Liu Mang’s lips were tightly sealed, and then he closed his eyes, pretending to be calm.

He put on quite an act, but in truth, he was a mess inside. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

He couldn’t say, and he dared not say.

If he revealed those behind him, it wouldn’t be just himself who suffers—the first to meet a grim fate would be his son.

He’s the only continuation of my legacy! I can’t end it here!

"Let’s see how long you can keep up the act." Number Six sneered coldly, raising his fist to strike. Liu Mang sensed something was amiss and quickly dodged backward, realizing the opponent was just toying with him.

Nan Qiu watched Liu Mang’s clumsy movements and knew this guy didn’t have anything good brewing in his belly—just pretending, but was actually a fool!

"Mr. Liu Mang, your choice is undoubtedly the most foolish way out. Do you think keeping silent will spare you? Over the years, I’ve interrogated two to three hundred people, many were cowards, and there were also ’heroes’ like you who kept their mouths shut. In the end, those ’heroes’ had only two outcomes: either they were tortured to the point they died inexplicably, or they gave in halfway."

Nan Qiu smirked playfully, "I think if we use a little tactic, you might not last thirty seconds. Are you sure you want to keep this up?"

Liu Mang kept his head down, hiding his expression, but it was clear he was now sitting as if on pins and needles, unclear on what to do.

"Still won’t talk?" Nan Qiu sneered, exchanging a glance with Number Six sitting nearby.

With years of cooperation, a single glance was worth a thousand words. Number Six nodded, then stood up, walked towards Liu Mang with steps neither too fast nor too slow.

The distance was only five or six meters, just seven or eight steps. Each soft footstep seemed like a heavy hammer on Liu Mang’s heart, making him feel so constricted he could barely breathe.

Number Six stood in front of Liu Mang, holding a small syringe filled with light blue liquid, beautiful yet emitting a sinister vibe that made one’s heart race.

"What... what is this thing?"

"Hehe, translated from your Celestial Dragon Continent language, it has a nice name, called The Devil’s Touch, sounds good, right? The effect is quite decent too—just a bit, and it will make your throat itch with every breath. As you breathe more and more, the sensation will spread to your lungs. Every breath will make you want to scratch, but unfortunately, the itch is in your throat, beyond reach."

Liu Mang couldn’t help but gulp, the thought of it making his scalp tingle.

"Some people once scratched their throats until they bled, rupturing their carotid arteries and committing suicide. Others tried shoving their hands down their throats; their fate wasn’t much better. Which one do you prefer?"

Just hearing these words made Liu Mang afraid to breathe. His eyes widened, wanting to stand up from his chair and escape.

Even he found the idea naive—what kind of place was this? How could he escape on his own?

As he stood up, Number Six kicked out, striking Liu Mang directly in the chest.

Being an excellent soldier, Number Six controlled his force precisely.

He wouldn’t kick Liu Mang to death, nor would he let him off lightly.

After taking a kick to the chest, Liu Mang collapsed onto an ornamental pear wood chair behind him, rolling back and forth, his body in agony, his screams reminiscent of a pig being slaughtered.

"Make him shut up." Nan Qiu said blandly. She disliked such noise.

Number Six didn’t reply, but took action nonetheless. He grabbed Liu Mang’s throat, applying slight pressure, making his face turn red, stifling his pig-like screams to mere ’ee-ah’ pleas for mercy.

With his neck being strangled, Liu Mang could only emit a duck-like voice: "I’ll talk! I’ll talk!"

Number Six released his grip on Liu’s throat, not forgetting to deliver a kick to his stomach, uttering something in Celestial Dragon Continent language: "You eat punishment instead of accepting a drink!"

Quickly gasping for breath, Liu Mang tried to calm down. Just one choke felt so uncomfortable—what would happen if that substance entered his body?

"Actually, I don’t know who the mastermind is. Three days ago, after leaving here, someone approached me and gave me this, saying I’d get 20 million Celestial Dragon Continent coins once the task was done. While in Xiaocheng, they aided me, allowing me into Xiaocheng Research Institute, claiming they valued my talent with potential future collaboration."

"And?"

Liu Mang hurriedly added, "I also know the person behind it is surnamed Li, beyond that, I don’t know."

Nan Qiu and Number Six exchanged a glance, both showing solemn yet surprised expressions—the answer clearly wasn’t what they had expected.

Liu Mang wore a mournful look, pleading, "Honestly, I don’t want to do this for them, but they have leverage over me, I dare not defy, begging you, spare me, I’m just a small potato."

At the end, this spineless guy almost knelt before Nan Qiu.

"We can release you, but only if you cooperate with us."

Liu Mang’s face, ashen moments ago, suddenly lit up with joy. He nodded like a lapdog, "I’ll cooperate, I’ll cooperate, whatever you need me to do. Only... can you let me go, and my son too..."

Nan Qiu’s gaze instantly sharpened, "Your son is involved too?"

"No, no, I’m just afraid they’ll retaliate, considering he’s my only son."

Nan Qiu sneered, "That’s your personal issue. Right now you don’t have the right to negotiate with me."

Liu Mang was merely testing the waters, hearing the outright rejection, he continued to smile obsequiously with nods.

Nan Qiu did not avoid Lin Tian, directly discussing the next steps. She instructed Liu Mang to leave the hotel, find that person, and lie about the mission being accomplished, so Nan Qiu and others could trace it back.

Of course, Lin Tian wasn’t interested in the matter. He didn’t want to get involved in this mess; it was better to withdraw early. His purpose in coming here was to see Liu Mang in his predicament. With his objective achieved, he left.

Nan Qiu had indeed suspected Lin Tian, but lacking any evidence and him being a benefactor of the authorities, she kept her doubts to herself.

She couldn’t believe, given Liu Mang’s clumsiness, he could pull any tricks on Lin Tian.