13. Doubt and Testing

Page 1/3

Zhou Hongyi thought to himself, "Here we go." Today, Ding Mocun had come to the garden villa not only to meet with Zhou Pan’er but also to gather information about Major Yoshida, the Red Party operative. Zhou Hongyi displayed a rather smug smile, crossing his legs. "Brother-in-law, when it comes to this matter, it’s truly a milestone in my career—worthy of being included in my memoirs. This was a textbook interrogation technique: a blend of deception and trickery, and the other party confessed willingly. Heh heh heh."

"Oh? Deception and trickery? Zhongliang, I'm quite curious—how do the interrogation methods taught at West Point differ from those used at our Intelligence Headquarters? Could you enlighten me today?"

"Since brother-in-law is so interested, I’ll dare to show off and risk embarrassment."

Zhou Hongyi leaned back, briefly reflecting on his past experiences playing various minor roles as collaborators, enemy soldiers, rogues, and traitors, and after synthesizing a wealth of online information, he summarized a few key points.

"First, I made thorough preparations, researching the target’s background and scrutinizing it carefully—this is the principle of bold hypotheses and cautious verification. Next, I employed methods such as fatigue interrogation, observation and analysis, and psychological inducement, successfully extracting the deeply hidden secrets of the target’s mind."

Ding Mocun listened intently, leaning forward slightly and continuing, "Zhongliang, I understand the preparation and research, but what exactly do fatigue interrogation, observation analysis, and psychological inducement mean?"

Zhou Hongyi knew the question was deliberate—there was already some suspicion brewing in his brother-in-law’s mind, though it was only in its infancy. Whether it would deepen depended on his performance tonight.

"Brother-in-law, fatigue interrogation is easier to understand. Before my questioning, the prisoner had endured many tortures, leaving his body and mind at the brink of exhaustion and collapse—the moment when human willpower is weakest. I used the target’s background to make inferences, continuously attacking his psychological defenses, combined with reading his micro-expressions to intensify the pressure until he completely broke down."

"Oh... micro-expressions? That’s the first time I’ve heard of this term. Zhongliang, could you teach me? If it’s useful, I want to implement it at Intelligence Headquarters."

Zhou Hongyi smiled inwardly, thinking, "You asked for this." It was already past midnight; his “Insightful Eye” skill cooldown had reset and was unused. Ding Mocun had unwittingly come bearing intelligence.

“Insightful Eye... activate.”

When Zhou Hongyi activated the skill, he was surprised to find far fewer entries hovering above Ding Mocun’s head than he had expected.

“What’s going on? Could it be that with my current ability, I still can’t peer deeper into his mind?”

Zhou Hongyi was puzzled when Ding Mocun asked, “What’s wrong? Having trouble?”

Zhou Hongyi shrugged, “Brother-in-law, since there’s no prisoner here, this is best taught in a practical setting. Another day, I’ll visit No. 76 and demonstrate on a suspect.”

“No need to go to such trouble. Just treat me as a suspect and try it right here. Come on, guess what I’m thinking right now and why I’ve been troubled lately.”

Page 2/3

Ding Mocun was quite bold, volunteering himself as Zhou Hongyi’s test subject.

“Alright.”

Zhou Hongyi went all out, staring intently at Ding Mocun and saying:

“Brother-in-law, you’ve been... indulging too much in wine and women lately.”

“Cough cough cough...” Ding Mocun coughed violently, nearly choking on his tea.

“You... don’t talk nonsense. I’ve been busy with work lately; where would I find the time for such indulgences?”

Ding Mocun denied it while signaling discreetly to Zhou Hongyi.

“What are you two talking about? Who’s indulging in wine and women?” Zhou Pan’er approached upon hearing their conversation.

She wore a pale blue dress, her long hair half down, exuding an alluring charm, but Ding Mocun dared not meet her eyes.

Zhou Pan’er was skilled at managing men. Although Ding Mocun had many mistresses outside, he spent at least two nights a week here, a sign of her exclusive favor.

“Heh heh, sister, we were talking about Major Kameda from the Special Higher Police. Just by his appearance, one can tell he’s a debauchee, likely to die young,” Zhou Hongyi said, well aware of the situation but not exposing his brother’s lie.

