In a holding cell on the third floor of the Southern District Police Station, Bai Hao lay semi-reclined on a long bench, eyes lightly closed as if asleep. Yet, his mind remained active, his ears constantly attuned to any sound outside the room. It was now around one in the morning. He had been in the cell for five or six hours. The officer's cold reminder, "Someone will come to take your statement later," had clearly been an empty promise. Since being placed in this cell, Bai Hao had been ignored like a weed by the roadside. By now, his stomach was empty—he hadn't eaten dinner before leaving Qin Yuan Academy, and after arriving at the Southern District Station, the officers had simply locked him up and paid him no further mind.
Tap... tap...
Suddenly, the faint sound of footsteps broke the nocturnal silence.
Bai Hao's eyes snapped open. If he wasn't mistaken, the footsteps outside seemed to be approaching his location. Though the sound that reached his ears was faint, in the quiet of the night, it was still distinguishable.
Sure enough, the footsteps halted outside the door of his cell.
Outside stood two officers from the Southern District Station. One swiftly unlocked the door and barked coldly at Bai Hao on the bench, "Out. Time for questioning."
A flicker of surprise crossed Bai Hao's face. He couldn't help but wonder why they hadn't questioned him earlier, only to do so in the dead of night. What game were they playing? However, he showed no outward sign of this, quickly rising and stepping out of the cell.
Soon, escorted by the two officers, Bai Hao arrived at an interrogation room of about ten square meters. He was seated in a chair designed for suspects. His hands were secured to the armrests, and a horizontal bar about ten centimeters from his chest fixed his upper body to the seat.
Sitting at the interrogation table opposite him were two officers. One, a middle-aged man in his thirties, Bai Hao recognized—he was the leading officer among the four who had apprehended him at the entrance of Qin Yuan Academy that afternoon. The other man he hadn't seen before was around fifty, with sword-like eyebrows that gave him an air of severity.
The man with the sword-like eyebrows was Ning Hu, head of the Public Order Section at the Southern District Station. His rank wasn't high, but within the station, he was a figure to be reckoned with, for a simple reason: his surname was Ning. He was from the Ning family. Although only a distant branch member, the Ning family name was not to be underestimated in Baoli City. Accompanying Ning Hu was a team leader named Yan Song, one of Ning Hu's trusted subordinates.
Ning Hu's eyes were like blades, surveying the seemingly calm Bai Hao opposite him with a cold glint. Inwardly, he sneered. This arrest of Bai Hao had been his brainchild. The three thugs who had accosted Bai Hao were arranged through his contacts, their purpose to create a more plausible, believable pretext for his men to apprehend Bai Hao.
Based on the information Ning Zhongtian had provided, this kid before him had no significant background but was an employee of Baoli Corporation. In Baoli City, the Ning family could indeed act with impunity, with one exception: Baoli Corporation. While Baoli Corporation was superficially under the city's jurisdiction, it operated its own internal system and had little direct relation to the municipal government. More importantly, it had an immensely powerful backer—the Imperial military. Thus, even with the Ning family's considerable influence in Baoli City, they dared not easily provoke Baoli Corporation. On the surface, the Ning family would never act against Baoli Corporation; on the contrary, they would spend considerable resources to curry favor with certain key figures within the company.
Regarding Bai Hao, Ning Zhongtian had already thoroughly investigated his information. He was just an ordinary person from a remote mining planet in the Western Sector, with no background. He had been fortunate enough to join Baoli Corporation due to some talent in mechas, having been there just over half a year. Dealing with such an ordinary employee who had neither power nor connections gave Ning Zhongtian great confidence. He just needed to make the surface-level justification appear sound. Even if any flaws emerged later, given his relationships with several mid-to-high-level personnel at Baoli Corporation, he could easily smooth things over, at most with some cost.
Of course, a small matter like dealing with Bai Hao was beneath Ning Zhongtian's personal involvement. A simple word from him would naturally set things in motion. Ning Hu was undoubtedly a suitable candidate for the task, one extremely adept at handling such matters, having previously "cleaned up" brilliantly after his own good-for-nothing son on multiple occasions.
