“Not to rain on your parade, but the reality is, if you want to see him, it might be easier for you to turn yourself in,” Mo Qi joked. “Maybe you two can be neighbors in prison.”

Liang Qiuchi smiled. “I know it’s difficult, but Wancha is the key witness to the assassination case. If we want to accuse Reinis of being the mastermind, we must first know the truth from his mouth.”

“What’s your plan?” Mo Xin asked.

Liang Qiuchi said, “Wancha, being a Lugo member and the assassin of a government official, should be detained in Camp 17 before trial.” Camp 17 was a military prison specializing in the detention of war criminals and political prisoners, under military jurisdiction, making it a rather special military prison.

Mo Qi raised an appreciative eyebrow. “Looks like you’ve done your homework.”

“More than that,” Wu Yahui sighed softly. “Qiuchi is so familiar with the layout of this prison.”

Liang Qiuchi explained, “My father was also detained there.” He had even prepared himself psychologically for imprisonment after surrendering, but his reunion with Mo Xin after eight years had disrupted his plans. However, the plotting and preparation he had done in these eight years were not entirely in vain and could now play a crucial role.

“Back to the point,” Liang Qiuchi said, “Meeting with Wancha doesn’t necessarily require me to go in; it can also be him coming out.”

Mo Qi raised an eyebrow. “You mean…”

Mo Xin asked, “What do you need me to do?”

Liang Qiuchi said, “Visit him in prison.”

Due to its special nature, Camp 17 did not allow regular visits. With Mo Xin’s rank as a brigadier general and his status as the relative of an assassination victim, his entry into Camp 17 to interrogate the culprit was relatively reasonable. Thus, he was able to pass without being questioned or stopped.

Mo Xin had a high reputation in the military, and he had a few loyal people of his own in this prison. Therefore, after he entered the visiting room, the prison guards who should have been guarding nearby wisely retreated.

The two looked at each other through a pane of glass. Mo Xin discerned a hint of resentment in Wancha’s eyes.

He raised his chin, indicating for Wancha to pick up the intercom.

Sure enough, the first words from the other side were sharp with every word, “So? Is your old man dead yet?”

Mo Xin ignored the provocation in his words and asked coldly, “What did Reinis promise you?”

Wancha snorted disdainfully, “Trying to trick me with words?” He leaned closer to the glass, hostility in his eyes becoming more apparent. “Let me tell you, I don’t just want to kill your old man, I want to kill your whole family.”

In contrast, Mo Xin on the other side of the glass remained remarkably calm.

“Why?” It was their first meeting, and they had no prior interaction, so there shouldn’t have been any unfounded hatred. But the palpable hostility emanating from Wancha was obviously genuine.

“You still have the nerve to ask?” Wancha gritted his teeth, “If it weren’t for you, Qiuchi ge would not have been arrested, would he? I damn well want your whole family to join him in the grave!”

Mo Xin narrowed his eyes. “Qiuchi ge?”

“Surnamed Mo, I know I can’t touch you personally, but let me tell you, your old man’s misfortune is all your damn fault!” Wancha glared at him, his face filled with the triumphant satisfaction of revenge.

Mo Xin leaned back in his chair, calmly watching him almost manically. “So Reinis persuaded you by promising to avenge Liang Qiuchi.”

Wancha mimicked his posture, adopting a defeated tone, “Save your breath. I’ll take responsibility for my own actions. Don’t expect to get any confession out of me. I did this all on my own.”

“Oh really?” Mo Xin’s sharp gaze saw through everything. “If it was really all your doing, your first reaction should have been asking me who Reinis is.”

Wancha stiffened all over.

Mo Xin continued, “If you didn’t have someone backing you up, with your identity, you wouldn’t have been able to pass the security check and enter the venue that day.”

Wancha remained stubborn, refusing to admit, “So what? Can’t I use my own connections to get in? Spare me your nonsense.”

“Fine, let’s get to the point,” Mo Xin covered the mouthpiece of the intercom with one hand, lowering his voice. “No matter what method you use, you must be in solitary confinement by eight tonight.”

Wancha’s expression turned incredulous, as if he had heard an absurdity. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Whether you want to see your Qiuchi ge again is up to you.” Mo Xin hung up the phone and walked away without looking back.

Only Wancha remained in the visiting room, pounding on the glass like a mad monkey, roaring, “What do you mean by that?! Come back! Come back and explain!”

“General Mo, are you… alright?” The prison guard stationed outside the door saw Mo Xin’s pale complexion and spoke with indignation, as if Wancha had killed his own father. “Don’t worry, he won’t have a good time in here.”

Mo Xin gave a nonchalant “Hmm” and glanced at the guard when he reached the door, “Thank you.”

The guard promptly saluted and respectfully watched the young general leave quickly.

Mo Xin walked to the car without saying a word, and Vincent, at the driver’s seat, immediately started the engine and drove the car to the meeting point that Liang Qiuchi had told him about.

