The atmosphere in the research institute’s conference room was so tense it felt as though it could drip.
Deputy Director Li sat in the main seat, sweat dripping steadily from his forehead.
Zhou Yuping was on his left, and Liu Yi’an on his right.
Wei Qing was being held at the doorway by two soldiers, and her phone had already been confiscated.
“Researcher Liu, what do you want?” Deputy Director Li asked, wiping away his sweat.
Liu Yi’an glanced at Wei Qing. “Dismissal, and legal accountability.”
“You ” Wei Qing screamed. “Liu Yi’an, don’t push it too far!”
“Too far?” Liu Yi’an turned to look at her. “Researcher Wei, you stole my research materials, and you still think I’m the one going too far?”
“I didn’t steal anything!” Wei Qing struggled. “I only took a few pictures!”
“Then why did you take those pictures?”
Wei Qing was at a loss for words.
“You wanted to see my progress ahead of time so you could copy my ideas, didn’t you?” Liu Yi’an said calmly. “Just like last time.”
The conference room fell completely silent.
Everyone understood the implication behind her words.
As for what the truth really was behind the previous case of academic fraud, it was already obvious.
“Deputy Director Li.” Liu Yi’an looked toward the head of the table. “What does Article 13 of the research institute’s confidentiality regulations stipulate for this kind of behavior?”
Deputy Director Li swallowed. “Dismissal and legal accountability.”
“Then handle it according to the regulations.”
“Wait.” Zhou Yuping suddenly spoke.
Everyone turned to look at him.
“This matter involves classified materials from a military project,” Zhou Yuping said calmly. “It needs to be handed over to the military for handling.”
Deputy Director Li’s face went pale. “Commander Zhou, this…”
“What? Do you have an objection, Deputy Director Li?”
“Of course not. Of course not.” Deputy Director Li hurriedly waved his hands.
Wei Qing panicked completely. “No! You can’t hand me over to the military!”
No one paid any attention to her.
“Take her away,” Zhou Yuping ordered.
The two soldiers escorted Wei Qing toward the door.
Just then, the conference room door was suddenly thrown open.
Fu Yanchen rushed in, his face covered in sweat.
“Stop!”
Everyone turned to look at him.
Fu Yanchen walked up to Wei Qing and blocked the soldiers. “You can’t take her away.”
“Mr. Fu, please step aside.” Deputy Commander Chen stepped forward.
“I won’t.” Fu Yanchen stubbornly shielded Wei Qing. “She’s a member of the Fu family. What right do you have to arrest her?”
“Because she stole classified military materials.” Zhou Yuping stood up. “Mr. Fu, this is a military order.”
Fu Yanchen gritted his teeth. “I don’t care about your military order. She’s not going anywhere.”
“Yanchen…” Wei Qing hid behind him, tears falling from her eyes.
Liu Yi’an watched the scene, a sense of absurdity rising in her heart.
In her previous life, when she had been falsely accused, Fu Yanchen had never protected her like this.
Now that Wei Qing had been caught red-handed, he was desperately trying to protect her.
“Fu Yanchen,” Liu Yi’an said. “Do you know what she did?”
“I know.” Fu Yanchen looked at her. “But she didn’t do it intentionally.”
“Didn’t do it intentionally?” Liu Yi’an laughed. “Then what would you call intentional?”
“She only wanted to see your progress. She didn’t intend to steal anything from you.”
“So she used a master key early in the morning to open my laboratory and took dozens of pictures, and you call that not intending to steal?”
Fu Yanchen was speechless.
“Or is it that, in your eyes, anything Wei Qing does can be forgiven?”
“I didn’t…”
“You did.” Liu Yi’an interrupted him. “You protected her the same way when the fire happened last time.”
A collective gasp swept through the conference room.
Everyone understood what she was implying.
There really had been something more behind the previous laboratory fire.
“Liu Yi’an, don’t make false accusations!” Fu Yanchen’s face turned livid.
“Whether I’m making false accusations or not, we’ll know once we investigate.” Liu Yi’an looked at Zhou Yuping. “Commander Zhou, can we retrieve the investigation report from the previous fire?”
