"Don't you know why the explosion happened?" Bessonova asked.
"I told you, this safety test was designed by Chief Engineer Fomin. I was only responsible for submitting the test procedures to the Hydroelectric Engineering Research Institute and the Nuclear Energy Safety Committee," Bryukhanov said. He glanced at Zhang Heng beside him, looking extremely nervous, terrified that the other man would cut off another of his fingers if he was dissatisfied with his answer.
"How did the Hydroelectric Engineering Research Institute and the Nuclear Energy Safety Committee respond to you?"
"I never received a response from them."
Seeing signs that Bessonova was about to get angry again, Bryukhanov hurriedly added, "You can't blame me for that. They're very busy, and who knows how long it would take to get a reply. Besides, the reactor was due for shutdown and maintenance. If we missed this chance, we'd have to wait until the next cycle to conduct the test. We'd done it this way several times before, and nothing ever went wrong."
After Bryukhanov finished speaking, he saw Zhang Heng, Kratos, and Coconut whispering among themselves. They kept glancing his way, making his skin crawl, so he took the initiative to plead, "I know I made a mistake. I'll go back to Moscow with you. I only hope you'll let me say goodbye to my family."
"Who said we were taking you to Moscow?" Bryukhanov's words made Bessonova laugh in anger.
But then her expression changed. She put on a stern face and said to Bryukhanov, "The cause of the accident hasn't been found yet, so we aren't going back. Don't mention our visit to anyone else, understand?"
"Understood, understood." Bryukhanov nodded repeatedly.
"The 'anyone else' I mentioned includes the Expert Group and the committee members who'll come later."
"Of course." Bryukhanov was