The Interrogation Office of the Judicial Department’s Justice Division was actually not an important institution.
The reason was simple, prisoners sent here usually fell into two categories: either their cases were especially serious, requiring a hearing in the main hall to determine their fate; or their guilt was already clear and sentencing finished elsewhere, so they were just being held here.
Most of the time, the Interrogation Office was only used for paperwork and served as a gateway to the Prison.
This morning, Xu Chuyao voluntarily arrived at the Interrogation Office and sat down on a chair in the main hall.
“Wasn’t it you who told me to come? Now you leave me here, ignore me, and won’t let me go back. Am I just supposed to waste time here?”
The big-chested girl grumbled, soon drawing someone who could talk to her.
This time, it wasn’t the same woman from yesterday. Instead, it was a middle-aged man, a little over forty, with a softer, kinder face, wearing a badge with three silvery stars on his chest.
Not bad only one rank above Chuyao.
“Hello, Miss Xu, I’m the director of this Interrogation Office. If you have any complaints, you can bring them to me,” he said. “But allow me to clarify: having you here was not our idea, we’re just executing the written orders.”
In fact, Chuyao wasn’t wrong. Among the mid-level staff he represented, there really was an intention to stall for time.
Monrose wanted them to target this girl, but with her background, they didn’t dare go too far. Besides, Monrose himself was already like this, after Sviina’s incident, everyone knew he’d soon be stepping down.
Xu Chuyao didn’t know these internal matters, but she could hear from his words a subtle meaning—his stance was not fully aligned with Monrose, and she began to scheme.
If that’s the case, then… let’s make it even more obvious and lock Monrose’s attention here.
“But if you do nothing, I’ll die of boredom!” She jumped up. “Alright, then take me to see the Prison.”
The director quickly stood as well, face tense: “Miss Xu, you…”
“I just want to take a look, nothing else. After all, there are people inside who I personally caught, but one managed to escape and I didn’t even see you all put out a wanted notice.
You know, after the culprit escaped, they committed revenge acts against me and my alma mater, hurting a lot of people. I have reason to suspect you had a major management oversight, resulting in this criminal’s escape. You must be held responsible for all their subsequent crimes!”
Xu Chuyao pressed her hand on the desk, leaning forward, exerting pressure.
Sweat beaded on the director’s forehead.
“Please come in.”
The Prison of the Judicial Department’s Justice Division was nothing like the bleak, chaotic places of legend. Instead, it was well-organized, tidy, with spotless corridors and the cold, metallic sheen of reinforced walls.
Since only high-level criminals above the third rank were imprisoned here, there weren’t many cells, so the halls felt quite spacious.
At this time, in the side yard, another group was preparing for the experiment.
Calling it preparation was a stretch—really, all they did was ask the kitchen to prepare some comforting soup, and the girl who’d woken at four in the morning finally managed to nap again.
“Lao Ban sent news: Xu Chuyao’s gone into the Prison, but don’t worry—judging by her treatment, she’s in there as a queen, not a prisoner,” Xiao Si Nuo said to Shen Ning, “With all the attention on her, we can start our experiment here.”
Finally able to sleep in peace, Shen Ning took a deep breath, finished the soup from the kitchen, and lay down with her eyes closed. Soon, she was fast asleep.
Then, under Xiao Si Nuo’s amazed gaze, the girl’s body disappeared into thin air.
“Hey, isn’t that, Venerable Tree Spirit.” Xu Chuyao tapped the iron bars at the far corner of the cell. “Long time no see. How have you been?”
Hearing the voice, Wen Fang raised her head in anger. She was about to give Chuyao a deadly glare, but then suddenly sensed the spiritual power fluctuation hidden within the golden lightning at the tips of Chuyao’s fingers—something quite out of the ordinary.
“You… how did you…”
“Yes, I’m at late Third Defense now. I didn’t break through last time, but it really happened the day I fought you,” Xu Chuyao smiled cheerfully. “Genius, amazing, right?”
Indeed, Chuyao had nothing better to do, so she came to show off her ‘cheat’ to her old rival, delighting in her disbelief, with a satisfaction that was hard to put into words.
But showing off wasn’t enough, Chuyao still had to ‘educate’ Wen Fang.
“You’ve worked all these years for that little bit of strength, yet always hold high office, never using proper means…”
“Hmph.” Wen Fang sneered coldly, “You know well why I was sent to this kind of place. Don’t play innocent.”
“I know, but still, it’s your own fault. Who told you to stir up trouble on campus back in school?” Xu Chuyao clapped her small hand, “As they say, thirty years east of the river, ten years west. Times have changed.”
Wen Fang fell silent, closing her eyes, looking a bit dejected.
But if anything, Chuyao was just getting started: “Honestly, back then, her family was poor. Her grandma was just a simple villager, afraid her granddaughter would get cold, so she sent her a warm padded jacket. What’s so funny about that? We’re all spiritual power users—background doesn’t matter as much as the level you reach on your own…”
“Wait, what did you say?” Wen Fang suddenly opened her eyes wide, interrupting. “Her family was poor? The padded jacket was sent by her grandma?”
“Yeah,” Xu Chuyao was startled, “wasn’t it? She told me herself.”
“Rong Ning’s grandma never sent her anything. That jacket was ordered from the store by herself,” Wen Fang rolled her eyes at the girl, “Besides, her family was never poor—her dad’s a contractor, a so-called project foreman!”