Jinyin Fortress, Private Tea Room.
Miss Chahua sat trembling across from the two police officers, her face flushed bright red with nerves. Her words came out in stammers, barely coherent.
"There's no need to be afraid," Huang Peiyu said gently."We're just here to ask you a few questions. This isn't the police station, and it's not Whale Fall. Whatever you say here won't be heard by others."
That line might fool someone as innocent and timid as Miss Chahua—but hardly anyone else.
These days, the Skynet surveillance system was everywhere. Once spoken, very few words truly escaped its reach.
This tea room was naturally within the system's coverage too. However, the network here was protected by multiple firewalls set up by the police—nearly impossible for any ordinary hacker to breach.
The police often used this space to speak with people involved in sensitive cases. It helped avoid the intimidating atmosphere of a precinct and ensured greater information security.
Chahua gave a small nod, though the timidity in her eyes refused to fade.
Huang Peiyu got straight to the point.
"How long have you worked in Whale Fall?"
"Five years," Chahua answered softly.
"Have you always worked as Wu Qiong's personal assistant?"
"Yes."
"You became his assistant straight out of college. With all due respect, this is a highly coveted job. Why would Wu Qiong give such an opportunity to you?"
Chahua grew even more bashful. She lowered her head, clearly struggling with something.
"Don't worry," Huang said. "Say whatever you feel comfortable with. If there's something you really can't share, we won't push."
She glanced nervously at the two officers across from her and murmured,
"My uncle helped me get the job."
"Your uncle?" Huang Peiyu was genuinely surprised.
From Chahua's blushing face, he'd half expected a romantic scandal. But it turned out to be a case of nepotism.
"Who's your uncle?"
Chahua gripped her teacup so tightly her knuckles turned white. After a long moment, she whispered,
"My uncle is He Shouchen."
Both Huang Peiyu and Zhuang Mo gasped.
He Shouchen. President of the Federal University of Space!
Just three days ago, on the night of the second major confrontation between the Six Families and Whale Fall, He Shouchen had stepped forward to protect Wu Qiong. He claimed that any decisions involving Whale Fall would now go through him alone.
At first glance, it sounded like he was easing Wu Qiong's burdens. But anyone with sense could tell—He Shouchen had effectively seized control over Whale Fall's governance.
Under the guise of assisting his old mentor, he had successfully transferred authority into his own hands.
Wu Qiong, for his part, seemed thrilled and accepted the arrangement without hesitation.
Until now, Huang Peiyu hadn't questioned it. He'd assumed it was simply a gesture of loyalty between master and disciple.
But now it seemed He Shouchen's ties to Wu Qiong ran much deeper. Five years ago, he had already embedded his niece into Wu Qiong's inner circle as a personal aide. Their relationship was clearly more intimate than anyone realized.
Huang quickly regained composure. He was no stranger to the tangled web of alliances among the Seven Great Families in space.
And few bonds were more ambiguous than the master-disciple relationship.
At its most distant, it called for profound gratitude.At its most intimate, it could be mistaken for kinship—"One day a master, a lifetime as a father."
Given that Wu Qiong had once been He Shouchen's mentor, their closeness surely exceeded that of most family ties among the elite.
A sudden thought struck Huang. He asked casually,
"Chahua, do you know your uncle's gaming account ID?"
The question made Chahua jump like a cat with its tail stepped on.
"I—I don't know!"
She shook her head violently. But her overreaction only deepened Huang's suspicion—there was definitely something she was hiding.
Zhuang Mo felt the same. Silently, he wondered:
Could He Shouchen be Player No. 4?
If so, then he had ample motive. He wouldn't even need to get his hands dirty—he had placed his niece inside Whale Fall five years ago.
Chahua knew every inch of Whale Fall. If He Shouchen wanted to kill someone, he could easily orchestrate it with her help—clean, quiet, and undetectable.
Huang and Zhuang exchanged a glance, choosing not to press further—for now.
Instead, Huang moved on to the next topic.
"This might be a little personal, but please answer honestly. It's important for solving the case."
Chahua forced herself to stay calm and nodded.
"Have you and Wu Qiong ever had a relationship beyond that of boss and assistant?"
"The Taoist Master is very kind," she said. "He never makes unreasonable demands or puts on airs. When I encounter problems, he listens—he never pulls rank."
"Let me rephrase. Have you and Wu Qiong ever been romantically involved? Or done anything that lovers might do?"
Her already-settled nerves were back in turmoil. Her face flushed crimson again as she shook her head.
"Master Wu is a man of pure cultivation. There's no way he'd have a lover. Ask anyone in Whale Fall—they'll tell you he keeps his distance from women."
Huang stared at her for a moment.
Years of experience told him she wasn't lying.
In fact, there was a trace of disappointment in her voice.
Apparently, her feelings were one-sided. Miss Chahua had developed an unspoken crush—but Wu Qiong, being the ascetic he was, remained oblivious or indifferent.
That led Huang to change direction.
"When did Wu Qiong adopt Bai Shuang?"
"She was very young," Chahua replied. "Some nurses in Whale Fall like to gossip. They often say rather unpleasant things."
"Like what?"
"They joke that since the Master has no children, and Miss Bai lost her father, the two of them make a perfect pair."
"Perfect pair?" Huang frowned. "In what way?"
Chahua's expression turned visibly upset.
"You're thinking too dirty! The Master treats everyone kindly—but he treats Miss Bai like his own flesh and blood. He's told everyone in Whale Fall that she's his biological daughter. She's the apple of his eye!"
She glared indignantly at the two men.
Huang Peiyu remained calm. Zhuang Mo, however, looked like someone had dragged him through a wormhole in embarrassment.
After all, Bai Shuang was his current girlfriend—and his mentor had just suggested she might be involved in something incestuous with her adoptive father!
Huang shot Zhuang a subtle look: Stay calm.
A good detective must be ready to handle any situation, no matter how shocking. When questioning suspects, no topic was off-limits.
Zhuang, however, was still too young. Unlike his mentor, he couldn't yet detach himself emotionally during investigations.