At this moment, Jeanne was also curious about that Columbian company. Moreover, their collaborative project certainly had to be related to those drugs that could drive people into a frenzy. Recalling previous events, it was likely they were taking the same type of medication—which meant the forces behind them were likely one and the same.
"I indeed participated in the transport of those Ursus munitions before, but that pile of stuff has already been moved elsewhere. Recently, the situation in Ursus has been quite chaotic, so we didn't dare act rashly."
Hearing him mention the weapons, Jeanne perked up her ears to listen. This wasn't something only Lungmen was investigating; she was likewise looking into the specifics of this matter. However, it wasn't convenient for her to ask him about the details of Ursus arms smuggling inside the LGD, given that this was an interrogation room monitored by the department.
Fortunately, Jeanne knew that Ch'en and the others were strictly investigating the Ursus smuggling case. This gave her the perfect opportunity to eavesdrop on information that was equally important to her. Besides, Ch'en had no way of sending her away right now. If Jeanne's power stopped controlling him, whether this fellow would continue to cooperate would be another matter entirely.
This was the first time Jeanne had seen someone whose allegiances were so flexible; this man didn't care about "loyalty" in the slightest. Compared to loyalty, he likely cared more about Lungmen Dollars. If someone else could offer him more money while guaranteeing his safety, betrayal would surely be no difficult task for him.
However, that was simply his way of survival. Jeanne didn't intend to judge him too harshly; she considered herself quite merciful for not handing him over to Laterano. By Jeanne's estimation, if this guy fell into Laterano's hands, given the wicked things he'd done to her, the bare minimum he'd face would be a firing squad. And not an ordinary one—more like twenty minutes of relentless fire from a rotary gun. The Sankta certainly wouldn't stop until he was turned into a sieve.
"Where was the stuff moved? The volume of weapons you've transported over the years shouldn't be small, yet we've never discovered them. How do you explain that?"
Ch'en questioned the brute. The thought of Ursus continuously supplying Lungmen with all sorts of weapons and bombs every year—even high-risk Originium explosives—made her blood boil. According to the investigation, the engines of those motorcycles had been modified to use extremely high-risk Originium, which was why they exploded so easily.
Ch'en broke into a cold sweat just thinking about how these people used to roam freely through the Lower and even Midtown areas. If something had happened and those broken motorcycles had exploded in the city, the consequences would have been unthinkable. How many people would have suffered in the blast? How many would have been infected with Oripathy, their lives ruined by that terrifying disease?
"The weapons... they should have specialized storage areas. Once the weapons get there, they are modified to look nothing like Ursus military gear; instead, they look like unremarkable, off-brand equipment."
Tom didn't know exactly how they did it—how they "magic-modded" handsome Ursus official weapons into something that looked like junk used by local militias. But it happened right beside him; in fact, he currently had quite a few such weapons in his possession. Though their appearance was ugly, their power hadn't decreased in the slightest.
Ch'en didn't seem satisfied and continued to press for more on these Ursus munitions. Both she and Hoshiguma placed immense importance on how these goods flowed from Lungmen to the rest of the world. Any oversight could be perceived as a failure on Wei Yenwu's part, allowing others to attack Lungmen's administration and potentially destabilizing the city's political situation.
"To be honest, I've only participated in a few of these operations. I don't know exactly where the weapons are sent; that's for the people meeting us to worry about..."
Hearing this, Ch'en and Hoshiguma realized the gravity of the situation. They planned to disrupt the operation as quickly as possible. But it wasn't that simple; so far, they couldn't find a single solid lead beyond the testimony of this low-ranking thug.
Jeanne also felt it was a pity. They had finally caught someone who knew about it, only for him to be in such an awkward position—high enough to know something, but low enough that he didn't know the core secrets. What worried them even more was whether the people managing the smuggling would go into hiding or "silence" those in the know and evacuate once they heard this man had been captured.
"One thing after another... it's like all the trouble is crashing together at once."
Ch'en felt her horns aching just thinking about the pile of problems. Days of overtime without much intel had left her feeling irritable. After this round of interrogation, the man had said just about everything he knew. He sat there motionless, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought.
"Forget it, let's leave it at this for now. We'll talk again when we've actually dug something up. I'll take him back first."
With that, Hoshiguma prepared to lead the man out of the interrogation room. But... without a command from Jeanne, the man remained seated in the chair, unable to move so much as an inch.
"Um... Miss Jeanne, could you please let this guy move? I'll keep him under control so he doesn't run off."
Left with no choice, Hoshiguma turned to Jeanne, who was observing the situation closely. Jeanne had wanted to see to what extent her command could control him, and she hadn't expected it to be this effective. Even without actively channeling the "Dragon Witch" power now, the man was still acting according to her previous order. She just didn't know if this control would last a lifetime.
"You may move freely now."
Finally, at Jeanne's command, the Vouivre regained his freedom. Jeanne had worried that if she told him to "follow Hoshiguma," he might end up literally following her forever, which would have been hilarious. She wasn't sure if her power needed more refinement, or if it was because he wasn't a true Wyvern but a hybrid with Wyvern blood.
When Jeanne controlled him, he became very mechanical. This might have been because Jeanne was very cautious when controlling him, leading her to issue very strict commands. In any case, controlling him didn't feel as natural as controlling true Wyverns. At least those creatures knew what to do just by seeing her wave her flag.
However, this control had left the man too terrified to try anything. He followed Hoshiguma out like a obedient little chick, not daring to utter a single word as he left. It seemed he was truly scared—scared that Jeanne's next words would be, "You are useless now, go kill yourself."
Anyone would feel terror toward someone with the power to control their life and death, and might even be driven to attack Jeanne in a frenzy. But now, having a clear understanding of his situation, the Vouivre suddenly felt that staying in Lungmen Prison for the rest of his life was actually quite safe—at least there was no threat of immediate death.
Watching his retreating back as he trotted after Hoshiguma in a surprisingly good mood, Jeanne suddenly felt like she had driven another person crazy. Truly, what a sin!
"Ugh... let's just go."
Ch'en looked at the departing hunk of muscle with sheer disgust. She and Jeanne left the interrogation room, but all along the way, Ch'en seemed to be hesitating, as if she wanted to ask Jeanne something.
"Jeanne... is your control ability only effective on Vouivres? We have a few other prisoners who refuse to tell the truth. Do you want to try and see if it works on Lupos or Felins?"
After much deliberation, Ch'en tentatively inquired about her power. It wasn't that she was afraid Jeanne would use it for ill, but she wanted to know the limits. To what extent could Jeanne control others? How many races were involved? Although asking about someone's abilities like this felt a bit intrusive.