Ning Hu stared at Bai Hao for a full thirty seconds, as if trying to see through him. However, to his slight disappointment, Bai Hao maintained a calm composure throughout. He truly couldn't see through him at a glance.
Facing Ning Hu's knife-like gaze, Bai Hao appeared calm and collected on the surface, but inwardly, a drumbeat of anxiety had begun. He didn't know what methods the other party would employ. Right now, he was like a blind man, unable to see anything.
"You're quite vicious, kid. Two minor injuries, one serious. According to Imperial law, that constitutes intentional harm," Ning Hu said, withdrawing his gaze, his tone indifferent.
"Two minor, one serious?" Bai Hao was slightly taken aback. At the time, he had been very measured in his strikes. The two men he had hit in the abdomen would be fine after a short period of rest. As for the leader, he might have sustained some minor injuries, but certainly nothing serious.
"Officer, are you certain?" Bai Hao asked, slightly puzzled.
Ning Hu, however, frowned slightly, a cold edge entering his voice. "Do you think I'd joke about something like this?"
Bai Hao looked directly at the officer across from him. While his face showed nothing, inwardly he absolutely refused to believe it. He had some confidence in the分寸 of his strikes. If one or two of the three men had injuries beyond his expectations, he might have chosen to believe it. But for all three to exceed his estimations could only mean the other party was, in all likelihood, lying. Connecting this to the Ning family affair, he quickly categorized the officer before him as someone in cahoots with the Nings. A wave of helplessness and bitterness washed over him. To deal with a small fry like him, the Ning family had even mobilized police resources. It seemed this was indeed no simple case of brawling. Based on what the officer had just said—two minor injuries, one serious, treated as intentional harm—he was probably looking at at least a year or two behind bars.
Seeing Bai Hao silent, Ning Hu snorted coldly. "Don't worry. I expect the hospital will issue the relevant assessment conclusions tomorrow. Then everything will be clear."
Hearing this, Bai Hao's heart sank further. If the other party spoke like this, it meant the conclusions of one serious and two minor injuries were almost certainly a done deal. Clearly, the Ning family wouldn't let him off easily this time. Now, he truly realized that as a nobody from a remote mining planet, he had no capital whatsoever to contend with a powerful, well-connected family like the Nings.
After a few moments of silence, Bai Hao calmed his emotions slightly and said evenly, "I was acting in legitimate self-defense."
"Legitimate self-defense?" Ning Hu feigned surprise, a trace of a mocking smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. He said sternly, "Whether it was legitimate self-defense or not, we will consider carefully. For now, let's proceed with the formal statement. Remember, answer our questions honestly."
Seeing this, Bai Hao didn't say more, simply giving a slight nod.
"Xiao Song, begin," Ning Hu signaled to Yan Song beside him.
"Yes, boss." Yan Song nodded quickly, then fixed his gaze on Bai Hao and said formally, "First, let's confirm your identity. Name?"
"Bai Hao."
"Identification card number?"
"LSVBH5968421587472."
...
After asking the basic identification information, Yan Song began inquiring about the specific details of the incident. Bai Hao answered each question carefully and in detail. Although he was ninety percent sure the other party was in league with the Ning family, given his current situation, he had no room for resistance. However, in his account and answers, he naturally framed everything from the perspective of legitimate self-defense.
Ning Hu rarely asked Bai Hao questions directly, only interjecting with queries about specific details. The rest of the time, he sat solemnly listening to Bai Hao's account, occasionally appearing thoughtful.
Half an hour later, Yan Song finally stopped the questioning, seemingly checking the content for any omissions. Ning Hu looked utterly nonchalant.
Bai Hao sat quietly in the chair, patiently waiting.
Five minutes later, Yan Song handed Bai Hao a paper copy of the statement and removed his handcuffs. In a slightly urging tone, he said, "This is the statement from just now. If there are no problems, sign your name quickly."
