Let them offer their loyalty!

Hearing Chen Feng's words, Ding Xiaoliu quickly saluted again, "Yes!"

Then he turned around and left to go "give the good news" on the second floor.

And with his departure, very soon the entire Investigation Bureau knew that Zheng Tao had not obtained any results from the second hour of interrogation!

This actually didn't catch anyone's attention.

After all... two hours and one hour were more or less the same. Both were just starting to apply some interrogation methods, so it was normal not to have results yet.

And the attitudes of some big shots who were following the progress of this matter were similar...

Organizational Department, Director's Office.

After listening to his subordinate's report, one of the nine high-level officials of the Investigation Bureau, Director of the Organizational Department Shi Youxin, chuckled and nodded.

Shi Youxin was a man in his forties.

He had been Yan Chen's old colleague at the Military Officers' Academy, and later, when Yan Chen became successful, he resigned to join Yan Chen and had been working under him ever since, belonging to one of Yan Chen's important confidants and a key helper in Yan Chen's control of the personnel power of the entire Investigation Bureau.

Zheng Tao's promotion included his contributions.

Therefore, today, as soon as Qiu Tu and Zheng Tao started their conflict, he ordered someone to pay close attention to it.

Knowing that Zheng Tao did not come out from the interrogation room during the second hour, he smiled, picked up his tea cup steeped with goji berries and deer antler, took a sip, and then said indifferently,

"Don't worry... Zheng Tao's abilities are widely recognized."

"In the entire Investigation Bureau, aside from Jia Shu, his interrogation techniques are the most brilliant."

"If even he can't break through this case, then probably no one can."

"And..." As he said this, Shi Youxin glanced at the clock, "it's only 11 o'clock now. There are still 7 hours until 6 pm."

"Do you know what 7 hours mean to an interrogation expert?"

"It means he can torture a suspect to the point where they'll even disclose the color of their wife's underwear!"

While talking, Shi Youxin put a few goji berries into his mouth and concluded, "Seven hours, how can Zheng Tao lose?"

"This time, Qiu Tu has really underestimated the heroes of the world."

.....

Special Service Department. Director's Office.

The man who had once helped Qiu Tu, one of the nine high-level officials of the Investigation Bureau, the Director of the Special Service Department Lin Ting.

Facing his subordinate's report, he shook his head with a smile, "I used to think Qiu Tu was a very smart person."

"But unexpectedly, this time he's become so muddleheaded."

"So, rest assured. The advantage is with us."

....

Among these high-level officials, the only different attitude might be Yan Chen's...

Investigation Bureau Chief's Office.

Yan Chen sat in his dimly-lit office, smoking and signing documents, while listening to Ji Chen's report.

Ji Chen obviously took pleasure in others' misfortune, his voice buoyant and cheerful during the report.

But what he didn't realize was that as his report went on, the expression on Yan Chen's face became less and less.

Soon, after Ji Chen finished reporting, Yan Chen slowly put down his pen.

He looked at Ji Chen with a dark expression and then said slowly, "Ji Chen, do you think Qiu Tu will lose this bet?"

Hearing Yan Chen's words, Ji Chen was clearly startled. Then he replied hesitantly, "But... Director Zheng is a renowned interrogation expert."

"A 9-hour interrogation session, it's impossible to fail."

Yan Chen narrowed his eyes and took a drag of his cigarette, then seriously countered, "Since even you know such a simple truth, why wouldn't Qiu Tu know it?"

Yan Chen's words were perhaps too direct, and Ji Chen's face turned red and then pale.

After all, Yan Chen was all but pointing at his nose and scolding him for being inferior to Qiu Tu.

But faced with Yan Chen, Ji Chen didn't dare to retort, so he could only quickly suppress his smile and lower his voice to admit his error, "The Bureau Chief is correct."

"Hmph." Yan Chen snorted heavily through his nose and then judged, "Qiu Tu is not someone who loses his head easily. Since he dares to make this bet, it means there must be an inside story."

"Zheng Tao has been calculated by him."

As he said this, he waved his hand somewhat listlessly, "Enough. His position has already been bet."

"Even if Zheng Tao loses face again, that position cannot be ceded."

"You may leave. Report back when there's news."

Having finished speaking, he picked up his pen and started signing documents again.

Hearing Yan Chen's words, Ji Chen quickly saluted and then turned to leave Yan Chen's office.

However, from the disgruntled look on his face as he turned his back to Yan Chen, it was clear he didn't agree with Yan Chen's points of view...

...

12 o'clock, the third hour after the bet was set.

Since the interrogation room had not opened, it was evident that Zheng Tao had not penetrated Jia Wei's psychological defense. Explore new worlds at My Virtual Library Empire

1 pm, the fourth hour after the bet was set.

Zheng Tao and his team hadn't even come out for lunch, but were racing against the clock to conduct the interrogation.

However... despite their efforts, it was clear that progress was limited. The door of the interrogation room remained closed.

2 pm, 3 pm, 4 pm.

At this point, 7 hours had passed since the bet was established. Yet, there was still no sign of the interrogation room's door opening.

Instead, some agents from the Interrogation Section had seemingly received some orders and brought in more drugs and interrogation tools.

However, it was clear that these drugs and interrogation tools were not very effective. Jia Wei still showed no sign of speaking.

By this time, the mood within the entire Investigation Bureau had finally begun to shift.

Those who had been supporting Zheng Tao were now a bit unsure.

After all, 7 hours was a long time for an interrogation that could use various drugs and punishment tools.

By this point, almost all the drugs that could be used had been exhausted, and whatever punishments could have been applied should have already been used up.

Now, the agents who were just watching, worried not about whether the interrogation had results, but... that the important prisoner wouldn't be tortured to death.

