roccoschili Chapter 772 - 772: Interrogation by the Department of Earth Defense_1
Chapter 772 - 772: Interrogation by the Department of Earth Defense_1
Catching a flight and landing, Wang Linchi quickly and silently returned to his dormitory.He replayed the surveillance footage from his dormitory at a hundred times speed. He had installed three hidden miniature surveillance devices: two inside the room and one outside.
Whether someone had come looking for him or had entered, it could all be seen clearly.
It was much more effective than using something like a strand of hair on a window as a marker.
No one has visited. Seems like there's no major issue. Wang Linchi removed all the miniature surveillance devices and then deleted their footage.
This was something he had personally crafted; it couldn't be bought anywhere.
Then, he opened his computer to check the news and immediately came across a startling headline.
"The Shi Family ambushed the Department of Earth Defense???"
What the hell is this?
Wang Linchi was somewhat dumbfounded; he had no idea about this incident.
Hadn't Guo Xian from the Department of Earth Defense confronted his principal, Liao Xun?
Captain Guo died in the line of duty. With Liao Xun's meager abilities, could he really kill Guo Xian, a Martial General...?
After reading the entire article, Wang Linchi couldn't help but fall silent. He truly hadn't expected the Shi Family to get involved, let alone resort to deadly force.
Then, his gaze fell upon his phone.
They couldn't be coming after me, could they? Wang Linchi realized this incident was likely related to him, so he immediately checked his phone's data and quickly found a distinctive program.
A hidden listening program? Seriously? Your Shi Family's infighting is really getting out of hand.
Wang Linchi massaged his temples. He really hadn't expected anyone to be monitoring him. Fortunately, he hadn't used his personal phone for anything inappropriate.
He also checked the phone number he had used to message Guo Xian; that one was clean. Nevertheless, Wang Linchi proceeded to deal with all related information and even had the number deactivated.
But for it not to involve me... that's probably impossible. Wang Linchi knew that he had stirred up something big this time.
He had only intended to use Guo Xian to get rid of someone for him, never imagining the Shi Family would dare to play such high stakes.
Therefore, all members of the Shi Family had been detained, including Shi Ming and others. Who knew if their claims of being a branch family were true or false? The aim was to unearth the deeper masterminds.
Otherwise, how would a minor family like the Shi Family dare to lay hands on the Department of Earth Defense?
As for Wang Linchi, he was more of a marginal figure who might be affected, but likely not significantly.
Interrogations were now proceeding through the night. He was lucky to have returned in time; he estimated he would be summoned for questioning around midnight.
I just don't know if Liao Xun is dead or if he exposed me. If not, then it'll be easy to handle.
If he did, then I can only see how influential my backer in the Great Zhao Country truly is.
If my backer has significant authority, they could suppress the Department of Earth Defense.
If their influence isn't enough, then I'll have to resort to other methods, like wiping out the entire Eastern State branch of the Department of Earth Defense to divert attention.
His solution was indeed brutally straightforward.
Right, sleep first, worry later.
Wang Linchi couldn't be bothered with much else; rushing around today had been exhausting. Although his body had transformed into a Microcosmic Ecological Physique, he was still human. Symbiosis or not, he still got tired.
He went straight to bed.
He slept deep into the night, only to be awakened by someone.
"Who is it?" Wang Linchi opened his sleep-filled eyes and asked, somewhat annoyed.
The other person directly turned on the light. The dazzling glare quickly woke Wang Linchi up. He saw the visitor produce a token.
"Department of Earth Defense. We need your assistance with an investigation." The speaker's face was also etched with fatigue; clearly, their job wasn't easy, or they wouldn't have come for Wang Linchi in the middle of the night.
Apparently, all parties involved had been relentlessly busy since the incident.
"Alright, but can you communicate with the school about this?" Wang Linchi asked.
"We have already sent a letter to your principal." This member of the Department of Earth Defense was well-prepared. He then continued, "Any other questions? If not, let's go."
Wang Linchi was very cooperative and not at all irritable. The Department of Earth Defense member, seeing this, did his best to accommodate Wang Linchi's requests.
