I had just learned that Xi'an had an alias for an underground palace, and a King of the Underground Palace named Lin Zhijun. I never expected that fate could be so strange; I met Lin Zhijun at the Criminal Investigation Bureau.
If Lin Zhijun were an informant, he would certainly be…
As I was pondering, Wang Zeyo said, "Tang Nan, you must know about Lin Han's situation now."
"Mm!"
"To cooperate with our investigation, Zhijun played a shady role in Xi'an's antique circle, thereby obtaining important intelligence. Our mission that time was successful, but it came at a cost. Lin Han ran away from home because of it, and Zhijun's wife, father-in-law, and even his parents have been in low spirits ever since."
"Since it's a misunderstanding, can't it be cleared up?" I asked puzzled.
"Because there are still some fish that got away, we can't cast the net yet."
"You want me to persuade Lin Han to go home?"
Upon hearing my question, Wang Zeyo turned to Lin Zhijun and said, "Didn't I tell you? This kid is smart, he's a promising talent."
Lin Zhijun's face also lit up, and he looked at me with anticipation.
"I'll try my best to complete the task."
"Not 'try your best,' you must guarantee its completion. Let's be honest, if Zhijun's wife develops heart disease due to missing her daughter, then our mission will have been in vain."
"Yes!"
Hearing my answer, Lin Zhijun couldn't contain himself and pressed me, "What's the specific method? How can I cooperate with you?"
"Please, don't be so polite. I haven't figured it out yet! I'll let you know if I need anything."
"Then I'll leave you my number."
"Go ahead, I'll keep it in mind."
Wang Zeyo smiled with relief and said to me, "Tang Nan, go see Xiao Luo. Leng Yan and Lina are still being interrogated. If possible, give them a fatal blow."
"Me?"
I pointed to my nose and asked. Interrogation wasn't my specialty. What did they take me for? To make me do everything? I'm just an informant, were they really using me as a detective?
"Yes, kid, I believe you have the ability."
"You're really something."
"What are you trying to say?"
"You've painted a rosy picture for me."
Wang Zeyo burst into laughter, and Lin Zhijun joined in.
...
As I entered the interrogation room, Lina had her fingers interlocked, her thumbs moving back and forth. Seeing me enter, Lina's expression changed noticeably, "So you're a police officer?"
"We haven't met before, have we?"
"Leng Yan knew it was you, so our counterattack was planned around you."
I smiled, sat down, and felt genuinely nervous. Ever since I was a child, watching TV and seeing the slogans "clemency for confession, severe punishment for resistance" made my heart race. I always felt that my tendency to lie might get me strapped to a chair and interrogated aggressively. I never imagined that I would be in this position, and moreover, that these slogans weren't here, this was a modern interrogation room. When I came in, they gave me headphones; our conversation today should be monitored throughout. I wasn't sure which things to say and which not to say.
"Lina, are you a schemer?"
"Yes!"
"Don't answer like that next time. You don't have the qualification."
"Because you won, why do you deny me? Do you know how hard I trained? Do you know how much profit I've secured for the organization?"
"Being a schemer is a profession that requires talent. No matter how hard you train, it's useless. Do you know how you were exposed?"
"It was just you blind cats stumbling upon a dead rat."
I smiled calmly. All along, I never thought I could look down on anyone. But Lina's performance made me feel like she had tarnished the very name of "schemer." Qin Sisi exposed herself for a happy future, changing from the principal culprit to an accomplice. Her beloved Brother Shun also vanished without a trace, waiting for the organization's demise, and then Qin Sisi would be released from prison, and they would live happily ever after. Liu Chenxi, seeking revenge, hid her identity and gender, forging a sword for ten years, finally playing the "Four Lords of the Jianghu" in the palm of her hand, and then departed this world without regret.
They were the true talented schemers. What was the point of Lina's arduous training? She was completely amateurish.
"Do you know how you were discovered? There are two situations when someone reports being scammed in your scheme: one is when the goods are taken to Hong Kong or overseas, and the other is when you transact with an illegal account."
"That's right. I was one of the people who reported it. What reason did you have to suspect me?"
"The person who helped you transport the goods died of severe depression. You were the only one who survived!"
"Just because of that."
"This is the difference between a schemer and you. Just this point is enough. And your little trick of pretending to be emotionally invested while paying back Jiao Lirong fooled no one."
