Chapter 376: Interrogation

Chapter 376: Interrogation

Yang Xinxin said to Zhang Yi, “Based on Gao Yuan’s conversations with others, it’s clear that their attitude toward Bai Xue Jiao is very negative. I believe the conflict between them is quite sharp.”

Zhang Yi pondered for a moment before asking, “And so? Are you suggesting that if Yangsheng Base attacks us, we should consider recruiting Bai Xue Jiao as an ally?”

Yang Xinxin blinked playfully and smiled. “Who knows? But wouldn’t having one more ally be better than having one more enemy?”

Zhang Yi shook his head.

“Sometimes, an unclear ally is even more dangerous than an enemy.”

Then, his tone shifted, “That said, if they’re useful, I wouldn’t mind squeezing some value out of them.”

In the apocalypse, friends were rare. Relationships were often transactional—those with value could be allies, but when interests clashed, alliances could turn to enmity in an instant.

What Zhang Yi didn’t know yet was that a team from Bai Xue Jiao’s headquarters was already en route to Cloud Manor.

Dong Hu, with Wu Chengyu and the other captives, departed Xu Family Town, traveling through the night to return to Yangsheng Base.

With these captives in hand, Dong Hu was ready to report back to Xiao Honglian.

Meanwhile, Wu Chengyu and the others were on edge. Facing these strangers of unknown origin, they were deeply afraid for their lives.

“If only we’d listened to Teacher Liang’s advice and stayed hidden, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“Zhang Yi may be selfish and cold, but at least he wouldn’t kill us. He even gave us food for Teacher Liang’s sake.”

“No, no! This is all Teacher Liang’s fault. If she hadn’t left us in Xu Family Town, we wouldn’t have ended up like this!”

“If she’d stayed to protect us, we might have had time to escape!”

Despair, resentment, and regret swirled in the students’ minds.

The Yangsheng Base soldiers guarding them, however, were utterly indifferent to their thoughts. The captives were now in their hands, and they had countless ways to extract the information they needed.

When Dong Hu’s convoy returned to Yangsheng Base, it was late at night. Still, Dong Hu went straight to see Xiao Honglian.

He knew her sleeping schedule was short—barely five hours a day.

Sure enough, when he reached her office, Xiao Honglian was still reviewing reports submitted by her subordinates.

After Dong Hu knocked and entered, she didn’t even look up. “What’s the result of the investigation?”

Dong Hu immediately recounted everything he had observed.

“We found Gao Yuan’s missing phone in Xu Family Town and captured a group of students. They claim to be from Tianqing Academy, and their teacher is said to be close to Zhang Yi.” ʀ

“As for Zhang Yi himself, I didn’t see him. However, across the river in Cloud Manor, I spotted a heavily fortified ice wall. If I’m not mistaken, Zhang Yi and his people live behind that wall, which is likely how they withstood West Hill Base’s attack.”

Dong Hu shared his deductions.

Xiao Honglian frowned slightly, setting down the report in her hands. Her deep, thoughtful eyes fixed on Dong Hu.

“Where are the students?”

“They’re outside. Do you want to interrogate them yourself?”

Xiao Honglian stood up from her chair. “Let’s go. I want to see them.”

This was a critical matter. The outcome of the interrogation would determine whether Xiao Honglian decided to launch an attack on Zhang Yi. She needed to hear the students’ testimonies firsthand.

Wu Chengyu and the other students had been thrown into a workshop at the refinery.

The machines around them roared noisily, and the temperature was noticeably higher than outside, alleviating some of their physical discomfort. However, the warmth did nothing to soothe their fear.

Armed soldiers surrounded them, their expressions cold and unyielding.

The oppressive atmosphere was no better than their days pedaling bikes at West Hill Base. No one dared to speak, kneeling on the cold floor until their legs felt numb.

After a long time, the sound of measured footsteps echoed from outside the workshop.

The door opened, and Wu Chengyu and the others were greeted by the sight of a cold, domineering woman.

She wore a red, specially designed combat uniform that stood out distinctly from the others. On her shoulders were three flaming emblems, marking her as someone of extraordinary rank.

On either side of her stood Zhuge Qingtian and Dong Hu.

When Wu Chengyu saw Dong Hu standing deferentially behind this woman, he immediately understood her identity.

Xiao Honglian entered the workshop and glanced at the captives. The girls were pale with fright, their souls seemingly scared out of their bodies. The boys, with their fair skin and timid demeanor, looked equally incapable of putting up any fight.

It was clear at a glance that they were pampered students from an ivory tower, the type who should have been among the first to die in the apocalypse without protection.

Dong Hu said to Xiao Honglian, “One of them is unconscious. He seems to have ties to West Hill Base, as I found signs of their human modification technology on him.”

This piqued Xiao Honglian’s interest.

West Hill Base’s human modification technology was something even she envied. While the fatality rate was high, it could create semi-Superhuman squads that significantly enhanced combat strength. This was far superior to their reliance on drugs for temporary power boosts.

“Keep that one alive for further study,” Xiao Honglian said nonchalantly.

A soldier brought over a chair and respectfully placed it behind her.

Xiao Honglian sat down confidently, crossed her legs, and looked down at the kneeling students. Her amber eyes glinted with a cold red hue, exuding a commanding aura.

Her fiery red lips parted to deliver an icy statement.

“Tell me everything you know. Otherwise, you won’t want to experience the interrogation methods of Yangsheng Base.”

Wu Chengyu, ever quick-witted, immediately knelt and bowed his head to the ground.

“Rest assured, I’ll tell you everything I know! Just spare my life!”

The other students quickly followed suit, realizing that they needed to demonstrate their value to survive.

“I’ll tell you everything! Please don’t kill me!”

“Who do you want to know about? Zhang Yi? Teacher Liang Yue? I can give you all the information!”

Overwhelmed by fear, the students didn’t even wait for Xiao Honglian to ask questions. They began spilling everything they knew, speaking over one another in their desperation.

Author's Note