"Did you trace the source?"
Three minutes later, the supervisor of Department P hurriedly walked toward the monitoring room, followed closely by the analyst who discovered the issue.
"They suddenly appeared on forums of major news websites. I've already taken emergency measures to block and intercept them, but if it's happened once, it'll happen again. Since these images surfaced, it's clear the publisher has a much deeper agenda—they'll definitely release them again."
"Have the tech team trace them immediately. Find out where these images originated, the initial source, and the IP address they were sent from."
Then, the two had already entered the office.
The supervisor sat in front of the computer. At this moment, the interception count displayed in the system's bottom-right corner was still rising—it had already reached thousands.
He opened the contents, and the images that popped up furrowed the supervisor's brow.
He turned and asked, "Have you verified the classified level of the individuals in these photos?"
"Highest level."
"Highest?"
The supervisor couldn't help but turn his gaze back to the analyst.
"Are you certain?"
"I'm certain. These individuals are all former Special Forces who retired for various reasons and were subsequently categorized as classified personnel. Their access level is 5A."
"Highest clearance level?"
The supervisor seemed to grasp the gravity of the situation.
"You and the tech team continue tracking the source. Print these photos for me—I need to find the director. This is a serious matter and must be contained."
"Rest assured, domestic networks are under our control. There shouldn't be any issues."
The technician nearby reassured the supervisor.
But soon, his tone shifted.
"What if the images aren't just released in our country but distributed globally, say on networks in Europe or the Z-East region?"
At this point, he showed an expression of helplessness.
"We can't openly block allied networks."
The supervisor considered this briefly and replied, "Leave that to me. You just need to follow protocol and trace the source. Inform me immediately if there's any progress—remember, no delays."
The documents were soon printed.
The supervisor picked up the stack, signed his name in the sensitive materials register, then turned and left.
Soon, he returned to his office and immediately picked up his phone to call his superior.
"Sir, this is Robert. Today the 'Dock' system intercepted some 5A-classified sensitive data. These materials suddenly surfaced on our network and were posted to several websites and forums. We've used technological methods to temporarily block them, but based on our assessment, the source isn't done—they'll likely publish more, possibly beyond our domestic networks. We now need to initiate contingency protocols and reach out to allied intelligence agencies for assistance."
"5A-classified?"
The supervisor's superior sounded shocked.
"Are you sure?"
"The system flagged it automatically—I trust it's even more accurate than human judgment. It seems to have cross-referenced the database and detected anomalies before issuing alerts. These materials are photographs, likely taken during post-battle cleanup operations. The backdrop appears to be in the Z-East region, and the personnel are all former Special Forces, retired under unusual circumstances and mysteriously disappeared. I suspect…they may not belong to our own system. Could they be tied to brother agencies?"
Robert's words carried a subtle implication.
His superior on the other end of the call caught on immediately.
"Alright, bring the materials to me in an hour. In the meantime, I'll contact the CIA and other Secret Action agencies. I'll arrange a video conference—make sure the documents are ready and bring them to my office."
"Understood, sir."
One hour later.
In the NSA director's office, two deputy directors were already present:
One was in charge of intelligence analysis; the other oversaw operations.
Robert arrived punctually with the documents and was standing by for directives.
The director gestured to everyone to gather around the small conference table in his office. He checked the time, looked at Robert, and said, "Robert, come sit here. You'll be presenting the materials to them later."
"Yes, sir!"
Robert restrained his excitement and promptly took a seat next to the director.
There was no doubt.
This was his chance to showcase himself.
The system was never short of talented individuals.
What it often lacked were opportunities for them to stand out.
That was true anywhere.
The meeting time arrived. The LCD screen mounted on the wall began displaying several frames.
Numbered from 1 to 10.
The frames soon filled with faces.