Seeing the surprised looks on Zhu Yuan and her partner's faces, Ann asked with some confusion:
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
Seeing Ann's normal demeanor, Zhu Yuan subconsciously apologized:
"Sorry, we saw you curled up over there, not moving, and we just assumed you were a survivor with PTSD."
Zhu Yuan quickly straightened up, gave a slight bow, and continued:
"We jumped to conclusions. My apologies."
This reaction, in turn, flustered Ann, who had been left behind as a tainted witness. She quickly waved her hands and said:
"No... no, it's nothing like that."
Before Ann could finish, Zhu Yuan, who had just been apologizing, suddenly changed her tone and pressed:
"So, this research institute was illegally studying human clones, wasn't it?"
Caught completely off guard, Ann was flustered for a moment but quickly composed herself and admitted frankly:
"Yes, that research was being conducted. And I was the head of the research team."
Ann's identity was also a surprise to Zhu Yuan. She thought she was dealing with a small fry, but it turned out to be a big fish.
I wonder what that man was thinking, just leaving her here like this. Wasn't he afraid she'd run away?
Could it be that she's being blackmailed, or her family is being held hostage?
Zhu Yuan quickly checked the intel they'd gathered and found Ann's file. Everything she said matched.
She asked anxiously:
"What about the clones? Where are they?"
Ann confessed everything without reservation—the purpose for creating the clones, the testing protocols they were subjected to—but when it came to the clone squad's final whereabouts, this is what she said.
"That man gave an order for the most outstanding clone, the captain, to kill all of her subordinates."
The moment Zhu Yuan heard this, a wave of rage washed over her. She glared furiously at Wesker, who was lying on the ground like a limp pile of mud.
If he weren't so gravely injured, she would have marched right over and punched him a couple of times.
As for her body cam, with Qingyi around, it would have "accidentally" powered off at just the right moment.
But Zhu Yuan immediately realized that Ann's story was missing the fate of one other clone.
"What about the squad leader? Did she survive?"
In response to Zhu Yuan's question, Ann paused for a moment before speaking:
"Because she received the order to kill all her squad members, she ultimately chose to turn the blade on her own neck..."
'Before she could kill her teammates.'
Ann kept that last part to herself. But even without it, Zhu Yuan felt she understood everything. A heavy feeling settled in her chest, like a boulder was crushing her, making it hard to breathe.
She looked at Wesker and asked her final question:
"What about the man who broke into the institute? He... didn't make it in time?"
"The man in the white armor? When he arrived, he was just a little too..." (late)
Ann glanced around, then continued as if remembering something:
"In the end, that man took them all away. He also deleted all the experimental data and destroyed all the equipment."
Ann seemed to recall something amusing, and the corners of her mouth curled into a slight smile as she said:
"All I know is that he's a 'Masked Knight' from the Hunter's Assembly, and his motive... was to have no motive."
"No motive?!"
The phrase "no motive" left Zhu Yuan stunned. She couldn't comprehend what would compel this man to come all this way.
People always have a reason for what they do. Office workers strive for a better future; robbers steal to get rich without working.
But this man had no motive?
Ann saw Zhu Yuan's disbelief and finished her sentence with a light chuckle.
"Because he said: 'Do you really need a reason to save someone?'"
"That..."
Both Zhu Yuan and Qingyi were momentarily speechless. A sense of admiration for this man they had never met welled up inside her.
It was as if... as if a god, unable to bear witness to such suffering, had personally descended to carry these pure souls out of hell and back to the heavens.
A seed of curiosity was planted in Zhu Yuan's heart. She found herself wanting to meet this man and see what kind of person he truly was.
But she pushed the thought aside in an instant. Now was not the time for such distractions.
Qingyi listened, puzzled by the term 'Masked Knight'. The familiar title reminded her of a recently released movie, Starlight Knight.
After searching online for a long time to no avail, Qingyi shook her head. On the internet, the term 'Masked Knight' had zero mentions.
Could it really be just a coincidence?
Ann hadn't expected it either—the one thing she'd said without any concealment turned out to be false.
All this just goes to show, who says researchers have low EQ and can't lie? The tricks they can pull when falsifying data are far more elaborate than you can imagine.
From start to finish, everything Ann said was true, just like the research reports she wrote.
Drew the wrong conclusion? That's not my problem. I told the truth from start to finish, I just left a little bit out. It's like a data chart in a report that's missing labels for the X and Y axes.
The internal investigation of the institute was more or less complete. They had the witness, the documents had been collected right at the entrance, and as for physical evidence? The entire institute was the biggest piece of physical evidence.
The reconnaissance mission was a perfect success. The sheer number of people involved prompted Zhu Yuan to contact Bringer and have him dispatch all available officers for arrests and interrogations.
Upon hearing that Zhu Yuan's intel was solid, Bringer was overjoyed. He immediately mobilized the entire Public Security Bureau, leaving only a skeleton crew on duty.
He brought every other officer with him.
And trailing right behind them was a swarm of media, armed with cameras big and small.
Seeing Zhu Yuan waiting at the research facility's entrance, Bringer rushed forward and put a hand on her shoulder, cutting her off before she could speak.
"Our very own Officer Zhu Yuan, with fearless courage, reported a potential case immediately upon discovery. Subsequently, under my authorization, she, along with her partner Qingyi and a concerned citizen, worked together to crack this sensational case."
He then patted Zhu Yuan's shoulder gently, playing the part of a considerate and supportive supervisor.
"The contributions of Officer Zhu Yuan and Officer Qingyi are immense, and as Deputy Chief, I am incredibly relieved. When we get back, I will be sure to commend and reward you both in front of the entire bureau."
Then, he paused before continuing:
"As for the concerned citizen who assisted us, to protect their privacy, the commendation we've prepared will be kept permanently at the Public Security Bureau, awaiting them should they ever choose to claim it."
A perfectly seamless performance, without a single flaw. Of course, there couldn't be any.
________________________
Oh Halo!
Walnu- ahem... I mean, it's MikuDayoooo!
With all my love, I'm launching a new update for you!
-> A heart of ice with a romance system
A huge thank you for all of your incredible support, it means the world to me <3
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Our community goals are still running!
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter for everyone
🚀 55 MEMBERS = +5 extra chapters for ALL STORIES!
Want to help us continue with our projects?
By joining, you get instant access to:
✅ Up to 40 advanced chapters of ALL stories!
👻 P - Walnutchan