Monk Hands Over the Redacted Log, and Seventeen Seconds of Missing Data Matches the Hidden Evidence

The pressure valves on the top floor of the Defense Zone Command emitted a piercing sound of depressurization.

The acrid smell of coolant wafted from the outer wind tunnel, seeping into the room through the gaps in the armored louvers.

Commander Monk sat behind a heavy steel command platform, holding a half-finished cup of tea, his eyes puffy.

Across the long table, Ke'er stood under the lamp, his hand on his sword hilt, the black guard armor reeking of engine oil from his field patrols.

Director Hela's meaning is very clear.

Ke'er raised his chin and pushed a letter of inquiry with a broken sword sealing wax over the table.

"The original operational log of the Reconnaissance Satellite No. 7 over Berth C-9 must be handed over to the Stability Maintenance Office within ten minutes."

Monk didn't lift his eyelids, but gently ran his fingertips along the inside of the teacup twice.

"Commander Ke'er, the Defense Zone Dispatch Center is an independent entity established according to the Wartime Service Act. The original documents are archived in the deep space magnetic tape library, and physical retrieval requires passing through three demagnetization gates."

Stop using programs as a shield.

Ke'er's tone was cold and hard.

"Director Gwen Stacy submitted a protest note this morning, and Director Lynn also issued a 24-hour ultimatum. Monk, you secretly lowered a satellite into orbit to monitor the Bloodfang Fleet; do you really think you can just let this mess stagnate in the control room?"

Monk put down his teacup, the porcelain base striking the steel surface with a dull thud.

He opened the drawer and took out a gray data tube secured with brass clamps.

"The original files require the main control array to be shut down before they can be burned. With the perimeter still under lockdown, who dares to shut down the main control array?"

Monk pushed the data tube forward half an inch, stopping it at the center of the long table.

"This is a system image copy. All telemetry data from midnight today to just now, not a single frame is missing."

Ke'er reached out to grab it, but Monk's hand remained pressed against the brass hoop, not moving an inch.

"There's also a duty roster."

Ke'er stared at Monk's grayish eyes.

"Who signed the track adjustment order? Which duty officer pushed the control lever? Hand over the duty signature board as well."

Monk's lips twitched slightly, revealing a cold, bitter smile.

"The duty log is kept on paper rotation slips. The early shift officer suffered a heart attack half an hour ago and has been rushed to the Seventh Field Hospital for emergency treatment. The logbook has been sent to the autoclave according to epidemic prevention regulations. If you need it urgently, go to the disinfection pool in the infectious disease department and retrieve it yourself."

Ke'er's knuckles tightened slightly on the hilt of his sword, and the leather glove made a taut, rubbing sound.

The two men stared at each other across half a long table, neither willing to back down.

Ke'er knew that this old fox was determined to keep the person in charge under his thumb.

However, the interrogation request he possessed only granted him the authority to request the transfer of troops, not a secret order to detain the district commander on the spot.

If Monk is truly pushed to the point of drawing his gun, a firefight between the garrison and the Black Crow Guard would be unacceptable to both sides.

Ke'er abruptly pulled his hand back, sweeping the gray data tube into the radiation-proof lead bag beside him.

"Commander Monk, I hope your copy can withstand the scrutiny of the Director's Office."

Ke'er turned and strode toward the heavy, airtight door, his boots stomping on the metal floor with rapid, heavy steps.

Monk sat in the chair, looking at the closed blast door, and exhaled a long, stale breath.

He reached behind him, pulled open a hidden compartment in the safe, pulled out a yellowed duty roster, and casually stuffed it into the shredder's feed inlet.

The machine's rollers meshed, producing a low, grinding sound.

Twenty minutes later.

A cold draft seeped through the cracks in the Director's Office window.

The offline terminal on the desk beeped twice, indicating that the progress bar had reached 100%.

Ke'er stood three steps away from the edge of the table, still in his uniform, with a lead bag placed on the corner of the table.

With his head down, Xiao Zhou presented the newly printed timing calibration table to Lynn.

Lynn didn't look at Ke'er, but turned the pages that still smelled of warm fixative powder.

The Data Stream were arranged in an extremely neat manner.

The orbital inclination of Satellite No. 7, the ignition pulse of the micro-thrusters, and the energy consumption curves of the Spectrum sensors are all available.

On the surface, this is a routine inspection record that is flawless.

Lynn picked up the red document pencil on the table and drew a circle in the middle of the third sheet of paper.

"What did Monk say when he submitted the copy?"

Lynn's voice was calm and even, without the slightest hint of emotion.

Ke'er straightened his back slightly.

"Reporting to the Director, Monk insists this is a full mirror image. The duty log cannot be physically retrieved temporarily because the staff member on duty was taken to the hospital for emergency treatment."

"Sudden heart attack."

Lynn touched the center of the circle with the tip of his pen.

"The timing was perfect."

Xiao Zhou stood to the side, his gaze following the tip of Lynn's pen, a thin layer of sweat glistening on his forehead.

It was a series of seemingly consecutive timestamps.

It jumps from 03:14:22 to 03:14:39 Standard Time.

A full seventeen seconds were missing in the middle.

If the temperature compensation coefficient of the satellite clock crystal oscillator is not substituted into the recalculation, the seventeen-second gap will be automatically smoothed by the system into normal packet loss caused by sensor jitter.

