Chapter 5: Betrayal!

At the No. 76 dungeon, after leaving the first interrogation room, Dao Yan looked at the empty-handed Zhou Mei with a mocking smile.

"Do we still need to go to the second interrogation room?"

Zhou Mei gritted her teeth. She refused to believe that things were really this bizarre today, so she immediately nodded and replied, "We are going. One of these two people must have a problem. That young girl has a special identity and is far too naive to be an agent. Therefore, I believe the one in the second interrogation room is our target."

Dao Yan smiled noncommittally and led Zhou Mei and the others straight to the second interrogation room.

Inside, after two rounds of questioning, Zhao Xuan had managed to muddle through by mixing nine parts truth with one part lies. Right now, only one question haunted Zhao Xuan's mind: what did his handler, Tiger Girl, mean by "before a new handler contacts you"? A new handler implied that Tiger Girl was being reassigned, or worse... Zhao Xuan dared not contemplate the other possibility; he had to force himself to remain calm. He knew that the No. 76 agents hadn't used real force during the first two interrogations, but he was certain a third one was coming, and that one would not be so easy to evade.

Just as he anticipated, someone entered the room soon after. To Zhao Xuan’s surprise, the group was led by his own wife, Dao Yan. Seeing her, Zhao Xuan was slightly stunned. A quick glance revealed the person who concerned him most: the middle-aged woman bearing visible injuries. Based on the knowledge he had acquired before his transmigration, Zhao Xuan could conclude that the woman’s injuries were the result of torture. Seeing everyone, including Dao Yan, yield the interrogation seat to Zhou Mei, Zhao Xuan was now certain that his initial suspicion of a mole was wrong. Tiger Girl’s exposure was due to this woman’s betrayal. Otherwise, it made no sense for a previously interrogated person to be present here.

Zhou Mei looked at the notes from the previous two sessions and said expressionlessly, "Zhao Xuan, at 5:30 PM on the 6th, what were you doing at the flower shop? Answer carefully, or perhaps you can avoid physical suffering."

Seeing that Zhao Xuan showed no signs of torture, Zhou Mei felt a surge of resentment. Why was she the one who had to endure brutal interrogation, while these two highly suspicious individuals remained unscathed? Assuming that because he was with the girl, his identity must be special, she figured No. 76 wouldn't move against them without conclusive evidence. She added the threat as an afterthought, hoping to scare the "pretty boy" into confessing.

(Dialysis mode activated, target's psychological activity being analyzed...)

Regarding the woman's internal monologue, Zhao Xuan was nearly speechless; it was all useless garbage. Finding no important information, he ignored it and replied directly, "I ordered flowers yesterday, and I went to pick them up today."

Zhou Mei was not surprised by the brief answer and continued, "You are Li Mingzhu’s subordinate. What was the purpose of your meeting?"

(I don’t know what Li Mingzhu's previous codename was, but if this kid is a subordinate of the Magpie, asking this should reveal some flaws.)
(Sigh, it's a pity I spent so little time in contact with Li Mingzhu. It would have been perfect if I could have figured out how she was transferred to my Thrush cell. Still, if I hold onto this guy, I should be able to dig it out.)

Zhao Xuan shook his head calmly, though he was burning with rage inside. At the same time, he felt a slight sense of relief. At least now, he could roughly guess why Li Mingzhu had been transferred. Damn it, the leader of the Thrush cell she was transferred to had defected! He knew she was the leader because her internal thoughts mentioned "my Thrush cell."

"What Li Mingzhu? What meeting? What are you talking about?"

Dao Yan stroked her chin, observing Zhao Xuan’s expression closely, while Zhou Mei laughed upon hearing his denial. "Don't struggle. Li Mingzhu is your handler. Your meeting spot was the pantry in the flower shop; otherwise, she wouldn't have brought you into the pantry! After that, you realized your tracks were covered, so you played along with Li Mingzhu to help her escape. The time and location match perfectly—what else do you have to say for yourself?"

(This kid is a good actor. Even though I don't see any cracks, there are too many coincidences. He must be the Magpie’s subordinate. I'll keep bluffing; flaws will show eventually.)

*Li Mingzhu managed to escape?!* Zhao Xuan felt a burst of joy, then looked at Zhou Mei with feigned indignation and adjusted his glasses. Flaws? He chuckled, shook his head again, and spoke in a steady tone:

"I’m sorry, I don't quite understand your questions, but I believe I have pieced together the reason for your interrogation."

Just a moment ago, Zhao Xuan had made a decision. Before leaving, Aunt Liu had said this was the final round of screening, meaning that if he survived today, Ding Moqun would assign him a position at No. 76. He wasn't sure what that position would be, so he needed to demonstrate his value—at least make Ding Moqun see his capability.

How to get through this was simple for Zhao Xuan. Everything today was merely a screening process. Perhaps they were just hoping for a lucky break, but after learning the truth from Aunt Liu, Zhao Xuan had no fear. It was Aunt Liu who had ordered the flowers, and his only real task was to pick up his sister-in-law from school. Furthermore, by the time he reached the shop, the meeting time had already passed. As for the pantry, that was where his sister-in-law had insisted on going. These three points completely cleared him, unless they defined Dao Ya as Li Mingzhu’s subordinate. But that was impossible.

"What do you mean?" Zhou Mei was bewildered by his statement.

Only when Zhao Xuan pointed at Dao Yan did Zhou Mei snap out of it and look in the direction he indicated.

"Dao Yan, jokes should have a limit! Regardless of anything else, I am your husband!"

The moment those words were uttered, Zhou Mei was stunned into silence. *The hell? Are you two playing me?*

Not only Zhou Mei, but the other No. 76 agents present stared at Zhao Xuan in disbelief. Having had her identity revealed in front of everyone, Dao Yan glared at him with a dark expression.

"Use titles during working hours! You say you know why we are questioning you? Fine, then tell me."