Clang!The heavy iron door of Detention Cell Three was slammed shut.
Bai Hao licked the blood from the corner of his mouth and sat down on the solitary bed in the corner, his expression grim. Having been marched all the way to the detention block, he had a rough idea of who had arrested him: security officers from the star-liner. What he couldn't fathom was why.
The members of the second squad who had apprehended him offered no explanations and gave him no chance to speak. Incensed by the sight of Ning Bei's battered state, a few indignant officers had immediately administered a savage beating to the already handcuffed Bai Hao.
The light inside the cell was dim. On opposite diagonal metal walls, miniature cameras provided a clear, unobstructed view of the entire detention space.
Like a wounded kitten, Bai Hao cautiously assessed the injuries to his body. The plainclothes officers who had roughed him up had struck with considerable force, several blows landing in sensitive areas. Had he not possessed a relatively sturdy physique, he might have been seriously injured.
"Could it be because of Xiaoshi?" Once satisfied his injuries were not severe, Bai Hao let out a long sigh and began to contemplate his predicament. Recalling the three men in sunglasses and black suits, he grew more certain his arrest was connected to Yan Xiaoshi. However, the precise nature of that connection remained frustratingly elusive.
Three days later, morning.
Bai Hao was finally escorted from his cell and led into an interrogation room, where he was directed to sit in a chair specially designed for suspects. Across from him sat two men, one of whom was none other than Security Chief Ning Bei, the very man he had beaten in the restroom.
Ning Bei's face was cold and stern, an air of authority carefully maintained. His gaze was like icy daggers fixed on Bai Hao. "Bai Hao. Proprietor of the repair shop at No. 56, West River Street, East River District, Jiangyan City, Planet B5, Western Sector. Father deceased in a mining accident four years ago. Mother remarried. One younger sister, aged ten."
Ning Bei continued, his pace deliberate. "Have I made any mistakes?"
Bai Hao forced himself to remain calm. This was his chance to understand why he was here. At the question, he gave a slight nod. The information Ning Bei recited didn't surprise him much. His ID card and other belongings had been confiscated; checking his background would have been simple. And nothing in that background seemed to point to any criminal activity.
"Talk." Ning Bei's volume suddenly increased, his tone intimidating. "Why did you kidnap her?"
"Kidnap? Her?" Bai Hao's brow furrowed in utter confusion.
Ning Bei's eyes narrowed. A cold snort escaped him. "What, not going to admit it? You had the guts to kidnap the Yan family's little princess, but not the guts to own up to it? I advise you to confess everything clearly and honestly. Otherwise, you're in for a world of hurt."
"What Yan family princess? I don't even know..." Bai Hao stopped mid-sentence. Xiaoshi's surname was Yan. Could the 'Yan family princess' they mentioned be Yan Xiaoshi? "Are you talking about Yan Xiaoshi?"
"Yan Xiaoshi?" Ning Bei was momentarily taken aback. He actually didn't know the little princess's name. He glanced sideways at the somewhat bookish young man beside him. "Is that it?"
The young man nodded.
Ning Bei turned back to Bai Hao. "That's her. Start talking."
"Sir, you're saying I kidnapped Yan Xiaoshi?" Bai Hao paused for a moment before asking cautiously.
A muscle twitched at the corner of Ning Bei's mouth, a flicker of anger crossing his face. He slammed his right hand on the table before him. "Listen, kid, my patience has limits. If you don't start talking, don't blame me for what comes next."
Bai Hao nodded, adopting a submissive demeanor. As Ning Bei's expression softened slightly, he began speaking, his tone measured. "Sir, I believe there's a misunderstanding. Actually, my encounter with Yan Xiaoshi..."
Bai Hao proceeded to recount, in meticulous and earnest detail, everything that had happened from the moment he met Yan Xiaoshi to the moment of his arrest.
After listening to the account, Ning Bei remained silent for several seconds before speaking, a strange, half-smile playing on his lips. "So, you're saying I arrested the wrong man?"
Bai Hao quickly nodded again.
"Then, should I just let you go right now?" Ning Bei pressed on.
Bai Hao was slightly stunned by this. There seemed to be something hidden beneath the man's tone. Something felt off, though he couldn't quite pinpoint it.
A glint of cold light flashed in Ning Bei's eyes. He abruptly stood up from his seat and walked straight out of the room. Moments later, two men in standard security uniforms entered. Without a word, they hauled Bai Hao out of the interrogation room and into a dimly lit chamber, where they shackled both his hands and feet.
Outside the room, Ning Bei lit a Sanqi brand cigarette—a popular, if unofficial, choice among military men. Standing beside him was a handsome, cold-faced man in his twenties with fair, jade-like skin.
The handsome man wore a faint, elusive smile. "Chief, how well-done do you want this steak?"
Ning Bei exhaled a column of smoke, replying unhurriedly, "Medium-rare will do."
"Medium-rare? That's not really your style. I heard you got quite the beating from this kid the other day," the handsome man remarked, a trace of surprise in his expression.
Ning Bei frowned, speaking slowly. "It involves one of the Five Great Houses, after all. Minor figures like us shouldn't stir up unnecessary trouble. If, by some chance, what the kid said is true, the Yan family won't be pleased with our handling. If he hasn't cracked by medium-rare, we'll throw him back in the detention cell. We'll wait for the Yan family's stance to become clearer."
"Understood. Well then, I'll go in and have a little 'chat' with him." The handsome man nodded, opened the door, and stepped inside.
Ning Bei finished his cigarette before ambling away.
Inside the interrogation chamber, the lights were now blazing brightly.
Bai Hao squinted at the handsome-faced man standing before him, his own expression turning slightly sour. An unfavorable guess was forming in his mind. Judging by the previous interrogator's actions and the distinctly unpleasant nature of this room, they clearly didn't believe his story.
"I am not a kidnapper. Everything I told you is the truth," Bai Hao reiterated earnestly.
Yang Su stared directly at Bai Hao, a slight upward curve forming at the corner of his mouth. His eyes held a spark of excitement. "Kid," he said coldly, "I heard you gave our chief a proper thrashing. It's the first time I've seen someone beat him that badly. In a way, I have to thank you. He used to beat me like that, you know? Pity my skills were always lacking; the outcome of every challenge was the same—a sound beating. This time, he got a taste of his own medicine. Even though I wasn't the one who did it, I still feel a certain... satisfaction. Out of gratitude for this 'favor,' I'll try to go easy on you."