Interrogation / The Trio's Investigation Findings...

"A rare opportunity? You say... how much? A million!?"

"* Lungmen swear words*, I'll do it!"

After saying that, the man from Sami stamped his foot on the cigarette butt on the ground and solemnly assured the person on the other end of the phone, "Don't worry, nothing unexpected will happen tonight. I guarantee I'll arrange everything reasonably and legally to facilitate your business."

After confirming a few more details with the other party, the security guard hung up the phone, humming a little tune with a happy expression, and prepared to leave the corner.

His expression, as if he'd won the lottery, left Pardofelis, who had somehow slipped up behind him, speechless. She finally spoke up:

"Ahem, hey sir, what's making you so happy?"

"!"

The sudden sound of a girl's voice startled the security guard, who instinctively turned around. However, before he could even see the person behind him clearly, a square object painted with colorful designs was slapped against his face.

In an instant, a soul-crushing blow came from his face, causing his eyes to roll back and him to fall into a deep sleep.

"You don't have any skills, yet you try to make dirty money like others? Dream on!" Looking at the person who had fainted on the ground, Pardofelis tossed the Divine Key in her hand and scoffed.

After venting her frustrations, she took out a bundle of rope from her spatial storage and tied the person on the ground up, then quietly dragged them to a secluded corner.

This person still holds some value for the cat, and there are some things she plans to ask him about.

After all, the guy who could be contacted by those gangs and offer such a high price must have a lot of connections in the G4 Area and know a lot of things, she knew without even thinking.

Chapter 148 Torture

Around one or two in the afternoon, the sun was at its most scorching, its intense rays relentlessly drenching the earth and turning large, unshaded areas of the port scorching hot. In stark contrast to the outside, the cargo storage area was deep within, hidden in dark corners.

However, in this dark corner that no one would normally set foot in, there was now a person standing and a person lying down.

"..."

Pardofelis looked at the security guard lying on the ground in front of her, bound hand and foot and still fast asleep. After thinking for a moment, she raised her hand and took out a strange blue cat mask from her space and put it on her face.

Then, she leisurely picked up the cold water that was placed on the ground and poured it mercilessly onto the security guard's face.

"!"

"Cough... cough...!"

Almost instantly, the security guard, who had been in a deep sleep, jolted awake, then suddenly woke up because he had choked on water in his nose.

However, because the ropes binding his body were very tight and a rag had been placed in his mouth, he could only wriggle on the ground like an insect and could not get up.

"You're awake? How can you sleep so soundly at your age?" Looking at the disheveled, tearful person in front of her, Pardofelis deliberately lowered her voice and said sarcastically.

To be honest, I can't give these scumbags I'm targeting any pleasantries whatsoever. Even if the guy in front of me is just an accomplice, it doesn't matter.

She's already being lenient by not chopping him up, and you expect a nice face? You're dreaming!

"Cough... Ugh!"

The person lying on the ground suddenly heard this familiar voice and instinctively looked towards the source of the sound, his face covered in water. He was then confronted with a bizarre cat-face mask and became even more frightened, struggling even harder.

"Oh dear, don't get so worked up..."

Without hesitation, Pardofelis used the stun gun she had taken from the security guard on herself. A soft electric shock followed. "How about that? Calmed down a little now?"

"Ouch!" The security guard couldn't help but whimper in pain from the sudden poke, but he dared not move.

"It seems you've calmed down. You're not my target this time. I only brought you here to ask you some questions. I suggest you cooperate."

Pardofelis lightly flicked the water-soaked stun gun off her hand, then switched it off. She used it to lift the man's chin, forcing him to meet her gaze, and coldly threatened:

"If I accidentally kill you, it'll be a huge hassle to deal with, understand?"

"!"

Hearing Pardofelis's terrifying words and feeling her overwhelming aura, the man froze, then frantically nodded his head, as if afraid his head would fall off if he hesitated even a second longer.

"..."

Seeing the man lying on the ground nodding vigorously, Pardofelis did not immediately remove the rag from his mouth.

Instead, amidst his terrified gaze, he took out his special weapon, spun around, and slashed at the container beside him. The huge container was instantly sliced into two smooth sections as if it were a block of tofu.

"Think about the consequences before you do something. Uncle, do you think your voice travels faster, or you die faster?" After another warning, Pardofelis gracefully and slowly picked out the rag from the man's mouth.

If the security guard had any ulterior motives before, after being intimidated by Pardofelis, he immediately abandoned all such thoughts.

After all, he wasn't stupid. The woman in front of him wearing a strange mask was clearly someone not to be trifled with. Trying to pull any tricks at this moment would be like lighting a light in the toilet at night—a death wish!

