Chapter 242: Interview

Han Meng stared at the unfamiliar young face, his brows furrowing further.

"A reporter..." Han Meng withdrew his gaze and spoke coolly. "I don't recall agreeing to an interview, and this is the Black Prison, where Aurora City's serious offenders are held. How did you get in?"

Chen Ling unhurriedly pulled out a chair and sat down, then took a fountain pen from his pocket.

"I have absolute investigative authority," he said. "While it may not be as impressive as your absolute enforcement authority, it's quite useful sometimes."

Han Meng paused. "Do we know each other?"

"As I just said, this is our first meeting." Chen Ling glanced at him. "We only have five minutes. If you want to clear your name of these false accusations, please cooperate with my interview and answer truthfully."

"How do you know I've been framed?" Han Meng retorted.

Chen Ling raised an eyebrow and chuckled softly.

"A reporter's intuition?"

"Now, let's start with the first accusation." Chen Ling's pen tip touched the yellowed paper, and black ink slowly bled into it. "During your tenure as Chief Enforcer in Sector Three, did you engage in activities such as collecting protection money or conducting illegal transactions involving organs or drugs?"

"No," Han Meng denied without hesitation.

"Alright, next question..."

Han Meng was taken aback. "Wait, is that all for the first accusation? Don't you need more details to prove it?"

"Before coming here, I'd already interviewed the survivors from Sector Three, so I have a basic understanding of the situation."

Hearing this, a complex expression flashed across Han Meng's face, and he nodded slightly.

"Second accusation: During your time in Sector Three, did you have any contact with members of the Twilight Society?" Chen Ling's eyes narrowed slightly.

Han Meng remained silent for a long time. "...Yes."

"When?"

"Before the Aurora disappeared, Sector Three experienced a Grey Realm convergence. After I pursued a calamity into the Grey Realm, I encountered a... Twilight Society member," Han Meng paused. "He invited me to join the Twilight Society, but I declined."

"Was that Twilight Society member Red Heart 6, who drove the train into Aurora City that day?"

"...Yes."

"Was that your only interaction?"

"..." Han Meng slowly closed his eyes. "No, not just that. He used to be my subordinate, and one of the three enforcers in Sector Three... You should have seen his name in the newspapers."

"Heretic Chen Ling."

Hearing these four words, Han Meng opened his mouth as if to speak, but ultimately said nothing.

"What do you think his purpose was for infiltrating the enforcement system?"

"I don't know," Han Meng shook his head. "During his time in Sector Three, he never did anything detrimental to the sector. He even saved my life and the life of another enforcer, Xi Renjie, and rescued all of Sector Three from a calamity... except for..."

"Except for what?"

"Except that his reputation among the residents of Sector Three wasn't very good," Han Meng said with a strange expression. "They said he was a demon who liked to eat human hearts."

"Likes to eat human hearts? That certainly fits the symbolism of Red Heart 6."

"But he never actually ate human hearts; it was always pig or chicken hearts... I even gave him some jasmine tea because he felt they caused internal heat."

"From what you're saying, this Red Heart 6 seems quite normal." Chen Ling's eyes narrowed slightly, and his tone suddenly turned serious. "So, am I to understand that you are deliberately defending him?"

As these words were uttered, the temperature in the cell immediately dropped, and the atmosphere became almost frozen.

Han Meng's expression remained unchanged as he calmly stated, "I'm merely stating the facts."

"There are no good people among the Twilight Society members; that's the universal view across many realms. Yet you alone are defending Red Heart 6. What is that if not a deliberate defense and whitewashing?" Chen Ling's gaze was as sharp as a sword, seemingly intent on piercing Han Meng through.

Han Meng, his face grave, met his gaze without speaking.

After a moment, Chen Ling's expression finally softened slightly.

"Mr. Han Meng, you should be glad that I'm the one interviewing you today... Before coming here, I had already formed a good impression of you through the testimonies of the Sector Three survivors.

But if it were any other reporter, hearing what you just said, they would undoubtedly lump you together with the thugs of the Twilight Society... At that point, even if you were speaking the truth, it would only push you deeper into the abyss...

In this world, honesty isn't always a good virtue. If questioned in court, it would be most beneficial for you to distance yourself from the Twilight Society members.

You should understand what I mean."

This conversation was one of the crucial reasons Chen Ling came to interview Han Meng. If he wanted to help Han Meng turn the tables, Han Meng first had to completely distance himself from him. Otherwise, once public opinion fermented, even if his charges were cleared, he would still face public condemnation and doubt.

"Thank you for your concern," Han Meng replied indifferently.

"Next accusation..."

Chen Ling then asked two or three more questions, all related to the prosecutor's accusations against Han Meng that day. But before he could finish taking notes, a creaking sound came from behind him.

The cell door was opened by enforcers in black trench coats. They pointed to the time and spoke coldly:

"The interview time is over... Reporter Lin, please?"

Seeing this, Chen Ling had no choice but to close his notebook, slowly rise from the chair, and turn to walk out.

"Mr. Lin Yan," Han Meng suddenly spoke.

Chen Ling's steps halted, and he looked back in the glow of the purple torches.

"The trial is about to begin," Han Meng watched him. "Will your article be finished and published in time?"

Chen Ling raised a finger to push up his half-rimmed glasses and replied calmly:

"It will."

With that, he turned and disappeared down the corridor.

In the dim cell, Han Meng watched the disappearing figure, his eyes narrowing slightly, lost in thought.

Led by numerous enforcers, Chen Ling passed through security checks and finally exited the Black Prison unscathed, stepping back into the sunlight.

The cold wind of Aurora City ruffled the hem of his brown overcoat. Chen Ling stood alone by the street, taking off and putting away his half-rimmed glasses. Then, he pulled out a stack of news manuscripts from his pocket, quickly scanned them, and headed straight towards the newspaper office.

Only a few hours remained until Han Meng's final verdict hearing, yet he was certain everything would be ready in time...

Because even before this interview,

the article was already written.