Chapter Fourteen: Living Towards Death
Sato stepped out of the interrogation room, looked at Qiao Yuan standing in the corridor, stopped, and a cold smile appeared in his narrow eyes as he looked at Qiao Yuan: "Qiao-kun, how long have you been standing here listening?"
Qiao Yuan lowered his eyes, then raised his face, a fawning smile tugging at the corners of his mouth: "Just arrived, Colonel. The commotion inside..." He glanced at the door of the interrogation room, "Chen Kan is certainly a tough nut to crack."
Sato reached out and patted him on the shoulder: "Qiao Jun is much smarter than Chen Kan. You and I have always worked together very well. If it weren't for your wife and Chen Kan scheming against you five years ago, I think we could still be working together so closely now."
Qiao Yuan's back tensed instantly, but he maintained his bowed head: "Colonel, you jest. Am I not now loyally serving the Great Japanese Empire?"
"Oh?" Sato laughed. "It's really hard to guess what's on Qiao's mind."
Qiao Yuan handed it to Sato Yan in a flattering manner, then lit it with a lighter, and said with a smile, "It's all thanks to the Colonel's cultivation."
Qiao Yuan watched his figure disappear around the corner of the stairs before slowly looking down, his brows furrowed.
The wind from the corridor carried the stench of blood from the interrogation room. He clenched his cigarette so tightly that the cigarette was deformed from his grip.
A muffled groan came from inside, like a dull knife stabbing into his heart again and again.
"Brother Qiao?" the guard at the door called out to him. "Sister Qing wants you to come in and take a look."
Qiao Yuan snapped out of his daze, threw the cigarette on the ground and stomped it out, then pushed open the door and entered the interrogation room.
The light was so bright that he squinted. He saw Chen Kan tied to a tiger bench, his shirt soaked in blood, clinging to his body like a dark brown cloth.
His head hung low, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, yet he gritted his teeth, refusing to utter a single plea for mercy.
Hearing footsteps, Chen Kan looked up, his eyes bloodshot, but he managed a cold laugh: "Qiao Yuan, are you here to hand Cheng Qing the whip?"
Cheng Qing, panting heavily, handed her braid to her subordinate and said, "Chen Kan, don't be arrogant. You'll get what's coming to you! Qiao Yuan, come with me."
Cheng Qing was just like him; they were nothing more than dogs in the eyes of the Japanese. Why would they care about a dog's life?
Cheng Qing suddenly turned around. "Qiao Yuan, what were you thinking just now?" Her eyes held a hint of madness in their smiles. "Don't tell me you're sympathizing with Chen Kan?"
Qiao Yuan's heart tightened, but he forced a smile and said, "How could I? I was just thinking that if Chen Kan doesn't confess soon, it will delay the colonel's work, and we won't be able to explain ourselves."
"Explain?" Cheng Qing laughed. "What do we have to explain? The Japanese treated us like dogs, and the Chinese called us traitors. We can only rely on each other."
Qiao Yuan was taken aback, never expecting Cheng Qing to say such things. He looked at her and his throat moved.
Cheng Qing then said, "Qiao Yuan, have you forgotten how Chen Kan treated you five years ago? He sent people to kill you and steal your woman. Now you're dealing with him for me, isn't that what you should do?" The madness in her eyes intensified. "Don't forget that the Axe Gang members are still in my hands. I'll give you 24 hours to make Chen Kan confess! Otherwise, I'll send them all to Sato one by one and let them taste the pain of being slowly sliced to death."
Qiao Yuan's face turned pale, and his brief moment of softening towards Cheng Qing was followed by a stiffening: "I'll do my best."
"Try your best?" Cheng Qing raised an eyebrow, her fingertips tracing his cheek. "Not just try your best, it's a must." She turned and took a few steps, then stopped, glancing back at him. "Oh, and don't forget to give Chen Kan some new gadgets."
Qiao Yuan watched her figure disappear at the end of the corridor before slowly lowering his head.
The wind from the corridor carried the stench of blood from the interrogation room, and he clenched his fist, his knuckles making a crisp cracking sound.
Pushing open the door, Chen Kan was found beaten to a bloody pulp; the image of a handsome young man was gone, and flies were buzzing around his blood.
Qiao Yuan frowned, his eyes revealing reluctance.
Chen Kan remained motionless, as if he were dead.