Bai Hao flexed his wrists slightly and took the statement. He didn't rush to sign, instead examining it carefully.
Seeing this, Yan Song's mouth twitched slightly. He shot a somewhat helpless glance at Ning Hu.
Ning Hu remained expressionless, his face impassive.
The statement wasn't long, just three pages. Initially, Bai Hao didn't spot any issues; the recorded content matched what he had said. However, upon reaching the second page, he noticed significant discrepancies between the statement and his actual account. He couldn't help but wonder if the two officers were trying to tamper with the statement. He didn't point out the problems immediately but continued reading carefully.
Seeing Bai Hao's demeanor, Yan Song didn't bother waiting beside him any longer. He returned to his seat at the table, his expression slightly dark. The statement he had given Bai Hao did indeed contain issues. With his extensive experience handling cases, he was very clear about which points were crucial and which could play a key role. He had intended to quickly rush Bai Hao into signing. Once signed, it would be treated as his admission and could serve as direct evidence. Now, it seemed Bai Hao wasn't as easy to fool as he had thought. A careful reading would easily reveal the problems.
Bai Hao spent a full ten minutes reading before finally setting the statement down. Then, with a serious expression, he said, "Officer, there are quite a few discrepancies between this statement and what I said. I cannot sign it."
A cold laugh escaped Yan Song's lips. "Discrepancies? Tell me what they are."
Bai Hao replied slowly, "Firstly, in the account, I wasn't the one who struck first; they were. Also, the dialogue I had with them doesn't seem to have been recorded..."
Bai Hao unhurriedly pointed out each area he found problematic. Yan Song opposite him appeared to listen attentively, while Ning Hu seemed indifferent.
After Bai Hao finished, Yan Song said coldly, "Any other issues?"
Bai Hao shook his head.
"Since you've raised them, I'll make the revisions. However, not everything you want added can be added. There are regulations for these statements, understand?" Yan Song's mouth twitched slightly, his expression visibly displeased.
"Thank you, Officer," Bai Hao said politely.
Subsequently, Yan Song quickly revised the relevant parts of the statement, printed out a new paper copy, and handed it to Bai Hao, saying coldly, "Look it over carefully again. If there are no problems, sign your name quickly."
Bai Hao nodded, took the statement from Yan Song, and began examining it carefully once more.
Over ten minutes later, Bai Hao set the statement down. This version seemed fine, matching what he had said earlier, providing a relatively objective and fair account of the incident.
After a moment's hesitation, Bai Hao signed his name.
"Officer, it's signed," Bai Hao said calmly.
Yan Song walked over to Bai Hao, picked up the statement, scanned it a few times, then tossed it onto the table. He spoke again in a cold, clipped tone, "Due to the current complexity of the case, you are temporarily unable to leave the station. You'll remain in the holding cell tonight. Behave yourself."
"Officer, may I make a comm call?" Bai Hao asked tentatively. Though he knew the answer would likely be no, he still wanted to try, hoping to find a way to contact his teacher and senior sister. In Baoli City, they were probably the only two who could help him now.
Yan Song gave a cold laugh. "Not now."
With that, Yan Song opened the interrogation room door and called out softly.
Two officers immediately entered, escorted Bai Hao out, and led him back toward the holding cells.
Inside the interrogation room, Yan Song said with some regret, "Boss, it seems this kid is somewhat alert. He actually noticed I tampered with the statement. Otherwise, it would have been more favorable for us."
Ning Hu, however, wore an indifferent expression. "It doesn't matter. This kid's fate is already sealed. Once the assessment conclusions come out tomorrow, we'll get a few witness statements. Then I'll have a word with the prosecution. Even if he wants to fight it, there won't be any possibility."
"Boss, you're brilliant," Yan Song chuckled, flattering.
Ning Hu smiled. "Alright, enough flattery. It's late. Time to go get some proper rest."
"Yes, boss."
Soon, the two also left the interrogation room.