TN: And we're back! sorry for the week long hiatus, it was not intentional since I had to get my right leg in a cast after tripping 3 floors down a stairwell (like an idiot ://) and be unable to use my PC setup upstairs BUT I should be OK now.
Anyways, Thanks for Arcanic Madness, WeissAkumu and WolfWTF for becoming as Supporters!
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TN: And we're back! sorry for the week long hiatus, it was not intentional since I had to get my right leg in a cast after tripping 3 floors down a stairwell (like an idiot ://) and be unable to use my PC setup upstairs BUT I should be OK now.
Anyways, Thanks for Arcanic Madness, WeissAkumu and WolfWTF for becoming as Supporters!
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Chevreuse was left speechless by Shao Yun's remark. Though irritation flickered in her heart, she had no way to refute him.
She could only awkwardly change the subject and ask with a hint of resignation, "Let's put that aside for now. What exactly made you come all the way to the Security Forces Headquarters?"
Shao Yun asked bluntly, "Do you know something called 'Sinthe'?"
The moment she heard the word "Sinthe," Chevreuse's expression instantly became alert.
"Of course I do. That's an extremely dangerous beverage. Why bring it up all of a sudden?"
Shao Yun adopted the role of a "bounty hunter" or an "adventurer" obsessed with chasing leads and continued questioning her. "Have you caught anyone selling that stuff recently? I'm investigating this matter, so…"
Upon hearing this, Chevreuse subconsciously rubbed her chin.
She silently weighed whether she should lend Shao Yun a hand.
At that moment, she suddenly recalled a notice issued by Lord Neuvillette the previous afternoon, which clearly stated that if Shao Yun came seeking assistance for any reason, they were to cooperate fully.
Chevreuse agreed to Shao Yun's request.
"You came at just the right time. Last night, the security forces caught someone who was trying to secretly sell Sinthe."
"He was caught red-handed, goods and all. But that guy's like a boiled duck—nothing left but a hard beak. He refuses to admit knowing anything about the sale."
As Chevreuse spoke, she frowned slightly, clearly troubled by the suspect's stubbornness.
Seeing such perfect timing, Shao Yun quickly asked, "Can I sit in on the interrogation?"
Chevreuse nodded and then led Shao Yun toward the interrogation room.
"Yes… follow me."
…
Inside the interrogation room, the atmosphere was heavy and oppressive.
The suspect was an ordinary Fontaine man, wearing worn work pants and a striped shirt.
He was tied to an interrogation chair, crying and arguing loudly through tears.
"I've said it countless times already! I'm really just a hired worker! I had no idea the goods I was transporting were Sinthe! I was even happy, thinking it was some new drink from the Fonta Company!"
Meanwhile, outside the glass wall of the interrogation room, Shao Yun took in everything happening inside.
He frowned slightly and muttered under his breath, "This interrogation method is way too outdated. At this rate, how long will it take to get any results?"
Hearing Shao Yun's sarcastic remark, Chevreuse couldn't help but feel annoyed.
"Hmph! If you're so capable, then you do it."
The moment Shao Yun heard that, he wasted no time and walked straight to the interrogation room door.
Bang!
With a loud crash, he kicked the door open.
Then Shao Yun strode into the room, spread his arms wide, and shouted fiercely at the suspect, "Alright, that's enough! The polite phase is over!"
"Next, we're getting serious!"
Seeing Shao Yun kick the interrogation room door clean off, Chevreuse cried out in shock, "Ah! The interrogation room door—if you wanted to participate, you should've told me first! I could've opened it for you!"
"Damaging public property isn't the problem—paying is easy! The real issue is that I'll have to write a report!"
Shao Yun had been brought in by Chevreuse. Damaging public property was one thing, but the Palais Mermonia damage report was downright soul-crushing.
Still, a doubt surfaced in Chevreuse's mind right after. Just how strong was Shao Yun to kick the interrogation room door open—and break it—in one blow?
That thought made her even more curious about this seemingly ordinary man.
Shao Yun ignored Chevreuse entirely and walked straight up to the suspect.
He looked down at the trembling man and spoke in an icy, chilling tone, "Now then, you stubborn bastard. Do you know who I am? I'm someone who can make statues sing their secrets. Now, tell me everything you know."
Frightened pale by Shao Yun's sudden presence, the suspect swallowed hard and stammered, "I… I've really already said everything I know!"
Shao Yun raised his hand and slapped the suspect across the face, the sharp sound echoing through the room.
"Wrong answer!"
"Do you know? This is a punishment I learned from a book given to me by a lady named Alice!"
Before the words even settled, Shao Yun shoved hard, knocking both the suspect and the chair beneath him onto the floor.
Bang!
The suspect crashed down miserably.
His eyes widened in terror as he stared at Shao Yun, shouting shakily, "W-What?"
At this moment, Shao Yun turned to Chevreuse beside him and ordered, "Quick—get me a rag and a bucket of water!"
Seeing that Shao Yun truly had a method, Chevreuse hurried to prepare what he asked for.
Before long, the rag and bucket were placed in front of Shao Yun.
Shao Yun soaked the rag in water until it was thoroughly drenched, then covered the suspect's face with it.
Next, he lifted the bucket and poured water straight onto the rag.
This was water torture.
