Chapter 238: In the cell

Xie Qingcheng was a prisoner of Duan Wen's special favor.

He was kept in a separate compartment, and although his hands and feet were shackled, he was not handcuffed to the wall like the others, and there was even a bed, a desk, and a chair in the cabin.

Xie Qingcheng was lying in bed, his head still hurting.

He had been awake for some time, and everything that had happened before was spinning wildly in his head. Li Yun, He Yu, the attack of the dream breakers, Chen Man ...... who was sent to the car, all of these strings together, sketched out an answer that was crying out to be answered. That answer made him extremely sick, but how could he not escape from it.

He was very desperate at first after he was locked in.

He wonders how He Yu is doing.

Nor do they know what is going on with the others, or indeed with the war in general.

He tries to ask the guards, but the guards are Lu Yuzhu clones, who only follow orders, and no matter what he says, she stays put outside, human emotions are not something she possesses.

Just when he was at the end of his rope, he suddenly realized that the God of wind system on his wrist hadn't been removed yet.

It had been carefully modified to be undetectable by electronic detectors, and from the outside, it looked like a simple leather bracelet, so different from the kind He Yu himself wore that it hadn't been searched.

God of wind is still around, and he can still connect with the others.

Xie Qingcheng lay back on the bed with a tentative attitude, covering his hands in front of his eyes. To outsiders, it seemed that he was acting out of desperation, but in fact, through this action, he was sending out instructions to the God of wind system in the softest voice and the most natural gesture.

He first tried to connect to He Yu, without success, and God of wind replied, "User He Yu has disappeared from the line."

The answer made Xie Qingcheng's fingertips tremble slightly.

Within this kind of combat linking system, the disappearance of the user represents either death in battle or the destruction of the bracelet, Xie Qingcheng in this moment seems to be back to the day of the Hiroshima Battle, the day he couldn't help him ......

He didn't know how much self-control it took to not let his emotions break down.

He gritted his teeth, and in a very soft but trembling voice, he said to the God of wind system, "I know. ...... Pick up headquarters."

The lines are open at headquarters.

"Xie Qingcheng?What are you ......" came the shocked voice of the commander in chief from the other end of the line.

Xie Qingcheng said, "You should have seen it through the God of wind camera sync, I was in the dungeon."

His voice was tired, but he couldn't stop for a moment.

"I don't have much time left to communicate with you, and I don't know if I'll have another chance to communicate with you. Now you answer what I ask, and try not to interrupt what I want to say, okay."

Commander-in-Chief: "...... Good. Go ahead."

"Do you have any information on He Yu's whereabouts."

"He's out of touch, we can't reach him, we thought he was with you."

"He's not with me." The last bit of hope in her heart disappeared, and Xie Qingcheng closed her eyes to keep herself as calm as possible.

The knot in his throat rolled, then he asked, "So, what about Chen Yan."

The commander-in-chief said, "He's back."

"Is it ......" Xie Qingcheng said softly.

Chen Man would be sent back, after Xie Qingcheng had a rough guess, it was no longer surprising. This answer merely confirmed his deepest thoughts.

"Uh-huh. After you guys destroyed the Radical Cold Light Device, the God of wind system's net suddenly broke, at that time I knew something must have happened on your side, and immediately sent a group of people, heading in your direction. As a result, when we reached the halfway point, our support unit met a jeep."

"At first we thought it was an attack vehicle, but there was no one on board to fire." The commander-in-chief continued, "After the hijacking, we found out that in the back seat was a fuzzy-conscious Chen Yan ...... The driver was a mechanical warrior and ran away ......"

Hearing this, a strong sense of sadness, steeply from Xie Qingcheng's chest, he knew that he may not have the opportunity to contact the headquarters, at this moment, Xie Qingcheng did not have any scruples.

He said to the commander-in-chief, "That wasn't a mechanical warrior at all."

