Chapter 1187: Celestial Treasures
An hour later, at the security office of the Chang'an Automobile Factory.
Mi Qianhu and his twenty-four subordinates were all tied up, lined up like schoolchildren, ready for their lesson.
A large contingent of militia surrounded them.
Moreover, the Chief Director of the Chang'an Automobile Factory, Gao Yiyi, along with Deputy Directors Qi Cheng and Bin Sheng, and others, had all arrived.
Additionally, Zhu Yujian, a man in a bamboo hat, had come to watch the spectacle.
The group stood around the Embroidered Uniform Guard officers, their expressions solemn.
Gao Yiyi began, "Bin Sheng, are you saying they were sent by the Manchus to steal information about our great iron factory's manufacturing processes?"
Bin Sheng cupped his fists. "Yes! This person should belong to the Jin Dynasty... *cough*... which is now called the Qing Dynasty..."
Gao Yiyi's expression turned cold as he looked towards Mi Qianhu.
Gao Yiyi turned back to Bin Sheng. "Are you certain this is Wuzhen Chaoha?"
Bin Sheng hesitated. "Uh, not entirely certain, it's just my speculation."
Gao Yiyi once again looked at Mi Qianhu.
In truth, Gao Yiyi possessed no particular skill in interrogation or criminal investigation; he was just an ordinary village blacksmith. Previously, he'd known absolutely nothing. It was only over the past decade, thanks to the Heavenly Lord's assistance, that his horizons and understanding had slowly broadened. Yet, his managerial abilities still lagged behind those of Qi Cheng and Bin Sheng.
Therefore, in this situation, Gao Yiyi's presence was primarily to lend his gravitas to the occasion as the "chief leader," while the actual handling of affairs would still fall to Qi Cheng and Bin Sheng.
Qi Cheng had once been a rebel.
Bin Sheng hailed from the Jin Dynasty.
They truly made for an odd pairing of deputy directors.
Qi Cheng spoke, "Bin Sheng, don't rush. A thorough, detailed interrogation is in order."
He pulled out a stack of papers, which had been found in the possession of one of the spies. They were filled with Zhu Yujian's observations from his visits over the past few days.
The content covered all walks of life in Xi'an, including its people's livelihoods, transportation, economy, internal affairs, administration, commerce, and agriculture...
The scope of it was truly vast!
Qi Cheng continued, "I want to know, why exactly did you steal these documents? Do you intend to replicate our methods in your own territory?"
Upon seeing the stack of papers, Zhu Yujian's face flushed. He thought to himself, *How terrible! My notes were actually stolen by these scoundrels, almost leaking major secrets. No, no, what I wrote down was merely social observations, not truly top secret, right? If major secrets could be recorded after just two strolls through the streets, would they still be considered major?*
Zhu Yujian’s head was spinning.
Mi Qianhu sneered, "Hmph, I can die, but you'll never pry a single word from my lips."
His twenty-four subordinates all displayed resolute expressions. "We would all rather die! But we won't say anything."
This was exactly what Bin Sheng had worried about most: capturing live suspects only for them to reveal nothing, letting the whole affair fizzle out inconclusively, without even knowing who was behind them. That would be a truly dire outcome. He couldn't help but inwardly curse, *We acted too soon. Sigh, we didn't let the fishing line out long enough.*
"It seems we'll have to resort to torture!" Qi Cheng declared.
Bin Sheng nodded. "Torture it is!"
Mi Qianhu scoffed, "No amount of torture will open our mouths. Do you think we're like you, a bunch of spineless cowards with no will?"
Bin Sheng leaned closer to Gao Yiyi and Qi Cheng, whispering, "These fellows seem to be truly tough nuts to crack. I fear even torture will struggle to make them speak."
Qi Cheng, in fact, had the same feeling. Having mingled with rebels in his past, he'd seen many true hardened individuals who wouldn't utter a whimper even with broken limbs. These men before them were just like those ruthless characters; prying information from their mouths would likely be...
Just as the two felt the situation growing tricky, Gao Yiyi grinned. "Speaking of using torture to make villains talk, our Gao Family Village has a divine artifact."
"A divine artifact?" Bin Sheng and Qi Cheng exclaimed in surprise. "What kind of divine artifact?"
Gao Yiyi replied, "The divine artifact, of course, is a celestial treasure bestowed by the Heavenly Lord. Back then, a few villains tried to assassinate Bai Yuan and killed four of our Gao Family Village soldiers. The Heavenly Lord was enraged, and to extract a confession, he bestowed that fearsome celestial treasure, named: Cooling Oil."
Cooling Oil?
The name, upon hearing it, already sounded quite terrifying.
Qi Cheng and Bin Sheng asked, "The problem is, where would we get it now?"
Gao Yiyi replied, "I'll make a trip back to Gao Family Village and ask Gao Yiye. She might be able to request some more from the Heavenly Lord."
No sooner had he spoken than shouts erupted from the open ground outside the security office: "Wow, the Heavenly Lord has bestowed something! A huge vat, green, what strange thing is this?"
"Ugh, it's so blinding, my eyes hurt so much!"
"Quick, back away, this seems like poison."
Gao Yiyi heard the commotion outside and was overjoyed. "No need to return to Gao Family Village! The Heavenly Lord has bestowed the Cooling Oil upon us!"
Qi Cheng and Bin Sheng were ecstatic. So, the Heavenly Lord, his venerable self, had been watching everything that transpired at the Chang'an Automobile Factory all along!
And why wouldn't he be? The "spies" incident at the Chang'an Automobile Factory had caused a huge uproar throughout the dormitory area, with thousands of workers pouring in and out to gawk at the spectacle.
With such a grand spectacle unfolding, how could a connoisseur of drama like Li Daoxuan possibly not observe?
However, by the time Li Daoxuan noticed the unfolding drama, it was already nearing its conclusion. Thus, he hadn't overheard the Embroidered Uniform Guard's private discussions or planning, and even he didn't know the identities of these "spies."
So, he, too, was waiting for them to resort to torture to extract a confession!
Upon hearing Gao Yiyi's words, of course he had to provide some Cooling Oil.
Coincidentally, a large, empty water vat sat not far from the security office entrance. Li Daoxuan simply dripped the Cooling Oil into that large vat, and with just a few drops, the vat filled to the brim...
A vat brimming with Cooling Oil, its pungent, irritating fumes were no joke. The workers who had gathered to watch the commotion were instantly driven several meters back, many still rubbing their eyes.
Gao Yiyi's spirits soared. "The divine medicine bestowed by the Heavenly Lord has arrived! Guards, take these spies and let them soak in it, one by one!"
Mi Qianhu, undaunted, declared, "I possess a strong will, an unyielding soul! Don't think that a mere bit of... Argh, argh, argh, argh...""
He was mid-sentence when he was tossed into the vat brimming with Cooling Oil.
A terrifying, all-encompassing, 360-degree stinging sensation assailed him.
Mi Qianhu felt as if he were in hell, every mucous membrane in his body collapsing. He thought he would be dissolved by this horrific green concoction...
He could only roar in fury, "You rebellious scoundrels, to use such brutal methods... Argh, argh, argh... to torment... me... Argh... My family has been loyal for generations... I will never yield... Argh, argh, argh... I feel like I'm melting... I confess, I confess!"
Everyone: "..."
Two workers rushed over, their eyes squeezed shut, and pulled Mi Qianhu from the vat. They rinsed him repeatedly with clean water, then placed him in a basin of fresh water to soak.
Only then did Mi Qianhu catch his breath. "Too brutal! Too brutal!"
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