Chapter 81

Knowing that the official Wen in front of him was actually Chen Yaoyu's uncle, and seeing the other party's courteous attitude, Xu Yan, who was not one to push things to extremes, felt it was inappropriate to continue pressing the issue.

"Is that so, Director Wen, I understand... But, what exactly happened? To be honest, I'm still completely in the dark."

Xu Yan no longer pursued his grievances, and Wen Xiuzhi was also glad to shift the topic. He took a deep puff of his cigarette and said in a deep voice, "Xu Yan, you were a witness to the madman's murder at the Wanhe Mall last month, right?"

As he asked, Wen Xiuzhi stared intently at Xu Yan. His gaze was sharp and profound, making Xu Yan feel as if he were being seen through. He shifted uncomfortably and asked, "Director Wen, I did witness that case, but is there a problem with that?"

"Xu Yan, we have two officers from the National Security Bureau, one named Shen Dian and the other named Xu Nan—have you met them?"

"Yes, I have. Director Shen and Officer Xu, I've met them. They came to my house last Sunday, I remember it clearly."

"Hmm," Wen Xiuzhi lowered his head, took out another cigarette, but didn't light it, just twirling it in his hand. "Shen Dian and Xu Nan are both part of our investigation team, and they are under my command."

"Oh, I see!" Xu Yan responded vaguely, but in his heart, he didn't understand why Wen Xiuzhi was saying all this. Who their superiors were, what did it have to do with him? As long as they weren't imposters, that was enough.

"On that day, after they finished the investigation with you, Shen Dian and Xu Nan were involved in a car accident on their way back. Both comrades unfortunately died on the spot."

After saying this, Wen Xiuzhi suddenly lifted his head, his eyes like lightning, staring intently at Xu Yan's eyes, observing every change in his facial expression, as if trying to find some unnatural flaw.

But he found nothing. Xu Yan's reaction was just like that of any normal person. At that moment, his face showed genuine shock and surprise—Wen Xiuzhi had to admit that if Xu Yan's shocked expression was an act, he could go to the film festival to compete for the Best Actor award.

"Sacrificed...?" Xu Yan slowly repeated the two words, as if he still couldn't grasp their weight. Then, he suddenly looked flustered: "Could it be that Director Shen and Officer Xu are... dead?"

Wen Xiuzhi continued to stare at Xu Yan, slowly nodding: "Yes, both martyrs have sacrificed their lives."

Xu Yan was in a panic. He instinctively defended himself: "But... this has nothing to do with me! They died in a car accident, it was an accident. Uh, it's very unfortunate, but it's not my fault. You can't blame me for this!"

Wen Xiuzhi still stared intently at Xu Yan's eyes, his gaze sharp like a knife, but his tone was very calm: "The cause of the car accident is very mysterious. A large truck on the opposite lane suddenly changed direction, crossed the center line, and crashed into the car driven by the two comrades. The truck driver died on the spot.

"After the accident, the traffic police found that the large truck's change of direction was very strange, as if it had been pushed off its path by a great force, as if a third car had hit it from the side, causing it to deviate and crash into our comrades. But strangely, we couldn't find any trace of the third car. There were no marks of a collision on the side of the truck, and the eyewitnesses at the scene confirmed that no third car had hit the truck. Why the large truck suddenly turned and crashed into our officers remains a mystery—Xu Yan, do you have any thoughts on this?"

Xu Yan turned his head blankly, instinctively avoiding the other party's intense gaze, and replied: "How would I know? If the traffic police couldn't find the cause, I'm just an ordinary citizen, how could I know the reason?"

Wen Xiuzhi raised an eyebrow: "Is that so? But it seems that the two martyrs believed you knew."

Xu Yan was startled: "What? Director Wen, don't joke with me. They've already sacrificed, how can they still speak?"

