Chapter 137 Top Secret Interrogation 137
Interrogator: Dou Mei, stated Dou Mei earnestly.
Interrogator: Shi Mingjun, Shi Mingjun said tiredly, sitting at the table with his eyes closed, rubbing his eye sockets with his index finger and thumb.
Recorder: Ning Shushu! Ning Shushu typed on the light screen keyboard with a serious and focused expression.
A timer and a voice recorder lay on the table, and the surveillance cameras in the four corners glowed with red lights.
Shi Mingjun spoke first, "Hong Lian, the strategic offensive intelligence you provided regarding the deployment in Xianxia is completely accurate. Do you have anything to add?"
Hong Lian · Zhiwu, sitting opposite the table, looked calm and helpless, forcing a bitter smile and said, "Teacher, I have no reason to hide anything. And in the future, could you please try to schedule interrogations during the day?"
Shi Mingjun scratched his forehead with difficulty. Hong Lian · Zhiwu was right; they were already overwhelmed with post-war affairs, and the higher-ups always liked to assign interrogation tasks in the early hours of the morning.
"Just bear with it. We're more tired than you are! I really don't know who's in jail. Hey, hey, you don't need to record this sentence," Shi Mingjun complained impatiently.
"Please..." Hong Lian · Zhiwu said with distress, "I've said everything I know! I've told you everything I know about the military deployments in the major cities of Black Star. Has Xianxia not decided to save Brother Xingchen yet?"
Dou Mei and Shi Mingjun exchanged glances. Dou Mei sternly said to Hong Lian, "You still have one thing left to say: that Mu Ye · Xingchen is from Xianxia, his true identity, background, deeds, why he went to the Black Star Empire, and why he helped the Black Star Empire attack Xianxia."
Seeing Hong Lian · Zhiwu's expression of difficulty again, Dou Mei said sternly, "We have checked all information about Xianxia youths who went missing twenty-two years ago. There was no one matching Mu Ye · Xingchen's characteristics."
Shi Mingjun yawned, put his hands in his armpits, and asked tiredly, "Confession is the only way to get a chance."
Hong Lian · Zhiwu hesitated, resisting, "Hmph, I'm afraid if I say it, Brother Xingchen will have no chance of survival."
"Are you still playing games with us here?" Dou Mei said coldly, "We haven't used the interrogation methods of the intelligence community precisely to give you a chance for leniency."
Seeing that Hong Lian · Zhiwu still refused to speak, Shi Mingjun sighed heavily and took out a holographic button recorder from his windbreaker pocket, throwing it onto the table.
An electronic document with a blue background and red text suddenly lit up from the button. The large red characters at the beginning of the file were striking:
[Regarding the Discussion on the Matters of Weighing the Rescue of Mu Ye · Xingchen...]
"Look carefully, look closely, pay attention," Shi Mingjun unscrewed the lid of his thermos and took a sip of cool tea, saying calmly, "Look at the final inscription and seal. This is a discussion draft from the highest leadership. We are not busy for nothing."
"Now, all that's missing is a plausible motive," Dou Mei stared into Hong Lian · Zhiwu's eyes and said coldly, word by word, "We are under no obligation to save a number one war criminal who invaded Xianxia after losing his power. We don't care where he dies, how he dies, or what happens to him after death."
As she spoke, Dou Mei leaned closer, her voice cold, "We only care about the useful value he can bring to Xianxia after we rescue him."
"Revealing his origins will greatly help in saving your Brother Xingchen. Of course, it will also help your future."
Hong Lian · Zhiwu lowered her head and remained silent, time ticking by second by second.
Just as Dou Mei and Shi Mingjun thought the interrogation would yield no results, Hong Lian · Zhiwu suddenly spoke.
"Brother Xingchen has a Xianxia name, Xian Hao Yan. That's right..." Hong Lian · Zhiwu sighed deeply and whispered, "I heard him mention it when I was little. But after he joined the Black Star Army, he strictly forbade me from mentioning it to anyone. He said it was a name of disaster, and speaking it would bring disaster."
As soon as Hong Lian · Zhiwu finished speaking, Dou Mei's eyes widened in panic, and she quickly raised her hand to stop Hong Lian · Zhiwu from speaking further. She then quickly stopped Ning Shushu's hands from typing and turned off the voice recorder.
Shi Mingjun's frown deepened, and he nervously looked at Dou Mei, beads of sweat trickling down his face, "The Xian surname has already become extinct in Xianxia, hasn't it?"
"Hehehe, Teacher, look how flustered you are," Dou Mei smiled composedly, "How can you believe the words of a war criminal!"
