332: Chapter 331 Inducing Zhang Yu to Confess

Inside the ward, the pungent smell of disinfectant intertwined with the lingering scent of blood, making the air feel as heavy as a lead block soaked in water.

Zhang Yu was tightly bound to the hospital bed with steel cables as thick as a baby's arm. His wrists, ankles, waist, and even his chest were wrapped more than three times. The edges of the steel cables dug into his hospital gown, chafing his skin until it turned red, and he couldn't even manage to curl his fingertips.

The effects of the anesthesia had long since worn off. The gunshot wound on his shoulder blade felt like countless ants gnawing at his bone marrow, and the surgical sutures sent waves of tearing pain. Every breath pulled at the wound, causing cold sweat to bead on his forehead.

Yet he refused to show weakness. He gritted his teeth until they rattled, the veins in his neck bulging as he struggled violently—but the steel cables didn't budge an inch. Instead, his movements only made the wounds hurt more, and fresh blood began to seep through the gauze.

"Ah—!" Zhang Yu let out a suppressed roar, his eyes filled with violence, like a trapped beast.

Just then, the ward door creaked open, and Ye Qingcheng walked in with a steady gait.

She didn't rush to speak, simply circling the bed. Her gaze, like a cold scalpel, slowly swept over Zhang Yu's blood-soaked gauze and tense muscles, finally landing on his bloodshot eyes with undisguised scrutiny.

Zhang Yu struggled to lift his head, his vision blurred by pain. It wasn't until Ye Qingcheng stopped in front of the bed that he clearly recognized her.

Instantly, the violence in his eyes intensified. He stared fixedly at Ye Qingcheng, letting out a scoff from his throat. His voice was hoarse but provocative: "So it's you! That kid Qin Yi really is one of your Security Bureau people! Ye Qingcheng, you've opposed Hongmen time and again—aren't you afraid of our Hongmen's revenge?"

"Revenge?" Ye Qingcheng curled her lips in disdain, her tone full of mockery. "Zhang Yu, it's not that I look down on Hongmen, but you all are too arrogant. Do you really think my Dragon Country Security Bureau is made of clay? A Gang trying to contend with the Dragon Country—truly overestimating yourselves!"

"Overestimating? A Gang? Hahaha!" Zhang Yu suddenly laughed wildly. The laughter tugged at his wounds, making him grimace in pain, but he couldn't stop. "You know nothing! That's just a disguise for Hongmen! Our power is something you can't even begin to imagine!"

Ye Qingcheng sneered inwardly—this was exactly the reaction she wanted. Provoking Zhang Yu was just the beginning.

Her purpose here was to break Zhang Yu's psychological defenses! Therefore, she had to keep the initiative in the conversation.

Thus, Ye Qingcheng didn't dwell on the topic. Sticking to the phrasing she had planned, she glanced down at her watch, her tone flat but carrying an unquestionable sense of pressure: "Zhang Yu, you have been arrested. Don't harbor any delusions that your Boss Lei will send people to rescue you. I might as well tell you that we have tracked down the specific location where Boss Lei is hiding."

As she spoke, Ye Qingcheng tapped the dial of her watch lightly and continued, "It is now four in the afternoon. In one hour, at five o'clock, my Dragon Country fleet will completely erase the island where Boss Lei is hiding."

At this point, Ye Qingcheng paused to observe Zhang Yu's facial expression before continuing, "That's right, exactly what you're thinking—erasure in the physical sense! I am quite looking forward to seeing if the Hongmen you claim is powerful enough to rival the Dragon Country can withstand my Dragon Country's latest missiles!"

"Impossible!" Zhang Yu's laughter stopped abruptly. A flash of panic crossed his eyes, but he forced himself to remain calm. "Ye Qingcheng, stop bluffing in front of me! Is Boss Lei's location so easily found? Not to mention Chen Mo and Zhang Min, even I don't know where Boss Lei is!"

"Just because you don't know doesn't mean others don't." Ye Qingcheng leaned over, her gaze as sharp as a knife as she stared at Zhang Yu. She lowered her voice as if sharing a secret, "Do you think only you can plant moles to gather intelligence? Can't my Security Bureau plant people within your Hongmen?"

This statement was like a thunderclap, exploding in Zhang Yu's heart.

His pupils contracted sharply, and for no apparent reason, a figure flashed through his mind—could it be Hong Ying?!

Ye Qingcheng took in the change in Zhang Yu's expression, a faint, imperceptible smile curling at the corner of her lips.

Then, Ye Qingcheng continued to apply pressure: "I suppose you've already guessed, haven't you? At this point, there's nothing left to hide. Hong Ying is the inside agent our Security Bureau planted in your Hongmen. You surely don't think that, on your own, you could have rescued Hong Ying from the Security Bureau, do you? Hahaha, you underestimate us too much. To tell you the truth, that was just a play for you to see! The goal was to let Hong Ying return to Boss Lei's side in a logical manner!"

