"No! I'm not lying!" A'Cheng struggled wildly against his chains. "Everything I said is true!"
Chen Ling tightened his grip around A'Cheng's neck, his fingers gradually applying pressure as if intent on strangling him to death right then and there. At the same time, that chilling voice spoke again, "How can you prove it?"
"I..." A'Cheng's voice was choked and fragmented. "In... the hidden compartment of my desk drawer at the newspaper office... I copied a backup by hand... The original was really placed at the drop-off point... I donât know anything else..."
Chen Ling's brow lifted slightly.
Of course, he had no idea about any "original" or where this so-called "drop-off point" was, but that no longer mattered. If that Tan Xin had indeed sent someone to retrieve it, the original had likely been taken away long ago.
However, the fact that A'Cheng had personally handwritten a backup and hidden it in his desk at the newspaper office was rather intriguing... It seemed this kid wasnât as loyal to his superiors as he pretended?
Then again, if he were truly loyal, he wouldnât have spilled the beans so easily.
Having obtained the location of the backup, Chen Ling relaxed slightly and asked unhurriedly, "What is the 'Hand of Salvation' project about?"
Chen Ling had no idea what the "Hand of Salvation" project was, but judging from Wen Shilinâs reaction, it seemed to be highly classified information.
The moment he heard this question, A'Cheng froze. Then, as if realizing something, he exclaimed in shock, "No... thatâs not right! Youâre not one of Chief Tan Xinâs people! Who the hell are you?!"
A'Chengâs heart plummeted. He never would have imagined that the other party had disguised themselves as Tan Xinâs subordinate to trick himâno wonder they claimed not to have found the original. And he had fallen for it, even exposing the backup he had kept for himself... At this moment, he knew he was finished.
But he still couldnât figure outâwhich faction would do something like this? Who would be interested in the "Hand of Salvation"?
"Does it matter?" Chen Ling sneered. "You have no other choice now. Either talk... or die."
Knowing that A'Cheng wasnât completely loyal and no longer interested in playing word games, Chen Ling simply laid his cards on the table, pressing the gun barrel against A'Chengâs forehead.
Beneath the cloth bag, A'Chengâs face turned deathly pale. He gritted his teeth, wrestling with himself for a long time before finally speaking with difficulty, "I donât know..."
Chen Ling narrowed his eyes, his finger poised to pull the trigger but A-Cheng quickly continued, "The clearance level for this project is far too high. Rumor has it that even among the high-ranking enforcers, no more than five people are authorized to know its details... I was just a mole planted beside Wen Shilin. How could I possibly know the specifics of the project?"
"If thatâs the case, how did a mere journalist like Wen Shilin find out about it?"
"I donât know the exact details. I wasnât embedded with him at the time... He spent months investigating the project and was interrupted several times along the way. All he managed to uncover were fragmented clues, which were compiled into those articles...
"What I remember most clearly is that the 'Hand of Salvation' is supposedly related to the fate of all humanity in the Aurora Domain... Itâs meant to bring us salvation.
"I only got hold of the articles yesterday. Thatâs all I know. I really donât have any more information."
A'Chengâs tone was utterly sincere. Ever since realizing Chen Ling wasnât one of Tan Xinâs people, his voice had grown noticeably more submissive. He knew his life was no longer in his or his factionâsâhands.
Related to the fate of all humanity in the Aurora Domain?
Hearing this, Chen Lingâs mind stirred... Could this be about Aurora Sovereign? Or the frozen Calamities beyond the city walls? Or did Aurora City have some hidden trump card?
Chen Ling pressed further with threats, but A'Cheng provided no additional useful leads. Realizing he wouldnât get anything more, Chen Ling gave up on the interrogation.
He looked at A'Cheng, still struggling beneath the black bag, and gently pulled the trigger.
A minute later, the machinery in the factory gradually fell silent. Chen Ling pushed open the now-deadly quiet factory doors, a cold breeze dispersing the faint scent of blood inside.
"This Wen Shilin... really is interesting."
As if struck by a thought, he chuckled softly, his figure gradually vanishing into the wilderness.
---
Wen Shilin couldnât sleep.
In his cramped ten-square-meter room, he tossed and turned in bed. Every time he closed his eyes, Chen Lingâs calm, silent face surfaced in his mind, accompanied by the whistling of fists cutting through the air.
Wen Shilin didnât understand what was happening to him. The last time heâd felt like this was during his school days, when heâd developed a crush on a girl he shouldnât have... But this time, it was a man. He knew he didnât have any peculiar inclinations, but Chen Ling had left far too deep an impression on him.
At around three in the morning, Wen Shilin gave up on sleep. He got out of bed, sat at his small desk, and lit the kerosene lamp in the corner, intending to record the dayâs events.
But his mind kept wandering. His writing was interrupted several times by bouts of absentmindedness. After a long silence, he sighed and pulled out the photograph from the file folder.
The dim candlelight illuminated the words "Who stole your heart?" Upon closer inspection, every stroke of the handwriting was steeped in hatredâchilling to the core.
This thing seemed to be one of the roots of his distraction...
Wen Shilin flipped the photo over, staring blankly at the unfamiliar young face.
After an indeterminate amount of time, he took out a blank sheet of paper and copied the phrase from the back of the photo. Then, his thoughts began to spiral, linking one question after anotherâchief among them being "heart," "organs," "hospital," "organ trafficking?" and the like.
For some reason, Wen Shilinâs curiosity about this matter was overwhelming. He immersed himself in speculating about the meaning behind those words, and by the time he snapped out of it, dawn had already broken outside.
Wen Shilin sat dumbly at his desk, watching the rising sun through the window, feeling inexplicably hollow...
His gaze fell on the file folder containing the job application materials. A powerful impulse surged within him, and as if possessed, he stuffed the photo back inside before hurriedly throwing on his coat and rushing out the door to greet the morning sun.
He wanted to see Chen Ling again! There were things he had to ask.
He knew Chen Ling might not want to see him right now, but the forgotten file folder was the perfect excuse.
As for how to find Chen Ling... Chen Ling had already given him the answerâunintentionally, of course.
He would go to Divine Physician Chu to treat his injuries. Given the severity of his wounds, he probably wouldnât be leaving the clinic anytime soon... So, as long as Wen Shilin went to Chuâs clinic, he would definitely find Chen Ling!