Chapter 254: The Criminal Chase (2/2)

”Is he in charge?” I turned to the others. “If you’re honest, you might get a reduced sentence.”

The others immediately turned traitorous and pointed at him. ”Yes, he’s the one who pays us!”

We didn’t even have to handcuff these weak-kneed hackers who obediently walked in a straight line led by Xiaotao. Along our way to join the other officers, we bumped into our reinforcements. They stared in wide-eyed shock upon realizing how quickly we managed to round up the suspects.

”Take them all back to the station for interrogation!” ordered Xiaotao.

All the way up until he was pushed into the police car, the man in charge continued shouting indignantly, ”I’m not the one behind the website. There’s a boss behind the scenes! I'm innocent!”

Having unexpectedly arrested the people behind the website, Xiaotao was over the moon. ”There’s no point in shouting!” she laughed.

After we escorted them back to the station, another group of people were brought in by Wang Yuanchao who soon joined us. Sure enough, the man had thrown his cell phone into a truck as I predicted, but forgot to delete the content in his phone, leaving behind a bunch of contacts.

The officers interrogated the gang all night. I was both excited with our arrest and anxious to know the results of the interrogation so I stayed out overnight, too energetic to bother returning to the dormitory to rest. Dali, Lao Yao and I called a buddy of ours out for supper.

The programmers all confessed upon being questioned. Just like Lao Yao, they only knew the technological aspect of the website and little else. Having signed up as soon as they heard of the high pay, some of them did background maintenance and had no idea of what was being streamed on the website.

However, the man in charge was rather slick and refused to come clean.

Xiaotao called me into the interrogation room where I sat before him. ”You mentioned there’s a boss behind the scenes. Who is he?” I asked coldly. “A person or an organization?”

The man forced an awkward smile. ”I don't know. My job is to find streamers and manage the finances. Like the programmers, I’m just a small fry who gets paid to do my job. I’ve never seen the boss behind the scenes.”

”You’re lying!” I slammed the table.

”Officers, I’m telling the truth,” he spread his hands. “I can’t help it if you won’t believe me!”

The suspect was a sociopath with the sort of stubborn resistance, a face that displayed sincerity but a mouth full of lies. Although I could see through his deception, reading his heart was an entirely different matter.

”Let’s get Wang Yuanchao to interrogate him!” cried Xiaotao.

I had an idea of what she meant. ”Will he be able to pry his mouth open?” I asked.

Xiaotao nodded. ”Do you know why Wang Yuanchao has been an ordinary policeman even after so many years? Because he doesn’t hold back when dealing with stubborn suspects who refuse to confess. Violence is his way.” She glanced at the suspect, her tone nonchalant, ”Although it’s illegal for the police to use violence in an interrogation, I think we can do away with our principles when dealing with such scum!”

”Officer I’m telling you the truth!” he shivered. “If I so much as speak one false word, I will be struck by lightning!”

Although this man had never actually gotten his hands bloody, the website he built bred countless perverted criminals and sadistic murderers. I didn't object to the use of extreme measures, but in terms of efficiency, I didn't think a beating was effective.

I took out a small bottle containing the Dream Entry concoction and placed it under his nose. A hard sniff at the powder and his eyes immediately took on a vague, misty look.

”Don’t you feel that the chair is getting hotter and hotter, that it’s almost impossible to remain seated?” I asked in a hypnotic tone. “Can you smell your flesh burning?”

With a scream, the man contorted his body, struggling as hard as he could, as if he were really sitting on a soldering iron. ”Let me go, let me go!” he wailed at the top of his voice.

I pounded a fist into the wall and demanded, ”Confess! Were you the one who built the website?”

Suddenly, the distinct odor of urine drifted into my nose as a wet stain slowly spread between his legs. ”Yes…” he trembled. “I built it.”

”Why did you build the website?” I asked.

He said in panic, ”T-to make money!”

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