Chapter 16: Contact on Two Fronts

Zuo Dao entered an interrogation room with considerable misgivings. His treatment was less extravagant than Blood Owl's. No one had bothered to put him in handcuffs or leg irons, and he didn't need to be secured to his chair. Apparently, the warden considered a shock ring and Hades's Divine Mist sufficient for a prisoner like him.

Waiting was irritating. The warden was the one who wanted to see Zuo Dao, yet Zuo Dao still had to arrive first and wait for him. Of course, this was understandable. Prisoners had plenty of time to waste. Along with losing all their rights, they had pretty much ceased to have any obligations. The warden, however, was a busy man, with countless affairs of state to attend to every day.

Jefferson arrived before Zuo Dao had been waiting long. On entering, he waved the guard out, strode over to sit opposite Zuo Dao, and came straight to the point. “I have a few questions. I hope you'll answer them truthfully.”

“Hold on.” Zuo Dao's instinct for bargaining began to assert itself. “If I answer truthfully, do I get anything out of it?”

It was only right for Zuo Dao to ask. He was already a prisoner, so answering or refusing made no difference to him, unless the warden could promise him some tangible benefits. A Happy Family Bucket for every question answered, for example, or a free, unlimited lifetime supply of pillows once he was done.

And Jefferson, a shrewd old hand who covered every angle, naturally had an excellent incentive ready. “What you get is that when you leave this interrogation room, you won't have to go straight into a cage coffin for a soak.”

Within a second, Zuo Dao showed his true colors, putting on a fawning smile. “Whatever you wish to ask, Warden, just say the word. I'll tell you everything I know, down to the last detail. Really, how could I ask you for anything? Ever since I beheld your majestic bearing on the day I entered prison, my admiration for you has flowed like a mighty river without end, like the Yellow River bursting its banks, impossible to contain…”

Over the years, Jefferson had encountered people of every description. He held his position as warden through more than his formidable ability; he relied even more on his exceptional competence. He had dealt with savage serial killers, out-of-control ability users as ferocious as wild beasts, master criminals of almost uncanny intelligence, thinkers with extraordinary powers of persuasion, even mutants whose mental states had departed entirely from anything human, and so on and so forth…

Judging by Jefferson's experience and intuition, this Zuo Dao ranked among the three most cunning prisoners he had ever seen.

Ordinary blustering weaklings were like sugar-roasted chestnuts. Peel off the shell, and they were soft inside. Zuo Dao was different. Being “all bark and no bite” could itself be a disguise. You thought he was soft, took a bite, and might find something at the very center hard enough to break your teeth.

“Do you know Blood Owl?” That was Jefferson's first question.

He didn't beat around the bush. With someone as quick-witted as Zuo Dao, a direct approach worked better. At the very least, it gave him less time to think, and that might make him slip up.

Zuo Dao wasn't as quick on his feet as Gu Wen, but he was considerably better than Blood Owl. Those five words out of Jefferson's mouth gave him plenty of information.

First, the guards. At least those in the high-security detention sections weren't as idle as they appeared.

Zuo Dao thought to himself, Jefferson must be asking this because he knows I've been in contact with Blood Owl and Yan Kong. Information like that could only have come through the guards. Those bastards usually look as if they do nothing but wander around and slack off, but they're actually watching. Maybe not every guard is keeping an eye on us, but someone certainly is.

Second, Jefferson's question suggested that he paid close attention to Blood Owl and knew quite a bit about him. More specifically, “Do you know Blood Owl?” really meant “You knew Blood Owl outside prison, didn't you?” Why would he ask that? Because he knew that lunatic Blood Owl was hard to approach. His personality alone was an obvious enough reason. In the month or more since Blood Owl had arrived, there were probably quite a few people he'd torn to pieces just for speaking to him. As for whether any prisoners had been murdered for batting their eyelashes at him or spitting in front of him, that was harder to say…

A Paper-rank ability user like me is on an entirely different level from Blood Owl, yet I've quickly become thick as thieves with both him and Yan Kong. I doubt anyone would believe we simply hit it off at first sight.

But Jefferson won't know about the Inverted Cross. I've never explicitly identified myself as a member since my arrest. And according to Tian Yi, even if Tea Immortal could infer my membership from the crimes I've committed, he can't get involved in this right now. He might not even know I've been arrested.

As for Blood Owl, he can hardly be called a member of the Inverted Cross at all. Judging by our dealings over the last few days, he didn't even know what the “Inverted Cross” was when he came to prison.

So however far Jefferson's reach extends, he couldn't possibly imagine I entered Tidal Prison deliberately to help Blood Owl carry out an escape and rescue operation. Even I find it unbelievable when I think about it…

Only five seconds had passed while Zuo Dao worked through all this. In those five seconds, his shifty eyes darted about, he rubbed his nose, cleared his throat, and let out a loud fart in a room measuring less than five square meters. Then he answered in two words. “I do.”

