C27 Interrogation

In the dry heat of an autumn afternoon, Lee Yuanhong and his group sought refuge from the sweltering sun in a building not far from the county hospital. Exhausted from the morning's ordeal, everyone was worn out, particularly after the tension of the previous night's planning for a breakout. With nerves frayed, few had managed any real sleep, except for a handful of youngsters. Fatty Looh, experiencing the zip line for the first time, was still reeling from the high-altitude scare. Rumor had it that if not for his ample padding, he might have crashed right through the floorboards. Thus, Looh Fei remained close, comforted by Looh Cuihua's presence. The gunmen and archers Lee Yuanhong had brought along, however, were not affected by this.

Lee Luoxia approached Lee Yuanhong, offering him a bottle of mineral water, and inquired, "Has Zhang Yuan not returned yet?"

Gazing out at the street, Lee Yuanhong replied, "Not yet, but I'm sure he's alright." His tone was light, yet a trace of concern creased his forehead.

Shifting the conversation, Lee Luoxia asked, "How did you come up with the idea to use a zip line for our escape?"

"Remember when I spoke with Wang Jingrong yesterday? I asked him what we'd need if we were stranded in a high place during a mission," Lee Yuanhong said, taking a sip of water. "He mentioned needing a parachute to glide out. That got me thinking—how could I fly without wings? Then it hit me; I recalled a movie where the protagonist escapes using a cable car's line. So I figured, why not rig up a similar line and use it to evade the zombie horde?"

Admiration in her eyes, Lee Luoxia pressed on, "But why all the commotion? The gunfire, the burning building?"

With a mischievous grin, Lee Yuanhong explained, "Simple. It was to lure the zombies and throw off our observers. We caused a stir in the northwest, drawing the zombies there and thinning their numbers in the southeast, easing our escape. Moreover, our watchers are likely stationed to the northwest of the base. By setting a blaze there, we'd grab their attention, especially with the morning's flames casting the rest of the base into shadow, making them overlook activity elsewhere. And about the gunfire—it wasn't a real shot. I had Wang Jingrong place bullets in a burning bottle. Once heated, they'd fire off, mimicking gunshots to attract both the zombies and our observers."

"Setting the building ablaze was a necessary move to obscure any signs of our withdrawal. I had the gunmen place several zombie bodies on the fifth floor yesterday. Should anyone come back to investigate, they'll stumble upon those charred remains and assume we perished in the flames. Moreover, the fire destroyed the ropes we used to escape, erasing any clue of our breakout method."

Lee Yuanhong's gaze was fixed on the supermarket, a fierce determination in his eyes.

Just then, at the street's end, Zhang Yuan emerged, an unconscious figure slung over his shoulder, bound tightly and gagged with a towel. The sight of Zhang Yuan brought a wave of relief over Lee Yuanhong.

Post-lunch, Lee Yuanhong, Wang Jingrong, and Lee Luoxia secluded the captive in a bedroom for interrogation. Wang Jingrong's involvement was strategic; his expertise in questioning suspects was far superior to that of a layman like Lee Yuanhong. Moreover, having fulfilled Wang Jingrong's request, it was only natural for Wang Jingrong to reciprocate the favor.

They revived the captive with a few sparing drops of water—yes, sparing, as even water was a luxury to Lee Luoxia, the penny-pincher. The captive's eyes darted around in confusion until they landed on Lee Luoxia, prompting a look of utter astonishment. "Weren't you burned alive by the zombies?" he stammered.

Lee Luoxia, seething with anger, retorted, "Your dear aunt has skills that soar above any zombie horde. They're nowhere near catching me. Now tell me, who sent you to spy on us?"

Regaining his composure, the captive adopted an innocent demeanor. "Spying? I have no idea what you're talking about. And why am I tied up? You do realize that kidnapping is a crime, right? Release me at once, or I'll sue you!"

Lee Luoxia's silver teeth gritted in fury, and she was ready to pounce, but Lee Yuanhong held her back. "Why lose your temper? He's just baiting you to knock him out so he won't have to talk. Stand aside and enjoy the show; let's see how we handle this," Lee Yuanhong said with a mischievous grin.

"Pal, you've got quite the nerve. And we don't even know your name yet."

