Although Lam Minh couldn't see the figure of Le Dao Khuc sitting opposite him, he was still very moved to hear his best friend's voice.
"Yeah, thank you," Lam Minh replied.
"Alright, there's not much time for you two. I will now ask three questions. Both of you will write your answers on paper. If they don't match, you know the result, Minh," the female investigator said, pushing a stack of sticky notes and a pen in front of Lam Minh.
The reason they brought Lam Minh's friend here and asked questions was to determine if Lam Minh had been eliminated and replaced by someone else.
According to the preliminary investigation, Lam Minh had been normal from childhood until now. Only recently had he become abnormal and shown signs of being a cultivator.
So they wanted to confirm.
"Alright, first question: In elementary school, was there a first time you two did the stupidest thing together? What was it?" The investigator's question surprised Lam Minh.
Easy.
He immediately wrote on the paper: "The first time we did something stupid together was climbing onto the school roof to retrieve a stuck kite."
The investigator silently took the answer sheet from Lam Minh and remained quiet.
She didn't say if it matched or not, which made Lam Minh even more anxious.
"Question 2: In your entire childhood, was there ever a time you two almost died together? If so, where was it?" the investigator asked the second question.
Lam Minh continued to write: "We both fell into a ditch behind the rice fields and were almost swept away. Luckily, a passerby saved us, so we escaped death."
"Question 3: State the nicknames you both gave each other, that only the two of you know. What are they?"
Lam Minh wrote again: "Le is 'Rabbit Feet,' I am 'Timid Baby'."
After looking at the paper, the investigator ordered someone to lead Le out.
Lam Minh was extremely curious. Why won't they tell me the answers???
Don't I deserve to know if Le's answers and mine match?
After Le was led out of the room, the investigator sitting opposite him finally spoke, "The answers... don't match. Do you have anything else to say, Minh?"
Lam Minh was completely shocked by this result.
Why didn't they match?
He remembered these events as if they were etched in his mind.
So, the problem was with Le. Did he not remember what happened between them clearly???
Lam Minh was now helpless. A challenge he thought was simple had turned out to be insurmountable.
"Alright, your identity as an insider has basically been confirmed." The female investigator said only that much and nothing more.
An order was given. A group of three men entered and dragged Lam Minh away.
Their movements were now very rough.
His arm was twisted, causing Lam Minh extreme pain.
He was dragged to another room, just as dark.
A chain was tightly fastened around his hands.
Lam Minh was now hung vertically, like a pig waiting to be slaughtered.
His wrists ached intensely.
Then, they left.
Without saying another word to Lam Minh.
Lam Minh was left hanging there for twelve long hours.
Not a single word of explanation. Lam Minh now felt abandoned by all of humanity.
Pain, hunger, cold, loneliness.
This was exactly how Lam Minh felt right now.
The room was dark, without a glimmer of light.
Never before had Lam Minh felt so desperate. He felt it was unfair. This investigation was too perfunctory; it seemed they didn't want to give him any chance to prove he was human.
A while later, the female investigator entered.
In her hand was a light bulb. She slowly walked over and hung it near Lam Minh.
Only now could Lam Minh see the girl's face clearly.
He asked wearily, "Why? Is this what you call an investigation? A few superficial questions, and now you confirm I'm an insider? How ridiculous."
Although Lam Minh was exhausted, he couldn't suppress the anger in his heart.
"All talk is truly useless. Your father, mother, and sister are now sharing the same fate as you, just hanging in a different room," the female investigator said, looking at Lam Minh with a scornful expression.
As soon as Lam Minh heard this, he could no longer contain his emotions.
He struggled. He screamed.
The chains clanged as he thrashed about.
Despite Lam Minh's frantic outburst, the female investigator just stood there watching him.
No emotion, no expression.
Her gaze was incredibly cold, as if Lam Minh was already a dead man.
After a while, when Lam Minh was exhausted.
He stopped struggling, only the sound of heavy panting remained.
"Do you know why, even after confirming you're an insider, we've still spared your dog's life?" the female investigator finally asked.
"I... don't know." Lam Minh couldn't be bothered to think anymore.
Perhaps fate had destined him for a tragic life.
Even with a second chance, with his careless personality.
The result would be the same, only the process would be different.
"We need to know your objective, if there are any other accomplices, and your confirmation that you are an insider. As long as you can satisfy these three conditions, I will release your family," the female investigator said.
Her words ignited a glimmer of hope in Lam Minh's heart.
Right, although he couldn't reach the pinnacle of his life and had to end it here.
At least he would no longer implicate his family. He would save them.
He knew he only had one chance, and he had to seize it to save his family.