In his view, Wang Linchi wasn't a suspect at all. The person capable of causing the Department of Earth Defense catastrophe must possess immense power. Someone like Wang Linchi, who didn't even react when he approached or even called out to wake him, couldn't possibly be the mastermind. He was more likely just a pawn used for misdirection, completely oblivious to everything.
"Hmm, let's go." Wang Linchi didn't refuse.
The officer led Wang Linchi to an interrogation room in the Department of Earth Defense. The entire building was brightly lit, with numerous personnel hurrying back and forth, all looking overwhelmed and exhausted.
After bringing Wang Linchi in, the officer left, evidently to fetch others.
The one interrogating Wang Linchi was a captain of the same rank as Guo Xian, named Lu An. He looked less exhausted; after all, he was a Martial General.
"Did you receive a phone call today asking you to go to South Street... to pick up a package, correct?" Lu An began.
This information had been provided by the Shi Family.
Wang Linchi nodded. "Yes, but I didn't go."
"Why didn't you go?" Lu An asked.
"Because it sounded like a scam. I've picked up packages before. Regardless of the courier company, they always deliver to the Martial Arts University's main gate and leave them at the security post."
"Even a newcomer wouldn't go to the wrong place," Wang Linchi answered calmly.
Lu An nodded. "Then, do you know Shi Ming?"
"Yes. Back when I took a flight..." Wang Linchi didn't wait for Lu An to press further and recounted the incident himself.
"So, what are your thoughts on the Shi Family's situation?"
"I don't know."
"Where were you this afternoon?"
"In my dormitory. There are witnesses; you can ask them..." Wang Linchi answered everything flawlessly.
Lu An wasn't deliberately targeting Wang Linchi; these details were being verified by others. His assessment of Wang Linchi was that he was simply unfortunate collateral damage.
Someone is deliberately trying to link everything to Wang Linchi. Otherwise, how could a mere Samurai be involved in such matters?
"Then this person, do you know him?" Finally, Lu An produced a photograph.
It was Liao Xun.
"I know him. He's the principal of River City's South District Second School, my principal. He offered me help a few times, but it always seemed ill-intentioned, so I distanced myself early on," Wang Linchi replied honestly.
Lu An naturally knew about these things but didn't say so directly. He just wanted to see if Wang Linchi would hide anything or lie. Fortunately, Wang Linchi did neither, which indicated he was indeed innocent.
"May I ask, what was he doing here?" Wang Linchi inquired.
"It's still under investigation. But you can rest assured, he's dead," Lu An stated plainly.
"Ah?" Wang Linchi looked surprised, but heaved a sigh of relief internally. Good riddance to the principal!
"Hmm, enough with the 'ahs'. There are a few more questions I need you to confirm," Lu An said, resuming the interrogation.
Many of the questions were essentially repetitions, just phrased differently. Wang Linchi, of course, didn't give identical answers each time, and even made a few minor errors in his responses due to nervousness.
This didn't arouse Lu An's suspicion. In fact, if Wang Linchi *had* answered identically every time without any variation, *that* would have been suspicious, as it would suggest prior preparation. Lu An had deliberately tried to steer Wang Linchi's responses on certain points, so it was only natural for him to stumble on some.
A young man who hasn't even stepped into society, yet he could hold his own against an old fox like me? *That* would be the real issue.
After about half an hour of continuous questioning, Lu An finally filed the recorded document, annotating it with "extremely low suspicion." He then said, "You'll need to stay at the Department of Earth Defense for a few days to cooperate with our further investigation."
"No problem." Wang Linchi agreed without hesitation. Lu An probably didn't know that I saw everything he wrote down, including the 'extremely low suspicion' note.
"Alright, I'll have someone take you to a room to rest. Others may come to question you tomorrow, so be prepared." After Lu An finished speaking, a Department of Earth Defense member entered and proficiently led Wang Linchi away.
Clearly, this wasn't the first time this officer had performed this task tonight, nor would it likely be the last.
Lu An didn't leave; instead, he waited for the next person to be brought in for interrogation.
On the way, no coercive measures were used on Wang Linchi. Fortunately, the Department of Earth Defense was large enough; otherwise, it might not have been able to hold so many people.
Of course, this kind of treatment was reserved for those marked with "extremely low suspicion." Individuals like those from the Shi Family were taken directly to the dungeons, with various control measures applied to them.