Yue Hengyi had been captured for two days. The anesthetic's effects came and went quickly, and Yue Hengyi had already woken up. He looked at the surrounding walls of iron and copper, and knew where he was. He must be in prison now.
The room where Yue Hengyi was located was heavily guarded. He himself was bound to an examination table with restraints. In addition to the restraints, chains secured Yue Hengyi's hands and feet to the table. It was as if Yue Hengyi could only move his head, and was completely unable to move otherwise.
Yue Hengyi felt a slight pain in his arm. He strained to look and discovered that a needle had been inserted into his arm. The needle was connected to a transparent tube. If he made any abnormal movements, he would be injected with liquid.
The walls of the room were all made of steel plates. Although they were painted white, the rivets were still visible.
There was a small window at the door. It wasn't very large, and the glass was bulletproof. Yue Hengyi never expected to receive such treatment.
A bright spotlight shone down from the ceiling. Yue Hengyi could only turn his head to the side, to avoid being blinded by the light.
Humans find it difficult to sleep when exposed to strong light because their subconscious registers it as daytime, and the strong light stimulates the nerves. This combination makes it very hard for people to fall asleep. Back then, Elder Qian had been subjected to twenty-four-hour strong light exposure by the Americans during his return journey, and was interrogated at irregular intervals.
Yue Hengyi saw the current scene and knew he was experiencing the same treatment Elder Qian had endured. However, he was an ability user, so such treatment was normal.
A face appeared at the small window by the door. Then, the door was quickly opened. Long Qian, along with several members of the Heavenly Dragon Bureau, walked in. As he entered, Long Qian said with a stern face, "Yue Hengyi, you'd better not make any moves. Otherwise, you'll be injected with sedatives immediately. You killed seven thousand people, and you have betrayed the Ability Administration Bureau. When you joined the Ability Administration Bureau, you should have signed an agreement prohibiting the killing of civilians!"
Yue Hengyi recalled everything that had happened before he lost consciousness. He couldn't tell if he was in reality or an illusion. What troubled him most was whether Qin Kewei was alright.
Long Qian continued, "Yue Hengyi, you have committed a grave mistake and are destined to die! However, if you admit your guilt and confess that Shen Feng instructed you to kill ordinary people, we will report it truthfully and be able to get your sentence reduced!"
Upon hearing this, Yue Hengyi finally struggled. The chains immediately clanged, and the restraints on his body tightened. The true power of an ability user was no longer something that chains and restraints could hold back.
"Quick, electrocute him!" Long Qian commanded upon seeing this.
The examination table beneath Yue Hengyi actually had two electrodes. Someone pressed the switch, and electrocution began immediately. Yue Hengyi stopped struggling and convulsed all over, unable to speak. Even an ability user could not withstand intense electrocution.
After enduring the severe electric shock, Yue Hengyi finally understood what the teenagers who were forcibly sent to addiction treatment centers felt like. It was agonizing. Current coursed through his entire body, causing pain and numbness. Almost every cell was stimulated by the electric shock.
When cells are electrocuted, they become active, especially muscle cells. The activation of muscle cells manifested externally as uncontrolled convulsions. Even the person themselves could not control their muscles. Yue Hengyi lay back on the examination table, convulsing and with his eyes wide open.
Long Qian continued, "Perhaps you are unwilling to betray Shen Feng, but we have evidence that Shen Feng instructed this. The disaster that Yan Jing has encountered this time will inevitably implicate Shen Feng. If you truly want to do good for your brother, I respect that, and I am willing to keep it a secret for you. However, you need to pay a price!"
"Dream on!" Yue Hengyi managed to force out the two words with difficulty. The muscles in his face were also difficult to control, and were still twitching. Speaking was already very hard.
At this point, Yue Hengyi understood the situation. He had been apprehended on strange charges. Although he had been led by the nose step by step, he had now become a criminal.
Long Qian continued, "Have you really thought it through? The people of Yan Jing are furious. Even Qin Kewei is preparing to sue you, accusing you of killing a love rival out of jealousy. If no one speaks up for you, you will be sentenced to death. I heard that you and Shen Feng found a meteorite and obtained some extraterrestrial elements from it. How about it? If you hand these things over to me, I can help you!"
"Get out! I would rather die than forgive you. This entire situation has been a trap set by you bastards. You led me into this trap step by step," Yue Hengyi said through gritted teeth.
Upon hearing Qin Kewei's name, Yue Hengyi felt no more emotion. His most vulnerable part had disappeared days ago. Now, Yue Hengyi had lost his love. Once pure feelings were tainted, Yue Hengyi no longer believed in love.
Yue Hengyi would rather die than cooperate with those who framed him.
Hearing Yue Hengyi's words, Long Qian said seriously, "Are you serious? You need to think carefully. If you truly choose this path, no one will be able to protect your parents. If you die, it will be the end of it, but what about your parents? Do you want them to send a white-haired child to the grave?"