Shi Mingjun nodded, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and whispered, "Yes, yes... Uh, how should I write the report?"
Dou Mei blinked at the ceiling, pondering for a moment, and said, "This has nothing to do with your military law department. Just pretend you know nothing."
"Then you help me write it. Oh, I'm busy dealing with the Black Star prisoners. Over thirty thousand people is not a small number. How about we end it here for today?" Shi Mingjun said, feigning composure.
Dou Mei smiled meaningfully and said, "You're much busier than I am, hahaha! Alright, the interrogation is over. Hurry home and get a good night's sleep. Your wife hasn't seen you in a week, has she?"
"Yes, yes," Shi Mingjun nodded his head vigorously, stood up, picked up his thermos, and walked out the door.
"You go back too," Dou Mei said softly to Ning Shushu. Ning Shushu lowered her head, silently picked up the timer and the recording pen, and walked out of the interrogation room.
After the door closed steadily, Dou Mei nodded at the ceiling, and the red lights on the four surveillance devices in the corners instantly went out.
The two women sat in silence for more than ten minutes. When there was no longer any noise outside, Dou Mei said softly, "Tell me everything Mu Ye · Xingchen told you, and I'll help you figure something out."
Hong Lian · Zhiwu forced a bitter smile and said, "Will the forces behind you agree to let descendants of the Xian surname return to Xianxia?"
"Joking~ haha!" Dou Mei laughed playfully, then suddenly became serious, "You surely know about the heinous crimes the Xian surname committed against Xianxia, don't you? As long as that vast and mysterious family is not completely eradicated, Xianxia will never rise."
Hong Lian · Zhiwu suddenly shed tears and said, "But he was only fourteen years old at the time! What fault did he commit!!"
"He grew up to be the number one war criminal who invaded Xianxia! That's a foregone conclusion!" Dou Mei's voice rose several decibels, her eyes wide with anger as she spoke sternly.
Faced with irrefutable evidence, Hong Lian · Zhiwu was speechless!
This woman, who was one or two years younger than her, was a master manipulator of human hearts. Hong Lian · Zhiwu had great talent in mech piloting, but in verbal debates, she was clueless and had no chance of winning, not even capable of sophistry.
Dou Mei's anger unabated, she pressed her advantage, "Tell me all of Mu Ye · Xingchen's experiences, and the true purpose behind his launching the war! Finally, let me tell you, we have received accurate intelligence that Mu Ye · Xingchen has been imprisoned in the Enamel City."
"Enamel City!" Hong Lian · Zhiwu was immediately flustered and stammered, "Is B-Brother Xingchen in Enamel City?"
Dou Mei nodded, calmed her emotions, and said, "Mu Ye · Xingchen failed in his attempt to launch a civil war in the Black Star Empire, and the new Black Star Empire Grand Commander, Lai Jing · Fa Nan, captured him."
Hong Lian · Zhiwu's clasped hands slowly loosened, her expression one of profound loss as she shook her head gently, "Heh heh... there's no hope... Enamel City is where the Black Star Empire imprisons its major criminals. Enamel City is an island city with extremely powerful military defenses on the island."
Dou Mei, however, smiled smugly and ridiculed, "Your feelings for Mu Ye · Xingchen are not as strong as the defenses of a city? It seems you don't love him that much. Look at Ye Ying, even though Gu Ya was imprisoned in the Xingchen Army headquarters, she still infiltrated the tiger's den to rescue Gu Ya."
"It's different," Hong Lian · Zhiwu said softly, her head lowered, "Your motive is righteous. But what is Brother Xingchen to you? A war criminal who deserves to be cut into a thousand pieces."
"You are mistaken," Dou Mei said seriously, "We will bring him back to Xianxia for trial."
Immediately after, Dou Mei changed her tone to a more sinister one and whispered, "Moreover, Mu Ye · Xingchen possesses a large amount of Black Star secrets! Bringing him back, squeezing out everything he knows, and then killing him in front of all the people of Xianxia, wouldn't that be more satisfying?"
Dou Mei's devilish, terrifying smile made Hong Lian · Zhiwu shiver involuntarily, her expression becoming unpredictable.
"I really don't wish for that murderer to live, but the high-level officials of Xianxia do," Dou Mei said calmly, then pulled out her wireless earpiece.
"Just now, while we were chatting, the higher-ups have officially decided to rescue Mu Ye · Xingchen, ah no, it should be Xian Hao Yan."
"Hong Lian, perhaps in the near future, you will be reunited with your Brother Xingchen."
After speaking, Dou Mei stood up with a cold expression and slowly walked out of the interrogation room.