"Impossible!" Zhang Yu shook his head violently, his tone filled with disbelief. "Hong Ying hates you! When she was injured and forced to leave the military, who among you cared about her? It was Boss Lei who saved her and helped heal her wounds! How could she possibly be one of yours?"

"Hates us?" Ye Qingcheng straightened up, her voice suddenly becoming serious. "You don't understand Hong Ying at all. She is my Dragon Country soldier! A soldier who has been to the battlefield and shed blood for the country! Dragon Country soldiers only die in battle; they never betray!"

"Soldier? Hahaha!" Zhang Yu suddenly laughed wildly. The laughter tugged at his wounds, making him grimace in pain, but he couldn't stop. "Ye Qingcheng, stop deceiving yourself! Hong Ying hasn't been one of yours for a long time! She acknowledged Boss Lei as her godfather, and Boss Lei placed a Gu on her! With just a single thought from Boss Lei, he could take her life! How would she dare to betray him?"

Hong Ying was naturally not a mole she had planted within Hongmen.

The reason Ye Qingcheng said this was entirely to induce a confession.

Zhang Yu was different from Zhang Min and Chen Mo. They had weak spots and vulnerabilities; prescribing the right medicine could naturally break their psychological defenses.

But Zhang Yu had no attachments!

At least according to the intelligence currently gathered, Ye Qingcheng had not yet found Zhang Yu's weakness.

Therefore, wanting him to cooperate was pure wishful thinking. With no other choice, Ye Qingcheng had to resort to reverse psychology.

This was also why Ye Qingcheng had started off by saying she already knew Boss Lei's hiding place.

It was all in the hope of extracting everything Zhang Yu knew!

More importantly, if she could break Zhang Yu's psychological defenses, even if he really didn't know Boss Lei's hiding place, she could get him to persuade Boss Lei to surrender, and Han Hao could then track down Boss Lei's specific location.

However, hearing Zhang Yu's response—that he didn't believe Hong Ying was her inside agent—made Ye Qingcheng's heart sink.

"Gu poison?"

In Ye Qingcheng's mind, the image of Hong Ying's hesitant appearance when they last met flashed, along with those words: "I am not in control of myself."

Could it be that Hong Ying was controlled by Boss Lei because of this Gu poison?

"Why aren't you talking?" Seeing this, Zhang Yu wore a smug smile. "Is it because your lies were exposed and you can't keep up the act? Ye Qingcheng, let me tell you, once you join Hongmen, unless you die, you have to serve Hongmen for the rest of your life! Otherwise, the outcome is absolutely worse than death!"

"Worse than death?" Ye Qingcheng quickly collected herself, her eyes turning cold. "If there really is a Gu poison that can kill from a thousand miles away, why haven't Chen Mo and Zhang Min been dealt with by Boss Lei? Instead, he sends people to hunt them down again and again?"

"Just them?" Zhang Yu scoffed, his tone full of contempt. "They aren't worth Boss Lei using Gu poison. Only someone like Hong Ying, who possesses unique skills and has utilitarian value, is worthy of Boss Lei's Gu!"

"Oh? And what about you?" Ye Qingcheng's gaze landed on him, her tone carrying a hint of inquiry. "Is there also a Gu placed by Boss Lei inside you?"

"Of course!"

Mentioning this, a hint of pride actually appeared on Zhang Yu's face, his voice filled with showing off: "This Gu is a good thing! Not only can it increase strength, but it can also speed up cultivation! Otherwise, did you think I could reach Peak Anjin at forty? How about it, jealous? If you are willing to join Hongmen, given your abilities, Boss Lei would definitely reward you with one!"

Ye Qingcheng glanced at her watch again, shook her head, and said in a flat but pressuring tone: "I appreciate your kindness. By my calculations, the Dragon Country's fleet is already assembling toward the island where Boss Lei is hiding."

"Ye Qingcheng, stop bluffing me here!" Zhang Yu's eyes turned fierce, his tone carrying a warning. "That Gu is linked to Boss Lei's life force. If Boss Lei dies, the Gu poison inside me and Hong Ying will immediately activate! We will burst and die in an instant! If you really treat her as a friend, you wouldn't just watch her die!"

"What is there to fear in death?" Ye Qingcheng's voice was as firm as iron. "Dragon Country soldiers will never be intimidated by death! From the moment she became a Dragon Country soldier, her life was already given to the country! As long as it is beneficial to the country, death is also a glory!"

"Glory? Pfft!" Zhang Yu suddenly became agitated, struggling to lunge at Ye Qingcheng, but was held back tightly by the steel cables.

"What I, Zhang Yu, despise most in this life is you hypocrites who are full of high-sounding morals!"

"Why is it that when a mission fails, you can remain in the military without any punishment!"

"Why is it that Hong Ying, who was the most severely injured, was forced to leave in the end!"

"Ye Qingcheng! You tell me, what's so great about you! You're just relying on the merits of your ancestors!"

