Chapter 19: What Exactly Did He Xingzhou Do?
“I don’t know, it must be something really important!”
“This is the first time I’ve seen this!” The students watched as the vehicle entered the school. Within less than a minute, they heard the announcement broadcast from the school studio.
“Attention, attention! All students in Teaching Building No. 5: class time is extended by thirty minutes. Students and teachers, please do not leave your classrooms without permission!”
“To Teaching Building No. 5! Let’s go see!” Some students followed, curious.
The special military jeep, escorted by armed police, proceeded all the way to Teaching Building No. 5 — the very building where He Xingzhou was attending class. Professor Zhang Boyan called out, “Students, we just received notice that class will be extended by thirty minutes. Don’t worry too much; feel free to review your materials quietly.”
The students exchanged puzzled looks. “Why the sudden extension?”
“What’s going on? Now we won’t even make it to the cafeteria in time!”
“So frustrating. And they told us not to move around.”
Just as they complained, the sound of synchronized footsteps echoed outside the classroom — crisp and purposeful.
“What’s happening?” Wang Jiahao, sitting next to He Xingzhou, peered curiously out the window and saw a squad of armed police standing in formation outside. Their posture was rigid, faces expressionless, holding rifles at the ready.
The sight sent a chill through the students.
“Whoa, what’s going on? The SWAT team is here?”
“Do you think their guns are loaded?”
“Could there be a criminal here?”
“Why would the SWAT be here?” Feng Tao and Zhang Yang also looked on, bewildered.
“He’s the one they came for,” He Xingzhou said calmly. Given the level of security, it was almost certainly because of his experimental report.
“Here to get you?” the classmates laughed, teasing, “He Xingzhou, you’re really bold. Watch out or you might get arrested.”
“Here we go again with your stories!”
Just as they prepared to mock him further, a SWAT team leader stood at the door, saluted Professor Zhang Boyan, and said, “Professor, I am here on official orders to escort student He Xingzhou.”
“You’re quick,” Zhang Boyan said, “I just received the message.” On his phone, the principal had just sent him a text saying that the Security Bureau was here to take He Xingzhou away.
At those words, the entire class was stunned.
The SWAT team had genuinely come for He Xingzhou.
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One officer might have been enough, but an entire team? Even capturing a wanted criminal wouldn’t usually warrant such an entourage.
From the window, some students saw special vehicles parked below the building, with a perimeter cordoned off to keep people away.
“He, they really came for you!” Wang Jiahao was dumbfounded. Could it be that everything He Xingzhou had said was true?
“Man, I’m so nervous my heart can’t take it!” Feng Tao whispered.
Zhang Yang dared not speak when the SWAT captain glanced over.
Under the watchful gaze of hundreds of classmates, He Xingzhou calmly stood up and told his roommates, “Please take my books back to the dorm for me.”
Then, at the classroom door, he said to the officer, “Comrade, I am He Xingzhou.”
“Hello, student He Xingzhou,” the SWAT captain saluted again. “I am here under orders from higher authorities. Please come with me.”
He Xingzhou nodded and followed him out, with the surrounding officers forming a protective escort.
The large classroom fell utterly silent. Hundreds of students were at a loss for words. This scene etched itself deeply into their memories. In all their lives, they had never witnessed anyone being escorted away by the SWAT team.
Most strikingly, that person was their classmate. Not long ago, they had been teasing him for joking around.
“Students, please stay focused. There is no need to worry about He Xingzhou. Continue your studies,” Zhang Boyan said.
“How can we not be affected?” Wang Jiahao nearly panicked, grabbing Feng Tao and Zhang Yang. “Did you see that? The SWAT team took He Xingzhou away!”
“Damn, why? He’s just a normal person—how did he become so important?”
“How should I know?” Feng Tao grumbled.
“Was everything he said true?” Zhang Yang asked in shock.
“Could it be that He Xingzhou is really involved in some national secret?” The classmates shuddered recalling what he had mentioned earlier.
“He wasn’t joking with us.”
“Am I the fool here?”
Outside the window, they watched as He Xingzhou climbed into the black military jeep with special clearance and left the campus.
“I just witnessed the birth of a big shot!” one student said, full of admiration and envy.
“Ahhh, I regret it so much! I should have confessed to He Xingzhou earlier!” several girls said openly, including the department’s most beautiful girl.
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“Our department has produced a genius! I’m so excited!”
“Does anyone have He Xingzhou’s WeChat or QQ? I want to add him!” one student shouted.
“Down on my knees for the big boss!”
Professor Zhang Boyan also stood by the window watching the jeep disappear. Unlike the students’ excitement and surprise, he felt mostly worry.
“The Security Bureau is in such a hurry to take He Xingzhou away, which means the analysis in his report has been verified. Something big is about to happen in our country.”
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The commotion and rumors on campus no longer concerned He Xingzhou. Riding in the special vehicle, he soon arrived at a secret research facility of the Academy of Sciences.
This was a military restricted zone, guarded by armed soldiers with live ammunition. Without a permit, entry or exit was impossible.
All who entered underwent multiple security checks, and He Xingzhou was no exception.
He met with the three leaders of the Insectoid Disaster Response Team. Upon seeing him, Kong Qing smiled and said, “Young friend, they didn’t scare you too much just now, did they?”
“Don’t be afraid. We only want to learn more from you.”
He even scolded Cui Weimin, “So much fuss just to escort one person.”
Cui Weimin quickly explained, “I—I was just too anxious. But don’t worry, I’ve already arranged for this not to be reported or spread.”
Qin Peng examined He Xingzhou carefully. “This young man seems very composed, not scared at all.”
He Xingzhou replied, “You three are my seniors. I haven’t done anything wrong, so of course I’m not afraid.”
“Ha ha, well said,” Cui Weimin laughed.
Kong Qing said, “Please, make yourself comfortable. We’ve read your experimental report and subjected it to rigorous analysis. We find your conclusions very convincing.”
“You have alerted us. You can be called a whistleblower for an impending apocalypse.”
Cui Weimin continued, “Young student, we brought you here today to ask whether you have any more information or thoughts about the insectoid genes or the crisis. Feel free to share with us.”
Qin Peng added, “Speak boldly. Everything you say will be recorded and carefully considered.”