Zhang Yingying snapped her fingers. "It's good that you understand."
Such a casual, almost frivolous attitude was far from Luo Nan's impression of a lawyer. Compared to Xie Junping simply sending someone to help, the very fact that he sent this lawyer over was shocking.
Zhang Yingying then explained the situation, confirming Luo Nan's suspicions:
"You were there when the accident happened in the R&D District. You should know the military and the police are taking this very seriously. Given the chaos, I don't have the energy to deal with small fries like you, and I can't do any screening either. So for now, I can only escort you to the transport ship… you could call it a blessing in disguise."
Luo Nan blinked, dumbfounded. Blessing?
Zhang Yingying's eyes twinkled. "It's a blessing not to rely on either side. You're still underage, right? Luckily, we intervened in time on the transport ship. Otherwise, if we had gone through the police station and followed strict procedure, there's no way we could have hidden this from your family. Hehe."
"…."
Luo Nan was left speechless. He had to admit: this young lawyer's words hit the nail on the head. If his aunt had found out about this, the scene would have been truly unimaginable.
Seeing his expression shift, Zhang Yingying looked satisfied. "And it's not just that. Did you notice the chaos on the warship just now?"
"I felt it," Luo Nan replied bluntly. The Shadow Mist still pervaded the confinement room. Even a fool would know something was wrong.
"You've got guts. I've seen the surveillance footage. Smoke everywhere, and you're alone—yet you remain calm. Writing, drawing… it's rare, young man. I like young people like you the most."
Zhang Yingying smacked Luo Nan's shoulder forcefully, scattering his stiff muscles.
Ignoring his subtle surprise, she continued, "I arrived on the ship two hours ago. I couldn't meet you immediately because the government and military are nervous. They feared a problematic person was hiding among you, and they wouldn't allow outside contact. But once this mess broke out, they realized it was stupid to isolate the inside from the outside, so they began to adjust their strategy."
Indeed, sealing in the Darksider life form had been no easy task.
Luo Nan's thoughts drifted. Noticing his distraction, Zhang Yingying coughed and said, "Pay attention. 'Isolating the inside from the outside.' You might seem heavily guarded, but in reality, they're just lazy. They don't care about small fish like you. But don't be fooled—they're taking things even more seriously now. They've learned to sift through the ranks."
Luo Nan nodded silently.
A knock on the door interrupted the conversation. The captain from before returned. "Lawyer Zhang, please get ready."
"It's finally my turn!"
Zhang Yingying stood up, wearing high heels that made her half a head taller than Luo Nan, whose body had yet to finish puberty. Her serious professional attire exuded a threatening aura, but her immature cheeks and lively smile betrayed her youth.
She glanced at Luo Nan's taut expression and blinked.
"Are you nervous? Do you usually watch movies?"
Luo Nan almost couldn't keep up. Only a second later did he answer, "Occasionally."
"In movies, what do the villains say when they face the police?"
"…Please talk to my lawyer?"
"Bingo!"
Zhang Yingying slapped his shoulder again, then strode ahead.
Luo Nan watched the slender figure of the female lawyer and realized one thing immediately: no matter her real goal, Lawyer Zhang was not someone Xie Junping could control.
"What are you standing there for? Let's go. Let's get this over with!"
She urged him forward, and Luo Nan laughed softly as he followed.
The interrogation area had grown busier during their conversation.
Since Xie Junping had hired a lawyer for Luo Nan, the other rich kids and prisoners did not act alone. According to Zhang Yingying, their private lawyers had consciously formed a temporary negotiating team. Strictly speaking, Zhang Yingying was also part of that team, though she had never taken it seriously before.
Upon entering the interrogation area, military personnel automatically withdrew. The police conducted various sample tests. Luo Nan didn't speak a word; he complied fully, extremely cooperative.
The government and military's calculations largely matched Zhang Yingying's judgment. The police acted with utmost seriousness, making her words of "getting this over with" mere rhetoric.
Inspections, interrogations, procedures—they all had to be completed. This even included managing the influence of other lawyers' "firepower."
Li Xuecheng remained in the medical department, undergoing treatment. His family would not let the matter rest, and might even try to distract attention.
This was not Luo Nan's concern. Fortunately, Zhang Yingying was there.
Though the promise of a "quick and decisive battle" had faltered, the young lawyer displayed immense competence, neutralizing obstacles with ease. From Luo Nan's perspective, the entire interrogation felt like repeating the events from the morning until his arrest, seven or eight times.
Then… the ordeal ended.
"Oh my, what a waste of time!"
Zhang Yingying strode out of the interrogation room, ignoring the expressions of surrounding police officers, letting out a long sigh. She casually adjusted the sapphire blue scarf around her neck, revealing half of her snow-white chest.
A full ten hours had passed since their entrance.
The marathon of procedures was exhausting. Fortunately, Luo Nan had ordered two large nutritious meals in between, replenishing his energy. He had survived the most difficult stretch.
Zhang Yingying clapped her hands. "Okay, it's done perfectly. The police will leave a file for future reference. The main focus remains the R&D District. As for the so-called 'personal injury' here, relax. There won't be any repercussions."
The world of the rich… Luo Nan, a normal nationalistic youth, snorted coldly inwardly.
"So I can leave now?"
"Not yet. The warship won't land for you alone. A landing craft costs money. You still need to wait for others to finish their interrogation before you can leave."
"It seems I'm…"
"Yeah. You're first, so you have to wait."
Luo Nan sighed quietly. At that moment, his instincts prickled. He turned and saw a transport vehicle hauling several disassembled exoskeleton armors nearby.
A swift, fierce man with dark skin and a buzz cut perched atop the vehicle. His gaze fell on Luo Nan, cold and unwavering—even when their eyes met.