After the rag was taken away, the man had a strange taste in his mouth, but he dared not make any unnecessary movements. He could only swallow hard, suppressing his nausea, and cautiously flattered:

"If... if you have any questions, please tell me. If I know the answer, I will tell you everything!"

Upon hearing this, a hint of satisfaction flashed in Pardofelis's eyes, and then she asked unhurriedly, "Who are those people? Where did they come from, and what are they planning to trade at the dock?"

"This..."

Hearing the series of sharp questions from the person in front of him, the man who had just been so confident while lying on the ground suddenly stopped speaking, and his expression became hesitant.

However, upon touching Pardofelis's gleaming weapon, he seemed to have made up his mind, saying, "They're a gang from Sicily, but I really don't know what kind of deal they're making... but I suspect it's not good news..."

"Ha, so you knew they weren't up to any good, huh? You've got some nerve!" Pardofelis couldn't help but sneer after hearing the man's words. "And what help did you provide them? They actually gave you so much money."

"Smuggling... They want me to help them smuggle goods and raw materials into other warehouses, and to smooth things over for them. Get it done tonight..."

"Tsk, alright, let's stop the questioning for now. Now eat this." With that, Pardofelis ruthlessly tossed a dumpling-like object into the man's mouth.

"Don't let me find out you've thrown it up. Which is more important, your job, your life, or that gang? You should think about it carefully."

Fearing the strength of the person before him, the man could only reluctantly swallow the spicy meatball in his mouth, feeling a burning sensation in his throat and stomach.

"I need to go in later when the gangsters are making their deal, so I'll have to leave it to you then, Uncle~" Pardofelis didn't explain to the person lying on the ground what he had eaten, but instead casually mentioned what would happen next.

"Alright, you can go back to your workstation now." As Pardofelis said this, she waved her arm lightly, and a sword light carrying a chilling aura slid past the man on the ground, severing the ropes binding him.

"Oh, by the way, I think you probably don't want to know what will happen to you if my information gets leaked, right?"

"... Yes... yes, I will definitely protect this matter to the death." The man, who was wet from the sudden chill, shivered and said, his teeth chattering.

After being thoroughly swayed by Pardofelis's smooth and skillful moves, the man, who had no idea what he had just been fed and whose stomach was still burning, completely surrendered and had no other thoughts.

"Then get out of here!"

"Yes, yes!"

At Pardofelis's prompting, the man dared not linger there for even a moment longer, dragging his body, which was stiff from the cold, as he scrambled and crawled outside.

Chapter 149 The Trio's Investigation Reveals

After Pardofelis chased the security guard away, she didn't stay in the same spot, but quietly followed them.

Although she had already threatened him, and even pretended to feed him poison by giving him the super spicy candy that Griseo had bought for FrostNova, just to be on the safe side, the cat decided to keep a closer eye on him to make sure he really didn't have any ulterior motives.

While having some ulterior motives wouldn't be a particularly bad thing, these are special times, so Pardofelis decided to be more cautious.

Finally, Pardofelis kept a close watch from the shadows for a while, making sure the man wasn't making any suspicious moves, before quietly leaving to continue her investigations in other areas and prepare for the night.

While Pardofelis was busy running around for the [test], Swire, who was in the Lungmen Guard Department, was also busy at the time.

Taking advantage of the vast archives of the Lungmen Guard Department and her extensive network of contacts, Swire did not choose to conduct on-site investigations like Pardofelis did. Instead, she plunged headfirst into piles of documents and archives to collect relevant clues.

"Swire, what have you been investigating since noon? Has some big case happened?" Hoshiguma, who had just returned after submitting her documents, couldn't help but ask Swire, who was still buried in her work at her desk.

As Hoshiguma asked this question, Chen, who was also handling official business in her office, couldn't help but look up at Swire. Clearly, although she hadn't asked, she was also quite curious about the matter.

"It's a big case... the kind that concerns dignity." Upon hearing this, Swire in flipping through the documents, then said seriously without looking up.

"?"×2

Not answering only made things worse; the other two people present became even more curious. The word "dignity" had actually come out of the mouth of their usually bickering and argumentative best friend in such a serious tone. Something was wrong, definitely wrong!

Then, Chen raised an eyebrow. "What big case? I don't know anything about it. Swire, tell me about it."

"Yes, tell us what's wrong, and we might be able to help you."

"...Alright then, but keep it a secret, understand?" Faced with the questions from her two friends, Swire pondered for a moment before looking up and saying.

"Understood, go ahead." Upon hearing this, Chen and Hoshiguma nodded in perfect unison, then quietly waited for what was to come.

