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墨書 Inktalez
As I stepped out of the Foundation building, my back was already soaked with cold sweat. The threat implied in Chen Ci's last words, "I look forward to your report," was something even a passerby could pick up on.
My phone was vibrating wildly. Mr. Li had sent several messages: "Quick, check this account..."
Before I could click on it, a slender figure bumped into me. With a soft thud, her phone fell to the ground.
"I'm so sorry!" The girl hurriedly crouched down to pick up her phone. I bent down to help, but when I saw her face, I froze—this face had just been on the "Pending Prediction List" at the data center.
"You are... Xiaoyu?"
The girl clearly startled, replied, "You know me?"
Instinct told me not to let this opportunity slip away: "Yes, I saw your profile at the Foundation. You're one of the candidates for the next group of beneficiaries, right?"
She took a cautious step back. I quickly pulled out my press badge: "I'm an investigative journalist looking into some matters. If it's convenient..."
"Don't talk here." She glanced around nervously. "Follow me."
Half an hour later, we sat down in a secluded café.
"You think there's something wrong with the Foundation too, right?" she asked straightforwardly.
I nodded cautiously. "What do you know?"
"My brother...," Xiao Yu's fingers twisted tightly around the hem of her shirt. In that moment, I felt as if I were looking at my younger self.
"He’s missing." She said this while staring intently at her coffee cup. "The Foundation says it's normal, that many beneficiaries choose to start over... but how could he not tell me?"
A tightness gripped my heart. How many midnight awakenings had I questioned: why did my father leave so suddenly? How could someone who wanted to uncover the truth leave without a word?
"Do you believe it?" She lifted her head, tears glistening in her eyes. "They say he voluntarily cut off all contact. But that day, he was still helping me pick curtains for my new apartment..."
Xiao Yu's eyes turned red instantly. "My brother is my only family now. After the accident with our parents, he has been taking care of me. He said that after accepting help from the Foundation, life would get better..." She choked on her words, "But he broke his promise. He promised to always be with me..."
I clenched my fists. This pain was all too familiar. "What did your brother say the last time you saw him?"
"He said..." Xiao Yu wiped her tears, "He said he wanted to create a better future for me. But I don’t need a better future; I just want him to be safe."
Xiao Yu took a deep breath and said through her sobs, "My brother disappeared after receiving the third Relief Fund. What's even stranger is..." She lowered her voice, "I recently saw that his account is still active. Every month, a fixed amount is transferred into a Cryptocurrency account."
My heart skipped a beat. I pulled out my phone and brought up the account number sent by Mr. Li: "Is this it?"
Her eyes widened in shock. "How did you know?"
"Because Fang Li's account is also transferring money to this account." I took a deep breath, watching the terror in Xiao Yu's eyes, feeling a sharp pain in my heart.
"It can't be..." Xiao Yu murmured, "This means my brother..."
I gently patted her shoulder. "Trust me, this time we must find the truth. Not for the report, but for those still waiting for their loved ones to come home."
Back at the Press Office, I spread out all the photos of the beneficiaries on the table. Young and old, men and women... their smiles frozen in the news photos taken when they received the Relief Fund. But now, they had all vanished.
It was like the Dominoes laid out before me, each fallen piece marking a precise moment in time. Three disbursements of the Relief Fund felt like a meticulously designed countdown. What was most unsettling was that their bank accounts continued to tick away, like puppets dangling from strings...
"This doesn't bear the marks of human manipulation..." I murmured to myself.
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