Lina fell silent at my words. I guessed she inwardly agreed with what I said. In the battle of schemers, the slightest slip-up could become a fatal weakness.
"Tell me, what was the name of your scheme?"
"Pig Butchering. In this scheme, the women who were deceived were called pigs. Exchanging feelings was the part of raising the pigs, and using collection transactions to draw the pigs into the trap, thereby achieving our desired goal. This process is called slaughtering the pigs."
At Shengxing Auction House, many people were chatting with others in Leng Yan's name. These were all fixed routines, and it wasn't that they all had psychological advantages. Those who wouldn't fall for it would be screened out, and then under Lina's guidance, they would specifically target women who were judged to be in emotional crisis. Because it involved transporting goods for the 'Logic Organization,' the pig butchering would ultimately lead to a real slaughter.
"Pig Butchering wasn't founded by you, was it?"
"No, Pig Butchering was founded by my master?"
I had a sudden thought and asked, "Your master? Long-Tongued Ghost?"
Having been directly told she was unworthy of being a schemer and proven so with facts, Lina's mentality had collapsed. Now, with me mentioning Long-Tongued Ghost's name, Lina sighed, "Since it's come to this, there's no need for me to hide anything anymore. My master's name is X Driver!"
Hearing the name X Driver, I tried my best to control my expression. Within the 'Logic Paradox' organization, besides Long-Tongued Ghost, there was actually a teacher-level figure like X Driver.
"Tell me about X Driver!"
"I know he's in the underground palace. I know nothing else."
"Since you are his disciple, you must know what he looks like."
"I've never met him, and I don't know if he's male or female. He teaches online via QQ, and then arranges trials for us. Those who pass are assigned missions."
"And those who don't pass?"
"I don't know. They probably aren't in this world anymore. X Driver and Long-Tongued Ghost have different teaching methods. Long-Tongued Ghost focuses on developing people's potential, while X Driver emphasizes absolute obedience and execution. Both are rare talents in the organization."
Lina thought I knew a lot, but in reality, apart from Long-Tongued Ghost's name, I didn't know much. All along, I thought Long-Tongued Ghost was the leader of this organization. Now it seemed Long-Tongued Ghost was just a teacher responsible for professional training within the organization, and the leader was someone else entirely.
"Have you seen the people at the top?"
Lina gave a wry smile, "Do you think I could have?"
"Thank you for your cooperation. If you want to be a schemer again in your next life, don't be a swindler anymore."
Hearing my words, Lina actually started crying. I stood up to leave. When I reached the door, Lina called out to me and asked seriously, "Will I die?"
"Scamming people is certainly not a capital offense, but you were involved in murder, and not just one."
After saying that, I walked out of the interrogation room. Yu Xiaoluo was waiting for me outside with documents. "Did you get anything out of this liar who said nothing?"
"More or less. Did she cry?" I asked Yu Xiaoluo, looking at her red and swollen eyes.
"Don't ask."
She must have cried because revenge was served for Brother Hao, and she didn't want me to mention it. Oh, this stubborn woman.
"Alright, I won't say it, I won't ask. Officer Yu, is there anything else for me here?"
"There's still Leng Yan to interrogate. Team Leader Wang said you need to see both of these principal culprits."
"Is that necessary? Leng Yan is just a tool."
Yu Xiaoluo glared at me displeased, "Don't use your江湖 slang. To us, they are both principal culprits."
"Okay, okay, okay. I'll see them, I'll see them, I'll see them!"
As I entered the room, Leng Yan was dozing off on the interrogation chair. Seeing me come in, he lowered his head and picked at his eye boogers, "If I had known you were a police officer, I would have killed you back then."
"Don't make excuses for yourself. You weren't planning to let me live back then either."
"Were you present when Liu Chenxi died? Can you tell me about it?"
I scoffed dismissively, "Am I interrogating you, or are you interrogating me? Will I say whatever you want me to say? However, I was indeed present when Liu Chenxi died. If you want to know, confess all your crimes."
Leng Yan looked at me quietly, remaining silent, likely weighing the pros and cons. Finally, he suddenly showed a look of relief and smiled, "In this pig-slaughtering scheme, I killed thirteen pigs."
I was clearly startled. Yu Xiaoluo's voice also came through the headphones, "Only three have been recorded. Make him reveal all their names."