I was a rookie reporter in the 00s

Chapter 154 Data Transfer

The three of them quickly walked towards the lounge area. Sunlight filtered through the glass walls of the mall, spilling into the spacious and bright lobby. Several customers sat on the chairs in the lounge area, some looking down at their phones, some chatting quietly, as if the world had nothing to do with them.

On the secluded seats, several pots of green plants exuded a faint fragrance, as if to conceal their whereabouts. Zhang Wanqing, Fu Siyuan, and Li Wei sat in their seats, and a strong sense of tension surged in their hearts.

Zhang Wanqing's heart was pounding. She could feel her palms sweating, their warmth blazing against the air. She clutched the data drive tightly, a surge of anxiety welling up in her heart, as if a fire was burning in her chest. She knew these data held the key to unlocking her father's secrets and the key to the entire investigation.

Fu Siyuan quickly connected to the mall's free Wi-Fi network. His fingers pounded away on the keyboard, his mind racing with possible encryption schemes. He had to remain calm to transmit data securely.

At this moment, a flash of inspiration struck Fu Siyuan. He quickly wrote a piece of encryption code, encrypted the information in the data storage, and sent it to his partners outside. His heart was filled with anticipation and anxiety, as if he had seen a glimmer of light in the darkness.

"The data has been sent out." Fu Siyuan said in a low voice.

At this moment, the mall's broadcast suddenly sounded, with a hint of urgency and tension.

"Dear customers, please take note. A suspicious person has been spotted in the mall. Please remain calm and do not panic." The broadcast's voice echoed in the mall, as if sounding an alarm for them.

Zhang Wanqing's heart tightened, knowing this might mean their whereabouts had been exposed. She clutched the data drive tightly, a strong conviction welling up within her: she must uncover her father's secret and clear his name.

Fu Siyuan quickly closed his laptop, his mind racing with various possible responses. At this moment, they had to remain calm in order to cope with the sudden crisis.

Li Wei clenched his fists, his body slightly leaning forward, ready to deal with sudden danger at any time.

We must leave here as soon as possible." Fu Siyuan said.

The three of them stood up quickly. At this moment, a group of uniformed security guards suddenly appeared at the entrance of the mall. Their eyes wandered around the mall, as if they were looking for something.

Fu Siyuan quickly pulled Zhang Wanqing and Li Wei towards the back door of the mall.

The three of them walked through the corridor of the mall and came to a hidden back door. Outside the back door was a narrow alley with vines climbing up the walls on both sides, as if to cover their whereabouts.

"We must find a safe place to hide temporarily." Fu Siyuan's voice broke the silence with a hint of calmness and determination.

"We can go to my father's old apartment. No one should know there." Zhang Wanqing nodded slightly, and an idea flashed through her mind.

"Okay, let's go to your father's old apartment." Fu Siyuan said.

"Then let's go now." There was a hint of urgency and nervousness in her voice.

The three of them quickly walked out of the alley and came to a busy street. The shop windows on both sides of the street were filled with a dazzling array of goods, and pedestrians came and went in an endless stream, as if the whole city was busy for them.

Zhang Wanqing's father's old apartment was located in a remote corner of the city, surrounded by old residential buildings, seemingly isolated from the outside world. The three of them walked through a narrow alley and arrived at the apartment's entrance. A rusty lock hung on the iron gate, as if telling of the vicissitudes of time.

Zhang Wanqing's heartbeat threatened to burst from her chest. She could feel her palms sweating, their warmth blazing against the air. She pulled a key from her pocket, a key her father had given her as a last resort. A surge of anticipation and unease welled up within her. She knew this key might be their only hope, a glimmer of hope.

"No one here should know." Zhang Wanqing said in a low voice.

"Okay, let's hide here for a while." Fu Siyuan nodded slightly, his heart full of agreement.

The three of them quickly walked into the apartment and came to a small living room. There were a few old pieces of furniture in the living room, and a yellowed landscape painting hung on the wall, as if telling the vicissitudes of time.

"We must remain vigilant and not let anyone discover our whereabouts," said Li Wei.

The night was as dark as ink, and the city's neon lights flickered in the night sky, as if guiding the way forward for Zhang Wanqing, Fu Siyuan, and Li Wei. The three of them sat in the living room of the apartment, feeling a strong sense of tension in their hearts.

A strong sense of anxiety surged in Zhang Wanqing's heart, as if a fire was burning in her chest. The unknown and danger made her feel extremely uneasy.

At this moment, there was a sudden sound of hurried footsteps outside the apartment window, as if someone was approaching here.

"Someone is coming, be careful." Li Wei said in a low voice, with a hint of calmness and vigilance in his voice.

Zhang Wanqing and Fu Siyuan looked at each other. Fu Siyuan saw the uneasiness in Zhang Wanqing's heart and pulled her hand.

The footsteps were getting closer and closer, as if they were right outside the window. At this moment, the footsteps outside the window suddenly stopped, as if someone was spying on something outside the window. The three of them held their breath, not daring to make any sound.

The people outside the window seemed to watch for a while, and just when they thought the man was about to leave, there was a sudden and rapid knock on the door, as if someone was trying to enter the apartment.

"Who?" Fu Siyuan asked in a low voice.

Li Wei held the pistol at his waist, ready to draw his gun at any time.

There was a moment of silence outside the door, as if someone was hesitating about something. A moment later, a familiar voice sounded outside the door, with a hint of urgency and tension.

"It's me, Zhang Beichen." The person outside the door said in a low voice.

"Dad, is that you?" Zhang Wanqing asked in a low voice, her heart shocked.

"It's me, Wanqing, open the door quickly." Zhang Beichen said.

Zhang Wanqing was delighted and quickly walked to the door to open it for her father.

Zhang Beichen stood at the door, his face a little tired and haggard, as if he had gone through countless hardships. His eyes flashed with a hint of determination and resoluteness, as if he was taking responsibility for his actions.

"Dad, come in quickly." Zhang Wanqing said, and pulled Zhang Beichen into the apartment.

"Dad, why are you here? Weren't you caught by those people? How did you escape?" Zhang Wanqing asked.

Zhang Beichen sighed slightly, with a hint of helplessness and guilt on his face.

"Wanqing, I know you got the data. You must believe me. I never meant to hurt you."