Chapter 85: Deadly Russian Roulette

Chapter Eighty-Five: Deadly Game of Russian Roulette

"Who is he?" Bai Zeshao asked in a low voice.

"Him?" Liu Xiaobing gave a light laugh. "A die-hard member of the Red Party. So, what do you think? Want to give it a try? I heard that when you interrogated someone named An Guoming before, you were pretty ruthless."

"That was out of necessity," Bai Zeshao replied indifferently. "No need to try this time. After all, he’s one of your Intelligence Branch’s catches. By the way, you still haven’t told me what I’m here for today."

"This is exactly why you’re here. Come on, give it a shot," Liu Xiaobing said with a faint smile, his eyes fixed on Bai Zeshao.

"Alright then," Bai Zeshao knew he didn’t have the right to refuse. He nodded, rolled up his sleeves, and picked up a bucket of cold water beside him, dousing Ye Weitian with a swift splash.

Ye Weitian slowly regained consciousness, his gaze immediately landing on Bai Zeshao in front of him. Bai Zeshao, who had been watching him closely, met his eyes for a fleeting moment. And in that instant, Bai Zeshao could be certain that Ye Weitian recognized him—the man who had saved his life just days ago.

"Speak. If you have anything to confess, it’s best to do so early. Don’t tell me you can withstand it all. Maybe you can, but they might not be able to," Bai Zeshao said, stepping aside to reveal the mother and child standing behind him.

When Ye Weitian saw the two familiar faces, surprise flashed across his eyes, quickly replaced by uncontrollable worry. He hardened his heart, turned his head away, and said coldly, "Who are they? I don’t know them."

"Oh?" Liu Xiaobing hadn’t expected this answer and was momentarily stunned. He walked over to the little boy. "Ha, you hear that? He says he doesn’t know you."

Click.

The sound of a bullet being loaded echoed in the interrogation room. Liu Xiaobing pressed his pistol to the boy’s head, malice in his voice. "Still don’t recognize them, do you?"

Ye Weitian clenched his eyes shut in pain, saying nothing. Only he knew how much his heart ached, how excruciating the pain was. But he dared not acknowledge them; otherwise, the fate of his wife and child would be even more tragic.

"Waaah!"

Terrified by Liu Xiaobing’s actions, the little boy burst into tears, screaming for his parents.

"Xiaobing, there’s no need for this. He’s just a child. No matter our stance or beliefs, children are always innocent," Bai Zeshao hurriedly interjected.

"Hmph," Liu Xiaobing snorted, holstered his gun, and sat down again.

Bai Zeshao let out a breath of relief—he had truly feared Liu Xiaobing would pull the trigger. Turning back to Ye Weitian, Bai Zeshao caught gratitude in his eyes.

"Still nothing to say?" Bai Zeshao picked up a whip from the table, questioning as he did.

Ye Weitian remained silent, his eyes tightly shut.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

The whip lashed repeatedly against Ye Weitian’s body. Bai Zeshao was soon breathless from the effort, but Ye Weitian didn’t utter a sound.

"See, Xiaobai? Torture is useless here. If it worked, I’d have broken him long ago." Liu Xiaobing patted Bai Zeshao’s shoulder, then turned to Ye Weitian. "Since you refuse to talk, let’s play a game instead."

Bai Zeshao looked over just as Liu Xiaobing produced a revolver, flicked open the cylinder, ejected all the bullets, then loaded a single round. With a forceful spin, he snapped the cylinder shut.

"You want to play Russian Roulette," Bai Zeshao realized, his expression darkening.

"That’s right. I remember you were always top of the class in firearms back at school. Interested in playing?" Liu Xiaobing invited.

"Let’s leave games for another time. We should finish the interrogation first," Bai Zeshao declined.

"Xiaobai, that’s not like you. You were never so timid. Besides, we won’t get any answers for a while. Let’s have a little fun," Liu Xiaobing said, staring intently at Bai Zeshao, waiting for his reply.

Irritation churned within Bai Zeshao. He had no idea what Liu Xiaobing truly wanted, forced to react passively, which left him with a bitter sense of powerlessness he disliked. But under Liu Xiaobing’s gaze, he forced a smile and nodded in agreement.

"I’ll go first," Bai Zeshao reached for the revolver, but Liu Xiaobing quickly pulled it back.

"Not so fast. This time, we’re adding a twist. Let me finish," Liu Xiaobing withdrew his hand and explained, "This time, the bet isn’t our lives—it’s theirs."

He gestured at Ye Weitian’s wife and child.

"No," Bai Zeshao refused immediately.

Ye Weitian’s eyes snapped open, blazing with fury as he glared at Liu Xiaobing with murderous intent.

"Why not? Just for entertainment. We even have a Red Party member as an audience. The surroundings may be a bit shabby, but overall, it’s not bad. Come on, pick your proxy. Whose life will you bet on—the child or the adult?" Liu Xiaobing finished, passing the choice to Bai Zeshao.

Suppressing his anger, Bai Zeshao replied coldly, "I choose the child. But he’s innocent. I don’t need him to stand in for me. I’ll bet my own life against yours. Is that acceptable?"

"Xiaobai, you haven’t changed since our student days," Liu Xiaobing sighed.

"But you have," Bai Zeshao looked at him, a tinge of sorrow in his voice. "You’ve changed so much that I barely recognize you, even fear you a little."

"It’s not me who’s changed, but the times—and you," Liu Xiaobing cried out inwardly, then raised the revolver. "I’ll go first. I’m tired of always coming second to you."

He pressed the gun to the woman’s temple and pulled the trigger.

Click.

Both Bai Zeshao and Ye Weitian breathed a sigh of relief. Luck was with them: the first chamber was empty. Liu Xiaobing passed the revolver to Bai Zeshao, who weighed it in his hand, gauging its heft. Without hesitation, he pressed it to his own temple and fired.

Click.

Another empty chamber.

The revolver returned to Liu Xiaobing, who smiled faintly and, without a care, pressed it once again to the woman’s head.