Rotting Land: Survive

Chapter 623 612: Analysis (Part 4)

Tang Xiaoquan's series of powerful analyses truly impressed Old Zhao. What seemed to him like a simple narration was actually full of hidden mysteries and loopholes.

However, after the unraveling by the other party, confirming Yao Ruyi's lies, new problems troubled Old Zhao.

Since Tang Xiaoquan was aware of Yao Ruyi's deception, why did he not expose him face to face? After all, during this exchange of information, they had paid a considerable amount of transaction fees.

Thus, after first nodding in agreement with Tang Xiaoquan's excellent analysis, Old Zhao raised his question:

"Quan, after your analysis, it seems that Yao Ruyi really deceived us. But since you saw through it, why didn't you expose him?"

Tang Xiaoquan sighed lightly, "Ah! Uncle Zhao, I was helpless too. You may not know this, but from the moment we entered the Factory, everything has been under Liu Fugui's surveillance."

Suddenly remembering that Xu Renjie had mentioned to him before that most places in the Factory were equipped with surveillance, could it be that their conversation with Yao Ruyi was also monitored by the other party?

Old Zhao murmured with doubt, "Could it be that our conversation with Yao Ruyi was also monitored?"

"Most likely!"

Considering the room Yao Ruyi was in, Tang Xiaoquan believed there was no place better than the guardroom to understand the thoughts and intentions of subordinates.

Given Liu Fugui's cunning nature, he had no reason not to install monitoring equipment in such an important room.

"But what if he is monitoring? Our purpose is clear, to understand the situation regarding your parents. Now that Yao Ruyi is lying, it's only reasonable for us to question him, right?"

In Old Zhao's view, even if they were being monitored, it did not prevent Tang Xiaoquan from exposing Yao Ruyi's lies. After all, they had come at a great cost to seek out the necessary answers.

But if the other side was simply deceiving them, it was understandable if they didn't notice. Since they had already seen through it, there was no reason not to point it out.

Unless Tang Xiaoquan didn't want to know the whereabouts of his parents, but Old Zhao was not going to think much about that. The young man quickly solved this doubt in his heart.

"To be honest, Uncle Zhao, I didn't expose Yao Ruyi's lies mainly because I couldn't determine his motive for lying."

"Motive?"

Lying is lying; what does it have to do with motive? Moreover, regardless of the other's motives, the most important thing is that you did not get the information you wanted.

Tang Xiaoquan couldn't guess what Old Zhao was thinking, and he continued with his explanation, "Only by figuring out his motive can I determine if he's intentionally hiding it or if there's another hidden reason."

"How so?"

"If it's the first situation, it means he indeed knows what happened at the shelter in the stadium but does not want to reveal it due to some reasons. And if it's the second situation, that's another story."

"Hmm?" Old Zhao stared intently at the road ahead, listening quietly to Tang Xiaoquan's analysis.

"Another hidden reason would be if Liu Fugui ordered Yao Ruyi not to tell me the truth. Although I'm not clear about the purpose of this, such a possibility does exist. It's also due to estimating this situation that I didn't expose Yao Ruyi on the spot."

"I see! You were worried that exposing him outright might put him in a difficult position, or even endanger his life, right?"

With a deep sigh, Old Zhao thought it must have been hard for Tang Xiaoquan, with just a short half-hour conversation, not only to see through the other's lies but also to make the most prudent judgment while considering the bigger picture. This indeed didn't match his age.

"Yes! Uncle Zhao, no matter what, he's currently the only person who might know the whereabouts of my parents. Although he lied, for now, it seems he might have been forced or pressured by reasons unknown to us to keep silent, so I cannot expose him publicly. I need him to survive, to live well, so that I can have a chance to get the information I need from him."

"Yes, that's reasonable."

Old Zhao turned to look at Tang Xiaoquan, seeing his dejected expression, he couldn't help but offer some comfort, "Don't worry about your parents. As long as Yao Ruyi is still with Liu Fugui, we will always have a chance to uncover the truth."

"Yeah," Tang Xiaoquan responded with a dry laugh, "By the way, Uncle Zhao, actually, Yao Ruyi's illness also seems to be feigned."

To this, Old Zhao placed a hand on Tang Xiaoquan's shoulder and said softly:

"Alright, Quan, don't overthink it. Things are how they are; let's not stress over whether Yao Ruyi's condition is feigned. The most important thing is we still have hope. If we have it, we should give our all. What you need to do now is to think about how we can pry open Yao Ruyi's mouth."

"Yes!" Tang Xiaoquan responded weakly, then fell silent, his thoughts scattering as quickly as the scenery passing outside the window.

Meanwhile, the rear of the car was unusually quiet as well. Since boarding the car from the Factory, Wang Qiang and Yang Xue sat on opposite sides, not speaking, making the atmosphere inside the cabin quite cold.

Wang Qiang and Yang Xue sat silently with their own thoughts amid the smooth speed of the car. Wang Qiang was quite troubled, wanting to say something to Yang Xue several times, but Liu Yunpeng's crude words about their past kept swirling in his mind, haunting him.

Wang Qiang couldn't shake off the scene of Yang Xue wagging her tail under Liu Yunpeng. Thinking about it pained him deeply.

Despite knowing he shouldn't hastily judge Yang Xue's past based solely on Liu Yunpeng's one-sided claims, as a man who stayed home for many years, finally dating a girlfriend, Wang Qiang struggled to accept all this.

At this moment, Yang Xue's heart was equally unsettled. Liu Yunpeng's unexpected harsh words wounded her deeply today.

She felt exposed, paraded for all to see, a sense of humiliation she couldn't bear.

What annoyed her the most was that Wang Qiang remained beside her, blankly watching, without helping or intervening.

What did he take her for? She was his current girlfriend, yet he watched his woman being so insulted without reacting – it was simply cowardice!

Thinking of this made Yang Xue furious. She raised her head suddenly, her disheveled hair framing her blood-red eyes, burning with intense fire, seeming to want to consume the opposite Wang Qiang. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)