Jefferson was stunned. Even a man of his composure felt a slight urge to overturn the table.

Instinctively, Jefferson raised a hand to his nose. “Really… He's a very difficult person to get along with. I'm sure you know what I mean.”

“Is he?” Zuo Dao began playing dumb. “I don't think so. I find him very easy to get along with. Kindly, approachable, always happy to help…”

“I'm warning you. That's enough,” Jefferson interrupted.

Zuo Dao could lie through his teeth without the slightest strain, but he also knew when to go along with the warden. “Perhaps some of his behavior, and his appearance, give people the wrong impression.”

“By ‘behavior,’ do you mean something like… Blood Owl drowning a baby during a baptism, then eating it in the chapel?” Jefferson replied.

Zuo Dao thought, You don't become warden for nothing. What an apt example. Aloud, however, he chose to change the subject. “All right. I used to be a broker. You should be able to find that out, and you've probably already checked. Early this year, in Venice, Blood Owl and I worked together once. Of course, he came to me. I wouldn't have the courage to go prospecting for clients like him.”

Zuo Dao's answer was convincing, because it was true.

Jefferson provisionally accepted it as the truth, too. But it only explained why Zuo Dao and Blood Owl could get along. It didn't explain Yan Kong's behavior.

“Then what about Yan Kong? Do you know him too?” Jefferson asked his second question.

Zuo Dao inwardly cursed. That was a dangerous question. He needed to think carefully before answering.

This was his fifth day in the same detention section as Blood Owl, while he had only “become Yan Kong's pupil” the day before yesterday. Today was the day Hell Island surfaced, and the warden ought to be very busy. Yet he'd still made time specifically to have Zuo Dao brought out for questioning. Clearly, his contact with “Yan Kong” was what had compelled the warden to hold this conversation.

According to the old man's own account, he had been one of the Ten Celestial Guards before his imprisonment. Yan Kong had been one of the handful of Mad-rank experts on Earth at the time. Given that even Blood Owl had to learn about energy from him, he probably wasn't lying.

Now that Jefferson had asked, saying yes would probably be no different from farting through his mouth. After all, Zuo Dao might not even have been born when the old man entered prison. But if he said no, Jefferson would immediately follow up. Why would Yan Kong associate with a Paper-rank ability user like you? What talents do you have that attracted the attention of an expert of Yan Kong's caliber?

Zuo Dao took another five seconds. He wasn't wearing socks, so he slipped a bare foot out of his shoe and attended to a little personal hygiene with his fingers. A salted-fish smell drifted through the interrogation room…

“Actually… he said I looked like his long-lost son…” Zuo Dao looked wistful. “That year, he was seventeen…”

Jefferson struggled to maintain his dignity and keep his expression unchanged, but the corner of his mouth still twitched involuntarily.

“I think you're asking to spend… a few weeks in a cage coffin.”

Zuo Dao hastily abandoned his story. “All right, all right. Blood Owl introduced us. Happy?”

After just two questions, Jefferson had the feeling he wasn't going to extract any information of real significance from this man. Once a question touched… no, once it approached anything crucial, Zuo Dao would find some way to evade it.

“Guard,” Jefferson called, raising his voice slightly.

The guard outside promptly opened the door and came in.

Zuo Dao's heart lurched. He's not really sending me to a cage coffin, is he?

“Take him back.” Jefferson turned to Zuo Dao again. “I don't think I need to ask any more questions.”

Leaving him with those words and their unspoken implications, Jefferson walked out of the interrogation room.

…

At the same time, in Washington, in the Star Commandery.

Dressed in casual sportswear, with an improved, portable version of Destiny concealed in his sleeve, Gu Wen was out jogging in a park.

Only after completing roughly one circuit of the park's perimeter did he buy a drink and sit down on a bench.

He took off his mpx earphones, wiped away his sweat with a towel, gulped down half a bottle of tomato juice, then let out a long cry of satisfaction, as if he'd just enjoyed an ice-cold beer after a bath.

Beside Gu Wen sat a gray-haired old man, feeding the pigeons.

Nothing could have looked more ordinary. A young man taking a short rest after a run in the park, an old man feeding pigeons in the sunshine. You could see a scene like this almost any day.

But who would have guessed that one of these two was the Freedom Front's chief computer engineer, and the other the Inverted Cross's chief strategist?

“Still as cautious as you were back then, boy. You've already got the layout of the entire park imprinted on your brain. How many escape routes have you planned?” Gates spoke first, continuing to feed the pigeons. To an ordinary observer, it was merely polite small talk between two strangers on a bench.

Gu Wen sipped his drink, his breathing gradually settling. “You're pretty cautious yourself. Brought quite a few bodyguards, didn't you? Some suitably sneaky hiding places, too. Afraid I might feel like cutting your head off on a whim?”

“Heh heh heh…” Gates chuckled. “This head of mine may not be as clever as yours, but in certain fields it's still among the very best. Wouldn't it be a pity to have it fall to the ground and gather dust?”