"Okay, let me think about how to bring this up..."

After organizing his thoughts briefly, Swire began to describe the [test] in simple and clear language.

If it were any other secret, Swire might have chosen to keep it from her two friends, but in her view, there was absolutely no need to hide it from Pardofelis.

As for why you asked her, the reason is simple: Little Tiger doesn't think Pardofelis's commotion tonight will be quiet. Since the commotion won't be quiet, it means their Lungmen Guard Department is very likely to be on the scene. In that case, is there any need to keep it a secret?

Since my friend asked, I might as well just tell them directly, so they can be mentally prepared and also make some practical preparations in advance.

"..."

"Char Siu Cat, you really kept a big secret!" After listening to Swire's account, Chen, sitting at his workstation, couldn't help but twitch his lips and said irritably.

"Ha, what do you mean I kept a big secret? I only just found out the details myself, okay? And who are you calling Char Siu Cat?! You damn dragon!" Upon hearing this, Swire didn't hold back and retorted without hesitation.

"Specific circumstances may vary, but you clearly knew about the [test] all along!"

"Cough..."

Having her problem pointed out so clearly, Swire couldn't help but cough lightly, saying with a slightly guilty tone, "It's just that I didn't know enough information, and I didn't know if it was true or not, that's why I didn't say anything..."

But in fact, this explanation is a lie.

But there was nothing she could do. Swire couldn't very well tell her two best friends that she hadn't told them because what happened that day was too unbearable to recall, that she had deliberately forgotten it, and that she didn't know how to explain it.

If she dared to say that, Chen would probably laugh at her for who knows how long!

"Hoshiguma, do you believe that? I certainly don't..."

"You damn dragon!"

Seeing that her two friends were about to start fighting again, Hoshiguma quickly stepped between them, trying to smooth things over:

"Alright, alright, you two stop arguing. Swire, tell us the details again, and we'll help you investigate."

"Three people are always more efficient than one, don't you think, Lao Chen?"

Hearing Hoshiguma's words, Chen put aside his arguing mood and nodded, "Yes. Since we know there will be big developments tonight, it's naturally safer to keep the information in our hands."

"Alright, since you two have said so, then I won't stand on ceremony. I'll treat you to dinner later." As she spoke Swire handed over the things she was holding.

"I've already retrieved the catalog of the materials we need to look up; we need to find it from there..."

Finally, the three of them spent a considerable amount of time that afternoon reviewing reports of recent problematic cases and contacting Lin Yuhsia to ask her some questions before they were able to piece together the fragmented clues.

Although they were unable to directly locate the target gang's hideout, they did notice Lungmen Pier 3 was very likely involved in smuggling contraband.

"How should I put it? I'll go investigate first. Your Lungmen Guard Department will be on standby?" Swire glanced at Pier 3, which was circled on the Lungmen map, and looked up at her two friends to ask.

"With your mediocre skills, going to Pier 3 near the slums at this hour? Let me and Hoshiguma go instead." Upon hearing this, Chen glanced at Swire with a playful look and said bluntly.

"My fighting strength isn't as pathetic as you, you pathetic dragon, make it out to be!"

Swire retorted irritably, "Besides, I never said I was going alone. Lin Yuhsia just messaged me, strongly insisting that I take her with me on the trip."

Seeing his two friends bickering again, Hoshiguma's eyes showed a hint of helplessness. He said, "Since you Swire, are planning to go with Lin Yuhsia, then there's no problem. I have to admit, it's more convenient for them to act in this situation."

Hoshiguma wasn't lying about this. After all, they were all members of the Lungmen Guard Department. If no one called the police, no orders were issued from above, and their own applications weren't approved, they could only act privately in their personal capacity.

But Lin Yuhsia's side is different; they have enough manpower and don't have the same limitations as them.

"Then I'll take Lin Yuhsia with me to carry out the operation. I'll notify you immediately if there are any problems or unusual findings."

"Good."

Chapter 150 An Unexpected Figure at the Port

As the sun slowly set, its afterglow bathed the entire port. Pardofelis sat alone in the shadows atop the stacked containers in the cargo storage area, silently watching the workers coming and going and the movements of their targets in the distance.

The things that needed to be investigated and the reconnaissance done this afternoon have all been done by Maomao. She has even sent out the Rope and the Canned Food to interfere with Wei Yenwu's side and confirm her suspicions.

She's now in a state where everything is ready except for the final push.

"Ugh, I'm exhausted today, and I still have to work overtime tonight." Sitting high up, quietly watching the workers bustling about in the sunset, Pardofelis silently took out a glutinous rice ball from her spatial storage and complained as she ate it.