Chapter 80

The non-commissioned officer suddenly realized, "Oh, he's that Xu Yan, right?"

"Yes, we brought him back, and now we're handing him over to you. You need to keep an eye on him!" The police officer's words made Xu Yan feel very uncomfortable and a bit uneasy—what did he mean by handing him over? Was this place a detention center or something?

The police officers left, and Xu Yan was left in the room. Feeling uneasy, before he could even ask, the dark-skinned non-commissioned officer had already walked over and stood in front of Xu Yan, clearly saying, "Hand over your phone and all communication devices—also, your wallet, keys, watch, and other personal items!"

Xu Yan was taken aback, but he felt a chill all over his body, as if he had fallen into an ice cave. "It's really like this! In movies, when criminals are brought to the police station, they always go through this. It seems I'm really out of luck this time!"

He obediently took out his phone, wallet, and keys. The non-commissioned officer took the phone, glanced at it, and smiled, "Wow, an iPhone, that's a high-end one." He skillfully turned off the phone and took a plastic bag from an iron cabinet by the wall. He then put all of Xu Yan's items into the plastic bag, sealed it, and labeled it with Xu Yan's name. With a loud "clang," he threw the bag into the iron cabinet and locked it firmly.

Xu Yan watched helplessly as the non-commissioned officer locked up his belongings. He didn't dare to say anything, but the non-commissioned officer was quite open and not as stiff as the police officers on the way. While locking the cabinet, he turned to Xu Yan and said, "Don't worry, we're just keeping them for you. No one wants your phone or wallet."

Hearing this, Xu Yan felt a bit more relaxed. He said uneasily, "Thank you—" but then thought it was strange, "Why should I thank you for taking my things?"

Seeing that the two non-commissioned officers seemed friendly, Xu Yan gathered his courage and asked, "Excuse me, where are we? Why did you bring me here?"

The dark-skinned non-commissioned officer was quite friendly. He said, "Here? This is Hutan Town in the suburbs of Jincheng! Didn't you know?"

Xu Yan was speechless and smiled bitterly, "Comrade, I know this is Jincheng, but why did you bring me here... What for?"

"Hey, young man, don't overthink it. Our big boss wants to see you."

"Boss?" Xu Yan was taken aback and asked, "I don't know any big businessman, do I?"

Hearing Xu Yan's words, the two non-commissioned officers laughed, as if he had said something very funny. Then, the dark-skinned non-commissioned officer said to Xu Yan, "Don't overthink it, you'll know when you see him."

The tall non-commissioned officer brought a chair for Xu Yan to sit on. Then, they ignored him and continued to clean their guns. Xu Yan sat on the chair, unable to even play with his phone, feeling very bored.

He wondered what kind of place this was. He saw police officers, soldiers, and many civilian staff coming and going. It was located in a remote town, and although Xu Yan wasn't very familiar with the way government departments worked, he could tell that what he was seeing was not normal. It didn't look like a police station or a public security bureau, but more like... Xu Yan couldn't quite put his finger on it, but the atmosphere here was more like a construction site or a command center.

So many soldiers and police officers gathered here, what were they planning to do?

Xu Yan couldn't figure it out. He watched the two non-commissioned officers, who, after cleaning their guns, started reading newspapers. Xu Yan didn't dare to disturb them. After about half an hour, two more soldiers came in and took over from the original two.

The new soldiers were also non-commissioned officers. Seeing Xu Yan in civilian clothes sitting there, they asked the original soldiers, "Who is this guy?"

The dark-skinned non-commissioned officer said casually, "He's from the field team, the big boss wants to see him. You need to keep an eye on him, don't let him run away."

"Oh? 401 wants to see him?"

The two new soldiers glanced at Xu Yan, their eyes showing a strange look. After they finished the shift change, the original two soldiers left leisurely, and the new soldiers sat down by the coffee table and picked up the newspapers.

They sat there for about an hour, and as the sun approached noon, Xu Yan finally couldn't stand it anymore. He asked, "Excuse me, how long do I have to wait?"

The two new non-commissioned officers clearly didn't know the situation, and their temper was much worse than the original ones. One of the tall non-commissioned officers, who seemed to be in a bad mood, glared at Xu Yan and said in a Cantonese accent, "Why so many questions? Just wait, and when the time comes, someone will come for you!"

Hearing this, Xu Yan felt a bit angry—deep down, he realized they didn't really have any evidence against him, so he felt more confident. He boldly said, "What's going on? I'm a legal citizen, what right do you have to detain me? Even if you arrest someone, there should be a procedure and a warrant, right?"

This outburst caused trouble. The Cantonese non-commissioned officer, who had a short temper, threw down his newspaper, stood up suddenly, and shouted, "Legal my ass! Are you looking for trouble?"

As he shouted, he strode over to Xu Yan. Seeing his aggressive stance, Xu Yan quickly stood up, ready to explain, but the tall non-commissioned officer suddenly kicked out, landing a hard kick in Xu Yan's stomach.