Zhou Pan’er sat on the armrest of the sofa, draping her arm over Ding Mocun’s shoulder as if massaging him, but she merely pinched a bit of his flesh and twisted sharply upward.

Zhou Hongyi watched as this notorious traitor of No. 76 was subdued by his own sister’s cunning, unable to protest, his eye twitching as he stifled his pain.

“My dear, that Kameda fellow’s name alone sounds sleazy. Don’t follow his bad example. You must be exhausted from work. Let me take care of you tonight so you can rest early.”

Ding Mocun was sweating from the pain but maintained a composed and experienced demeanor before Zhou Hongyi, clearing his throat: “Alright, Pan’er, you go upstairs first. Zhongliang and I will talk a little more before coming up.”

Zhou Pan’er knew exactly how to capture a man’s heart: when to act coy, when to show jealousy, balancing tension and relaxation, advancing and retreating gracefully.

She patted Ding Mocun’s shoulder, stood, shot Zhou Hongyi a fierce glare, and then went upstairs alone.

Page 3/3

After Zhou Pan’er’s intervention, Zhou Hongyi’s gaze suddenly brightened as he looked at the No. 76 director beside him, making a new discovery.

At this moment, two new entries appeared above Ding Mocun’s head: [Embarrassment] and [Panic]. Beneath these entries were additional details that Zhou Hongyi had not seen before.

“What? My good brother-in-law has been in frequent contact with Red Party traitors recently, planning to eliminate all the liaison officers and contact points in the metropolis? Damn it, who exactly is that traitor?”

Zhou Hongyi’s mind raced with a suspicion. It seemed his “Insightful Eye” was not omnipotent. When dealing with prepared individuals or deeply cunning spy chiefs like Ding Mocun, its effectiveness was greatly diminished. However, as long as it could detect emotional disturbances—nervousness, panic, embarrassment, guilt—it could shake the subject’s mental defenses and uncover deeper secrets.

Previously, he had been able to discern the secrets of a Special Higher Police major in the dungeon because the latter was unguarded and physically weakened by torture; his willpower was stretched thin, making other defenses weaker, providing Zhou Hongyi an opportunity.

Now, with Ding Mocun sitting before him, deliberately cautious, and possessing exceptional psychological resilience, “Insightful Eye” failed to uncover any core secrets. Even with the current emotional agitation, Zhou Hongyi could only glimpse some surface-level information.

“I see...” Zhou Hongyi speculated that this ability was likely linked to his own skill level.

The higher his interrogation skill, the more numerous and profound the entries he could extract. The skill and his personal aptitude complemented each other, like two legs taking alternating steps forward. In this light, he couldn’t rely entirely on the system and needed to continually refine his own abilities.

With this in mind, Zhou Hongyi shifted the conversation, poured another cup of tea for his brother-in-law, and smiled:

“Brother-in-law, our No. 76 division has been very active recently. I accidentally uncovered the Special Higher Police’s hidden agent. I believe Major Shimazu can use this opportunity to eliminate his political rivals and have Major Kameda reassigned back to headquarters, right?”

Zhou Hongyi chose a roundabout tactic, leading the topic to the Special Higher Police. Once Ding Mocun’s guard was lowered, he could steer the talk toward his true interests.

Ding Mocun accepted the tea, took a light sip, and sighed, “You indeed played a big role in this. Major Shimazu has already sent a telegram to the military. It’s unrealistic to expect Kameda to face severe punishment, but transferring him out of the key department shouldn’t be a problem. Then, Major Shimazu will have full control over the Special Higher Police without any obstacles. Zhongliang, Shimazu holds you in high regard—this is your chance.”

“Yes, I will seize this opportunity and not let you or Major Shimazu down. There’s another matter—I heard there was a shootout yesterday morning at the Florence Café on Suzhou Road and in the alley behind. A Red Party underground operative killed or wounded over a dozen of our agents. Was he really that formidable? Could the rumors have been exaggerated?”

Upon mentioning this, Ding Mocun’s expression darkened instantly. He slammed his teacup onto the coffee table and snorted coldly:

“That matter infuriates me. That idiot Hu Junhe led a dozen men to make the arrest but caught no one and brought back a few injuries instead. The worst part is he couldn’t even see the suspect’s face, only said he was an excellent marksman and extremely dangerous. Not even our best agents at No. 76 could match him one-on-one. I think that brat is just making excuses for his failed operation!”