"Did you hear what I said?" Qiao Yuan raised his voice and scolded, "Don't forget, you have a wife and a daughter, and we, the Wang Yuxian brothers, are still arresting people! It will be too late for you to confess after we catch them!"
Chen Kan finally raised his head. He moved his lips and spat out countless blood bubbles.
Qiao Yuan lowered his body again, almost putting his ear to Qiao Yuan's ear.
"Chen Nian...is your daughter..."
Qiao Yuan's mind went blank, and he almost lost his balance. He stared at Chen Kan, unable to believe his ears.
But Chen Kan just smiled at him, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth down his chin, and said in a murky voice that only the two of them could hear, "Nian'er's eyes... are very much like yours."
Qiao Yuan's hands were trembling.
He has never been a person with a strong sense of morality. In order to survive, he can use other people's lives to fill his own path. Even when he wanted to send Lin Tang and Chen Kan away, it was not because of any deep self-blame or guilt, but simply because he felt that such a decision was the safest for Lin Tang at the time.
But now, as he gazed into those clear eyes before him, even though he was covered in blood and his face was scarred, those eyes still shone like stars. For the first time, he felt that they reflected his own soul, so ugly and wretched.
"Stop talking nonsense! I'm going to get you out of here!"
Qiao Yuan's blood boiled, and he wanted to take him away at all costs, but Chen Kan just shook his head. He whispered in Qiao Yuan's ear, "...If you really feel guilty, then live well...protect Jintang and Nian'er...In this world, dying is easy, but living is the hardest thing."
While he was still in a daze, Chen Kan suddenly fell down, chair and all, his forehead hitting the cold cement floor of the interrogation room hard.
With a "thud," blood instantly gushed from his brow bone, flowing down his eye and into his collar, making his already stained shirt even darker.
"Chen Kan!" Qiao Yuan wanted to rush over, but remembering what he had just said, his hand stopped.
He watched helplessly as more and more blood flowed from Chen Kan's brow bone, soaking the cement floor, and as his eyes slowly lost focus.
Chen Kan's head lolled to the ground, his eyes half-closed, bloodstains clinging to his eyelashes, yet he still smiled, a smile paler than ever before, like moonlight shattered by the wind. "Qiao Yuan... I didn't lie to you... Nian'er's eyes... really do look like yours..." His voice trailed off, a muffled gasp escaping his throat, "She said last time... she'd buy me candy..."
The guard at the door heard the commotion and ran in. When he saw the blood on the ground, he was so frightened that he immediately went to call Cheng Qing.
Just then, Wang Yuxian's voice came from the corridor, filled with panic: "Sister Qing! We can't find Lin Tang!!"
Cheng Qing walked over in high heels, a slightly impatient smile on her face. She frowned when she saw Chen Kan on the ground: "What happened?"
Once he came to his senses, his violent temper returned.
Cheng Qing walked over and nudged Chen Kan's shoulder with her toe. Seeing that he didn't react, she sneered, "Useless thing, it would be better if he died."
Even so, she still said, "What are you standing there for? Go find someone to stop his bleeding! Do you want to die? It's not that easy!"
...
Cheng Qing found a military doctor.
Qiao Yuan watched from the side, and for a moment, he didn't know whether to be happy or sad. He wished that Chen Kan would die immediately and not have to suffer so much! But he didn't dare to show his worries too much, for fear that Cheng Qing would notice something was wrong.
"Look at all the trouble you've caused!" Cheng Qing said fiercely, then became smug again, "Isn't it all my fault for cleaning up after you?"
"Yes, yes, thank you for taking care of me." Qiao Yuan wished he could slash that venomous beauty's face a few times, but for now he had no choice but to continue acting.
Qiao Yuan watched as this female devil's moods changed unpredictably, and he really didn't know what she was thinking. He could only follow behind her and walk towards the Shi Village office.
...
Although Sato and Ishimura each had their own agendas, and Ishimura was even tricked by Sato, Sato, now due to false information, naturally didn't escape unscathed either. Although the two were chatting and laughing together, their brows clearly revealed their desire to kill each other.
Ishimura suddenly stood up, while Sato calmly took a sip of his tea.
"Didn't you stop him? Sakura, why are you so reckless these days?"
Qiao Yuan was startled, and suddenly felt as if countless insects and ants had bitten his back, making his hair stand on end!
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