

He turned and walked away quickly.

Gu Xidong sat on the bench, watching his figure disappear.

My phone vibrated. Ling Wuwen sent a message: [Suspicious vehicles at the east gate of the park. Three vehicles, approaching.]

He got up and walked in the opposite direction.

But after taking only a few steps, a sharp buzzing sound suddenly rang in his ears.

The sound exploded from the depths of my mind, not through my ears, but directly in my brain. My vision distorted, and my limbs stiffened.

Trigger command.

It has been activated.

Gu Xidong staggered and grabbed the tree trunk for support. He saw Zhang Weiguo turn around and glance at him in the distance, his eyes filled with fear, and also... pity.

Then darkness engulfed everything.