"In my eyes, you are the same as that garbage from the Songbei Police Residential Area ten years ago. Once you put on that uniform, you don't treat us ordinary people as human beings! We people at the bottom are meant to be oppressed by you! Answer me!"

Ye Qingcheng watched his crazed appearance, her brows furrowing deeply—the Songbei rainy night murder case from ten years ago was an unsolved case. Now that Zhang Yu had brought it up himself, it could serve as a perfect entry point.

Once Zhang Yu's struggling slowed and his breathing became rapid, she spoke slowly, her tone inquisitive: "Since you brought up the events of ten years ago, let's talk about them. The Songbei Police Residential Area case, 7 dead and 23 injured—what grudge did you have against those people? Why didn't you spare even the old, the weak, the women, and the children?"

"Grudge? Hahaha!" Zhang Yu laughed maniacally, tears almost streaming down his face. "Who says you need a grudge to kill? I just enjoy the thrill of slaughter! The old, the weak, the women, and the children? Do the families of those executioners in police uniforms even deserve to be called the old, the weak, the women, and the children? I only regret that I killed too few, only seven died! If it were now, I wouldn't leave a single one alive!"

"What exactly happened ten years ago?" Ye Qingcheng pressed, her tone becoming serious. "How did those police officers provoke you? Why did you resort to such ruthless measures?"

Unexpectedly, Zhang Yu suddenly quieted down. He looked up at the ceiling with hollow eyes. After a moment of silence, he spoke gloomily: "Ten years, and you still don't even know what happened? You have the nerve to ask me? Enough, there's no point in saying more. The people who deserved to die are dead, and I've earned an extra ten years of life. Since you said you found Boss Lei's location, I have nothing left to say. For this last bit of time, let me be alone." After saying this, he slowly closed his eyes.

Ye Qingcheng watched his "give-up" attitude and hesitated for a moment before advising: "Zhang Yu, if you can persuade Boss Lei to surrender, perhaps there is still a glimmer of hope."

Zhang Yu didn't react at all; he didn't even lift his eyelids.

"This is your last chance." Ye Qingcheng continued. "When the time comes, the navy will launch the missiles as planned. Even if Boss Lei is hiding underground, he will not escape death."

The ward remained silent, with only the sound of Zhang Yu's heavy breathing.

"You've lived enough, but what about Hong Ying?" Ye Qingcheng changed the subject, tentatively bringing up Hong Ying. "Do you dare say you have no feelings for her? Are you willing to watch her die?"

Upon hearing the words "Hong Ying," Zhang Yu finally reacted.

Ever since Zhang Yu helped Hong Ying escape last time, Ye Qingcheng had suspected that the relationship between Zhang Yu and Hong Ying shouldn't be simple. Thus, she had tested him with the mentality of trying anything, no matter how unlikely.

He slowly opened his eyes and looked at Ye Qingcheng with a complex expression, saying word by word: "Ye Qingcheng, stop playing the emotional card. Even if Hong Ying dies, the person who killed her is you, not me! You have no right to question me. If she dies, I will naturally go down to accompany her."

"You could both clearly live!" Ye Qingcheng's voice was filled with confusion. "What on earth did Hongmen give you that makes you work so hard for them?"

"Live? Like those homeless stray cats and dogs? Living off the charity and pity of others?" Zhang Yu laughed at himself, his eyes full of sorrow.

"Someone like you, born at the pinnacle of the pyramid, how could you understand what life is like for us at the bottom? No matter how hard we try, we can't fight against you upper-class people! But Hongmen is different. There, as long as you are ruthless enough, you can get everything you want with your fists! That's enough!"

"You are truly hopeless!" Ye Qingcheng shook her head in disappointment.

"Since you don't want to live, then take your beliefs to Hell!" After saying this, she turned to leave the ward.

"Wait!" Zhang Yu suddenly spoke, his voice carrying a hint of urgency. "Ye Qingcheng, whether what you said is true or false, I advise you: Boss Lei has something that your Dragon Country upper echelon wants! If you indiscriminately shell the island and destroy that thing, even if you eliminate Boss Lei, your Dragon Country's upper echelon won't be satisfied. You will ultimately be the one to bear that responsibility!"

Ye Qingcheng's body paused abruptly. She turned around and asked, "What thing?"

"I don't know specifically what it is." Zhang Yu shook his head, his tone flat. "But Boss Lei values it more than his own life. I imagine you suddenly taking action against Hongmen is also because you found out about its existence. I've said what I needed to say; believe it or not, it's up to you." After saying this, he closed his eyes again and refused to speak any further.

Ye Qingcheng stood there, her brows tightly knitted—what exactly is in Boss Lei's possession? Hongmen has existed for many years; why take action now? Could it really be because of that thing? The seed of curiosity took root in her heart, and it also made her have a few more doubts about the operation.

She turned and walked out of the ward, gently closing the door. Just as she was about to take out her phone to contact Xu Anguo, the phone in her pocket rang first—the caller ID was none other than Xu Anguo.