Chapter 242: Interview

Han Meng stared at the unfamiliar young face, his brows knitting tighter and tighter.

"Reporter..." Han Meng withdrew his gaze and said lightly, "I don't remember agreeing to an interview, and this is the Black Prison where Aurora City’s most dangerous criminals are held. How did you get in?"

Chen Ling unhurriedly pulled out a chair, sat down, and took a fountain pen from his pocket.

"I have absolute investigative authority. Although it’s not as authoritative as your absolute enforcement authority, it’s still quite useful at times."

Han Meng was stunned. "Do we know each other?"

"As I just said, this is our first meeting." Chen Ling glanced at him. "We only have five minutes. If you still want to clear your name of the framing, please cooperate with my interview and answer the questions truthfully."

"How do you know I was framed?" Han Meng asked back.

Chen Ling raised a brow and chuckled.

"A reporter’s intuition?"

“……”

"Then, let’s start with the first charge." The tip of Chen Ling’s fountain pen pointed at the yellowing paper, and black ink stains gradually spread. "During your tenure as the Chief Enforcer of the Third District, did you ever engage in collecting protection fees, or illegal activities such as organ or drug trafficking?"

"No." Han Meng denied it without hesitation.

"Good, next question..."

Han Meng was stunned. "Wait, that’s it for the first charge? Don't you need more details to prove it?"

"Before coming here, I already interviewed the survivors of the Third District, so I basically understand the situation."

Hearing this, a flash of complexity crossed Han Meng’s expression, and he nodded slightly.

"Second charge: During your tenure in the Third District, did you have any contact with members of the Twilight Society?" Chen Ling’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Han Meng was silent for a long time. "...Yes."

"When?"

"Before the aurora disappeared, the Third District experienced a Gray Realm convergence. After I chased a Calamity into the Gray Realm, I met a... Twilight Society member." Han Meng paused for a moment. "He invited me to join the Twilight Society, but I refused."

"Was that Twilight Society member the [Heart 6] who drove the train into Aurora City that day?"

"...Yes."

"Was that your only interaction?"

"..." Han Meng slowly closed his eyes. "No. He was once my subordinate, and one of the three Enforcers of the Third District... You should have seen his name in the newspaper."

"The heretic Chen Ling."

Hearing these four words, Han Meng opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately didn't speak.

"What do you think was his purpose for infiltrating the enforcement system?"

"I don't know." Han Meng shook his head. "During his tenure in the Third District, he didn't do anything detrimental to the district. He even saved my life and the life of another Enforcer, Xi Renjie, and saved the entire Third District from a Calamity... except..."

"Except what?"

"Except that his reputation among the residents of the Third District didn't seem very good." Han Meng’s expression was strange. "They said he was a demon who liked to eat human hearts."

"Likes to eat human hearts? That fits the [Heart 6] persona quite well."

"But he never actually ate human hearts; it was all pig hearts or chicken hearts... Because he felt eating those caused internal heat, I even gave him some jasmine tea."

“……”

"From what you’re saying, this [Heart 6] seems quite normal." Chen Ling’s eyes narrowed slightly, and his tone suddenly became serious. "Then can I interpret this as you deliberately defending him?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the temperature in the cell dropped, and the atmosphere nearly froze.

Han Meng’s expression didn't change at all. He said calmly, "I am just stating the facts."

"There are no good people in the Twilight Society; that is the consensus of many domains. Only you have been defending [Heart 6]. If this isn't deliberate defense and whitewashing, what is it?" Chen Ling’s gaze was as sharp as a sword, as if he wanted to pierce Han Meng through.

Han Meng looked at him with a grim face, saying nothing.

A moment later, Chen Ling’s expression finally softened slightly.

"Mr. Han Meng, you should be glad that I am the one interviewing you today... Before coming here, I had already formed a good impression of you through the statements of the Third District survivors.

But if it were any other reporter, hearing what you just said, they would undoubtedly lump you in with the thugs of the Twilight Society... By then, even if what you said was the truth, it would only push you into the abyss...

In this world, honesty is not a good virtue. If someone asks in court, only by distancing yourself from the Twilight Society member will it be to your advantage.

You should understand what I mean."

This passage was one of the important reasons Chen Ling came to interview Han Meng... If he wanted to help Han Meng turn the tables, he first had to completely draw a line between them. Otherwise, once public opinion fermented, even if his crimes were cleared, he would still bear the accusations and doubts of the public.

"Thanks for the concern." Han Meng answered indifferently.

"Next charge..."

Chen Ling asked two or three more questions, all about the Prosecutor’s charges against him that day. But before he could finish recording, a creaking sound rang out from behind him.

The cell was opened by Enforcers in black trench coats. They pointed at the time and said coldly:

"The interview time is up... Reporter Lin, please?"

Seeing this, Chen Ling could only put away his notebook, stand up slowly from the chair, and turn to walk out.

"Mr. Lin Yan." Han Meng suddenly spoke.

Chen Ling paused and looked back in the radiance of the purple torches.

"The time for the trial is almost here." Han Meng stared at him. "Will you have time to finish writing your article and publish it?"

Chen Ling raised his fingertip to push his half-rimmed glasses and answered lightly:

"There will be time."

After saying this, he turned and disappeared at the end of the corridor...

In the dim cell, Han Meng watched the retreating back, his eyes narrowing slightly, wondering what he was thinking.

Led by many Enforcers, Chen Ling passed through security checks all the way and finally walked out of the Black Prison, standing under the sun once again.

The cold wind of Aurora City brushed against the hem of his brown coat. Chen Ling stood alone on the street, took off his half-rimmed glasses, and put them away... Then, he took a stack of news manuscripts from his pocket, glanced at them casually, and walked straight toward the newspaper office.

There were only a few hours left until the final verdict for Han Meng, but he was certain that everything would be in time...

Because before conducting this interview,

the article had already been written.