However, according to the Management Committee's special communication rules, seventeen seconds is enough to complete a high-level cross-regional handshake.

Lynn didn't look up; she tapped her fingertips lightly on the edge of the table.

This seventeen-second gap occurred precisely at the exact moment Natasha's Containment Room terminal reported an error, and it also perfectly matched the mounting point of the L-03 certificate that Gwen Stacy had found in the Department of Technology's Top Secret appendix.

Monk deleted those seventeen seconds not to cover up his underhanded act of spying on Gwen Stacy.

His goal was to completely erase a non-standard instruction that had been relayed by Satellite No. 7 within those seventeen seconds from the public communication channel.

That instruction used the satellite's reflector antenna to insert a Patch into the Liaison Office's records remotely.

"Director."

Ke'er took a small step forward and lowered his voice.

"Director Hela asked me to tell you that with just one word from you, the Black Crow Guard can take over the control center within half an hour and dig out the original media from the tape drive hangar."

The Stability Maintenance Office wants to use this as an excuse to break down the Defense Line of the area.

Lynn closed the calibration chart in his hand and neatly placed the pencil back in the pencil holder.

"The dispatch center has activated its system; the IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) beacons on the outer patrol boats will be powered off for three hours."

Lynn leaned back in his chair and looked up at Ke'er.

"With a three-hour blind spot, if the Bloodfang Fleet outside the defense zone takes the opportunity to break through, will your Black Crow Guard hold the line, or will Director Hela personally block the Starport gate?"

Ke'er's face stiffened, his Adam's apple bobbed, but he didn't dare to reply.

Within the Management Committee, no matter how powerful the military is, it cannot be greater than the serious crime of treason by losing control of the border.

"The log is good."

Lynn picked up the official red ink pen, drew a straight horizontal line in the signature column on the last page of the calibration form, signed his code, and stamped it with the Director's Office filing seal.

"Sign for receipt, return the copy, and approve for filing."

Ke'er stood there, stunned, a look of disbelief flashing in his eyes.

"Director, there's clearly something in there..."

"If there are compliant procedures, then proceed in accordance with those procedures."

Lynn interrupted him, her gaze calmly fixed on Xiao Zhou standing by the door.

"Xiao Zhou, draft a Level 1 Internal Control Supervision Order from the Director's Office."

Xiao Zhou immediately opened his notepad and gripped his stenographer.

"Please give instructions, Director."

"Effective immediately, all remaining consumables, back cards, and obsolete documents involving the 'L-03' serial number in the Seventh Laboratory of the Department of Technology, the Stability Maintenance Office of the Liaison Office, and the Internal Archives No. 3 of the Stability Maintenance Office will be physically sealed on-site by the three parties."

Lynn's voice was completely flat, each word as firm as iron.

"The Director's Office sent personnel to supervise the sealing, the Internal Affairs Inspection Office sent personnel to verify the lock, and the Department of Technology issued a security commitment letter."

"From the moment this document is issued, no one may open the cabinet, transfer the contents, or make copies except in person by the three principal officials."

Xiao Zhou quickly jotted it down, the pen tip leaving deep indentations on the paper from the pressure.

Ke'er stood to the side, his chest rising and falling slightly.

Instead of investigating the missing seventeen seconds, Lynn chained up every single cabinet in the building that might be hiding sparks.

This is like knowing someone has tampered with the log, yet still offering them a fig leaf.

Once the cabinet is sealed, the external accounts will be impossible to verify.

The person who made the move in the shadows now wants to clean up the mess they left behind before the three-party sealing is finalized.

By issuing the sealing order, Lynn personally placed the final window of opportunity for clearing out all traces in front of that person.

"Is there anything else, Commander?"

Lynn raised his eyes and looked at Ke'er, who was frozen in front of the table.

Ke'er snapped out of his daze, bowed his head, and clasped his hands in a fist salute.

"I have no objections. I will return to report to Director Hela immediately."

Ke'er put away the signed receipt, turned around, and quickly left the office.

The heavy soundproof door closed, and the room returned to silence.

Holding the drafted supervisory order, Xiao Zhou quickly walked to the table and handed it over.

"Director, the electronic seals in the official document system, which are sealed by all three parties, have been pre-activated. Should we broadcast them to the entire network immediately?"

"Broadcast."

Lynn didn't even look at the draft again, instead pressing his personal seal heavily into the lower right corner of the paper, leaving a deep red mark.

Xiao Zhou bowed and accepted the order, then turned and strode quickly toward the communication control console in the outer room.

Lynn sat in the empty office, picked up the cup of coffee that had long since gone cold, and took a small sip.

A bitter, burnt taste spread across the tip of the tongue.

He didn't check the document processing progress on the terminal.

He simply stared silently at the internal communication extension on the right side of his desk.

Three minutes passed.

The extension's red warning light did not illuminate; instead, the portable terminal on Lynn's wrist emitted a very short vibration.

Those were the bottom-level Probe that he had pre-attached to the environmental monitoring circuit of the Department of Technology's underground computer room.

The screen slid open silently, and a flashing low-level hardware alarm popped up.

[Alarm Node: Department of Technology, Basement 5, Consumables Turnover Cabinet]

[Alarm Level: Level 2 Internal Control Anomaly]

[The physical tamper-proof seal circuit was disconnected two minutes ago.]

[Status: The seal has been broken and inspected without authorization from any third party.]