Then let them offer their loyalty!

Page 162

After all... two hours and one hour are about the same. It's normal not to get any results when you're just starting to use some interrogation techniques.

And some influential figures who are following the progress of this matter have similar attitudes...

Personnel Department, Minister's Office.

After listening to his subordinate's report, Shi Youxin, one of the nine top officials of the Investigation Bureau and the Minister of Personnel, nodded with a smile.

Shi Youxin is a middle-aged man in his forties.

He was Yan Chen's former colleague at the military academy. After Yan Chen became successful, he resigned and joined Yan Chen's team, working under him ever since. He was one of Yan Chen's most important confidants and a key assistant in Yan Chen's control over personnel matters within the entire investigation department.

Zheng Tao's promotion was partly orchestrated by him.

Therefore, as soon as Qiu Tu and Zheng Tao started arguing today, he ordered his people to keep a close eye on them.

When he learned that Zheng Tao hadn't come out of the interrogation room for the second hour, he smiled, picked up his teacup filled with goji berries and deer antler, took a sip, and then said nonchalantly,

"Don't worry... Zheng Tao's abilities are obvious to all."

"Among all the investigators, apart from Jia Shu, his interrogation techniques are the most sophisticated."

"If he can't handle this case, then probably no one can."

"And..." Shi Youxin glanced at the clock, "It's only 11 o'clock now. There are still 7 hours until 6 pm."

Do you know what seven hours means for a skilled interrogator?

"That means he can torture a suspect until they even reveal the color of their wife's underwear!"

As he spoke, Shi Youxin popped a few goji berries into his mouth and concluded, "Seven hours, how could Zheng Tao possibly lose?"

"Qiu Tu has really underestimated the heroes of the world this time."

.....

Secret Service. Secretary's Office.

Lin Ting, the head of the Special Operations Department and one of the nine top officials of the Investigation Bureau, once stepped in to help Qiu Tu.

Faced with his subordinate's report, he smiled and shook his head, "I used to think Qiu Tu was a very smart person."

"I never expected that I would lose my mind like this."

"So don't worry. The advantage is with us."

...

Among these high-ranking officials, the only one with a slightly different attitude was Yan Chen...

Office of the Director of the Investigation Department.

Yan Chen sat in the dimly lit office, smoking and signing documents while listening to Ji Chen's report.

Ji Chen was clearly gloating; his voice was relaxed and cheerful as he reported.

However, he failed to notice that as he reported, Yan Chen's expression became increasingly less expressive.

Soon after Ji Chen finished his report, Yan Chen slowly put down his pen.

He glanced at Ji Chen with a gloomy expression, then slowly said, "Ji Chen, do you think Qiu Tu will lose this bet?"

Upon hearing Yan Chen's words, Ji Chen was visibly taken aback. Then he hesitated and said, "But... Director Zheng is a renowned interrogation expert."

"A nine-hour interrogation is simply not going to fail."

Yan Chen squinted, took a drag of her cigarette, and then asked with a serious expression, "Since even you know such a simple principle, why wouldn't Qiu Tu know it?"

Yan Chen's words were perhaps too direct, and Ji Chen's face turned red and white in turns.

After all, Yan Chen was practically pointing his finger at him and cursing him, saying that he was no match for Qiu Tu.

But Ji Chen didn't dare to refute Yan Chen, so he could only quickly put away his smile and admit his mistake in a low voice, "The director is right."

"Hmph." Yan Chen snorted heavily through her nose, then commented, "Qiu Tu isn't the kind of person who gets easily swayed. Since he dared to make this bet, it means there must be something fishy going on."

"Zheng Tao was still outmaneuvered by him."

At this point, he waved his hand somewhat listlessly, "Never mind. Anyway, I've already blocked his spot."

"No matter how much Zheng Tao embarrasses himself, he will not give up this position."

"You may leave now. Report back when you have any news."

After saying that, he picked up the pen and started signing the documents again.

Upon hearing Yan Chen's words, Ji Chen quickly saluted and then turned and left Yan Chen's office.

However, judging from the resentful expression on his face when he turned his back to Yan Chen, he clearly did not agree with Yan Chen's point of view...

......

1 PM, four hours after the betting game was started.

Since the interrogation room door remained closed, it was clear that Zheng Tao had not broken through Jia Wei's psychological defenses.

1 PM, four hours after the betting game was started.

Zheng Tao and the others didn't even come out for lunch; instead, they were racing against time to conduct the interrogation.

However... even with their efforts, progress was clearly slow. The interrogation room door remained closed.

14 o'clock, 15 o'clock, 16 o'clock.

Seven hours had passed since the betting took place. The interrogation room door still showed no sign of opening.

Instead, some interrogation officers, who had received orders, brought in more drugs and interrogation tools.

However, it was clear that these drugs and interrogation tools were not very effective. Javi still showed no sign of speaking.

At this point, the winds of change finally began to shift within the entire Exploration Bureau.

Those who had initially supported Zheng Tao are now hesitant and unsure of what to do.

After all, seven hours is a long time for an interrogation that involves the use of various drugs and torture instruments.

By this point in time, almost all available medications had been used up, and all available punishments should have been exhausted.

The detectives watching the drama unfold aren't worried about the outcome of the interrogation, but rather... whether that important prisoner will be tortured to death.

