Dark Ruins Dawn

Chapter 113 Pipi
Chu Ningyan froze.

The phrase "you've been lying all along" pierced through her calm and guardedness, and all voices were silenced at that moment.

The color drained from her face. She stared blankly at Pipi, her lips slightly parted, as if she wanted to say something, but no sound came out.

The three interrogators exchanged a glance, as if admiring a work of art about to crumble.

It was neither fierce resistance nor desperate shouting, but rather a stunned pallor that one feels only after being betrayed by the person one trusts most.

That must have been utter despair and frustration.

Chu Ningyan slowly turned her head, her unfocused eyes regaining focus, fixing on Qiu Shan.

"Qiu Shan, what did you do to Pipi?"

Her voice was soft, but carried a chill: "Did you torture her or inject her with some kind of drug?"

Faced with this undisguised question, Qiu Shan did not get angry. Instead, he looked like a deeply hurt elder, revealing a pained expression.

"Grey Goose, you have disappointed me greatly."

He shook his head in disappointment and sighed heavily.

"Torture to extract confessions? Injection of drugs?"
“Grey Goose, what kind of person do you take me for? I have always been fair in my dealings and never use coercive means to force witnesses. I invited Dr. Peterson here because she still has a shred of conscience and is willing to stand up and expose your lies.”

Chu Ningyan slowly began, "Qiu Shan, you're lying. I know you..."

The lead interrogator raised his hand, signaling her to remain silent, and then pulled up a holographic video recording.

On the screen, the surveillance footage of Pipi over the past few days was clearly displayed. The room where she was being held was bright and clean, and could even be described as comfortable.

The food delivery is all done by robots, and the food is plentiful and piping hot.

Most of the time, Pipi sits on the edge of the bed reading or staring out the window in a daze.

When the interrogator enters, she politely stands up to answer questions, remaining calm and composed.

There was no struggle, no crying, and no sign of being coerced.

This video is impeccably clean.

“Dr. Peterson has been housed here for the past few days, and has been given preferential treatment in terms of food and lodging. Apart from routine questioning, no one has coerced her or used any coercive means.”

Chu Ningyan stared intently at the video playing on a loop, scrutinizing every detail, including Pipi's every micro-expression and the arrangement of every item in the room...

She tried to find flaws, to find anything that didn't make sense.

But nothing.

The holographic video was so realistic that it could be easily faked with the technology available today.

Chu Ningyan finally shifted her gaze from the light screen to Pipi's face.

This time, Pipi didn't flinch. She met Chu Ningyan's gaze, her clear eyes as calm as a stagnant pool.

"Team Leader Grey Goose... please rest assured, this video surveillance footage is not faked."

The word "Don't worry" made Chu Ningyan's heart clench, and her face turned slightly pale.

Qiu Shan couldn't help but smile. He looked at Pipi with eyes full of satisfaction.

Pippi was not mistreated in the cell, at least not physically.

The surveillance footage did not lie.

But half an hour before the interrogation began, Qiu Shan had privately approached her once.

It was in a similarly comfortable room, and Qiu Shan even poured her a glass of warm water, acting like a wise and caring elder.

"Pipi, you are a smart child."

He gently pushed the water glass towards them, his voice mild: "Your parents are ordinary citizens. It's not easy for them to live a hard life in Zhongdu, but that also means they are vulnerable."

"Sometimes, a small accident is enough to destroy a family, such as a runaway hovercar crashing, a domestic android going out of control, or food poisoning... These things happen every day."

As soon as Qiu Shan finished speaking, a screen of light was projected out.

In the video, an elderly couple, looking somewhat tired, have just returned home from get off work; they are Pipi's parents.

Pipi's face grew paler and paler. "Why do you have...?"

Qiu Shan's voice carried a hint of emotion, as if he were talking about a trivial, everyday matter.

"Did you know that the 'Flintlock Guild' is having a special sale recently? Existing users can get a 15% discount if they post assassination bounties. I did the math, and this price is perfect for dealing with some...minor troubles."

