Chapter 326: The Interrogation

Chapter 326: The Interrogation

As the car drove into the Longwei Headquarters, the willow trees by the entrance sprouted new branches, their leaves a vibrant green.

Lu Heng stepped out of the car and entered the administrative building with Jane Qing.

When they reached the building's entrance, Instructor Liu Songren came forward to greet them, saying, "We've been waiting for you. Let's head upstairs."

Lu Heng and Liu Songren had worked together on the case of the lost hard drive from the Academy of Sciences, so they were familiar with each other.

"I still have so many questions," Lu Heng said, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Liu Songren explained, "The situation is a bit tricky, but don't worry. Even Commander-in-Chief Li is here because of you."

"Which Commander-in-Chief Li?" Lu Heng asked, surprised.

Jane Qing smiled and said, "The Commander-in-Chief of the Southern Theater."

"Oh..."

Lu Heng finally understood that it was Li Guining who had come in person.

As the Commander-in-Chief of the Southern Theater, Li Guining usually wouldn't need to be personally involved in such matters.

Clearly, this situation was out of the ordinary.

Whether it was the nature of the incident or the people involved that made it so, was unclear.

Lu Heng and Li Guining were well-acquainted, and the fact that Li Guining came personally indicated the seriousness of the matter.

The group went upstairs to the third floor and entered an office.

Liu Songren reported, "Commander, Comrade Lu has arrived."

Li Guining, who had been on the phone, stood up and walked towards the reception area upon hearing the report, saying, "Please, take a seat."

This was the headquarters of the Longwei Mercenary Corps, a special department under the jurisdiction of the Southern Theater.

As the Commander-in-Chief of the Southern Theater, Li Guining wouldn't usually be present here, and naturally, he didn't have an office here.

This office belonged to Instructor Liu Songren, and it had a reception area.

"Please, have a seat," Li Guining invited Lu Heng to sit down and then asked his adjutant to bring some tea.

"I didn't expect the Commander-in-Chief to come personally," Lu Heng said as he sat on the sofa, making a polite remark.

The fact that they were sitting in the reception area indicated the seriousness of the matter.

However, if Li Guining was personally involved, the issue couldn't be too simple.

"This incident has indeed caught the attention of the Theater Headquarters," Li Guining said in a calm tone. "In a moment, instructors from the Discipline Division will be here, and they have some questions for you. Just answer truthfully, and we'll discuss solutions after we get to the bottom of this, no matter what it is."

Lu Heng could sense the underlying meaning in Li Guining's words; he was trying to reassure him.

The reason for this situation was Lu Heng's unique circumstances.

Before the Abyssal Descent, there was a famous saying: Truth lies only within the range of cannons.

The same held true in the Abyss Era; power equated to authority.

Lu Heng's combat power, while not unmatched, was undoubtedly one of the peak forces within Daxia's borders.

Given Lu Heng's current strength and resources, he couldn't be viewed through the lens of an ordinary Ability User.

In fact, when Li Guining first heard about this matter, he was a bit surprised and even concerned.

He wanted to personally intervene to ensure the situation didn't spiral out of control.

After a brief chat, two more people arrived at the door, both wearing formal uniforms. They entered and saluted Li Guining.

Li Guining waved them in, saying, "Go about your duties; I won't interrupt."

Introductions were made; the two newcomers were instructors from the Discipline Division, each from different theaters. One was Lu Guoping, and the other was He Zhensheng.

Lu Guoping appeared to be in his fifties, with a square face and thick, dark eyebrows.

He Zhensheng was younger, around forty, of medium build, and wore glasses. His eyes behind the glasses were sharp, and he was from the Northwest Theater.

After sitting down, they turned on the recording device and opened their notebooks to take notes.

Jane Qing and Li Guining's adjutant left the office, closing the door from the outside, and stood waiting by the door.

Inside the office, He Zhensheng began explaining the situation: "Comrade Lu, our division received a report mentioning your involvement with a dangerous international organization called the Creator Organization. We have a few questions to verify this with you."

Upon hearing this introduction, Lu Heng's sharp gaze softened slightly.

As he had suspected, it was indeed related to the Creator Organization.

Li Guining sat beside them, arms folded, eyes closed, and showed no intention of participating in the interrogation. But his very presence there was like a stabilizing force.

He Zhensheng continued, "Comrade Lu, did you join the Creator Organization?"

This question was critical, as it would determine the nature of the incident.

Of course, even if he had joined the Creator Organization, there was room for maneuver, but it would undoubtedly affect many things.

Lu Heng's identity was highly sensitive.

As the honorary leader of Longwei, the founder of Flame Emblem, and the only one in possession of the Flame Emblem, his involvement would have significant implications.

