pjbooks Chapter 8 Jiang Chen Under Investigation
Chapter 8 Jiang Chen Under Investigation
Jiangzhou, General Administration of Awakened Affairs.
Morning light penetrates the glass curtain wall, cutting out cold, geometric patterns of light on the gray marble floor.
Hanging in the center of the hall was a huge emblem—a crossed sword and a gavel—with an inscription below it: "Guardians of Order, Define the Abnormal."
This is the core law enforcement agency of the Dragon Kingdom's Awakened System, known as the Bureau of Unorthodox Management.
Unlike traditional police forces, the Special Administration Bureau is dedicated to cases involving awakened individuals, possessing independent investigative and arrest powers, and can even mobilize A-level or higher combat forces when necessary.
Three hundred years ago, after the apostles descended and the demons revived, humanity rebuilt order on the ruins.
Governments around the world have realized that Awakened crime is very different from traditional crime—the destruction caused by an out-of-control S-class Awakened is no less than that of a small army.
Consequently, under the framework of the United Nations Convention on Awakened Individuals, various countries have successively established specialized law enforcement agencies targeting awakened individuals.
The Dragon Kingdom's Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs is the most ruthless and has the most extensive authority among them, with branches all over the country.
At this moment, the atmosphere in the meeting room of the Major Crimes Investigation Division on the third floor of the Jiangzhou Branch Bureau was as tense as an iron plate.
At one end of the long table, a projection screen displayed photos of the scene of the explosion in the 888 VIP room of the Emperor Hotel—charred walls, twisted metal, more than a dozen gruesome bodies, and two locations marked as survivors.
"Seventeen dead, two seriously injured." The technician in charge of the report pressed the remote control, and the screen switched to Lin Feng's medical report.
"One of the survivors, the heir of the Lin family, and an S-rank Thunder-type Awakener. Assessment conclusion: More than 60% of his spiritual power source has been damaged, his talent growth potential has been reduced to zero, and he is basically determined to have a permanent disability."
He paused, then switched to the next page: "Another survivor, Liu Ruyan, the daughter of the Liu family, an S-rank Illusionist. Her injuries are relatively minor, mainly organ damage caused by the shockwave, and she is currently out of danger."
There was no murmur in the meeting room. Those seated in the Major Crimes Investigation Division were all seasoned veterans who had seen it all. But even so, as this string of data was presented, some people's brows twitched slightly.
The seventeen victims were all high school seniors aged seventeen or eighteen.
Two S-level talents, one was crippled, and the other was so frightened that he lost his speech.
This is not an ordinary case.
The middle-aged man sitting in the main seat finally spoke. He wasn't wearing a uniform, but a dark gray Zhongshan suit, his temples were gray, and he had an unlit cigarette between his fingers.
"Have you obtained the complete interrogation records of Lin Feng and Liu Ruyan?"
"Got it." The technician pulled up two transcript summaries.
"The two accounts of the incident are highly consistent. No external attackers were found, and no abnormal spiritual energy intrusion was sensed. The epicenter of the explosion was where Lin Feng was standing at the time."
"In other words..."
"The detonator was either Lin Feng himself who lost control, or someone planted a mine in his body, or even in his meridians and spiritual energy."
The meeting room was silent for a few seconds.
In short, all of this happened in an extremely bizarre way, and no matter what the explanation, it seems difficult to judge using today's technology.
A young investigator raised his hand: "Speaking of which, since Lin Feng has awakened an S-level talent, even though he's still a student, what level would it take to silently plant something within his spiritual power?"
The man sitting in the middle didn't speak. His name was Su Ze, and he was the director of the Jiangzhou Awakened Affairs Bureau. He was frowning. The pressure from the outside was immense. The Liu family was pressuring him to find the murderer as soon as possible, as was the Lin family, not to mention the families of the other victims.
Su Ze raised his hand to signal the technician to continue.
Then, a third document appeared on the screen.
It was a student's profile photo; he was seventeen or eighteen years old, with handsome features and gentle eyes. Below it was a brief resume: Jiang Chen, a senior at Jiangzhou Academy, a candidate with no abilities as determined by the Awakening Day test.
Jiang Chen's name is known to everyone in Jiangzhou, and it has even become a topic of conversation among the Bureau staff when they are bored these days. But Su Ze doesn't think so. Since it is an unprecedented phenomenon, this person must be one in a million. His existence is definitely not simple.
"This person left room 888 three minutes before the explosion. He was accompanied by a classmate named Wang Kai, who had awakened a C-level life skill. So he's not a suspect."
"According to our investigation, Liu Ruyan's ex-boyfriend is Jiang Chen. They broke up three days ago on the day of awakening."
"She broke up with him right after being deemed incapable; Liu Ruyan is quite materialistic," someone in the crowd suddenly joked.
"And during those three days, Liu Ruyan started dating Lin Feng."
As soon as he finished speaking, those present couldn't help but sigh, lamenting how quickly this young man's love came and went.