Pipi's fingers trembled slightly; the cup of warm water felt utterly cold in her hands.

"Tonight is your last chance."

Qiu Shan was pleased with her reaction, leaned forward slightly, and lowered his voice even further:

“If you continue to be stubborn, then you will be listed as a principal offender in this murder case along with Grey Goose, and you will be executed, without a doubt.”

"In that case, your parents' income security will be completely cut off. They will go into debt, lose their citizenship, become homeless, and then be driven into a criminal camp..."

Pipi pursed her lips tightly and remained silent.

Qiu Shan paused, allowing the fear enough time to fester.
"Perhaps I won't even have to lift a finger; they'll die from the heavy labor, be thrown into the centrifuges at Charlie's Sugar Factory, or become cannon fodder on some front line... either way is possible, right?"

Each word corresponds to a bloody scene.

Pipi felt like she couldn't breathe and completely broke down at that moment.

She covered her face, her shoulders trembling violently, and sobs escaped from between her fingers.

"You've gone too far... Why are you doing this to me..."

Qiu Shan looked at her quietly, without the slightest emotion.

These medical students from Zhongdu Academy are like hothouse flowers; their understanding of the dangers of the wasteland remains at a textbook-like, naive stage, even carrying a touch of unrealistic, saintly sentimentality.

With just a little pressure, they will break easily, either suffering a mental breakdown or becoming twisted and corrupted in order to survive.

The current Pippi belongs to the former category, but it will soon become the latter.

He waited a while, until the crying subsided slightly, before slowly speaking again.

"So, do you know what to do? On one side are the Greylag geese, and on the other side is your whole family."

Pipi lowered her hands from her face, and her eyes, soaked with tears, were slowly losing their warmth.

"I see."

Her voice was hoarse, “But after this, I will resign and return to Zhongdu.”

"Of course you can, you are free now."

Pipi looked directly into Qiu Shan's eyes and emphasized, word by word, "In addition, I need 300,000 gold coins."

Qiu Shan's facial muscles twitched, and then a smile of approval appeared on his face. He admired this kind of "pragmatic" person.

"No problem, of course no problem. I'll take out the money and put it in your pocket after you expose Grey Goose."

He agreed without hesitation, since it was just a verbal promise and had no binding force.

Once Grey Goose is executed, he'll have plenty of time to teach this innocent little girl a lesson.

What truly constitutes the wickedness of human nature?

……

In the interrogation room, time seemed to stretch out.

Grey Goose became even more convinced that Pipi had been threatened by Qiu Shan, which was why she said those words.

"Pipi, don't be afraid."

She tried to reassure Pipi, saying, "You have a military doctor's certificate issued by the Zhongdu Border Defense Region. All your medical practice activities will be uploaded in real time. They won't dare to do anything to you, so don't be afraid."

Pipi trembled slightly, but her gaze became even more determined. She stared directly at Chu Ningyan as if she were looking at a stranger.

“Team Leader Grey Goose, I’m sorry, I can’t go against my conscience. You did lie, and you’ve been lying all along.”

Grey Goose froze again, and for the first time, a look of bewilderment appeared in her amber eyes.

Qiu Shan smiled; he enjoyed seeing the gray geese with broken wings, falling helplessly from the sky.

Pipi’s words were slow and precise, dissecting her last hope inch by inch.

"That night, the Grey Goose team leader killed people with his own hands. He killed many people. You lied to me and said that you were injured while on a mission. I believed you and treated your wounds."

"You also said that Harry is a cancer in the team and that you can no longer tolerate him. Now Harry has taken away the vice-captain position that should have been yours. If Harry becomes captain, you will have even less hope."

"So, that night was your last chance to assassinate him. You said Harry had to die there."

When Chu Ningyan heard Pipi methodically fabricating lies, her confusion finally faded, replaced by a sense of desolation.

This was not a lie forced upon her, but a meticulously prepared testimony, every embellished detail designed to nail her down.

