Having captured this person so easily, Tang Cheng was starting to doubt his own abilities. Had this guy really surrendered so easily?
Even as he was being tied up, Tang Cheng remained vigilant, wondering if the man had any hidden tricks up his sleeve.
However, the man did not resist at all and was tied up by Tang Cheng. Thus, the operation in Zhang Family Village ended in a very unsatisfactory manner.
Not only Tang Cheng, Li Xingkong also found it strange. This person looked to be on par with Tang Cheng. If he were to actually fight back, Li Xingkong might have to step in himself. But he only fought a few times and then stopped. Li Xingkong really didn't know what he was thinking.
"You're a really strange person, but whatever, as long as we catch him."
Tang Cheng escorted the man to his side, keeping close by. If he suddenly attacked, the others present wouldn't be able to stop him.
After regrouping the team, Tang Cheng called the Inspection Department on the east side of the Hedong to escort the villagers captured in this operation back first. As for the last person captured, Tang Cheng would naturally keep a close watch on him.
However, the man didn't seem nervous at all on the way to the city, showing no sign of impending doom, which annoyed Tang Cheng greatly.
"Name"
Once on the suspended vehicle back to the city, seeing how indifferent the man seemed even while trapped, Tang Cheng felt he needed to put some pressure on him.
Zhang Ru
The man remained calm and answered all the questions asked.
"Age?"
"25"
What is your relationship with the people of Zhang Family Village?
"Since it's called Zhang Family Village, everyone here is from the Zhang Family. The villagers are all from the Zhang Family's collateral branches."
Tang Cheng was even more puzzled by Zhang Ru's words.
"Since they are all members of your Zhang Family, even if they are beyond the fifth degree of kinship, they are still related by blood. So why are you training them as death squads?"
"What suicide squad? Comrade, don't talk nonsense. There are no suicide squads around these days."
Zhang Ru looked disdainful.
"Weren't their cultivation methods, their choice of Bone Tempering materials, and the techniques they learned all taught by you?"
Tang Cheng pressed for an answer.
"I taught them, but I didn't force them to learn; it was their own choice. It was a matter of mutual consent, what could I do?"
Although he was answering Tang Cheng's questions honestly, his answers were not what Tang Cheng wanted.
"Leaving aside the matter of the village name, where did you get this evil skill?"
While these villagers who self-destructed were indeed ruthless during the fight, that issue can be put aside for now; the main focus is currently on investigating the evil martial arts.
"I saw it online."
Which website?
"That dark web site, the URL is..."
Who told you about this website?
"Other people."
Who are the others?
"Others are others; this word can refer to anyone other than me, like you..."
"You motherfucker..."
Zhang Ru certainly couldn't lie, but that didn't mean he had to finish what he was saying. This kind of questioning, like poking a toad, made Tang Cheng unable to hold back any longer.
"I'm asking for the name of the person who taught you evil arts! Tell me their name!"
I know what you want to ask, and I know the answer, but I can't tell you.
Zhang Ru even laughed at the question. He was a disciple of the Trust School, which meant he couldn't lie, but that didn't mean he couldn't tell the truth.
"Alright, let's see if you're still so stubborn when we get back to the Inspection Department."
Seeing that he couldn't get an answer on that front, Tang Cheng had no choice but to ask about other things.
"Then where did you get your Advanced Qi Refining Method?"
This is also a very serious issue. The distribution of Advanced Qi Refining Method is very cautious, and not just anyone can obtain them.
"I learned it from the official website."
"I know you learned it from the official website, but I'm asking where you learned it from?"
"You learned it in Dragon City, right? Is there another place in Hedong where you can learn it?"
"I... you..."
Tang Cheng was starting to lose his temper; talking to this kind of person was just infuriating.
How did your vetting process go?
"I just filled out a form, and the review was approved."
Zhang Ru is really good at infuriating people.
Who is the person responsible for the investigation?
"I don't know, the reviewer won't see me, and I don't have a receipt."
Tang Cheng leaned back against the chair, feeling somewhat irritated.
Answering questions directly is fine, but his mother's questions were as if she hadn't asked anything at all; this was the first time he'd ever met someone like that.
"Team Leader Tang, never mind, let's ask when we get to Dragon City. We'll have the equipment once we get back to the Inspection Department."
The others sitting nearby quickly patted Tang Cheng on the shoulder and offered words of comfort.
"That's true, let's talk about it when we get back."
The group returned quickly and soon arrived at the branch of the Supervisory Department in Dragon City.
The operation ended quickly and without major problems, so Li Xingkong went home after returning and did not stay at the Inspection Department for long.
After all, if an interrogation were to take place here, there would inevitably be some rather cruel tools. Although Li Xingkong knew that such tools existed, he preferred to avoid looking at them if possible, since it wasn't something that could be discussed openly.
As soon as Li Xingkong left, Tang Cheng wanted to begin interrogating Zhang Ru. However, just as Zhang Ru was being escorted to the Inspection Department, a celebration banquet had already been prepared for them in Dragon City, where many leaders were already waiting.
There's no way around it; even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake. When you come to a place like this, you can't avoid all sorts of social obligations.
After personally sending Zhang Ru to prison, Tang Cheng didn't rush to the victory banquet. Instead, he stared at Zhang Ru for a few moments.
"Wait until we get back, then see if you'll still talk."
After entering the prison, Zhang Ru untied his ropes but wasn't in a hurry. Instead, he leisurely toured the prison environment.
Just as Tang Cheng turned to leave, he spoke.
"Captain Tang, right? You're a good guy, but I still think we should stop here. The waters run deep, and even you can't stir up any waves."
Upon hearing this, Tang Cheng turned around and stared at Zhang Ru Zhang Ru, who was picking at his nails.
"What do you mean?"
"Then let me give you a heads-up, Captain Tang. When you go back, you might as well take a look at what surnames most of the people reviewing cultivation techniques are now, what the backgrounds of the new Inspection Department are, and what the origins of those guys controlling public opinion on Divine Land are."
"The Great Conquest is not just about fighting and killing; it's a time of undercurrents. Captain Tang should think more about how to protect himself."
Tang Cheng was somewhat bewildered by Zhang Ru's words; the amount of information was truly overwhelming.
Tang Cheng hadn't really paid much attention to what Zhang Ru was saying. To him, whoever was selected for the corresponding position was capable enough to do it, regardless of their background or status. But from Zhang Ru's perspective, it was clearly not just a matter of ability.
Tang Cheng took a few breaths, and the way he looked at Zhang Ru changed slightly.
"I'll interrogate you again after my meeting. Don't think you can get away with this by saying some nonsense."
"Haha, okay, I'll wait for you to come back."
Zhang Ru laughed, a very unrestrained laugh.