A powerful force hit Xu Yan, and he was caught off guard, flying backward and crashing into the wall behind him with a loud "bang." Strangely, he didn't feel much pain, just a warm sensation in his stomach.

Xu Yan touched his stomach, feeling it wasn't very painful, and he stood there, lost in thought.

Seeing that Xu Yan seemed unaffected by the kick, the non-commissioned officer became even angrier. Thinking Xu Yan was deliberately provoking him, he rushed forward and delivered a powerful punch to Xu Yan's chest. Xu Yan took a step back, his back hitting the wall again with a dull "thud." Again, he didn't feel much pain, just a warm current spreading from the impact area, slowly dissipating.

Seeing that Xu Yan was still unaffected after two punches, the tall Cantonese non-commissioned officer was about to hit him again, but his companion held him back. Clearly afraid of hurting Xu Yan, he said, "Old Zhao, stop! He's just a civilian, not trained. If you hit him again, something bad might happen!"

Being held back, the non-commissioned officer realized he had hit too hard. He grunted and sat back down, shouting at Xu Yan, "If you cause any more trouble, I'll beat you to death!"

Xu Yan touched his head, feeling that this beating was quite unjustified. At this moment, the non-commissioned officer who had tried to stop the fight walked over to Xu Yan and asked in a low voice, "Are you okay? Does your stomach hurt? Is your chest okay? Do you feel any discomfort anywhere?"

He knew his companion, Zhao Qiang, had a short temper but was skilled, able to split two bricks with a single palm. This young man looked thin, and he didn't want his companion to hurt him, causing trouble for himself.

Xu Yan touched his chest and shook his head, "I'm fine, I don't feel any pain."

The non-commissioned officer who had tried to stop the fight breathed a sigh of relief, but the one who had hit Xu Yan grunted, thinking Xu Yan was deliberately provoking him. He glared at Xu Yan and sneered, "You're just being stubborn! If you're not in pain, why don't you stand there and let me hit you again?"

"Alright, Old Wu, that's enough. Why are you picking on a civilian? As a special forces member, shouldn't you be ashamed?" Another soldier tried to mediate. He thought for a moment and realized that the big boss might not see this young man for a while, and since his companion, Old Wu, had already hit Xu Yan, it would be better to move Xu Yan to another place to avoid any further trouble.

He said to Xu Yan, "Come with me."

Xu Yan didn't understand but followed him out, up the stairs to the second floor. The non-commissioned officer opened a door without a sign and said in a stern voice, "Go in and rest here. When the leader wants to see you, we'll come for you."

His tone was not open to negotiation. Before Xu Yan could react, he pushed him in forcefully, and the door slammed shut behind him.

Xu Yan looked around the room, which was very small, containing only a bed and a chair, not even a table. There were no lights, just a small window on the wall facing the corridor, barely larger than a palm, with iron bars on it.

Xu Yan stood there, staring at the small window and the locked iron door, lost in thought. He finally realized: this room must be a detention cell.

"I'm finally locked up!" Realizing this, Xu Yan felt a sense of relief. He had been afraid of being arrested and imprisoned, but now that it was happening, he felt strangely calm. It seemed that what people truly fear is fear itself.

The non-commissioned officer who had tried to stop the fight had locked him in this small, dark room, which made Xu Yan feel better—this was better than being watched in the duty room. In this quiet room, he could also practice his cultivation.

Xu Yan was worried that Zhu Youxiang would be worried about him not returning home. She had terrifying martial skills but was naive about human affairs. Without him to restrain her, if she found out he was taken away, would she do something crazy? If she went to the police station or other government departments to cause trouble... what would happen?

Thinking about this, Xu Yan felt very worried.

Fortunately, Xu Yan knew that Zhu Youxiang, as a cultivated expert, had reached a level far beyond the need for food. Even if he was detained for ten days or half a month, she wouldn't starve or freeze.

Now, Xu Yan's only hope was that Zhu Youxiang could control herself and not cause any trouble.

He looked at the sun and the time through the window, then sat cross-legged on the bed and began to practice.

Xu Yan found it easy to enter the state of qi sensation and quickly entered a meditative state. He could clearly feel the warm current flowing through his meridians, making his flesh and blood grow rapidly. In his chest and abdomen, a large warm current was slowly gathering and spreading to his limbs, making his whole body feel warm and comfortable.

Xu Yan was immersed in the pleasure of cultivation, practicing enthusiastically. He forgot the advice in Zhu Youxiang's cultivation manual, driving the warm current in his body without restraint, making the true qi circulate again and again. The advice from Zhu Youxiang the previous night, to not practice for too long to avoid overloading his meridians, was long forgotten.