Wen Xiuzhi shook his head: "I'm not joking. Before his death, Martyr Xu Nan wrote your name on his shirt with his own blood—Xu Yan, do you still think we brought you here for no reason?"

Xu Yan was greatly alarmed. He suddenly stood up, his face changing, and shouted: "What? Officer Xu... he... he left my name? How is that possible? This has nothing to do with me! It must be a mistake!"

Wen Xiuzhi had been carefully observing Xu Yan's expression.

In fact, when he said that Xu Nan had written Xu Yan's name on his shirt, he was just trying to scare Xu Yan. Xu Nan had indeed written a few words on his sleeve with his blood before he died, but at that time, his consciousness was already blurred, and the blood-stained words were like scribbles, indistinguishable even to the best handwriting experts. Wen Xiuzhi said this to scare Xu Yan and see how he would react when he heard the news.

On Xu Yan's face, Wen Xiuzhi saw surprise, anger, and shock, but not a hint of guilt or fear. His eyes were clear and gentle—Wen Xiuzhi, who had been a detective, had a keen eye, and he could tell that this was not the look of a guilty person. These eyes were innocent.

Xu Yan was young, only twenty years old. At his age, he probably hadn't learned to hide his thoughts.

Wen Xiuzhi pondered: Perhaps this really was an accident?

All the evidence suggested that the car accident was just an accident—had it not been for the discovery of the strange marks on Xu Nan's shirt by the funeral home staff, the investigation team would have treated it as an accident. Now, seeing Xu Yan's reaction in a moment of panic, Wen Xiuzhi was even more convinced—Xu Yan was just a naive college student, he couldn't have the depth or acting skills to fake such a reaction.

Of course, if Xu Yan were just an ordinary person, Wen Xiuzhi wouldn't be so lenient—since he was involved in such a major case, there would be no room for negotiation. The intelligence department was known for its swift and decisive actions. Anyone involved in the mysterious car accident would be arrested, and all those involved would be thoroughly investigated, down to their ancestors' backgrounds.

But the problem was, Xu Yan was the savior of his father. In that case, he couldn't treat him roughly. Many interrogation methods couldn't be used on him. Otherwise, not only would it be a bad reputation for ingratitude, but even from a practical standpoint, his father, Old Wen, was already old and had recently fallen ill. If he offended Xu Yan, where would he find someone else to treat his father in the future?

After much consideration, Wen Xiuzhi could only sigh—regardless of whether Xu Yan was the murderer of the two National Security officers, he had to let him go. Fortunately, all the evidence, except for the strange marks on Xu Nan's shirt, suggested that the car accident was indeed an accident. So Wen Xiuzhi felt no pressure in making this decision.

Having reached this conclusion, Wen Xiuzhi felt relieved—there was no need to pursue the truth further. Let it be an accident! Otherwise, if it were found that Xu Yan was involved in the deaths of the two martyrs, he wouldn't know what to do.

Wen Xiuzhi made up his mind and looked deeply at Xu Yan: "Mr. Xu, don't be so agitated. We brought you here for a routine investigation. After all, the two comrades met with an accident after visiting your home, so it's normal for us to ask you some questions.

"I didn't say that this must be related to you. You have to trust the government. We don't let any bad person go, but we also don't wrong any good person. Everything is based on the law and evidence. If you did it, you can't escape; if you didn't, we won't wrong you—do you understand?"

When he mentioned "law and evidence," Wen Xiuzhi emphasized the words. From his gaze, Xu Yan read the message: "Alright, you're one of us, you're a benefactor of the Wen family, you can say whatever you want, we won't hold it against you."

Understanding the other party's meaning, Xu Yan sat down dejectedly and said weakly: "Director Wen, the accident of those two comrades really has nothing to do with me!"

Wen Xiuzhi said calmly: "I didn't say it was related to you! Xu Yan, since we have this lead, we have to ask you some questions, right? Asking you will help clear your name and remove any suspicion—this is a good thing!"

