President Cao went quiet briefly. He handed the file to the other people sitting in front of the desk so that they could have a look at it as well.
A couple of minutes later, President Cao glanced at the other professors and the vice president and asked. “What is your opinion?”
They looked at each other briefly before Huo Yulin’s boss spoke up. “I think it can’t be Huo Yulin. If he had stolen the research archives, he should have just disappeared. Why would he bother to come back and wait for us to catch him?”
Huo Yulin was usually busy working in the academy and hardly interacted with members from other teams, so people did not know him well enough to make a comment.
“Section Chief Shen makes sense. Since this is a matter of national security, everyone is a suspect until proven innocent,” said the academy vice president.
“Oh yes. Yuan Huan, you even fought the guy. What’s your opinion?”
Yuan Huan was not involved in the meeting. Since he was a witness, the academy president had invited him over.
Yuan Huan was looking at the files. When they asked for his opinion, he raised his head unhurriedly and replied. “In terms of physical traits, I agree Huo Yulin is a potential suspect.”
Yuan Huan paused before he added. “I agree with Section Chief Shen as well. If he was the culprit, he didn’t have to come back. Moreover, I think he’s injured, so it might be hard for him to do it.”
“Was he injured?” The academy president narrowed his eyes quizzically.
On the day the archives were stolen, the security guard captain fired a shot at the thief. Even though the security guard captain had hit the target, they were unable to apprehend him eventually.
If the culprit survived, he would have a gunshot wound on his chest.
Yuan Huan lowered his eyes. He nodded and replied to President Cao. “That’s right. During the surgery, I noticed his hands were a little unsteady, so I reckon he is hurt in the chest.”
Since he was a medical researcher, he could tell where people were injured.
The moment he heard what he said, President Cao recalled seeing Huo Yulin looking pale as well. Since someone from the Virus Research Institute needed his help, he did not probe the matter.
Director Xi noticed something amiss with President Cao. He raised his brow and asked. “Do you have any suspicions?”
President Cao shook his head without saying anything.
If the culprit suffered a gunshot wound in the chest near the heart, it seemed unlikely for him to be able to take flights after undergoing a three-hour surgery.
Since Yuan Huan had claimed that Huo Yulin had injured his chest, he could not help feeling suspicious.
Moreover, the security team concluded that it was probably a team effort. Someone was sent to distract them while another team stole the research archives.
The research archives were very valuable and it would spell catastrophe if they fell into foreign hands.
They would rather hand the suspects over to the Ministry of National Security than make any mistakes about this.
President Cao narrowed his eyes. He excused himself before he went over to the internal phone nearby and made a call.
Yuan Huan lowered his eyes and pursed his lips.
Before long, the security guard captain appeared in President Cao’s office. President Cao pulled out Huo Yulin’s records and looked at his photo.
“Didn’t you shoot the culprit the other night? Can you look at this photo and think hard? Was he the guy?” President Cao pointed at the photo as he spoke.
