Chapter 152: Interrogation Room
Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: Karai
Merk’s voice wasn’t particularly loud, but in the now-silent hearing hall, it was especially clear. The reporters in the media section could hardly believe their ears. Murder charges! This was far more sensational than any academic misconduct!
Lin Xu calmly responded, “I thought the person who murdered Marianna was already arrested and tried a year ago.”
“After the former Chief Investigator Rolson died, we believed there were still doubts surrounding the case and decided to reopen the investigation,” Merk said. “Lin Xu, I hope you will cooperate.”
“…”
“Let me finish my rebuttal statement,” Lin Xu said.
“Suspect Lin Xu, please, treat this case seriously. You are under arrest,” Merk said sternly.
“But before the court officially convicts me, you can’t treat me as a criminal,” Lin Xu replied. “Don’t worry. This won’t take long.”
Merk looked like he wanted to say more, but Lin Xu had already turned around. “Chairman, I’ll continue.”
“You—!”
The chairman glanced at Merk. “Detective Chief Merk, please, remain silent. Since Dr. Lin wishes to finish his statement, the committee will provide the platform and opportunity.”
Merk could only grit his teeth and stand behind Lin Xu, listening to the stream of obscure, technical terminology that Lin Xu rattled off effortlessly. This wasn’t some stalling tactic by Lin Xu. His insistence on finishing was purely to refute the allegations.
Merk checked the time on his terminal nearly every two minutes, pacing impatiently behind Lin Xu. But Lin Xu seemed completely deaf to the footsteps. Ironically, it was the accusing group sitting nearby that was sweating profusely under Merk’s pressure.
Lin Xu picked up his pace, finishing what was originally a two-hour speech in thirty minutes.
Following the statement, there was supposed to be a cross-examination session. But Merk was already at the edge of his patience, and Lin Xu figured that, if the chairman was willing to judge based on facts, he had already said enough. Once he was done, Lin Xu didn’t linger for a moment. He turned back to Merk and said, “Detective Chief Merk, let’s go.”
Merk, expressionless, stepped forward with handcuffs. “Dr. Lin, if you would—”
Lin Xu showed no hesitation or anger, simply raising his hands, allowing Merk to cuff him without resistance. Merk coldly snapped the digital cuffs on Lin Xu’s wrists and led him out by the arm, while the media section erupted—reporters gripping their drones and snapping photos wildly.
In the elevator, Merk’s officers surrounded Lin Xu in a tight circle, as if guarding against escape.
Noticing the direction they were heading, Lin Xu remarked, “Detective Chief Merk, are you sure you want to use the main entrance?”
Merk glanced at him. “What, feeling ashamed now?”
Lin Xu didn’t answer. He only said, “Very well. That’s your choice.”
His choice? Merk believed he was simply doing his duty—bringing a criminal to justice on the main road! He ignored Lin Xu’s cryptic words… until they walked out the front doors and were immediately swarmed by a wave of reporters and camera drones, packed so tightly they could barely move forward. Only then did Merk understand. Lin Xu had meant it literally. This path was packed with obstacles—and very hard to walk.
– –
72nd Floor, Capital Star Police Department
Merk yanked off his police jacket in the locker room and tossed it into the laundry bin, grabbing a new one to change into. Back at the building entrance, reporters had surged like a tidal wave. Merk couldn’t comprehend how these people ended up grabbing his clothes—some even smeared their makeup on him during the commotion.
He hadn’t expected the arrest of a high-profile suspect to go so smoothly, with no violent resistance—yet he ended up more disheveled than anyone. Though come to think of it, he might’ve been the only one who looked this disheveled.
After changing clothes and drinking a quick sip of water, Merk picked up the interrogation log and headed to the interrogation room in a rush. Sitting inside was Lin Xu, who looked far better than Merk himself. Though they had just squeezed through the same crowd, Lin Xu’s clothes and hair remained impeccable.
Even as a suspect inside the police department, Dr. Lin didn’t seem flustered at all—only cold and slightly impatient.
After Rolson’s death, all his major past cases had been re-examined. During this process, Merk discovered unresolved doubts in the Marianna Perser case, and the case was reassigned to him for renewed investigation. Incidentally, the confiscated bribes from Rolson were used to upgrade some police equipment—including the new digital handcuffs now on Lin Xu.
Merk and his team had been investigating in secret for a long time. Lin Xu had powerful connections across political, military, and business circles—Merk couldn’t afford to alert him prematurely. He waited until he had enough solid evidence before applying for an arrest warrant.
Lin Xu’s background had made even the prosecutor hesitate for a moment. After a few sighs, the prosecutor suggested Merk arrest him at the public hearing—at least in full view, Lin Xu couldn’t invoke any personal privileges. Over the past few days, Merk had seen the surge of online vitriol aimed at Lin Xu. But Lin Xu had avoided public appearances—until today, when he appeared at the hearing. And what Merk saw was someone who seemed entirely unaffected by the hostility.
