“Chief Instructor, what exactly did Chiyo do wrong for you to have her arrested?” As the team captain, Ye Qingyi personally led the others to Long Tianyu’s office to confront him.
Long Tianyu’s expression was grim: “Lin Chiyo is suspected of being an enemy spy. As her teammates, you are not beyond suspicion either. So it’s best for you to behave, or I’ll have you all arrested too.”
“Since when do we arrest people without needing any evidence?” Ye Qingyi let out a cold laugh, then suddenly seemed to remember something, and her tone became respectful: “Please clarify, Chief Instructor!”
Long Tianyu’s face darkened further: “Since when does an elder of Tianji need to report to a few youngsters like you about arresting someone? Just wait. You’ll know when the interrogation results come out.”
“What if she’s been wrongfully accused?” Xia Qingqing asked angrily, completely unfazed by Long Tianyu’s imposing manner.
“If so, I will personally go to apologize!” With that, Long Tianyu slammed his hand on the table. “Forget about her for now. Let’s talk about you all first. Barging into my office without permission? You’re all confined to quarters for three days as punishment.”
Ye Qingyi stood her ground without backing down an inch: “Fine by us, who’s afraid of whom?”
The others also straightened their backs, following her lead.
At that moment, Yang Jie suddenly appeared in the office.
The moment Long Tianyu saw him, a headache instantly flared. “What are you doing here?”
Yang Jie adjusted his glasses, a hint of anger in his tone. “I’m here to seek justice for my student.”
“Yang Jie, do you really think I’m afraid of you? What justice are you seeking? Weren’t you the one who led the arrest?” Long Tianyu roared in fury.
Yang Jie’s chest rose and fell rapidly. “I did lead the arrest, but using torture for confession before her identity is formally confirmed is hardly according to regulations.”
Hearing the words “torture for confession,” the others immediately grew agitated as well.
Yang Jie remained as composed as ever, and as protective of his own as always.
The two men locked eyes, their gazes gradually turning cold.
Just then, Wu Heng suddenly tugged at Yang Jie’s sleeve. “Instructor Yang, please calm down. Acting impulsively now won’t do Chiyo any good. I believe in the Chief Instructor’s character. He will surely clear Chiyo’s name.”
Yang Jie’s expression softened slightly. “Alright, then I’ll give you seven days. If after seven days she is truly an enemy spy, I, Yang Jie, will personally apologize to you. You can punish me however you see fit, according to the rules.”
He paused briefly. “But if she has been wrongfully accused, I hope you, Chief Instructor, can at least give me, or rather, give her, an explanation.”
Long Tianyu took a deep breath. “I promise you.”
Yang Jie snorted. “Let’s go!”
Not long after they left, news spread that Yang Jie had led his students to confront the Chief Instructor. The reason was the alleged use of torture for confession on the suspected spy, Lin Chiyo, without solid evidence.
“Instructor Yang is so good, so handsome. It must be wonderful to be his student…”
“Wonderful, my foot! Do you know how badly Su Mo’s team suffered? Almost everyone was injured. The arrested Lin Chiyo supposedly only inadvertently exposed her identity because the exam was too difficult, and she was trying to save her life.”
“Shh, keep your voice down! Do you have a death wish? Daring to gossip like this before the results are out? Aren’t you afraid Su Mo and his team will come after you? After all, Lin Chiyo is Su Mo’s current girlfriend.”
“That’s true…”
…
Several students were discussing the latest gossip they’d heard when a middle-aged man with a small mustache and average build approached them.
“What are you chatting about so animatedly?”
They were startled and quickly greeted the newcomer. “Dean Zhitian, we were just chatting idly.”
Zhitian Xin smiled. “Tell me about it too.”
The students were stunned: So even important figures liked to hear gossip?
…
Star Island, Xia Nation Zone.
In the dim underground prison, there was an extremely tightly controlled cell. The sound of whipping had just ceased, leaving behind a thick smell of blood.
Su Mo was hanging up, his clothes stained red with blood, yet his consciousness remained clear. His eyes were bloodshot, resembling a wild beast undergoing abuse.
The interrogator holding the whip wiped the sweat from his forehead, preparing to rest briefly before continuing.
Just then, a young man walked in, holding a document. “Elder Long has some matters he wishes to understand and specifically sent me to conduct the interrogation. You go rest for now and come back later.”
The interrogator checked his credentials, ensuring they were correct, before leaving.
Only the two of them remained in the cell.
The man spoke: “What exactly did they give you, that you’re willing to endure such severe torture without uttering a single word?”
Su Mo gave a bitter laugh, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. “Perhaps… faith.”
“Faith?” The man chuckled, the sound dripping with sarcasm.
He asked many more questions, to which Su Mo basically responded with hostility.
As he was leaving, the man suddenly said meaningfully, “Just wait patiently…”
A sudden glimmer appeared in Su Mo’s eyes, as if he had seen hope. “You… you are?”
The man pushed the door open and left. The interrogator walked back in.
This time, he didn’t use the whip. Instead, he took out a handful of steel needles.
Su Mo’s eyes flickered slightly. He was terrified inside, but on the surface, he remained calm. Only when the needles were driven between his fingers did he let out a low groan of pain.
The young man who had just left paused briefly outside the door. Watching this scene, he couldn’t help but swallow hard, thinking to himself: They’re really going all out. This doesn’t look like an act at all. I must report to Lord Zhitian quickly to rescue him, otherwise we’ll lose a key asset.
His figure vanished into the shadows.
The low groans in the cell didn’t stop. Su Mo felt dazed and confused, seemingly on the verge of collapse.
Suddenly, Yang Jie’s furious voice came from outside the door. “Wait a moment.”
This short, dark-skinned man walked into the cell with a grim expression. Seeing Su Mo’s miserable state, the corner of his eye twitched, and his chest heaved violently.
“You go out. I have a few words to ask her.”
The interrogator didn’t know Yang Jie personally, only that he was Instructor Yang, a figure of some status. He hesitated. “Do you have instructions from Elder Long?”
“I’m here to visit my own student. Why would I need his instructions?” Yang Jie’s roar was a mix of genuine and feigned anger.
The interrogator thought for a moment and had no choice but to retreat. “Please be quick, Instructor Yang.”
With that, he stepped out.
Once again, only two people remained in the cell.
Yang Jie stared at Su Mo, his brows tightly furrowed. “Don’t worry, I will definitely find evidence to make them release you.”
Su Mo’s voice was hoarse. “Thank you, Instructor Yang.”
They exchanged a few more symbolic words. Suddenly, a spirit stone in Yang Jie’s palm glowed, silently activating a soundproofing array.
“You’re truly insane. Even if it’s a ruse of self-injury, was it necessary to get yourself into this state?”
“If we’re going to act, it has to be convincing. Otherwise, we won’t fool them. As long as I don’t die, they will come to rescue me eventually,” Su Mo gasped out.
“I heard from Tianyu that you didn’t let the interrogators know the truth, to make it more convincing?” Yang Jie said gravely.
“If they knew it was an act, their blows would surely be lighter, inevitably leaving flaws. Only by making the fake real can we leave no loopholes.”
Yang Jie opened and closed his mouth several times, finally saying indignantly, “It’s your choice. As your senior brother, I’ll support you. When this undercover mission is over, I’ll definitely make the Commander offer something substantial.”
Su Mo gave a pained smile. “I’m not the only one suffering. How many people don’t even get to leave their names behind? I’m just fulfilling my mission.”
Yang Jie fell silent.
“Senior Brother, can I ask a favor of you?”
“Go ahead.”
“Please don’t let my parents know any news about me.”
“Alright.”