In the interrogation chamber, heavy, labored breaths echoed like a pounding heart, rhythmic and strained. Bai Hao hung his head, eyes half-closed, gasping for air. Sweat streamed from his temples and forehead, tracing paths down his cheeks before dripping like rain from his chin.
Indeed, this was Bai Hao's first taste of such agonizing torment. Yang Su's methods seemed particularly insidious; each implement he employed inflicted a pain that felt like his heart and lungs were being torn asunder, yet left almost no visible marks on his body.
"Well, not a pleasant experience, is it?" Yang Su asked with a sardonic half-smile, his voice soft. "Have you thought it over? Ready to confess truthfully?"
Bai Hao raised his head slightly, his gaze fixing on Yang Su's handsome face. "I did not kidnap Yan Xiaoshi. I am not a kidnapper."
"Excellent." A cruel sneer flickered across Yang Su's face. He walked to the instrument cabinet, retrieved a slender case, and from it, extracted a silver needle about twenty to thirty centimeters long, fine as a strand of hair. "I must admit one thing—you do have some backbone, lasting through five rounds of my methods. However, I wonder if you can withstand the next. This time, I'll make the pain reach your very bones. See this silver needle? I will slowly insert it into your bone, let you experience the unique flavor of having your marrow pierced."
With that, Yang Su aimed the slender needle at Bai Hao.
"Ah!"
Instantly, an excruciating, bone-deep agony shot through Bai Hao's nervous system. Despite gritting his teeth with all his might, a cry was torn from his lips.
Yang Su's eyes narrowed, a hint of amusement in their depths. "How's the feeling of pain in the bones? Heh. Care for a second needle?" As he spoke, he drew another silver needle from the case, waving it gently before Bai Hao's eyes.
Bai Hao, enduring the heart-piercing pain, gasped heavily and forced out two words: "Wait…"
Yang Su, about to administer the second needle, paused, a flicker of surprise on his face. Honestly, he hadn't expected the other to break so soon, not after withstanding five rounds without a word. Has he reached his limit?he wondered inwardly.
With a cold laugh, Yang Su asked softly, "What did you say?"
"Wait…" Bai Hao repeated with difficulty.
Yang Su stared at him, silent for a few moments, then let out a faint sigh. "Kid, if you'd said so earlier, you could have avoided all this suffering. Really, what was the point?"
"Cough… cough…" Bai Hao trembled, coughing several times weakly. "I have… something to say to you…" His mouth moved, but the words became inaudible.
Yang Su frowned slightly. "What?"
"Can you… come closer?" Bai Hao's voice was a faint thread.
Yang Su glanced at Bai Hao, hesitated for a beat, but ultimately leaned his head in.
Looking at that handsome face, a wretched smile touched Bai Hao's lips. His mouth moved, forming words deliberately. "You… motherfucker… are… a… son of a bitch." Each syllable grew louder than the last.
Yang Su's expression shifted dramatically, fury erupting. However, in the next instant, a head as hard as stone slammed violently into his beautiful face, accompanied by a dull, heavy thud.
"You—" Before Yang Su could utter a second word, darkness swallowed his vision, and he crumpled to the floor. Blood streamed from his nose, the bridge seemingly crushed in a single impact.
Panting heavily, Bai Hao looked at the unconscious Yang Su on the floor, a wave of grim satisfaction washing over him. That headbutt had used every ounce of his remaining strength, the only form of resistance he could muster in his state.
The interrogation chamber had no surveillance cameras. Its walls and door were made of special soundproofing material; even if someone passed by the corridor outside, they would hear nothing.
Half an hour later, the quiet chamber was disturbed by the sound of the door buzzer.
By then, Bai Hao had regained a semblance of calm, his head bowed halfway, showing no reaction. Yet, a trace of worry lingered on his face. He feared the handsome-faced man on the floor might never wake up, which would truly land him with a serious charge.
A few minutes later, Ning Bei entered the interrogation room with a security officer. The sight that greeted them left them momentarily dumbfounded. The illustrious interrogation officer lay defeated before the very man he was supposed to be interrogating. What kind of bizarre anecdote was this?
Soon, Yang Su was rushed to the medical bay, while Bai Hao was escorted back to Detention Cell Three.
Two hours later, Yang Su, lying in a hospital bed in the medical bay, slowly opened his eyes. His gaze was vacant, taking a while to refocus. His eyes drifted toward his boss, Ning Bei, who stood not far from the bed, hands clasped behind his back, staring out the window.
"Awake?" Ning Bei turned slowly, his face expressionless.
"Yes." Yang Su stared at the white ceiling, a touch of embarrassment in his voice. "Boss, I've shamed you."
Ning Bei sat down, looking at Yang Su. After a moment of silence, he spoke slowly, "The shame was already lost. A little more doesn't matter. Though, I must say, you're quite the character. It's the first time I've heard of a suspect beating up the interrogator duringthe session. Our reputations, yours and mine, are pretty much ruined by that kid. Soon enough, we'll be the laughingstock."
A flicker of viciousness passed through Yang Su's eyes. "Damned bastard. Once I'm better, I'll make sure that kid pays."
"You'd better drop that thought. Our chance is gone," Ning Bei said with a bitter smile.
"Why?" Yang Su showed mild confusion.
Ning Bei explained unhurriedly, "The Yan family has sent word. The kidnapping incident was merely a misunderstanding. We're to let the big issues dissolve into small ones, and the small ones into nothing."
Yang Su's mouth twitched slightly. After a few seconds of silence, he said, "So we just got beaten up for nothing?"
"Pretty much. What else did you expect?" Ning Bei replied helplessly.
"A security chief and an interrogation officer—low-to-mid-level officers, however mediocre. Getting beaten by a civilian… it's infuriating. At the very least, he should learn that assaulting an officer is wrong," Yang Su fumed quietly.
Ning Bei said calmly, "In the eyes of the Five Great Houses, minor figures like us are ants on the ground. We can't defy their will, or we'll end up dead in a nasty way. But then again, even ants have their temper. I've decided, without contradicting the VIPs, to give that kid a little appropriate lesson—a small price for assaulting two active-duty officers. Let him spend a few days in the detention block. What do you think?"