Qi An sat back down, his voice easygoing.
"Don't want to leave Calamity Planet? I've heard that plenty of times, but no one means it. When they really get the chance, those serious criminals bite each other bloody like dogs.
Yu Tu, you should be grateful for how different you are. So many people come to Calamity Planet and never get another chance to leave.
Now, the higher-ups have made it clear: as long as you display your Diamond-Grade Vine before the cameras again, you'll be given better conditions.
Come on. Show us."
Qi An gestured for the prison officer beside him to adjust the recording camera and point it directly at Yu Tu.
Yu Tu raised his eyes to the camera, irritation written across his face.
"Get lost. I don't need it! I said it already, I'm not leaving this place!"
Qi An smiled. "But as your chief interrogator, Warden Ming needs it very much. If we can't record you releasing your Diamond-Grade Vine while suppressed by the Energy Lock Ring, Warden Ming will be put in a difficult position."
Qi An turned his head toward Ming Qiuxue and said kindly, "Right, Warden Ming?"
Ming Qiuxue's expression had completely darkened.
"Qi An, if you want to make snide remarks, get the hell back to your Third Prison!"
Qi An spread his hands. "Misunderstanding, misunderstanding. Warden Ming, we're colleagues. You know I'm doing this for your own good."
Qi An's eyes were old and cloudy, like dust stirred up beneath a misty sky.
Ming Qiuxue's golden pupils abruptly narrowed into slits, as though he had completely marked Qi An as prey.
Their gazes collided. Beneath the calm surface, a raging storm brewed.
After a long while, Ming Qiuxue sneered. "Qi An, I hate it most when people threaten me with my family. Congratulations. You succeeded."
Golden energy patterns emerged across Ming Qiuxue's forehead. He clenched his hand, and the Longevity Lock appeared instantly.
"Before this, I didn't care how you interrogated 0456. But now I'm telling you, the emergency interrogation of 0456 ends here. If you're dissatisfied, you're welcome to make a move against me."
Qi An quickly waved his hands. "Hey, Warden Ming, let's talk this out. You must have misunderstood me. How could I possibly threaten you with members of the Ming Family?"
Qi An looked at Yu Tu. "Then I won't interrupt. Warden Ming, please continue."
The moment he finished speaking, the young man in a white officer's uniform inside the Special Interrogation Room changed expression. "Warden Ming!"
"Jinshan, what is it?"
Jinshan stepped forward with a tablet. "Warden Ming, it's a video call from Deputy Director Tian!"
At Second Prison, Jinshan served not only as deputy warden, but also handled work similar to Zhang Jiao's at First Prison. His work tablet was never far from him.
Ming Qiuxue lowered his head. It was indeed a video call from Tian Chi.
"Are we taking it?"
Ming Qiuxue gritted his teeth. "Take it!"
Did he even have the option not to?!
Jinshan tapped to answer, and Tian Chi's face appeared on the screen. "Ming Qiuxue, heed my order. I will conduct a video interrogation of Yu Tu."
"...Yes, Deputy Director Tian. Yinshan, activate the room's holographic projection equipment."
Yinshan was the other deputy warden of Second Prison.
Very soon, Tian Chi's holographic projection appeared before Yu Tu.
He was a middle-aged man with an utterly unremarkable face. He had no strengths whatsoever and plenty of flaws.
Yet one glance at his eyes left a deep impression: dark green, cold, and vicious.
"Yu Tu, can't you feel the Energy Lock Ring suppressing your power?"
Yu Tu was already annoyed to death. "I'm not leaving Calamity Planet anyway!"
"Then answer my question properly. Can you feel the Energy Lock Ring suppressing you?"
"I refuse to answer."
Yu Tu was afraid of saying the wrong thing.
Tian Chi gave a sinister smile. "Yu Tu, tell me, why do you remember nothing and still haven't learned to behave? Does it matter to me whether you answer? If you won't answer, I have plenty of ways to get the answer I want."
Tian Chi's smile vanished. "Ming Qiuxue, electrocution. Set it directly to level ten. Light methods are useless against him. Back then, I personally watched him put on two special shackles, yet he didn't display even the slightest vine power."
It felt as if Ming Qiuxue's throat had been stuffed with mud. He opened his mouth, but not a single word came out.
Qi An rose to his feet. "Deputy Director Tian, Warden Ming isn't feeling well today. I'll help him."
"Qi An!"
Tian Chi's holographic projection turned toward Ming Qiuxue. "Does Warden Ming have any objections to my arrangement?"
"...No... I don't."
"Good."
