Lieutenant Colonel Lu was a bit frivolous, but he had cultivated a habit of caution from working in logistics for a long time. This caused him to have some misgivings about the situation itself.
"The others are easy to deal with, but this kid called Luo Nan is a bit suspicious. He's so young, yet he acts so ruthlessly. His reaction after the incident is quite odd."
Zhang Yingying replied seriously, "It's a pity that this happened, but I think that this kind of hot-blooded conflict will not affect the judgment of the case itself."
"Of course. The military is only responsible for temporary custody and will not comment on the matter."
Lieutenant Colonel Lu said this for the time being. Soon, he revealed a smiling face. "According to orders from higher-ups, Luo Nan and his group will have to wait until the investigation is complete before they can be screened and archived. I estimate there are at least eight hours left. Communication with the outside world isn't allowed during this time. Miss Zhang, you're early… Speaking of which, the officers' activity room on the ship has quite good coffee. Why don't I invite you over to pass the time?"
Zhang Yingying didn't even blink in the face of such a crude attempt. She directly refused, "That's not necessary. My client looks like he has nothing left to live for. It's better for me to keep an eye on him."
Lieutenant Colonel Lu shrugged. "It should be the damaged flexible screen. It probably has special meaning to him. For example, a birthday gift from his father."
Zhang Yingying raised her eyebrows. "A father's gift? Good idea!"
Lieutenant Colonel Lu was momentarily stunned. He couldn't keep up with the young lawyer's train of thought, but in order to maintain the conversation, he forced a smile and offered some vague philosophy.
"Adults need to carefully choose a reason to allow themselves to be vulnerable. Children, on the other hand, are much more casual. They can be defeated at any time, but they recover quickly because they are still under their family's protection. Their father will soon make up for it…"
"When my client was four years old, his father abandoned him, patted his butt, and disappeared."
Was that another rejection?
Lieutenant Colonel Lu felt rather embarrassed. He withdrew awkwardly but was still unwilling to give up. Just as he was at a loss, Zhang Yingying suddenly gave him a thumbs-up.
"That's why I have to say, Mr. Lieutenant Colonel, what great intuition!"
"…"
Zhang Yingying pinched her index finger and thumb together while the other three fingers cut through the air.
"Did you know that sixty years after the advent of flexible e-ink screen products, there were more than 200 brands and over 3,000 models in the world? However, the one in my client's hand is not any model available on the market."
Lieutenant Colonel Lu was confused, but he was happy enough just to continue chatting with a beauty. He tried to keep up.
"It's a private production?"
"That's right! My client's father is a first-rate industrial designer. Before he left his job and went missing, he had outstanding experience in both the production and creative departments of Quantum Corporation. Making such a gift for his only son would be the most appropriate."
Lieutenant Colonel Lu made a rough estimate. "In other words, it has at least twelve years of history? Tsk, tsk… But I have to say, it will be very difficult for you to claim high compensation from the vandals based on this."
Zhang Yingying smiled and naturally didn't explain further.
In fact, when she was still in the office, she had already conducted a more detailed analysis based on the flexible e-ink screen footage she obtained earlier that morning.
Even though Luo Nan's screen wasn't a market product, the materials used to make it were identifiable. For example, the ultra-thin panel belonged to the "Jellyfish" series, which was released in early 2090.
This proved that the earliest time Luo Nan could have received the gift was that same year.
In other words, it was very likely that Luo Nan's father—who had been declared missing or even dead—was still maintaining some form of contact with him… even if only a trace.
"The year 2090. The incident with Lu Hong was also that year. And there's Quantum Corporation's Burners and the Deep Blue Platform… It all seems crucial…"
Zhang Yingying gazed at the silent, stiff boy on the monitor. She suddenly wanted to know what Luo Nan had felt when, at just ten years old, he received this gift from his absent father.
Was he reminiscing right now?
The monitor didn't transmit thoughts, but it clearly showed movement.
After sitting in silence for a long time, Luo Nan finally moved.
He stood up, closed the broken notebook, and placed it on the chair. Then he took a step toward the door.
Because the space was so narrow, his body leaned forward slightly. His forehead pressed against the thick, cold metal door. He held this position for a few seconds, taking several deep breaths.
Up to this point, everything was easy to understand. He was trying to calm himself.
But what came next was incomprehensible.
On the monitor, Luo Nan adjusted his position slightly, but his gaze remained fixed on the metal door. He looked focused and serious, as if he were studying a piece of exquisite artwork.
A full minute passed before he closed his eyes again.
He extended his hand and let his fingertips slide across the surface of the metal door, tracing from one end to the other. Then he moved along the corner of the wall, continuing the motion across the metal panels.
And so, Luo Nan walked in circles within the cramped space, his fingertips carving invisible marks along the walls.
"This… what's going on?" The changes were strange and inexplicable. Lieutenant Colonel Lu felt dizzy.
Zhang Yingying didn't respond. She simply watched with interest.
This lawyer was completely absorbed.
Lieutenant Colonel Lu felt this couldn't continue. After all, Luo Nan was still a minor. If he suffered some kind of breakdown and harmed himself, Lu's military career could be at risk.
He signaled his subordinates to prepare intervention measures. The confinement room was equipped with tranquilizer spray, meant to prevent mental breakdowns or self-harm.
But at that moment, Luo Nan stopped.
It was as if nothing had happened.
He picked up the notebook, sat down, flipped to a blank page, and took out his electronic pen. He extended the sensor tip, turning the pen into a fluorescent writing tool.
Under Lieutenant Colonel Lu's astonished gaze, Luo Nan began to draw.
His strokes were fast and practiced. Dark lines crisscrossed the page, forming a rough outline within seconds.
Lieutenant Colonel Lu signaled for the monitor to zoom in.
The sketch resembled a building. Though crude, details such as sealed fences, thick walls, and narrow windows gave a clear impression:
It was a prison.
However, something about it felt off. There was a subtle distortion, as if some force between the intangible and tangible was warping the structure itself.
Lieutenant Colonel Lu only half understood what he was seeing.
At that moment, he heard a faint sound beside him. Turning his head, he saw Zhang Yingying staring intently at the screen. Her toes tapped lightly against the floor, her expression more focused than ever before.
Oh… perhaps he could reach out and touch the young lawyer right now, and she wouldn't even react…