Li Guining, still with his eyes closed, pricked up his ears at the question, awaiting Lu Heng's response.

The question, in truth, was a delicate one.

Lu Heng tapped his fingers on the armrest of the sofa, deep in thought, before answering, "I did have contact with the Creator Organization, but whether I can be considered a member is hard to define."

This answer left all three people in the room stunned for a moment.

The response was ambiguous, failing to provide a definitive answer.

He Zhensheng furrowed his brows and prompted, "Comrade Lu, I'd like you to answer this question directly. Have you joined the Creator Organization?"

Lu Heng maintained a calm expression and replied, "It's hard to define. Another person needs to answer this question."

He Zhensheng quickly followed up, "Who?"

"Xie Shiren, but that's not his real name. He's registered with the National Security Department, and his identity is confidential. If I reveal his identity, it might be exposed. You need to confirm two things before asking this question: whether the cases can be combined for investigation." Lu Heng spread his hands.

Xie Shiren was indeed registered with the National Security Department, and his wife's ability to receive state protection was due to this reason.

To clarify whether Lu Heng had joined the Creator Organization, they needed to investigate Xie Shiren.

Xie Shiren had a classified status, and the two discipline department instructors in front of him undoubtedly had the authority to investigate. However, they also needed to communicate with Xie Shiren's superiors.

Lu Guoping stood up and said, "I'll make the contact and see if we can bring the person you mentioned here."

After saying this, he left the office to contact the National Security Department.

He Zhensheng continued with the questioning, "Since that's the case, let's skip this question for now and move on to the next one.

"The second question: the report mentioned that you once provided technological data of the Siks Civilization to the Creator Organization. Is this true?"

Lu Heng spread his hands and replied, "I provided fake data."

He Zhensheng confirmed again, "In other words, you provided technological data to the Creator Organization."

Lu Heng corrected his question seriously, "Listen clearly. I provided fake data. Instructor He, don't miss any words in your report."

He Zhensheng realized that despite Lu Heng's young age, he was not easy to deal with.

Taking a deep breath, He Zhensheng continued, "The report mentioned that the case of the lost hard drive at the Academy of Sciences had the involvement of the Creator Organization. As a member of the Creator Organization, did you participate in this?"

Lu Heng furrowed his brows and turned to look at Li Guining.

Li Guining slowly opened her eyes and reminded him, "Comrade He, the question of whether Lu Heng has joined the Creator Organization has not been confirmed. Your questioning is very unprofessional."

He Zhensheng was admonished and agreed, "Okay, I'll be more careful."

He continued, "Comrade Lu, did you participate in the case of the lost hard drive at the Academy of Sciences?"

A smile appeared on Lu Heng's lips, and he shook his head, "I did."

This answer caused the expressions of the two people present to freeze for a moment.

Lu Heng then added, "I investigated the case with Instructor Liu and Captain Jian, so of course, I was involved."

He Zhensheng felt like he was being toyed with, and his dissatisfaction grew.

However, with Li Guining sitting right there, he didn't dare to make any underhanded moves.

He could only continue with the questioning, "Even if some of the technological data you provided to the Creator Organization was fake, it still harmed national interests. Do you admit this?"

Lu Heng noticed the increasing bias in his questioning and replied expressionlessly, "I'd like to correct something. The technological data of the Siks Civilization was obtained by me from the Abyss Battlefield. It's mine.

"I want my country to become stronger, so I submitted the technological data to the state. This is my right, but not my obligation.

"Stealing state research results is a different matter. Regarding the Siks technological data, you have no right to question me."

The technological data of the Siks Civilization was obtained by Lu Heng from Xavier Matrix.

Lu Heng acquired this data from Xavier Matrix.

It could be seen as Xavier Matrix's technological support for human civilization, but Xavier Matrix did not specify who should receive this data.

Furthermore, Lu Heng actively requested this technological data from Xavier Matrix and had the right to give it to anyone.

If Lu Heng had given the data to another country, the people of Daxia would have every right to criticize him.

However, Lu Heng submitted the data to his own country.

Therefore, no one could point fingers in this matter.

He Zhensheng was left speechless and could only revert to the initial question, "The Creator Organization has caused several serious incidents within Daxia, including the involvement in the superpower potion case. Whether you joined the Creator Organization is a serious issue that must be thoroughly investigated."

Lu Heng spread his hands and answered, "Then hurry up and investigate. I've answered everything I can. Wait until you contact Xie Shiren before asking again."

The interrogation reached a stalemate.

Lu Heng watched with interest as the discipline department instructor from the Northwest Theater, feeling that his questions carried a certain purpose.

At this point, Lu Guoping returned and informed them that he had contacted the National Security Department, and Xie Shiren was on his way to verify the situation.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end