NOVEL WEB Chapter 326: Interrogation
The car drove into the Dragon Power Headquarters, while a few willows in front of the gate sprouted new branches, looking extraordinarily verdant.
Lu Heng stepped out of the car and entered the administration building with Jian Qing.
As they arrived at the building entrance, Instructor Liu Songren came to greet them and said, "I've been waiting for you for a while, let's go upstairs first."
Lu Heng and Liu Songren had worked together on a case involving the loss of a hard drive from the Academy of Sciences, thus they were old acquaintances.
"I still have so many questions. Is the matter serious?"
Although Lu Heng had some guesses, he couldn't help but ask.
Liu Songren explained, "The situation is indeed a bit troublesome, but don't worry. The chief himself has come over for this matter, hasn't he?"
"Which chief?" Lu Heng asked instinctively.
Jian Qing smiled and replied, "The chief of the Southern War Zone."
"Ah..."
Only then did Lu Heng understand that it was Li Guining who had come in person.
As the chief of the Southern War Zone, Li Guining wouldn't normally intervene in ordinary matters.
Clearly, this matter was not ordinary.
Whether the matter was extraordinary due to the issue itself or the people involved was unknown.
Lu Heng and Li Guining were familiar with each other. To have him come in person indicated that the matter was taken very seriously.
The group went up to the third floor and entered an office.
Liu Songren reported, "Chief, Comrade Lu has arrived."
Li Guining, who was originally on the phone, stood up when he heard the report and walked toward the reception area. "Please have a seat, have a seat."
This was the headquarters of the Dragon Might Mercenary Group, a special department under the jurisdiction of the Southern War Zone.
As the chief of the Southern War Zone, Li Guining typically wouldn't be here, so naturally, there was no office for him here.
This office belonged to Instructor Liu Songren, and it included a reception area.
"Please sit, let's sit and talk," Li Guining invited Lu Heng to sit down and then had his adjutant bring some tea.
"I didn't expect the chief to come personally," Lu Heng said courteously as he sat on the couch.
Being able to sit on the couch in the reception area indicated that the matter was not too severe.
Yet, having Li Guining intervene personally meant it could not be too trivial either.
"This matter has indeed alarmed the headquarters of the war zone. A disciplinary department's instructor will come later; they have a few questions for you. Just answer truthfully. Whatever the issue may be, we will discuss solutions after the investigation," Li Guining spoke in an amiable tone.
However, Lu Heng detected the reassuring intent in his words.
The reason for this situation was mainly because Lu Heng was too unique.
Before the Abyss Descent, there was a well-acknowledged saying that truth exists only within the range of cannons.
In the Abyss Era, the same applied: the amount of combat power one held equated to the amount of authority they had.
And Lu Heng's combat power, not to mention being unrivaled globally, was certainly among the peak combat powers within Da Xia's territory.
With Lu Heng's current combat power and the resources at his command, he could not be treated as a regular Superpower User.
In fact, Li Guining was somewhat surprised and even a bit worried when he first heard about this matter.
Afraid that the situation might spiral out of control, he decided to intervene personally.
After some small talk between the two, two more individuals arrived at the door dressed in formal uniforms; they first saluted Li Guining upon entering.
Li Guining gestured with his hand and said, "Proceed with the normal procedure; I won't interject."
After introductions, it was revealed that both newcomers were disciplinary department instructors from different war zones, one named Lu Guoping and the other He Zhensheng.
Lu Guoping appeared to be in his fifties, with a square face and thick, dark eyebrows.
He Zhensheng was younger, in his forties, of medium build, wearing glasses, with a very sharp gaze behind them, coming from the Northwest War Zone.
After sitting down, they turned on recording devices and opened notebooks, ready to take notes.
Jian Qing and Li Guining's adjutant left the office together, closed the door from the outside, and then waited just outside.
Inside the office.
He Zhensheng began to explain the situation: "Comrade Lu, our department received a report claiming you have joined an international, dangerous organization called the Creator, so we have a few questions to verify with you."
Upon hearing this opening remark, Lu Heng's sharp gaze softened slightly.
As he had guessed, it indeed involved the Creator Organization.
Li Guining sat aside, arms crossed and eyes closed as if resting, showing no intent to participate in the questioning. Yet his very presence, like a stabilizing sea god's needle, was unmistakable.
He Zhensheng continued to inquire, "Comrade Lu, please tell us, have you joined the Creator organization?"
This question was critical and would determine the nature of this incident.
Of course, even if he had indeed joined the Creator organization, there would still be room for maneuvering, but it would definitely affect many other matters.
Because Lu Heng's identity was too sensitive.
As the Honorary Group Leader of Dragon Might, the founder of the Flame Emblem, and the only Superpower User who held the key to Quenching Castle's entry,
Li Guining, although still having his eyes closed, pricked up his ears when he heard this question and waited for Lu Heng's reply.