The commander-in-chief was still saying, "This matter is really strange, we once suspected that Chen Yan had been tampered with, but after checking all the instruments, we found that there was no such thing, and that he had simply been sent back. But why was he the only one? What did you guys encounter later?"

"......" Xie Qingcheng did not give a response to the commander-in-chief as he took a deep breath and repeated, "Did you hear what I just said. That's not a mechanical warrior."

The Commander-in-Chief paused, and inside the bracelet was a silky rattle of electricity.

"......"

"That's what He Yu has been telling you guys for the last three years." Xie Qingcheng said, "He has told you many times that many of these surreal weapons on the island are fakes, projections of virtual reality, specks on a butterfly's wings, fronts for Mandela to use for self-defense, to stall for time in order to develop a truly powerful weapon. None of you believe him."

"......"

"Because he's crazy, because we were once sorry for him, so no matter what he says, no one ever believes it."

Xie Qingcheng said hoarsely, "But I saw it. I saw everything he described, and he never lied to you. Mandela Island is a half-illusory island, blinding your perceptions through magnetic fields, noise, vision ...... and all that. The driver who brought Chen Man back was just a reformed man too, that's all."

"If you would have listened to him earlier, it would have been too late for such a weapon as the Riptide Chill to have been invented. Now that the Riptide Chill is destroyed, and nothing as horrific as this will appear on this island for the time being, I'd like to ask you to have all of the follow-on two-three units land and end this war as soon as possible. The longer you delay, the greater the variables will be."

The commander-in-chief said, "...... Xie Qingcheng, do you know what you're saying? Letting the second and third units land directly now, in case there are any more changes, it will be all over."

"You won't have any problems if you land now." Xie Qingcheng said, "Can you let go of your inherent perceptions and trust us this time?"

"......"

"I'm afraid that He Yu has already fallen into Duan Wen's hands." Xie Qingcheng gasped, "I'm sure you all knew about him being a Blood Compass a long time ago. To be honest I'm worried about him now, he's working as a double agent for you guys, Mandela couldn't have been unaware of it all along, but they've been keeping him around, I don't think it's normal. Right now the only reasonable explanation seems to be that his utilization is so high that Mandela doesn't want to give it up."

The ceiling in the cell was low and depressing.

Xie Qingcheng stared at the zenith of the sky and said, ''You guys have seen the power of blood parasites before. I'm worried that the reason they took him after the destruction of the Radical Cold Light is because he's the only one who can top it up and become the new whatever killing tool ...... You told me before that they were testing a blood compulsion diffusion device, and it's likely that it's that thing."

"But they haven't moved yet-"

"They haven't moved yet, that just means that they haven't succeeded for some reasons at the moment, but it won't take long." Xie Qingcheng said at the end, his hand clenched into a fist, as bloodless as it could be, "It won't take too long, do you understand? Three years ago you didn't trust He Yu and that's why the Radical Speed Cold Light was created, can you trust me for once after three years? Don't let a new weapon appear. Don't let He Yu stand across from us. Don't let him get hurt again. Don't let your people sacrifice more."

The voice trembled as softly as a broken candle.

"Even if it's just this once, okay? Officer."

The commander was across the room, and it took a long time for him to answer.

Xie Qingcheng couldn't see his face, in fact he couldn't see anything but a ceiling blackness in front of him.

His heart was beating violently within his chest, and the hot blood he had been running for thirty-four years gave him the courage to speak all these words to a man who was in the same profession as his parents.

It's almost a cry for help.

Xie Qingcheng muttered, "Even if it's just this once ......"

God of wind Footsteps sounded from the other end of the system, the commander seemed to have gone to a quieter environment with no one else around.

Then Xie Qingcheng heard him say, "Xie Qingcheng ...... Actually, it's not that I haven't believed."

"!!!"

"I have believed." There were a few sighs in the Commander-in-Chief's voice, "I've worked on a lot of cases over the years, and I understand that a lot of the truth is buried in the deepest recesses of the dirt, and that what's on the surface can't be trusted at all some times."