Long Qian didn't think he could continue threatening him with Qin Kewei. For Yue Hengyi, Qin Kewei might have been completely lost, so there was no need to dwell on her. To threaten him, other means had to be used, and Yue Hengyi's parents were suitable targets for threats.
Upon hearing such shameless threats, Yue Hengyi couldn't help but curse, "You bunch of bastards! Threatening people with their families, what kind of heroes are you? You've been plotting against me from the very beginning. When I get out one day, I will kill you with my own hands!"
"So, if you don't want all this to happen, and you still want to get revenge on the people of Lu Liang Mountain later, you need to stay alive. As for you saying we've been plotting against you, do you have any evidence? Do you have even a shred of evidence? Can you produce it? Let me tell you, the ones plotting against you are the Thirteen Protectors of Lu Liang Mountain," Long Qian said with a smile.
Yue Hengyi only wanted to die now. Recalling the things he had done, he had personally killed many innocent civilians. Guilt arose in his heart. Back in Japan, after killing many people, Yue Hengyi could still rationalize it, thinking they were foreigners, not his compatriots, and that the other side had made the first move. He considered it revenge for his ancestors, and moreover, he had already helped many poor people.
But now, Yue Hengyi could find no reason to excuse himself. Even if he was framed, he was the one who used his abilities. The bloodshed he had caused was already severe.
Unfortunately, it wasn't easy to die even if he wanted to. Yue Hengyi was now threatened with the safety of his parents. Even if there was no immediate danger, it was uncertain if there would be danger in the future.
Yue Hengyi's head throbbed. He closed his eyes, as if he hadn't heard anything.
Yue Hengyi adopted an uncooperative attitude. Long Qian sneered, "You have one more day to consider. After tomorrow, you will go to trial. During this time, you'd better think clearly. If you don't hand over the extraterrestrial elements to me, I won't do anything. But as for the families of the innocent civilians you killed, how they will treat your parents, that's hard to say."
After saying this, Long Qian walked towards the door. In the Heavenly Dragon Bureau's prison, Yue Hengyi was the first person to enjoy such treatment. This was a place for detaining ability users, designed to prevent them from escaping. It hadn't been used before, but now the opportunity had come, and it was first applied to Yue Hengyi.
Yue Hengyi closed his eyes, pretending not to hear anything.
After Long Qian left, he closed the door and ordered, "Turn up the lights a bit. Are you worried about the electricity bill? Shine it on him fiercely!"
The lights in the cell immediately became extremely bright, making it impossible to sleep. Even sleeping under the sun required covering one's face with a book to block the light, as light can penetrate eyelids. Even with eyes closed, one could still feel the light. In the cell, the lights were bright, and the surrounding walls were white, causing the reflected light to be even more unbearable.
Yue Hengyi couldn't sleep at all. He closed his eyes, unsure of what to do.
Yue Hengyi could use his abilities now, but he was worried that as soon as he used them, sedatives would be injected into him.
Moreover, even if Yue Hengyi used his abilities, it would be useless. What was the point of escaping? Wasn't he still a murderer? Who would like a scoundrel who indiscriminately killed innocent people?
Yue Hengyi was now disheartened. He had once been a notable figure in the Ability Administration Bureau. Even when stranded on a deserted island, Yue Hengyi had no intention of betraying them. He had even intended to hand over the extraterrestrial elements to the organization after obtaining them, and had hoped for a happy love life with Qin Kewei.
But now, everything was gone. As for his reputation, he was already a murderer in Yan Jing, cursed by everyone. As for love, Qin Kewei was suing him for murder, and what he had seen at the club earlier was likely an illusion. His family relationships were also in ruins. He had implicated his parents, and not only would he die, but his parents would also become objects of public scorn.
"It seems I am truly a useless man. Back then, overseas, I even mocked Shen Feng, saying he wasn't a good person. But now, Shen Feng has love, family, and his career is going smoothly. Although he has minor flaws, he has been fair to those around him. But I, who considered myself a gentleman, a good person, have gained nothing and can protect nothing. How tragic!" Yue Hengyi said silently to himself.
"Flying dragon lands, fierce tiger in a cage. A once influential figure, now a fallen prisoner. Fate makes it hard to spread wings, head bowed, reflecting on one's origin. If one had the ambition of yesteryear, one shouldn't hang their head and shed tears. Pitiful, lamentable!" Yue Hengyi said with self-mockery. Now he saw his true self clearly: he was just a high school student who hadn't graduated. After suddenly gaining immense power, he had lost sight of himself. At this point, he realized that all his past experiences were just a dream.
The ancients said, "Grief is greater than a dead heart."
The meaning is simple: when a person's sorrow reaches an extreme, their heart dies. It doesn't mean the heart stops beating, but rather that they lose all direction, have no more goals, and no reason to cheer up, eventually becoming a walking corpse. Such a person is alive only in body, but their heart is dead.
At this moment, Yue Hengyi was in such a state. He no longer thought about anything, emptying his mind. Since he had nothing left, he might as well die silently. He just didn't know how he would face his parents in the underworld.