Actually, the question was rather delicate.
Lu Heng tapped his fingers on the sofa armrest for a long time before he finally spoke, "I indeed have had contact with the Creator Organization, but whether I can be classified as a member is not easy to define."
This response, when articulated, left the three people present momentarily stunned.
Because the response did not provide a precise answer and could be said to be ambiguous.
He Zhensheng furrowed his brow and reminded, "Comrade Lu, I hope you will directly answer the question. Are you a member of the Creator Organization?"
Lu Heng replied with a calm expression, "That indeed can't be determined and needs to be answered by another person."
He Zhensheng quickly asked, "Who?"
"Xie Shi'en, but that's not his real name. He is on file with the national security departments, and his identity is confidential. Revealing his identity means his identity might be compromised, and you need to confirm first whether two matters can be investigated together before asking this question," Lu Heng spread his hands.
Xie Shi'en was indeed on file with the national security departments. His shi mu could receive national protection, also for this reason.
To ascertain whether Lu Heng had joined the Creator Organization, it was necessary to investigate Xie Shi'en.
And with Xie Shi'en having a security classification, the two Battle Zone discipline department instructors currently present surely had the authority to check, but they also needed to communicate with Xie Shi'en's superiors.
Lu Guoping stood up and said, "I'll make contact and see if we can get the person you mentioned to come here."
After speaking, he left the office to contact the national security departments.
He Zhensheng continued his questions, "Since that's the case, let's skirt around this query and continue onwards.
"The second question. The complaint material mentioned that you once provided technological data from the Sikes Civilization to the Creator Organization. Is there any truth to this?"
Lu Heng spread his hands and replied, "The data I provided was fake."
He Zhensheng reaffirmed, "So to clarify, you did provide technological data to the Creator Organization."
Lu Heng replied seriously, correcting his question, "Listen carefully, the data provided was fake. Instructor He, don't omit words when making the record."
He Zhensheng realized that despite Lu Heng's young age, he wasn't easy to deal with.
He took a deep breath and continued with his questioning, "The complaint material mentioned that in the case of the missing hard drive at the Academy of Sciences, the Creator Organization was involved in the background. And you, as a member of the Creator Organization, were also involved?"
Lu Heng frowned and turned to look at Li Guining.
Li Guining slowly opened his eyes and reminded, "Comrade He, whether Lu Heng has joined the Creator Organization hasn't been confirmed yet; your questioning is imprecise."
He Zhensheng was admonished and nodded, agreeing, "Okay, I'll be careful."
He then asked, "Comrade Lu Heng, did you participate in the case of the missing hard drive at the Academy of Sciences?"
Lu Heng's lips curved into a slight smile, showing a bit of cunning, "I did participate."
This response caused the expressions of the two present to freeze momentarily.
Then, Lu Heng continued, "The case was investigated by me along with Instructor Liu, Captain Jian, and others. Of course, I was involved in the case."
He Zhensheng felt as if he were being toyed with, which added to his dissatisfaction.
But as Li Guining sat here, he dared not take any underhanded actions.
He could only continue his questioning, "Even if the technological data you provided to the Creator Organization included some false parts, it still caused harm to national interests. Do you admit it?"
Lu Heng noticed the increasingly biased nature of his questions and answered without expression, "I will correct one thing. The technological data from the Sikes Civilization was obtained by me at the Abyss Battlefield, and it belongs to me.
"I hope the nation grows stronger; thus, I handed over the technological information to the nation, which is my right but not my obligation.
"This is entirely different from stealing national scientific achievements. You have no right to question me on the Sikes technological data."
The technological data from the Sikes Civilization was obtained by Lu Heng from the Xavier Matrix.
This data, obtained from the Xavier Matrix, could be seen as support for human civilization from the Xavier Matrix, but the Xavier Matrix had not specified who the data should be given to.
Additionally, the technical data was requested by Lu Heng from the Xavier Matrix, and he had the right to give it to anyone.
If Lu Heng had given the technical data to other countries, Da Xia fellows could condemn him from their perspective.
However, Lu Heng ultimately handed over the data to his own country.
So, in this matter, no one could blame him.
He Zhensheng, rendered speechless by the rebuttal, could only bring the conversation back to the original question:
"The Creator Organization has orchestrated numerous heinous incidents within Da Xia, including the incident with the Superpower Potion.
"Whether you have joined the Creator Organization is a serious question that must be pursued to the end."
Lu Heng spread his hands and replied, "Then you better clarify it quickly. I have answered all I can. Wait until you contact Xie Shi'en to discuss further."
The interrogation reached a stalemate.
Lu Heng, with a keen interest, watched the discipline department instructor from the Northwest War Zone, always feeling like he posed questions with a certain aim.
The questioning reached this point when Lu Guoping returned, stating he had contacted the national security departments and notified Xie Shi'en to come and verify the situation.