“What puzzles me is why the Freedom Front sent you to meet me. Just because we worked together for a while? Or… are you more than just an engineer over there now?” Gu Wen asked.

“Would it be so strange for me to join the leadership?” Gates asked in return.

Gu Wen laughed. “Whatever. I've never thought much of your organization anyway. I'm not interested.”

“Then… you've joined another organization?” Gates's gaze changed noticeably. “No wonder you suddenly hacked into our system yesterday and made all those unreasonable demands. I thought it was another of your so-called ‘tests,’ or a prank.” He paused, then continued. “The system you're using was written by Sorcerer. Much as I hate to admit it, a system he wrote would certainly be capable of breaking into Matrix that easily.”

“And if it was?” Gu Wen replied.

“And I don't think it's just the software. The hardware is equally astonishing. I still haven't been able to determine what you used for the intrusion…” Gates scattered another large handful of pigeon feed. “You've joined quite a powerful organization. They managed to recruit Sorcerer, as well as you, who once turned down an invitation from the Freedom Front. Could it be Steel Commandment?”

“What do you think?” Gu Wen answered with a question.

“Heh heh heh…” Gates chuckled. “I'd say that unless that proud young fellow has fallen a long way, he'd never join a stupid organization like Steel Commandment that uses religious faith to hold itself together.”

“Faith is like love between a whoremonger and a whore,” Gu Wen replied. “It's just a means of enslavement even cheaper than politics. For dozens of centuries, it's been a brainwashing tool in the hands of the ruling class. Its entire structure is built on lies. False stories, fictitious figures, false promises.

“Fortunately, after the Industrial Revolution, humanity gradually took the path of scientific development. As political systems improved, religion gradually faded from mainstream politics. Apart from a few places where people still run around bare-assed and have no writing, where they still use this stuff as a political tool, most people have faced the facts. Religion gradually became something like a social custom or a recreational activity. It ceased to be ‘truth.’” Gu Wen shuddered. “Sorry. Having religious faith and truth in the same sentence gives me the creeps.”

“All right, I know you're an agnostic. You don't have to dismiss every believer as worthless,” Gates said.

Gu Wen shrugged. “In the eyes of those devout believers, people without faith aren't human. They're beasts. They're desperate to save those atheists and bring them along into their imaginary heaven.” He sipped his tomato juice. “Some have even said that science is only another faith. So my view is that these people aren't human, and I can't be bothered to save them, lest I lower the minimum IQ of the entire human race.”

“Phew… All right. Clearly you haven't changed. Still the same conceited, sharp-tongued boy.” Gates continued, “Mind if I ask exactly which organization you belong to?”

Gu Wen replied with just three words. “The Inverted Cross.”

“Oh, no wonder that's what you think of Steel Commandment…” Gates said. “You're Satanists, are you…”

“That's my attitude toward all religions,” Gu Wen replied. “And this symbol doesn't represent any religious faith.”

“Then… are you the leader of the Inverted Cross?” Gates asked.

“Me? Heh…” Gu Wen laughed. “You know far too little about this organization. In fact, the Inverted Cross shouldn't even be called an organization. There's only one person who can be our boss. Anyone else on this planet, even if he had three heads and six arms, could breathe fire, could eat hammers, and had an IQ so high that brains flowed out of his ears every day, couldn't last as leader of the Inverted Cross for… hmm… more than an hour.”

“Why? Too many sharp points on that chair?”

“No, it's because of our members. I don't want to reveal too much. Put simply… a group of people who aren't quite right in body or mind.” Gu Wen had needed several seconds to find a phrase to replace “freaks.”

“You've included yourself in that insult.”

“I've never been normal,” Gu Wen said. “All right, we've talked too much about me. You know my organization's name now, so you won't be going home empty-handed. What do you think of the terms I proposed online yesterday?”

Gates smiled. “I think…” At last he had used up the pigeon feed. He dusted off his hands, pressed them against his knees, and stood.

At that instant, every pigeon gathered around the bench took flight. A great mass of gray and white swept past, and Gates was gone.

Gu Wen remained sitting there alone, a cold smile at the corner of his mouth. He knew the pigeons had taken flight because of a killing intent too strong to conceal.

“You'd better come with us so we can discuss this in detail.” A hand rested on Gu Wen's shoulder. The speaker's voice was very low and hoarse.

Gu Wen turned his head and saw his own face.

Mirror Face was still dressed entirely in black, without so much as half an inch of skin showing, and wore his mirror mask.

“I advise you not to resist. I know Tian Yi has taught you things like how to use energy, and your Thread of Truth is a very convenient ability for killing. But if you think you can fight me and gain the upper hand, you're making a colossal mistake.” Mirror Face's meaning was quite clear. I've got you now, boy. Make a rash move and you'll suffer for it.

Gu Wen was a clever man. He knew when to give in. “Ah…” He drained the remaining tomato juice from the bottle. “That's why I said I didn't want to do fieldwork…”