Chapter 179: Kidnapping and Interrogation

"So, you are Mr. Lin Yan?"

"Yes."

"Your job... oh, no, what was your previous job?"

"A nursing assistant. Before that, I also studied Sanda."

"A nursing assistant? At which hospital?"

"Not a hospital, a private clinic... Do you know Dr. Chu Muyun?"

In a cafe across from the hospital, Chen Ling sat on the sofa opposite Wen Shilin and his companion, pushing up his glasses in a leisurely manner, looking like a well-bred and kind-hearted scholar.

"Is that the legendary Miracle Doctor Chu?" Wen Shilin raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I know him. I've had colleagues interview him. Since you were Miracle Doctor Chu's nursing assistant, why would you need to look for a job at a hospital?"

"I..." A complex look flashed in Chen Ling's eyes. "I have some personal reasons."

Seeing this, Wen Shilin tactfully stopped pressing and changed the subject:

"Do you know those survivors from District 3?"

"No, I don't."

"Then your intervention yesterday was purely an act of chivalry?"

"You could say that. I just happened to see it and thought that reporter was disgusting." Chen Ling smiled. "After all, not all reporters are as righteous as you."

Hearing this, Wen Shilin's eyebrows rose slightly. "I'm righteous? How did you determine that?"

Just based on your [Iron Fist of Justice]... Chen Ling thought to himself.

"You stood up for those refugees, so you naturally can't be a bad person."

As Chen Ling spoke, the waiter brought over three cups of coffee. He gently pinched the handle of his cup and took a sip.

Wen Shilin and A'Cheng, sitting opposite him, also took a few sips and set their cups down.

"There's one more thing I'm curious about... You knocked out several of Zhuo Shuqing's teeth with a single punch yesterday; you seem quite strong, and you just said you studied Sanda..." Wen Shilin blinked and asked earnestly, "If—and I mean if—you were to fight that group of thugs yesterday, how many could you take on?"

Hearing this question, the corner of Chen Ling's mouth twitched slightly. Judging by Wen Shilin's expression, this seemed to be the topic he was most interested in.

A'Cheng, sitting to the side, also had a strange expression. He looked Chen Ling up and down; Chen Ling didn't appear to have any obvious muscle mass. He estimated that Chen Ling was probably at about the same level as himself?

A'Cheng saw Chen Ling open his mouth slightly, as if about to say something, but the next moment, his vision began to go black, and his consciousness felt like it was uncontrollably sinking into the deep sea...

At the same time, a weak voice came from the side:

"Damn it... we've been drugged..."

Thud—

Their vision plunged into total darkness.

……

I don't know how much time passed, but a low rumbling sound came from nearby.

Vroom—!!

It sounded like some kind of large machinery starting up, the meshing of gears emitting a sound like the low growl of a beast, making one's heart tremble. Amidst this noise, Wen Shilin slowly opened his eyes...

Before him, it was still pitch black.

A black cloth bag had been pulled over his head; he could only perceive a sliver of light through the gaps in the fibers. The hot air he exhaled churned inside the bag, giving him a scorching, suffocating sensation.

He tried to pull off the bag, but his hands were locked tight. The clanking of iron chains was drowned out by the mechanical roar.

"Damn it... was there something in the coffee?" Wen Shilin thought to himself. "Who is targeting me? The Star Chamber of Commerce? The White Swan Charity Foundation? Enforcement Officer Lu Songling? Qian Ao? Nangong Wei? Or someone higher up? Is it [Qiong Xuan]? Or... that person?"

In that instant, countless names flashed through Wen Shilin's mind. He counted for a full ten seconds and still hadn't finished. At the same time, A'Cheng's weak voice came from the side.

"Mr. Wen? Mr. Wen! Are you there?"

"I'm here!" Wen Shilin responded immediately. "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay..."

Wen Shilin seemed to think of something, and his expression changed. "Damn it, don't tell me Lin Yan got dragged into this too?!"

"Cough, cough, cough, cough..." Just as Wen Shilin finished speaking, a coughing fit came from his left, followed immediately by Chen Ling's voice: "Mr. Wen... where is this? How... how did we end up here?"

Chen Ling's voice was a bit flustered, but overall quite calm, not as panicked or distraught as Wen Shilin had imagined.

A sense of guilt surged into Wen Shilin's heart. Whoever kidnapped them must have been targeting him, and Chen Ling was only caught in the trap because he had pulled him in for an interview... He shouldn't be here.

"You can take me, but let Lin Yan go! He was dragged into this by me! He's innocent!" Wen Shilin took a deep breath and shouted.

Amidst the humming of the gears, a voice spoke up from the front, unhurried:

"Wen Shilin, I remember we warned you."

It was a man's voice, as cold as an iceberg floating in a frozen sea. The moment he heard it, Wen Shilin's heart trembled, and his brain began to race again.

"You're from the White Swan Charity Foundation... No, that's not right... You're from [Qiong Xuan]?"

"As expected of our great reporter Wen, you really have offended quite a few people..." The voice moved closer and closer to him, whispering right into his ear: "But you still treated our warnings like wind in your ears... Do you know how many people's fates are tied to that matter? Is that something a small reporter like you can investigate?"

Hearing this, Wen Shilin seemed to think of something and spoke with certainty:

"The 'Hand of Redemption' project... I get it, you're from [Tan Xin]!"

A'Cheng, to the side, trembled slightly.

"Heh."

The voice neither confirmed nor denied it, but gradually moved away. A moment later, a cold gun barrel pressed against Wen Shilin's forehead.

"I'll give you one last chance... Where did you hide the items?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Having guessed the other party's origin, Wen Shilin became calm instead and answered coolly, "If you have the guts, kill me."

"I know our great reporter Wen isn't afraid of death, but I wonder if your assistant... is just as tough?"

As he spoke, the voice moved in front of A'Cheng and said coldly:

"Speak, where did he hide the items?"

"I... I don't know." A'Cheng's voice trembled.

"Fine, then you go first." The sound of a bullet being chambered rang out. Just then, A'Cheng's pupils suddenly contracted.

"No, you can't kill me!" A'Cheng immediately spoke up. "Brother, this is a misunderstanding! I was acting under Officer Chu's orders to secretly keep an eye on this Wen Shilin. Those articles and evidence regarding the 'Hand of Redemption' project—I stole them yesterday and left them at the designated location... You, you didn't receive them?"

As soon as these words were out, the person holding the gun was clearly stunned.

Wen Shilin was also stunned.

In the vast space, only the low, rumbling hum of machinery remained.