Chapter 142
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Chapter 142: Is Something Wrong with This Believer?
Shi Jin felt like she was on the verge of losing her mind.
Why had the interrogation started again?
Yesterday, they had promised her some respite, but after a night’s sleep, she was once again subjected to an endless barrage of random questions.
The relentless bright lights and flickering flashes disrupted her every attempt to rest or doze off.
And why did Captain Zhuang keep looking at her with such an odd expression?
His gaze didn’t seem like that of someone observing a prisoner; it felt more like a teacher scrutinizing a student.
What kind of strange habit was that?
Moreover, why was no one concerned about her handcuffs?
When she woke up that morning, the electromagnetic handcuffs on her wrists had mysteriously vanished, yet no one seemed to care.
Had they removed them while she was asleep?
No matter how Shi Jin thought about it, it all seemed unreasonable, but with no other options, she had no choice but to keep answering the questions thrown at her.
Seeing Shi Jin’s tormented state, Zhuang Mian couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt.
But they needed to buy time, and there was no other way. She had already removed all the devices like electric shocks. In the past, escaping the Clean-up Team’s Interrogation Room wouldn’t have been so easy.
Two days dragged on, and for Shi Jin, it was a grueling forty-eight hours.
She reviewed her testimonies once again—or perhaps more than once—and once more received Zhuang Mian’s promise: “Tomorrow, you’ll be free.”
Though she didn’t hold much hope, she still longed for the verdict to come swiftly.
At the Clean-up Team’s base, inside the ventilation duct,
Fulan was steadily crawling forward. Over the past few days, she had become quite familiar with the layout of the pipes.
Lin Qingliu’s face occasionally peeked out from the top of the ventilation duct, took a breath, and then retreated, like someone swimming in zero gravity.
Though Fulan had been startled the first time she saw him, she was now unfazed.
“Are you sure this is the right way?”
“Please trust Fulan~”
“Who taught you that?”
After exchanging a few casual words with her pet cat, Lin Qingliu finally reached the spot directly above Shi Jin’s cell.
It was a narrow, single room—nothing more than a bed and a rudimentary toilet. The simplicity of the structure reminded Lin Qingliu of the cramped cubicles he had lived in during his past life in a big city.
Below, Shi Jin lay shackled hand and foot, seemingly lost in sleep.
Lin Qingliu’s hand emerged from the wall, gently stroking Fulan’s head:
“Have you memorized your lines?”
“Don’t worry, master.”
“Good. Once this is done, you can go catch fish in the Eastern District.”
The wild instincts buried deep within Fulan hadn’t faded; upon receiving the command, she leapt off the ventilation duct with the enthusiasm of a student released from class.
On the other side, Lin Qingliu utilized the prison walls to gradually execute a Dimensional Shift, descending into Shi Jin’s cell with a rather flamboyant posture.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs appeared to have allocated its limited budget entirely to fortifying the cells, as this small compartment, isolated by thick walls, was devoid of any surveillance.
Lin Qingliu had no peculiar inclination to spy on a girl lost in her dreams. Instead, he stood by the bed and gently tapped Shi Jin’s temple.
The Ministry’s prison walls were exceptionally robust to prevent escapes, and the soundproofing was notably effective.
The security measures, both inside and out, were stringent enough that the surveillance cameras did not extend into every cell.
In the cramped and shadowy space, the relentless interrogations, bland meals, and an uncertain future kept Shi Jin’s nerves perpetually taut, allowing the nightmare suggestion implanted by Lin Qingliu to quickly take root and flourish.
He could sense Shi Jin’s breathing growing increasingly erratic, and finally, after a faint “ah,” she jolted awake from her nightmare.
Then, she noticed a small, curled-up… cat resting right above her chest?
Lin Qingliu employed his Illusion ability, merging with the dark surroundings to conceal his presence. According to the plan, Shi Jin would remain Fulan’s direct subordinate until she was fully integrated, making it crucial to acquaint herself with her superior at this juncture.
For a fleeting moment, Shi Jin felt as though she was still ensnared in her nightmare, but the tangible weight of Fulan on her chest, her nimble thoughts, and the oppressive environment all affirmed the reality of her predicament.
In the next instant, curiosity eclipsed the fear induced by the nightmare. Shi Jin gingerly raised her hand, striving to prevent the iron chain between her handcuffs from clinking, eager to touch this mysterious feline.
Just as her hand was about to graze Fulan, a playful female voice chimed:
“You’re quite bold~”
Shi Jin’s body stiffened instantly, and she instinctively wanted to fling the creature off her chest, but she quickly hesitated, remaining frozen in an awkward stance, akin to a statue.
“Miss Fulan is here to offer you one final chance, and you dare to touch her?”
Hearing the cat articulate so fluently, Shi Jin felt her mind was overwhelmed.
Fulan seemed to perceive this and explained with composure:
“There’s no question that you are going to die.
“At dawn, someone will escort you to an open area, and then your life will end.”
“But I recall Captain Zhuang mentioning it was merely labor reform…”
“Fifteen to twenty-five years.”
Shi Jin pursed her lips:
“It might as well be death.”
“However, meow meow, I’ve been observing you for quite some time~”
Upon hearing this, Shi Jin suddenly felt a mystery in her heart unravel. Lately, she had often sensed someone watching and trailing her, yet she could never pinpoint anyone.
It had never crossed her mind that her observer might not be human.
“Miss Fulan has discerned that you are a promising candidate, and I am in need of a capable subordinate. Would you like to become a ‘believer’?
“If you agree, Miss Fulan will save you!”
“Believer?”
Shi Jin’s heart skipped a beat as she suddenly remembered that on the night of her capture, a powerful superpowered individual who could manipulate shields had posed a question about believers.
Could it really be such a coincidence?
Her mind raced, and Shi Jin suppressed her doubts, inquiring:
“What kind of believer?”
“Well, naturally!”
The cat on Shi Jin’s chest, Fulan, suddenly shifted her posture, adopting a pious and solemn demeanor:
“A believer of the Holy Fire Meow Meow Cult!”
“Ah?”
Shi Jin’s brain went into overdrive, and a thought labeled “something feels off” flashed through her mind.
“Well, if I believe in your ‘Holy Fire Meow Meow Cult,’ how will you save me?”
Upon hearing this, Fulan’s face broke into a mischievous grin:
“Are you prepared? Miss Fulan will transform you into— a superpowered individual!”
