Chapter 102: Interrogation

“The intelligence was uncovered by you, you participated in the arrest operation, and you know the entire case better than anyone. You’re also proficient in Japanese. You’re the most suitable person for it.” Yu Ping’an glanced at Cheng Qianfan. “Interrogation is a discipline in itself. Consider this your examination in interrogation.”

“Yes, sir!”

After Cheng Qianfan left, Wu Yuanfang finally spoke and asked Yu Ping’an, “Deputy Director Yu, Cheng Wufang has no interrogation experience. You’re sending him to conduct interrogations?”

“Who says he has no interrogation experience?” Yu Ping’an asked in return.

His decision to place Cheng Qianfan in charge of the interrogation was by no means a spur-of-the-moment choice. It was the result of careful consideration.

Cheng Qianfan was proficient in Japanese and understood the temperament of the Japanese very well. That was one reason.

Furthermore, during the operation to capture Kawada Eikichi, the scene in which Cheng Qianfan conducted an on-the-spot interrogation of Wen Changjian had left a deep impression on Yu Ping’an.

From beginning to end, Wen Changjian had been toyed with in Cheng Qianfan’s hands. In an extremely short period of time, the traitor to the Communists had suffered severe devastation both physically and mentally.

Ruthless enough.

As though capable of seeing through people’s hearts.

Those were the two phrases the interrogation instructors of the Special Service Office’s Xiongzhen Tower branch had used to evaluate Cheng Qianfan’s conduct.

It was said that a few days earlier, Wen Changjian had caught sight of Cheng Wufang from a distance. He had turned pale with fright and immediately avoided him. A psychological shadow had already been cast over him.

There was another point as well. Among all the trainees in this class, Yu Ping’an was most satisfied with Cheng Qianfan. The young man was also tactful and had proactively drawn closer to him. Cheng Qianfan now counted as one of Yu Ping’an’s own people.

People from Jiangshan were good.

Perhaps others would instinctively reject a fellow townsman of the Section Chief, but Yu Ping’an would not.

Yu Ping’an had an exceptionally clear understanding of his own position within the Special Service Office.

He did not belong to the Huangpu clique, nor was he from Zhejiang. Furthermore, he carried what was considered a stain of association with the Red cause.

Within the Special Service Office, his future depended entirely on closely following Dai Chunfeng’s lead.

And that was also the reason Dai Chunfeng valued and trusted him.

Cheng Qianfan arrived at the interrogation room.

The two men in charge of interrogations there were brothers named Lu Da and Lu Yuan. Lu Da was the elder brother.

Both had already received instructions from Yu Ping’an. Although they were surprised that Yu Ping’an had chosen such a young trainee from the special training class to take charge of the interrogation, an order from above was an order.

Within the Special Service Office, perceptiveness and obedience were extremely important.

“Team Leader Cheng, shall we begin now?” Lu Da asked. He did not know how to address Cheng Qianfan, so he simply used the title of team leader from Cheng Qianfan’s temporary assignment.

Cheng Qianfan glanced at him. Lu Da was wearing a military uniform, but the upper buttons were undone, exposing the white undershirt beneath. Scattered brown stains marked the undershirt, old blood that could never be washed clean.

“Captain Lu, this is our first collaboration. Thank you for your efforts.” Cheng Qianfan nodded. “Let’s begin then. We’ll start with our doctor friend.”

At present, he knew absolutely nothing about Liu Tao’s true identity. Gu Changyou was the key to prying open the mouth of this Boss Liu.

Lu Da signaled to his brother with a glance.

Lu Yuan nodded and left the interrogation room. Soon he returned, supporting Gu Changyou along with another agent.

The interrogation personnel expertly bound Gu Changyou to a wooden interrogation cross.

Seeing that Gu Changyou had fainted, Cheng Qianfan asked, “What’s going on?”

“The brat wasn’t cooperating. We knocked him unconscious.”

Cheng Qianfan nodded noncommittally.

When he saw Lu Yuan about to remove the black cloth covering Gu Changyou’s eyes, he stopped him.

