Chapter 76: False Information

"Isn't the old warden in great danger then?" Zhao Li couldn't help but voice his concern.

"Don't worry, he is perfectly safe," the General said, showing no anxiety regarding the old warden. "It is you who are in trouble. Now that they know you are still alive—and that you are the one who knows the most—there will certainly be more dangerous assassination attempts targeting you."

Zhao Li had never imagined that a simple prison break would involve so many complex entanglements. This was far beyond the capability of a lowly Second Lieutenant like himself; the power to decide rested solely with the General before him.

"Adjutant!" The General looked at Zhao Li, seemingly hesitating. After a long moment, he made up his mind and called his adjutant in.

"Issue a public statement," the General commanded decisively, his words leaving Zhao Li stunned. "State that during the assassination attempt on Zhao Li, the assailants resorted to a suicide attack due to our effective resistance. Our personnel—Second Lieutenant Zhao Li, two majors responsible for his protection, and one lieutenant colonel medical officer—were all caught in the blast and have died after failed resuscitation attempts."

As the adjutant left to disseminate the news, Zhao Li, still in shock, looked at the General and gave a bitter smile. "Must I die?"

"Yes," the General nodded. "If you want to survive, you must die." The logic sounded twisted, but both understood. The current situation involved far-reaching implications. If the opposition possessed the power to stage an armed prison break and assassinate twenty special forces soldiers in broad daylight, they surely held even more dangerous cards.

"The information regarding those prisoners is something only the old warden needs to know, which is why you must disappear." The General’s words sounded like a cold liquidation, but Zhao Li knew this was not an act of harm, but one of protection.

"And what about the others?" Zhao Li suddenly remembered the two bodyguards and the medical officer who had supposedly died with him. Major Michael was truly dead, but Li Mengdie and Christine were still resting in the lounge.

"They must die as well," the General said, leaving no room for negotiation. "In short, none of you can reappear as your former selves." For a military district commander, altering the service records of three soldiers was child's play; it was also an excellent way to sow confusion.

"Do I need to tell them the reason?" Zhao Li wondered. Li Mengdie and Christine would undoubtedly remain by his side for the time being. Was it necessary for them to be in the loop?

"No need. Just let them believe they are on a classified mission," the General dismissed the question. "You will still be Zhao Li, but it will be as if you were never at the special prison. I will personally handle their superiors. Their official records will also show they were killed in action. This classified mission will simply be a long one. You can leave everything else to me."

"Thank you, sir!" At this point, Zhao Li knew there was no room for bargaining; he had to accept the arrangement.

"Now, which prisoner's secret do you think is so sensitive that they would resort to such extreme measures?" The General had seemingly finished his administrative tasks and finally allowed Zhao Li to analyze the situation.

"Kang Hongyuan is certainly unlikely," Zhao Li said, rejecting the notion immediately. The General agreed. Kang was a public figure; there was no need to hide him. His information was readily available in the media, making such an elaborate cover-up meaningless.

As for the others, Zhao Li wasn't certain, but two individuals seemed less likely suspects: the legless Professor Hans and Ban Yunchan. Their traits were too distinct—one lacked legs, and the other was the only female prisoner in the special facility. Even if the trail of the prison guards was cut, the original arresting officers and the transport teams would leave traces. Their identities could be uncovered with enough time.

The others, however, were not so simple. Too much time had passed, and it was unclear if the original handlers were still in the military. Investigating them one by one without detailed records was nearly impossible. Even Zhao Li could only provide names, specialties, and a few of their former occupations. Most had only a single skill listed, and many names were incomplete. Investigating them was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

It seemed only the old warden could provide real help. Perhaps he held more detailed information in his mind. However, Zhao Li didn't know the old warden's current situation. A man like him would likely not live a mundane life, even in retirement.

Before leaving, the old warden had told Zhao Li that if he ever hit a dead end, he should come to him. Did this count? Was a matter of life and death a "dead end"? Zhao Li didn't know, but he was loath to trouble the old man, both out of respect and personal pride.

***

The General acted quickly, coordinating with the upper echelons of the Genius Academy with exceptional speed. By the time Zhao Li returned to the lounge, Christine and Li Mengdie had already received their orders.

They were instructed to go undercover and provide close protection to Zhao Li for an indefinite period. Their superiors had explicitly told them that for the sake of the mission, they had been declared dead following the assassination attempt. Their new identities would be handled by the Genius Academy shortly. It seemed the academy officials were not entirely confident in the General's handling of the situation.

This wasn't what mattered. What mattered was that Zhao Li, Li Mengdie, and Christine had mysteriously "died." While they all knew it was to protect Zhao Li, the fact that two active members of the Genius Academy were dragged into this meant the situation was far from simple.

Li Mengdie might not suspect an internal conspiracy, but Christine certainly would. The higher-ups would not easily agree to let two Genius Academy members "die" just to protect a man who wasn't even a special forces soldier.

However, the specific secrets behind this were beyond Christine's reach. Zhao Li had analyzed the motive for the assassination—there didn't seem to be any sin worthy of a death sentence, yet the arrangement persisted. Since Zhao Li had accepted it, there was definitely something deeper at play.