"Pippi."

Chu Ningyan said wearily, "These fabricated stories of yours, were they taught to you by Qiu Shan?"

"Team Leader Grey Goose, that's enough! Please stop slandering Captain Qiu!"

Pipi's voice suddenly rose: "From beginning to end, Captain Qiu has been trying to protect you and to make you see the error of your ways, but you... you have disappointed me too much."

"..."

Chu Ningyan completely gave up on defending herself.

She looked at Pipi, her eyes filled with no hatred, only a touch of desolation and relief.

Her voice calmed down, as if she were recounting an old story unrelated to herself.

“Pipi, actually I’m not afraid of death. The people I know… family, friends, they’re all gone. There’s nothing in this world worth staying for me.”

"If I weren't still thinking about making more money to help those children survive, I would have already found a place to bury myself."

Her voice was very soft, echoing in the interrogation room.

“Pipi, as your friend, I can understand why you said those things to save your life.”

"If they just want me to die alone and bear all the consequences, I can honestly accept it and won't have too many complaints."

"But this is a gamble, an internal purge. If I confess, my comrades who are imprisoned elsewhere, my partners who are speaking out for me, will suffer an even worse fate. I have no way out."

“Pipi, they will do the same to you. You are still in danger and there is no way to escape it.”

These words made Pipi's lips move, and a hint of hesitation and struggle flashed in her eyes.

"quiet!"

The lead interrogator slammed his fist on the table, forcefully interrupting Chu Ningyan's emotional offensive.

"Grey Goose, speaking without permission is prohibited, or you will be put in a silencing device! This is the last warning!"

Another interrogator seized the opportunity to speak, his voice carrying a hint of cat-and-mouse humor.

“Team Leader Grey Goose, since you have personally admitted that Dr. Peterson never lies and is a very honest girl, then now you should also believe that everything Dr. Peterson said is true.”

Chu Ningyan wanted to say something more, but looking at Pipi's completely unfamiliar face, all her words turned into an almost inaudible sigh.

She slowly shook her head, lowered her eyes, and her gaze fell on the metal tabletop.

Disheartened.

Qiu Shan stood in the shadows in the corner, a faint smile always playing on his lips.

He had had enough of Grey Goose's aloofness and coldness over the past few days. This woman was like a stubborn, foul-smelling rock; no matter how much pressure or temptation he exerted, he couldn't make her bend even an inch.

But now that the stone has been shattered, the helplessness and disappointment on her face only made Qiu Shan happier.

The interrogator's gaze fell on Pippi, full of encouragement, as if guiding a lost child back to the right path.

“Dr. Peterson, you can continue.” Pippi nodded and continued her presentation.

“Team Leader Grey Goose, you wanted me to keep this a secret and even offered me financial compensation, but I didn’t accept it.”

“You’ve always been insecure, always afraid that I’ll expose you, so… you asked for three months’ salary in advance, wanting to give me 90,000 gold coins.”

Chu Ningyan remained motionless, as if she were dead.

The interrogator astutely spotted a loophole:
"Dr. Pi, since you didn't accept the money, why didn't Team Leader Grey Goose return the 90,000 gold coins?"

"Yes."

Pipi nodded, glanced at Grey Goose, and uttered the "truth" that would plunge everything into the abyss.

"Because the Grey Goose team leader advanced this 90,000 yuan, which was actually given to another criminal gang."

She met the scrutinizing gazes of the crowd.

"That gang... is the truth that the Grey Goose team leader has been hiding all along."

"Pippi!"

Chu Ningyan suddenly looked up, a hint of fear appearing in her dim eyes.

"What are you doing? You're going to kill even more people! Why are you dragging innocent bystanders into this?"

"Grey Goose!"

The interrogator stood up and shouted at them.

The two guards immediately produced a ring-shaped metal object, which was a sophisticated little electric shock device.

Chu Ningyan did not resist, her gaze fixed on Pipi.

"Click."

With a soft click, the metal ring locked around her neck.