"Then you--"

"But I'm just a man who has received orders to achieve victory. There are superiors above me, and superiors above me ...... I have my peers and superiors weighing in on every decision I make, do you think my superiors who are sitting in their offices looking at images of the battle will take the word of a sick man and believe that it's false? And even if they did believe it, would they admit that it was a poor decision due to their inability to see the Emperor's New Clothes?"

Xie Qingcheng suddenly felt a bucket of ice being poured into his stomach, "You ......"

Chills spread from the bones, "You actually believed it a long time ago, that's why He Yu once said you were the only one who tried to investigate ......"

"Aye. I've even tried long ago to convince those around me, to convince those above and those below." The commander-in-chief said, "What's the use. Do you think that you or I, can we change people's inherent thinking? Can I change a single military order and the hearts of 100,000 troops? I'm nothing more than a tool that can be changed at any time in the eyes of many people!"

"......"

"I understand how you feel, Xie Qingcheng, and I don't want anyone to become cannon fodder in this battle, but when the cannon fire falls, that's when loot and ash will be created. If it were me in He Yu's position, I would have made the same decision and allowed myself to become ash."

Xie Qingcheng's eyes were still dizzy for a while, "Is ...... there no other way? Must it be like this, following the rules and orders? ...... Must it be like this ...... waiting for Mandela to be ready to respond and shed more blood ......? Aren't human lives more important than an officer making the right decision ......"

The commander countenanced.

Xie Qingcheng closes his eyes, "Is there really nothing that can be done ......"

"Don't think about it, there are some things you can't change even if you know the end. Anything else would only be harder to realize than this-"

When the commander's words came to this point, Xie Qingcheng's heart felt as if a light had suddenly shone down.

He realized something suddenly, "Other way? What do you mean?"

"......"

"So there is a law, right?!"

The commander did not hold any hope at all for this, and only sighed, "Alas! ...... There's no point in me talking to you about it, it's just a hypothetical, there's no way any of them could have seen Hui Zhen directly without her being defenseless."

"Why do we need to see her directly?" Xie Qingcheng whispered, "Although this organization was established by her, the island is almost entirely filled with a group of genocidal lunatics, and there is mostly no so-called loyalty or unity among them, so what's the point of capturing a thief? Could it be--"

He was in the middle of his sentence when he suddenly paused.

Immediately afterward a creeping chill ran up from the soles of his feet.

"- she's not just the Führer, but a central key they mustn't lose for some reason, right?"

The Commander-in-Chief did not reply, but Xie Qingcheng had suddenly caught the key in the torrent of information. He thought of He Yu once told him that the commander-in-chief also seemed to be checking something about Duan Cuizhen. After a long time of dead silence, he opened his mouth, "Are you ...... you going to follow the information He Yu gave you and have been investigating? Did you believe what he said and believe that there is indeed this master valve on the island that controls all energy?"

"...... Right." The Commander said, "At this point, you and I have no information to hide."

"It is true that I have been sending people to gather information from the shadows. And just a few days ago, I received the most precious and important piece of information that I have so far - Hui Zhen is the 'mother' of the whole Mandela Island, just as you said, the ones that she has gathered under her throne are a group of lunatics who have no concept of loyalty, filial piety or even human nature, how can she rest easy without worrying about them seeking power and usurping it, and still letting them die with their hearts and minds. As you said, she has gathered under her a group of lunatics who have no concept of loyalty, filial piety or even human nature. With more lunatics, how can she rest on her laurels, not worrying about their usurpation of power, but still letting them work for her with their hearts and souls?"

"So she figured it out." The Commander said, "She most likely implanted a most important chip inside her brain. That chip correlates to the island's core energy station, and its smooth operation depends entirely on whether or not her brainwaves are still active. It's the only on/off valve."

