Over the next few days, Jiang Linchuan and Lian Xiao led their soldiers to work day and night, continuing to search the town and leaving no corner unchecked.
At the same time, we contacted surrounding villages and towns to assist in the interception.
Some of the strangers who fled in advance were intercepted on the way, while others were captured and brought to justice while hiding in the mountains and forests.
After three days and three nights of intensive searching, a total of three suspects were finally apprehended.
All three refused to admit their crimes, remaining silent or talking nonsense when questioned, displaying an extremely stubborn attitude.
Jiang Linchuan ordered, "Take the man back to the military headquarters and interrogate him immediately!"
Military trucks transported the three suspects to military headquarters.
The atmosphere in the carriage was heavy; no one spoke.
Looking at the trees rushing past the window, Lian Xiao couldn't help but ask Jiang Linchuan, "Do you think these three people know who's behind this? Are they really after the General?"
Jiang Linchuan stared intently ahead. "We'll find out once we interrogate them. No matter who's behind them, the mastermind behind the mudslide and the threat to public safety must pay the price!"
The car drove into the military headquarters gate.
The wheels rolled over the muddy ground with a dull thud.
The soldiers escorted the three suspects straight to the interrogation room.
Inside, there was an iron table, a few chairs, and a light bulb in the corner casting a cold white light that stretched the three people's shadows long, making them look particularly disheveled.
Jiang Linchuan ordered the three to be interrogated separately, one in a room each, to eliminate the possibility of them colluding.
Lian Xiao was in charge of interrogating one of the tall, thin men, while the soldier, carrying Zhang Cishu, confronted another burly man with a fierce face.
Jiang Linchuan then entered the interrogation room where the only female suspect was being held.
"Name, place of origin, what are you doing here?" Jiang Linchuan sat opposite the woman, his hands on the table, his sharp eyes staring straight at her.
The woman huddled in the chair, her eyes darting around. "Comrade, I really just came here to beg for food. We're just ordinary outsiders, how could we dare to do anything illegal!"
"Begging?" Jiang Linchuan sneered. "Would a beggar ask where the military headquarters is? Would he flee in panic while we're investigating?"
The question made the woman's face turn pale, but she still clung to her claim, "I... I was just asking out of curiosity, I didn't mean anything by it. I heard that the town was checking on outsiders, and I was scared, so I wanted to leave as soon as possible. Is that wrong? Just because we're from out of town doesn't mean they can pin all sorts of ridiculous charges on us!"
The situation was much the same in the other interrogation room.
The tall, thin man and the burly man both insisted that they were there to make a living and knew nothing about the mudslide. They kept complaining that they had been wronged and that the soldiers were being unreasonable.
"You say you're here to beg for food and make a living, so where's the proof from the commune or your place of origin?" Lian Xiao slammed his hand on the table, his tone stern. "These days, you need proof to take the train or stay in a hotel. You can't just show up out of thin air, can you?"
The tall, thin man's eyes flickered, and he stammered, "The proof... I lost the proof. I accidentally lost it on the way."
The burly man said the same thing: "I lost my ID. I'm so unlucky. I've only been here a few days and this has happened. I've been arrested like a criminal. I can't live like this anymore!"
Their answers were watertight, neither admitting guilt nor finding excuses for their actions, clearly indicating that they had long ago agreed on a unified story.
Jiang Linchuan looked at the woman in front of him, and his anxiety grew stronger.
He firmly believed that these people were involved in the mudslide and suspected that someone was behind them instructing them to obtain Xu Xinghe's prescription.
If they can't be made to talk soon, and the people behind them notice something is wrong, it could be detrimental to Xu Xinghe.
Moreover, he wouldn't feel at ease until he figured it out.
"I'll ask you one last time, who sent you here? Why did you plan the mudslide?" Jiang Linchuan's voice was icy. "Don't think you can get away with playing the victim. Without proof, without a reasonable purpose, you can't explain your identities at all! I can use that as a reason to send you to prison!"
The woman continued to shake her head, "I really don't know anything about mudslides! Comrades, please let me go, I have children to raise, you can't wrong me!"
Seeing her stubbornness, a ruthless glint flashed in Jiang Linchuan's eyes.
Gentle questioning is useless when dealing with such stubborn suspects; a tough approach is necessary to make them feel enough pain in order to break down their psychological defenses.
He stood up abruptly and said to the soldier next to him who was in charge of taking notes, "You go out first! No one is allowed to come in without my order!"
The soldier hesitated for a moment, then responded and withdrew.
Jiang Linchuan locked the door behind him and looked at the woman who was still pretending to cry. "Since you won't talk, then don't blame me for being impolite."
He walked up to the woman and grabbed her right index finger.
Upon seeing this, the woman's expression changed drastically. She struggled to pull her hand back, but Jiang Linchuan held it down firmly, preventing her from moving.
"What are you doing? Let me go! Let me go!" she cried out in terror.
Jiang Linchuan didn't say anything, but with a slight twist of his wrist, a crisp crack was heard, and the woman's index finger dislocated instantly.
"ah--!"
A scream rang out.
The woman convulsed in pain, veins bulging on her forehead, tears mixed with sweat streaming down her face.
Outside the interrogation room, Lian Xiao had just finished questioning the tall, thin man when he heard screams coming from next door, and he paused in his tracks.
Jiang Linchuan was probably desperate, which is why he resorted to such methods.
Instead of going in to stop them, he turned to the soldiers beside him and ordered, "You all go down first and wait at the end of the corridor. Don't come over without orders."
“But, Captain Lian…” one soldier hesitated. Using torture during interrogation could lead to consequences if discovered.
"Execute the command!"
Lian Xiao didn't care about responsibility; all he knew was that these three people were no good.
There's no need for sympathy when dealing with people like this.
As long as no one is killed or maimed, what does it matter?
The most urgent task now is to find out who is behind the mudslide!
Seeing this, the soldiers could only retreat in response, and the corridor instantly became empty, with only intermittent screams coming from next door.
Lian Xiao leaned against the wall, his brows furrowed.
In the interrogation room, Jiang Linchuan released her hand, looking at the woman's ten dislocated and twisted fingers, his tone icy, "Are you willing to talk now? Or do you want other parts of your body to experience this too?"
The woman trembled with pain, curled up in the chair, and looked at Jiang Linchuan with eyes full of fear.
This man in front of me is terrifying; he'll definitely keep his word!
If I don't speak up now, I'm afraid I'll die of pain right here today!
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