"According to the hotel staff, the students and Lin Feng and others in the private room seemed to be mocking Jiang Chen. In conclusion, Jiang Chen had a very clear motive for committing the crime."
Su Ze looked at the handsome figure on the screen. He was the only known person in the world without superpowers, and his special status was self-evident.
"We'll go through his resume from beginning to end, from birth to yesterday, every year's medical report, every semester's transcript, every post on his social media accounts. We'll check who he's been in contact with, where he's been, and his parents' social connections."
"The residual spiritual energy samples from the scene were sent to the General Administration's Technical Center for in-depth analysis. I need to know whether there was any external interference before those electric arcs went berserk."
"Interrogate Wang Kai privately, and don't let him inform Jiang Chen."
He stood up, his gaze sweeping across the entire table, and immediately made targeted arrangements in response to the matter.
.....
Wang Kai was stopped downstairs at his own home.
It was 2 p.m. He had just bought a bottle of Coke from the convenience store and hadn't even unscrewed the cap when two figures silently appeared beside him.
"Wang Kai, please cooperate with us."
No identification was shown, but the sword and gavel badge on the chest of the uniform said it all.
Wang Kai tightened his grip, and the plastic bottle made a squeaking sound.
The Awakened Ones Administration Bureau.
He had only ever seen this name in the news since he was a child, and of course he had dreamed of becoming one of them, but unfortunately he had only awakened a C-level talent in life skills, so getting into the Administration Bureau was just a pipe dream.
The interrogation room was small and had no windows. There was only one lamp on the table, the light of which was adjusted to be very soft, even comfortable.
Sitting opposite me was a female investigator in her early thirties, with short hair, clean features, and a calm tone as if she were having a casual chat.
"Don't be nervous, it's just a few simple questions. Would you like some water?"
Wang Kai shook his head. He gripped the paper cup tightly, his knuckles turning white.
Why did you attend Liu Ruyan's victory celebration that night?
"I...I'm in the same class as her. She tagged everyone in the group chat, and everyone went."
"Where's Jiang Chen? Why did he go?"
Wang Kai's throat tightened.
He had rehearsed his answers countless times in his mind before coming, but when the questions actually hit him, he realized that he was not prepared at all.
He recalled that night when Jiang Chen stood at the door of the private room, calmly watching the room full of mockery.
He recalled Jiang Chen's indifferent gaze that night.
He remembered the shattered window and the faint screams that could be heard through the thick smoke.
Of course, Wang Kai also remembered that when he was about to part ways with Jiang Chen that day, he was still uneasy about everything that had just happened. Jiang Chen's changes were so great that he felt like a stranger to him. It was at the moment of parting that Jiang Chen told him...
If anyone asks what happened today, don't be afraid, just tell the truth.
Should we tell the truth...?
Jiang Chen had given prior notice, and he wasn't afraid at all that his actions would be discovered.
Therefore, Wang Kai told the truth.
"He...he's a classmate too." Wang Kai heard his own voice. "I received a group message and went there."
"Do you know about his relationship with Liu Ruyan?"
"Know."
What are your thoughts on the breakup?
Wang Kai remained silent for a few seconds.
"I think Liu Ruyan went too far."
This is indeed what Wang Kai was thinking.
The female investigator made no comment, but simply made a note in her notebook.
"What did Jiang Chen say after he met Lin Feng?"
Wang Kai's fingers repeatedly rubbed the edge of the paper cup.
"Lin Feng was the one who mocked Jiang Chen first, and I suppose you've also investigated the relationship between these three. To be honest, no man could tolerate him mocking Jiang Chen in front of so many people that day."
"I asked you what Jiang Chen said?!" The woman's voice became sharper.
Wang Kai closed his eyes.
He said... Lin Feng is too petty.
Many thoughts flashed through Wang Kai's mind, but he chose the safest one.
"Anything else?"
"He also said that Lin Feng is too arrogant and will suffer sooner or later."
The female investigator looked up and stared at him quietly for two seconds.
Wang Kai didn't look away. He knew his words were weak and that the other person wouldn't believe him. But that was all he could do.
"Okay." The female investigator didn't ask any further questions and closed her notebook.
"One last question."
"What kind of person do you think Jiang Chen is?"
Wang Kai was stunned.
He opened his mouth, countless images flashing through his mind—
Three years ago, when he first enrolled in school, Jiang Chen picked up his schoolbag that had fallen off.
A year ago, Jiang Chen defeated fifteen opponents in a row at the training ground. The tip of his sword stopped three millimeters in front of his throat, and he smiled and said, "Thank you for the favor."
Three days ago, Jiang Chen failed to awaken his powers, leaving him dejected and despised by everyone.
And last night, Jiang Chen stood in the darkness, looking at the smoking window, his eyes devoid of any warmth.
"He's a good person..."
Wang Kai spoke softly.
"But lately... things are a little different."