A silencing device was set at the location of her vocal cords, and a faint red light flickered silently.

If she tries to make any sound without permission, an electric current will instantly penetrate her vocal cords, causing severe spasms.

The atmosphere in the interrogation room was extremely oppressive.

The three interrogators' eyes gleamed with barely concealed excitement.

Major breakthrough!

The Grey Goose even had accomplices!

The regret on Qiu Shan's face vanished instantly, replaced by seriousness, because Pipi revealed some information he didn't know.

He stared intently at Pipi, signaling her to continue.

"The people who carried out the assassination that night were not only the leader of the Grey Goose team, but also some helpers, which is why her assassination went so smoothly."

"The Gray Goose team leader withdrew three months' salary to pay the final payment to this assassination squad, but the other party complained that the amount was too small, so the Gray Goose team leader wanted to get back the principal of the investment."

"Assassination squad?"

Qiu Shan stepped forward, his voice urgent: "What's the name of this squad? How many people are there? Where are they?"

The series of questions seemed to be feeding Pipi some tips.

The flame in Grey Goose's eyes had been extinguished, leaving only a desolate, lifeless grayness.

“Speak up, Dr. Peterson.”

The lead interrogator leaned forward, trying to dispel Pippi's last bit of hesitation with gentle persuasion.

“This squad dares to assassinate those with sharp edges, which has already posed a serious threat to us. You are not pointing fingers at anyone; you are making a contribution and saving every member around you.”

These words gave Pipi enough strength, and she mustered up the courage to speak:
"This assassination squad is called 'Ghost Dogs.' The leader is a one-eyed man who has lost a finger on his right hand. There are five of them in total."

She paused for a moment, as if trying to search her memory and reconstruct every true detail:
"Their stronghold... I've been there once. It's near an abandoned chemical plant in the southeast of the city. It's very remote, with many underground caves where you can easily get lost if you're not careful, and it's full of traps."

"Does the enemy have heavy firepower?"

When Qiu Shan pressed for details, he revealed that he had already considered the next arrest operation from a tactical perspective.

"No."

Pipi shook his head: "This assassination squad is responsible for disabling the surveillance cameras at the scene in advance for the Gray Goose team leader, and also for covering her evacuation."

Qiu Shan finally felt relieved; a small team that only provided support was nothing to fear.

Upon hearing this, Chu Ningyan lost even the last bit of strength to struggle, and leaned back in the metal chair, her face ashen.

Pipi continued to kick him while he was down, turning to Qiushan with a hint of earnestness in her eyes, as if she wanted to atone for her sins.

"Captain Qiu, their stronghold is about ten kilometers away from here. Please let me go with you; I remember their hiding place!"

Qiu Shan then turned his gaze to Chu Ningyan.

Looking at her bloodless face and her utterly devastated appearance, the last trace of doubt in his heart vanished.

So... she really did kill Harry.

He had some doubts before, but now he has all the evidence, and can even follow the clues to catch his accomplices.

With these things in hand, that old dog Harpenson had no way to argue his case at the board meeting.

“Very good, Dr. Pi.”

Qiu Shan withdrew his gaze, a pleased smile appearing on his face. "We will fully cooperate with you to ensure that this gang of thugs is wiped out in one fell swoop."

The lead interrogator stood up and gave orders to the guards.

"Take the leader of the Grey Goose group back and convict him together with his accomplices after they are brought back."

……

The night was as dark as ink, and an eerie fog filled the air.

Five black combat hovercrafts flew out of a certain base and headed southeast.

The convoy carried thirty-two fully armed elite mercenaries, including eight armored soldiers, all of whom were Qiu Shan's most trusted subordinates.

In Qiu Shan's view, this force was more than enough to deal with a five-person assassination squad, and the capture was a sure thing.

The leading hovercraft, equipped with high-powered fog lights, was working hard to clear the eerie fog ahead.

However, to ensure flight safety, the speed of the airborne vehicle is also greatly limited, maintained at 30 km/h.