"Zhao Li!" Seeing that no one else was around, Christine called him over to the terminal in the lounge. Li Mengdie, curious, walked over as well.

"This is a top-secret report I found among Major Michael’s belongings!" Christine said, opening the terminal to display the document.

As Zhao Li read the contents, he felt the urge to drag Major Michael from the morgue and tear him to pieces. There were people who falsely accused others, but he had never seen such blatant, malicious framing. The worst part was that ninety percent of the report was factual, while the remaining ten percent was pure, malicious speculation.

Speculation? Once Zhao Li realized this, he reread the entire report. Indeed, many parts were conjectures, often accompanied by Michael’s own notes.

For an investigator, having a line of inquiry was one thing, but if this report were submitted, Michael’s preconceived bias would influence anyone reading it, casting even greater suspicion on Zhao Li.

"What is the meaning of this?" Zhao Li turned to Li Mengdie and Christine. "Why does this report exist? Weren't you sent here to protect me?"

Christine shrugged, appearing quite alluring. "I don't know. I found it among his personal effects." Her gaze shifted to Li Mengdie. "Perhaps our junior sister knows?"

"I don't know either," Li Mengdie said calmly, not bothering to defend herself. "My orders were only to assist Major Michael in this protection mission. That is all."

Zhao Li had no reason to doubt Li Mengdie; they had a decade of friendship. If she had been given such a mission, she wouldn't have made such a judgment. This must have been Michael’s own doing, a mission he had taken on alone.

"Li Mengdie, did Major Michael harass you often?" Zhao Li asked, hoping to confirm his suspicion.

"Yes," Li Mengdie replied coldly. She didn't want to elaborate, as the memories of Major Michael were clearly not pleasant.

"I see," Christine realized why Michael had written such an assessment.

"So, what about this report?" Christine hesitated. It was highly detrimental to Zhao Li, and submitting it would subject him to endless, baseless suspicion. She looked to him for a decision.

Zhao Li stared at the report that was so damaging to him. After a long moment of hesitation, he made his choice. "Submit it."

"Submit it? Are you crazy?" Christine exclaimed, more anxious than Zhao Li himself. Even Li Mengdie looked at him in disbelief, though she remained silent.

"Submit it!" Zhao Li glared at the report. "Regardless, it is a report Major Michael died for. It shouldn't be buried." He held back some words, but eventually added, "Besides, I believe the authorities won't make a judgment based on a single report. These are just suspicions. The innocent will remain innocent, and the muddy will remain muddy."

Looking at Zhao Li’s earnest face, a glimmer of light appeared in Christine's eyes, though it vanished as quickly as it came.

The Genius Academy had a special procedure for transmitting documents, and Christine soon completed the submission. Before doing so, she had asked Zhao Li once more, but he remained firm.

Was Major Michael not a graduate of the current class of the Genius Academy? Why would he produce such a report? Was he serving the Military Intelligence Bureau or the Special Investigation Unit? With Michael dead, there was no way to get answers.

Li Mengdie, by contrast, seemed much simpler, merely executing an independent mission. If Michael hadn't died, no one would have seen this report. Could it be that other departments were attempting to infiltrate the Genius Academy?

Christine took this seriously. After submitting the report, she relayed her and Zhao Li’s suspicions to her direct superiors.

The Genius Academy’s efficiency was remarkable. Within minutes of the report being sent, a new directive arrived.

"Report received. Awaiting verification!" The image of a Major General appeared on the screen before them. "Christine, the matters you suspect will be under full investigation shortly. In the meantime, you are to continue complying with the orders of the XX Military District and carry out your mission."

Since Zhao Li was not part of the Genius Academy, he stayed away from the communications terminal, lost in his own thoughts.

The military district commanders were likely struggling with how to arrange things for Zhao Li. He was, after all, the old warden’s man. Despite his youth, his performance in the last two incidents had been exceptional. The final decision regarding his "post-death" assignment was still pending, and its nature remained a mystery.

Every day was spent in the lounge provided by the military district. The only place they could go was a nearby fitness area. It seemed there was no other entertainment besides training.

Whenever they had free time, Li Mengdie and Christine would exercise constantly, often sitting to practice their internal energy. Given such diligence, it was no wonder the Genius Academy produced such excellent results. With superior talent and such self-disciplined practice, it would be difficult *not* to become a master.

Spurred on by them, Zhao Li also redoubled his efforts. In truth, he worked just as hard as they did. Recently, however, after his "Basic Body-Refining Technique" had leveled up, his internal energy had become much more refined, but his total volume seemed to have decreased. He didn't know if this was progress or a setback.

Li Mengdie was already an eighth-level master, while Zhao Li hadn't measured his level in a while—he guessed he was at most a fifth-level. Given the recent changes, simply stabilizing his cultivation was already quite an achievement.

Still, Zhao Li believed that one day, when his Basic Body-Refining Technique could no longer condense his energy, that would be the moment his hard work would finally pay off.