Volume 1: Black and White Senior Year Chapter 12: The Harsh Interrogation

Long Kun collapsed to the ground, struggling to raise his handcuffed wrists. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and smiled despite the pain. "Don't you know whether I stole it or not?" he asked.

Upon entering the police station, Long Kun was immediately locked in a small room. After two officers and Chen Yong and He Yu arrived and handcuffed him, they began their harsh interrogation.

Chen Yong chuckled, "Long Kun, the best thing you can do now is admit it. The outcome will be the same anyway. Wouldn't it be better to suffer less? You're still underage; a short stint in labor camp and you'll be out. You'll miss the college entrance exam, but so what? Whether you take it or not doesn't matter. Besides, once you're inside, you'll have food and shelter, maybe even better than your current situation."

Long Kun's smile grew even more brilliant. "Chen Yong, do you know? I truly pity you. You'd better kill me here today, don't leave me alive. Otherwise, when I get out, I'll make sure to take your life."

Chen Yong's expression darkened, and he kicked Long Kun again. "Damn you. You're asking for it." Then he turned to the police officer with a small beard standing nearby. "Cousin, keep teaching this brat a lesson until he admits it."

The two officers, grinning, surrounded Long Kun, but he stared coldly at them. He already knew that the officer with the small beard was named Yuan Lin, the cousin of Chen An. The other officer was his close colleague. Yuan Lin had received a call from Chen Yong early that morning, asking him for a favor. Yuan Lin, eager to please, was well aware that Chen Yong's father was a prominent contractor in Huxi. In construction, even a small amount of shoddy work could bring in a huge profit, and he knew Chen Yong's family was wealthy. Therefore, he was happy to help Chen Yong, especially since the target was just a poor, helpless boy. For him, it was a trivial matter that could also strengthen his ties with Chen Yong. That's why he had also brought along his colleague, Xiao Liao.

However, what he hadn't anticipated was how tough this boy's spirit was. Even after being beaten so mercilessly, he still wouldn't admit it. Seeing Long Kun sitting there, smiling mockingly at him, Yuan Lin couldn't shake the growing unease in his heart. But he quickly suppressed it—after all, Long Kun was just an orphan, what trouble could he possibly cause?

"Bang." Perhaps it was the sight of Long Kun's smile that unnerved Yuan Lin. He struck him with another punch, sending Long Kun's head low in pain, though he fought to remain upright.

"Sigh, kid, I see you still haven't learned your lesson," a familiar voice sounded from nearby.

"You're out?" Long Kun said, his voice hoarse. The four people in the room looked at each other in shock. Yuan Lin, a bit anxious, thought, Could this kid have been beaten into insanity?

"Would I just sit here and watch you get beaten to death?" The voice continued. "Why don't you just admit it? It would save you from this beating."

Long Kun gave a painful smile. "If I did it, I'd admit it. But if I didn't, I'd never confess, even if it costs me my life. It's a matter of principle."

"Ha, kid, you've got guts. Don't worry, you won't die today. Someone's coming to save you."

Just as Luo An's words ended, a heavy knocking sound came from the door. The four inside exchanged puzzled glances. They had secretly brought Long Kun here—how could anyone be knocking? Before they could process this, a commanding voice rang out from outside. "Yuan Lin, Liao Jie, what are you doing in there? Open the door!"

The familiar voice made Yuan Lin and Liao Jie freeze, nearly buckling at the knees. They knew the voice all too well—it was the station chief, Liu Qinghua.

Liu Qinghua stood at the door, his face grim. His situation was no better than those inside the room. Behind him stood several figures he dared not offend: the chief of the Huxi City Public Security Bureau, He Ju, as well as Lu Zhengxi, the famous lawyer from Huxi, and Liu Ziwen, the assistant to the chairman of the prominent Tang Group. Any one of them was someone he would normally try to curry favor with. Even Lu Zhengxi, the least impressive among them, had connections—his father-in-law was the head of the provincial education department. Though not in law enforcement, he was still a high-ranking official, far beyond the reach of someone like Liu Qinghua.

In his mind, Liu Qinghua cursed both Yuan Lin and Liao Jie, wishing they hadn't caused him such trouble. Who the hell had they gotten involved with now?

For a moment, the room was silent. The knocking from outside grew louder, accompanied by a magnetic voice. "Chief Liu, I'm curious why my client is being detained in there. Let's not even discuss whether the theft charges are valid—this situation shouldn't be happening according to procedure."

Then, another strong voice added, "Yes, I'd like to know what's going on. By the way, Lawyer Lu, our firm's lawyer, Luo Qi, is also on his way. Since you two are old friends, you can discuss the case together when he arrives."

A deep, authoritative voice followed, "Xiao Liu, what is going on here? Who's in charge of the situation inside? Why haven't you opened the door yet?"

The last voice came from Liu Qinghua himself, who, despite his apparent discomfort, put on a smile filled with apology. Yuan Lin and He Yu were drenched in cold sweat. Terrified but unable to refuse, they hurriedly went to open the door. Chen Yong, realizing the situation was spiraling out of control, quickly stopped Yuan Lin and signaled him to release Long Kun's handcuffs.

Yuan Lin ran over, trying to help Long Kun up and unlock the cuffs, but Long Kun dodged him fiercely, a cruel smile twisting his bloodstained lips. "No need to unlock them. I quite like it this way."

The knocking had turned into the sound of the door being slammed against. Clearly, the powerful figures outside had run out of patience. Yuan Lin, panicked, yanked Long Kun's arm, trying to free him from the cuffs. But Long Kun, even after being beaten senseless, still had enough strength to resist. Yuan Lin urgently gestured to Liao Jie for help.

As the door finally crashed open, everyone inside saw a scene that would leave a lasting impression: two police officers were fiercely wrestling with a bloodied Long Kun, whose hands were still cuffed.

Yuan Lin and Liao Jie, their hearts pounding, quickly stepped aside, allowing the door to open fully. As Long Kun saw the group of people entering, his taut nerves finally relaxed. He didn't know them, but he believed in Luo An's words—they had come to save him. With that, his exhausted body collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

Yuan Lin, Liao Jie, and Chen Yong had been merciless in their actions. The fact that Long Kun had managed to last this long, despite having exerted himself the previous night and even suffering muscle injuries, was nothing short of miraculous. Even Luo An had to regard him with newfound respect.

Indeed, it was this remarkable display of resilience that truly made Luo An take notice of Long Kun, and in turn, altered his perception of him. Perhaps, from this moment forward, Long Kun's life would take a different course entirely.