In less than half an hour, the convoy arrived at the chemical plant ruins that Pipi had mentioned, where only some metal skeletons and broken walls remained.

Qiu Shan was very cautious.

He instructed the hovercar to turn off its external lights beforehand, and then it silently landed behind the hill.

"Everyone get off the bus and proceed on foot."

He communicated this to every member via the tactical channel.

Thirty-two mercenaries filed out of the carriage and quickly set up a cordon in the ruins.

Qiu Shan made a hand gesture, and the mercenaries understood immediately. They formed a standard tactical formation of four men each, with one armored soldier in each group.

Qiu Shan walked in the middle of the group, his eyes occasionally glancing at Pipi to prevent her from causing any trouble along the way.

The group approached the abandoned factory silently, like ghosts.

……

Two kilometers away, at the torch relay base, atop the watchtower.

Ten minutes earlier, Hua Xin was sitting behind a firing port covered by camouflage netting, observing everything around him.

Her fluffy cat ears suddenly twitched alertly.

With her superhuman night vision, she quickly locked onto the night sky to the northwest and spotted a few faint points of light piercing the darkness.

Hua Xin held her breath, her pupils dilating little by little in the darkness. Although she couldn't see clearly, she was certain that there were five hovercars there.

Instead of approaching the base, these hovercraft turned off their lights and slowly descended behind distant hills.

She opened the communication panel and called Watson.

"Brother, there are five hovercars to the northwest. They don't seem to be heading straight for us, but they're very close..."

"Understood. I'll contact the boss first to confirm if they've returned ahead of schedule."

Hua Sheng tried to contact Zhuang Fan, but the communicator emitted a series of static noises.

He then remembered that the massive zombie horde a few days ago had already destroyed the few remaining signal relay points outside the city, and the farther away from Linhai City, the worse the signal became.

During the day, they might still be able to make contact, but at night the density of the eerie fog increases dramatically, almost paralyzing short-distance communications.

Watson cursed under his breath, then, without further hesitation, immediately proceeded with the highest level of alert.

"Enemy attack! Everyone, move out immediately!"

The base was awakened from its slumber.

One by one, the members grabbed their weapons and rushed to their respective defensive positions.

The heavy alloy door slammed down, and the bulletproof panels on the windows were completely sealed off.

Watson rushed into the equipment room, quickly put on a set of power armor, and picked up a rotary machine gun.

"What's going on now?"

"There's still no movement from the other side, that's strange."

Hua Xin had been observing very hard, but the eerie fog in the wild was too thick, and even the cat's eye couldn't penetrate it.

"Brother, let me go take a look."

"Okay, remember not to cause any conflict."

"Don't worry, don't worry."

Hua Xin took off her military boots and gloves, revealing cat paws and feet covered with short fur.

She then slung a sniper rifle over her shoulder and nimbly slid down from the other side of the roof, disappearing into the ruins in a few leaps.

She pricked up her cat ears and moved nimbly among the broken walls and ruins without making a sound.

Finally, she stopped on the roof of a partially collapsed building, less than 500 meters from the group of people.

She lay prone behind the broken wall, skillfully opened the heat shield, set up her sniper rifle, and then observed the suspicious movements of the group through a high-magnification scope.

The lens revealed a completely greenish thermal imaging field of view.

More than thirty figures scattered among the ruins. They were well-equipped, but their movements were somewhat strange, like a swarm of headless flies, searching for something.

Hua Xin felt a little relieved; it seemed their target wasn't the Spark Base.

She carefully moved the crosshair, scanning the figures one by one.

Eight heavily armored soldiers and more than twenty mercenaries... This is definitely a force to be reckoned with.

Suddenly, her crosshair stopped.

In the very center of the group was a figure who was not wearing any armor and looked particularly thin.

Hua Xin adjusted the focus, zooming in on the image, but her breath caught in her throat.

She was very familiar with that face.

It is Dr. Pipi, who has been missing for a long time.

(End of this chapter)