Along the way, Vincent glanced at the rearview mirror several times. The man in the back seat seemed to have returned to his state when Vincent first met him, cold and aloof, devoid of any warmth or emotion.

“General,” Vincent gripped the steering wheel tightly, “Are we really going to do this?”

Mo Xin stared expressionlessly out the window, still not saying a word.

The car made several turns, and after confirming that no one was following them, it finally entered an industrial park.

Due to the city development needs of San Lorenzo, this industrial park had been completely relocated two years ago, but the demolition work was lagging behind, so many warehouses and factories were still being rented out.

Their car stopped in front of a warehouse.

Vincent got out of the car quickly to check and confirm that this was indeed Area C, Warehouse 21. He then went to open the car door for Mo Xin. “General, this should be it.”

Mo Xin got out of the car. This warehouse was located in the southeast corner of the entire industrial park. Its exterior appearance was no different from the surrounding warehouses, with a white rolling shutter door covered in a thick layer of grime, looking like it hadn’t been visited in a long time.

He gave Vincent a fleeting glance, and Vincent understood. Just as he was about to step forward to knock on the door, the electric roller shutter door automatically lifted, and Wu Yahui leaned out from the doorway, cautiously looking around before waving to them. “General Mo, everything’s clear. Come in.”

The warehouse looked larger on the inside than it did from the outside, but apart from a table, chairs, and a simple locker, there were no other furnishings, making it seem even emptier.

The only notable feature was a huge blueprint hanging on the wall to the left, covered in various colored pins and markings, densely packed and somewhat unsettling to behold.

At this moment, Liang Qiuchi stood in front of the blueprint, his eyes fixed on it.

Mo Xin stood by his side, following his gaze for a moment before asking, “Is this a map?”

“Sort of. It’s the underground drainage system map of this area,” Liang Qiuchi extended his long arm and pointed to a spot marked with red pins in the upper left corner of the blueprint, tapping it twice. “This is the solitary confinement room of 17th Camp.”

His finger slowly traced along the intersecting lines on the blueprint, stopping finally at a spot marked with a red pentagon, tapping it again. “This is where we are right now.”

Mo Xin suddenly understood. Although the 17th Camp and this industrial park didn’t seem close on the surface, it required going through three or four blocks by car. However, if they used the sewer system, the distance between them would be greatly reduced.

“How did you get hold of this blueprint?” Mo Xin asked.

“It’s available at the city library. I obtained a backup three years ago,” Liang Qiuchi replied.

This route was originally prepared as a way out for himself after he surrendered to prison. Several years ago, he had already purchased this warehouse in the name of his best friend Xiang Bei and thoroughly explored the underground passage connecting the warehouse to the 17th Camp during this time.

However, this retreat was not foolproof, because Liang Qiuchi felt that if he voluntarily surrendered, even if he were indeed sent to the 17th Camp, Reinis might not give him a chance to survive the second day in prison, let alone let him escape by means of solitary confinement.

Mo Xin still felt uneasy, “There have been changes in the urban planning of San Lorenzo in the past two years. What if the blueprint is inaccurate or the actual situation is different…”

“Don’t worry, I’ve walked this route in person many times.” Liang Qiuchi hugged him, reassuring him, “I went through it again yesterday. It won’t go wrong.”

He demonstrated the route on the blueprint for Mo Xin, and in fact, even if he closed his eyes, he could accurately mark out the path.

He had never thought he could escape unscathed, but he still prepared for this slim possibility.

However, even so, he still couldn’t convince Mo Xin to let him go to the 17th Camp alone.

“If he betrays us, and there’s a group of prison guards waiting in the solitary confinement room, I can provide cover,” Mo Xin insisted on going with Liang Qiuchi, “I want to be with you.”

In Mo Xin’s black, shiny eyes, there was a palpable determination filled with affection, making Liang Qiuchi feel a rush of warmth in his heart with just one glance.

He lifted Mo Xin’s face and planted a kiss on his cheek, “Alright, let’s go together.”

At half-past seven that evening, Wu Yahui lifted the carpet, revealing a wooden board embedded in the floor.

“The time has come,” she looked at the well-prepared Liang Qiuchi and Mo Xin, still showing some hesitation, “Are you really going? What if that guy hasn’t been placed in solitary confinement, or worse, as Mo Xin here said? What then?”

Liang Qiuchi thought that no matter what, he had to take a look.

Mo Xin checked his magazine, holstering his gun at his waist. He said softly, “That depends on whether ‘Qiuchi ge’s’ charm is great enough.”

Liang Qiuchi chuckled at him.

Wu Yahui found Mo Xin’s words a little sour, but time was running out, and there was no time for further questions. She waved her hand, holding her breath, and lifted the wooden board, letting in a rush of humid, musty air with a slight hint of odor from underground.

She gestured for them to enter.

Liang Qiuchi and Mo Xin climbed down the ladder one after the other, and Wu Yahui quickly covered the wooden board, finally letting out a long breath as if she had come back to life. “That was suffocating.”