“Leave it on for now.”

“Doctor Gu is sleeping quite comfortably, isn’t he?” Cheng Qianfan walked over and grabbed a handful of Gu Changyou’s hair. He first scooped up water from a nearby vat and splashed it directly onto him. Then he seized the man’s head and slammed it violently against the wooden frame. Gu Changyou woke in pain and let out a scream.

Cheng Qianfan released him.

With his eyes covered, Gu Changyou screamed repeatedly and desperately tried to twist his head. Unable to see and not knowing where he was, he was overwhelmed by terror. Muffled sounds emerged from behind the gag in his mouth.

“Captain Lu, serve Doctor Gu a little appetizer,” Cheng Qianfan said.

“No problem.” Lu Da gave a sinister grin. Picking up a whip, he stepped forward and immediately lashed out repeatedly.

Gu Changyou writhed in pain, making muffled sounds.

“Wait a moment,” Cheng Qianfan suddenly said.

Lu Da stopped whipping and looked at Cheng Qianfan in confusion.

“Too quiet. Let’s have a bit more noise.”

“Team Leader Cheng really knows the trade.” Lu Da chuckled. “I personally enjoy listening to these sounds while drinking.”

As he spoke, Lu Da yanked the filthy rag from Gu Changyou’s mouth and resumed his fierce whipping.

“Ah!”

“Ah!”

Gu Changyou let out miserable screams.

“Ah, stop beating me, I’ll talk.”

Lu Da glanced at Cheng Qianfan.

“Keep going,” Cheng Qianfan said indifferently.

Another barrage of lashes followed.

“I’ll talk, ah!!”

“Ah, I’ll talk!”

“Officer, stop beating me, ah!”

“Grandpa, Grandpa, stop beating me, ah!”

“Add a little extra,” Cheng Qianfan said.

Lu Da grinned.

He placed the leather whip into another vat filled with salt water.

“What I hate most are damned traitors.”

Cursing, Lu Da picked up the whip and resumed his beating.

Unlike before, when he had been striking randomly, now every lash landed on skin that had already been torn open by previous blows.

A professional.

Gu Changyou immediately suffered agony beyond endurance.

His entire body twisted frantically, like a prawn being boiled alive.

Cheng Qianfan watched the pitiful state of Gu Changyou under the wet whip. His eyes were ice-cold, devoid of even a trace of pity.

Did Gu Changyou really not understand what the military intelligence and hydrological data he had leaked meant?

Of course he understood.

Those two pieces of intelligence were stained with blood. In the future, they would be stained with the blood of countless civilians throughout Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

Families torn apart.

Children crying.

Severed limbs.

Corpses littering the fields.

Blood dyeing the sky red.

Just imagining such a scene made Cheng Qianfan shudder with rage.

Such collaborators and scum of the nation sold out their country and people for money and personal gain.

They deserved no sympathy whatsoever.

Even ten thousand deaths by a thousand cuts would not be enough!

At that moment, Gu Changyou’s eyes rolled back and he fainted.

Cheng Qianfan walked directly to the vat of salt water, scooped up a ladleful, and splashed it over Gu Changyou.

The salt dissolved in the water penetrated through the skin, seeped into the flesh, stimulated the nerves, and sent intense signals of pain to the brain.

Watching Gu Changyou howl in agony and struggle desperately, Cheng Qianfan tore away the blindfold.

The sudden light was difficult for the doctor to endure. Squinting, he writhed in pain.

Finally, after adjusting to the brightness, Gu Changyou could see normally.

Looking at the man before him, he felt vaguely familiar, but in his current state he had no capacity to think about such matters.

Tears and mucus streaming down his face, he pleaded, “Officer, stop beating me. I’ll talk. I’ll tell you everything.”

Cheng Qianfan ignored him and dumped another basin of salt water over him.

As Gu Changyou let out a miserable howl, he slapped him across the face.

Smack!

“Shut up!” Cheng Qianfan’s eyes were incomparably cold. “Now, I ask, and you answer.”