Chapter 16 Interrogation and Scapegoat

The rain gradually stopped, and Lu Luo mounted Ludie's motorcycle. Although he'd missed the downpour, obtaining a strand of the Sleeping Witch's hair was certainly worth celebrating. "Hold on tight, kid," Ludie warned, his eyes glinting with bravado. "Don't be too astonished by my driving skills!" Looking at Ludie's boastful expression, Lu Luo solemnly nodded. He was already silently humming "Déjà Vu" to himself. Am I about to meet a new God of Mount Akina? This is kind of exciting! Five minutes later, they "sped" toward the Wasteland Safety Bureau at a blistering pace of less than 20 kilometers per hour. Lu Luo watched as bicycles, with small children aboard, sped past them. Meanwhile, the old motorcycle beneath him kept making CREAK-CREAK noises, and he fell into deep thought. After some careful consideration, Lu Luo slowly spoke up, "Captain Ludie, perhaps I should walk." "Let me be clear," Ludie said, his expression stern. "If you get off this bike today, you're looking down on me." Ludie didn't seem to be joking. Lu Luo, feeling helpless, replied, "Alright then." And so, the two continued at their "high speed" of less than 20 kilometers per hour, slowly making their way back to the East Ring's Wasteland Safety Bureau. 「...」 Inside the East Ring Wasteland Safety Bureau, teams of Hunters bustled in and out. As one of the few survivors of the incident, Lu Luo and the others were each assigned separate interrogation rooms. The investigation into the origin of the Exotic Species incident at Exhibition Hall 404 was in full swing. "Our group was just following the tour leader, listening to him describe the creatures in the exhibition hall. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary," Wang Zheng said, trying hard to recall the events. "Oh, right, I remember Zhang Zhe kept saying he wasn't feeling well and went to the restroom. Other than that, nothing special happened." As students, it was difficult for them to intentionally hide anything from a department like the Wasteland Safety Bureau, especially at a time like this. Zhou Kai's testimony was largely the same. "If you insist something was off, then there was one thing: Zhang Zhe kept complaining about a stomachache, and he never came back. Later, I saw an Exotic Species that looked a lot like Zhang Zhe. It couldn't have been him, could it?" Chu Qi's testimony had also been carefully prepared. "Zhang Zhe seemed a bit off; his expression was always strange. Later, the First Tier mutant we encountered definitely bore some resemblance to Zhang Zhe." 「...」 Outside the interrogation room, Ludie, Luo Sen, and Yan Danqin, an Alliance Council Advisor, observed the proceedings. Yan Danqin tapped the tabletop, her remarkably long legs drawing attention. She was the provisional lead assigned by the Council to investigate this incident. Upon learning there were survivors, she had immediately come to the Wasteland Safety Bureau, joining Team 33 Captain Luo Sen and Team 13 Captain Ludie to conduct the interrogations. "Thoroughly investigate this student they mentioned, Zhang Zhe. He could very well be a key figure in this incident." Yan Danqin's tone was commanding, but neither Ludie nor Luo Sen moved to stand, which greatly displeased the high-ranking advisor. "What's the meaning of this? Have Hunters grown so arrogant they now disregard Council orders?" Luo Sen lit a cigar and took a deep drag without a word. Yan Danqin, feeling offended, said sternly, "Captain Luo Sen, are you unaware that Hunters are prohibited from smoking during work hours?" Luo Sen grinned, his smile sinister, revealing rows of stark white teeth. He looked ready to lash out at any moment. Seeing his smile, Yan Danqin instinctively took a step back. She tried to hide her fear, feeling quite embarrassed, and her embarrassment quickly turned into indignant anger. "What do you mean by that, Luo Sen?" "I didn't say anything. What do you mean, asking me? Are you crazy?" Luo Sen's tone was unfriendly, but the killing intent emanating from him had lessened considerably, allowing Yan Danqin to breathe a little easier. She wanted to press the issue with Luo Sen but didn't dare, intimidated by the formidable aura of a Hunter captain. At this point, Ludie, who had been silent, finally spoke. "Counselor Yan Danqin, don't be in such a hurry. Hunters are under a lot of pressure, so it's quite normal for Captain Luo Sen to smoke. As for this Zhang Zhe, our people have already gone to his home to investigate. We'll have results soon, but I'm afraid the outcome of this investigation won't be very significant." Yan Danqin frowned slightly. "All the students' testimonies are here. Why would they be insignificant? Are you suggesting these students are lying?" Ludie inwardly scorned a greenhorn like Yan Danqin. If it weren't for her looks and her position as a council security advisor, he wouldn't have bothered speaking to her at all. "Of course, the students aren't lying. However, the specifics are... complicated. I can't explain it all quickly. How about this, let's make a bet." "Sorry, I don't gamble," Yan Danqin refused coldly. "Then there's nothing more to say," Ludie said, awkwardly rubbing his nose. Yan Danqin hesitated. She was still eager to learn the truth, so she relented. "Alright, what's the bet?" "Let's bet 1,000 yuan that my prediction is correct. Just 1,000 yuan. For Counselor Yan Danqin, that's a trifling sum, isn't it?" Yan Danqin sized up the disheveled Ludie, suppressing the urge to punch him. "Fine." Ludie's heart leaped; the 1,000 yuan that Lu Luo had conned him out of might finally be recouped. "Our bet starts now. You'll see," Ludie said, a sly look in his eyes. "When the report comes in, this Zhang Zhe kid will turn out to be an orphan, a loner, the type who acts strangely—his whole family deceased. "Then, our team searching his house will find evidence of him dabbling in homemade genetic mutation drugs. Maybe they'll even find a suicide note or a diary. "This unfortunate kid, Zhang Zhe, will end up taking full responsibility for this incident. It'll be ruled an 'accident,' and with Zhang Zhe's death, this so-called accident will be neatly concluded." Yan Danqin was a bit of a greenhorn, but that didn't mean she was stupid. She understood the implications of Ludie's words. "Are you saying everything that happened to Zhang Zhe was orchestrated by someone? How is that possible?" "Why wouldn't it be?" Ludie retorted, choosing not to mention the reagents or the suspicious individuals. The matter was too significant, and he found it too thorny to handle. Before long, the personnel sent to Zhang Zhe's home to gather clues returned. "We found some research reports on genetic drugs in Zhang Zhe's home, along with a diary," the returning officer reported. "The handwriting is sloppy, but we've confirmed it's Zhang Zhe's. "He was researching genetic mutations, a lot of it concerning Exotic Species. "The last page of the diary reads as follows:" *Tomorrow, everyone will witness a great miracle! My name will be remembered—Zhang Zhe, the great biologist!* Yan Danqin snatched the diary and flipped through it. She wasn't surprised by the evidence itself, but she was stunned that everything concerning Zhang Zhe had unfolded exactly as Ludie predicted. "I understand. Preserve the evidence carefully." "Yes, ma'am." Yan Danqin looked at Ludie, realizing this scruffy man did possess some acumen. However, even if this scruffy man had some ability, it didn't improve her poor impression of him. "Do you have any other findings?" Ludie pointed to the monitor screens. Lu Luo and Gu Fangyi had also been questioned, though theirs were only brief inquiries. "Compared to those three, the testimonies from the remaining two are more valuable. You can question them yourself. Also, Counselor Yan Danqin, don't forget about the 1,000 yuan." "It's just 1,000. What's your hurry?"