The Informal Tomb Raiding Diary: She is the occupant of the tomb!-Chapter 209 - 210: Polygraph

Bi Shi secretly gave me a signal, and I nodded lightly as I crouched down.

Seeing me nod, the corner of her mouth lifted slightly. The ’welders’ seemed to be setting up camp on the beach, which puzzled me. They were likely Shield personnel and should know the beach isn’t safe at night.

Once they finished setting up the tent, they inserted four metal rods at four corners outside the tent, with blue lights flashing at the top.

The man in white warned us that whoever leaves the tent at night would bear the consequences.

Those of us who had come down from the fishing boat were herded into a large tent. Everyone squeezed together, unable to lie down, with some having to sit closely together.

They saw me get hit by the man in white, but Captain Jack chose to remain silent. He didn’t tell the man in white that I have Copper Skin Iron Bone.

I estimated they might have had a falling out, or Shield had already abandoned this incompetent captain, whose tenure saw the ship robbed and its secrets exposed.

As for his crew, cross-referencing archived information would reveal they were the ones with expired contracts. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Captain Jack fell asleep as soon as he entered the tent, surrounded by crew members who looked doomed.

Some quietly sobbed, muttering "It’s over, we’re doomed."

Some closed their eyes to pray, clasping their hands so tightly their knuckles turned white.

Facing death, everyone’s reactions were different, and on our side, Lu Xiaodao, Guan Hai, and the leader all looked at me with relatively stable emotions and no fear in their eyes.

The leader and Lu Xiaodao had previously experienced life-and-death situations, their calmness understandable, but Guan Hai, a mere scholar, shouldn’t be so composed.

"Looks like they’re going to silence us," I sighed heavily, frowning deeply.

"Yeah, remember to give the money to the hospital, thank you," Lu Xiaodao said calmly.

"Just tell my parents I got bitten by a snake in the wild, don’t tell them what I’ve been through," Guan Hai said with a relieved smile.

"My daughter..." The leader began, but I interrupted with a wave.

"I’m not settling your affairs, I’m dying too, feeling like my heart’s fluttering with fear."

"You’re dying? Share your last wishes, I’ll help you achieve them," Bi Shi joined in the banter.

"From your tone, it seems like you’re hoping I die. My wish is for you to roll out of the Galaxy."

"As you command, my commander..."

Our lighthearted end-of-life atmosphere annoyed some crew members. One stood up, trying to rush at me to attack.

Bang, bang—

Two gunshots choked the person’s throat; his body leaned back and fell. Other crew members uttered low exclamations, their faces full of shock, seemingly never expecting the boss to kill an employee over such a minor thing.

The deceased was dragged away, leaving the crew frustrated but silent. His death quieted the tent, achieving the goal from the ’welders’ perspective.

Captain Jack indeed seemed very weak; even the gunfire couldn’t wake him. In his sleep, his face was pale and covered in cold sweat.

An hour later, Captain Jack was taken out. An hour passed before he returned unharmed. This time, I was the one taken away.

The ’welders’ numbered over a hundred, their tent behind ours, with lights flickering inside. I noticed they never spoke while working, so there’s no hope of figuring out their work through conversation.

I was taken into a medium-sized tent, already set up with tables and chairs, a computer on the table, and an unsettling device—a lie detector!

They didn’t torture Captain Jack; they used this instead.

Long ago, when I first woke in the tomb, I had no breath nor heartbeat. Over time, still none!

Until recently, as I became more like the living, breath and heartbeat emerged. However, when they’re unnecessary, I can make them vanish, like when diving.

This means I can control them at will; though I wonder whether this will help with the lie detector.

The ’welders’ seated me on a chair, strapped two belts horizontally across my upper body, a small black box on my wrist pulse, and pinched a clip onto my middle finger.

The man in white still wore his mask. I couldn’t fathom the purpose of such attire inside the tent; it felt like wearing a woollen hat and mask indoors.

This disguise prevented me from interpreting their mental changes through expressions or eyes.

Perhaps this was their intent, to exert psychological pressure on us. They could observe our reactions freely, though we couldn’t see theirs.

"Is your name Leng Fuqu?" The man in white’s voice emerged via a translator.

"Yes." Like hell it is! I calmly controlled my heartbeat to reply.

"25 years old?"

"Correct." Two thousand, not quite three thousand, hanging onto four thousand...

"Did you major in cultural artifact restoration in college?"

"Yes, I like artifacts." Preferably ones I can sell for a high price, wouldn’t mind junk either.

"How do you know Professor Chen?"

This unexpected off-topic question wasn’t in my archived information. But it’s no trouble for me, as Chen Qinghan had already prepared responses for all possible interrogations when arranging my identity.

"He was hiring an assistant; I went for an interview."

"Did you just meet?"

"Ahem... Not exactly. I’ve audited his lectures and followed him for a while, only formally met him recently." My slightly evasive glance hinted at inner shyness and awkwardness, with contradictory answers painting the image of a reserved young woman secretively admiring her male idol.

This time, my heartbeat was slightly faster than before. I coughed subtly for cover, feeling minor gestures sufficed.

Chen Qinghan used the same narrative with their leader and Baozi. Our versions must match.

I seriously suspect he has delusions of being adored. Either I openly adore him or secretly love him; otherwise, we’re mutually affectionate, a perfect pair. Now, the whole world believes we’re in love.

Despite reservations about Chen Qinghan’s ’arrangements,’ concocting a new story would be taxing. Developing a foolproof network of social relations would waste many brain cells, so I choose to secretly admire him.

"Did you find Pandora’s Heart?" The man in white unexpectedly posed an unrelated question.

"What thing?" I’ve heard of Heart of the Ocean, Pandora’s Box too, but what kind of bootleg gem is Pandora’s Heart?

"Did you sabotage the laboratory on the Titan?" The man in white spoke faster, linking unrelated questions.

"Yes."

He wanted a quick Q&A; I played along, answering quickly while accelerating my heartbeat. He might interpret it as nervousness or deceit.