Love, death, and false man

Chapter 9.9. Hellish Cruise
9/13—13:13
Fourth Precinct, Interrogation Room.

The thunderous slamming of the table startled Fang Yan, who was lost in thought.

The interrogator swallowed hard. The high school student's bedroom was too eerie. At this moment, his pupils were constricted and unfocused, he was having mild epileptic convulsions, and his nose was bleeding.

Like an emergency heart resuscitation, Fang Yan suddenly came to his senses, took a deep breath as if he had been resurrected, and quickly scanned his surroundings. Like a mental patient seeing double images, he felt a sharp pain in his head.

They seized this opportunity and asked him a question while he was not fully conscious.

The high school student killed one of the key personnel on the ship, so it's not surprising that he had previously resisted arrest and fled to avoid punishment.

"Tell me honestly how you killed the chief engineer, head chef, two engineers, and two unauthorized employees of the Carrier."

After testing the bloodstains on the Carrier with luminol reagent, no other place could be called hell except this place, especially the entire corridor from the freezer where the squid was stored to the first deck, which was full of exaggerated splattered bloodstains, with more human blood than squid blood.

As for the captain...

According to the other suspects, after hijacking the entire ship, they did not kill him immediately. Instead, they used him to communicate with his affiliated company and the maritime authority via satellite phone, sending false messages.

The conflict escalated completely after the fishing boat lost contact. The captain, having lost all value, stabbed the fisherman dozens of times in a fit of rage before killing him and throwing his body into the sea.

As for the claim of dozens of stab wounds, different people's testimonies vary. Some say twenty or thirty stab wounds, while others say forty or fifty. This is because the group that hijacked the fishing boat in the first round participated in the attack, and each person stabbed the other twice, which was considered as drawing blood and paying their dues.

According to the testimonies of the other suspects, Fang Yan was one of the members of the group that took over the fishing boat in the first round.

Subsequently, two more groups with differing opinions joined the alliance: the captain's remaining forces and another group of illegal employees.

But in the final round of the sea battle, those who won and completely took control of the fishing boats were the people from the first round. They were the ones who survived in the end, along with a group of "neutral people" who had always been opportunistic.

As of now, more than ten people are still at large and have not been captured, including Fang Yan's uncle, Ji Jianguo, who is the third-in-command of the group. The number one person is also at large.

Therefore, Fang Yan may have killed more than six people and also participated in the killing of the captain, hitting the captain two or three times with a knife. As for the specific damage caused by these two or three blows, it is impossible to verify.

Fang Yan, however, appeared dazed, covering his nose with his hand to stop the bleeding.

"The last satellite phone call made on the carrier, according to your accomplice's testimony, was made by you. Who did you call, and what did you say?"

The interrogator asked Fang Yan, one of the strangest points in the whole incident: Fang Yan had indeed made a satellite phone call, but there was no record of it on the satellite server.

"satellite telephone?"

Fang Yan's consciousness suddenly snapped back to life, as if all the electrical signals in his brain cells were released in an instant.

The recent chaotic memories were suddenly unraveled, revealing the original root cause.

Yes, I was terrified at the time. Unlike the other people on the ship, I was just working a summer job and tried to ask for help using a satellite phone.

But it was very strange. I had forgotten who I called, but the voice on the other end of the phone was that of a high school girl, saying █████████████.

He was then hung up on by his uncle, who said that he was isolated and helpless at sea and would be killed if he disagreed with the top leader.

After confirming that the number dialed was just a string of random characters and that no sensitive information was mentioned, and also considering his uncle's feelings, the leader let him go. He then destroyed all the communication equipment on the ship.

Yes, it was after that phone call that I gradually began to become mentally confused.

"Playing dumb won't work. Maybe you faked your bedroom and created strange wounds to make us misjudge you as having mental health issues. It's September 13th now. Even if you are assessed as having a mental illness now, this material will not affect your sentencing. You are still criminally responsible during the summer vacation. Unless the material is dated August 1st, before the start of summer vacation, you have no chance of being acquitted. Give up on that idea."

The criminal police officer interrogating Fang Yan sneered. Fang Yan could not be judged by the standards of an ordinary high school student. His mental fortitude and physical condition made him an extraordinary and ruthless criminal.

Fang Yan remained silent for a long time, feeling a bit thirsty. Naturally, the interrogation room wouldn't offer him any good water or tea.

The interrogator, however, casually picked up his thermos, blew on it a few times, and took a leisurely sip.

Sleep deprivation is impossible during interrogation now, but not depriving him of sleep is also somewhat impossible. There are plenty of ways to keep him entertained.

Fang Yan, whose mouth was dry, watched him drink water, and his throat bobbed.

"What time is it now?"

Fang Yan asked, "The lieutenant said within ten minutes. If that's true, and I can't get out of here within ten minutes, then I'll never get out."

The interrogator didn't answer. Since Fang Yan liked to stall, he would just keep stalling. He glanced at his watch, made a feint, and continued drinking his water.

Fang Yan, however, read the instantaneous thought process; it was now 1:15 PM.

At this moment, a noisy electrical sound came from the speaker in the upper right corner of the interrogation room.

"Put the suspect in shackles and let him out."

The voice was very calm.

The interrogator was bewildered. It was only afternoon, and the interrogation had just begun. It was impossible for him to be transferred to custody so soon. What was going on?

"be honest."

Because Fang Yan is a serious offender, he must avoid any form of resistance and is required to wear heavy shackles. Due to the special circumstances, he is in a state of injury and is only a suspect. He is not wearing the uniform he wore during his detention and is still wearing his own clothes.

Fang Yan's mind was on edge, knowing there were only two possible outcomes: execution or immediate release, a world of difference between the two.

After leaving the interrogation room, I noticed that the police officers in the corridor all looked a bit off, and the criminal police captain who was in charge of arresting Fang Yan yesterday was even more incredulous.

"You come with me."

The criminal investigation captain led Fang Yan through a dark corridor, around several corners, and took the elevator to the top floor of the Public Security Bureau.

The glass curtain wall offered an extremely wide view, and the bright sunlight outside made it difficult for Fang Yan to open his eyes. He had to use both hands to shield his eyes while wearing handcuffs.

Upon arriving at a large office, a tall, imposing middle-aged man with an imposing presence and a commanding aura stood at the door, his thoughts impossible to decipher.

"People brought it."

The head of the criminal investigation team didn't know who had called, and even the bureau chief had to stand outside the door to avoid it—a first in his many years of service.

"Remove his handcuffs and shackles."

The middle-aged man gave the order to the police captain.

"What? Chief... Don't let his high school status fool you, I witnessed his ferocity yesterday. If he hadn't been seriously injured with his wounds reopened and bleeding profusely, he would be at large by now!"

The criminal investigation captain retorted loudly, even yelling at the bureau chief, believing there must be some shady dealings involved. He insisted that he had never violated professional ethics or crossed any lines in his many years of service.

"Untie."

The middle-aged man was not angry and calmly repeated the story.

The police captain lit a cigarette, took a puff, and had no choice but to do as he was told.

Fang Yan shook his aching wrist. The situation seemed clear; the lieutenant was reliable.

"You have a phone call."

The middle-aged man spoke calmly to Fang Yan, while also carefully scrutinizing him.

(End of this chapter)