"That is to say, as long as her brain remains alive, the island's water, electricity, wind and heat ...... all those devices that the researchers cherish beyond measure and that condense their life's work, will be able to function normally. Mandela, everything on the island, its controlling master valve, not the power station, not the water station, not any of the machines - but her own life!!!"

The commander-in-chief paused and continued:

"Hui Zhen, I'm afraid, accomplished such a hook before she formed this team, and she went through some kind of elaborate and insane design that completely glued her brain activity to this out-of-this-world island, converting the physical master valve that manipulates everything into a biological one. The island isn't big, and it's still a manageable area, so it took her decades to finally be able to do this, and as long as she lives, everything on the island is protected, and once she's brain dead ......"

Xie Qingcheng's pupils tightened, already knowing the answer, "Once she is brain dead, the brain chip activity stops, the main valve will close, and the whole island will 'die' with her, all the lights go out, all the machinery stops functioning, and everyone's scientific research achievements will be destroyed in an instant. destroyed in an instant."

"Yes, they were born because of her, and when they saw her as their mother, they were martyred for her. She will not allow her Mandela world to fall into anyone's hands." The Commander said, "According to my intel, as soon as she dies, the island, within ten minutes of the entire island losing power and energy, undergoes an energy backlash, all the heat converges at the core of the power supply station, and then - the entire island explodes into dust."

The commander finished.

The last few words trailed off and were followed by a long silence.

"Is that why it has been Duan Wen who has been out in the open and Hui Zhen who has been virtually housebound." Xie Qingcheng whispered, "Because not only herself, but all the people on the island fear her death. They will defend her life with all they have."

"You're right."

Xie Qingcheng : "She made herself one with the island ......"

Commander: "She allowed herself to become one with the island."

In this way, the enemy will be very careful and there will not be any loophole to attack Duan Cuizhen himself directly.

"That's why I said, this approach is useless." The commander sighed, "We'll just have to do it the hard way, and I'm sorry, but ......"

However, at that moment, Xie Qingcheng suddenly heard footsteps coming from outside!

"Someone's coming!"

Suddenly galvanized and unable to say even more to the Commander-in-Chief, he quickly disconnected the God of wind system, removed his hand ring, and hid it in a much less noticeable coat pocket.

And no sooner had he done that than the door to the dungeon opened.

A tall man in a black trench coat bent down from behind the door and walked in. His hands were inserted in the pockets of his trench coat, and he raised his head, his features as cold and steep as Cuiwei Snow Mountain, the arch of his eyebrows was extremely deep, the bridge of his nose was shrugged, and a slow and relaxed calmness permeated his body.

Duan Wen, who had finished his examination of He Yu, appeared in the cell.

"You seem to have just finished a conversation with someone." Duan Wen was followed by two bodyguards, both of whom were his die-hard cronies.

He signaled his bodyguard to bring him a chair, straightened his clothes, and sat down in front of Xie Qingcheng.

The cell was dimly lit, and he lifted the curtains of his eyes to survey any little detail of emotion that passed over Xie Qingcheng's face, and said with a smile, "Dare I ask who Professor Xie is chatting with in this dungeon."

"......"

"Li Yun didn't retrieve the God of wind system from you, but I don't think so."

Duan Wen was polite, but there was an oppressive force in that politeness, "Take it out."

He paused and added, "I admire you, and I hope you won't force me to use roughness on you."

Xie Qingcheng didn't move.

Duan Wen raised his eyebrows and waited, watching him.

Xie Qingcheng's peach blossom eyes were wells without waves, so the eyes of the failing eyes, but it seemed to penetrate the thick skin wrapped in Duan Wen's body, snow bright bayonets, straight into the heart of the other side.

Instead of handing over God of wind, he suddenly said:

"I used to admire you too, Duan Wen."

"...... What do you mean." Duan Wen smiled.

Xie Qingcheng closed his eyes, his chest barely rising and falling as he uttered these next words.

"Or maybe I should just call you, Chen Lisheng?"