Chapter 29: The Interrogation

Once the news was disseminated, the atmosphere remained heavy with sorrow and solemnity, yet the work continued unabated. Technicians inspected the digital voice recorder before clearing out all unauthorized personnel; they needed to hold an internal meeting to analyze the audio. This group of "unauthorized personnel" included not only the technical staff and doctors but also Xu Chen.

Xu Chen did not feel that the matter was resolved. He had received no word that he was free to leave, and, most importantly, he had yet to be presented with the mandatory non-disclosure agreement that usually accompanied such situations. By his count, he had already signed quite a few of those lately.

"...Yes, it’s strange. If the drug pump was functioning correctly, why would it result in an overdose?"

Xu Chen looked up, his attention drawn to two physicians nearby. They were among those just ushered out, and perhaps due to the shock of recent events, they were eager to discuss the malfunction of Elder Ge’s infusion pump. Based on their conversation, Xu Chen gathered the basic operating principle: the device was set to monitor Elder Ge’s vital signs—specifically his heart rate—and trigger a dose of sedative if a certain threshold was exceeded. Once the heart rate dropped below that threshold, the infusion would cease.

The pump's failure was also a point of confusion for Xu Chen. If it weren't for the fact that Elder Ge didn't seem to be involved in any matters of national security or classified intelligence, he might have suspected a premeditated murder.

"Has there been any word back from Siber Medical Instruments?"

"Long ago. They said they would send an engineer to take a look, but they insisted that the pump rarely malfunctions and suggested we look for other causes."

"Hah, the usual deflection?"

"I mean, if the pump isn't broken, what else could it be?"

"Not broken? Then it must be an anomaly in the data monitored by the vital signs monitor. Or perhaps the monitor itself is faulty?"

Another doctor joined the discussion: "That’s impossible. That monitor is one of the best in our hospital. Even if the technology isn't world-class and the data isn't as precise as the top-tier units, it’s more than adequate. Plus, the main thing is that this machine is incredibly durable."

"It doesn't break?"

"The quality is genuinely excellent. Even after they expire, small clinics buy them up at high prices."

"So, that means the monitored data was abnormal?"

"That… that can't be right, can it? If that were the case, it would mean Elder Ge continued to have an elevated heart rate even after receiving over 12mg of sedative. What kind of heart is that? Is he some kind of superhuman?"

Xu Chen looked at the doctor, suddenly feeling that his reasoning wasn't entirely baseless. Elder Ge had been quite agitated in his final moments. If intense emotion was sustaining his actions, it could indeed trigger a violent heart rate response—after all, the human body is capable of bursts of potential in critical moments.

The doors to the adjacent conference room opened, drawing everyone’s gaze, including Xu Chen’s. Captain Chu walked out. He glanced at Xu Chen with an unreadable expression before turning to the technicians: "Engineer Cheng, we need technical support. Please come with me."

***

"Oh, right. Understood."

The technicians entered, and the doors closed again. The doctors resumed their conversation, though they no longer spoke of a possible data anomaly; perhaps they, too, felt that the likelihood was low.

Xu Chen understood. Personally, he trusted science far more than human potential. The "potential" humans exhibit in crises is nothing more than a fight-or-flight response—the brain issues a command for glands to secrete hormones like adrenaline, providing a brief, artificial boost. However, propofol is extremely potent. Even without a background in anesthesiology, Xu Chen knew it was impossible for such a sedative to have no effect. What is a fight-or-flight response compared to modern medical sedatives? That was exactly why the doctors were so skeptical.

The more one learns about medicine, the more one realizes that human willpower is limited. All reactions are merely illusions created by physiological mechanisms. Sever the spinal cord, and even the strongest person cannot stand. Hit someone with a taser, and no matter how formidable they are, their bio-electricity cannot compete with an external current.

Yet, Xu Chen found himself wondering: what if the doctor was right?

While Xu Chen was deep in thought, an unusual noise erupted nearby. A squad of armed soldiers jogged over, surrounding everyone present and beginning to question them one by one. There weren't many people left. After a soldier finished questioning a doctor, he looked at Xu Chen and asked, "Your name?"

"Xu Chen."

"Good. That's him."

Before he knew what was happening, Xu Chen was seized by the soldiers, his arms pulled behind his back, and handcuffs slapped onto his wrists. He was escorted to a room lined with iron bars. It looked exactly like the interrogation rooms he had seen on crime shows, where suspects in orange jumpsuits confessed their sins.

After the soldiers secured Xu Chen to a chair behind the bars, two public security officers entered. They exchanged a military salute and sat behind the interrogation table, one of them pulling out a notebook and pen. It was a standard interrogation setup, exactly what Xu Chen had imagined when he pictured himself in handcuffs, yet he still had no idea what he had done wrong.

"State your name."

Xu Chen wanted to protest his innocence. He was a law-abiding citizen, a "good boy" since kindergarten, and a diligent person who helped others. Even if he hadn't received an official "Model Citizen" award, he was at least a model student. How had he ended up being treated like a criminal?

"Xu Chen."

He answered honestly, desperate to know what he was accused of.

"Age?"

Xu Chen complied, providing all his personal information, though he had no idea why this was necessary.

***

After a long series of pointless questions, both officers looked at their notebooks and then at Xu Chen with stern faces. Xu Chen realized the heavy part was coming and straightened his posture in the chair.

"Confess. How did you destroy the recording equipment?"

"What?" Xu Chen was stunned. He had thought of a thousand possibilities, but not that. Had he failed to turn the recorder on? That couldn't be right; he had followed the technician's instructions exactly and confirmed it was recording.

"I have no idea. Why would I destroy that?"

The two officers exchanged glances, sensing a "tough nut to crack." "Oh? You didn't destroy it? Then did you use some kind of anti-recording device?"

"Why would I carry something like that? Don't frame an innocent person!" Xu Chen was getting agitated.

"Enough. We don't have definitive evidence yet, but once we do, it will be too late. If you confess now, your sentence will be lighter."

"I didn't do it!"

"Is that so? Very well. The recorder didn't fail completely; it managed to capture some fragments. Give us an honest account of your conversation with Elder Ge."

"Fine..."

Inside the main conference hall, everyone was watching a screen showing the interrogation room, where Xu Chen was spilling everything about his conversation with Elder Ge, as if pouring beans from a bamboo tube.

Captain Chu felt a twinge of guilt and whispered, "Chief, is this really necessary? We know he didn't do it."

"Shh! This matter is critical. The recorder had no audio, and we must know exactly what happened. Instead of complaining, you should be thinking about a compensation plan for him."

Captain Chu sighed, looking at Xu Chen on the monitor and feeling that the poor guy was truly unlucky.

Interrogation is a science. In order to extract every bit of information Xu Chen possessed, the criminal investigation department had been instructed to treat him as a genuine suspect. They were using standard interrogation techniques without restraint. The methods weren't excessive—everything had to be documented—but the duration was long, and the process was strictly legal. They asked the same questions repeatedly to see if his answers changed, using these inconsistencies to judge if he was lying and to find the "opening" they were looking for.