Wen Xiuzhi, though young, spoke in a very mature and official tone—perhaps he was intentionally teasing Xu Yan.

Xu Yan pursed his lips, feeling a sense of helpless fatigue. If the other party had accused him and called him the murderer, he could have argued and clarified the facts. But now, the other party didn't say anything about it, adopting an ambiguous attitude of "you can say whatever you want, we won't argue," which left Xu Yan at a loss.

Xu Yan sat in a daze for a while, then asked dejectedly: "Director Wen, can I ask? I just witnessed a madman's murder at the Wanhe Mall, is it really that serious? The police and National Security Bureau have already investigated me, and I'm completely confused. I was just doing a good deed, why am I being treated like a criminal, and you keep coming to me?"

Hearing Xu Yan's complaints, Wen Xiuzhi didn't get angry. He smiled and shook his head: "Xu Yan, the situation is more complicated. If you really want to understand, we'll have to start from the beginning. If you're interested, I'll tell you."

Xu Yan was delighted: "Sure, sure!" Then he asked hesitantly: "This isn't a state secret, right?"

"Um, it is a state secret, but since you were a witness, keeping it from you wouldn't make much sense. I can tell you, as long as you promise not to tell anyone else."

Xu Yan hesitated for a moment but still made the promise, assuring he wouldn't disclose the information. Wen Xiuzhi nodded: "Since that's the case, I'll tell you. Comrade Xu Yan, you were a witness to the madman's murder, what did you feel?"

"Feel...?" Xu Yan hesitated, choosing his words carefully: "The madman seemed very powerful, he didn't fall even after being shot. It was very troublesome... and his skills were also very impressive. He killed people brutally. That's all I felt."

Wen Xiuzhi shook his head: "Xu Yan, the situation is much more complicated than you think. First, the madman you saw that day was not an ordinary madman. He had an exceptionally strong life force. Even after being shot multiple times—after the incident, we performed an autopsy and found thirty-five bullets in his body—he was still able to continue attacking with a knife, and he was incredibly strong, injuring and killing multiple officers in the struggle."

In fact, Xu Yan had witnessed all this himself, and Zhu Youxiang had explained the reasons to him, but to avoid revealing any inconsistencies, he still put on a surprised expression: "Ah, that guy was so powerful?"

Xu Yan thought his act was natural enough, but he didn't know who he was dealing with. Wen Xiuzhi, though from a military background, had risen to prominence in the intelligence department, not just because of his father's connections. He had received rigorous training as an intelligence officer, solved many major cases, and had sharp eyes and rich experience. The moment Xu Yan spoke, Wen Xiuzhi immediately sensed: Xu Yan is lying!

In that split second, Wen Xiuzhi's mind raced: Xu Yan wasn't actually surprised by the situation I described. But why is he pretending to be surprised?

In other words, Xu Yan is aware of the situation with the infected and crazed individuals.

But the question is, how did Xu Yan get this information? Did he witness the madman's transformation and death at the Wanhe Mall? Or did someone who witnessed the entire process tell him?

But if that were the case, why would Xu Yan need to pretend?

If Xu Yan had witnessed the events himself or had a friend who told him, it would be a natural and legal way to get the information. There would be no need for him to pretend to be ignorant and try to deceive me. He could have openly told me that he witnessed it.

But now, since Xu Yan is hesitant to speak, it suggests that his source of information is hidden and illegal. It's even possible that Xu Yan knows more than the intelligence department?

Thinking this, Wen Xiuzhi's heart rate quickened slightly. He continued to explain the situation to Xu Yan without showing any emotion: The madman's rampage that Xu Yan witnessed was indeed shocking, but it was not the whole story.

"In the past few months, similar incidents have occurred in various parts of the country. In the capital, in Shanghai, in Guangzhou, in Xi'an, in our city, in Hunan, in the northeast, and in other places, there have been cases of ordinary people suddenly becoming violent and bloodthirsty, attacking people indiscriminately. Our investigation team has received reports of over a hundred such cases from local police departments. These madmen are brutal and inhumane.