At this point, the entire investigation department's attitude towards this gamble also began to change.

The detectives who had previously supported Zheng Tao suddenly switched sides and began supporting Qiu Tu.

Only a small number of agents who still believed in Zheng Tao's abilities were "persevering".

The public opinion surrounding Qiu Tu and Zheng Tao among the detectives has begun to reverse 180 degrees.

The detectives who used to mock Qiu Tu for being "arrogant" are now mocking Zheng Tao for "stealing credit," and for failing to do so.

However, for lower-ranking agents, this betting game is probably just a pastime to pass the time.

But for section chiefs and department heads who know more inside information, this matter has a completely different meaning.

If they had previously suspected that this bet might be a trap, now they have no doubts whatsoever.

Based on Qiu Tu's previous actions, they knew that Qiu Tu must have planned everything in advance, which was why he dared to make a public bet with Zheng Tao.

Zheng Tao was forced into a corner and had no choice but to agree to the bet. Now, he will most likely lose face in front of the entire department.

In the future, when people talk about Zheng Tao, they will mostly not remember his reputation as a master interrogator, but only his story of "trying to take credit but failing".

Such a story will likely leave him with the label of "bad guy with a big addiction" for many years.

This will have a huge impact on his prestige among his subordinates and his image above his superiors.

It's fair to say his future is completely ruined!

Qiu Tu used Zheng Tao's fate to warn all middle managers who had designs on him or wanted to use him to curry favor with the higher-ups—you can try to extort money, but be prepared to get crushed!

This discovery also sent a chill down the spines of many section chiefs and department heads, prompting them to reconsider their relationships with Qiu Tu...

And so, time passed by, second by second.

Soon, it was 5 p.m.

This time, Qiu Tu didn't even need Ding Xiaoliu to report. He led his trusted confidants to the interrogation room and waited patiently.

This domineering move attracted a large number of onlookers.

Everyone is waiting for the result in the last hour. They want to know who will win this bet!

5点10分；5点20分；....；5点40分；5点50分....

Just as the time was ticking towards 18 PM.

More and more detectives gathered outside the interrogation room.

Meanwhile, at the entrance to the interrogation room, two of Zheng Tao's confidants were already covered in sweat.

The tension of the approaching deadline made them almost afraid to breathe. They glanced back at the interrogation room several times, hoping for a miracle in the final 10 minutes.

But miracles don't happen easily. If they could happen easily, they wouldn't be miracles!

So the interrogation room door remained closed until the clock hands slowly pointed to the number "6".

Meanwhile, the detectives watching outside began to whisper among themselves.

Clearly, everyone knew that the gamble was over: Zheng Tao, a master interrogator, had used every trick in the book, but in nine hours he still hadn't managed to get the truth out of the suspect.

This shocked everyone and made them start to wonder why such a thing had happened.

Is it because Zheng Tao is incompetent?

Is there something else going on in this case?

Or... is Zheng Tao really an accomplice of that suspect?

While everyone was speculating, the interrogation room door slowly opened.

Covered in blood, Zheng Tao walked out slowly from inside, looking dejected.

He was clearly under a lot of stress over those few hours; his hair was disheveled and his eyes were bloodshot.

If you didn't know he was interrogating someone, you'd probably think he'd been up for two or three nights straight.

Coupled with his blood-stained clothes and hands, it was clear that he had used every means at his disposal during those nine hours.

He truly lost the bet!

Upon seeing this, Qiu Tu tilted his head and glanced into the interrogation room.

In the interrogation room, Javi was tortured to the point of being unrecognizable; there was hardly a single undamaged spot on his body.

But perhaps being a Tier 2 Cataclysm just makes him tough; even at this moment, he could still grin and chuckle. Then he greeted all the female elders in Zheng Tao's family.

Seeing this, Qiu Tu finally stopped holding back and started to beat the dog when it was down!

"Heh, so this is the interrogation expert from the Political Department, the former head of the interrogation section?"

"This is a disgrace to our political department!"

"I've practically fed you all the credit, but you still can't take it. Are you just too useless, or... are you really just too useless?!"

Hearing Qiu Tu's blunt mockery, Zheng Tao tightened his grip.

He wanted to retort, but the cruelest thing about this world is that the winner takes all, and he, who had lost the bet, had no face to refute Qiu Tu.

So he could only say in a low voice with a gloomy face, "You win."

"I'm handing the criminal over to you. I won't interfere with the case anymore."

When Zheng Tao admitted his defeat, the room fell silent.

Everyone knows that Zheng Tao has completely fallen from grace this time.

He had just been promoted to vice minister, which should have been the time when his influence and prestige were at their peak, but instead, he went to steal credit at the instigation of someone behind the scenes.

If they had succeeded in the robbery, that would have been one thing. But now that they failed, and Qiu Tu has publicly executed them, they've made them look like clowns.

For a moment, even the onlookers were a little saddened: no one expected that Zheng Tao, who was envied by everyone this morning, would be trampled into the mud in just a few hours, like a stray dog.

As a result, just as the detectives were all reminiscing about the bet, Qiu Tu spoke up again.

"Director Zheng, please wait a moment."

Upon hearing Qiu Tu's words, Zheng Tao stopped and turned back to look at him with some confusion.

He then noticed that Qiu Tu was giving him a bright smile.