The suspect let out piercing screams as he suffered through it.
"Aah! Aah!" The sound was like something straight out of hell, sending chills down the spine.
Seeing that the suspect was about to drown, Chevreuse panicked and shouted, "Stop! If this keeps up, he'll die!"
Hearing her shout, Shao Yun halted his movements. He ripped the wet cloth off the suspect's face and set the overturned chair upright again.
Looking down coldly at the half-dead suspect, Shao Yun asked, "Now you're awake, right? Talk. I don't believe the boss behind you would really send some inexperienced temp to sell something this illegal."
Having just clawed his way back from the brink of death, the suspect's chest heaved violently as he gasped for air.
"I can't say it! I absolutely can't! If I talk, I'll end up completely dissolved like 'Vaughn'!"
Realizing the suspect truly knew something, Shao Yun cursed, "You get two choices—suffocate to death here, or tell the truth. Decide for yourself."
The suspect broke down completely and wailed, "If I keep my mouth shut, my family might still have a chance to live!"
"But if I say even a single word, my entire family will die with me!"
Shao Yun remained unmoved and continued threatening coldly, "How can you be so sure your family will be safe if you die in silence?"
"You only have one road left. Confess everything honestly, and you might even become a great contributor—a hero—in solving this case."
"But if you insist on resisting to the end, you know what'll happen."
With that, Shao Yun tilted his head slightly and shot Chevreuse a look.
Chevreuse immediately understood and stepped forward. "On this point, I can guarantee it."
"We can protect your family and place them under Fontaine's witness protection program."
With Shao Yun playing the bad cop and Chevreuse the good cop, the suspect's resolve finally began to waver.
At last, unable to withstand the pressure, the suspect spoke.
"I… I… I only know that we usually exchange the goods at sea at night."
Hearing this, a flash of joy passed through Chevreuse's eyes, which had been tense all along.
She quickly suppressed it and pressed on, "Be more specific. Where exactly is the exchange point? And the details—talk, now!"
The suspect dared not hide anything anymore and spilled everything he knew like beans from a bamboo tube.
"It's in the sea northeast of the Court of Fontaine. At night, we sail out there and salvage the goods from the surrounding waters."
"I swear, that's really all I know!"
At this moment, Shao Yun's system located Marcel's Sinthe factory based on the suspect's information.
[Found it! The Sinthe factory is located in the Thalatta Submarine Canyon. The exact position has been identified!]
With his objective achieved, Shao Yun showed no hesitation and slammed the suspect's head down onto the cold table.
He then swiftly drew John's Cattleman Revolver from his waist, aiming the barrel at the back of the suspect's head.
The suspect screamed in terror, "I talked! I told you everything!"
Shao Yun slowly pulled back the hammer, the crisp click sending chills through the room.
"That's right. I believe you. But you're a drug dealer."
Before the words even finished, Shao Yun pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The bullet pierced straight through the suspect's head, blood and brain matter splattering everywhere in a horrifying scene.
Seeing Shao Yun kill the suspect on the spot, Chevreuse's eyes widened in shock.
But the shock vanished quickly. As memories of the countless families destroyed by Sinthe surfaced, her gaze hardened once more.
Any reproach she had been about to voice was swallowed back down, replaced by icy resolve.
Shao Yun holstered his gun and looked at Chevreuse. "We've got critical intel. Want to go check it out together?"
Chevreuse frowned. With information this limited, charging in to try their luck was far too reckless.
"What? Are you really planning to wait there like a sitting duck?"
Shao Yun didn't directly answer her doubt, only replying ambiguously, "Maybe."
Chevreuse sighed helplessly and shook her head, declining his invitation.
"I'll request increased surveillance of that area, but in my opinion, the mastermind is unlikely to trade there again."
"Still, thanks for helping with the interrogation—and for cleaning up that scum."
Seeing that Chevreuse wouldn't come along and was giving up the credit, Shao Yun said indifferently, "Suit yourself…"
With that, their brief exchange ended, and they went their separate ways.
…
After leaving the Fontaine Security Forces Headquarters, Shao Yun pursed his lips and muttered as if talking to himself, "Now we need to dive. Do you think I can dive?"
[You know it yourself. The thing at your waist isn't a true Vision in the strict sense. And you're not exactly a good sailor.]
Shao Yun glanced down at the skull-adorned red "pseudo-Vision" at his waist and muttered, "So I need a diving instructor? But who do I even look for?"
Just as he was troubled by this, the system offered a timely suggestion.
[How about Freminet? That kid's pretty good at diving.]
Hearing the name Freminet, Shao Yun waved his hands repeatedly in refusal.
"Are you kidding me? You want me to ask the Fatui for help? I'd rather die! I'd sooner grab some random person off the street to be my diving instructor."
[You can fool Lumine and Paimon, but don't fool yourself. Those Fatui kids in Fontaine really don't have any hostility toward Lumine and Paimon. And Yanfei already took a bullet for your wife—what are you still holding a grudge for?]
[You're not really going to split hairs with a bunch of kids now, are you? When it's time to use resources, you need to act decisively.]
Shao Yun's expression darkened further as he listened, but the system's words truly struck home.
He took out the children's handmade card decorated with a cute little whale.
"Sigh… I never thought I'd have to use this so soon…"
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