Xu Yan, what you saw was the madmen killing innocent civilians and police officers, but in other places, the incidents were even more horrific. Some madmen attacked their own families, killing dozens of relatives in one go. Some even stormed into schools and hospitals, attacking unarmed students and patients. In some remote villages, due to the lack of timely reinforcements, an entire village of over a hundred people was killed by a single madman—the consequences were extremely severe."

As he spoke, Wen Xiuzhi kept shaking his head and sighing. Xu Yan had also witnessed such a scene, and thinking about the bloodshed and carnage that would occur if these bulletproof madmen invaded hospitals and schools, he couldn't help but feel a chill.

"Since the beginning of the year, over a hundred similar incidents have occurred, causing social panic and drawing the attention of the central leadership. They have assigned us from the military to work with the police and security departments to form a special investigation team to quickly uncover the truth and prevent similar incidents.

Based on the nature and characteristics of these cases, some medical experts in our team believe that this sudden violent behavior is a variant of a disease, similar to the manic phase of mental illness, a more aggressive and violent form of manic psychosis.

But within our team, some experts hold a different opinion. They believe it is caused by a non-natural, mutated virus, similar to—uh, Xu Yan, have you seen the American movie 'Resident Evil'?"

Seeing Xu Yan nod, Wen Xiuzhi continued: "Some believe that, like the T-virus created by the Umbrella Corporation, the madman incidents in our country are also due to a man-made virus that has infected the brains of ordinary people, causing their brain cells to mutate, making them bloodthirsty and violent, and their physical strength to increase explosively—these madmen are incredibly strong and fearless, which is a characteristic of biological weapons.

Therefore, many experts and high-ranking officials responsible for security believe that these incidents are the result of an enemy force secretly infiltrating our country and using our citizens for biological weapon experiments. This is why the military is involved in the investigation."

After saying this, Wen Xiuzhi glanced at Xu Yan—indeed, throughout the explanation, he had been closely observing Xu Yan's reaction, but he couldn't detect anything unusual: Xu Yan's reaction was just like that of any normal person, his mouth wide open, listening intently.

Wen Xiuzhi continued: "Initially, everyone suspected the United States. After all, they have always been hostile to us, and they have a history of secretly researching and using biological weapons, and the capability to develop such weapons. So we focused our investigation on people and institutions with American connections in the country... But after some investigation, we found something strange. Similar madman incidents were also occurring in the United States—uh, a few days ago, when you saved my father, I went to New York. There was also an incident there, a madman attacking people on Fifth Avenue, and the NYPD's ESU were called in, but several officers were killed by the madman—the situation there was no less severe than here."

Thinking about his trip to the United States, Wen Xiuzhi couldn't help but smile—despite traveling on a tourist visa, as soon as he arrived, the CIA immediately sent someone to meet him, welcoming a Chinese colleague for an exchange. Their openness made him feel a bit awkward.

They asked straightforwardly: "Colonel Wen, is there anything we can assist you with?"

He was bold and directly explained his purpose: to understand the case on Fifth Avenue—just a casual remark to put them on the spot, but the CIA official was even bolder, immediately taking him to the NYPD and showing him all the photos, witness statements, and peripheral materials from the case, even agreeing to let him make copies.

The Americans' willingness to cooperate surprised Wen Xiuzhi. He later learned that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security had been struggling with the increasing number of suicidal madmen, and they were eager to consult with Chinese experts.

They had even planned a joint discussion on such cases, but his father's sudden illness and the urgent need to return home to see him one last time interrupted the plan. He rushed back from the U.S., and the meeting never took place. The Americans must be jumping with frustration, thinking he had taken the materials and run, and would probably curse the Chinese for being untrustworthy and cunning.

(To be continued)