Volume 1 Chapter 19: Evidence

The iron door of the confinement cell was cold, and the air was thick with the smell of rust and mold.

Shen Qingyun leaned against the corner, burying his face in his knees, his shoulders trembling slightly. "My data... it's all destroyed..."

Li Guishou paced back and forth in the cramped space like a caged beast, his knuckles cracking as he clenched his fists. "That son of a bitch Tian Weijun! When I get out of here, I’ll wring his head off and use it as a chamber pot!"

"Old Li, save your breath," Pang Qingquan said, sitting on the floor and patting the empty spot beside him. "What’s the use of saying that now? They’ve already dug the pit, just waiting for us to jump in."

Li Guishou stopped and slammed his fist against the wall with a dull thud. "I can't swallow this! After all the hard work we put in..."

"Then don't swallow it."

A calm voice cut him off.

Du Yuze had been leaning against the doorframe like a statue. He showed no anger, no despair; he was terrifyingly composed.

[System: Analyzing accusations.]
[Charge 1: Trafficking military industrial scraps. Logic loophole: Need to define the distinction between "military strategic materials" and "industrial waste." Rebuttal path: Retrieve material management regulations and Old Jin’s transaction list to prove the items were common industrial goods and the transaction was an equivalent exchange, not for profit.]
[Charge 2: Unauthorized employment. Logic loophole: Lack of formal employment contracts and salary records. Rebuttal path: Define Pang Qingquan’s status as a "technical consultant," a temporary invitation rather than a formal employee.]
[Charge 3: Illegal modification posing significant safety risks. Core rebuttal: Defend using the technical achievements themselves.]
[System: Generating technical rebuttal plan. Conclusion: The accusations have significant procedural and factual flaws. Current optimal strategy: Demand a direct dialogue with the decision-makers and the investigation team for a technical defense.]

Du Yuze opened his eyes, and the stream of data in his mind vanished instantly.

He walked to the iron door and pounded on it heavily. "Open the door! I want to see Factory Director Zhou! I want to see the investigation team!"

From outside came the guard’s impatient scolding: "Behave yourself! This is a confinement cell!"

"I told you to open the door!" Du Yuze’s voice rose sharply, carrying an undeniable sense of authority. "If something goes wrong, you can't afford the consequences! I am the head of Project 207, and I am now exercising my right to appeal! If your delay leads to irreparable losses for the project, Section Chief Zhang, you can't bear that responsibility, and neither can Tian Weijun!"

The footsteps outside hesitated. A few seconds later, the small observation window slid open.

Du Yuze stared directly into the guard's eyes. "Go report to Factory Director Zhou. Tell him I demand a technical defense. Immediately!"

The conference room was thick with cigarette smoke.

Factory Director Zhou Zhenhua sat at the head of the table, his expression grim. Beside him sat two investigators sent from the higher-level authorities; one looked stern, the other impassive.

Tian Weijun and Section Chief Zhang sat opposite them, a neatly bound folder of "evidence" laid out on the table.

The door was pushed open, and Du Yuze walked in alone. Behind him, Li Guishou and the others were blocked at the entrance.

"Reporting to the leadership, the suspect has been brought in." Section Chief Zhang stood up, raising his voice deliberately. "Du Yuze, your offenses are grave and your conduct is malicious! The investigation team is here now—you’d better make a full confession!"

Du Yuze ignored him, walking straight to the conference table and pulling out a chair to sit down.

"Du Yuze, what kind of attitude is that!" Tian Weijun frowned.

"Section Chief Tian, I am currently under investigation, not your subordinate," Du Yuze replied calmly. "I request to speak."

Zhou Zhenhua raised a hand, signaling for him to continue.

"I object to every accusation made by the security department," Du Yuze began directly. "Furthermore, I demand a counter-investigation into the individuals who fabricated these charges."

"Ridiculous!" Section Chief Zhang slapped the documents on the table. "The evidence is conclusive—are you trying to turn the tables?"

