The light to the emergency room lit up and everyone gathered in the waiting area; all waiting anxiously for the results. Chen Mu and Lin Que were in charge of the operation while Chen Nan was taken by the others to get some rest. All along, his body trembled as he insisted on participating in the surgery.
Seeing his unsettled situation, he was held back by Lily, Susu and Zi Yan. Finally, he was willing to sit and wait for the results. His body slouched forward onto his clasped hands. He kept silent as everything replayed before they separated from Ariana.
The three of them didn't interrupt his personal space and allowed him some time to clear up his mind. After half an hour had passed, he rubbed his blurred eyes and let the mist layer release. A few quiet sniffles echoed to everyone's ears.
It didn't take long for him to dry his tears and gather himself together. He lifted his face and realized that Professor Luo Xia was missing from the crowd. "Where's Grandpa Xia?"
Susu relaxed and answered, "When we received Chen Mu's call earlier, we were with Grandpa. After hearing about what had happened to you, he said it was time to have a talk with Li Shen Wen. He should be with Huang Zhi Hei right now."
"Li Shen Wen? Tian Guo Min's wife..." He muttered as he recalled who she was.
Zi Yan reminded him after seeing the confused look on his face,"Tian Guo Min made a fatal mistake when he planned against my family and targeted the Huang family. Her brother, Li Teng's body should've been dismembered and delivered to her by express package. As for Tian Guo Min, he still has some use. Of course, this means that his wife is also useful for the time being."
"I see, but what does talking to her have anything to do with this situation?" Chen Nan didn't see any links between the current situation and Li Shen Wen.
Susu let out a sigh, "Because Li Shen Wen's family was involved with that Project probably since it first begun. She wouldn't know any less than what Tian Guo Min and the rest who are involved would know. They were all after the chips in my hand and that experiment definitely has a leader to it. They were just the dumplings following instructions."
"I see. So that means if we get information out of Li Shen Wen and Tian Guo Min, then we might be able to figure out who the main boss is behind this whole shit. And when we do, we might be able to get to Ariana even quicker." Chen Nan stood up excitedly.
Zi Yan nodded, "Yes. We were going to take things a bit slower and wait for you guys to come back safely before making a move. This was a precaution so that they wouldn't be able to hold anyone as a hostage, but now, we need to make this move."
Chen Nan could feel his racing heart and his blood flowing rapidly through his bloodstreams. "Can we go look for Grandpa Xia now? I want to help."
"It's best if we stay together. Maybe after this Alexander guy wakes up, we will get what we need to save Ariana even faster. Let's see what Grandpa Xia says first. He told us to look after you and not let you act recklessly." Zi Yan stood by the doorway and prevented him from getting out.
- Huang Underground Dungeon Cell -
Li Shen Wen, who was blindfolded, screamed on top of her lungs as she was forced into the cell next to where Tian Guo Min was locked up in. Reuniting with his wife in this cold, dark chamber was not what he expected. Out of the many cells in this place, Zhi Hei chose the neighboring cells that were not soundproof.
Hearing her voice in such high pitch made him squint his eyes tight. His wrinkles appeared much deeper than usual as his ears hurt from her piercing screams. He almost wanted to tell her to shut up or have someone tape her mouth. Too bad for him as his arms and legs were tied up, so he couldn't cover up his ears.
Meanwhile, Li Shen Wen's hands were tied to her back, and only her ankles were free to move around. When she was pushed into the cell, she tripped on her own feet and landed heads first to the icy ground. Her forehead scraped against the rough surface when she fell, causing her wound to bruise.
"Tsss..." she hissed painfully.
Professor Luo Xia walked in and took off the ear plugs in his ears, "Finally, your loud mouth is closed. If I knew that would make you, shut the hell up; I would've just knocked you out. But then again, if I did, then I wouldn't be ensured that you would be conscious enough to have this conversation with me."
Zhi Hei stood by the elder man's side and signaled the guards to bring a chair in for him to sit in. Followed by a chair were tables and a teapot filled with hot tea. Everything settled down within the next minutes and Professor Luo Xia took his time sniffing his top-quality tea before sipping it.