Xu Yan continued to drive the true qi, lost in the practice. He didn't know how much time had passed until he heard an unusual sound. Someone was unlocking the door, but Xu Yan was in the middle of a comfortable circulation and didn't want to be disturbed. He just slowed down his circulation, ready to respond.

"Xu Yan? Get up. The leader wants to see you!"

Hearing the voice at the door, Xu Yan stopped his practice, opened his eyes, and at that moment, the two soldiers at the door took a step back. When the young man sitting cross-legged on the bed opened his eyes, it was as if two bright lights had suddenly turned on in the dark room, his gaze was astonishingly bright.

When he looked at them, it felt like two sharp swords were piercing them. The two soldiers felt a sense of danger and instinctively put their hands on their gun holsters.

They exchanged a glance, then softened their tone and repeated, "Mr. Xu Yan, please get up. The leader is waiting for you."

Xu Yan opened his eyes and saw two unfamiliar soldiers standing outside the room, about five or six steps away, looking at him cautiously. He could clearly see the shoulder badges on their uniforms, their hands on their gun holsters, and their alert and serious expressions.

At this moment, Xu Yan's mind was exceptionally clear. He immediately realized something was wrong. The room was dark, with no lights on, and there were no corridor lights outside. How could he see the two soldiers so clearly, even their faces and expressions? It was as if he had night vision.

When did his slightly nearsighted 1.0 vision become so sharp?

Before Xu Yan could figure it out, the soldiers at the door issued a third invitation, "Mr. Xu Yan, the leader is waiting for you. Please come with us."

Xu Yan got off the bed, feeling unusually light and floating. He suppressed his urge to try out his new abilities and asked, "What time is it now?"

"Mr. Xu, it's 9 PM on January 8th."

"January 8th?" Xu Yan thought for a moment, feeling a bit shocked. He had been brought here on the morning of the 7th, and without realizing it, he had practiced for a full day and a half.

Zhu Youxiang had repeatedly warned him that when starting cultivation, the practice time should not be too long, not exceeding two hours to avoid overloading his meridians. Now, he had practiced for a full day and a half. What would be the consequences?

Would he suffer from a mental breakdown?

Xu Yan was very worried and said, "Alright, please lead the way."

The two soldiers led Xu Yan downstairs and towards a row of bungalows.

At the door of a lit bungalow, the leading soldier stopped, knocked, and reported, "Reporting, the person you wanted to see is here."

A steady voice replied from inside, "Come in!"

The soldier opened the door, stood at attention, and saluted, "Reporting, the person you wanted to see is here."

"Good, please come in."

Hearing this, Xu Yan stepped into the room without waiting for the soldiers to urge him.

The soldiers had been talking about a "leader" wanting to see him. In Xu Yan's imagination, a "leader" should be a respected, dignified general or official, either solemn and serious or kind and approachable, but definitely an older person.

When he entered the room, Xu Yan was taken aback. The room was set up like a typical military barracks, with neatly folded beds and blankets, a cup and toothbrush on the table, and very few other items.

At the table, a tall, thin soldier was sitting in a military uniform with an open collar, revealing a white shirt underneath. Although his expression was serious, he looked no more than thirty, with no wrinkles on his face. He had a short, flat haircut, a thin face, straight eyebrows, thin lips, and no beard, giving him a refined and dignified appearance. He looked only a few years older than Xu Yan, but his demeanor made him seem very mature.

When Xu Yan entered, he was surprised to see the leader. He didn't expect the leader to be such a young soldier. Looking at the leader, Xu Yan had a vague feeling that he looked familiar, as if he had seen him somewhere before, but he couldn't remember where.

Hearing Xu Yan's footsteps, the young leader turned from his desk and looked at Xu Yan. For some reason, as he looked at Xu Yan, the leader also showed a look of surprise, as if he had discovered something unexpected.

The leader waved to the two soldiers, "Alright, you can go now. I'll talk to Mr. Xu."

His voice was clear and pleasant, with a strong presence. The two soldiers saluted and left, closing the door behind them.

Seeing Xu Yan standing by the door, a bit uneasy, the leader smiled, stood up, and walked over to Xu Yan, extending his hand, "Let me introduce myself. My name is Wen Xiuzhi. I work in the military intelligence department of the General Staff and am in charge here. Mr. Xu Yan, hello!"

Xu Yan hesitantly extended his hand and shook the leader's. He noticed that the shoulder badge on the leader's uniform had four stars—although Xu Yan didn't know that a major general was equivalent to a high-ranking official at the provincial level, he knew that the young leader in front of him was no ordinary person.

Xu Yan cautiously said, "Leader Wen, hello!"—Xu Yan had many flaws, but he knew that talking too much could lead to mistakes, so he didn't dare to speak carelessly, fearing he might reveal something.

Wen Xiuzhi clearly saw Xu Yan's unease and discomfort. He smiled and looked at Xu Yan for a moment before speaking. Suddenly, he noticed a clear footprint on Xu Yan's stomach and frowned, "