Madmen don't keep diaries

Chapter 218 217 Interrogation of Old William

It’s no wonder that Konate Chen didn’t receive the message.

The communication between him and Wei Su'e depended entirely on old William to deliver messages. Now that the middlemen have been arrested, where can he get the news?
Guard Officer Morgan was also confused. He didn't understand why Konate Chen reacted so strongly. For a moment, he thought he had said something wrong, so he quickly stood up and asked, "...Your Excellency the Bishop?"

Konate Chen realized later that he had lost his composure.

"cough."

He cleared his throat with feigned composure and said, "The factory area is the church's doorstep. The Water Control Bureau arrested someone right at our doorstep. They should at least give the church a heads-up."

Guard Officer Morgan thought for a moment and said, "Your Excellency the Bishop is right. Should we make a statement on this matter?"

Konate Chen pondered for a moment and said, "I will report this to Archbishop Toverson immediately, and then I will condemn this to the Water Control Bureau in the name of the church."

After saying that, he actually left the two people in the room and hurried away alone.

Shunzi showed a subtle hint of ridicule.

Looking for Toverson Zhao?
No one would believe him. He must have used this as an excuse to go back to the upper city to discuss things with Wei Su'e.

Shunzi turned and saluted Guard Officer Morgan, who was still in a daze. "Sir, if there's nothing else, I'll go back first. The wake is still going on at home."

Guard Officer Morgan didn't think much about it and waved him away.

……

The words are divided into two parts.

At the Zhenshui Division camp, the interrogation of Old William is in full swing.

In the interrogation room, old William was confined to an iron chair. He stared at the ceiling, his eyeballs bulging, his muscles tensed, beads of sweat the size of beans dripping down, and he looked as if he had just been pulled out of the water.

His appearance did not show that he had been tortured, but in fact his spirit was being roasted by fire.

Feeling that it was almost time to come to an end, Hong Shenghuo withdrew the spell.

Old William suddenly collapsed and leaned weakly against the back of the chair, gasping for breath.

"Why did you sneak onto the warship and fire at the temple in the port area? Who ordered you to do this?"

Hong Shenghuo's tone remained calm.

"Ho..."

Old William's voice was weak: "No matter how many times you ask, it's useless. I told you, you've got the wrong person."

Hong Shenghuo lit a cigarette and crossed his legs. "Then let me ask you this question in a different way. Who are you planning to call?"

Old William pulled the corners of his mouth into a ruthless smile: "Since you want to know so much, why don't you let me fight and give it a try?"

Hong Shenghuo also laughed. "You make me more and more curious. You are willing to admit that you defected from the Church of Evernight and are also willing to admit your identity as the captain of the Acting Executors, but you refuse to reveal the mastermind behind the scenes. This is actually enough to explain the problem - this person must be from a prominent background."

He paused, "Or rather, you always believe that as long as you don't let go, that person will definitely rescue you?"

"Who can say for sure what hasn't happened?"

Old William shook his head and said in a carefree tone: "It's also possible that she will just give up on me."

"But I know very well that if I tell it, I will definitely die, but if I don't, there is at least a 50% chance of survival."

Hong Shenghuo stepped closer. "You should know that the decision of whether you live or die is mine. If I hand you back to the Church of Night, you'll die just as miserably." Old William looked up at him fearlessly. "I'm looking forward to it. Why don't we just do this? That way, while you're escorting me, I might even find a chance to escape."

He was like a smelly, hard stone, and there was no way to pry open his mouth.

But the more Old William acted like this, the more Hong Shenghuo became certain that what happened that night was related to him.

Hong Shenghuo continued to pressure him, "But I don't think anyone will come to save you. The higher the status of the person behind you, the less willing they are to expose themselves. So, giving up on you directly is the easiest and safest approach. Think about it carefully. If it were you, you would do the same."

Old William continued, "That's absolutely right. If it were me, I would not only give up, but I might even send someone to silence me."

Hong Shenghuo was stunned when he heard this - this was the truth, but why did old William take the initiative to point it out?
Old William smiled at Hong Shenghuo and said, "So, before I am silenced, I hope you can save me in time."

Hong Shenghuo raised an eyebrow and advised him: "Since you want something from me, why don't you tell me frankly?"

Old William shook his head and said, "I refuse to confess, but that doesn't mean I don't want to live."

Hong Shenghuo understood what he meant - as a small figure caught between two big figures, Old William simply didn't want to become a victim.

He couldn't help but laugh. "You don't want to offend either side, but you still want to survive in the cracks. I'm afraid it won't be that easy."

Old William knew the core of the matter well. "I told you, I wasn't the one who fired the cannon that night. You mistakenly identified me as the criminal, which is why you're so stubborn about trying to find my backer. But the truth is, once you truly discovered who my backer was, regardless of whether or not it was me, you wouldn't have the guts to investigate further. By then, the Water Control Bureau would have no choice but to release him—and I'd have proven my loyalty."

Just as Old William knew the core of the problem, Hong Shenghuo also knew that Old William didn't truly understand the essence of the matter. "I'm afraid you're the one who's not clear-headed. You think your backing is powerful enough, powerful enough to force the Water Control Bureau to release the prisoners... But to me, your backing is nothing."

Old William really didn't know that Hong Shenghuo was investigating not only the case of the cannon fire, but in this matter, he represented the Xijun Temple.

Hong Shenghuo's fingertips sparked with flames, and he said with a smile: "How about we start over again, what if you figure it out?"

Old William sighed helplessly: "Well, I hope my suffering is worth it."

Just then, a clerk suddenly knocked on the door and came in.

He saluted Hong Shenghuo and said, "Admiral, the church and the temple have submitted a formal letter to us, requesting that they accompany us to hear the case. Bishop Konate and High Priest Xi Wusheng are already waiting in the reception room."

Hong Shenghuo frowned immediately: "Accompany? What qualifications do they have?"

The clerk replied, "The explanation given in the official letter is that in the conflict between the church and the temple, because the divine cannon fired made the church and the temple common victims, they have ample reason to understand the facts of the case. Furthermore, if the Water Control Bureau needs it, the church and the temple can assist with the interrogation."

Hong Shenghuo turned and looked at Old William.

Old William gave a playful smile.

Hong Shenghuo was still lost in thought, and whispered to the clerk, "Go find out who came up with this idea."

The clerk took the order and left. Not long after, Konate Chen and Xi Wusheng walked in together.

Hong Shenghuo gave them a perfunctory bow and said, "The interrogation room is in poor condition. Please find a place to sit."

Xi Wusheng looked at old William opposite him curiously, but Konate Chen spoke to Hong Shenghuo first.

"Why is the Admiral conducting the interrogation personally?"

Hong Shenghuo looked up and met Konate Chen's gaze.

He replied calmly, "That being said, didn't Bishop Konate and Xi Gaogong come in person to interrogate you?"

PS: Konate Chen said that even if he was sold by his wife, he would help count the money.

(End of this chapter)