“Yes.” Zhou Yuping took out his radio. “Deputy Commander Chen, bring over the investigation report from the previous fire.”
“Yes, sir.”
A few minutes later, Deputy Commander Chen entered the room carrying a document.
“Commander Zhou, the report is here.”
Zhou Yuping took the document and opened the first page.
“Cause of fire: arson.”
“Arson tool: an alcohol lamp commonly used in the laboratory.”
“Suspect: According to surveillance footage, Researcher Wei Qing entered the laboratory ten minutes before the incident.”
The conference room erupted in an uproar.
Wei Qing’s face turned deathly pale. “It wasn’t me! The person in the surveillance footage wasn’t me!”
“Then who was it?” Zhou Yuping looked at her.
“I I don’t know…”
“You don’t know?” Zhou Yuping threw the document onto the table. “Then we’ll investigate it thoroughly.”
“Take her away.”
The two soldiers stepped forward again.
Fu Yanchen tried to stop them, but Deputy Commander Chen pushed him aside.
“Mr. Fu, please do not obstruct official duties.”
“You ”
“Yanchen!”
An angry shout came from outside the door.
Father Fu strode into the room, his face livid.
“Dad?” Fu Yanchen froze.
Father Fu ignored him and walked directly up to Zhou Yuping.
“Commander Zhou, could there be some misunderstanding about this matter?”
“Misunderstanding?” Zhou Yuping looked at him. “What exactly do you think has been misunderstood, Mr. Fu?”
“I know Wei Qing. She wouldn’t do something like this.” Father Fu forced a smile. “Could Researcher Liu have misunderstood something?”
Liu Yi’an looked at him coldly.
Here it comes.
It had been the same in her previous life.
Every time Wei Qing got into trouble, Father Fu would step in and smooth things over.
“Mr. Fu
“You mean I’m the one who wronged her?” Liu Yi’an spoke up.
“That’s not what I meant.” Father Fu turned to her, forcing a kindly smile onto his face. “An’an, I watched both you and Wei Qing grow up. I know there have been some minor conflicts between you two, but surely things don’t have to go this far, do they?”
“Minor conflicts?” Liu Yi’an laughed. “Uncle Fu, she burned down my laboratory and stole my research materials. You call that a minor conflict?”
“An’an, listen to me…”
“I don’t want to hear it.” Liu Yi’an cut him off. “Uncle Fu, you came here today because you want to suppress this matter, don’t you?”
Father Fu’s expression stiffened.
“I’m guessing what you’re going to say next is that, for the sake of the Fu family’s reputation and my future, this competition should be canceled and the position should still go to Wei Qing.”
“Then you’ll make me leave the research institute, marry Fu Yanchen, and stay home to take care of my husband and children.”
“Am I right?”
The conference room fell completely silent.
Everyone stared at Liu Yi’an in shock.
Father Fu’s face turned livid. “An’an, how could you think of me that way?”
“In my previous life?”
Father Fu’s smile froze on his face.
Everyone in the conference room froze as well.
Liu Yi’an looked at him, her tone as calm as though she were simply stating a fact. “Uncle Fu, you suppressed the matter involving Wei Qing, forced me to leave the research institute, and made me marry Fu Yanchen.”
“Back then, you used my parents’ identities to advance your career all the way to the position of deputy director.”
The air seemed to freeze.
Sweat from Deputy Director Li’s forehead dripped onto the table with a faint sound.
Father Fu’s face was livid. “An’an, what nonsense are you talking about?”
“Whether it’s nonsense or not, you know the truth better than anyone.” Liu Yi’an turned to Zhou Yuping. “Commander Zhou, I request access to Fu’s promotion records from all these years, as well as all the approval documents for classified projects he handled.”
A dark glint flashed through Zhou Yuping’s eyes. “Granted.”
“How dare you!” Father Fu slammed his hand on the table and shot to his feet.
In that instant, all the warmth and affection vanished from his face, leaving behind nothing but a naked threat.
“Liu Yi’an, don’t forget who got you your current position!”
“You did.” Liu Yi’an nodded. “You got it for me by using the sacrifice of my parents.”
Father Fu’s face flushed red.