"What's my name to you? Just untie me already. If someone comes looking for me and sees how you've mistreated me, they'll make sure the zombies have their fill of you."

"Ouch, you've got quite the nerve, and now you're making threats too. By the way, pal, do you have any idea how you ended up here?"

The man shook his head, clearly bewildered.

Lee Yuanhong looked at him with a mix of pity and concern. "You were spotted the moment you left your watch post. My people knocked you out cold and brought you here. After you were out, I had one of my guys mimic your voice and send out a distress signal on your walkie-talkie, claiming zombies were swarming you. Then, we smeared your blood on the walkie-talkie and tossed it to the ground. For all we know, a zombie could be gnawing on it right now."

The captive's previously fearless expression dissolved into panic. Seizing the moment, Lee Yuanhong pressed on, "Looking for the cops? Well, you're in luck. This gentleman right here is not just any cop—he's SWAT, and he was right there in the building during the zombie siege. My friend here doesn't hold grudges; he's quite kind to good folks. But when it comes to criminals, he shows no mercy. I've heard stories about him interrogating a drug dealer's underling for three straight days to catch the kingpin. That guy didn't sleep a wink, his bones ached through and through, yet he didn't have a mark on him. He couldn't even bite his own tongue to end it all. If you think you're tougher than that dealer, I wouldn't mind letting my friend demonstrate his techniques on you."

The man's face blanched further, his voice quivering, "If I talk, you won't kill me, right?"

Lee Yuanhong smiled reassuringly. "Of course, I won't kill you. I'm no killer. Just answer my questions, and I promise you'll walk out of here safely."

"You mean it? You won't change your mind?"

"I give you my word—I won't go back on it," Lee Yuanhong assured him earnestly.

"Okay, then ask away!"

"First question: what's your name, and which district did you live in?"

"My name is Sunn Shuhai, from the Blue City District."

"You're from Blue City District? Fantastic. I have a buddy who works security there—everyone calls him the big dope. He's a towering guy, 1.85 meters, built like a tank, and you can spot him from a mile away. Did you run into him when you fled the district? Is he still alive?"

"Big guy, it's a shame I didn't catch sight of him when I made my escape. I have no idea where he's gone," Sunn Shuhai said earnestly.

"What a shame. It would have been great if you'd run into the big guy. So, tell me, who sent you to spy on us?"

After a moment of serious thought, Sunn Shuhai replied, "A gang of bandits. They've taken over the supermarket, captured us, and forced us into slavery. If we don't comply, they withhold food and have even imprisoned our families to stop us from escaping. My wife is still with them."

"So it's them. How many are there, and what weapons do they have?" Lee Yuanhong pressed on.

"There's about twenty of them. Most are armed with clubs, but a few leaders wield machetes."

"And what's their next move?"

"I'm in the dark about that. They never share their plans with us; we just carry out their orders."

Lee Yuanhong furrowed his brows in thought, then addressed Sunn Shuhai, "Considering how cooperative you've been, I'll release you tomorrow. But we need to relocate first. To prevent you from tipping them off if you escape, we'll have to inconvenience you a bit."

"Sure, sure, I'll cooperate fully," Sunn Shuhai said, his face twisted into a sly grin.

Turning to Wang Jingrong, Lee Yuanhong instructed, "Give him some water and bread for now. We can't let him starve—I refuse to go back on my word."

"Understood," Wang Jingrong responded and then set off to make the arrangements.

After asking a few more trivial questions, Lee Yuanhong exited with Lee Luoxia.

In the dead of night, Sunn Shuhai heard the sounds of activity just outside the door, followed by a hushed conversation. "Old Lu, what's all this about?"

A thick voice responded, "Officer Wang mentioned we've been marked by some bad characters, so we need to pack up and move out quickly." The voice grew softer as it continued, "I also caught wind of Officer Wang and Mr. Lee discussing a weapons cache at the nearby police station—six or seven guns and plenty of ammo, seized from a black market before the apocalypse hit. They didn't get a chance to turn it in before everything went south. Mr. Lee plans to check it out the day after tomorrow. Soon, we'll all be armed." Laughter followed, then more whispered exchanges, too faint for Sunn Shuhai to make out. Eventually, the sounds of packing up ceased, and the voices faded away, leaving behind the deep silence of the night.