At this time, the entire Investigation Bureau's attitude toward the bet had begun to shift.

The detectives who originally supported Zheng Tao were now changing sides, starting to back Qiu Tu instead.

Only a small group still staunchly believed in Zheng Tao's ability and continued to "persevere."

The perception of Qiu Tu and Zheng Tao among the detectives had undergone a complete 180-degree turn.

Those who had previously mocked Qiu Tu for being "too full of himself" were now ridiculing Zheng Tao for "trying to steal credit," and failing at that.

However, for the lower-ranked detectives, this bet might have just been a pastime for conversation over tea and meals.

But for the section chiefs and division chiefs who knew more of the inside story, the bet held an entirely different meaning.

—If they had doubted before whether this bet was a trap, by now, they held no such doubts.

Taking into account Qiu Tu's various past deeds, they knew he must have calculated everything before daring to publicly bet against Zheng Tao.

Zheng Tao was driven into a corner and had no choice but to accept the wager. Now it seemed highly likely that he would face a massive loss of face before the entire Bureau.

In the future, when people talked about Zheng Tao, they would probably not remember his label as an interrogation expert but only the incident of his failed attempt to steal credit.

Such a reputation, that of someone with "more ambition than skill," would follow him for many years.

This incident would have a huge impact both on his credibility among his subordinates and his image among those above him.

It could be said that his future prospects were completely ruined!

And with this kind of downfall for Zheng Tao, Qiu Tu was warning all those mid-levels who schemed against him or sought to use him to curry favor with the higher-ups—that it was fine to try their luck with him, but they should be prepared to be crushed in the process!

This realization made many section chiefs and division chiefs shiver, prompting them to reconsider their relationship with Qiu Tu...

As such, time ticked by, second by second.

Soon, it was 5 p.m.

This time, Qiu Tu didn't even use Ding Xiaoliu to report. He arrived at the interrogation room's entrance with his confidants in tow, waiting patiently.

This assertive move also attracted a lot of detectives to gather around and watch.

Everyone was waiting for the result of the final hour, eager to see who would win the bet!

5:10 p.m.; 5:20 p.m.; ...; 5:40 p.m.; 5:50 p.m....

When the seconds crawled towards 6 p.m.

More and more detectives had gathered outside the interrogation room.

At this moment, two of Zheng Tao's confidants at the door were sweating profusely.

The tension of the approaching deadline made them almost afraid to breathe. Several times they looked back at the interrogation room, hoping for a miracle in the last 10 minutes.

But how could miracles happen so easily? If they did, they wouldn't be miracles!

So, as the minute hand slowly moved to the "6," the interrogation room's door remained unopened.

By then, the onlookers outside were beginning to whisper among themselves.

Clearly, everyone knew that the dust had settled on the bet: Zheng Tao, a master of interrogation, had used every trick in the book and yet had failed to extract the truth of the case from the suspect's mouth in nine hours.

In addition to their shock, people also began to ponder why such a thing had happened.

Was it Zheng Tao's lack of ability?

Was there more to the case than met the eye?

Or... was Zheng Tao truly an accomplice of the suspect?

Just as everyone was busy guessing, the door of the interrogation room slowly opened.

Zheng Tao, covered in blood, walked out looking utterly defeated.

In the hours that had passed, he had clearly been under tremendous pressure, his hair a mess and his eyes bloodshot.

If one didn't know better, one might have thought he had stayed up for two or three nights straight.

And coupled with his blood-stained clothes and hands, it was clear that he had tried all possible means in those nine hours.

He had truly and utterly lost the bet!

Witnessing this scene, Qiu Tu tilted his head to glance inside the interrogation room.

There, Jia Wei had been tortured almost beyond human recognition, barely an inch of his body left unharmed.

But perhaps it was the hard fate of a Second-Order Cataclysmic Awakened that even now, he could still smile with a "heh heh heh" and hurl insults at all the female relatives in Zheng Tao's family.

Seeing this, Qiu Tu finally ceased to hold back his edge and began to kick a man when he was down!

"Heh heh, is this the expert interrogator from the Political Department, the former head of the Interrogation Section?"

"You've really disgraced our Political Department!"

"I practically fed you the credit on a silver platter, and you couldn't take it. Are you really so useless, or is it... that you're indeed utterly useless!"

Hearing Qiu Tu's unapologetic mockery, Zheng Tao's fists tightened.

He wanted to retort, but the cruel reality of victory and defeat silenced him. He, a man who had lost a bet, had no face to talk back to Qiu Tu.

So he could only glower and say in a low voice, "You won."

"The criminal is yours, I won't interfere with the case anymore."

As Zheng Tao admitted his defeat, the room fell silent.

Everyone knew that Zheng Tao had completely fallen.

Just promoted to Deputy Division Chief, a position at the peak of his influence and prestige, he ended up trying to take credit at the behest of hidden players.

If he had succeeded, it would have been a different story. Now, having failed and publicly humiliated by Qiu Tu, he had become a laughingstock.

For a moment, the watching detectives even felt a twinge of pity: who would have thought that the once envied Zheng Tao would be trampled into the dirt in just a few hours, reduced to a stray dog?

Just when the detectives were reflecting on the bet, Qiu Tu spoke up again.

"Director Zheng, please wait a moment."

Hearing Qiu Tu's words, Zheng Tao stopped and turned back with a puzzled look.

Then he saw Qiu Tu looking at him with a radiant smile.

But that smile seemed so bloodthirsty, no matter how one looked at it!

It was like the smile of a giant beast about to devour its prey.

-------

Three chapters totaling 10,000 words, haha. First, I'll release 7,000 words in two chapters, and one more chapter at 20:00. It's the last day of the month, so I'm asking for the Monthly Tickets! They'll expire if you don't use them, you know.