Chapter 13: A Sudden Inferno, The Distant Fiery Star
“Name?”
“Lin Xu.”
“Age?”
“Forty… forty-four?”
“You can’t even remember your own age?”
The man sitting opposite Lin Xu furrowed his brows, his gaze tinged with suspicion.
“Well, getting older means it’s normal to forget some things, right?”
“Normal? Forgetting your own age and calling that normal?”
The man’s tone was sharp. Lin Xu lightly flexed his wrists, the silver handcuffs clinking loudly.
“Chief, I still don’t know why you arrested me.”
“It’s already 2045. Do I really need to ask such basic information?”
“An iris scan reveals everything. Why waste time on this?”
“That’s true.”
The man chuckled softly.
“There’s no need to waste time.”
“Then let’s be straightforward.”
“What is your relationship with Jiang Xingye?”
Jiang Xingye...
As expected, the first substantial question the man asked concerned Jiang Xingye.
Clearly, in their eyes, Jiang Xingye’s importance, priority, or rather, “danger level,” far surpassed that of the mercenaries who should never have appeared near the Celestial Technology Park.
They didn’t even bother asking where he found those mercenaries or why he hired them in such numbers.
Jiang Xingye, oh Jiang Xingye, what exactly have you done?
Lin Xu glanced at the old-fashioned clock hanging on the interrogation room wall — so archaic it seemed out of place in this era — and sighed before answering:
“Chief, if I told you I have no relation to her, would you believe me?”
“No relation?”
The man sneered.
“I suggest you think carefully before you speak.”
“...I already have.”
Lin Xu shrugged.
“She and I were just former colleagues, ordinary friends. In fact, we haven’t been in contact for years.”
“Otherwise, I wouldn’t have foolishly searched for her records at her company, nor would you have discovered me and brought me here for questioning.”
“To be honest, I really want to know: is it her who broke the Heavenly Rules or me? Just for inquiring about someone, do you really send the military to arrest me?”
“Don’t try to trap me with your words.”
The man looked at Lin Xu with a humorous expression, a hint of absurdity in his eyes.
“Since you sat down, you’ve been trying to trap me.”
“I’m curious, how can you be so naive?”
“Do you know where you are? This isn’t a regular police station, nor is it an ordinary national security office. This is the Maritime Security!”
“You should be familiar with Maritime Security, right? Judging by your work history, you’ve dealt with us before, just not directly with this department.”
“But you should know our style, our principles, shouldn’t you?”
“...Not really.”
Lin Xu shook his head.
“I told you, I’m old. I’ve forgotten many things.”
“Stop asking me about my relationship with Jiang Xingye. In my memory, we were just ordinary colleagues and friends.”
“If you want to get anything from me, you’d better be more specific.”
Lin Xu’s words were deliberately leading.
He had already realized that prying information from this professional interrogator was impossible.
He was no small fry and certainly wouldn’t foolishly reveal what a suspect like himself didn’t know.
He was overly cautious and overly rational.
He could not afford to make a mistake.
Yet, he also couldn’t avoid mistakes.
Because in truth, all the information he held was completely foreign to Lin Xu.
Whatever the man asked, as soon as he spoke, Lin Xu could freely glean intelligence.
It was all gain.
Seeing Lin Xu’s fully cooperative demeanor, the man’s expression shifted several times before finally speaking:
“If you want to communicate, I suggest you be as honest as possible.”
“Stop telling me ‘I have no relation to Jiang Xingye,’ okay? She’s your ex-wife. Do you dare say you have no relation to her?”
“...”
Lin Xu was dumbfounded.
What the hell?
In this world, I was married to Jiang Xingye?
Not only married, but now divorced?
What kind of painless second marriage scenario is this??
Lin Xu looked at the man incredulously, and the man returned the look with equal disbelief.
“No, you really don’t remember??”
“The emotion monitoring system shows your credibility at 89%. Even a genius actor couldn’t control microexpressions this well.”
