Contact Su Yuqing directly? He dared not. Xingyao's power was beyond imagination; he couldn't be sure if his communications were still under surveillance. That assistant had definitely discovered the loss and was probably using all available resources to track his whereabouts and communication records.
He needed an absolutely secure means of communication, and a way to send the encryption device out.
He thought of Chen Kai. Chen Kai's studio was relatively independent, and he was trustworthy. But he couldn't go directly to the studio; it might also be under surveillance.
He needed a public place with high foot traffic, a place where he could briefly make contact without attracting attention.
A thought flashed through his mind—the municipal library. It was quiet, but bustling with people, with plenty of public computers available (though there might be surveillance), and temporary lockers.
He looked out the window; it was still dark, and dawn was still some time away. He had to make use of this last bit of darkness.
He took out his old phone, which had been drained of battery but had been recharged, and turned it on. The battery level was only thirty percent. He had to act quickly.
He logged into an extremely obscure overseas temporary email service that didn't require phone verification (he'd stumbled upon it on a tech forum) and sent an encrypted email to Chen Kai's studio email address. The email contained only two short lines:
"Professor Chen, urgent. Tomorrow morning at 9 AM, third floor, social sciences section of the city library, next to the 'History of Music' bookshelf. Bring a blank USB drive. Dangerous, do not reply."
He hoped Chen Kai occasionally checked his work email. This was the most covert way he could think of to send a message.
After successfully sending the email, he immediately emptied his outbox, logged out, and turned off his phone again.
Now, he needed to crack the encryption device, or at least confirm its contents. He had no professional equipment, only an old laptop (the only personal item he'd secretly smuggled out of his luggage).
He connected the encryption device to the computer. The computer recognized the hardware but popped up a password prompt.
He tried several simple passwords related to Lu Tianyu and Xingyao that he could think of, and unsurprisingly, they all failed. The encryption device flashed a red indicator light, indicating a limited number of incorrect password attempts. He dared not try again. This thing likely had a self-destruct mechanism.
Hope seemed so close, yet separated by an insurmountable cipher wall.
Frustration washed over him again. Was what he had risked his life to obtain just going to become scrap metal?
No, there must be a way. Su Yuqing, or her team, might have skilled technicians who could crack it.
The most urgent task was to safely deliver this thing to Chen Kai.
He carefully hid the cipher again, lay fully clothed on the cold bed, and waited for dawn. The darkness outside the window was thick as ink, with the occasional sound of passing vehicles in the distance. He knew that Xingyao's men were now searching for him like hounds in every corner of the city.
Every second was filled with unknown danger.
He clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms. He remembered his father's blood-stained work clothes, the photograph of his mother in a coma, and the cold gaze beneath Lu Tianyu's refined mask…
Fear remained, but a more resolute, do-or-die determination burned within him.
He had no way out.
Either, at dawn, successfully launch this bomb, detonating the darkness.
Or, before daybreak, be completely swallowed by the darkness.
He gazed out the window at the deep, seemingly endless night, knowing this was the longest, coldest night of his life.
The darkest hour is before dawn.
And he had to be the first ray of light to pierce that darkness.