The overpass vibrated beneath their feet—a deep, constant hum, like a creature stirring in its sleep.
Lin Wei clenched his fists.
He could feel it.The system could feel it.Every engineer with instincts beyond the textbook could feel it.
A collapse wasn't possible.It was inevitable.
Unless he acted.
Deputy Guidance Officer Zhao barked:
"I said: This inspection is TERMINATED. All unauthorized personnel will step back immediately!"
His assistants moved forward to push Master Yu and Liu Fang aside.
Director Li visibly trembled with effort as he held himself back from starting a political war right there.
Lin Wei's system thrummed like a heartbeat.
[PUBLIC EXPOSURE PROTOCOL — LOCKED][Activating will cause public panic.][Activating will force evacuation.]
[Host Responsibility: Full Consequential Burden Accepted][Proceed?]Yes / No
Liu Fang grabbed Lin Wei's sleeve, eyes wide.
"Whatever you're thinking—wait. Talk to me. Don't do something that—"
And then a sudden tremor rippled through the ground.
Not large. Not dangerous.
But unmistakable.
Master Yu's eyes snapped open.
"That wasn't traffic."
Lin Wei made his decision.
He stepped forward, raised his voice—and shouted toward the heavy flow of civilians and vehicles:
"EVERYONE OFF THE BRIDGE! NOW!"
Heads turned.
Drivers hit brakes.Pedestrians froze.
A moment of stunned silence—
Then chaos.
"What??"
"Is it collapsing?!"
"Run!"
Vehicles screeched to halts, horns blaring, people stumbling onto sidewalks as panic surged like a shockwave.
Deputy Officer Zhao's face drained of blood.
"You—YOU—what have you done?!"
Lin Wei didn't answer.He didn't need to.
The crowd was already evacuating.
The bridge was clearing.
The political officers were powerless to stop it.
Because no one—no politician, no official—would dare force civilians back onto a bridge during a panic.
Director Li hissed through gritted teeth:
"Zhao, if you interfere with an evacuation and someone gets hurt, YOU will be personally responsible."
For once, the political officer hesitated.
That was all Lin Wei needed.
The System Activates Fully
[PUBLIC EXPOSURE PROTOCOL ACTIVATED][Civilian Flow: Rapid Clearance][Bridge Load: Decreasing to Safe Inspection Level][Mission Timer Reset: +2 Hours Earned]
[Host Judgment: High-risk, morally weighted decision][Evaluation: EXCELLENT]
[Trait Upgrade Unlocked:"Courage Under Fire" (Rare)Effects: When facing authority pressure, host gains +30% clarity, +20% resistance to intimidation, +10% persuasive force.]
Lin Wei inhaled sharply at the sudden mental clarity washing over him.
His fear vanished.
Not recklessly—not replaced by arrogance—but sharpened into steel.
Liu Fang stared at him like she was seeing him for the first time.
"You're… incredible," she whispered.
But Lin Wei didn't feel incredible.
He felt terrified of what came next.
Confronting the Sabotage
With the bridge now mostly cleared, the team moved fast.
Master Yu and the senior engineers began scanning the main columns.Director Li coordinated a perimeter lockdown with the traffic police.
Lin Wei and Liu Fang reached the pillar where he'd sensed the artificial vibration.
He pressed his palm to the concrete.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Mechanical rhythm.Precise.Purposeful.
Liu Fang crouched beside him, breath tight.
"What kind of device does that?"
"A tension amplifier," Lin Wei said quietly."A delayed-trigger load destabilizer."
She blinked.
"In plain language?"
"…A machine that makes cracks spread faster."
Liu Fang's face went pale.
"How long until it ruptures?"
Lin Wei activated the system.
[STRUCTURAL INSTINCT ANALYSIS][Remaining Time Until Critical Spread:2 hours 41 minutes]
[Location: Inside Column Core][Sabotage Device: Magneto-hydraulic vibrational wedge][Removal Difficulty: EXTREME][Failure Risk: 79% if forcibly extracted]
Lin Wei grimaced.
It was worse than he thought.
They couldn't simply tear the pillar open—that would accelerate the collapse.
Liu Fang whispered:
"So… how do we disarm something we can't reach?"
Lin Wei stared at the pillar, gears turning in his mind.
He didn't know.
He had no idea.
And time was bleeding away faster than his heartbeat.
Then—an Idea Sparks
A memory.
A lesson.
Master Yu's old lecture on harmonic counterwaves.
Lin Wei's breath caught.
"Liu Fang… what if we don't remove it?"
She blinked.
"What?"
"What if we override it instead?"
"You mean… drown out its frequency?"
Lin Wei nodded slowly.
"If we can install a counter-resonance system—a mechanical shock dampener—we can neutralize its vibrations long enough to safely expose the device."
Liu Fang's eyes widened.
"That's… genius. Insane, but genius."
"Insane is fine," Lin Wei said."As long as it works."
But to build such a device—
They needed equipment.They needed metalwork.They needed precision tools.They needed manpower.
They needed—
Director Li appeared at their side suddenly.
"Tell me what you need," he said."And I'll get it."
"We need a portable harmonic dampening rig," Lin Wei said.
Director Li froze.
"That doesn't exist."
"It will," Lin Wei said simply."We'll build it."
Liu Fang added:
"And we need materials now. Steel coils, stabilizers, hydraulic clamps—"
Director Li nodded sharply and ran back to make the calls.
Master Yu approached next, overhearing.
"You're planning a harmonic override?"
Lin Wei nodded.
Master Yu grinned.
"Then the old men are coming out of retirement."
He pulled out his phone.
"Call the welding team.Call the metal shop.Call Old Zhang—he's the only one who can shape metal fast enough."
Lin Wei felt a surge of hope.
The city's best were gathering.
Because of his call.Because he defied authority.Because he chose to save lives.
Liu Fang squeezed his hand.
"You did the right thing."
And for the first time today—
Lin Wei believed it.
But the Clock Was Still Ticking
2 hours 38 minutes.
And somewhere, watching from the shadows—
the saboteur was smiling.