The next second, Qi An switched on the electric shock device and set its intensity to level ten.
Terrifying currents instantly surged through his body. Yu Tu bared his teeth in agony, shaking uncontrollably all over. In the blink of an eye, he smelled something burning.
A voice in his mind went mad.
Kill them, kill them!
Yu Tu's teeth chattered as he struggled to argue back. "No, no, I can't..."
He had promised Lu Mi that he would never use the white vines in front of others again.
No, he couldn't.
Just endure it a little longer!
The electrocution continued for five minutes, but Yu Tu displayed no Source Power.
Tian Chi was not surprised. "If he gave in that quickly, he wouldn't be the First Commander. Increase the voltage to level fifteen."
"Keep raising it. Level twenty."
"Continue."
Ming Qiuxue stood in the Special Interrogation Room of Second Prison, his teeth clenched tight.
His hands were balled into fists, his nails nearly digging into his palms.
He had interrogated many serious criminals in this room and used countless methods, but not one of them had been able to withstand such intense electrocution.
Yu Tu's face on the interrogation chair looked terrible. Many tips of his white hair had been scorched black by the electricity.
This was the person Lu Mi wanted to protect...
Tian Chi was still speaking. "Raise it further!"
Ming Qiuxue closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Enough! Deputy Director Tian, enough! At this rate, he'll die!"
Ming Qiuxue opened his eyes just as Tian Chi looked at him. He forced out a humble smile.
"Deputy Director Tian, if Yu Tu dies, he'll have no value left."
Qi An spoke from the side. "Besides, Deputy Director Tian, the electrocution has already reached maximum intensity. It can't go any higher. I suggest we try something else."
Qi An glanced at Ming Qiuxue. "Oh, right, Deputy Director Tian. Give the order for Warden Ming to wait outside. He looks ill to me."
Tian Chi nodded. "Fine, Ming Qiuxue. Go outside."
Ming Qiuxue remained where he was. Tian Chi smiled. "I nearly forgot. Ming Qiuxue, I just went to see your father and mother. Your parents asked me to send you their regards."
Ming Qiuxue's fingertips trembled. "Thank you, Deputy Director Tian. Then... I'll wait outside."
Ship 01 sped in, hovering over Second Prison on Calamity Planet in the blink of an eye.
The ship rotated as it slowly descended toward the ground, kicking up yellow sand and flying stones.
Soon, the hatch opened, and Lu Mi strode out with a cold expression.
Lin Luo, Mo Ke, and Luo Wei followed close behind him.
They looked at Lu Mi with deep concern in their eyes.
Yet when they reached the entrance of Second Prison, they immediately concealed their emotions and became expressionless.
Lu Mi looked at the prison officer of Second Prison. "Open the door!"
The gates of Second Prison opened, and he headed straight for the Special Interrogation Room.
When he reached the corridor leading into Second Prison, Lu Mi's steps halted. From afar, his eyes met Ming Qiuxue's.
Ming Qiuxue leaned dejectedly against one wall, a cigar clenched between his lips.
Seeing Lu Mi, he said with a complicated look in his eyes, "I'm sorry."
Lu Mi's expression changed, and he quickened his pace.
Ming Qiuxue opened the door to the Special Interrogation Room for Lu Mi. The moment it opened, a thick stench of blood rushed at them.
At the same time, Tian Chi and Qi An's voices came from inside—
"Deputy Director Tian, Yu Tu has completely passed out. It seems that killing people with vines while wearing the Energy Lock Ring was merely a coincidence.
After all, several days of brutal torture and repeated brushes with death still failed to awaken his potential."
"Looks that way. I'll report the interrogation results. Warden Qi An, you've worked hard."
Lu Mi stepped inside just as Tian Chi's holographic projection vanished.
When Qi An saw him, he smiled kindly. "Warden Lu Mi, you're back!"
Lu Mi did not answer. His gaze fixed on Yu Tu, hanging in midair to the left.
Terrifying hooks pierced through his shoulder blades. Chains ran through both his wrists and ankles. His black prison uniform had been whipped beyond recognition, and the tears in his clothes exposed the skin beneath.
Yu Tu's skin was very fair, but Lu Mi could barely see any white now.
It was all torn-open flesh.
Like a crazed wild leopard, Lu Mi lunged at Qi An in an instant.
He seized Qi An by the throat with both hands, baring his teeth in fury. "You old bastard, how dare you! Huh?!"
Yu Tu had once tried to kill him, yet he had not even been willing to touch a hair on him!
"What gives you the right?! I'll kill you!"
Before you continue