A heretical cultivator in Bureau 749, I'm the fiercest at pulling out tendons and skinning peop

Zhang Quan, carrying a huge stainless steel kettle with billowing white steam coming from the spout, rushed from the other end of the corridor as if his pants were on fire, almost bumping into Zhang Yucheng.

Zhang Yucheng stepped aside, frowning at his nephew: "What's wrong with you, so impulsive?"

Zhang Quan took a breath, and without even noticing Wei Baoguo standing next to him, he blurted out:

"It's Brother Ji! Ji Zuodao! He's in the cell downstairs skinning those two foreign prisoners of war! He said their skin is too tough, so he told me to hurry to the kitchen and boil some water to scald them, saying it'll be easier to skin them if they're cooked!"

He spoke quickly and urgently, clearly because Ji Zuodao was urging him on.

After saying that, without bothering to explain further, he grabbed the kettle and ran off towards the underground detention area, disappearing from sight.

The corridor fell silent for a moment.

Only the lingering buzz of the kettle and the echo of Zhang Quanmin's words, "Scald it until it's cooked, then peel it," remained, reverberating in Wei Baoguo's mind.

Peel...peel off?

Cooked?

Easy to peel?

Wei Baoguo's smile gradually froze.

He slowly, very slowly turned his head to look at Zhang Yucheng, who still had a gentle smile on his face.

Uncontrollably, images of my grandson being locked in a "very safe" solitary confinement room flashed through my mind.

The image of "cooking it until it's done makes it easier to peel off the skin" resurfaced.

The two images began to flash wildly, alternating between each other.

Wei Baoguo's Adam's apple bobbed with difficulty.

Suddenly I feel...

Director Zhang's statement just now, "There was absolutely no private torture," doesn't sound so convincing anymore.

Isn't the way the 749th Bureau of the Beijing Public Security Bureau is handling criminal cases a bit...too simplistic?

Was his grandson really just put in solitary confinement?

Are they also queuing up to "get their hair permed"?

Wei Baoguo stood at the entrance of the cafeteria, enjoying the breeze from the corridor, and suddenly felt...

My back feels a little cold.

Wei Baoguo sat in the canteen of the 749th Bureau of Jinghai, facing the four dishes and soup in front of him that looked and smelled delicious, but he couldn't taste any flavor at all.

He symbolically ate a few mouthfuls of rice and then put down his chopsticks.

The sense of reassurance that had just risen in his heart because of Zhang Yucheng's assurance was completely extinguished by the pot of boiling water, leaving not a trace of warmth.

No.

We can't stay any longer.

We can't stay a moment longer!

Having made up his mind, Wei Baoguo immediately stood up, his face once again displaying that apologetic yet grateful smile, and said to Zhang Yucheng:

"Director Zhang, the bureau is very busy, so I won't bother you any longer. That good-for-nothing brat, I'll take him back now and discipline him strictly, so he'll never again embarrass himself and cause trouble for you and the Jinghai branch!"

Before Zhang Yucheng could respond, he bent down and picked up the two gift boxes that he had originally prepared as a token of his appreciation, feeling that the amount was not enough to express his sincerity and apology.

With a determined effort, he pulled out a small jade box and an old scroll bound with special silk thread from the depths of his briefcase. Judging from the faint glow and the careful handling, it was clearly a treasured possession hidden away.

They stuffed everything into Zhang Yucheng's arms in one go, moving so quickly that they were afraid he would refuse.

"Director Zhang, please accept this small token of my appreciation! Consider it a gift for the comrades at the branch office... to calm their nerves and help them recover!"

He uttered sweet words, but in his heart he was screaming:

Damn it! I almost forgot!

The "interrogation" and "detention" at the Jinghai 749 Bureau are a well-known "special project" within their headquarters' internal system!

Many tough and ruthless individuals could stubbornly resist in other branches, enduring months of trial.

But once you're in the interrogation room or cell of Jinghai 749...

Often, within a week, they vomit everything they should and shouldn't have, and then they're "gone" right away.

Literally, it means "gone".

They disappeared without a trace, neither alive nor dead, and didn't even bother with the proper procedures for "medical parole due to illness" or "accidental death." The case file simply stated "processed."

His efficiency was so clean and efficient that even his colleagues in charge of case supervision at the General Bureau were terrified, privately complaining, "This efficiency, this style, even bandits don't harvest crops this decisively."

Several years ago, Wei Baoguo, as a senior official of the General Administration, issued a strongly worded "order to rectify" to the Jinghai Branch regarding this matter, demanding that they "standardize law enforcement procedures," "protect the basic rights of those involved in the case," and "eliminate uncivilized and inhumane interrogation methods."

Zhang Yucheng's reply was incredibly sincere; he stated that he would definitely study it carefully, conduct a thorough self-examination, and make immediate rectifications.

Wei Baoguo was quite satisfied at the time, thinking that although this Zhang came from a江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the underworld or gangsters), he still knew the rules after entering the system.

Now he understands.

Rectification?

Rectification my ass!

They've developed a unique style and a professional process for "skinning a person alive and then scalding them" through their reforms!

If this gets out, people will think that there's a den of iniquity hidden in the 749 Bureau's system!

Although Zhang Yucheng had just confidently stated that it was "just solitary confinement," "it's very safe," and "there was no torture"...

However, given Jinghai 749's consistently simple, brutal, and outrageously efficient style...

Wei Baoguo really didn't dare to gamble on the true state of his grandson's "safety" at this moment.

What if the hot water room is right next to that solitary confinement cell?

What if "very safe" means "you haven't gotten a number yet"?

Zhang Yucheng looked at the pile of apologies that had suddenly appeared in his arms, especially the two items that were clearly Wei Baoguo's private collection, and his eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly.

Immediately, a gentler, more understanding smile appeared on his face. Without refusing, he casually placed the items on the empty chair next to him.

"Grandma Wei, you're too kind. Your grandson is young, and it's inevitable that he'll make mistakes. Now that he knows he's wrong, just go back and educate him properly."

He stood up and gestured for him to proceed.

"I'll have someone bring your grandson here right away. Don't worry, he'll just be put in solitary confinement to reflect on his actions. We won't lay a finger on him. We at Jinghai 749 are the most discreet in our dealings."

These words made Wei Baoguo even more uncertain.

Do you have a sense of propriety?

Are you so sensible as to scald the skin with boiling water?!

He gets a chill down his spine whenever he hears the words "know your limits".

Soon, the grandson, whose limbs were broken, whose face was as pale as paper, but who had no new wounds except for the broken bones, was carried over on a stretcher by two men in black trench coats.

Wei Baoguo carefully examined his grandson for a few moments, and then secretly used his spiritual power to investigate. He confirmed that his grandson had only lost his hands and feet and was weak, but had not suffered any other torment, nor did he show any signs of being "cooked." Only then did the heavy weight in his heart finally lift.

Thank goodness.

Zhang Yucheng ultimately gave this veteran of the General Administration some face and didn't really do anything to his grandson.

"Thank you so much, Director Zhang, for your leniency! I will remember this favor!"

Wei Baoguo bowed again sincerely, then immediately directed his entourage to take the stretcher. Not wanting to stay a minute longer, he fled the canteen and the Jinghai 749 Bureau as if escaping.

Sitting in the car on the way back, I looked at the street scenes rushing past the window, and then at my unconscious grandson on the stretcher.

Wei Baoguo exhaled a long, slow breath.