Inside the interrogation room, Zhushi Jiu’s gag was finally removed, but the other restraints remained in place. The darkness in front of him showed that these people didn’t want him to see anything. It was obvious they had him in their grasp, yet they still seemed so cautious.
After having his gag removed, Zhushi Jiu first relaxed the soreness in his cheeks, then smiled at them: “What time is it now? How long was I unconscious?”
The man across from him seemed to not expect Zhushi Jiu’s first sentence to be that question. He asked, “Do you have some idea about your current situation?”
Zhushi Jiu didn’t stubbornly resist like he did during the fourth week. This time, he was intentionally trying to get in contact with these black-clad people.
“Yes, I expected it. You’ve already investigated me, haven’t you?”
The middle-aged man seemed to not expect Zhushi Jiu to remain so calm in such a perilous situation. He began to ponder the young man’s thoughts.
However, no matter how he thought, he would never guess that Zhushi Jiu was the one who voluntarily instigated all of this. Therefore, Zhushi Jiu had already taken control of the conversation from the start.
Not to mention that he was familiar with these people’s interrogation tactics.
He smiled calmly: “You should have seen it, right? The post I published online.”
“Who are you?” The middle-aged man’s tone was still very steady.
“I’m Zhushi Jiu, an ordinary university student.”
“I already know that, but what I want to know is not that.”
“You want to ask about the organization behind me?”
Zhushi Jiu smiled: “Sorry, I can’t say.”
“You don’t have to say. I hope you can still be as tough as you are now.”
Just as he finished speaking, a strong electric current surged into Zhushi Jiu’s body!
Although he knew he would face torture in this interrogation room, Zhushi Jiu still couldn’t help but want to curse these lunatics, every single one of them being a bunch of psychopaths!
Under the stimulation of the electric current, he could only let out a hysterical scream, feeling the modern human torture method that was more painful than a thousand cuts. As every cell in his body sent out a scream to his brain, he couldn’t remain silent like an iron-blooded hero.
These people maintained the electric current at an optimal level, preventing Zhushi Jiu from passing out.
After a while, the electric current stopped.
Zhushi Jiu took a few deep breaths.
“Ah, you didn’t lose control of your bladder.”
The man’s words reminded Zhushi Jiu of his experience during the fourth week, when he had lost control after the first electric shock.
Although Zhushi Jiu’s willpower was slightly better this time, it wasn’t much better. The reason he didn’t lose control was that he had already emptied his bladder beforehand.
It could be said that he had put in a lot of effort to make himself look slightly more dignified this time.
But in the middle-aged man’s eyes, this had become a symbol of strong willpower.
The middle-aged man’s teasing voice came: “How about it? Will you speak now?”
Zhushi Jiu took a deep breath before answering: “I will absolutely not betray my organization!”
“This is your answer? Incorrect answer.”
The middle-aged man waved his hand, and another electric current surged into Zhushi Jiu’s body.
“Ahhh…”
Zhushi Jiu screamed in agony, his voice hoarse from screaming.
When the electric current stopped, Zhushi Jiu smelled a burnt smell.
He didn’t even have the energy to curse.
“Tell me, how did you know about that man’s appearance?”
Zhushi Jiu forced a smile, revealing a sarcastic smile: “Isn’t that man you?”
The air fell silent for a moment.
The man chuckled, indirectly acknowledging: “Heh heh, it seems your intelligence is more detailed than I thought. Logically, with my level of secrecy, you shouldn’t know my appearance.”
“But I do, haha…” Zhushi Jiu laughed wildly, seeming to be certain they wouldn’t guess the reason.
As Zhushi Jiu laughed, the third electric shock began.
“……”
When the electric current stopped, the man’s low, cold voice said something that made Zhushi Jiu’s eyes widen in anger.
“—That woman called Du Fei has been tortured to death by us.”
Here it comes.
Zhushi Jiu pretended to be grief-stricken and angry, recalling the emotions he felt when he heard about Li Hua’s death during the fourth week. He naturally displayed a perfect performance, worthy of an Oscar.
“Bastards!”
Zhushi Jiu tried to break free from the restraints, cursing nonstop: “How could you do this?! She was just an ordinary person! I hadn’t even fully recruited her into the organization… You killed her—I will kill you! You’re a group of sons of bitches—ahhh…”
As he cursed, another strong electric current came, making Zhushi Jiu’s expression even more miserable.
Under the surveillance in the park, Zhushi Jiu’s intimate gestures with Du Fei were not just an act. He had already expected to fall into the hands of these black-clad people and that they would definitely see the surveillance footage of his intimate actions with Du Fei. That’s why he could perform so flawlessly now.
During the fourth week, he was Li Hua’s roommate, but this time, he was just a stranger to Du Fei, with a shallow relationship. He needed to find a suitable outlet for his emotions, pretending to be a lovesick youth.
He had even thought about what to say if the man asked about Du Fei’s related information. He knew about Du Fei’s dreams, hobbies, daily habits, favorite foods… He even knew about Du Fei’s deceased grandfather’s words and how she was taught archery when she was young…
This time, he had not met her before, but he had already learned about these things through several previous weeks. He was confident he could play the role of a lovesick youth.
This time, he had become a pawn himself. If he regretted his actions during the interrogation, he could only blame himself for planning this week.
After the electric current stopped, the man made a judgment, roughly believing that Zhushi Jiu’s current performance was genuine.
So, he said the same words as during the fourth week:
“So, you can guess whether she told us everything or not.”
The same tactics.
First, torture his body, then break his spirit.
Zhushi Jiu hung his head, looking like he had given up, but in his heart, he was still very calm.
—Sometimes, he didn’t need to say it aloud; he could naturally convey the information he wanted to convey, letting the other party know the false information he wanted them to know.
“You… do you already know?” Zhushi Jiu lifted his head, his expression crumbling, as if he had already broken down both physically and mentally.
“Know what?”
Zhushi Jiu’s crumbling expression was completely lifeless, his tone filled with despair: “Of course, it’s about tomorrow’s doomsday.”
A person who hadn’t experienced doomsday would never be able to perform like this.
Was this the aftermath of witnessing the death of a loved one, and now he was starting to reveal information?
The middle-aged man looked at Zhushi Jiu’s half-hidden face, knitting his brows in doubt.
“Doomsday tomorrow? Is that what your organization told you?”
“No, it’s what I know myself…” Zhushi Jiu seemed to be resigned to his fate, “If you really got something out of Du Fei, then you should know why I know.”
The middle-aged man thought back to the footage of Zhushi Jiu’s 120 lottery tickets and Du Fei’s absurd confession in the interrogation room.
Zhushi Jiu, with his eyes covered, couldn’t see the middle-aged man’s deeply furrowed brows.
But he heard the man’s extremely puzzled tone, filled with suspicion.
“You’re saying… you can predict the future?”
—He said what Zhushi Jiu wanted to hear.
Note: Please follow the glossary for consistent translations of key terms. Also, there are some cultural references and idioms in the text, and I’ll provide brief explanations if necessary.
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