Chapter 55 – Adoptive Mother

“Xiao Meng, what’s the situation?”

Lu Anchi and Xie Ning hurried over but still missed the chance to speak with the two awakened technicians.

“The two technicians are very weak and need to be isolated for rest. The medical staff over there are very strict and have refused our visitation.”

Meng Yi was uneasy. Gu Lanshan’s words had left him deeply confused.

The suspect and Consultant Qin had swapped identities?

What did that mean?

He wasn’t very familiar with the operational mechanisms of Blizzard, and the statement seemed to challenge his imagination and understanding.

Could the murderer be Consultant Qin?

No way… that sounded downright fantastical.

Was it all just a dream, leaving their minds muddled?

Were they not fully awake yet, spouting nonsense?

But when they parted, Gu Lanshan had been so agitated, his hopeful gaze fixed intently on Meng Yi as if pinning all his expectations on him.

He had to go and explain this to the technicians in the lab, right?

“Even a police visit isn’t allowed?” Lu Anchi had rushed over in such haste that he hadn’t even brought his police cap. He glanced at the tightly shut metal door, his hawk-like eyes razor-sharp.

Meng Yi nodded helplessly. “Yeah, they said we’d interfere with their work. All visitations are denied.”

Lu Anchi frowned, deep in thought.

How was this any different from detaining the two of them?

Weiyao must be afraid they’d say the wrong thing.

Suddenly, Meng Yi stood up and walked toward the lab. Before he could even touch the door, two burly security guards blocked his way.

“I’m a police officer. There’s something important I need to communicate to those inside.”

The security guards, towering over Meng Yi, looked down at him. “The lab involves industry secrets. All visits are prohibited.”

Meng Yi said indignantly, “I’m not making this up! It’s your technician who asked me to relay a message—Gu Lanshan!”

One of the guards scoffed through his nose. “He’s just a low-level technician. What does he know? President Xu gave strict orders during the second entry into Snowscape—no one enters the lab, only exits!”

Their attitude made it clear they only took orders from Weiyao Technology, not even sparing a thought for the police.

“You—!”

Meng Yi was still young, hot-headed and prone to impulsiveness. No visits allowed for the patients, no entry permitted to the lab—what was Weiyao playing at?

He was about to argue further when Xie Ning abruptly stopped him. “Shut it. You don’t have a search warrant—why should they open the door for you?”

As he spoke, Xie Ning glanced back at Lu Anchi. Their eyes met, both dark and swirling with unspoken thoughts.

Yan Yan’er arrived quickly, just as she had back then.

She was my nominal adoptive mother, the one who had given me shelter under her roof these past two years. Chen Dahong didn’t like me much, and if not for her, my life in the “new home” would have been even harder.

The villagers’ eyes lit up when they saw her, staring at her as if she were a living Bodhisattva.

“Yan Yan’er, you’re finally back!” An auntie stepped forward, warmly grasping her hand. “You’re here about Yan Ru, aren’t you?”

Yan Yan’er had tied her short hair into a small bun at the back, with the excess strands hanging down in a messy cascade. Her sallow skin suggested poor health or years of hard labor. Beneath her ordinary appearance, only her eyes held a trace of clarity, always carrying a pitiful look when she stared at someone.

Yan Yan’er was Yan Ande’s cousin, her maiden family hailing from here. I’d heard that our families had once been very close, but after she married, contact gradually dwindled. At least, from my childhood until my mother’s accident, I had never seen her before.

Yan Yan’er pressed her lips together, a faint smile flickering briefly. “Yes, I’m so worried about him…” As she spoke, her gaze shifted to Qin Yuezhang, who stood near the ruins not far away.

Qin Yuezhang returned her look with complete unfamiliarity.

Yan Yan’er gave a bitter smile and slowly stepped forward, reaching out to take his hand.

Qin Yuezhang immediately dodged, instinctively looking toward me in the distance.

I silently mouthed the words: “Adoptive mother.”

Qin Yuezhang was sharp—he’d know what to do.

Failing to take his hand, Yan Yan’er didn’t insist. She tilted her head slightly and said, “Xiao Ru, come home with me. Your… Uncle Chen won’t say those harsh things anymore!”

After a moment’s thought, Qin Yuezhang replied, “What he said, I’ve already forgotten. I don’t take it to heart.”

A deliberately ambiguous answer.

To my surprise, Yan Yan’er grew even more distressed. She glanced around awkwardly at the villagers pretending not to eavesdrop but clearly watching the spectacle. She seemed to want to say something but couldn’t get the words out.

The highly respected elder stepped forward. “Yan Yan’er, it’s been so long since you’ve been back. Come to my place for a while. Take Yan Ru with you—talk things out and bring him home!”

Yan Yan’er gratefully agreed.

Seeing Qin Yuezhang still standing motionless, the elder’s expression darkened. Sternly, he said, “What are you standing there for? Come along!”

Qin Yuezhang swept his gaze between the elder and Yan Yan’er, then after a brief consideration, followed them.

Faintly, I heard Yan Yan’er’s sighing lament, filled with endless sorrow and resentment toward fate: “Xiao Ru! I know you still blame us, but we had no choice…”

Her voice faded as the group walked away.

Xu Anran asked, “Aren’t we following?”

I stared at Yan Yan’er’s slightly hunched back, an inexplicable surge of anger and humiliation rising in my chest.

“Following them would just make us seem suspicious.” I turned to Xu Anran. “About the Safety Gate you mentioned earlier… there are still some things I don’t understand.”

Xu Anran hesitated for a moment. “Consultant Qin, this concerns Weiyao Technology’s core commercial secrets. You must promise not to reveal even a single word to outsiders.”

I said solemnly, “I, Qin Yuezhang, swear that Weiyao’s secrets will never be disclosed to unrelated parties. And President Xu, rest assured—I understand the law. Careless words can lead to criminal liability.”

Only then did Xu Anran’s expression ease slightly. “I trust Consultant Qin’s integrity. The Safety Gate, in essence, is a string of data code. It can also store information like a cloud server. Each technician’s data settings are unique.”

I asked, “Are they assigned by the company?”

“No. The conditions in Snowscape are complex, and the physical and psychological resilience of technicians varies. To prevent them from forgetting their Safety Gate codes while in Snowscape, the data is set by the technicians themselves—and the numbers hold special meaning to them.”

Numbers that held special meaning to the technicians themselves.

And Wei Qinzhou had been certain that Qi Youxuan also knew this string of digits.