"It was impossible to let you leave, and you would not stand trial. But our country keeps its word. You made contributions, so your death sentence could be waived. However, while you might escape death, you would not escape punishment." Jiang Yan Hai paused there.
Scorpion showed little reaction. Clearly, he understood this well. It was impossible for them to simply release him after everything he had done. There was no way they would let him go. To be honest, Scorpion was already somewhat surprised that they truly did not intend to kill him.
In Scorpion's view, once they had finished making use of him, it would not have been impossible for them to simply shoot him.
No one in the outside world would know anyway.
It would not affect their country's image or their personal image in any way.
Yet they were actually willing to spare him. That had already far exceeded his expectations.
"I thought you would kill me," Scorpion said calmly.
"Killing you would be nothing. Just one bullet, and no one outside would know. I could even carry it out myself."
"But a country, a people, can lack many things—but they must not lose their integrity, their backbone, or their honesty!" Jiang Yan Hai spoke seriously.
No one would see it, but if a country and its people lost their integrity and backbone, then little by little, they would lose everything else as well.
The consequences of losing those things were not impossible to see. One only needed to look at certain places. Once a spine had bent, how difficult was it to straighten it again!
"Then do I have a choice?" Scorpion raised his head and looked at Jiang Yan Hai.
"Yes. Two choices. First, the same as before: life imprisonment. You would continue serving