The words Ji Heng had left behind-"Anchor Reverse-Pull"-sent everyone on the third basement level into action.
The Technical Team temporarily converted the old training area into a reverse-tracing station. They laid three layers of insulating mats on the floor, hung isolation curtains on the walls, and brought in every piece of evidence connected to the door lines: Lu Wenchuan's student ID, Ji Heng's recording tape, Lin Wan's letter in two halves, True Shen Cheng's Work Badge, the Green Gate Core fragments, and the length of gray thread forced out from beside Lu Wenchuan's fate line.
Spread across a long table, the items looked like a jumble, but for the first time, the clues converged in the same direction.
Fake Shen Cheng had been using Lu Wenchuan as an anchor to pull at Xu Zhihan.
Ji Heng's method was to follow that path in reverse.
After reading the plan, Song Zhixia looked utterly grim.
"Who came up with this?"
Xu Zhihan pushed the thin sheet bearing the words "Anchor Reverse-Pull" toward her.
"Ji Heng."
Song Zhixia read it and fell silent for two seconds.
"Dead people generally don't have to consider postoperative recovery when they come up with ideas."
Lu Wenchuan gave a quiet laugh.
Song Zhixia turned to him.
"You're actually laughing?"
Lu Wenchuan quickly fell quiet.
Xu Zhihan stood beside the table, looking down at the gray thread.
"Reverse-pulling doesn't require cutting the fate line."
Song Zhixia said, "It requires activating the Fragment between you two. Lu Wenchuan's fate line will hurt, and Xu Zhihan's divine spark will be stirred as well."
Lu Wenchuan asked, "How many minutes can we keep it to?"
Song Zhixia said coldly, "Why are you all so fond of asking how many minutes lately? Is this some countdown game?"
The Deputy Captain stood nearby,