Zhao Liangze has also met Wen Shouyi when he had gone to the United States with Gu Nianzhi. Of course, he had only treated her like a teaching assistant; he’d had no other interactions. It could be said that apart from occasional encounters because of Gu Nianzhi, the two were complete strangers to each other. But today, Wen Shouyi greeted Zhao Liangze as though she were finally reuniting with an old friend. Fortunately, Zhao Liangze was well trained and nodded with a smile as he said, “Hello, Teaching Assistant Wen. It’s been so long, although I never thought you would give us a big surprise as soon as we met again.”
“I don’t quite understand what Mr. Zhao is saying.” Wen Shouyi frowned in confusion. “I have been law abiding no matter if I’ve been in the United States or in your Huaxia Empire. I have never violated any laws. But, I can say that your actions today are at the underside of the law. I suggest you release Professor He immediately, or else you’ll all be in trouble if you cross him—even if your master is a Major General.”
Zhao Liangze raised his brows and said in surprise, “Teaching Assistant Wen, that’s very interesting. We are soldiers of the Huaxia Empire, and although there are high and low ranks, we are all equal in terms of ethics and law. Mr. Huo is our chief, not our master. We are not Mr. Huo’s slaves. Now, why would Teaching Assistant Wen think that way? Do you have a master, or are you a slave? What’s more, you’re an associate professor at the Harvard Law School, yet is there still slavery in the United States?”
Wen Shouyi was stunned by Zhao Liangze’s retort, and her face clouded over. The corners of her lips twitched and in a voice that was slightly shrill, she said, “You know what I mean, so don’t twist my words!”
“There are video and audio recordings here, so there’ll be no twisting of meanings.” Zhao Liangze pointed to the camera. “Don’t go thinking how corrupted it is here.”
Wen Shouyi sneered as she gave him a look of scorn and contempt. After a long moment, she raised her head arrogantly and nodded. “Very well then; but, according to the laws of your esteemed nation, you cannot detain us for over 24 hours if you require our assistance with the investigation. Anything over 24 hours is illegal detention.”
Zhao Liangze’s fingers paused but he maintained a smile on his face as he ignored her and continued to question her according to established procedures. “Lawyer Wen, Professor He said that you represented Dou Qingyan as her defense lawyer in the United States. May I ask: what was the crime that she committed there?”
Upon hearing such an unprofessional question, Wen Shouyi nearly fell over laughing. She looked at Zhao Liangze like he was an idiot. “Mr. Zhao, Qingyan is my client and I’m her lawyer. According to the law, I can’t disclose anything about the case to anyone else. If I say anything, it’s a violation of privacy laws and a major breach of conduct as a lawyer. I will have my law license revoked and may even go to jail. Mr. Zhao, I won’t say a thing even if you lock me up here for life.”
This time Zhao Liangze was left speechless. Arguing wasn’t his specialty. These were all such sharped tongued people he almost wanted to turn tail and have someone else handle the matter. However, this was his task right now, and not Gu Nianzhi’s or Yin Shixiong’s responsibility. Zhao Liangze kept his face composed and looked down at the questions on the laptop to continue the interrogation. “Did you make the video of Dou Qingyan’s study trip?”
Wen Shouyi kept shaking her head in denial. “Of course not. I said it already, Dou Qingyan is only a client of mine in the United States, I mainly interacted with her due to her case there. How would I know anything else about her? Mr. Zhao can’t possibly think that she reports everything to me?”
Zhao Liangze ignored her and recorded her response in its entirety, then asked, “If you only interacted with her because of a case, why did Dou Qingyan arrive at the Prime Minister’s official residence with you when she suddenly returned to the Empire?”
This question couldn’t be avoided by Wen Shouyi, nor was it out of place. She thought about it and said tersely, “Qingyan stayed abroad, alone, for six years, and had actually wanted to come home a long time ago but could never make up her mind. This time, it was because of the lawsuit that she learned about the harshness of the world and missed home dearly, so she let go of her worries and rushed back. When she wanted to come home on New Year’s Day to surprise her family, she couldn’t get plane tickets and came to me for help. It so happened that Professor He had a seat open on his private jet, so we gave her a ride.”