"I have one condition. If you meet it, I will talk," Lam Minh made a request.
"Please speak. What condition? I will consider it," the female investigator said with a smile, asking Lam Minh.
"Provide my parents with a sum of money, and help my sister finish university. That's all I need. And pass on a message to my parents: I'm sorry. Just that much, and I will tell you everything," Lam Minh said in helplessness.
Although he wasn't an insider from the Cultivation World, what other choice did he have?
They had already decided he was an insider, so he could only use it to accomplish what he couldn't in his past life.
"Hm, I don't understand. If you're an insider, why do you still care about your family?" the female investigator asked, and without waiting for his reply, she continued, "Ah, are you trying to play the part of a filial son to escape danger? How naive."
Hearing this, Lam Minh was too weary to bother refuting her anymore.
Think whatever you want to think.
"Alright, we agree. Now, tell us everything. After you're done, I'll give you a gentle death," the female investigator said.
Just then, a group of people entered, each holding a rifle.
They stood at attention and aimed straight, their target being Lam Minh.
He knew that as soon as he finished speaking, those lead candies would be embedded in his body.
The end of a game called 'life'.
"Alright, I am an insider. My purpose is to infiltrate and destroy humanity from within. My accomplice is the student Gia Huy from class 11A03. That's all." After speaking, Lam Minh squeezed his eyes shut. He had fabricated a false truth in exchange for the conditions he had set earlier.
And…
He wanted to drag that Gia Huy guy down with him, to save To Quyen.
If he died and that guy lived, history would not change at all.
So he had named Gia Huy as his accomplice to share his fate.
He was ready for his own demise.
He squeezed his eyes shut and waited for the sound of gunshots.
But…
One second, ten seconds, thirty seconds passed without any gunfire.
Lam Minh slowly opened his eyes.
The soldiers holding the guns had lowered them.
The female investigator was standing there, smirking at him.
And beside her was a man.
Strong and dignified.
A familiar feeling washed over Lam Minh.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
The sound of applause came from the man.
Mr. Dam Chan Quoc.
"Congratulations, kid. You have passed my test of Martial Arts, Intellect, and Virtue. None of your family or friends were summoned here. In fact, the answers were brought back, and Le was interviewed directly. The answers matched. From now on, you, Lam Minh, will be a member of the Bach Hoang Dojo," Mr. Quoc said, looking at Lam Minh with a satisfied expression.
Lam Minh was completely bewildered.
A few people came over and unfastened the chains for Lam Minh.
He was still in a daze even after being helped to the ground.
He just sat there, stunned.
Mr. Quoc said nothing more, letting him digest what had happened.
After a while, he burst out laughing.
Finally, he understood everything. It was all Dam Chan Quoc's plan. A test plan that had spun him around like a top.
First, he tested his Martial Arts. When that was passed, he began to test his identity, Intellect, and Virtue.
The investigation into him was real.
But they had put on a play from the moment they said they were bringing Le Dao Khuc in.
No friend had come to verify. As soon as the results came back and matched, he was cleared of suspicion.
And they had given him a choice in the face of death, to see how he would decide.
Lam Minh laughed, laughed at this so-called test from his uncle.
It was too much of a psychological challenge.
He thought he had lost everything.
Hahaha!
Lam Minh went from a small laugh to a chuckle, and finally to a crazed laugh.
Mr. Quoc came over and patted his shoulder. "Alright, come back with me. While you were locked up for investigation, I went to inform your family and requested a leave of absence for you from school. You can rest assured."
Lam Minh wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and asked, "So what did you tell them?"
"From the moment it was confirmed that the answers matched and you were not an insider, I went and informed your family: You are now a member of the Bach Hoang Dojo and will be under my tutelage. How could they refuse a Nascent Soul powerhouse like me? Hahaha," Mr. Quoc said and laughed loudly.
"Mmm, then I'm relieved," Lam Minh replied.
At this moment, the heavy stone weighing on his heart finally fell.
He felt relieved.
Everything that had happened in the last two days truly felt like a dream to him.
A rollercoaster of emotions, lifting him up and then slamming him down.
"Alright, now follow me back to the dojo. I will introduce you to your senior brothers and sisters and the true purpose of the Bach Hoang Dojo," Mr. Quoc said and started walking.
"Alright, sir," Lam Minh replied and followed Mr. Quoc.
"Wrong. It's 'Master'," Mr. Quoc corrected.
Lam Minh chuckled. So this was the life and mind of a powerhouse. So complicated.
"Yes, Master," Lam Minh replied.
The two of them casually got into the G63 and returned to the dojo.
At this moment, Mr. Quoc had a doubt in his heart: "Who is Gia Huy???"