Free Web NovelChapter 219: Chapter 141: Interrogation, Big Shots
Patrol Department, Second Division.
Third floor, inside the conference room.
"Captain Lu, we are members of a temporary task force formed by the Superpower Bureau and the Patrol Department."
"The attack on Captain Ruan Hui was highly unusual. Per our superiors’ orders, we need to question everyone involved. This isn’t directed at you personally, so there’s no need to worry. We just ask that you cooperate as much as possible..."
The man from the Superpower Bureau sat across the conference table. The one speaking was a slender man of about forty, wearing an administrative jacket and a pair of rimless glasses.
Four other figures were seated to his left and right.
They were either Elite Level powerhouses in Superpower Bureau combat uniforms or elite captains from the Patrol Department headquarters.
Their scrutinizing gazes bore down on him, creating considerable pressure.
Yet Lu Chao didn’t flinch or look away. He sat across the conference table and gave a calm nod.
The interrogation began at once, with one question fired after another.
"Where were you at 7:50 last night?"
"At home, cultivating."
"Did you leave the Iron Ring District at any point?"
"No."
"What were you doing when you went downstairs at nine o’clock last night?"
"Buying something to eat. Prices have been going up so fast lately..."
Because he had already prepared for this mentally, Lu Chao wasn’t anxious.
He had erased all his tracks the previous night. He hadn’t exposed his return home, and after hiding the Beast Egg, he had only gone downstairs to deliberately reveal his location, creating the illusion that he had been home the whole time.
’Perhaps there are powerhouses in this world who can read minds.’
’But with the aid of the Fixed Star Observation Method, my mind is strong, and I am perfectly calm.’
Coupled with his ability to perfectly control his body, he could even regulate his own heartbeat. He naturally wasn’t worried that a simple interrogation would reveal anything amiss.
And so, the back-and-forth of questions and answers continued.
After a dozen or so questions, another voice spoke up.
"Captain Lu, I wonder if you recognize these people?"
The bespectacled middle-aged man who was questioning him suddenly produced several ordinary, everyday photos.
With his Elite Level eyesight, which far surpassed that of an ordinary person, Lu Chao glanced up and naturally recognized Mei Ning, Guo Yun, and the others.
’Here it comes.’
His expression remained calm, but inwardly, he thought, ’Just as I expected.’
The investigation by the Superpower Bureau and the Patrol Department was faster than he had anticipated. It had only been one night since the incident, yet they had already uncovered one of the most crucial pieces of information.
Namely, that basically all the deceased at the scene had a grudge against him.
"I know most of them."
He didn’t deny it. Lu Chao knew that information that was half-truth and half-lie was the most convincing.
Besides, he had also investigated and found that he wasn’t the only one who held a grudge against Ruan Hui, Mei Ning, and the others.
"Those few used to train at the Jinshi Boxing Hall. You could call them my junior brothers."
"As for the others..."
With a look of resignation, Lu Chao shook his head and said, "I had some conflicts with them back at Ring Academy."
"It was related to a mission at the time. I admit I was a bit too rough with them."
As he finished speaking, a brief silence fell over the conference room.
Then, meeting their scrutinizing gazes, Lu Chao put on a puzzled expression and looked at the bespectacled middle-aged man across from him.
"But... sir, why are you asking me about them?"
Seeing that his expression didn’t seem feigned, the bespectacled middle-aged man in the administrative jacket put down the photos and remained silent for a moment.
"They’ve all been murdered."
"What?!"
Lu Chao’s pupils contracted, his face a mask of shock and disbelief.
’Murdered?’
’They were all murdered?’
"At the time of the incident, Mei Ning, Guo Yun, and the others were all at Captain Ruan Hui’s home."
"The assailant was ruthless. Perhaps to silence any witnesses, they didn’t spare a single person."
He spoke in a low, somber tone, his eyes still fixed on Lu Chao.
The four people beside him wore varying expressions, but all of them were minutely observing Lu Chao’s reaction.
"Is that so..."
A complex look crossed Lu Chao’s face, and several emotions flickered in his eyes.
Shock, confusion, and an incredibly faint trace of satisfaction, like one might feel when an enemy is killed.
Seeing this, the others narrowed their eyes slightly. It seemed this Captain Lu clearly hadn’t let go of his past grudges.
But that was only human. They would likely have reacted the same way in his position.
"Wait, you gentlemen don’t suspect me, do you?"
Lu Chao asked abruptly, then feigned a daze, looking innocent. "I may have had some grudges with Captain Ruan and the others, but... I’m the kind of person who hates all this fighting and killing."
The task force members’ eyelids twitched at his words.
Though they cursed him inwardly for his audacity, they exchanged glances, and a new suspicion began to form in their minds.
Finally, after a few more questions, Lu Chao was allowed to leave.
"Leader Zhao, what do you think?"
An elite captain from the Patrol Department broke the silence, looking at the bespectacled middle-aged man who had led the questioning.
The man shook his head, setting down the photos and documents. "I didn’t see any tells, but lies can be rehearsed in advance."
"I think we should continue to keep an eye on this Captain Lu."
"Is that so?"
The elite captain frowned, while the other three remained noncommittal.
They all knew he was Deputy Director Ruan Yongheng’s secretary and that, as the leader of this task force, he was determined to get to the bottom of things.
However, the elite captain who had spoken earlier voiced his confusion. "It’s true that Captain Lu had grudges with everyone at the scene, but he’s on the verge of an unconventional promotion. Why would he risk committing such a crime?
"Besides, leaving aside the fact that he doesn’t have Superpower Level strength, if you look at all of Ring City, aren’t there several other people who had grudges against Captain Ruan and his group?
"After all, over the years, Mei Ning and the others have conspired to ruin quite a few geniuses. You can’t just dismiss those rumors..."
As the half-admonishing, half-questioning words hung in the air, the bespectacled man known as Leader Zhao showed no surprise. Instead, he tilted his head and met the captain’s gaze.
"Captain Dai, you seem quite partial to Captain Lu, don’t you?"
