Jiang City.
Aberrant Purge Division.
The metal door slammed shut behind them.
Su Zhan stood in the corridor before the interrogation room, staring at that familiar pale gray door panel, his footsteps pausing momentarily.
When he first transmigrated here, it was in this very interrogation room where Doberman had used a specially made electric baton to forcibly extract a confession from him.
"What's wrong?"
Qin Bai turned around, his silver earring swaying slightly.
For him, interrogation matters were no big deal when working with Su Zhan and Wang Mingyuan.
After all, they were the parties involved and needed to confront the detained interrogatee.
Only then did Qin Bai withdraw his gaze and push the door open.
Su Zhan's eyes focused intently.
The interior layout remained almost identical to before.
In the center was the metal interrogation chair fixed to the floor, with the positions of the surrounding tables and chairs unchanged.
The only difference was—
This time, the person handcuffed to the chair was a middle-aged man in a business suit.
It was precisely President Zhang, who had been negotiating the endorsement ceremony with them.
Seems their arrest efficiency was quite impressive, getting him detained so quickly.
"Sit."
Qin Bai pointed to the seats nearby.
As Su Zhan and Wang Mingyuan just sat down—
"I'm innocent! I really don't know anything!"
President Zhang, shackled to the interrogation chair, struggled and shouted.
His suit was crumpled, sweat beads continuously rolling down his forehead.
"These two awakened ones can testify!"
President Zhang looked urgently at Su Zhan and Wang Mingyuan: "We were just normally discussing endorsement cooperation, absolutely not—"
"Quiet."
"I'm wronged! I really don't know anything!"
The soft sound instantly silenced President Zhang.
"I swear!"
President Zhang grew agitated, handcuffs clattering: "Azure Blue Awakening Serum Co., Ltd. is a legitimate enterprise! We have all the proper certifications and documents, this endorsement is purely commercial activity!"
"Last month."
Qin Bai leisurely flipped through the folder in his hand: "You donated thirty million worth of supplies to three border cities.
What a coincidence, all three cities subsequently experienced fog incidents."
"Coincidence! Pure coincidence!"
President Zhang shook his head frantically, sweat splattering on the interrogation table: "Are we wrong for doing charity work?"
Su Zhan frowned.
He couldn't immediately distinguish whether President Zhang was telling the truth or not.
Wang Mingyuan adjusted his glasses: "Explain clearly your financial transactions with the Transcendence Society, and you might suffer less."
"Transcendence Society?"
President Zhang's voice suddenly sharpened: "I don't know any Transcendence Society at all! You can't falsely accuse me just because I'm an ordinary person!"
He took a deep breath, slightly calming down:
"I admit, regarding the endorsement cooperation, we did engage in improper conduct. Having Student Su do false advertising was our marketing department's terrible idea..."
Qin Bai's fingers lightly tapped the table surface: "Continue."
"We... we wanted to use the fame of an SSS-grade awakened one to boost sales."
President Zhang hung his head, not daring to meet anyone's gaze: "The company's performance has been declining these past two months, the board has been putting tremendous pressure on us..."
Wang Mingyuan suddenly interjected: "So you planned to deceive consumers?"
"Not deception!"
President Zhang jerked his head up, then immediately realized his loss of composure, lowering his voice: "Just... appropriate embellishment. Many manufacturers do this, and our level of embellishment is actually quite mild within the industry."
Su Zhan watched this businessman who had been so confident and energetic just yesterday, now curled up in the interrogation chair like a homeless dog.
He simply listened silently without saying a word.
"What about the fog incident?"
Qin Bai asked abruptly.
"What fog?"
President Zhang looked completely bewildered: "I really don't know! I'm just in sales, the company doesn't even let me touch core technologies!"
Qin Bai: ...
"I don't know anything about financial matters!"
President Zhang seemed on the verge of tears: "I'm just an employee, why would upper management tell me anything?"
The interrogation continued for half an hour.
No matter how Qin Bai pressed him.
President Zhang stubbornly clung to two points:
First, admitting to false advertising; second, claiming complete ignorance of all other accusations.
Finally, he even made a solemn vow: "If I have even the slightest connection to aberrants, may I be struck by lightning!"
But just at that moment.
Qin Bai suddenly stood up, walked behind President Zhang, leaned down and whispered in his ear:
"Know what I hate most?"
His finger lightly traced the other's nape: "It's scum like you... hiding behind human skin."
President Zhang jerked his head up, then immediately realized his impropriety, lowering his voice: "Just... appropriate embellishment. Many manufacturers do this, and our level of embellishment is actually quite mild within the industry."
President Zhang grew emotional, looking at Su Zhan: "This student once suffered similar slander, I believe he can empathize with my situation."
Su Zhan was taken aback but maintained his composure.
He simply lowered his gaze slightly without responding.
Qin Bai's finger remained on President Zhang's nape, chuckling softly at the words: "Interesting, you've investigated Student Su's background?"
President Zhang immediately said: "This matter caused such a huge stir, isn't it normal that I'd know? Especially since the company specifically assigned me to negotiate the endorsement, isn't it normal to research his background?"
"Oh?"
Qin Bai's lips curled with an amused smile: "Then you should also know where the person who slandered Student Su back then is now? Do you think I'm like that person?"
"I absolutely didn't mean that!"
President Zhang shook his head vigorously: "Sir, you can't make accusations without evidence!"
The interrogation room suddenly fell silent.
"Don't worry, I follow the rules strictly."
Qin Bai stared directly into President Zhang's eyes: "It's just that some people always think they can bluff their way through with acting."
As he spoke, he looked at Su Zhan: "Student Su, what's your perspective?"
Su Zhan remembered when he had sat in this very chair before.
Back then, he had been in the same position.
"I'll defer entirely to Commander Qin's judgment..."
Su Zhan said this.
What else could he say?
He had no evidence either.
A terrifyingly gentle smile appeared on Qin Bai's face as he extended his hand: "Gentlemen, please temporarily surrender your phones to me."
Wang Mingyuan frowned slightly but still handed over his phone.
Su Zhan hesitated for a moment, only giving up his phone after seeing his teacher's signal.
"This is...?"
Su Zhan had just begun to speak when Qin Bai interrupted him.
"Standard procedure."
Qin Bai locked both phones in the wall safe: "To prevent leakage of interrogation content."
Then he shut down all recording equipment in the room.
The door was deadbolted, curtains drawn.
Seeing this, President Zhang immediately sensed something wrong.
He struggled fiercely, metal handcuffs constantly clattering: "What are you doing? I'm a legitimate businessman!"
Qin Bai leisurely put on white gloves, taking a metal box from the instrument table nearby.
The box lid opened.
Su Zhan saw twelve silver needles as fine as hair neatly arranged inside.
"Last question."
Qin Bai drew out one silver needle, examining it carefully under the light: "What is the relationship between Azure Blue Awakening Serum Co., Ltd. and the Transcendence Society?"
"I don't know any Transcen— Ah!!"
The silver needle suddenly pierced into the nail bed of President Zhang's right thumb.