"Evidence?" Du Yuze repeated the word, then turned to the stern-looking investigator. "May I ask, regarding the accusation that I trafficked titanium alloy scraps—where is the physical evidence? Which specific piece of material? Where is the composition analysis report? The transaction records show I exchanged them for copper wire and steel plates urgently needed for the project. Where is this 'profit' I supposedly gained?"

He paused, not waiting for an answer, and continued: "Regarding the accusation of unauthorized employment—where is my labor contract with Professor Pang Qingquan? Where are the salary records? A veteran expert who works for a national project without pay, willing to contribute—in your words, he has become my 'illegal laborer'?"

Section Chief Zhang was left speechless, looking toward Tian Weijun for help.

Tian Weijun snorted coldly. "Sophistry. Rules are rules. Exploiting loopholes is a violation in itself. The most critical point is that you altered the engine structure without authorization. That is gambling with the lives of pilots!"

"Well said." Du Yuze actually nodded in agreement. "Safety is the core of all issues. Then, I would like to ask Section Chief Tian: Do you understand turbine engines? Do you understand aerodynamics? Do you understand material stress analysis?"

The barrage of questions made Tian Weijun’s face turn the color of liver. "You... I don't need to understand! I only need to know that you violated operational procedures!"

"If you don't understand, by what right do you judge it to have 'safety hazards'?" Du Yuze’s voice turned sharp. "Based on your imagination? Or is it that in order to take me down, you are willing to ignore technical facts and slap labels on me at will?"

"You're spouting nonsense!"

"I am not." Du Yuze pulled a stack of neatly folded papers from his pocket—drafts he had snatched up in the chaos when the workshop was being trampled. He spread them out on the table, revealing complex equations and sets of curves.

"This is the 'Vortex Stability Equation' I derived. It solves the surge problem caused by fan blade tip vortices under high bypass ratios. Our test data from last night—although the original records were destroyed by you, I still remember them—at maximum thrust, the engine’s stability improved by 30%, fuel efficiency increased by 15%, and thrust increased by 12%!"

He stood up, bracing his hands on the table, leaning forward as he scanned everyone in the room.

"Leaders, investigators. A breakthrough that could advance our nation's aero-engine technology by at least a decade is, in the eyes of some, a 'major safety hazard.' A result that could save the country hundreds of millions in R&D funding is branded as 'illegal modification.'"

His words were like a sharp blade, cutting through the facade of the entire incident.

"I want to ask one question today."

"Who is it that harbors malicious intent, trying to stifle a technology that could change the balance of our national defense?!"

The point of his gaze, like a poisoned arrow, shot straight at Tian Weijun.

The entire conference room fell into a deathly silence.

Sweat beaded on Tian Weijun's forehead. He had not expected that, in such a desperate situation, Du Yuze would not only avoid collapse but also organize such a fierce counterattack.

The investigator who had remained silent finally spoke, picking up the draft paper from the table. "Can you derive this equation again on the spot?"

"Yes," Du Yuze replied without hesitation. "Give me a blackboard and half an hour."

"Good." The investigator nodded, then looked at Zhou Zhenhua. "Factory Director Zhou, I suggest that the prototype in Workshop 207 be sealed and protected, and that a technical evaluation team consisting of outside experts be organized immediately to verify the results presented by Comrade Du Yuze. Until the results are in, the investigation into Du Yuze and the others should be suspended."

Zhou Zhenhua’s fists, hidden under the table, loosened. He looked at Du Yuze with a complex mix of admiration, shock, and lingering fear.

He stood up slowly and made his decision.

"I agree with the investigation team's recommendation. From this moment on, Workshop 207 will be under the direct management of the factory administration; no one is to approach it. Du Yuze, prepare a complete technical report immediately."

He took one last look at the ashen-faced Tian Weijun.

"Section Chief Tian, I also need a report from you regarding the entire process of this report and the subsequent actions. I want to see every detail."

Tian Weijun opened his mouth, but not a single word came out.

Du Yuze picked up his draft papers, turned, and walked out of the conference room.