"Who the fuck are you? If you want money, I have plenty! Let me go this instant or you'll get nothing!" Her head turned towards the direction where the source of sound was coming from.
"My cup of tea is worth more than what you have. Besides, who would want your dirty money? You want to live? Then answer properly and I'll consider whether you deserve this chance." Professor Luo Xia put his teacup down carefully and grinned at her.
Hearing his words, Zhi Hei ordered his guards to untie the cloth that is blocking her eyes. She blinked multiple times to adapt to the lighting. Once she saw them, her originally scared expression calmed down as if it was the aftermath of a storm.
"Oh, it's you." She almost laughed when she recognized the faces in front of her.
"I'm not surprised that you know who I am, but I do want to give you a warning. Don't expect yourself to get out of here alive just because you have things that I might be interested in. Your reaction gave your arrogance away. Too unfortunate, but that type of confidence should be used elsewhere instead."
Professor Luo Xia answered indifferently after seeing her steady emotions. On the other hand, her confidence wavered when she heard his words because his words were exactly what she had on her mind.
She expected him to be affected at least a little bit by her calmness, but her plan backfired. Instead, she's the one caught in a tornado mess in her mind. Should she tell the truth if they ask for information? Or should she lie?
"Oh, and don't think about lying to me. I have many ways of detecting truth from lies. I also have many ways of testing what you give me. If anything that you spit out doesn't match up to what I have on records, then you'll be trash. Useless to me." Professor Luo Xia warned as he retrieved the iPad from Zhi Hei's hands.
"I'm not ready to answer anything." She nervously stuttered.
"This isn't the police station nor is it a place where you have any rights to call a lawyer. Know your place and answer these inquiries well to win a prize. If not, suck up the punishments. I'm not waiting for even a second. Let's start."
Zhi Hei nodded to his guards and they started attaching wires to her body. Once everything was stuck to parts of her body and in place, she had nowhere to run or look at. She bit her lips as if she was ready to not talk at all.
Zhi Hei leaned back carelessly and stretched, "Oh, I forgot to tell you that the machine is not just a lie detector. Once you lie, you get zapped by electricity. So, watch what you say. Good luck, Mrs. Li"
Her blood reversed as her face drained from color. Not only did her limbs turn cold from fear; her teeth also peeled the chapped skin on her lips. That was when she saw her husband who was tied in another cell.
He clearly saw her, but didn't say anything this entire time. He only watched from where he was located. All he did was shake his head continuously at her direction and squinted at her as a warning. Since his mouth wasn't stuffed nor were his lips sealed by duct tape, there was no reason for him to keep quiet.
Meeting his gaze, her eyes swelled up. Instantly, her voice rasped, "Hubby, why are you shaking your head? You heard them. Yet you...you.."
Cutting her off, Professor Luo Xia started with the interrogation process, "First question, are you part of that inhumane project that involves kidnapping people with psychic abilities? Yes or no."
She held in her tears and swallowed her saliva, "No." Hearing her response made Tian Guo Min smile and relax his tensed body. As for her, she was instantly electrified for a few seconds.
"Lied. There you go, a few seconds wasted on something this minor. Woman, testing the waters isn't played this way. If you are smart enough to think for yourself, you will tell the truth. By the way, your husband's type of men is the least trustworthy in terms of loyalty. Therefore, before you answer, think about whether he wouldbe willing to do the same if he was in your position. Of course, consider the other way around as well." Professor Luo Xia maintained his smile as he watched her anxiety increase.
Li Shen Wen looked at the elderly man in front of her and then at her husband, who was still shaking his head. This time he even mouthed, "Don't do it." Though she wavered for a second from his words, she persist her choice and faced him directly.
"Don't waste my time. Hurry and ask the rest of those questions." She closed her eyes as if she was ready to accept her fate. If her fate was to meet death, then she would suck it up honorably.
*BOOK TITLE FOR LILY AND LIN QUE'S NOVEL IS BELOW*
It's posted on webnovel~ If you have time, please check it out hehehe <3
Novel title: Love at First Gaze