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"Oh?"

At that moment, Chen stopped what she was doing.

Like a replica of Swire, she wore a look of shock and disbelief.

She had done this sort of thing before, but she knew one thing clearly: for her, temporary suspension was the harshest punishment possible. Though she hated to admit it, the old man Wei Yenwu's presence really did lessen many of the concerns she faced when acting within the Lungmen Guard Department, or even the city of Lungmen itself.

But Roy was different. He had no one backing him. Even the help Chen and Swire could offer him was negligible. Before those higher-ups, that level of support was nothing. They had plenty of chances to ruin a police officer with such a promising future.

"Aren't you worried that he and the forces behind him will retaliate against you?"

"I am. But what good does worrying do?"

Roy wore an indifferent expression, as if this matter meant about as much to him as kicking a pet dog.

He understood that worrying about such things was pointless. Even if he had the chance to do it over, he would still make the same choice. So while he was worried, he would not regret what he had done.

"Whether I get disciplined or lose this job, it doesn't matter to me. If you can't even uphold justice and follow the rule of law, then what the fuck are you being a cop for?!"

There was little expression on Roy's face at that moment, but both Chen and Swire could feel the resolve within his words. They understood that the man sitting at the same table as them was not joking.

However, Roy was not finished. At that moment, he continued:

"As for retaliation... I don't have anyone worth worrying about anyway. Let them come."

"At worst, I'll leave Lungmen. Is there really nowhere in all of Terra that can take me in?"

Is this why Chen brought him in?

At that moment, Swire could not help thinking so. She even felt a faint sense of shame over her earlier thoughts.

As for whether Roy was merely putting on an act...

Swire, who had been born into a great Victorian noble family, understood one principle: if a bad man played the part of a good man his whole life, how different would he be from a truly good man?

To Swire, it did not matter whether Roy's behavior was genuine or an act. At the very least, he was not standing against her or against the Lungmen Guard Department.

But to Chen, Roy's words foreshadowed a certain future.

Roy possessed the same trait as her. For Chen, that was not a bad thing, but for Roy, it would bring him all kinds of trouble on the road ahead. Perhaps one day, Roy would have to leave Lungmen.

However, that time had not yet come. If a mere section chief wanted a member of the Special Operations Group suspended, or even forced to leave Lungmen, it was almost impossible.

"Forget this pointless talk. Has that guy said anything, Chen?"

Roy did not intend to dwell on the subject for long, so he chose to change the topic.

It was obvious that both Swire and Chen cared deeply about the progress of the investigation. When Roy shifted the topic back to the case, both of their expressions grew much more serious.

Not only Roy—both Swire and Chen hoped this man possessed useful intelligence, intelligence that could advance the cases related to the Six Harmonies Society.

The Mafia, as outsiders, and the local Six Harmonies Society should have been opposed to one another. In reality, however, they were connected as well. To the people of Lungmen, this was no secret.

It was just that, prior to this incident, these Mafia members had hardly left behind any evidence for the police to investigate. Naturally, aside from a few low-ranking troublemakers, the Guard Department had never arrested anyone worth properly investigating and interrogating.

The current prisoner was the first Mafia member from the leadership ranks to be arrested. Although his rank within the Mafia was not high, for the Guard Department, this was still a breakthrough from zero to one.

"Not yet. Ordinary interrogation methods are useless against people like them. I've already applied to have some officers skilled in interrogation-related Originium Arts transferred in to assist with the questioning."

"Are these people reliable?"

After hearing Chen's words, Roy asked this.

In the world he had lived in before, things like lie detectors and hypnosis were not permitted in criminal interrogations. Setting aside whether they were useful or scientifically sound, they also failed to respect human rights. Even criminals, even those sentenced to death, still possessed basic human rights before their execution. But this world was obviously different.

Compared to so-called lie detectors, hypnosis, or psychological suggestion, the Originium Arts of Terra were far more useful and better grounded. After all, the civilization of this world had been built upon excavated relics from a bygone era and vast amounts of Originium technology. To the people of this world, Originium Arts, the foundation of Originium technology, were science—though their effects often resembled magic.

Perhaps this was a good choice. As for whether it respected human rights...

Since he had come to this world, there was nothing wrong with using this world's methods against criminals like these. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

"Don't worry. These people are directly under Chief Wei's command. Also, whether on duty or off duty, they have no contact with anyone else in the Guard Department."

As soon as Chen finished speaking, Swire added:

"Because they conceal themselves behind masks, no one knows who they really are. Even for the same case, the person who comes here at different times may not be the same one."

"...All right. Then let's wait a little."

After finishing his bread, Roy drained his milk in one gulp, then tossed the empty wrapper into a nearby trash can.

To be honest, Roy was quite curious about the unknown "interrogators" they had mentioned and their strange Originium Arts. That was precisely why, rather than feeling bored, he began to look forward to it.

As for why he had been bored...

Because he was involved in the case, he naturally could not participate in its interrogation. There was nothing to do back at the office either, so he could only wait at the Law Enforcement Case Handling Center for firsthand information from Chen or Swire.

Sure enough, people involved in a case could not participate in handling it. That was the same everywhere...