Cold. Composed. Distant as ever. A high-IQ criminal with nerves of steel.
Merk took the seat across from Lin Xu. He hadn’t brought an assistant—perfect. With Lin Xu’s lawyer not yet present, this was a rare chance to talk one-on-one. Maybe he could get a confession. Not that they needed one to press charges; the judge could determine guilt based on the evidence alone. Still, a confession would make the prosecution’s job a whole lot easier.
“So, Lin Xu. Who’d you get to represent you? I’m afraid the Perseus Group’s super lawyer squad won’t be helping you out this time.”
“Mr. Thomas Metz,” Lin Xu replied.
“Who?” Merk frowned. The name didn’t ring a bell.
“Head of the Abyss Fleet’s legal division.”
Merk went quiet for a moment, then lifted his eyes to Lin Xu. “Is that supposed to be a threat?”
He’d admit it—he held a certain respect, even fear, for Marshal Chu. Which only made it harder to understand how someone like that could be so thoroughly manipulated by a suspected murderer and con artist. They even had a kid together. And Lin Xu wasn’t even an omega. A beta wasn’t supposed to have any biological allure to an alpha.
“No, not a threat,” Lin Xu said calmly. “Your dedication to your work is admirable. I just hope you apply that diligence toward reflecting on the real reasons you arrested me.”
“The police suspect you—”
“—of murder and fraud, yes, you already told me at the hearing. Speaking of which, I never did finish watching the hearing. What was the final result? Be a help and check for me.”
“Lin Xu, you’re a suspect!” Merk snapped, shooting to his feet.
“I know. I also know that under Imperial law, a suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty, same as any other citizen. You’ve confiscated my devices—I can’t check the news myself. So, I need you to do it.”
His tone wasn’t commanding. It was quiet, almost casual. But Merk realized with a grim twist in his gut that he’d already walked straight into Lin Xu’s verbal trap. Just a few lines in, and he’d lost the upper hand. Still, if he refused, Lin Xu probably wouldn’t say another word.
Merk paced behind the table a couple of times, tamping down his growing frustration. Then he sat down again and pulled out his terminal, navigating to the news feed. He skipped past all the articles about Lin Xu’s public arrest and went straight to the committee’s official site. He was wary—Lin Xu might just be fishing for public sentiment data, looking for leverage in media coverage.
The committee page showed that Lin Xu had provided sufficient evidence, structured arguments, and verified data sources. His rebuttal was accepted. The joint complaint from the scholars had failed.
“All right. Are you done reading?”
“Mm.”
“Want to know what people are saying about it?”
“Go on.”
Merk felt again like he was being toyed with. He needed to reclaim the upper hand.
“The most-liked comment says, ‘First he gets cleared of academic fraud, now he’s a murder suspect? There’s gotta be something off about that guy.’ What do you think?”
“I think my health’s not great, but otherwise I’m doing okay.” Lin Xu replied, unfazed. “Detective Merk, you’re fairly new to this job, aren’t you? But not exactly a rookie. Promoted recently?”
Lin Xu’s face remained expressionless, but there was a subtle shift in tone—lighter, almost amused. He must’ve picked up on something in Merk’s behavior. He was right: Merk had just been promoted. Was it something he’d said?
“Even a beat cop would’ve had to arrest you,” Merk shot back stiffly.
“Ah, so I guessed right.” Lin Xu continued, “Young men are always so imaginative. If you’d actually read the case details, you’d know Marianna died in a crowd. She was poisoned.”
His voice dropped, all the air of casualness gone in an instant. “The other two bullets were aimed at me and one of my students. If Marshal Chu hadn’t stepped in, you’d be digging up my ashes right now, trying to charge them with murder and fraud.”
“Tch. This wasn’t some heat-of-the-moment murder. You never planned to kill anyone—not directly. You wanted Perser’s inheritance. To get it, you needed a clean solution. Something hands-off. So you hired someone, staged an attack on yourself to look like a victim. That way, no one would suspect you. And you almost pulled it off—got Rolson to cover for you, pinned the blame on two scapegoats. Nice and neat.”
Lin Xu fell silent. All he’d meant to do was provoke Merk into revealing a few useful details. He hadn’t expected the man to spill the whole thing like a bag of marbles. Now Lin Xu was certain: Merk wasn’t behind the conspiracy.
He wasn’t even in the loop the way Rolson had been. Not a single bribe, not a whiff of deeper involvement. Just a dutiful foot soldier charging ahead, blindly executing orders under the illusion he’d uncovered some grand criminal plot.
Poor Merk… did the mastermind even realize how hopelessly earnest their attack dog was?
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