Zhao Liangze almost exhaled sharply, but forced himself not to because he didn’t want to be looked down by Wen Shouyi. An ordinary private jet wasn’t able to fly from the United States to the Huaxia Empire. Most of the ones on the market were only suitable for short-haul flights, no matter how luxuriously finished they were. There were very few private jets that could fly intercontinental flights, and only a handful of the richest people in the word had the money and personnel to maintain such an aircraft. And among these rich people, Zhao Liangze had never heard of an American with the surname He. “Is that so.” Zhao Liangze made a note on the laptop and said, “So, she got off the plane and you drove her directly to Prime Minister’s official residence?”
“Yes, she called her family on the plane, so they decided to host an impromptu grand banquet for her. It was to welcome back Miss Dou, who hadn’t been home for six years.” Wen Shouyi sighed in admiration. “The Dou family really pampers this daughter. Excuse my boldness, but it was only a few photos. Even if they were fake, it’s just a girl’s unspeakable feelings, so why did you have to make such a big deal out of it? You had to arrest her too? Your Major General Huo is such a petty person. How can he lead soldiers?”
Zhao Liangze pursed his lips before breaking into another smile and proceeding to ask, “So when she returned home to play the video, she made that herself?”
“Or maybe her family made it for her?” Wen Shouyi replied with a smile, her answer water tight.
“How’s that possible? She’d clearly just gotten off the flight and returned home, and then the banquet started. How did her family have the time to make the video in advance?” Zhao Liangze shot back.
Wen Shouyi considered it. “This I really don’t know. You’re better off asking Dou Qingyan herself.”
“We naturally will.” Zhao Liangze nodded. “Also, your phone and all electronics will be kept by us and will be returned when you are released.”
“Remember, you can’t detain us for more than 24 hours; otherwise, I’ll take you to court, and the military will lose all its face.” The smile disappeared from Wen Shouyi’s face as her expression turned icy.
Zhao Liangze was originally the most easy going and well tempered person amongst Huo Shaoheng’s four personal secretaries, but he was at his wit’s end now. Looking down, the veins on his neck were faintly bulging as he hammered at the keyboard.
Huo Shaoheng squinted in the opposite room and sent Zhao Liangze a message: “Have Nianzhi question her.”
Zhao Liangze was elated to see this and quickly replied: “Great! Have Nianzhi come in! When will she get here?”
“You can come out first.” Huo Shaoheng replied to him as he called Gu Nianzhi.
Gu Nianzhi was still tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep at all. Quickly picking up her phone as soon as it rang, she was excited to see that it was Huo Shaoheng’s call. She immediately swiped at her phone to answer. “Huo Shao, what’s the matter?”
Smiling faintly at her breathless voice, Huo Shaoheng asked calmly, “Haven’t slept yet?”
“.Not yet…” Gu Nianzhi laughed guitily and changed the subject. “Did something happen that made you call me at this hour?”
“Yeah, there is something.” Huo Shaoheng paused as he stared at Wen Shouyi in the interrogation room. Suddenly, the image of the dolls Gu Nianzhi loved to play with as a child appeared in his mind—Wen Shouyi resembled them, somehow. Clenching his fist, his eyes darkened but he didn’t speak this aloud. Instead he said, “Come over for a bit and help us question Wen Shouyi and He Zhichu.”
“Oh? Can I?” Gu Nianzhi quickly sat up on the bed and held her phone against her ear as she pulled on some clothes. “I can help you guys?”
“Yeah, I’ll issue a letter of appointment stating that you are a negotiating expert we especially hired.” As Huo Shaoheng said, he ordered Zhao Liangze to prepare a the negotiating expert’s letter of appointment for Gu Nianzhi.