Era of Magic and Martial Arts

Chapter 549 - 533: You’re All in Cahoots

The two prison chiefs were pushed back onto the sofa like puppets, their faces interwoven with despair and confusion.

Blood gushed out from the severed arms and bullet holes, spreading dark red stains on the leather sofa.

Gong Qi is Station Chief Lou’s person?

But isn’t Gong Qi Feng Mu’s person?

But if he’s not Station Chief Lou’s person, how could he find this place ahead of us and wait? There’s no way Station Chief Lou would tell Feng Mu the address, right?

Gong Qi’s explanation was absurd, yet somehow flawless, forcing one to believe it.

The two people were perplexed, their scalps itching with the urge to scratch.

But they dared not move their heads, as there were at least two dark gun barrels pressed against the back of each of their heads.

Gong Qi left them with a vague explanation and said no more, letting their imaginations fill in the blanks.

This "believe it or not" attitude made the two prison chiefs believe more and more, even filling in many "details" that Gong Qi was unaware of.

"Tell me, how exactly did you two bring the bomb into the Second Prison and how did you manage to hide it in Prison Director Qian’s office without anyone knowing?"

Gong Qi’s face was sinister, his malice unhidden.

The two prison chiefs had already become enemies, yet they couldn’t help but glance at each other, seeing nothing but question marks on each other’s faces.

The chief on the right was still bleeding from the bullet holes, but the bleeding had gradually decreased.

He knew he was doomed, yet still held onto a shred of hope as he asked:

"If I answer your questions, will you let me go?"

The chief on the left held his severed arm with one hand and stared intently at Gong Qi.

"Ha—"

Gong Qi let out a snake-like cold laugh,

"Station Chief Lou personally chose your gravesite, with four rooms and two halls. As subordinates, shouldn’t you appreciate the leadership’s kindness?"

Seeing their faces turning ashen, he added ominously:

"However... I can plead on your behalf to Station Chief Lou... to spare your families. You know, Station Chief Lou is known for his kindness, always loving to unite families."

Gong Qi didn’t actually understand Lou Duan, but he believed that uniting families should be a virtue that every good leader must exhibit.

The two prison chiefs’ faces changed dramatically, seemingly recalling something.

The chief on the right sighed in despair:

"Go back and tell Station Chief Lou, he’s really mistaken. We’re not the ones who planted the bomb, we didn’t even..."

"Stop acting."

Gong Qi interrupted impatiently,

"Detective Li Shang from the Patrol Office has already found irrefutable evidence that you’re the culprits. The surveillance video clearly captured you retrieving the bomb remnants from Prison Director Qian’s office."

The two prison chiefs’ faces turned pale as paper, seemingly recalling something terrifying.

The chief on the right closed his eyes in hopelessness, his voice trembling:

"Please tell Station Chief Lou... he’s really mistaken... the bomb wasn’t ours..."

Gong Qi didn’t wait for them to finish, coldly sneering:

"You think Station Chief Lou would be deceived by your clumsy lies? Ridiculous. Station Chief Lou has already sent people to search your homes and found bomb-making tools."

The minds of the two prison chiefs seemed to freeze for a moment, looking at Gong Qi in mortal panic.

Gong Qi didn’t give them time to think, pressing aggressively:

"Stubborn like dead ducks, fine. Then say, who instructed you two to go to Station Chief Lou’s house tonight? Such malice, trying to divert the investigation towards Station Chief Lou, to smear him?"

The two prison chiefs’ minds spun like mad, they seemed to understand something, yet not entirely.

Their minds were a muddled mess, with various horrified thoughts rushing.

The Patrol Office has falsely accused them of planting the bomb, and now they’ve gone to Station Chief Lou’s house tonight, equal to throwing that dirt on him.

So, Lou Duan wants us dead, dead silently, unnoticed.

Moreover, Lou Duan thinks we did all this under someone’s instruction.

Heavens above, we don’t have such sinister schemes.

Otherwise, how could we...

So, Gong Qi must be Lou Duan’s person, after all, everything he said hinted at defending Lou Duan, trying to wash away the dirt from him?

Furthermore, if we dig deeper, could Feng Mu also secretly have joined Lou Duan, and Detective Li Shang too...

Are they all in cahoots?

They collaborated to fake the bombing death of Prison Director Qian.

While we are the scapegoats voluntarily delivered tonight, bombs found at our homes, dying silently here, all of this...

The two prison chiefs’ minds raced madly, with many logical flaws or contradictions, but their brains were consumed by paranoia and hatred, ignoring everything else.

The most crucial was Gong Qi’s initial statement—if it weren’t for Station Chief Lou, how could I get here before you and wait?

Yes, they ended up in this predicament, all because they misplaced their trust in Lou Duan, coming to the safe house he gave, only to fall into a trap.

"I see... I see!"

Blood loss made their thinking twisted, hatred even distorted their judgment.

Combined with Gong Qi’s constant hints, repeated pressure, it was like they were victims of fraud, their emotions wildly fluctuating, their thinking entirely led by Gong Qi.

A single thought echoed endlessly in their minds, then in fury, they shouted incoherently:

"You’re all in on it... all in on it, Station Chief Lou’s controlling it all, he planted the bomb, and now wants to frame us...

Station Chief Lou deceived everyone, regret trusting Lou Duan, I curse him..."

Listening to their mad cries, Gong Qi’s face suddenly bloomed into a satisfied smile:

"Brilliant, truly brilliant!"

Gong Qi’s eyes lit up, clapping enthusiastically.

He finally understood, the essence of the "fraudulent text messages" taught by his junior apprentice, went far beyond just phone use.

The psychological inducement, emotion manipulation, and deceitful rhetoric meticulously crafted produced astonishing results in real-world scenarios.

"Deception is truly an art."

Gong Qi softly exclaimed, his gaze gradually becoming passionate, like finding a new lifelong pursuit.

"Creak," the adjacent door slowly opened.

Song Ping’an emerged with a phone in hand, hunched over, carefully stepping out, the phone’s lens always accurately focused on the two prison chiefs’ pallid faces, deliberately avoiding the figures behind them, only cleverly capturing their lower bodies.

"You... you’re recording..."

The two prison chiefs’ throats seemed to seize.

Gong Qi had lost interest in them, glanced at the phone, very satisfied:

"Nice shots, with a bit of post-processing, perfectly fulfilling my junior apprentice’s requirements."

The two prison chiefs gaped blankly, not understanding what Gong Qi was filming, but felt a deep sense of being deceived.

Sadly, they didn’t even know from which statement the deceit began.

Gong Qi had no interest in answering their questions, impatiently waved his hand:

"Finish them off, quickly set up, the next scene’s actors are coming on stage..."