“You have amnesia? Since when?”
“...You ask someone with amnesia when it started??”
Lin Xu was speechless.
“That’s an absurd question, Chief??”
The man’s face showed a slightly embarrassed smile, seemingly realizing how foolish the question was.
After a brief pause, as if receiving some instruction, he skipped the original question and instead asked:
“Do you know the Planetary Reincarnation Organization?”
“I don’t. What kind of organization is that?”
Lin Xu had been waiting for this question, his expression sincere, his curiosity and confusion genuine.
—This wasn’t acting; it was heartfelt.
Seeing this, the man’s brows furrowed deeper.
He was almost certain Lin Xu had lost part of his memory. After a brief consultation with superiors, he answered:
“The Planetary Reincarnation is a terrorist organization recognized by countries worldwide, and classified as a cult by our nation.”
“They believe all objects in the universe exist in a form of ‘life reincarnation,’ even stars.”
“Their most famous doctrine phrase is ‘Heaven’s fire descends, the distant Mars glows.’”
“So, any memories?”
“...None.”
Lin Xu shook his head blankly.
Of course he had no memory; he’d only just heard the term “Planetary Reincarnation” today!
Seeing his reaction, the interrogator grew uncertain.
“...Brainwave monitoring shows no issues...”
“You really have no memory of Planetary Reincarnation or Jiang Xingye?”
“Then what exactly are you looking for her for? And why did you hire so many mercenaries?”
“...If I knew, would I have amnesia?”
“I vaguely remember Jiang Xingye telling me the apocalypse was coming, so I hired mercenaries to help me steal a rocket from Celestial Technology.”
Lin Xu’s words were half-truths, even he found them unbelievable.
Yet, strangely, the man seemed to buy it.
“Stealing a rocket??”
The man’s eyes suddenly sharpened.
He seemed to have grasped a critical clue and immediately probed further:
“Steal a rocket to where?”
Before Lin Xu could answer, the man raised his voice, speaking quickly:
“Don’t think! Say whatever comes to mind!”
“...Mars?”
Lin Xu had never experienced such an interrogation; he instinctively blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
Hearing this, the man exhaled deeply.
“You’ve been used by the Planetary Reincarnation Organization.”
“Though we can’t confirm your innocence yet, based on current clues... you were most likely a pawn.”
“Your memory was probably erased by them, using a particularly cruel method.”
“That’s why you’ve forgotten many things related to them.”
“In any case, you’re one of the victims.”
“From now on, you’ll stay with us.”
“We’ll protect your safety, and of course, we hope you cooperate with our investigation.”
“These doomsday fanatics pose a huge threat to society; if we can round them all up...”
“Chief, wait.”
Lin Xu interrupted rapidly:
“I don’t know what the Planetary Reincarnation Organization does, but I’m absolutely certain—the apocalypse is real!”
“Time is running out... can you tell me where Jiang Xingye is now?”
As his words fell, a look of pity crossed the man’s face.
He faced Lin Xu and asked:
“How much longer did they say until the apocalypse?”
“Ten seconds.”
Lin Xu answered without hesitation.
“Ten seconds until the apocalypse!”
“You will die within twenty seconds after the apocalypse arrives!”
“You must seize the last moment—tell me the answer!”
“Now!”
“3!”
“2!”
“1!”
Silence.
In the stillness, a blinding flash filled the interrogation room.
The apocalypse had come!
Lin Xu felt his life rapidly fading.
His eyes could no longer see, so he didn’t know the expression on the man’s face opposite him.
He could only scream hoarsely, struggling with all his might.
“The apocalypse is here!”
“Where is Jiang Xingye? Tell me!”
No one answered.
Lin Xu clung to his willpower alone.
As time ticked away, just before his consciousness plunged into darkness, he suddenly heard a hoarse, faint voice, equally burned out by life.
“Mars!”
“Mars!”